The end is near!!!

I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!! But hopefully it's not the train- as my instructor says. We officially have 1 month left and I think the last count was 23 school days. Those days are going to be jam packed with studying for the Powerplant test. It's the same type of test as the Airframe but it will certify me to work on the engine part of the aircraft. Right now we are deep in the oil galleys of tearing apart our engines but we're starting to put it back together and hopefully get it running by the end of the year. The engine I have been working on is a Continental IO-520. This engine is used on C310 as well as other engines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_O-520.

IO-520 Engine (beginning of taking it apart)

Crankshaft with connecting rods attached (this was actually taken when were tearing it apart, but now we are at the same stage but putting it back together)

Crankcase halves

Camshaft

 Another really cool and actually applicable project we worked on was balancing a propeller for one of the flight school airplanes. This plane had a lot of vibration and things were breaking/ wearing out earlier than they should have. It turned out to be that the prop was very unbalanced. We used a fancy machine to tell us how much out of balance the prop was and it was almost off the chart! Ideally you want .1 on the scale but our first and subsequent 4-5 readings were around .7- NOT good! We experimented with adding washers/ weight to different places on the spinner and flywheel and finally got it to .05 (under .1)! It only took 3 hours! but it was a good 3 hours of solid learning.

Balancing the prop

The sensor just above the prop with the orange wire going to it tells the machine (below) how much vibration there is at certain revolutions per minute (rpms).

This machine acts like a seismograph- it measures the vibration of the propeller and draws it out.

Lately, I am seeing more an more of God's abundant blessing and provision. He has provided me with a job both now and after school ends. I am working at Grand Ledge airport (just outside of Lansing, MI) as a line guy gal. Which basically means I fuel airplanes that come in and also do office work- helping people pay bills, etc. I will be working there full time after school and will most likely be in charge of the flight school (business side, not teaching) to relieve the other guys of some of the duties so they can fly.

Pete and I in the C310

Another blessing is that I have had the opportunity to fly and get some multi-engine hours in a C310 with my friend/ boss, Pete. Once school is over I will finish up the requirements for my Commercial license, get my multi-engine and then I can get paid to fly as co-pilot in a multi-engine. I may do CFI training (CFI= instructor) as well later in the year.

I know I have complete dropped the ball on the Catechism study and even updating my blog, but I hope you kept going with it! I haven't had much time and honestly haven't used my time all too well either. But here's a quick update/ prayer list-
- The adoption process is almost complete. It could be any week now that my parents go to pick up my little brother and sister. :) So pray for that to come soon and for traveling mercies.
- It's the end of the year and we are all starting to get our rear's in gear to finish. So pray for diligence and studiousness.

I'll try and update more. This week I'm going to Oshkosh, WI for the EAA Airventure! You will hear all about that in the next blog.

Fly with Christ,
Helen

I'm back!

Well it's has been way too long! A lot has been going on over the last couple of weeks- mostly studying though. This past week I took my General and Airframe Written, Oral, and Practical tests and I passed them all!! This means that I am now a certified Airframe mechanic and can fix and inspect the airplane. What I can't do is anything on the engine (Powerplant). At the end of August I will take my tests for the Powerplant portion and then be rated as an A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) mechanic. This might help.. The A&P is like M.D. for a doctor after their name. And the test(s) I take are like board exams.
I had been studying for quite some time and it all paid off, except for one section. Each section (General, Airframe, and Powerplant) have 3 sections- the written, oral (Os) and practical (Ps). I took the General written back in the Fall and last week I took the Airframe written (multiple choice test). Then on Tuesday was both the general and airframe Os and Ps. I started with the Oral part- where my instructor/ examiner asked me questions and I answered them. I had to get at least 70% on all the sections and unfortunately I failed 1 section (Painting). But that's alright, I just moved on with the rest of the test. Next I did the Ps- this included finding information in the logbooks and maintenance manual, filling out paperwork correctly, making hydraulic fluid lines, finding corrosion, troubleshooting electrical problems, safety wiring, inspecting parts for airworthiness, riveting, and much more. The whole test took about 7 hours. For the oral section I had failed I just had to see an instructor/ someone who is Airframe certified and have them go over the questions and subject material with me. Then they wrote a letter to the FAA saying I was good to retake that section and then I retook it and passed it with flying colors! 
God definitely provided for me in giving me the knowledge to do well with the whole test and the comfort to not be anxious but take it one thing at a time. Praise God!

