Mikarts Family

Still the same in Haiti.

2010-08-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

“ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is how Paul opened his letter to the church in Rome, what an awesome opening!
One day I was sitting in my office, when the Holy Spirit moved me to make some calls to local flower nurseries. Edgewood Nursery donated the purple fountain grass, and gave us a good deal on the red mulch. Now, let me say this, I am not a gardener, as a matter of fact I have the black thumb of death when it comes to plants. Since this is for the glory of God; it seems to have turned out very well. All things are possible through Christ Jesus. The beautification project continues. If you have a green thumb, join me

Well here we are, six months after the earthquake in Haiti. What has really changed? Well aside from all the death, injuries, and rubble that once used to be homes, not much. The Haitian government is slow to move and no housing permits are yet to be issued. The presidential palace is still in the same condition after the quake.
The last time I was in Port Au Prince, the terminal building and control tower was still in shambles. Yet the Haitian people go about their daily routines and life goes on. Here we get all bent out of sorts if our coffee isn’t prepared to our liking. There is much to learn from these people.
We are trying to resolve some problems in Santiago, as customs is giving us some new regulations that we must comply with. One of the regulations states that the manifests must be in Spanish, and that they must arrive at the customs office before the load arrives by two weeks. We don’t know what is arriving at Agape from day to day, it varies greatly. Luke, our new chief pilot, has taken the “bull” by the horns and is asking lawyers what the options are. One option is to wait for the new government to come in the fall and see if things change.
Fortunately, we are still getting the cargo to those missionaries, it might take us a little longer, but it still gets there.
One of the big joys for us, is to give six-packs of Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper to the missionaries. That really puts a big smile on their faces. “you just can’t get it here” No problem, glad to help.

Summer @ Agape.

2010-07-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Blessings abound! Our trip to Brazil went great, we learned many things about our new to us plane, and got to practice many otherwise dangerous maneuvers in the simulator. Now that we are equipped with our new knowledge we are better able to manage the unforeseen when we fly in the service of the Lord.
Please keep the missionaries and the people of Haiti in your prayers, as the situation has not really improved much. I happened to catch a story on TV about how rice vender's in Haiti are having a tough time making a profit because there so much rice that came in after the earthquake. (If its not one thing ,its another).
Unfortunately, the world has moved on and Haiti doesn’t make the news anymore. Here at Agape we are very aware of what is happening, and we are still getting supplies. Not like we used to, but its good to still see it coming in.
I hope that you had a chance to come to our plane dedication on July 26, a good time was had by all.
On June 26 Agape dedicated our new(to us) plane. Agape celebrated with a picnic and hot dogs , hamburgers and frys were served. Local entertainment was also on hand. The last time we lost an aircraft ( our Cessna Caravan) Agape went an entire year to the day without an airplane.
God is so good that he brought people and aircraft to Agape, and service to the missionaries was not affected . I don’t think that a month went by this time when we got the “Bandit”, Praise God!

Now more than ever the people, and leaders of Haiti need your prayers. It has been six months since the earthquake and nothing has been done with respect to removing rubble or rebuilding. 98% of the population is still living in tents with no water or electricity.
The Haitian government is tying up many of the critical medical supplies because the customs officials in Haiti what to impose a 20% tax on all relief supplies. There are warehouses full of supplies, but very little if any are getting through.
On the Dominican side, the Dominican government felt taken advantage of during the earthquake relief effort because little or no oversight was taken as to what was coming through the country. Now they are knuckling down on everything and making the process of Agape getting cargo through tough.
But God is bigger than any of these problems, and we continue to get the mail and much of the supplies through with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On another note; many projects are abound here at Agape, they seem to grow like the grass during the summer months. Just when you think you have them under control; you find your self drowning in the tide that is the infamous “honey do list”
If anyone finds time to come in and give a hand with gardening, painting, or just general up keep, please give me a call, I would love to share my Agape honey do list with you.

June is here! Here is an update.

2010-06-04T05:53:00.000-07:00

Praise God from which all blessings flow! If you read this log between the 4-12 of June, chances are, I am in in Curitiba Brazil. The weather is a low of 52F and a high of 62F. Four of us from Agape will be there going through the paces of getting checked out in the new plane. Unfortunately there are no simulators in the U.S.

The hangar is starting to look “normal” again, but it’s a new normal. Lately we have been flying Tuesday and returning the same day. On Thursday & Friday it has been a two day trip. Now that things have slowed we are going back to a Thursday / Friday only schedule.

In a way its sad to see that peoples attention span is so short; we received emergency donations for a solid 14 days, then it dropped off. Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers; many of the people are still living in tents, and now the rainy season is here. It makes for a miserable combination. Thank you to all for keeping this ministry going!

Praise God from whom all blessing flow! The mad rush which has been our lives for the last 6 months is slowing to a more normal pace (what’s normal?). We have had quite a few youth groups visit with us, one from Christ United Methodist Church, and the other from Georgia. The blessings that these young people bring to us here is great! They may be a little timid at first, but by the time its all done they see and learn that servitude isn’t as bad the world makes it out to be, and in the end we all learn something and the Holy sprit is awakened; aglow in our faces which makes others take note.

Yes the mission of Agape is to serve Gods missionaries, but there is a ministry created by the ministry. All that come to Agape are welcome, weather you come of your own accord or if you are ordered to come to serve community service, Agape is here to give Agape.

There is one gentleman which stands out in my mind. His name is George, and he is handicapped because upon coming out of a bar he wondered out into the street to be hit by several cars. After coming out of a comma for a few months the doctors told him that he would never walk again. George was ordered to serve community service. When he came to us at Agape he could barely walk or talk. We didn’t treat him any different than any one else. Now you wouldn’t recognize George; he now moves boxes speaks clearly and we love having him around. George said, “If it wasn’t for you guys, I don’t know where I would be, my body gets exercise from all the work you let me do and you treat me like a real person! Thank you.”

Thank you Lord for letting me serve.

June is almost here...Time to go to Brazil

2010-05-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

WOW, what a fist half of the year!
Earthquakes, Medical emergencies, airplane crashes; if I didn’t know any better I would say Christ is coming back real soon!
On a good note, the Lord provided for many people in Haiti, and I was witness to many miracles.
It never ceases to amaze me how God always comes through. Always. Just when you think that all is lost , or how in the world is something going to get done without ( insert need here). God has an answer; just ask.
One of my recent problems was how am I going to afford the training for our new airplane? God answers… No problem, my child, your airfare to Brazil...Paid. Your training...No charge...Your hotel...Paid.
God is good, all the time. Yes I have to go to Brazil because there are no simulators for the Embrair here in the U.S. so please say a prayer for me on June 7-12.
Thank you to all who helped put together all the back packs full of goodies, they were a huge hit.

I don't think I've ever been to a place that was such a mess. That is not to say that God has forsaken Haiti. I see many Haitians that have taken Jesus into their hearts and are happy despite their hardships, we could learn a lot from them.
I would like to think that I've learned to take myself a little less seriously , (I know my wife Kristin would say otherwise) it’s a work in progress. We are so blessed, beyond comprehension, yet I get bent out of shape if my sneakers aren't white enough, or my coffee isn’t the way I like it. It makes me feel spoiled and ungrateful.
I suppose that many people would look down on Haiti, and point out all the things that are wrong, (and there is much room for improvement), but I choose to look at the strength of the people there. The average Haitian earns $135.00 a year, yet the price of food and other goods is equal to what we pay here in the U.S. That blows my mind! How resourceful one must have to be to live on $135.00 a year! At the same time it makes me think of what we have here.

