Time For My Next Test

Hello all,

Things have been progressing with my MAF candidacy. In March, I did my GPSS (Global Pilot Selection System) assessment. It was a pretty intense all-day assessment of my mental capacity as a pilot. The ten page report that I received once it was all said and done is designed to be pretty honest about me and point out my weaknesses with no real flattery. It certainly took me down a couple pegs, and forced me to take a good, long, and humbling, look at myself.

Fortunately, MAF chose to continue with my candidacy, and now I am preparing for the next step in all this.

And so, I will be traveling down to Boise, Idaho to do my technical evaluation from August 12th to 16th. This evaluation will practically test my skill as a pilot, and how I face challenges throughout my work day.

Please pray with me as I go down for this; that I would demonstrate my skills without letting the nerves of an evaluation get in the way.

Meanwhile, I have not been idle here in Red Lake. Unsurprisingly, most of my time has been taken up with work. Summer is our busy season as the only way to access any of our destinations becomes an airplane. The past month or so in particular has been difficult as the fire situation here became very intense with several immense fires burning out of control near a few communities.

Believe it or not, There is not a cloud in the sky in that top-right picture. That is all smoke from the fires.

I still managed to get some personal time though: My sister came to visit me for a few weeks, and then I was able to go to BC for a few days for her graduation.

 I picked my sister up in Winnipeg in one of the company planes and flew her back to Red Lake. I didn't get a picture of it, but they actually rolled out the red carpet when I parked in Winnipeg!
One of the fun, exciting things that happen every year here is the Sucker run. These fish come up the creeks to spawn in such large numbers that you can just reach into the water and pluck them out with your hands. My sister was in town at just the right time, so of course we went to see it.



Please pray that the Lord would guide my steps as I look forward to MAF, and that I would be focused on Him as I serve here in Red Lake.

One Step At A Time

This isn't a long post, I just want to update about MAF and life.

When I last posted in November I had just sent in my application to MAF. Well, a couple weeks ago I did an interview with them via Skype. Last week I got an e-mail saying that the selection committee is happy with my application up to this point, and that we are going to continue with the process. So that's exciting.

Up next, I have to do some assessments and evaluations as well as deal with some paperwork.

Please pray that all of this would go smoothly, both as I travel for these assessments and during the assessments themselves.

Of course, I haven't been sitting around doing nothing since November, Christmas happened, which was fun, of course. And during the new year I was able to go to England to visit my extended family and attend a wedding. Now here in Red Lake, the weather is finally starting to warm up (we'll see how long that lasts), so I've been trying to get out every now and then.



Please pray with me as I go into this next chapter, one step at a time.

Dominic

  The beauty that I see every day is a wonderful reminder of God's divine nature.

 My philosophy living in a cold part of the country is that if you're stuck with it, you might as well enjoy it. Skiing and snowshoeing are common pass-times for me, and a few weeks ago I got to ride in a dog sled for the first time. Also, a good ice-
 beard is something to appreciate.

 England was cool. We spent some time in London, and also visited the seven sisters, on the south coast.

I'm Still Around

So I have not written on this blog in a year and a half...

Wow.

Hm.

So.

Uhhh.

I'm still around.

My last post was about how I had just moved to Red Lake, and commented on how I was enjoying it “so far”. That statement still stands.

I worked on the ramp for about a year, though at least I got to fly the little 182 every now and then, and in June I got checked out in the left seat of the Caravan.

<-The little 182 that I spent quite a while flying around...

most of our destinations are isolated first nation reserves with simple gravel runways.

I found a nice appartment, and found a church family. I've settled into the community and joined a small music group.

I actually, really, love it here.

So now I'm trying to leave.

This blog's description is “Wannabe Missionary, Wannabe Pilot”, and so I have begun the application process with Mission Aviation Fellowship.

One of the not so little caravans that I fly around now.

