Stories from the field

Preparing people and aircraft for Christian Mission Service!

Bunn Family - Amazon Jungle
"Missionaire has been a blessing to us, done all the work on the plane (Helio-Courier), housed and fed us, gave me some recurrency flights, and generally been as patient as us in this whole saga. I know that the kind of work that Missionaire does is totally necessary for missionary aviation to move forward overseas. I need two pilots trained as mechanics and bush pilots...School is good, but real work in a hangar is better...Just come down, any unbelievers in mission aviation, and see the difficulties in travel to the tribes and river communities and you will understand why we all do what we do..."
Mike Bunn, Chief Pilot, Mercy Air Brazil

Helio-Courier - Amazon Jungle
Missionaire completely restored this aircraft for service with Mercy Air-Brazil. The project was completed in 2002 and flown to Brazil, where it sat for nearly one year hung up in customs. Through fervent prayer and patience, the plane was finally released and has been serving since 2003. Due to security issues, the Bunn family asked us to remove detailed information about the ministry from this website - these issues have now resolved to such an extent that we can again post some of their exciting ministry reports, both past and present. Watch for updates!

Former Apprentice Serves in Africa- After serving as a Missionaire apprentice for three years, Aaron Rissler passed his Airframe & Powerplant exams to become a licensed mechanic. Aaron also earned his pilot license. He and his wife are serving with Afrika Wa Yesu in Mozambique.

Missionaire Alumni Rocky and Ruth Bronson were involved for several years with Missionaire, providing general missions preparation for our trainees. Ruth was diagnosed with cancer and went home to be with the Lord in the spring of 2003.

Central Asia Robert Scheurmann, a part time student, came to Missionaire in 2004 to finish flight training he had begun elsewhere. He completed training and returned to the mission field in Central Asia, where he and his family, with seven children, have been serving for several years. He is involved in a pioneer aviation venture in Kyrgystan. Read about it here. Learn more about their ministry at their web page.

A History of a Restoration - the Cessna 140/Stinson 108
Arizona/New Mexico

1998: Baptist church-planter Jim Winters contacts Missionaire for help finding an airplane for his ministry. Jim is a missionary to the Native Americans in northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona. Based in Grants, New Mexico, he travels far and wide to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the isolated villages throughout the reservations. An aircraft will greatly decrease his travel time, giving him more time to minister to the people.

1999: An aircraft is found. A 1946 Cessna 140 that has been damaged and is in need of restoration sits in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, shop. Jim purchases the disassembled aircraft, and Missionaire student/staff member Aaron Rissler travels to Oklahoma to bring it back on a trailer.

Summer 2000: Repairs completed, the 140 is reassembled and painted. Praise the Lord for a large contingent of students and summer interns to complete the project rapidly.

March 2001: The 140 is delivered to New Mexico. Missionaire board member and test pilot Tom Ehresman pilots the aircraft, and Director of Flight Operations Kenneth Bell flies a Piper Cherokee to bring him back.

November 2002: The 140 returns to Kimball for inspection and repairs. Jim Winters' ministry, however, has outgrown the small, two-seat airplane. A larger one is needed.

Meanwhile...Back at the hangar!

December 1996: Missionaire acquires a Stinson 108-2 project. In pieces and lacking an engine, this four-place, fabric-covered aircraft requires total restoration and rebuilding.

1997-1998: The Stinson is recovered. All the old fabric is removed and the aluminum frame is cleaned and inspected.

It is then primed and covered using the Stits Poly-fiber procedure. After all the chemicals are applied, the aircraft is painted white. It is then rotated to a hangar, as it has no place to go.

February 2003: Reassembly of the Stinson begins. The aircraft will replace the Cessna 140 for Jim Winters' ministry.

October 1, 2003: Kenneth Bell returns the Stinson to service with a half hour test flight.

November 30, 2003: Jim Winters loses his battle with cancer. The aircraft will be sold and the money sent to his ministry in New Mexico.

Maule
The Maule, originally prepared for use in Siberia, sold after months of waiting and praying! Funds were directed to the Nicholls, Campus Crusade missionaries in Irkutsk, to help build a student center for their ministry.
Siberia!

Havana Cuba!

Cuban breakthrough- Missionaire assisted the preparation on a DC-3 for service with Missionair (not related to Missionaire International) in Florida. They fly mission teams in and out of Central and South America, including the Caribbean. On one particular flight, the Cuban Minister of Foreign Relations was saying, "You are not the only one we are working with," smiling as he continued, "but you are the first!" The first he was referring to: the first American plane to stay in Cuba longer than 24 hours, since the Revolution in 1959! Havana initially permitted only 7 days. The Minister was giving permission for the team to stay a full 10 days.

Using the DC-3, Missionair flew a work team and relief supplies into Havana. First Baptist Church of Orange Park, Florida and Caring Partners, an organization located in Ohio, paved the way for the meeting with the Foreign Minister. Not only did the team bring relief, it brought the Gospel. On the street, the Cuban people are -- without exception -- hungry for the Word of God.

Through the Missionaries we support together,
Missionaire International touches the lives of people all over the world!

Missionaire International
PO Box 335
Tompkinsville, Kentucky 42167
Phone : 270-407-9816
308-235-7466 (Jon's Cell)
308-235-7331 (Lori's Cell)

E-mail: serve@missionaire.org