Hait is getting better? Not really.

2010-04-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

I must say that it is indeed a blessing to be in the service of the Lord. We have delivered over 500,000 pounds of relief supplies since the earthquake. In the process we lost our King Air 90. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the plane was not so lucky. We continued to provide relief regardless. The good Lord then mad in-roads for us to have a bigger plane that can haul double the load that the king air could carry.

The hanger has taken a beating during all this time that supplies have been coming in. The floor of the hanger is in a word, trashed. I’m going to need some big help in getting it to look good, so a word to you volunteers out there, come on in and give me a hand!

The situation down in Haiti is getting better. Instead of it being an intolerable mess, its now just a mess.

Haiti is back to its old tricks, I recently went to Port Au Prince where I would normally go to the “G.A.” ramp to off load. Now I am told to go to the main terminal to pass customs and pay all the fees. For a while we were exempt from fees due to the fact that we were bringing in humanitarian relief. Back to normal I guess.

The fees and taxes that were lifted for the relief effort for all that were bringing in tons and tons of food and medical supplies. But now we are being charged landing fees, parking fees, and communication and navigation fees. Unfortunately this is discouraging many people from coming down again after being slapped with all those fees.

Agape sent five 40’ containers only to have them held up so that the Haitian government can assess taxes and fees on the contents. Not to worry God is in control, and be glad to know that most of the containers have now been released.

I hate to think of some one going hungry, or not getting what they desperately need because of bureaucracy and greed. The world is a cruel place.

I’ve seen the cargo change through all this, from medical supplies to food, then to shelter, and now its transitioning into building supplies and construction.

Now for the most important: Your prayers.

Giving Issac a ride of a lifetime

2010-01-26T16:02:00.000-08:00

On Friday we were headed on the way back, but first we had to make a stop in Cap Haitian. We were to pickup an orphan boy who had been adopted and take him to Sarasota, simple enough. Well nothing is as simple as it seems, and no good deed goes unpunished.

We had arrived at 1pm and were told that they would be waiting for us at the airport,WRONG. The truth is thy were more than an hour way and were trying to get to the airport on the back of a scooter! They were going as fast as they could to meet the plane. When they arrived the customs officer noted that it was 4:45 and purposely delayed us by letting others cut in front of us. It was no shock when he hit us up for a $50 overtime fee. Then Issac's passport came into question. "Where is the child's passport?" the customs guy barked. Erick, the boys new dad explained, "All we have is what you see here; his passport was destroyed in the earthquake." The customs guy didn't seem to understand. "How is he going to leave the country without a passport?" The father again tried to explain that it was under tons of rubble. Issac was now getting upset. He was tired and didn't understand what the big fuss was; he just wanted to go to his new home, where ever it was.

The customs guy finally relented, and now we could depart. It was now 4:30 and the sun was getting low. I figured we could make Exuma by night. I was desperate to get everyone on the plane as fast as possible. I was expecting the customs guy to charge us with something again. Issac was still upset, I tried to tell him that everything is fine, and that the fun part was just about to begin. Once we departed and got to altitude I turned to see if Issac was OK. I reached into my backpack and pulled out a big bag of snack mix. He reached into the bag and commented, to his delight, that it was not rice and beans. "Are you cold?" He nodded his head. Again I reached int my backpack and pulled out a hoodie. Then I remembered that I had a whole box of Strawberry pop tarts. "Here try these." When I looked back he was well into his second, and was smiling from ear to ear. He was warm, he was airborne, and peanuts and pop tarts aplenty!

I almost wanted to cry. Here was a little boy who thought that the big city was Port Au Prince. And now in one day he had taken his first airplane ride, and had tasted something other than beans and rice.

We were almost to Exuma, but the reports that were coming in were telling us that Exuma was fogged in, no landings at Exuma. A quick discussion about whether we should hold over the island and wait for conditions to improve or continue to Nassau. Nassau it was. We landed and quickly passed through customs. Issac had never seen such opulent surroundings. The pilots lounge had leather chairs and a very big flat screen TV. Along with all this, he was quite the celebrity. That night he had his first hamburger and fries, and went to sleep with a full tummy probably for the first time.

The two hour flight found us in Sarasota and we passed through customs. We were met by six agents who then treated Issac to Coke and quesadilla. He was smiling from ear to ear. Before we left and said our good byes I gave Issac an Agape pin and thanked him for being such a great passenger. Welcome to America Issac, don't get a tummy ache.

I love my job! Thank you God for using me.

Disaster relief

2010-01-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

I must say that I have done a bit of flying in the last few days. On, Thursday, January 14th, I flew out to a small grass strip to pick up a Cessna 401 (twin engine,7 passenger airplane) then swung north to pick up my passengers. The group I was picking up were a group of disaster relief experts that were to organize the relief efforts in Haiti.

I arrived at 10am and the amount of cargo they had was surprising. Were they expecting a military transport? How was I going to fit all this gear in the plane and become airborne? After much figuring and head scratching by my co-pilot Paul, we were ready to depart. We received our clearance and we took off into the bright blue Florida sky.

As we neared our refueling stop of Exuma, the chatter on the frequency was that no flights were being allowed into Port Au Prince. We informed the passengers and they asked "how close can you get us?" "Can you get us to Las Americas? So off to to the south of the Dominican Republic went. After another refueling stop in Proveceales, we took off into the setting sun which then gave way to night. Flying at night in the Caribbean is especially dark. It was so dark that for all intents and purposes I could have been on board the international space station. The only way we knew we were moving was because the instruments said so.

When we arrived in Las Americas it was clear that the staging for a massive influx of aid from all over the world was being staged. I saw aircraft from Russia, China, Italy, and Japan. Here I was in my little Cessna 401. Our passengers got off and they proceeded to rent an SUV and drove the rest of the way to Port Au Prince. I hope they made it.

On Monday I hopped in an Aztec (small twin) to act as a shuttle between Santiago and Port Au Prince. On Tuesday we woke and off we went, or so we thought. The Dominican flight plan office had not filed our flight plan, and now we were not going to make our 8am slot time in Port Au Prince; I was furious! I had flown five and a half hours on Monday, and made it to the airport three hours early to make sure all went smoothly and for all of that to be undone by a bureaucrat! I spoke with his supervisor [editor's note: good thing he speaks Spanish!!] and explained that that I had to make my slot time. We got out an hour late start and praying that by some miracle we would make it into Port. We climbed up over the 10,000' mountains and all along the way I was expecting someone to tell us to turn back, but that call never came.
When we arrived in Port Au Prince The frequency was a buzz with military traffic. There were all sorts of aircraft flying around,helicopters,big transports,and small aircraft were all coming and going smoothly. Praise God!

We off loaded our 800 pounds of medical supplies and saw them whisked away by one of the missionaries that we serve in a caged truck. As thy drove away, I started to see the scope of the quake. There were tents on the airport and pallet and pallets of supplies of stuff that wasn't moving. Why is all this stuff her, I wondered? [Editor's note, again... I think they were the impounded stuff that Mark talked about on Facebook or in an email. The stuff didn't have the right paperwork.] All the missionaries that Agape had in Port were now a perfect distribution network, and our supplies were getting out right away as fast as we could unload them. As we readiedgot ready to deport, I met other pilots that I had flown with in the past. It was as though we had all come together to fight against a common foe. That enemy was death, and it felt glorious; I had never been a part of something so big. Thank you God for using me!