Pete and me flying the C310

Another awesome praise this week was that I got to fly again! And not just in some tiny C172... but in a Twin Engine Cessna 310! WOW! It was so cool to fly a multiengine. My friend flies charter flights and asked if I wanted to come and be co-pilot because on the way back there would be no passengers so I could be instructed then. We flew about an hour north to Harbor Springs, dropped off 2 passengers and then on the way back I flew left seat. I got to start up, taxi, take off, climb to 10,000ft, talk to the tower/ ATC, plow through some clouds, descend, and land (with the help of Pete- my friend), and shut down the airplane! It was one of the coolest planes I've gotten to fly so far!
I praise God for putting opportunities in my life like this.

The alternator I rebuilt! With a yellow tag= GOOD... At first it had a red tag (Bad) but I fixed it.

Andrew with the Continental IO-520 engine

 

that we will work on.

So, that's most of the stuff that's been going on in my life right now. I'll try and do some short updates here and there this week and the following.

Here's a short list of things we've been doing in school:
We took apart/ put together and have/ are testing alternators, carburetors, magnetos, and we get to run up engines and check different things.


We are now into the Powerplant curriculum so we get to tear apart and engine and put it back together in the next 4 months in our groups of 4. (More on that subject later)

Getting ready to run and C-85 engine on the stand.

Fly with Christ,
Helen Hagg, A

Why are you called a Christian?

So yeaaahh I know I'm slacking again...

(Left to Right- Me, Joseph, and Mary- my bestie!)

But I do have excuses for last weekend. SPRING BREAK! I definitely needed the break from school. I went down to Louisville and spent some quality time with friends down there. I threw a bachelorette party for my bestie!


On Saturday, I ran in an orienteering relay which was quite fun. Our team got 3rd out of 11 teams! No awards just bragging rights. We also went bowling and watched the UofL basketball game. Then I scooted on back to MI where it was cold! (60s to 20F) Note I said "was cold". Today was warm!!! We hit 51F! For us that's amazing. At lunch time we all flooded out of the building and ate lunch there, played soccer, and some played softball. Then unfortunately we had to go back inside.

Waiting for our leg of the relay. It's a little chilly/ windy.

School update:
We finished riveting our wing skin on! Now we just have to redo some rivets, prime and paint it, and put a grip step on it. We're also working on installing a plexiglass/ plastic window on the same airplane. In electricity class we are taking apart alternators and later we are putting them back together. Bad thing is I already did this for my car! Good thing is- I know what I'm doing for the most part.

Another thing we have coming up soon are General and Airframe Oral and Practical exams. These are huge major exams and are over everything we have already learned. Pray that I will be diligent with studying and that I won't be worried about them .




Home update!
OUR ADOPTION IS HAPPENING! Right now my parents are traveling to Ethiopia to meet the kiddos (Hasset-girl 6 and her brother Yeabsira- 10)! They are going to do mostly paperwork and get visas and such. In a month or two (?) when the kids get the visas and medical checkups and such then my parents will pick them up and bring 'em home! I'm excited! Praise the Lord.





Now I'm behind one week on the catechism (sorry) but I'll catch up later this week hopefully.

LORD’S DAY 12
31 Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”?

A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit1 to be
our chief prophet and teacher2 who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance;3 our only high priest4 who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body,5 and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;6 and our eternal king7 who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us.8

1 Luke 3:21-22; 4:14-19 (Isa. 61:1); Heb. 1:9 (Ps. 45:7)
2 Acts 3:22 (Deut. 18:15)
3 John 1:18; 15:15
4 Heb. 7:17 (Ps. 110:4)
5 Heb. 9:12; 10:11-14
6 Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24
7 Matt. 21:5 (Zech. 9:9)
8 Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:28; Rev. 12:10-11

32 Q. But why are you called a Christian?A. Because by faith I am a member of Christ1 and so I share in his anointing.2 I am anointed
to confess his name,3 to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks,4 to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life,5 and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation
for eternity.6

We are called Christians because we are followers of Christ and we identify with Him. He died for our sins and we are saved through him. In our salvation we have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. And the only way to God is through Christ- pure and blameless because he took the wrath that we deserved for our sins and interceded for us as the great high priest that reigns forever. Oh what a glorious day it will be when we get to see our Lord face to face and gaze upon His beauty!

