February Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, what a month! It's not quite over yet, but February has already been full to overflowing with activity!  The first week found me driving from Placerville, CA to Pueblo, CO in my van fully loaded with everything I own. The poor vehicle was sitting very low on its haunches and found it difficult to climb over mountains, but God's angels were with me and I made it safely.  I spent nearly two weeks in Pueblo, visiting with friends and sharing mission stories and pictures in church and in various homes. It is such a blessing to share what God is doing in my life, because then others are drawn out and start sharing what He is doing in their lives as well. This results in a praise session as we realize just how much God has blessed!

One week ago today, I completed the last leg of my journey, arriving home in Hepler, KS around 7p last Sunday. God blessed us with a week of warmer weather, some days nearly reaching 70 degrees! As a result, we spent the majority of every day working outside on the construction project. But my favorite part of the day is the evening. Once we are cleaned up and sitting around relaxing, Dad sometimes goes over various flight concepts. I love it when I have one-on-one with a teacher instead of having a bunch of classmates! I'm able to ask questions and clarify concepts until they are clear in my mind, which helps me to remember them later. But at 8:00p our activity stops. We gather in the living room and then pray and read together for family worship. What a way to end a day! The day begins with personal prayer and devotions and then ends with the family coming together and praying, reading, and discussing spiritual things. It is such a blessing!

So for now, the days are filled with construction work and my evenings are filled with ground school and family time. One week from today, my Dad will be heading to Papua New Guinea for one month. He is going with my aunt Larose McCluskey, who will be doing two 'Follow the Lamb' seminars in two coastal cities. I would have loved to have gone with them, but God did not see fit to provide for my tickets and I'm needed here at the home base for now.

Thanks so much to each one of you for your prayers. It is your prayers that are making any of this possible, because they give God permission to act in our behalf. I have seen Him working in so many ways, both in my personal life as well as for Hope On Wings Foundation.