We continued with our supply runs, two slots a day, and side runs to surrounding areas as was needed. We carried mostly food and water. We had the opportunity to pick up and drop off doctors and other folks. We carried four guys from Barahona [Dominican Republic] that were there to set up a massive tent as a MASH unit. All in all, it was quite the adventure.

Makes you wish you were a missionary, huh? I'm loving it! [Editor's note: Stay tuned for some amazing stories! This was his "logistics" post. Next will be a sights and sounds post!]

Haiti as of 1/20/2010

2010-01-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

It's Kristin again...

What a crazy weekend! We spent at least 12 hours at the hangar on Saturday and another long day on Sunday. Mark flew a tiny Aztec to the Dominican Republic on Monday. He is supposed to be there for a few days. He says he is coming home on Friday, we shall see...

This morning he felt the aftershock, but didn't say much more about it.

Anyway, the PAP airport is working on a reservation system. So he had one drop off yesterday and another today. Today he is bringing water - about 700 lbs of it! The King Air is bringing 2500lbs of beans and rice. That will feed a ton of people - but my question is how do they cook if the water is needed for drinking? But I imagine they have that figured out.

Mark also mentioned that customs is a huge hassle. If you don't have the exact paperwork, you are out of luck and Haitian customs confiscates your cargo. The Dominican Republic is also becoming an issue because they are probably tired of being a staging area. There has always been hostility between the countries and so seeing all this help go to Haiti when they have poverty too is probably difficult.

There are still 17 Agape families unaccounted for. Please pray for them and their families back home.

On the home front, the boys miss Mark and ask where he is frequently. But we are having our own fun and our own adventures. This is a busy week, so that helps us from "getting into trouble" and keeping the boys off my nerves. Getting the kids to school was the smoothest it's ever been! How great is that... Thank you for caring, reading, and praying! God is doing mighty huge works right now (well, when doesn't He?) and it is exciting to be on the front lines. Thank you for helping! I'll add some pictures tonight when I'm at home.

Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

Wow, has it really been since November that Mark has updated his blog. I guess nothing exciting has happened in our family or with Agape?? Just kidding, this is Kristin taking time out from writing my blog 2corinth1-4mom.blogspot.com to update his.

Mark is currently returning from the Dominican Republic. He was flying one of King's Wings airplanes. He flew a group of doctor's. They wanted to get to Haiti, but since the airspace was closed yesterday, they did the next best thing and landed in Santo Domingo. The doctors chose to rent a car and drive to Haiti. They should have waited 12 hours and they would have been delivered directly to Port au Prince. Here's hoping the doctors are safe on their journey - definitely not one that I would take!

Anyway, Agape is coming up with their "game plan" and working tirelessly to help with the relief efforts. I am amazed by the help that is pouring in and the servant-like attitude of everyone! From what I can gather they will continue working through the weekend.

www.agapeflights.com has so much more information - head over and pray for, by name, the people mentioned!

Too close to call

2009-11-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hi,

I know that I haven't blogged in a while; but I have something interesting worth blogging. I came across this story that was originally written March 8,1986. Its an interesting story that gives you an idea of what we some times have to deal with.

It had not been week for the faint-hearted. First the Duvalier government had laid on a state of siege, with troops everywhere. Tensions were running high as country people as well as city people alike waited for some one to make the first move in the showdown between the people and the government of Haiti. Stores were mostly closed either in protest of the government of Duvalier or in fear of the mob attack by those who were trying to force the downfall of the Duvalier regime. In Cap Haitian there was one grocery store that opened for a couple of hours each morning to serve the needs of desperate shoppers. The store itself was like a mad house as people pushed and shoved to get what groceries they could before they would all be gone.

Then on Friday Haitian National Television announced what everyone was waiting to hear... Duvalier had fled the country. People everywhere erupted with wild shouts of joy, and joyful dancing in the streets. Then the downtrodden turned on the oppressors and the search began for those Tonton Macoutes that had caused so much suffering in Haiti during the Duvalier Regime. the common people became angry mobs of vigilanties, seeking out and beating or killing any Tonton Macoutes they could find.

The new government of Haiti, the Council of Five, attempted to restore order by closing the country's borders, roads, airports, and seaports, and imposing long curfews. That Saturday morning Agaps flights was hurling down the airways to Haiti when Miami center boomed over the pilots headset and told the pilot to turn back to the States; Haiti was closed up tight-no flights allowed.

Tune in next week for the rest of the story!

Loose lips...get me mad.

2009-09-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday the 25th I was flying for God. When I landed for the day I thought I would check out my wife's blog . Only to read that Some one At the fountain had made a nasty comment to one of my kids teachers.
If it bothered this person soooo much why didn't she confront my wife? or me, I was there.
Its so easy to to make assumptions when you don't have all the facts. "Miss perfect parent " probably doesn't know that my kids are special needs, and when they don't listen one must get stern sometimes. Miss "perfect parent" probably would not be able to handle my kids; since she lives in a "Disney" reality where here kids are perfect automatons and doesn't have to go through the emotional ups and downs that we do because of people like her and her comments.
By the way; My wife is the best mom to my kids, she is attentive, caring, loving, and she has patience that amazes me,(the ex-corrections deputy).

Engines,Mail bags and such...

2009-06-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

Boy! Has it been a month since I last published? Well let me catch you up!

The king Air was finally flown out of Eluthra with a rental engine, and tweaked here at Venice. The nice folks at King's Wings were very kind in letting us use their Cessna 401 while all the fixing was going on with the King Air. When bad things happen... You meet some really nice people.

Agape got some bad news about the engine that blew; it would cost more to fix than to by another used and in better condition. So after spending alot of money we have a new engine, and again King's Wings is letting us use their Cessna 401.

Here's an interesting story. King's Wings was in a bind and asked if one of Agape's pilots could fly a team over to the D.R. in there Cessna 401, no problem. I fly over to N. Palm Beach airport to meet the team, only to find Ruffin Stepp from Venice Presbyterian! What a small world. Ruffin got to be my co-pilot for the wonder flight to Eluthra. I love how God puts people in our lives.

Here we go again.

2009-04-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on here at Agape... But one thing is clear: God is in control. We all have this grand illusion that we are in control, nothing could be further from the truth.

Last week when the King Air was out on its weekly run, the right engine blew shortly after taking off. Our boys had to make a 180 turn and go back to Eluthra. With everyone safe, the forces of the Holy Spirit, and of the most high God kicked in!

Dave Spagler who is based in Eluthra put his airplane in to help us out. Boxes for the missionaries we transferred to Dave's plane and on they went to Haiti, and the next day on to the D.R. the supply line continued!

We could flip-out and say "What are we gonna do now?!" But no, it's in God's hands. The plane will be fixed, and in the process we will all have grown a little bit and experienced blessings that other wise we would have missed. It's all good... God always has our best interest in mind, I know its hard to believe sometimes, but its true.

You gotta eat.

2009-03-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well its Wednesday here at Agape, and the fist thing we do is eat! I can't complain. I must say my physical tummy is full , but lately I've been feeling spiritually hungry, a definite sign that I have not been in the word as often as I should. So if you see me, ask me if I've had my "bread " today. Sometimes I get busy & I forget, so remind me.