1 1 Cor. 12:12-27
2 Acts 2:17 (Joel 2:28); 1 John 2:27
3 Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9-10; Heb. 13:15
4 Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9
5 Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 6:11; 1 Tim. 1:18-19
6 Matt. 25:34; 2 Tim. 2:12

Fly with Christ, 

Helen

Praising God through music!

Well this week sure has been busy! -as always...
On Tuesday we had SMAT Jam. The local United Methodist church has a weekly music series and had asked us to play for them (they asked us back in the fall as well). This time I joined in the festivities and played Jesu, Joy of man's desire on the organ with Liesl who played the violin. We were staged at the local music store where they had a small electric organ. We also had a bunch of songs played by other SMATans and it was very country/ hoe down themed/ sounding (banjo, guitars, drums, piano etc.). They sang several Christian songs/ hymns such as Victory in Jesus, Power in the Blood, etc. It was super fun.
... and then we did it again on Saturday!...
Yesterday was the Ionia Business Expo where everyone in Ionia could advertise their business. SMAT had a booth to show who we are and what we do. Our music group also performed on the stage there (I didn't since my instrument isn't that portable). In the future, we are thinking of taking this show on the road and going to churches to share our mission and in turn maybe get some supporters too. But the main reason is to glorify God. We had several people at the expo come up and ask us to play at nursing homes and at the Ionia Free Fair (huge fair in the summer). It's a great way to get involved in the community and share our love for Christ. We had one lady come up to us and say she was touched by our songs because she listened to every word we sang. How great that she can hear the gospel through our music!

The SMAT music group at the Expo

God the Son
LORD’S DAY 11
29 Q. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus,” meaning “savior”?

A. Because he saves us from our sins,1 and because salvation should not be sought and cannot be found in anyone else.2

1 Matt. 1:21; Heb. 7:25
2 Isa. 43:11; John 15:5; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 2:5

30 Q. Do those who look for their salvation in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere really believe in the only savior Jesus?
A. No. Although they boast of being his, by their actions they deny the only savior, Jesus.1 Either Jesus is not a perfect savior, or those who in true faith accept this savior have in him all they need for their salvation.2

1 1 Cor. 1:12-13; Gal. 5:4
2 Col. 1:19-20; 2:10; 1 John 1:7

It's so wonderful when we get to praise God for sending His Son to be our Savior! Continue to praise Him everyday!

Fly with Christ,
Helen

Finally caught up: Take 2

Here's something fun we got to see: Helicopter rotor blade tracking. The mechanic was checking if the blades were in track (balanced and spinning in the right direction/ place).

Enstrom 480

So now I'm finally caught up! 

LORD’S DAY 10
27 Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?

A. The almighty and ever present power of God 1 by which God upholds, as with his hand, heaven
and earth and all creatures,2 and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty—3 all things, in fact, come to us
not by chance4 but by his fatherly hand.5

1 Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 17:24-28
2 Heb. 1:3
3 Jer. 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; John 9:3; Prov. 22:2
4 Prov. 16:33
5 Matt. 10:29

28 Q. How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?
A. We can be patient when things go against us,1 thankful when things go well,2 and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing in creation will separate us from his love.3 For all creatures are so completely in God’s hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.4

1 Job 1:21-22; James 1:3
2 Deut. 8:10; 1 Thess. 5:18
3 Ps. 55:22; Rom. 5:3-5; 8:38-39
4 Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov. 21:1; Acts 17:24-28

Fly with Christ,
Helen

Sheetmetal and sunshine!

 The sun came out yesterday! and it even got up to 50F! That's amazing!