--
Corrie Sample

Mission Pilot in Training

Hope on Wings Foundation

PO BOX 122 Hepler, KS 66746

http://cosample.hopeonwings.org

Upcoming Trip to Papua New Guinea

Dear Prayer Partner,                 February 15, 2011   We are enjoying some warmer weather and the mounds of snow are rapidly disappearing.  It is nice not to have to fight freezing water pipes and leaky windows during nights that are now staying above freezing! The two weeks of staying inside has allowed me to do some major reworking of our website. I think you will find it to be a refreshing change. There are still a few pages that will say "under construction" but you will find much more information than was on the old site. Go have a look... http://HopeOnWings.org It is nice that Corrie has arrived and will be joining our team of hard working volunteers.  Also we are expecting Blaine Robison to arrive mid week to lend a helping hand for a couple of weeks.  It is such encouragement when God sends us mission minded helpers to make the work go faster. There has been progress on the Kitfox project.  The engine mount is finished at last and will be in our hands along with the engine just before I get back from Papua New Guinea at the end of March. God has seen fit to provide for my travel tickets and I will be in Papua New Guinea for the month of March. I will be accompanying my sister, Dr. Larose McCluskey as she will be sharing two "Follow The Lamb" seminars, one in Vanimo and one in Madang. My brother Silas Morgan has made the arrangements and will host us while we are there. This news note is specifically to ask for your prayers for the success of this trip. The truths as illustrated in the Sanctuary are especially powerful in demonstrating the plan of salvation and God's amazing love. The enemy does all he can to prevent those who need to hear it from being there and if possible to stop the very meetings from happening. Please pray that God's Spirit will be poured out and that we will be fit representatives of His Kingdom. There are many needs yet that would make this trip more of a blessing to the people.  We are taking as many "GodPods" (Mp3 players with Bible recorded for those who are unable to read or see) in the local language as we can. Also we have cassettes and are taking little cassette players from yesteryear to give as gifts and rewards at the children's meetings.  The cassettes have Bible stories and the like.  If you have an old walkman that you just haven't been able to throw away... now you know why.  If you send it to us we will take it along for this great work. While in PNG, I will be looking into the property I put half down on when there in 2007 and assessing what it will take to bring it up to a useable status.  I believe that we can finish paying for it for somewhere between $5000 and $6000.  This is about a one acre field with a metal clad building right on the airport in Vanimo.  It will be invaluable for storing our fuel and other items needed for the aviation program there.  It would be nice to be able to finish paying for it while there next month. Another side trip I hope to take while in Vanimo is a short hop into the bush to visit the Green River area where Silas began the work and the people are waiting for a missionary to come and assist them in establishing a church. A generous donor here in the States and others in Australia have taken an interest in the project and another good friend of mine, Gideon Apen, has answered the call to go and do this work.  I hope to travel with Silas and Gideon when this work begins. I believe the launch of this project is scheduled to be when we are there. If you are interested in assisting with any aspect of this trip, please mark your gifts "PNG-March-2011" I am humbled when I realize that God touched the heart of a young couple with two small children that has a very small income to give the money for my tickets. I recognize the sacrifice that makes this mission possible and my pledge is that I will do all in the strength God gives me to be sure the money is well spent. I receive such a blessing when I see people respond to God's prompting and willingly give of the means He has entrusted them with. There has been good news on the BushKing front as well.  Chris tells me that their first kit for the U.S. has already been shipped and they will soon be in full swing on the first one. As soon as that is done, we will be invited to join them for building the succeeding kits with the South African designer and builder who will be in the States to train the U.S. builders. Chris has taken a real interest in our project and this is a tremendous offer. Please pray that funds will be in place to take advantage of this. I have seen God working in so many ways to forge the relationship with BushKing and the owner, even though he does not profess Christianity, has commented over and over that things are going so much more smoothly than expected.  I told him that with hundreds of our prayer supporters praying for the success of this project, He could expect to see some amazing things happening as God blesses this little airplane project! The next miracle we are praying for is that God will touch the hearts of 2 individuals who are flight instructors and airplane mechanics with the inspector rating to join our team. One which will end up as our check pilot and trainer in PNG and the other that will remain in Hepler Kansas to train our future mission pilots. It is not easy for anyone with this level of skill and experience to turn it all over to God and step out in faith on a journey like this. Please join us in prayer that God will find these team members for us. We are not doing the searching but allowing God to bring them to us. This week, the chimney and rock work for the wood stove corner in our little house by the hangar will be done. The weather is finally warm enough to work on masonry. You can't do masonry if it is going to freeze before it is set up. Once that is done and we can heat the place we can begin doing some sheetrock work. Our hope is to make the place so we can at least camp in it by April so Ray and Crystal can get moved over here. Once I get back from PNG, we will be going into full swing towards finishing the Kitfox and getting it in the air. It would be wonderful if a fiberglass specialist would come give us a hand in developing the cowling as that will be our most challenging work during the final phase. Chris Visage' from BushKing plans to come out and do a thorough check on our work before we take to the air. He also wants pictures so he can promote his engine kit for the Kitfox. He has really been helpful during this whole process. For anyone wishing to lend a hand this Spring, here are some of the projects that are on the to-do list: Get the airstrip widened and prepared and grass planted. Finish gutting out office building, wire and plumb and sheetrock and finish. insulating hangar and install interior walling. build large horizontal bi-fold hangar door and install install 12 foot roll up door. finish house Finish Kitfox and begin flight testing General clean-up and finishing a bunch of small projects that have been started but not finished. And there will be mowing and smoothing ground and other such grounds work. Landscaping and more. Bring a tent or RV and camp right here on the grounds and enjoy a working vaction! Sincerely, Jack Sample Director Hope On Wings Foundation 620-670-4475 Our Mandate God's people have a mighty work before them, a work that must continually rise to greater prominence. Our efforts in missionary lines must become far more extensive. A more decided work than has been done must be done prior to the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. God's people are not to cease their labors until they shall encircle the world.--6T 23, 24 Specific needs: Increased Prayer Team - Send website link to friends and invite them to join the newsletter list. Tell them to watch the video More Ambassadors March PNG Trip: Funds for materials to take along and for flight into Green River BushKing: Initial $35,000 for kit (estimate $75,000 for completed) Sharing Project: 1000 DVDs and brochures for Ambassadors - $1400 David Hicks: Airplane - $75,000  launch - $25,000 (includes shipping airplane) Monthly - $7500  (Training costs come out of monthly while in States) Corrie Sample: -Airplane - $75,000  launch - $25,000 (includes shipping airplane) Monthly - $7500  (Training costs come out of monthly while in States) Flight Instructors / mechanics - monthly to be determined Home Office - monthly expenses Vanimo base Click on this link to read this and past newsletters on the website.  http://HopeOnWings.org/news.html Click Here to make tax deductible donation online  This is where you can easily set up an automatic $10 or more monthly deduction from your account or do a one time donation of any size. OR.... Send tax deductible donations by check payable to: Hope On Wings Foundation PO BOX 122 Hepler, KS  66746 Hope on Wings Foundation is a tax exempt 501C3 organization.