Staying in the Dominican Republic

2009-03-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Hi, I trust that everyone is doing well. I flew on March 4Th, and I stayed with one of our missionary families. these folks are the nicest you'll ever meet, and when I learn that I will be staying with them I always look forward to it.
The family lives in a small house and when we come to stay for the night we end up displacing two people out of their beds which makes me feel bad, but the excitement at the house when we arrive is always at a fever pitch. His daughters all come out to say a shy hello and his young son comes out to greet us to try out his English on us.
His wife who used to be a hotel chef always makes the best Dominican meals. Their hospitality is hard to beat.
Rodger's son was showing us some of his art work, I must say, he is very talented. I wish I could show you some of the work this 10 year old does! Rodger was telling me that he would like to send him to art school, but that he could not afford it, it broke my heart! However I will be sending him some are supplies, if anything its the least I can do.
Rodger is quite the carpenter, and furnture maker. All his living room furniture is made by him, I wish I could show you.
This is what its all about, fellowship. If we could all get along this way and do God's will in the process the world would go far. God's kingdon is great! and this is a small look into it. Its awsome!

Tornados! Where.

2009-02-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

Yes I'm still here after several tornado's touched down (thanks for asking). Luckily none of them were where we were staying.
I think that they are wrapping it up here at Covington, it should be done some time today.
I can't wait to go home, don't get me wrong; the folks here at Covington are great, all are firm servants for Christ, and their hospitality is beyond compare, but I'm home sick and I miss my family (I know, I'm a wimp).
Stand by for the local Mexican restaurant report!

Hanging out in Oklahoma.

2009-02-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

Patience, the mere mention of the word conjuors up visions of waiting for a very long time. Cobwebs and skeletons come to mind. I'm sitting at Covington engine, and waiting for some things to get done, but the wait is never easy. Good things come to those that wait, or so I am told. Impatience is not good. The Israelites got impatient with Moses to return from Mt. Sinai and things got ugly.

The engine on the plane is split open so they can inspect all the goodies inside (fascinating stuff).
I would love to be on my way back home. I'm such a home body, I would have never made it in the airlines, I would be too home sick!

Oklahoma is a big open place, windy & cool, what do people do here? The folks here at Covington are up to thier ears in work because all the crop dusters are in for work. I always thought that they were small. These planes are huge, with massive engines!

[I am struggling with layout here... Help, anyone??] Picture 1: As you can see, there isn't much here. That big pickup was given to us for the week. I have never driven an f-250 diesl; it's a nice ride. Picture 2: The big plane is a Grumen Abatross, its huge! Unfortunatly it hasn't flown in 3 years, kinda sad. Picture 3: The tubine disk is what makes all the power (550HP) not bad for a little disk. Stay tuned for more updates.

Not Me Monday

2009-02-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks, I haven’t “not me’d” in a little while. This is a blog carnival started by MckMamma at MyCharmingKids.net. I have no idea why it’s called a blog “carnival” – but it is… So when you are done feeling like a better mom than me, go over to her blog and you can see a whole slew of other denials. By the way, it is NOT Sunday. I mean, it's Monday in Australia, is it not?

Mark is not sitting here contemplating how to make my Sunday afternoon difficult. He did not scheme up the plan to leave me with the van - but take the only set of keys with him to Oklahoma... I did not have to get rescued by Drew and Jeff. They did not leave what they were doing, come to my house, get the extra set of car keys, go to the airport, get the car, bring it back to me, and then go about their day. I did not have to call four of five people before I got these two guys. I did not try to call Mark a 100 times when he was stopped in Mississippi for Chili dogs and ice cream. He will not tell you that he needed fuel and a bathroom break. The real reason is not for the free chili dogs and ice cream. Oh and just in case you were not wondering, I did not/will not rat him out.

Speaking of Mark and Oklahoma, I am not jealous that he is spending a week in a hotel – with maid service – while I’m at home with the kids. I am not thankful that at least I get to go to work and get a bit of a break. I am not going to keep the babysitter for date night and have a date with myself. I am not planning on using aftercare at school at least twice. I am not that selfish (well maybe I am…).

Do not be fooled by Ryan's apparent cuteness. It is not part of his ploy to take over the world. Here is not snuggled on his dad's legs. He acts all cute and innocent and then wham! He attacks - usually in the form of whining - but even better - he gets into your stuff and makes a mess. He does not love to play in the kitchen cupboards, refrigerator, and dishwasher. (Oh, we did not take the boys to Lowe's this week so they could open doors to the refrigerators to their heart's content.)

I am not seriously considering swapping my pots and pans, cleaning supplies, and pantry ingredients with the toys in the toy room. I mean seriously, Ryan has gobs of toys, but what does he not play with? My stuff in the kitchen. So if I swap, will he then play with his toys? How much of a pain would it be to walk to the toy room to get a baking dish? It’s not that far away…

I do not think Zach grew at least half an inch this week. His pants did not fit last weekend. Today, they are not too short. Maybe that was why he was not grumpy last week - maybe he did not have growing pains. He was not a nightmare for his teacher on Thursday. He has not had this teacher for 3 years – and she has not been through many ups and downs with this little man.

I am not freaking out about my ankle or Achilles tendon. It is not sore and I do not have a marathon all paid for and ready to go in April. I am not worried about next weekend’s half marathon in Sarasota. I am not planning on doing some serious cross-training this week and absolutely no running. I am not looking for prayer – even though it is silly. I am not thankful that I worship a God who cares about the ankles as much as he cares about the bigger problems. Speaking of God, I am not totally enjoying reading through the Old Testament. I mean where else can you read about battles where people were killed with a jawbone of a donkey? Or a battle won because the other people were confused and the Israelites did not even have to fight? It’s not cool stuff!

I am not reading Twilight. It is not engaging. (Seriously, vampires and werewolves are not a genre I would choose – but I like this book.) I am not loving the fact that I can talk to kids at my school about this book… Although, I do not not-think these kids should be reading this – it’s a bit “mature” for tweeners. And, gasp, I am not actually getting excited about my cushy position being eliminated and going back to a classroom. I am not actually looking forward to having students again. I am excited now, will I be in October??

And finally, I am not counting the minutes until Mark returns from Oklahoma where he watched an airplane get fixed. Oh yeah, I am not pestering the people at google about my blog being disabled. I am not frustrated that you can’t actually find the steps to get it corrected. I am not secretly hiding a million other things I did not do this week. They usually involve short-temperedness with the family... Oh, and I was not thankful that I listened to my friend Jen's morning-with-two-children stories. I have not had my kids paint their face with Kool-Aid powder the day of school pictures -with minutes to get out the door and get to school. So I am not thankful that it could be worse...

Campfires, track, and ramblings

2009-02-07T13:40:00.001-08:00

I haven't blogged in a while and I am still pretty bummed that my personal blog is down, so I am still taking over Marks. He was blogging yesterday about the weather and I deleted his post because it wasn't what I wanted. And I've I wanted to put some pictures up... (I don't know what's up with the picture placement and I don't have time to play around. I'm caught up in reading the Twilight Series and I just got the 3rd book. It is horrible literature, but I want to know what the kids at school are reading. I will say that vampires and werewolves are addicting...)