Lately we have been doing large sheetmetal projects. I am working with Jamin on remaking a wing skin for an Ercoupe (an older plane). We are remaking the skin where you step on the wing to get into the cockpit. The plan was in a crash at some point I think and so now we are doing repairs (more for practice rather than actual flying use). We de-riveted the old skin and used that as a template for the new skin. We then cut that out and drilled all the holes exactly as they are. The 3rd picture is what it looks like under the part where you step. The corregated metal makes it really strong. In the 4th picture Jamin in carefully putting the new skin in place to double check all the measurements and holes. Now we are ready to rivet the new skin on.

Ercoupe

Original wing skin

Underneath the wing skin- where you step.

Skin holes all drilled out

 Here's another Day of the Heidelberg Catechism

God the Father

LORD’S DAY 9
26 Q. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, 1 who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, 2 is my God and Father because of Christ the Son. 3

I trust God so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, 4 and will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends upon me in this sad world. 5 God is able to do this because he is almighty God 6 and desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. 7

1 Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6; Isa. 44:24; Acts 4:24; 14:15
2 Ps. 104; Matt. 6:30; 10:29; Eph. 1:11
3 John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 1:5
4 Ps. 55:22; Matt. 6:25-26; Luke 12:22-31
5 Rom. 8:28
6 Gen. 18:14; Rom. 8:31-39
7 Matt. 7:9-11

Jamin and I making the skin

Fly with Christ,

Helen

Someday I'll catch up...

SMAT from the air! It's a snowy town out there.

My apologies... I am not on top of my game with posting these. This entire weekend I was out and about- working on renovating a house for a friend, church, and flying. But it's a short one this time.

LORD’S DAY 8
24 Q. How are these articles divided?

A. Into three parts:
God the Father and our creation;
God the Son and our deliverance;
and God the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
 
25 Q. Since there is only one divine being, why do you speak of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
 
A. Because that is how God has revealed himself in his Word: these three distinct persons are one, true, eternal God.

Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6
Matt. 3:16-17; 28:18-19; Luke 4:18 (Isa. 61:1); John 14:26; 15:26; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 4:6;
Tit. 3:5-6

Fly with Christ,
Helen

Back on track!

Sorry for the delay. All I can say is that time flies.

Flight hangar! Worldwide it's where we're going! Ps my favorite is the 4th from the left!

 We've been working on the airplanes this week. We got to take off the wings and tail components and now we are in the process of putting them back on again and making sure everything is in the right spot and has the right tension or torque (tightness).

The fuselage I helped mask also got painted! It looks really good! :)

I'm planning on catching up with the catechism this week so stay tuned I'll try and post the following ones on Monday and Tuesday.

LORD’S DAY 7
20 Q. Are all people then saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam?
A. No. Only those are saved who through true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits.

Matt. 7:14; John 3:16, 18, 36; Rom. 11:16-21

21 Q. What is true faith?A. True faith is not only a sure knowledge by which I hold as true all that God has revealed to us in Scripture; it is also a wholehearted trust, which the Holy Spirit creates in me by the gospel, that God has freely granted, not only to others but to me also, forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness, and salvation. These are gifts of sheer grace, granted solely by Christ’s merit.

John 17:3, 17; Heb. 11:1-3; James 2:19
Rom. 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb. 4:14-16
Matt. 16:15-17; John 3:5; Acts 16:14
Rom. 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21
Gal. 2:20
Rom. 1:17; Heb. 10:10
Rom. 3:21-26; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10

22 Q. What then must a Christian believe?A. All that is promised us in the gospel, a summary of which is taught us in the articles of our  universal and undisputed Christian faith.

Matt. 28:18-20; John 20:30-31

23 Q. What are these articles?
A. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. [The Apostles Creed]

Fly with Christ!
Helen

*Snow delay*

Flying with Christ blogposts have been postponed due to the snow.

Blizzard just after school. Most of these cars are being warmed up!

... but not really... I was out of town this weekend and today the snow has come down like a thick duvet so we've been busy snow shoveling, and getting cars unstuck from the snow. In the last 5 hours we've had 6-8" dumped on us and it's still coming down. Pray for safety!
Blizzard as school was getting out. Several cars in this picture were all warming up. 

SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!! 6" just on our street (the one with the stop sign).

Fly with Christ,
Helen

OUR God is AMAZING!

It's been another crazy busy week! But I guess that's life.
 We finished Landing Gear class last week and will finish Hydraulics this week. Up next is Assembly and Rigging, Communication and Navigation, and we're still in Sheet Metal class.
In Assembly and Rigging we get to take apart the wings and other parts of airplanes and then put them back on again. Sounds like fun!

We had a lot going on at SMAT this week. On Tuesday we watched the live debate between Ken Ham (founder of the Creation museum) and Bill Nye (an evolutionist/ scientist). You can look it up at http://debatelive.org/. It was quite an interesting debate and it shows that our foundation is on a solid rock and we can rejoice that we know our personal creator and see his creation in EVERYTHING. There is no way that so much diversity could come from just some gas bubbles in the ocean. God's beauty is marvelous and indescribable.

.

Riveting projects (Practice on the left and good piece on the right- except for the triple staggered row).

Masking off the plane to be painted.

Taking apart my alternator which unfortunately had to be replaced.

Here are some things you can pray for:
- Upcoming exams: We can begin taking our Oral and Practical tests sometime in March, which requires a lot of studying. Pray that I will be diligent in studying and not worry about the test.
- Jobs: I am beginning to look for jobs for after school and what God has in store for me. Pray that I will not worry about this either and that I will trust in God and where He is leading me.
- Adoption: Pray that the adoption process will go faster and that these kiddos can come home soon- simply pray for God's right timing.
- School: Some of the things we are doing now, such as sheet metal, are really challenging for me. Pray that I won't get frustrated and angry but that I will just keep going and learn patience.
THANK YOU!

LORD'S DAY 6

16 Q. Why must the mediator be a true and righteous human?
A. God’s justice demands that human nature, which has sinned, must pay for sin; but a sinful human could never pay for others.

1 Rom. 5:12, 15; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:14-16
2 Heb. 7:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:18

17 Q. Why must the mediator also be true God?
A. So that the mediator, by the power of his divinity, might bear the weight of God’s wrath in his humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life.

Isa. 53; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21

18 Q. Then who is this mediator— true God and at the same time a true and righteous human?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given to us to completely deliver us and make us right with God.

Matt. 1:21-23; Luke 2:11; 1 Tim. 2:5
1 Cor. 1:30

19 Q. How do you come to know this?
A. The holy gospel tells me. God began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise; later God proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs and prophets and foreshadowed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; and finally God fulfilled it through his own beloved Son.

1 Gen. 3:15
2 Gen. 22:18; 49:10
3 Isa. 53; Jer. 23:5-6; Mic. 7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Heb. 1:1-2
4 Lev. 1-7; John 5:46; Heb. 10:1-10
5 Rom. 10:4; Gal. 4:4-5; Col. 2:17


Praise GOD for His saving grace! We get to worship the all powerful God and creator. What a blessing!

Snow upon snow upon snow. 2" had fallen within the first 2 hours of school on top of another 2" from the night.

Fly with Christ!
Helen

Learning in life.

This week was a week of learning (not that every other week I don't learn stuff). I learned a lot about God's faithful plan and how He takes care of us every single day. We started doing riveting in sheet metal class and right now it's just not that riveting, pun intended. Every time I start something new in class I tend to be very frustrated and annoyed because it is not going right or I mess things up. I ask my instructor if this is ok... and he gives me that look like "definitely Not". ARG! Redo the whole thing. I am learning to relax and have a lot of patience. This cycle keeps on happening with all the classes we begin and from now on I'm going to try my hardest to try my hardest- and not get frustrated so easily. When I start to get it right I begin enjoying it more.

I was also reminded that God has a perfect plan for me and sometimes things just take time and they will fall into place when they need to. On facebook I jokingly put a status that said "62 degrees in Tennessee and wind chill of 14 with 6" of snow falling here... someone please tell me why I'm here?" Well, even though it's cold that doesn't matter. I'm reminded everyday that I am here to glorify the Lord and to serve Him with the talent I have and the skills I am learning.