These planes are excellent for what we do; they're fast, and can carry a fair bit of freight->

Now, I'm not leaving just yet, and there's no guarantee that I ever will; so far all I've done is fill in their application form and sent my resume, not exactly ground breaking actions. But they are ice breakers.

For several years I have felt God leading me to mission aviation, it is because of this calling that I attended Prairie, it is because of this calling that I went to Thompson, it is because of this calling that I was involved in ministry in the way I was, and it is because of this calling that I moved to Red Lake. In each and every move I have seen God preparing me for this.

At Prairie God laid the base foundation, both spiritually and technically.

 

<-I got a canoe shortly after moving to Red Lake

In Thompson, God taught me humility, and He taught me how to be a witness across cultures. He taught me to be a missionary.

And in Red Lake, God expanded the technical skills I developed at Prairie, showed me their impact in isolated areas, and taught me how to use my skills in a culture not my own.

I believe that it is time for me to take concrete actions towards full time ministry, please pray with me that I would follow God's leading, wherever that may be.

Now, enjoy a small photo dump.

The view can be pretty good sometimes

I take my canoe out pretty often (when the water isn't frozen)

I got to do some training in a pretty fancy simulator (though it still had problems sometimes)

<-Caravans are pretty birds

 The Harvards came to visit last summer, and spent some time in our hangar->

I Moved Again...

So it has been a while, hasn't it?

When I left off, I was leaving Thompson for Sioux Lookout. Well, that didn't work out, so I returned to Thompson.

Then I got a new job about a month ago. I'm doing more or less the same thing as I was, but now I'm in Red Lake, Ontario. Isn't that exciting!

So far I'm really enjoying it, this town is really nice!

There's even an airplane in the middle of town!

And just outside of town there's a meteorite crater

And just past that, a Beech 18 that crashed back in the '70s!














And at work, I even get to go flying every now and then!

I like this place.




But, to my friends in Thompson, I miss you all, and I'm sorry I had to leave.

The Next Step

So... If you didn't know it, for many years now I've felt called by God to mission aviation. That's why I went to Prairie, and it's in preparation for that that I work for Perimeter Aviation in Thompson Manitoba.

And now it's time for the next step.

You see, at the moment I'm a ramp attendant; I'm not flying planes. I only marshal, clean, load and de-ice them. I learnt a lot about serving others while doing this, but I didn't spend all that time and money in college just to do this. It's time to take the next step in my career.

It's time to start flying.

Perimeter has offered me a position as First Officer (co-pilot) on the Metro III in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

I'll be developing skills flying turbine engine aircraft into small isolated communities with small gravel strips. Skills that will be useful as a missionary.

I'm very excited to start flying again, and I'm looking forwards to moving to Sioux, but I'm also sad to leave Thompson. I honestly really enjoyed my time here.

But it's time to move on, and I look forwards to what God will be doing in my life in the future.

It's Christmas Time

Only a few more days until Christmas, excitement is building, the kids are out of school, programs are shutting down until the new year, and the shelves at stores are starting to empty.

Have you gotten your Christmas shopping done? You might want to get onto it...

Remember to remind your friends and family how much you love them, and maybe even give joy to someone who doesn't have any this time of year.

But in all this, let's not forget to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and remember that hope came to man kind as a baby in a manger because we could not make room for him in the inn.

Merry Christmas.

On Christmas Trees

And so it's December

And the tree's been put up

Another batch of cookies,

And a new one's just begun!

 (Try singing that to the tune of "So This Is Christmas", it kinda works)

 Well, not actually, but I'll get those done sooner or later.

But hey, Christmas season is started!  And that means Christmas trees!

Thompson is the most northern place I have ever lived, and as a result, I'm still not used to how late the sun rises and how early it sets.

But Christmas trees and all the other decorations give us light during these days closest to the winter solstice.

Much like Jesus gives us light in our darkest time.

It's almost as if we were celebrating His birth or something...