Last Saturday night Zach came up with a great idea. He wanted to roast hot dogs over our fire pit. For those of you who know Zach, he really only talks about 3 things, Cars movie, riding the bus, and where's Daddy. So out of the blue, he told us very clearly, that he wanted hot dogs over the fire. When Zach speaks clearly and uses a new sentence, he pretty much gets what he wants. So of course, we cooked hot dogs over the fire. I was a nervous wreck because the boys kept walking around and getting too close to the fire for my tastes. But all went well and we had fun... Of course, my favorite part were the s'mores...

Zach's next Special Olympics sport, track, started today. All four of us went and had a great time. Zach made a new friend and I think he will like running. Maybe he can do the marathon with me in April?

above: Zach is running the 50 m dash - I won't say his time, but he stopped in the middle...

below: Mark, the clown, is juggling the 4, 6, and 8 lb shots from the shot put.

Speaking of marathons in April, my ankle is bothering me. Please pray that I figure out why and that God heals it. After about 2 miles it really starts hurting. Today it wasn't too bad once I got past mile 6, but I don't want to do any long runs while it is bothering me. Ugh...

Water Egress Training!

2009-02-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

I must say that last Friday was quite interesting. I attended a water ditching survival class in Lakeland with some of my colleagues in the missionary flying biz. I don't know about you , but where can you go and be repeatedly dunked in pool with all your clothes on, and learn a bunch of cool survival stuff; yup, in God's service.

The class was taught by a navy rescue diver, and was very informative. We learned how to extricate ourselves from an inverted cockpit that was fully submerged. We were also induced to a bunch of neat survival gear, and got to play with an inflatable raft and practiced climbing in after each dunk. All in all a good time was had by all. God forbid we should ever have to use these skills, but we are now better equipped mentally if we do.

Not Me! Monday

2009-01-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

Not Me! Monday is a game started by MckMamma at mycharmingkids.net. Basically it's a chance to deny what you have done over the course of a week. Go to her website and check out oodles of other people's denials.

Let me start this by using the obvious [not] me... I did [not] have my own blog disabled because blogspot thinks it's spam. I am [not] checking it frequently to see if it is back up again. I have [not] taken over my husbands blog. I do [not] really think they should be combined since his is Mikarts FAMILY. It's just that I do[not] like my blog better than his. (How do I word that so I say that mine is better than his??)

I did [not] go completely lazy for the last two weekends and not clean my house thoroughly. I did [not] jump for joy when Mark decided he would mop the floor this week! I do [not] have a huge back-log of cleaning items - that I so neatly sorted using Travis's Spring Clean Year Round system.

I am [not] in this huge renovation kick. Ok, actually, I'm not - I just want to be... I did [not] drive Mark absolutely nuts with all these plans and ideas. I do [not] want to get rid of the carpet in the bedrooms. I am [not] tired of cleaning poop off carpet. However, I am [not] the greatest poop-carpet cleaner ever! I was [not] completely over said carpet when the dog got in on the carpet-pooping action. I am [not] writing about poop in my husband's blog. Nope, not me!

I am [not] disappointed that my Mephisto clog's only went for $15 bucks on Ebay! The last pair of Mephistos did [not] go for $92. I am [not] contemplating taking the boys to the Bargin Barn this afternoon for more bargins. I have [not] struck out the last few times. I am [not] a bad mother because I'm choosing Goodwill over the playground... On that same vein, I'm [not] choosing to blog over getting dinner prepared.

This is a pretty mild list, I am [not] sure there is more that I can deny... But how do you top poop and carpet? Can you tell I teach middle school????

Kristin

I'm temporarily taking over Mark's blog!!

2009-01-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

Aaahhhh... I have had my blog disabled!! So now I'm using Marks. I would say "hijacking" but since he is a pilot, that's probably not the terminology I'm supposed to use - even though I just did. Why is that when I don't have my own blog, I have all sorts of stuff I want to talk about??

Here's what I think happened to my blog. The blog robots that search the blogs to make sure they are "ok" thought mine was spam. I embedded a map of my most recent run and that was the last time I "saw" my blog. It wasn't even that impressive of a run - just 12 miles. I was all set to brag about this weekend's 18 mile run. Oh well. I put in a request to get blogger to look at my blog, and I don't know how long that takes. In the mean time, Mark's blog is going to become my own!

I really don't have anything to say - other than - I hope they fix mine soon!

I'm off...Fly'n For Jesus!

2009-01-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

Well here I am, the day before a flight. I'm getting the last few things ready, maintenance is working feverishly to fix some small last minute things, and the last of the cargo is loaded. I don't think we could fit another Bible on that plane.

My thoughts race as to what we will encounter in our travels. Will the airports have any issues? Will the weather be cooperative? Fuel availability? (That's a big one.) I remember calling an airport in the Bahamas the day before a flight and having the fuel guy tell me "We have plenty of fuel mon, com down". Only to arrive and have the guy say, "We out". I called you yesterday and you said you had plenty! "That was yesterday mon". And so goes international flying.
The trip will include Eluthra, Cap Haitian, Port au Prince, Santo Domingo, Santiago, and back home.

My job is better than your job.

2008-12-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

I must say that there are days when I think I have the best job in the world, and the best office view ever. This Thursday Dick Eckels and I flew a two day mission. We meet at the hanger at 6am and made short work of the pre-flight. The sky was looking ominous, the wind was picking up, the sky was punctuated with flashes of lightning, and the winds were at 13 gusting to 20, ah, what a beautiful morning to fly!(not). Dick and I decide to scram before the real nastiness arrives. We took off and climbed out in slightly bumpy weather and made it up to 18000'. We check our ground speed and learn that we have a 70knot (105mph) tailwind! Why do we always have a tailwind when we don't need it and a headwind when we don't want it? So now we have to circle for a half hour to avoid landing before 9am. (We have to pay $90 extra if we land before 9am).
Its this kind of flying that makes it so challenging. Flying in the States is so easy, we really don't know how good we have it! When you go out of the country the chips start to stack up against you. The customs paper work better be spot on. Don't be an ugly American, and always say please,t hank you, and have a blessed day. When getting into Haitian airspace the chips get stacked even higher. Bad ATC (air traffic control) poor or non-existent radar, and BIG mountains. Now fly without being able to see out the windshield. Call me crazy but this is the kind of flying I do for Agape, and I love it! Am I complaining? Not at all, I have the best job in the world, and I do it while in the mighty hands of the Father.

Reflecting the Father.

2008-12-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

Reflecting the father...Its often easier said than done, and I'm so glad that God has lots of patience, because I just keep messing up. So, like when one of my kids fall down and scrape their knee, I go over and pick them up, dust them off and send them on their way, some times more often than not giving them a hug and a kiss. But I'm not like the Heavenly Father; I'm an earthly father, full of flaws, I'm a shameful human that without Jesus I don't know where I would be. So I try to reflect on the Father. I want to be like Him; but I can't.
It becomes a cycle of repentance. How many time can you say you are sorry, yet He forgives. I'm so glad he has patience.
So what am I trying to say...? I think its funny that just because you a re a christian that life is a bowl of cherries. Far from it! Many people will test you just to See how you will react. I found this to be very true when I worked as a corrections deputy. The inmates would always question me on my fairness when I would ask them to lock down or take away their TV when they would misbehave, "Hey man! I thought you were a christian!" they would shout or other vulgar remarks. I had a Sargent that would call me into his office a try to intimidate me, but he could never figure out why he could never get me down. I read one of his reports, and it said " After talking with deputy Mikarts on several occasions he always seems to be in good spirits." It must have stuck in his craw that after talking with him I would walk out of his office with a smile on my face. The world will try to smash you to pieces, but not if you wear the holy Armour thats talked about in the bible, that's not to say that you won't feel the blows.
I'll keep trying...after all I'm only human...and He is God.