Here are some snap shots of the week: 

Looking up old service manuals on the microfiche.

Blizzard in Ionia- The greyish building in the background is Walmart (600ft (200m) away)

Alternator for my car.

I fixed my alternator for my car! One of the brushes needed to be replaced but I ended up just getting a new voltage regulator which was easier. So after a week my car can finally drive again!

I also got to work on masking a REAL airplane for painting! The mechanics in the other hangar are working on putting a paint scheme on a new airplane so I got to help them mask it out with tape. At the beginning of the year, our instructors advised us to find a area of mechanics that we really like and are good at it and stick with that one. I think mine is drawing/ drafting and planning and painting. I like figuring out where things need to go in design and sketching it out. I think I got some of those skill from my Opa (grandpa) who used to do restoration and drafting/design of old buildings. We'll see as the year goes on what God has in store for me!

Now let's see what He has in store for us this week. Heidelberg Catechism

Part II: Deliverance
LORD’S DAY 5


12 Q. According to God’s righteous judgment we deserve punishment both now and in eternity:
how then can we escape this punishment and return to God’s favor?

A. God requires that his justice be satisfied. Therefore the claims of this justice must be paid in full, either by ourselves or by another.

13 Q. Can we make this payment ourselves?
A. Certainly not. Actually, we increase our debt every day.

1 Matt. 6:12; Rom. 2:4-5

14 Q. Can another creature—any at all—pay this debt for us?
A. No. To begin with, God will not punish any other creature for what a human is guilty of. Furthermore, no mere creature can bear the weight of God’s eternal wrath against sin and deliver others from it.

1 Ezek. 18:4, 20; Heb. 2:14-18
2 Ps. 49:7-9; 130:3

15 Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer should we look for then?

A. One who is a true and righteous human, yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is also true God- JESUS CHRIST!

1 Rom. 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:17
2 Isa. 53:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26
3 Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Jer. 23:6; John 1:1

Praise God that we have a redeemer who pays our debt for us! Jesus Christ the Messiah!

Fly with Christ,
Helen

Snow, sunshine, and I wish it were summer!

Snow upon snow upon snow upon snow! The weather here is quite white. We keep getting more and more snow (right now there is about 2.5 feet of snow that has accumulated over the last month or two) and the temperature never manages to get above freezing. On the other side of the world... it's nice and sunny and warm. Here's a picture, courtesy of Bryan from MAF Lesotho, of what flying looks like in the summer- I wish I were there! Also, here's a link to Justin Honaker's (another MAF Lesotho pilot) blog that he just recently updated about some of the surprising things that have been going on there.

Lesotho in the summer (Courtesy of Bryan)

Lesotho in the winter

 This week we worked more on our hydraulic and landing gear projects (taking pumps apart and putting them back together) as well as our sheet metal pieces which we are beginning to rivet together. My car also died this week and so it's spending the week parked at school. The battery was not being charged and we determined that it was the alternator that was bad. I took it out and found that one of the brushes was completely severed from it's connection and that's why it wasn't charging the battery. This week I'll clean it and put it all back together and hopefully my car will go again.

Some more headlines of this week:
I was able to go to my church on Monday for a Missions committee meeting. Most of it was business oriented but I was able to see how River Terrace Church supports and connects with their missionaries. It was great to see how they are very involved in what the missionaries are doing and how they can help them as well.
At school I am also involved in the SAT- Student Advisory Team. The group of 7-8 of us collaborate on how the school can improve and we plan events that purposely involve the community of Ionia.

Now on to the good stuff!

LORD’S DAY 4 Heidelberg Catechism
9 Q. But doesn’t God do us an injustice by requiring in his law what we are unable to do?

A. No, God created human beings with the ability to keep the law. They, however, provoked by the devil, in willful disobedience, robbed themselves and all their descendants of these gifts.

~We were created to keep the law but through sin we no longer can do that. 

Gen. 1:31; Eph. 4:24
Gen. 3:13; John 8:44
Gen. 3:6
Rom. 5:12, 18, 19

10 Q. Does God permit such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
A. Certainly not. God is terribly angry with the sin we are born with as well as the sins we personally commit. As a just judge, God will punish them both now and in eternity, having declared: “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.”

