Ready! Set! Serve!

R66 #2 takes supplies to the Kovol people group.

R66 #2 for Papua New Guinea: You prayed for it. You heard it arrived into the Port of Lae in Papua New Guinea on July 6, 2023. But did it ever start flying?

Sometimes it’s almost miraculous how fast an R66 can be reassembled and put into service. But for R66 #2, God’s providential timetable proved to be different. The inspections and paperwork seemed unending. Many of you have been praying this whole time.

Finally, December 4, 2023 – five months after it arrived in PNG – R66 #2 officially joined the “operational mix,” according to Imie Mark, Maintenance Controller of Ethnos360 Aviation’s fleet in PNG.

Its first job? To take supplies to the team learning language among the Kovol people. Pilot Josh Verdonck posted: “Very honored to conduct the first mission.”

Adam Hodgdon and Taitus Arthur fuel R66 #2 before its first ministry flight.

While Josh was fulfilling already-scheduled supply runs in existing church planting locations with R66 #2, R66 #1 (serving since April 15, 2022) was free to break new ground. Pilot Stuart Sims flew a survey team to a location “about as far west as you can get and still be in PNG,” according to Imie Mark. They would “spend the night in one village, talking with the elders and trying to assess their desire (and rationale) for missionaries to come live among them.”

Pilots Josh and Stuart have been waiting for this day when they could have two helicopters to fly, adding a whole new level of capability to support existing church planting teams – and open the way for new teams. “We can thank the Lord,” says Imie, “for bringing [the details] together in time for the helicopter program to support the … surveys out west before the year’s end.”

Josh Verdonck goes through his pre-start checklist.

Josh, Stuart and the whole team in PNG thank you for all your prayers and investment to get R66 #2 to Papua New Guinea. Because of you, the people groups like the one in the far west of PNG will have an opportunity to hear God’s Talk.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers. Please keep praying as both R66 #1 and #2 serve to bring the gospel to those waiting to hear.