Tis the season!

Well here comes the cold weather! (Unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere) ‘Tis also the season for prayer and praise! Praise that Christmas is almost here and that we get to celebrate Jesus’ birth! That God came into the world as a man.

Last week I met with Mark Hogg the director of EDGE Outreach. EDGE is an organization that works to install water purification systems as well as to teach the people in the villages how to build the systems, how to get clean drinking water and how to do basic sanitization. It was neat to see how easy their systems are. Tanks and PVC pipes are usually purchased in the country that the teams are in and the filtration systems are brought in from the US. The filtration system uses salt to sanitize the water. EDGE works primarily in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India and they send teams there for usually 2 weeks at a time to install the systems and to teach the people. They also send out individuals who will take the systems to other countries in which they themselves are missionaries or have contacts. They are a Christian organization, however, sharing the gospel is not their first priority, which is disappointing.

            I went to speak with them to see if they worked with pilots in anyway. They had not specifically worked with pilots before but had heard about MAF and had previously tried to get involved with them. I am going to try to work out how I can incorporate EDGE with aviation. I will talk with MAF and see what they say and hopefully I could install the water purification system in Lesotho since I already have contacts there. Please pray that things will work out clearly, or if they are not meant to be that I will be able to see that door closed. One other problem that we would have to find the solution to would be temperature. In the winter (July-August) Lesotho is usually around freezing, and since these water systems have been only installed in warm countries we’ll have to figure out if the temperature is a major factor.

            Pray that I will be able to trust in God to open doors and lead me in the right direction with this project. Also, pray that I will be able to work out more of my flying plans. I intend to get my instrument rating in the next year or so and I just need to work on when I will be able to spend the most time and effort on it.

            So in summary here are the things I hope to be working with next year- Please pray for these:

            ~ EDGE- and water purification systems

            ~MAF in Lesotho and possibly installing the water system

            ~ Instrument rating- working on it over the summer or sooner

~ Summer- flying hours build up or mission trip or both if timing works out. I would love to spend a whole summer (winter) in Lesotho but that may not be possible.

            I’m looking to God for guidance on where I should go and what I should do in the next couple of years.

Here are a couple videos that I think will be enjoyable for you.

 MAF Lesotho- Airborn Newborn

Christmas Mystery 

Charlie Brown: The Meaning of Christmas 

Fly with Christ,

Helen

           

“911- What is your emergency?”

This past Friday I had the privilege of flying with an air medical team in a helicopter. I visited our friends in Morehead, KY a month or two ago and found out that they live next to a helicopter base. We went across the road to the base and met one of the pilots. He told me about their ride-along program that they offer to medical students at the hospital next door. It gives the students an opportunity to see if they would like to do emergency care through flying as a flight nurse or paramedic. Since I was a pilot and not a med student I still could go with them to see what the flying aspect of the team was like. So I emailed the people and we arranged a date that I could come and ride with them for a whole day.

            I drove from Louisville to Morehead (~2 hours) on Thursday night and spent the night with our friends, the Mansfields (check out Aaron Mansfield's blog- Eclogues), and then in the morning around 8am I went over to the base. We started right away and were up in the air within 15 minutes of me getting there. In the morning they did a drill at a high school about 10 minutes (flight) away. At the school they staged an accident and students played the roles of people injured in the cars. They had actually collided the cars and put dummies in there and a few students who had fake blood and injuries. The EMS, fire department, coroner, the air medical team (PHI), and police were all involved and they responded to the emergency as if it were a real one. We (in the helicopter) were waiting at the nearby airport for them to call us and when they did we lifted up and within a couple minutes we were sitting in the parking lot of the high school. They put the “injured” student on the stretcher and then loaded them in the helicopter. Officially, if it were a real accident they would lift off right away and go to the hospital, but this time we just stayed on the ground and then unloaded the patient.

PHI 1 Morehead, KY

            After the first drill we (PHI air medical team) went and got gas just in case if there was a real emergency that we would be prepared and then came back and did another drill pretty much the same way as the first one. It was really neat to see how they would respond in an emergency and what they do. It was also awesome to be in a helicopter for the first time! It’s neat how you go up straight and then you’re in the air rather than having to have a runway.