Hope On Wings Newsletter - 2/3/11

- Show quoted text - - Hide quoted text - Dear Corrie,                 February 3, 2011                               It is a cold -6 degrees outside this morning but in my heart it is warm and delightful! God has spread over me His mantle of peace and I am reveling in His love. There is true joy in serving Him like no other. We had a little blizzard on Tuesday and our road has been covered with drifts till this morning so nobody has been coming or going. I am using the time to do a makeover on our website and work on other office type work. We got the Kitfox unloaded into the hangar just before the storm and hid it in the garage portion with a large tarp over the opening.  It is a good thing we took those precautions because with the large hangar door opening still un-covered there was 1-3 inches of snow everywhere in there. Thankfully our little attached home on the South side was closed in well enough that the wind only managed to force a few handfuls of snow in. We are in full preparation for the trip to Papua New Guinea in March. I have been in contact with Silas Morgan and he has set up two venues for the evangelism thrusts. One in Vanimo and the other in Madang. My Sister, Dr Rose McCluskey, has been able to get some of her tickets and she tells me the prices are lower than ever due to the flooding in Australia.  I have never seen prices this low. I am expecting that God will provide for me to purchase tickets soon. Silas tells me the people in Vanimo and Madang are really excited that we are coming and are preparing for the programs.  Specific prayers are requested. There is always opposition when the Sanctuary message is proclaimed and when Dr. Rose travels she has hundreds of pounds of luggage. This will be evangelism programs 139 and 140 for Dr. Rose.  I am delighted to be able to assist in preparation and possibly in translating. Also while there I hope to be able to make a trip to Green River where we have recently sent my friend, Gideon Apen to continue the work that Silas was able to get started. I hope to bring back many pictures to share. My intentions are also to make some connections regarding our launch later this year with the BushKing. We have received good news from Chris Visage from BushKing as well.  He has told me that everything is going more smoothly than expected and the dates for the first kit to arrive in North Carolina have been moved up considerably.  I told him that with so many of us praying for the success of this project, he could expect that God would be working in a powerful way. I am confident that God will be providing for us to take Chris up on his offer.  He has reminded me again that as soon as they get this first kit done, it will be time for a few builders to join them for kits 2 and up and benefit from the training of the South African builder and designer. He wants us to send two or our team for that. It may be that will be as early as May or June now. There has been considerable interest in our New Mexico home and we are hoping that will sell soon. Ray and Crystal have scheduled concerts in Arizona and New Mexico through February and March and He is working on April dates closer to Hepler in faith that they will be moving by end of March. We believe we can finish our home here in time to make this one ready for them. I have simply not had the time to prepare another color newsletter for mail out as I have been concentrating on redoing our website so it will be easier to keep up to date and reflect what is happening. With two pilot trainees sharing the story as well as several ambassadors bringing people to the site and showing the videos, we need to be sure the website is always current. So today will be another day at the computer. Just before the storm, Dave Pearson, Bob Medcalf, Elana and I managed to finish putting the metal siding on the East and West ends of the hangar and install the walk in door on the West end. It has been too cold to do the masonry work on the house so things are on hold for warmer weather there. We are excited that another volunteer has offered to come help us with the construction in the next few weeks. Also Corrie will be arriving for good next week and she is a great help. The more hands the better and when there are several helping, I have more time to do the office work. We are hoping the equipment will be available very soon to do the work on the airstrip so we can get the grass planted in the early spring. We have scheduled a fly in camp-meeting in September and need a place for them to land! I want to thank you personally, Corrie, for your pledge to pray daily for Hope On Wings. It is your prayers that keep God's work going forward. Pray for all of those on the front lines who rely on God for all daily needs.  Remember, it is very much like a military campaign. Missionaries are on the front lines and rely heavily on the supply lines and communication links to be able to have the upper hand in the warfare they are fighting against principalities and spiritual powers. God is making bare His Holy Right Arm and people in His church are waking up everywhere to the times in which we live. Last weekend we attended a wonderful seminar on the baptism of the Holy Spirit by Dennis Smith. It was exciting to see how many people came from all around. The stories I am hearing from many churches are very encouraging. One man told me his church gathers to pray daily for the baptism of the Holy Spirit at 6pm. DAILY!  WOW! There is a spiritual awakening going on and I want to be in the middle of it.  How about you? Sincerely, Jack Sample Director Hope On Wings Foundation 620-670-4475 Our Mandate God's people have a mighty work before them, a work that must continually rise to greater prominence. Our efforts in missionary lines must become far more extensive. A more decided work than has been done must be done prior to the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. God's people are not to cease their labors until they shall encircle the world.--6T 23, 24 Specific needs: Increased Prayer Team - Send link to friends and invite them to join the newsletter list. Tell them to watch the video More Ambassadors March PNG Trip: $3,500 minimum (current high priority) BushKing: Initial $25,000 for kit (estimate $65,000 for completed) Sharing Project: 1000 DVDs and brochures for Ambassadors - $1400 David Hicks: Airplane - $65,000  launch - $25,000 (includes shipping airplane) Monthly - $7500  (Training costs come out of monthly while in States) Corrie Sample: Airplane - $65,000  launch - $25,000 (includes shipping airplane) Monthly - $7500  (Training costs come out of monthly while in States) Flight Instructor / mechanic - monthly to be determined Home Office - monthly expenses Vanimo base Click on this link to read this and past newsletters on the website.  http://HopeOnWings.org/gallery/news  Click Here to make tax deductible donation online  This is where you can easily set up an automatic $10 or more monthly deduction from your account or do a one time donation of any size. OR.... Send tax deductible donations by check payable to: Hope On Wings Foundation PO BOX 122 Hepler, KS  66746 Hope on Wings Foundation is a tax exempt 501C3 organization.

