On It's Way, But ...
Don't you wish things would happen just when you want them to? You might have hoped, along with us, that the new "blue" R66 helicopter would be on its way to the Philippines by now. Instead, it was delayed in initial delivery to us because of shipping damage.
Though things do not always work out in our time frame, we are confident that God was working out His plan. Now, thanks to prayer and the help of some ministry partners, the R66 has new rotor blades to replace the ones that were damaged.
And we are happy to say that this long-awaited R66 helicopter arrived at NTM Aviation headquarters in Arizona TODAY!
Now, as soon as our mechanics and technicians can finish its final outfitting, it will be on its way to the Philippines - hopefully by February. We wish this step would be quick and easy, but there's a lot of work to be done. And once it's totally ready, it has to be disassembled and put into a shipping container, along with spare parts and special tools, to begin its journey across the ocean.
Once it arrives in the Philippines, there's more to do before the R66 can fly: importation, customs, re-assembly, and test flying. And we need to build hangar facilities to house it.
Would you be willing to pray the R66 through this whole process? Church planters in mountain villages and on isolated islands are depending on it, since the R44 they are currently using is about to "time out." As missionary Philip LeRoux says, "I don't think anyone can comprehend the help [the helicopter] is to us. We thank the Lord each time we see [it] land."
We'll keep you posted as the R66 goes through its paces. And you can help with the project by going to the R66 project page. Thanks for your partnership in providing seamless air service to reach people with the Gospel.