The difference between helicopters and planes is that

1. The ride is bumpier (the blades hit the air a certain way which causes the aircraft to shake),

2. A helicopter requires less room to take off and so is beneficial because they can land anywhere but can’t go as far on a tank of fuel, and

3. Planes are better for long distances but have limited landing areas.

After doing the drills we returned to base in Morehead and then the team did paperwork and/or took naps. The medical personnel on the team work 24hour shifts while the pilot works 12. On that shift if they get a call they go to it but the rest of the time they are just waiting, doing paperwork, or taking a short nap since their shift is so long and they need to be awake during the night.

            It was such a great experience to see how a helicopter works and how the air medical team works. Depending on where I eventually go in my flying career I may add a rotor wing (helicopter) certificate to what I have.

 Fly (in a plane or helicopter or anything) with Christ,

Helen

Pressing On

Veterans day: Thank you to all the veterans out there! Especially the pilots! We couldn't have come this far without you all and we greatly appreciate it. May God continue to bless your lives as he has already done so far.

Take a look at this link- it's about a WWII African American Pilot who stood up against segregation. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15615290

In other news, Here's a verse that sticks in my mind-

Philippians 3:14  

^"14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

 As I suffered through a mini marathon this morning I was reminded of when Paul talks about running to win the prize. Even if you are not in first place, you can still win the prize- the prize of Christ! That he came to earth to save us from our sins and died on the cross bearing our punishment and suffering. So no matter how much you're suffering, we have Christ to thank for saving us from eternal suffering!

Flying: Pleasant and Pressing Parts

On Wednesday I flew for the first time with a passenger who was not a pilot! I took my dad out for a flight to Frankfort, Georgetown, Madison IN, and then back to Clarksville and Bowman field. This course has become somewhat regular for me so it was nice to fly into places that I knew especially with a passenger. My dad loved it though and was completely calm/ didn’t worry about a thing which was helpful. I even let him taxi a bit. On our way from Georgetown to Madison, I was communicating with Louisville Approach for flight following (where they follow you and tell you if there is any traffic in your area and just keep tabs on you till you get near you destination). As I got farther away from Louisville towards Madison, IN they were having trouble hearing me for some reason. I fiddled with the volume and some of the communication buttons to try and make it better but at that point I was close enough to Madison they terminated the radar service and I just went on my way. However, then the communication between my dad and I in the airplane cut out and we could not hear each other. I also couldn’t hear myself through my head phones. I continued to broadcast my position and landed at Madison airport.

We stopped and I asked the people at the desk there about the radios. Fortunately, they could hear me fine. I then called my instructor to see what I should do and he advised me that sometimes the Unicom frequency switch gets turned off or something like that. We got back in the plane and fixed the problem and were off again. After taking off I did a quick radio check and all systems were go! We cruised on over to Clarksville (just 26 miles south ~15 min), got fuel, and then hopped over to Bowman. It was quite an experience to have a passenger and have radio trouble (which I never had had before). But I just trusted that we could get to the airport safely and figure out the problem from there. In a way it was good to have something go wrong so that I could learn what to do and what not to do. God tests our faith this way- in tough situations we need to immediately turn to Him and not get bogged down by failure or frustration but to work things out and trust God to keep us safe and to help us through things by giving us clear minds to work through the task at hand.

Fly with Christ,

Helen

Our Marvelous Maker!

God is so magnificent! This past week I have been reminded of how wonderful and awesome and creative our God is! It’s beyond my comprehension and there are not enough words to even begin to describe the marvelous things he has done for us. 

First, read 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 and see how great God is! Second, read the rest of this to see how God is even greater!

            I have been cooped up behind my computer this past week working on homework, a long paper, researching articles, and studying. On Saturday I peeled myself away from the screen and got to spend a couple hours orienteering at Taylorsville Lake State Park. It was great to get out of the house and enjoy God’s creation and beauty and every tiny little different thing, each made individually by Him! (Including all the spider webs I ran through). The next best thing of the week was that I went to church on Sunday and heard a great sermon about how we are chosen by God and that Christ was at the beginning, the middle, and he will be there at our end when we come before God under judgment. Christ will be our lawyer and will take the blame for our sins, if we have been saved. On Monday, I got to spend the afternoon with my best friend, Mary Hamilton, hiking in Bernheim forest! It was such a beautiful day. The weather was perfect- crisp, warm from the sun, and a clear day! The fall colors were amazing! Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year and I see God’s excellent order in all things from how each leaf on every tree turns from green to red and to yellow. If you have the chance, take a break from your busy life and go enjoy God’s creation.