Welcome to my newsletter list - 2/1/11

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to send out a short note to welcome those of you who just joined my contact list! I will be sending out updates at least once a month, sometimes more often when exciting things are happening :) I'm writing this note from Daystar Academy, in Utah. I'm on my way back to Kansas from California and spent the night here last night. And after looking at the weather forecast, I decided to spend an extra day here and then continue on my trip tomorrow.

Some of you may be wondering what I was doing in California . . . well, before leaving for Bolivia, I spent some time with friends near Placerville and I left my vehicle and all my belongings there. So I had to go and pick them up :) I spent several weeks in California, visiting family and friends, and no I'm heading home to Kansas. I'll be spending this weekend with friends in Pueblo, CO. I'm scheduled to share some of my mission experiences in the Pueblo West SDA Church this Sabbath.

So that is what I'm up to now. :) I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate your prayers and your interest as I begin this new venture of preparing to be a mission pilot in PNG. I hope and pray that God is blessing in each of your lives!

In His service,

--
Corrie Sample

Mission Pilot in Training

Hope on Wings Foundation

PO BOX 122 Hepler, KS 66746

http://cosample.hopeonwings.org

Back from Bolivia! 12/31/10

Dear Friends and Family,

So I am back in the good ol' USA. :) I very much enjoyed my time in Bolivia, but I have to say that I'm also very glad to be back in the U.S. My time in Bolivia was actually a huge challenge for me, mainly because I didn't feel like I fit in any of the places where I worked. There was lots of adventure and fun, but I never felt like I was where God wanted me. However, I know that God was working through it all to change me even more into the person He wants me to be. I learned so much about myself . . . most of which I didn't like to see. But I'm encouraged because I can see that God is still working in me. I'm still a work in progress, and He hasn't finished with me yet.

The last few weeks I have been really wondering and praying about what God would have me do next. Where does He want me go? What does He want me to do? Who does He want me to be? I have also had to ask myself questions about my motives for wanting to be a missionary. So often, I believe my primary motivation is the adventure and excitement that comes with mission life overseas. And that is not the right motivation. So I have been asking God to give me a love for the people and give me direction as to what country He wants me in. And I praise Him that He has been answering, and is opening a door of opportunity for me to serve in the country where I grew up.