Saint Kristin

2008-11-21T07:27:00.000-08:00

Today is our anniversary. Time does fly when you are having fun. Has it been 10 years?! I have to admit, I am the luckiest guy in the world to have some one in my life like Kristin. When God put us together I knew to my core that she was the one for me. So on this special day of our tenth year, Kristin is officially a saint! After all she does have to put up with 3 kids ! (I know we only have 2, but I'm including myself in that number),Happy anniversary Princess, I love you!!

Baby Ryan is 4!! How'd that happen?

2008-11-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

Recently my son Ryan celebrated his 4Th birthday. I remember when we would all call him baby Ryan. Now that baby boy that came into the world Nov 17 4 years ago is 4! He brings me so much joy, that kid has many girls wrapped around his little finger, he has that little smile that is hard to resist. I pray that God gives me wisdom to bring these boys into the world has Godly men, nothing would be more of an accomplishment. These kids are growing like weeds!!
I don't know who had more fun with his toys, Ryan or me. I must say, they were a hit. They got up this morning and rushed to the new toys.
Zach has a new trick, he will come to me and pull me along and ask, "You want to play?".
Ryan will grab me by the hand and point to what he wants to play with. How can I resist.
On the king Air front, I hear that the plane has moved out of the prep hanger into the paint hanger. We have decided to replace one windshield due to a crack that was causing the windshield heat not to work. I've heard nothing but positve stuff so far, hopefully we will have the plane back soon.

Flying for Jesus, an adventure.

2008-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Ah...yes, how time flys when your having fun. The family and I went to the drum circle Zach a and Ryan had a great time, Zach got a new drum, what were we thinking!
On Wednesday I flew to Haiti & the D.R. We are back to flying the Cessna 414 while the King Air is in the paint shop.
The 414 got another new engine and I got to put it through it paces. So I filed for an altitude of 22,000' figuring I would take advantage of a tail wind of 32 knots which would put us at a nice ground speed of 225 knots!
With an airplane fully loaded (I mean fully loaded...with 2 doors , and regular cargo) off we went.
The climb was no problem until we got to 21,500' when we got into thin cloud layer. I noticed that we were picking up some ice. I told John my co-pilot to ask Miami for higher altitude, figuring I could climb out of it into colder air where ice would not stick. In my attempt to climb the ice got worse to the point were the plane started to shudder, due to lack of lift; just as John was asking for higher I was saying LOWER, ASK FOR LOWER! The plane had accumulated so much ice that we could not hold altitude. As soon as we got into warmer air we blew all the ice of and continued on our merry way.
Honestly folks, where else can you get this kind of excitement, and serve Jesus! I love flying for God. And for my supporters in this ministry I love you too. Stay tuned for more flying adventures.

I love my boys!

2008-10-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

There is one thing I must say. I love my kids! I am so proud of them and their accomplishments. Their accomplishments may not be what the world may consider to be much, but to me its a lot.

Ryan's little smile melts my heart, I love to look at him straight in the eyes, I drown in his love, and feel so compelled to pick him up and hug him. It breaks my heart to See him fall and get hurt, I would throw myself under him if I could.

Zachary is getting so big now. where did that little boy that doctors told me would have a 50% chance of walking go!? Now I have to run to catch up to him. Zach's laughs make my day. I swear each day that I hear that boy laugh it adds a day to my life.

God has so richly blessed me with these two boys. They make me see the world in ways that I would never other wise. We are all students to each other, they learn from me, I learn from them, and the heavenly Father teaches us all something new.

You want to hear something strange? I don't know how to act around "normal" kids. Kids that walk and talk are strange to me.

I love my kids so much! I would shout it from the roof tops. So if you ask me how my kids are doing ,I'll tell you "just great!" I mean it , they are just great! I don't know about you, but I'm blessed beyond belief.

The Crucible.

2008-10-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a week! I feel like I've just walked through fire. ( No, I don't have athletes foot). God has once again saved our bacon! He is in complete control. Here's why. Earlier in the week Kristin and I were planning to fly up to S. Carolina to visit some friends, so Jeff steps up and offers to fly for me because Wednesdays flight got pushed back a day making Friday my return day; the day Kristin wanted to fly.

Thursday afternoon Kristin really needed my help and had I flown to Haiti Kristin would have had to deal with an ugly situation all by herself. The weather turned bad anyway for our flight up to S.C. and I was able to be home where I was needed. God had worked wonders in our family's life. The prayers of all the people that heard of what had happened were felt ( thank you!!!).

It is times like these that remind me that we all go through a little purifying from time to time. Like gold or steel it is put through the fire to refine it, to purify it; making all the imperfections bubble to the top where they can be scraped off. I've found the blast furnace that is life is always there to turn up the heat when it is least convenient. The only way I have to get through this fire is to keep my eyes on Christ. Every breath that I expelled had a prayer on it.

I need to be Christ-like now, and forgive the people that did this, I now that the people involved were looking out for the best and I am glad that we have people like them. I must forgive.

Kingair pilot ~ at last!

2008-10-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, yes! The long awaited Kingair has finally arrived! On Oct 5th the plane arrived, and we could hardly believe it. After so many false starts, the plane finally made it to our hanger!

Now, the first impression of this plane is not a good one. The paint has a lot to be desired, and thier are not seats except for the two pilots. She is what I call a "sleeper". Does anyone remember when a friend would have an old beat up car that looked terrible on the out side, but on the inside it would have the best stereo? And when you would look under the hood it would have a totally kickin' engine that would totally rip up the road? Well that is how the King air is. The avionics are top notch (radios for you non-flyers) the engines have been over hauled and have fresh hot sections. Kickin'!

I had the privilege of having the first flight. Our king air instructor Jim Lewis flew with me as FO (first officer). We arrived at the hanger at 6am and by the time we got all ready we climbed in.
Now one has to keep this in perspective. Its dark, and every thing we do is by flash light, Jim gets into the air plane by climbing up the little ladder and settles in. I go up, unhook the ladder from the side of the airplane and now their seems to be not enough room to get the ladder in. So here I am banging and clanging poor Jim in the head with this metal ladder that somehow must fit in the back of the cockpit. After 15 minutes we get it figured out (I know what your thinking: stupid pilots!). The plane is a lot faster than the 182 mph Caravan - the kingair will zip along at 260mph, not too shabby.

As with any thing, it still has some bugs to be worked out. But, how grateful we are to have this plane. God yet again has provided! His grace never seems to end, and not just with this plane, but with everything. If I've learned anything about stepping out in faith, its this: don't worry, God has everything under control. Jas 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for your Lord your God is with you wherever you go" How awesome is that!