Hiking in God's wonderful creation!

        Today, I spent all day studying flying material and planning for my night flight. I went out with my instructor to practice night landing and flying. This helped me to become more familiar with flying at night and to practice/ get used to radio communications. As I was practicing landings at Bowman field I looked out over Louisville and it was gorgeous! I wish I had my camera! There were so many lights all around lighting up streets, buildings, and the entire city. I wish I could have stopped time and just sat there in the air and looked out over the vast city. 

Louisville City lights (even better in person!)

I was reminded of my trip to Mokhotlong, Lesotho where I spent 3 days in the mountains. One night I looked up at the sky and I could see the entire milky way galaxy spread over the sky with millions of stars blinking and shining down on me. Truly we cannot even comprehend how great and awesome God is and what heaven is like- because our sky is just the tip of a pen in a much larger and greater place.

The majestic and powerful night sky with all the stars put in place by God!

            God has blessed us with such simple things as a leaf turning colors and sometimes we just need to open our eyes, take a break from our busy lives and thank God for everything He has given us- including His son, who came to die for our sins and made us right with God. Now, get up, walk away from your computer, and go sit outside and take 5 minutes to appreciate the things God has done for you. GO!... 

When you come back to your computer listen to Indescribable by Chris Tomlin and be lifted up by God!

Fly with Christ!

Helen

Past, present and future...

Flying is starting to become more regular for me. I try to go at least once a week but last week I got rained out. So I finally got to go again today. This time I went to Bloomington, IN to practice landing and navigating to a towered airports where I have to contact the tower and get directions from them for landing. Bowman field is also a towered airport and Clarksville does not have a tower so you announce your position when you are landing or in the pattern. I recently also got a book about aviation communication which will help me become more comfortable with talking to the towers and at bigger airports like SDF (Standiford) or Lexington if I ever wanted to go there on one of my cross country flights. Eventually, I will have to go to those kinds of airports more often so it is good to get practice. Another thing that I will work on more in the near future is night flying. I plan to take some extra lessons on night flying with my instructor to get more used to it.

            On a more comical note, check out this cute video from one of my great childhood memories. (Ps. Don’t do this at home) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODZ5Maa6VnQ&noredirect=1

Fly with Christ,

Helen

Busy Beaver

It’s been already over a month since I came home which is unbelievable! I am back into the full swing of things with taking 5 classes at U of L and 1 class at Boyce College (the undergraduate division of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). I have a busy schedule with classes and homework and getting everything done but thankfully I have a nice weekly calendar with my classes only being on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. I have not been able to fly much lately due to school work and other happenings so you can be praying for me in that way that I don’t get bogged down by the amount of homework I have to do. I pray for the strength to keep on doing well in school and not giving up. I will however be flying again on Wednesday- going on a cross country between Louisville, Frankfort, and Madison (Indiana).

A couple of weeks ago I got to go visit some awesome friends in Morehead, KY. I spent the weekend with Aaron and Jessica Mansfield. I got to share about my trip to South Africa and Lesotho on Sunday morning with one of their Sunday school groups. This was a great experience for me to be able to share what God has been doing in my life this past summer. The best part, however, was that the Mansfields live next to one of the main helicopter bases for their region. AWESOME!!! Just before I left to go back home on Sunday afternoon, Jessica and I wandered over to the house in which the pilots, paramedics, and nurses stay while on call. The company is called PHI Air Medical (Petroleum Helicopter Inc.).

PHI Air Medical Helicopter

We met the pilot, Gregg Gray and he showed us the helicopter and told us about what he does. We also found out that he was a pilot with the National Guard and so he gave me some information about that. This got me to thinking more about ways to get my training in becoming a more experienced pilot. I think after college I will look into going into the Air Force, National Guard, or another branch of the military where they would pay me to fly. This has great benefits because I would be able to get a lot of experience without getting into the deep dark pit of debt. However, there is one problem with flying for the military, my eyesight is not quite up to par to be able to fly. I may be able to get Lasik surgery but I am still contemplating all the issues with that. Please pray that whatever God’s will is that I will follow it and continue to trust in Him.

             

Well, that’s what has been happening lately on my end... 

Now, how can I pray for you? If you would like to email me to talk more about anything then send me a message at hagg.helen@gmail.com. 

I would love to hear what you have to say!

Fly with Christ,

Helen Hagg