Hope On Wings is an organization that is beginning a very important work in Papua New Guinea. The main focus of this program is to connect the willing, trained national workers with the villages where they are needed using airplanes. Each pilot working with Hope On Wings will provide air support for 10-15 of these national missionaries, many of whom are trained as Bible workers or nurses. The dream is to have a whole fleet of small aircraft blanketing the country supporting national missionaries in every unreached area of the country. God is working in a spectacular way to get this project off the ground, and already one pilot and airplane are nearly ready to begin flying. God has also provided a home base in Hepler, Kansas where those who wish to become pilots and work in PNG can receive their training for as low cost as possible. I believe that God is leading me to become one of the pilots, so I have decided to join the Hope On Wings team full-time. My student loans are still pressing, but I believe that God wants me to move forward in His work and He will provide what is needed to make that happen. I could work for a couple of years to pay off loans and then enter the mission field, but people are dying without a saving knowledge of Jesus. So I’m entering upon a faith journey, believing that God will provide for ALL my needs. I covet your prayers, as this journey will not be easy.  I have such a strong tendency to try to work out everything in my own strength and do things according to my own understanding. Surrender of my own will has never been easy for me. But I truly believe that this is what God wants me to do.

So now I am in Hepler, Kansas. I will be helping with a little bit of everything here, while at the same time beginning my flight training. On weekends I will be heading out to various churches to share the story with others and provide an opportunity for people to share in the mission project as prayer supporters or as financial supporters, if God should impress them to give. I would really encourage each of you to visit our website at http://cosample.hopeonwings.org and watch the short introductory video found on the home page. This video provides a great picture of the need in PNG and how we are hoping to fill that need. If any of you would like me to come and visit your churches, let me know. J

To see pictures and video of my adventures in Bolivia, visit the following links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKRxKjSU4RI
http://picasaweb.com/cosample

Thanks so much to all of you for your prayers!

In His Service,

Corrie

Bolivia Update 3 - 11/15/10

Hey, what do you know . . .an update two days in a row! Enjoy it, because this one will probably be the last one in quite a while! Plans have changed at the last minute, as they usually do. I´m once again sitting in the internet café, though previous plans dictated that I be sitting on a bus all day today and all night as well. Daniel is on that bus, but I´m not . . . I found an opportunity that I just couldn´t pass up! There is a missionary family that lives in a little indigenous village named Las Amalias, located 3 days upriver from the nearest town, Riberalta. They just moved to the village in May of this year and are working to establish a clinic and missionary training center there. The goal is to establish a place where young people can continue their education once out of secondary school (equivalent of high school), then place them in various villages along the river as missionaries. However, since they are just getting started, they are still working on establishing a relationship with the various villages along the river. So, over the next two months, the plan is to travel to those various villages, spending a week or so in each one, and hold medical clinics, health education meetings, and VBSs, and I will get to help with all of them :) So I´m rather excited! We are leaving by the end of this week and I won´t be back in communication until the end of December at the earliest. Please continue to pray for me . . . this next adventure will be sure to stretch my comfort zone way out beyond its already stretched boundaries! I can clearly see God leading in this direction, and I praise Him for making things plain and for always having such perfect timing! Serving Him is the most exciting thing anyone could ever do, though sometimes it can be quite painful too. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and your interest in what is happening here in Oblivia!

Hugs!

Bolivia Update 2 - 11/14/10

Hi Everyone,

I´m sitting in an internet cafe in Guaiara, Bolivia, up near the Brazilian border. Daniel and I have been traveling by bus for the last week in order to get here in time for the graduation ceremony at the secondary school here. Some of Daniel´s kids (ones he taught a couple of years ago) are at this school, so we came to visit them before they leave for their summer vacation. We will be traveling for another 3 weeks in the same manner, so don´t be surprised if you don´t get any long newsy letters from me. The plan is to return to Familia Feliz and then go from there up to La Paz. It looks like others will be traveling with us the whole way as well. Then we will head back to Familia Feliz for their graduation before heading back to Santa Cruz. Once we get back to Santa Cruz, or maybe while in La Paz, I will try to write up a more newsy letter telling you some of the fun things that are going on. But for now, I must say goodbye and God bless!