Ex. 34:7; Ps. 5:4-6; Nahum 1:2; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; Heb. 9:27
Gal. 3:10; Deut. 27:26

11 Q. But isn’t God also merciful?
A. God is certainly merciful, but also just. God’s justice demands that sin, committed against his supreme majesty, be punished with the supreme penalty— eternal punishment of body and soul.

Ex. 34:6-7; Ps. 103:8-9
Ex. 34:7; Deut. 7:9-11; Ps. 5:4-6; Heb. 10:30-31
Matt. 25:35-46


** For those of you who are reading my blog and following along with the Heidelberg Catechism, tell me what you think about the questions and answers or even thoughts that come to mind as you look up the verses and such. I would love to hear from you, even about the other things I write or that you might be interested in. Shoot me an email at hagg.helen@gmail.com and I'll get back to you! Thanks for reading! May God bless you.

Fly with Christ,
Helen

The Lord's Day 3

This week was long but semi fast. We are mostly working on hydraulic projects (taking pistons apart and putting them back together) and landing gear/ brakes (also taking them apart, cleaning them, and putting them together). We started a Bible study/ seminar after school on Wednesdays called the Truth Project. It's a good study and makes you think a lot. I had more questions than answers but I think those will get answered in the following seminars. We also got a new addition to the SMAT fleet- a Cessna 140 taildragger which could become a club plane that we could fly in.

Cessna 140A Taildragger SMAT club plane (photo courtesy of Matt Howieson)

Now that it's the beginning of the year, I need to start looking for jobs for after SMAT. I am trusting in God to show me the way and we do that through prayer. Here are a few prayer requests that you can just keep in your mind:
Pray for guidance on what my next step is during and after SMAT,
Pray for the gospel to go out to the nations
Pray for God's provision and great timing in everything- money, food, a husband, the mission field,
Pray for the courts to decide on our adoption,
Pray that our lives are dedicated to the LORD and the growing of His kingdom.


Heidelberg Catechism
LORD’S DAY 3
6 Q. Did God create people so wicked and perverse?
 
A. No.God created them good and in his own image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that they might truly know God their creator, love him with all their heart,and live with God in eternal happiness, to praise and glorify him.

1 Gen. 1:31
2 Gen. 1:26-27
3 Eph. 4:24
4 Col. 3:10
5 Ps. 8

7 Q. Then where does this corrupt human nature come from?
A. The fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise. This fall has so poisoned our nature that we are all conceived and born in a sinful condition.

1 Gen. 3
2 Rom. 5:12, 18-19
3 Ps. 51:5

8 Q. But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil?

A. Yes,
Unless we are born again by the Spirit of God.

Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Job 14:4; Isa. 53:6
John 3:3-5

Painting, patience, and perfection.

This week was super busy but productive! On Monday we didn't have school due to snow so I used that day to do some studying for the tests we had this week and just relaxed and got some things done. Since Tuesday was the new Monday our whole week was kind of off. Everyday seemed like another day. Here's some snap shots of the week (ps click on the picture to get the larger version):

Rainbow sunrise- God's creation is AMAZING!

16" of snow and bitter cold (-10F)!

Painting the N numbers and cross and taking of the tape.

Finished N numbers and cross

Painting the other side!

Adding our touch to the fuselage

Inspection hole cover- the world!

Finished N numbers- ps this goes out to all the Missionary Kids (MK's)- Fly with Christ!

Finished product (Left to right: Me, Sun, Rachel, and Liesl)

Some of the other things I've been working on include troubleshooting the anticollision lights (strobe light) and navigation lights on a Piper 140 (Cherokee). We found out that the strobe light bulb was broken and replaced it and put it all back together and now it works! God definitely teaches us patience in our projects. Sometimes the screws just do not want to come out because they are rusted and stuck. Frustration is definitely bad when you are working on different projects. We finished Airframe Electrical and Painting/Fabric class. The subjects we have now are Landing Gear, Sheet Metal, and I think Hydraulics is next.