"Two weeks"

2008-09-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Wait. The mention of the word brings up visions of time gone wrong. Everything is in slow motion. A point in time seems light years away, and one seems to feel like they are growing cobb webs........."Two weeks". That is what we are being told as we await the arrival of our Kingair A-B90. I don't mean to be impatient, but it seems that every time we think the plane is going to show up........(Ringggg) "Hi, sorry the plane as another issue" Don't miss understand, I want the plane to be fixed before it gets here. I suppose that I sound like a little kid at the ice cream store; you know, jumping up and down with anticipation.
I can't wait for the day when we can carry a larger load, and get there and back in a decent amount of time. Looking back I must say I'm spoiled. I remember flying the same route in an Aztec, let me tell you at 130kts it takes a little time to get there.
Then again it never was about speed, it was about meeting the missionaries; getting out of the plane and your comfort level, and shaking their hand while looking at them square in the eye. Then it slaps you in the face why we do this. Ever thing matters, words, actions and the things you bring become God's tools for His kingdom. At time like these I feel a glow, and I thank the Father for using me...little me. God is sooo good!! Two weeks, yeah, I can wait.

Mark, the Carribean Hurricane Jinx!

2008-09-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's Kristin...

I've decided that Mark is the Carribean hurricane jinx... Notice how it's been a few weeks without a hurricane over Hispanola? Well, that's because Mark wasn't scheduled to fly!

He was scheduled to fly the week Gustav was around. No flight. He was scheduled to fly the week Hannah was around. No flight. He flew for one day between Hannah and Ike. The week of Ike - his week. No flight. Then Jeff was scheduled for one week and John Olinger was scheduled for last week. No Carribena hurricane activity. Mark is schedule to fly this week, and there is a tropical depression right between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic! Here's praying I am blogging prematurely and NOTHING HAPPENS! But if there is a hurricane, blame it on Mark!

Or the other possiblity is, God really wants me waking up early and running in the mornings. I have been spoiled this month and not had morning-boy-duty. I have been able to go to the Y and exercise. When Mark is gone, I have to go in the afternoons and I am not nearly as productive!

Flying between hurricains

2008-09-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Flying down on September 5th was not your "usual " flight. Nothing went wrong, the weather wasn't all that bad even though hurricane Hanna's effects were being felt. No, what was unusual was that on the way over to Exuma to refuel it was made known to us by the wonderful folks at Miami A.T.C (air traffic control) that we had two DC3s inbound to the same airport. We had one in front, and one behind us. When we all landed John Ohinger & I recognized them; it was our brothers in Christ from M.F.I. (Missionary Flights International). We all started talking and how we we all getting our flights in while we could. I had a chance to look over the paint jobs of their planes, as Charlie (our director) wanted me to do, and I must say the paint job looks great. So Charlie if your reading this, I say its a "go" for having the plane (our new Kingair) painted in the D.R.

After passing customs and refueling we all departed for Haiti. The effects of the hurricanes that have been pounding this poor island were very evident. Many towns were flooded, and many of the meager crops that people were growing were also flooded. Now more than ever the Haitian people & the missionaries that that serve there need your prayers. Here in the States our biggest worry is if there will be any plywood at the box store.

When all was done , we flew into Cap Haitian, Port Au Prince, & Les Caye, we had departed Venice at 6:30am and returned the same day at 10:30pm. I've got he greatest job in the world! I fly for Jesus Christ.

Mark

Kingair Training-an exersise in faith.

2008-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

On Aug 28-29 Jeff and I went for simulator training. You my ask, "whats the big deal?" but you see it is a big deal. Jeff and I did'nt have to spend one red cent! I was all worked up on how we were going to afford $5000.00 worth of training. God is soooooo good!! A freind of Agape who resently retired from the airlines, works part time at a training facility, and through the grace of God he asked if he could bring some friends in that needed some trianing. His boss said yes and we were in! Praise God!
Now we were able to do all of the training that we couldn't do in the real airplane. All of the white knuckle stuff that you don't do in the airplane. Things like engine failures on takeoff, Systems failures, you name it, electrical, hydraulic, and yes, engine fires. Let me tell you, these aren't the little beauties that you find hooked up to your PC. These are full size cockpits, and you could not tell you were in a sim. So needless to say our palms got a little sweaty! Our instructor Jim gave us a real workout!
I just want to say that Gods timing is ALWAYS perfect. Our plane is just about ready and He puts Jim in our lives. He knows that our wallets are light. He knows that we (both Jeff & I) came with no money(I mean NO money), yet we ate at Jim's house, and then, at the facility during dinner, it was instructor appreciation day, and we were invited to eat in the staff break room to a wonderful pasta dinner(by the way, Jeff & I are both flight instructors). God Is good!! ALL THE TIME!!! In scripture it says to worry about nothing, but pray about everything. How true.

Me? I don't have an eating problem!

2008-08-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

How many times have you heard that. In my 40 + years I've heard that a lot of times. I just thought I would never be the one with the eating problem!
So great now what? Do I follow the made up rules and falsehoods of "don't eat this ,& don't eat that" I say NO! My wife Kristin has been taking an on line course called Setting captives free. It has worked wonders for her.
So I've decided to take this course also. I an learning to fill myself with God rather than stuffing my face. The true food lies in the word of God. No food will ever satisfy my soul, God is the only one that can do that.
Its so easy to let let ones guard down and give in to the flesh. I'm weak! Last week I fasted for the first time in my life. Let me tell you I was not easy. But every time I felt hungry I prayed to Jesus that he would take the hunger from me, & the temptation, and the urge to be mean.
God is so good!
This is so huge. I feel as though I have been walking blind. Totally oblivious to this problem, now I see how I use food. I eat out of boredom, I eat hurriedly, I eat out of control.
I see all this now, now I ask humbly the God of the universe for help; and I know that He will.

Mark

What we've been up to...

2008-08-24T14:01:00.001-07:00

Nothing exciting and earth shattering is happening in the Mikarts' world, but we haven't posted in two weeks so I'll just ramble on about a few things that come to mind!

The boys started school last week - and I would upload a picture of them in their uniforms, but Mark hasn't taken it yet. Zach and Ryan ride the bus and they LOVE it! Zach has Ms. Dana again and he absolutely adores her. This is his 3rd year with her and I'm not sure what we will do next year when he moves on to another teacher. She is a saint!! Ryan has Mrs. Mirville again and she is also an incredible person. How anyone can work with kids like Zach and Ryan is beyond me! I spend 20 minutes working on the ABC's and I'm done!!

We've been spending a ton of time at the playground lately. Ryan is a daredevil and loves to hang over the openings of equipment. He has this crazy laugh and I know he is playing "chicken" with me - who is going to crack first? Will Ryan get both feet on the playground sooner or later than Mommy jumps to the opening to catch him? I finally taught him how to safely get down and "jump". Zach has also learned how to hang from the monkey bars and throw himself to the ground. I figure this is actually safer than not letting them do all this. But the funny part is, Ryan can master crazy playground equipment but the curb on the way to the car causes the blood! He scraped his cheek when he fell off the curb. Go figure...

Last week was our first hurricane day in about 4 years. It was overcast and ugly and not one drop of rain (well, maybe 5 minutes of rain). But then the next 4 days it rained off and on like crazy. Today is the first sunny day and so we splashed in the pool. Ryan is getting to be quite the swimmer boy. He has the biggest grin while he swims around.

The last thought running through my head is that I'm FINALLY excited about this school year from a work perspective. My heart wasn't into my work until about 3 hours ago! I suddenly caught the excitement of all the places God is going to be working at VMS/OPS and I want to jump on board and be part of it! I can't wait to see what He accomplishes. What a great feeling!

Kristin

Gavin joined us for our hurricane day... The boys were worn out - can you tell?? They all ran around like crazy and then crashed in front of Elmo.

A day in the life of a missionary...