Hugs!
Corrie

Bolivia Update 1 - 11/03/10

Dear Family and Friends,

I have been in Bolivia for two weeks now, and it’s about time I sent out an update! Too much has happened to give you all the details, but I will do my best to give a picture of what is happening here. After I arrived, I figured out pretty quickly that one of the biggest needs was for cooks. There are three different locations here in Santa Cruz where various volunteers are working, and only one of these locations has regular meals being prepared. I also found out that no one wanted to be in charge of finding things for me to do. My nursing is not needed at the Albergue (rehabilitation house), and the people around here just ignored the fact that I was here and let me do whatever. That suited Daniel just fine, because he had plenty of ideas as to what I could do. My main responsibility is to cook lunch for the airplane mechanics that are working on the various airplanes. After that is done, I run around with Daniel and just help with whatever I can.

Adventures in Prison – Sabbath, Oct. 23

By 7:30am I was headed out the door with Mikaela and Elisabeth. Once out on the main road, we caught a microbus, #73. We rode until we got to the intersection with the Indian statue, then got off and waited to catch #71. After about an hour of riding, we finally arrived at the prison. We joined the women’s line, waiting to get in. Daniel was to meet us here and since the men’s line was much shorter, he was able to come a lot later. By 10:30 we were finally in. We went upstairs and joined the children. Some older children were helping out and leading the singing. No one could sing on tune, but a joyful noise was definitely made! J  These children live in this prison with their mothers. Most have been abused in some way and many do not know who their fathers are. One little one, Blanca, told me that both her mother and father were in prison. She and her little brother lived with her mother, but her two other siblings lived elsewhere. She asked a question, too, that I could not fully understand. These kids are full of questions. And even though they have such hard lives, they are happy! Those who come to Sabbath School have been introduced to Jesus, and many of them have asked Him to be their friend. The change in their lives as a result is a joy to see! And often, they become the tools in God’s hands to reach their mothers. Daniel told me the stories of several children that did just that, and now their mothers attend the church held in the prison each Sabbath. The experience reminded me of when Christ told his disciples that we must become as little children, fully trusting in our Father, in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

A Bible Study – Monday, Oct. 25

The motorcycle wove in and out of traffic as we tried to get through the nearly blocked intersection. We were on our way to do a Bible study at the home of a family that Daniel had met while the mom was in prison. Traffic finally opened up and we were able to speed onward. Lupe (one of the little girls in the family that Daniel lives with) was sitting sandwiched between Daniel and I. Night had fallen and we were coming to a somewhat dangerous part of the road. Dangerous because the road turned to dirt and we had to navigate through dirt and dust up to 6 inches deep. The back end of the motorcycle kept sliding around, but Daniel managed to keep it upright. We arrived to find the family at home and very happy to see us. We started out by asking if they would like to watch a video called ‘El Gran Conflicto’, created by Amazing Facts to illustrate and share the story of the great controversy between good and evil. I hadn’t ever seen it before and was very impressed with how well it was put together. They definitely wanted to watch it, so they invited us into their bedroom where there was a table to set the computer on.  During the video, Daniel would pause every now and then to clarify a concept or to answer a question. The adults were spell bound by the story. They had heard bits and pieces of it before, but all the bits and pieces had never been put all together in such a simple way. We were at their home for at least two hours, watching the video and answering their questions.

Camping in the Mountains – Friday-Monday (Oct. 29-Nov. 1)

