4,800hrs equals ...

That is it ... I have finally completed my 4,800hrs in the hangar and it's now time to prep for the exams. But what have I actually done in these three years that it's taken to accrue the 4,800hrs? As well as gaining lots of knowledge that I will need in the coming years when working for MAF in Tanzania, I have had the experience of working on many different aircraft for numerous aviation missions. The aircraft that I have had experience on include:-

Cessna 172, 182, 185, 206, 207, 210, 310, 337, 402

Beechcraft Skipper 77, King Air 200

Rockwell Commander 114

Piper Aztec PA-23-250

Mooney M20J

Douglas DC-3

Vans RV-8

Diamond DA40

Bell Longranger

Cessna 185

Cessna 206

Cessna 310

Cessna 337

Cessna 402

Beechcraft Skipper 77

Beechcraft King Air 200

Rockwell Commander 114

Mooney M20J 

Douglas DC-3 

Bell LongRanger 206L

When I started at MMS Aviation I knew of only a handful of Aviation Missions. My eyes have been opened wide by the numerous missions that have been through our hangar. This is a list of some of those that I have helped by fixing/repairing/inspecting their aircraft so that they can continue with their work. Some of these missions are not just here in the States, but in Brazil, Gabon, PNG and Haiti. It has helped me to see that even though I have been at MMS to train and gain experience, I have also been working on the mission field too, making sure that throughout the world, others are helped by  missions using aviation. These are ones I've been able to have just a small effect on while I've been here.

Wings with the Word

Gospel Carrier International (GCI)

Missionary Flights International (MFI)

Asas De Socorro

Amazon Salt and Light

Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL (JAARS/Whicliffe))

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)

Lutheran Association of Missionaries & Pilots (LAMP)

The Pfeifers

Brigade Air

Air Calvary

Quick Trip to Toronto!

Believe it or not, Toronto, Canada is only three states and seven hours drive away. With really good friends living there, we couldn't pass up the chance for a quick visit for the weekend before we leave America! 

Jo and Jenny have been good friends for almost 15 years, were the other's bridesmaids and have visited each other all over the world. It has been very rare in all that time, that they have actually lived on the same continent! Now girly time together has to be shared with three other little girls and two husbands!

We were only there for a couple of days but Matt, Jo and Grace thoroughly spoiled us. We were able to totally chill out at a time when everything back here in Ohio is up in the air for us at the beginning of a BIG time of transition. So it was just what we needed! 

We didn't do touristy things ... but instead had lots of fun catching up and doing other stuff. Like biking to the local farmers market which was unlike any we've ever seen before. Things for the kids to do and see, amazing produce for sale, delicious food made freshly there and live music playing, all located in an old brickworks. Abigail's favourite bit was the bike ride there and back!

We had fun relaxing in their back garden, where the girls enjoyed being a little goofy. For us it felt more like being in England, with brick houses and fenced in back yards, so it seemed more familiar than when we hang out at our house in Ohio.

New friendships were formed within the younger generation too, which was really cute and a week on, Abigail still talks about Gracie and Naomi gets excited when she sees photographs of her!

Abigail didn't want to come home which she told us several times each day. It was probably something to do with the three trips to three different parks that we took, over the two full days we were there! Too much fun apparently!

Next time we all get together, will probably be in Africa now, where the Rivard's have already promised to visit us and we'll get the chance to return the 'spoiling'. Although we're not sure the amazing food will be quite as easy to replicate ... it will have to be a Tanzanian variation!

As you can see the excitement of the visit got the better of our girls ... which was perfect for the long drive home at the end of our stay!

Nana's last visit to the States

We've recently said goodbye to Jenny's mum, who has made her fifth and final visit to us during our three years here in the States before we move on to Tanzania. Abigail was really excited that Nana was coming once again and keeps saying how much she misses her ever since she left.

Nana won major brownie points when she brought a princess cupcake package with her for Abigail to make, involving both colouring and baking (Abigail's two favourite things!) Day one of her visit the weather wasn't great ... so that very first day, the pair of them had fun in the kitchen together!

From that moment on, the fun just kept on happening ... stickers with Nana, while Naomi was having a snooze ... and Nana catching her own 40 winks another time too ... 

As well as Nana totally getting ambushed by a very pleased with herself young lady ... look more closely at picture ... Nana is under there somewhere!

We visited Amish country a couple of times, including a meal with a lovely Amish family. The photos below were at Hershbergers petting farm. Nana helped Abigail wind up the animal food to the goats on the roof and when she was taking a pony ride.

Abigail who usually runs a mile from anything small and fluffy, wanted to touch everything. (How to prove her mummy wrong, the day after she had written a blog post about her not liking little fluffy animals!!! ... No Fear)

As well as trying out all the hand-made rocking horses in the adjoining shop and we mean ALL of them ... one by one!

Jenny is making a quilt for her mum. She had wanted to be a little further along than she actually was by the time her mum visited but on the plus side it meant that her mum got to see it in the making.

We also got to go out for a few different meals and very large ice-creams, enjoyed by all!

Shopping and being silly in Roscoe Village ... and of course Nana joined us at VBS for three of five the evenings!

We enjoyed a walk to the park one of the mornings VBS was on ... and both Sunday afternoons we were all silly and had water fights in the paddling pool in the garden.

Of course we also had some trips to the 'real' pool. Abigail was really excited that Nana got to see some of her swimming lessons and Jenny was pleased to have a second set of hands so she could be silly in the water with Abigail without having to look out for Naomi too.

The Olympics were on while Jenny's mum was here and she had given us bunting earlier in the year and brought out a big Union Jack Flag when she visited, both of which we displayed on the front porch. We're not really waving goodbye to Nana here but she took the photo ... we had lots of fun while she visited and we do miss her so we thought it was a fitting picture to end with.