God has been teaching me a lot of things lately. Here's an article that my mom passed on to me on  how we should read our Bibles. It taught me a lot of good things: we should read our bibles as it is- a personal address to us and as a conversation with the living Lord our God then we can relaly understand what God is saying to us and we can listen.

Today is the Lord's Day 2 in our trek through the Heidelberg Catechism. Join me in diving into God's word and understanding what sin is and how we are  not perfect...

Part I: MiseryLORD’S DAY 2
3 Q. How do you come to know your misery?
A. The law of God tells me.
1 Rom. 3:20; 7:7-25

4 Q. What does God’s law require of us?
A. Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew 22:37-40:

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the greatest and first commandment. “And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

1 Deut. 6:5
2 Lev. 19:18

5 Q. Can you live up to all this perfectly?
A. No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor.

1 Rom. 3:9-20, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10
2 Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:23-24; 8:7; Eph. 2:1-3; Titus 3:3


BUT....... there is one who is perfect and who is sinless! Praise God for OUR Savior Jesus Christ!
If you have questions about any of this, feel free to ask me or someone at your church. Feel free to email me with anything (hagg.helen@gmail.com) even for prayer requests and such.


Fly with Christ,
Helen

Winter is HERE!

Well it's COLD and SNOWY here!
On Friday we reached -15F and for a good part of the day it was below 0F! Tomorrow the high is supposed to be 1F! It's also been snowing a ton here. We had about a foot to start off with and it snowed about 1-2 inches at night and then another 2-3 inches today and it's still going :D I wonder if we'll have school tomorrow?
However, God definitely plans things perfectly! Yesterday the weather was "warm" (20F) and it didn't snow which was perfect for the race I did. The race was the Yankee Springs Winter Challenge 10km, 25km, 50km, or 50 mi)- I did the 25km and it was THE HARDEST RACE/THING I HAVE EVER DONE!!!!

The race was a major test of my endurance- mentally and physically. The course was brutal and traversed over hills and valleys in about a foot of snow. We ran on a single track of packed snow but it was fluffy snow so you slipped every step or you stepped into the big banks on either side. I finished in 2:50:00 and was pretty much dead at the end. But it was an awesome race in terms of seeing what you're made of. It definitely made me a lot tougher! A lot of us from the BPRC (Beautiful People Running Club) said "you suck!" to each other because we all made each other sign up for the race and run it. But without this awesome running club who supports and challenges each other we, especially I would not be running and enjoying God's creation and the talent He as given us and the runners we were made to be!

Snow in Ionia, just outside my window.

Here's a little snapshot of what we've been doing in school. We get to paint our fuselage next so we're masking off the designs/ numbers we want.

Masking off an N Number and designs (ps that's Liesl smiling in the background and Jason walking past).

This year I started something different in an effort to read my Bible more and just dive into the Bible to know God more. I'm going to attempt to share every week on this blog the parts of the Heidelberg Catechism and I encourage you to follow along and join me as we study what God's purpose is for us. You can download the Heidelberg Catechism and follow along as well. The numbers behind the text correspond to verses that are given at the end- definitely look them up as you read.

So here we go!

LORD’S DAY 1:
1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own,1
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—2
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.3

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,4
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.5
He also watches over me in such a way6
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;7
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.8

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life9
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.10

1 1 Cor. 6:19-20
2 Rom. 14:7-9
3 1 Cor. 3:23; Titus 2:14
4 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:2
5 John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:1-11
6 John 6:39-40; 10:27-30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:5
7 Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18
8 Rom. 8:28
9 Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14
10 Rom. 8:1-17


2 Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?A. Three things:
first, how great my sin and misery are;1
second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery;2
third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance.3

1 Rom. 3:9-10; 1 John 1:10
2 John 17:3; Acts 4:12; 10:43
3 Matt. 5:16; Rom. 6:13; Eph. 5:8-10; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 2:9-10

We belong wholly to Christ through hearing the word and believing we are saved and we become God's children whom He protects fully. And our job is then to live for Him shining our light on the top of the hill and sharing this gospel! Praise God for his blessing to us!

Fly with Christ,
Helen