We were sitting in the street, playing our recorders and waiting – waiting for the truck to come that was to take us up to the mountains. The family that Daniel has been living with owns a piece of property about an hour out of town and they were heading up to work on it a bit. We got tired of playing, so we started singing . . . first in English, then we started singing songs we knew in Spanish. The kids perked up and started singing with us. It was so much fun! Songs like “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy” and “Jesus Love is Bubbling Over” kept us going for at least an hour. The kids wanted to sing them over and over again so they could learn the motions along with the words. The truck came and we loaded up and headed out, and the singing continued. J Then the kids settled down and fell asleep. I wasn’t in a position to sleep, so I stared at the stars. At times like that, God feels so close. I know He is always close, but often I don’t feel Him. When I’m out under the stars, it’s as if I can just reach up and take His hand and other distractions are gone. I praise Him so much for counting me as one of His daughters! We arrived at the property about 1am, set up camp by 2am, and finally crawled in bed by 3am. Then it started to rain and I quickly discovered that my tent does not do well in wind or rain. There were puddles in the tent by 6am and I had to abandon bed. There was a hut on the property that provided some shelter, so thankfully there was a dry place to sit. The rest of the day it continued to rain, but that didn’t stop us from hiking in the mountains and swimming in the river that was nearby. This weekend was my first opportunity to really get to see the workings of this family. Daniel has been living with them for quite a while, and has been trying to share and show principles of Christian living. I don’t have time or space to go into all the dynamics, but it was interesting to see how the family interacted with each other and to see the Bolivian culture up close. 

So that gives you all an idea of what I have been up to. I praise God for the ways I see Him working and leading.

God bless you all!

Corrie

Almost on my way!!!

Hi Everyone!

This is just a short note to update you on the recent happenings in my life. On Sept. 27 I took my nursing boards and I found out soon after that I passed!!!!!!! So now I am officially a Registered Nurse. :)  I'm so thrilled to see how God has brought me through the training and then helped me on the test. Now my dream of being a missionary nurse is very close to being fulfilled.

On September 29, I flew to Guadalajara, Mexico with Fred and Diana Adams. I went along on their one week trip in order to help in whatever way I could. The purpose of the trip was to fly in the mission plane up into the mountains where the Huichol Indians live. Pastor/Pilot Dagoberto Cirilo flew us to several different villages and we were able to talk with and encourage various Adventist Huichols, who face persecution from their own people when they forsake the traditions of their tribe that do not fit with their new beliefs. Fred was also able to provide encouragement to a young man by the name of Luis. He had been paralyzed in a car accident about a year ago and hardly ever left his home because he was ashamed of needing help getting around. He still had a lot of function, though. He was paralyzed from the waste down, but still retained control of bodily functions and was even able to stand, though he couldn't take steps. With hard work and therapy, he probably will be able to walk again. Fred, who is a quadriplegic due to a construction accident that occurred in Mexico 23 years ago, talked to Luis about getting rid of the word 'impossible'. He encouraged him to do as much as possible for himself and push himself beyond what he thinks his limits are. The visit seemed to be a big encouragement to Luis and that evening, he and his parents came to the evening vespers program held in the Adventist church. It was the first time his dad had come to church, though he had been invited many times.  I really enjoyed the trip, helping to lift Fred into and out of the plane and vehicles, walking around the villages getting pictures and videos, and helping to cook meals. The one week passed really quickly.

The past two weeks I have been staying with Fred and Diana while preparing for Bolivia. And now, I only have today and tomorrow to finish the last minute packing and details. I fly out of Sacramento, CA early Wednesday morning and will arrive in Santa Cruz, Bolivia on Thursday morning. I would appreciate your prayers that all the travel goes smoothly and that I won't have too terrible a time getting my Bolivian visa once I arrive. I'm so excited to see how God is leading and providing and am looking forward to seeing in what areas I can serve once there.  It's impossible to know exactly what I will be doing once there . . . there are so many options, I just have to wait and see what needs I can best fill.

If you want to see pictures of our trip to Mexico, you can visit http://picasaweb.google.com/cosample The pictures are also posted on my facebook profile.

Thank you all for your love and prayers!!!!
God bless!
Corrie

Life Update 9/26/10

Hi Folks,

Wow, it has been such a long time!!!! Some of you haven’t heard from me in a long time . . . while others have maybe seen and heard from me more than you wanted! :)  The last year and a half has been quite a roller coaster for me, as I survived an accelerated nursing program in Pueblo, Colorado. It was every bit as intense as they say, maybe even more so. But in the 14 months of school there, I obtained a BSN and soon will have my RN (if I pass my boards, that is).