2008-08-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Ha... yes, flying to and from the Caribbean sounds great; and it is! But what about when I'm not flying? Being the facilities manager is a big challenge. Think of it as a huge honey do list that if unfurled at the top of the Empire State building, would have no problem making it to street level. O.K. no problem you might say, but one has to remember who my boss is...You guessed it, God, and I work at doing things to my best!

With this in mind, there are lots of things at the hanger that need attention. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical work which at times can be quite challenging. The volunteers that work at the hanger are a huge blessing! How would you like to work with a rocket scientist, a nuclear engineer, or retired pastor. What amazing conversations we have!

Some of my favorite volunteers are the folks that come to Agape for community service. I get the privilege of working with these people on a one on one basis. I see many of these people come in bummed out, but usually by the time their community service is up, many come back as volunteers, and I have had the privilege of sharing my faith with them! God is good!!

If anyone out there reading this is good with landscape - let me know! I have some huge flowerbeds that would love your loving touch and/or ideas!

Mark

Pit Crew-Haiti style

2008-07-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun little diddy about my trip last week... On Wednesday the 16th of July, we departed for Haiti and the D.R. We successfully delivered all of the missionary mail and cargo and stayed over night in Port au Prince Haiti. Upon our return trip form David Heady's compound (one of the missionaries we serve) the tire on our truck blows out. At this point I think "no problem, change the tire." But remember, we are in Haiti, not some nice highway in the States. This is after David is done telling us the story of how some one tried to kidnap him on the highway and fired two 45 caliber rounds into the side of his truck. Now we are sitting ducks for anyone that wants to rob us or kidnap us. The ditch is dirt and craggy with rocks, and trucks are whizzing by on the road. Dave produces this tiny little bottle jack (5 inches tall) and we have to put it on top of rocks so it reaches the axle. Once we get all the lug nuts unloosened, the actual wheel won't come off the truck axle. And... we can't hit the wheel too hard or the truck will fall off the jack. Finally we pry the wheel off and we are on our way. We put our pilot shirts back on and proceed as if nothing had happened. This was, of course, before we witnessed a riot in Santo Domingo! On the positive note, we visited with the other pilot's sister in the Domincan Republic and were treated to a fantastic, native, meal!

I praise God for our safety, I praise God for the opportunity to serve in more than one capacity. Finally I praise God for your support in making this possible.

Mark

A vivid picture of God the Father

2008-07-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

If any of you know or have spent time with our little Ryan, you will understand where I got this vivid image of our God. You see, Ryan is a fairly new walker and he falls all the time. On top of only walking for 9 months, he has serious balance issues and seizures. So his head gets pretty banged up. When he falls, his forehead usually slams to the ground. While he puts his hands out, it doesn't always stop the head from smacking the ground. He usually has several lumps on his head. I can make jokes about it and say that it's his horns coming through (afterall he is three...) But the truth is, it just tears me up.

So today Ryan has had at least 5 good smacks (and most of them are out in public, so I have witnesses that I'm not causing it!) My defenses are down anyway, so these bonks on the head have really bothered me. Just a few minutes ago, Ryan fell and it knocked open a scab on the side of his head. He's had that spot for over a month now and every few days he opens the scab. Sometimes when Ryan falls he thinks its funny and belly laughs - but this is usually when he is into mischief. But just now, Ryan is tired, so the fall really hurt him; he did that cry where nothing comes out for a few seconds. I, of course, ran to him and scooped him up and snuggled him.

I'm not writing all this just to defend the bumps on the head. It was when I was holding Ryan tightly, that I had this image of God the Father doing the same thing with me. After a few sobs, Ryan squirmed to get loose and was back to his terrorizing, like nothing happened. Right now I'm battling the sin of awful eating habits. Every time I fall into temptation, I realize and I get another "bump on the head" and I can picture God's heart being broken because I sinned again and I'm in pain. But I also see God snuggling me close and wanting nothing more than to take the pain away. So I go to Him and when I feel better, I squirm away and wander off and eventually fall again. How much better off would I be if I let God hold me all the time. While I know this isn't possible, it does bring to mind the fact that I can go to God more than when I'm hurt. Just like Ryan - he comes to me for the good times too - I need to go to God often

This was simply on my heart to share and I hope you can see the image of God the Father too.
Kristin

Dreaming

2008-07-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Mark and I were sitting in the pool this afternoon with the kids floating in their tubes and we just started dreaming about where God was going to take us. I can't shake this restless feeling I've had lately. I hope it means that God is preparing us for something huge.

We dreamed about the different planes that Agape is interested in acquiring. We dreamed about teaching others how to fly it. And we dreamed about where we might live. That last dream is so exciting to me and fearsome for Mark! I would love the adventure of living in the Dominican Republic. So I always seem to pray, "Lord - take us there!"

But the difficulty in dreaming is jumping ahead of the God's plans. I read in Isaiah about how we dig our own broken cisterns and ignore God's true water. I relate this to my own life. I think I walk around carrying a shovel and digging in spots all the time. I figure God needs my help in determining my life. How wrong is that?? I need to let go and let God direct my path. He will whisper in our ear which way to turn. He already knows what's in store for the Mikarts family. His guiding in our life has already exceeded anything I could dream up!

So as I sit here and think about the dreams, I realize that it's fun to think ahead and be open to possibilities, but I need to wait and see what God has down the road! I personally hope it involves another country!

Kristin

Apple?

2008-07-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, thanks for checking in! I thought I would tell you a little about my last flight on July 8th. As usual we departed Venice at 6am and arrived in Cape Haitien at about noon. As we were unloading the cargo one of the missionaries noticed an apple rolling around in the plane and asked if he could have the apple, I said sure and didn't think any of it. The missionary ate up the apple, savoring every crunchy juicy bite, practically sucking on the core he told me that that was the first apple he had had in over a year! The Haitians that were helping us unload had never seen an apple!
Once again I an amazed at what we take for granted here in the States. I am so honored to serve these people, I think I got a bigger kick out of watching him eat that apple than he enjoyed eating it. Praise God!!

Mark

Our New Video!

2008-07-17T06:55:00.001-07:00

How we got here in a paragraph or two...

2008-07-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Mark and I think that blogging about our experiences with Agape Flights, and our faith journey in general, would be a great way to share what we are learning and being enabled to do. But just starting a new blog is a bit odd for me, so maybe a little background is needed??

Mark has been a pilot for 20 years (well, as of August 8th, it will be 20 years). Anyone who has spent a few minutes with Mark will know that flying is a HUGE passion of his, especially flight instruction! When Mark turned his life over to Jesus a little over 10 years ago, he always wanted to combine his two loves - flying and the Lord. Through a series of connections, he heard about Agape Flights and he volunteered with them for a year or so. He would fly to Haiti as a co-pilot. Then we had our first child, Mark got a "real" job, and he wasn't able to volunteer anymore. But he was always praying for a way to become more involved with Agape and that they would move from Sarasota to Venice.

Guess what? Six years later he is on staff with Agape as a captain, flight instructor, and maintenance man. God was amazingly gracious to us during the support raising process and we have an amazing team of supporters behind us! So this blog is for you - to see how you are involved in Agape Flights. We wouldn't be here with out you and you are the hands and feet of this operation! Thank you... You are involved in some mighty Godly things!! Hopefully through this blog, you will get a glimpse of what is being accomplished for His Kingdom.

Thank you and God Bless!
Kristin