But that is all in the past. I’m assuming you would like to know what I’m doing now and in the near future. Well, the biggest thing coming up is that I’m going to Bolivia in less than one month!!!!! Hmmm, can’t tell that I’m excited can you? :) Gospel Ministries International has a mission aviation outpost and a media center in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Part of the aviation program includes a home where patients who have been brought to the hospital by the mission plane can stay. Many of them cannot afford to stay in the hospital, yet they are not able to return to their villages because further care is still needed. I will most likely be working at this home, helping to provide the care they need. I learned about this opportunity from Daniel Adams, a mission pilot there who is a very good friend of mine. He and I worked as student missionaries together in Venezuela back in 2006 and part of 2007. We bumped into each other again at the last Generation of Youth for Christ conference (GYC) and he invited me to come and work with him in Bolivia.

In the meantime, I have been staying with Daniel’s parents, Fred and Diana Adams, in Placerville, CA since my own parents are currently nomadic as they work towards their goal of returning to Papua New Guinea. Over the past month I drove up through Oregon and Washington to visit my parents in Moses Lake, WA where they were building an airplane. If you don’t get their updates and would like to, go to www.cosample.hopeonwings.org and sign up for the e-newsletter. I spent several weeks with them and visited other friends and relatives on the way up and back down.

I went on an adventure while driving back down from WA to CA.  I decided to stop and camp in the Diamond Lake/Crater Lake area, which is where my family used to go camping during the time we lived in Sutherlin, OR. I have so many amazing memories of the family time we spent there, that I wanted to go again and relive those memories. Even though I was going alone, I decided to hike in 4 miles towards Mt. Thielson and then camp at the base of the mountain. My dad, brother, and I had done this a while ago and had found an amazing rock shelter with a view of the mountain, and I wanted to find that shelter and camp there for the night. I got a rather late start, though, and by the time I was two miles in, the sun had set and dusk was fast turning into dark. The moon was only a sliver, but I was still able to see the trail ahead so I didn’t turn on my headlamp immediately. It was an incredible experience to walk through the woods at night … and surprisingly I wasn’t afraid. In the past, being in a forest at night with all the sounds and rustling was a frightening experience, but I knew that my angels were walking with me and I had no need to fear.

I arrived at the base of the mountain at about 9p, but rather than setting up camp, I continued on the Pacific Crest trail heading down the other side of the ridge and going beside the mountain.  Somewhere just below the trail was the rock that I wanted to camp under, so I left the trail and headed down a wide ravine looking for it. I had my light on by now, but nothing looked familiar. It was obvious that avalanches had come through in the past winters and the new growth was difficult to push through at times. After about an hour of looking, I gave up and went back to the top of the ridge to camp. I unrolled my pad and bag and crawled in. As I looked at the starry sky above me, I couldn’t help but think of the God who created those stars . . . and as I thought, I realized some lessons that God wanted to teach me. God has created a path for me to walk in . . . He whispers ‘this is the way, walk ye in it’. This trail that He has set for my life is not necessarily easy; it has ups and downs, twists and turns, that are often unexpected by me. On this trail, shortcuts are not a good idea because I don’t know where this trail will lead me next; I have no way of predicting the next twist or turn. But if I do choose to try a shortcut, I miss out on the blessings that would have come by sticking to the trail. Even then, though, all is not lost because God is able to create trails leading from wherever I end up back towards the purpose He had for me originally. But I must choose to follow. As I walk along this trail, the most important thing for me to do is search for the Rock, only this Rock will always be found by those who look.

The next morning I woke up early and decided to again look for the rock . . . but I never was able to find it. I had just enough time left to climb to the top of Thielson, looming more than 1000 feet above where I had camped. The trail to the top was only a mile, but the elevation gain made that mile seem a lot longer! But the view from the top was totally worth the climb! I have uploaded pictures to my Picasa web albums (http://picasaweb.google.com/cosample)

I’m now back in California at the Adams’ home, doing last minute studying for the NCLEX (nursing board exam). I take the exam tomorrow. On Wednesday (29^th) I’ll be flying to Mexico for one week, then it will back here for another two weeks before flying to Bolivia on the 20^th of Oct. Life is moving fast and God is leading and blessing tremendously! I’m looking forward to seeing where He takes me in the future! I pray that God will bless each and every one of you as well. I plan to send out a monthly (or more) newsletter via email, just to keep everyone up-to-date on my mission adventures. If you don't want to be on my list, let me know. 

Blessings,

Corrie