It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Pete and I had the joy of spending time with some of our favorite people - our families - in the past two months.


Thanksgiving: This year was Pete's year for Thanksgiving, so we packed up the car and headed to Oklahoma City, OK for a fun-filled long weekend with his sister and her family, his brother and his family, and his parents. What an amazing weekend it was - we did everything from eating a delicious Thanksgiving meal at the church to walking around Bricktown and even hanging around with bats at the OKC Zoo. This was the first time that the entire family had been together since our wedding in 2007 and we had a blast!




Christmas: Part 1 was a quick drive from TX to South GA and back in one weekend (26 hours). Pete and I have been trying every year to make it down to my grandparents Christmas weekend (always the weekend before Christmas) and this year was no exception. Unlike years past, I had to work the Monday after, so Sunday morning we loaded up the gifts and the doggie and made our way back West. It was great to see all of the family in South GA - the only person we were missing was my older cousin Ryan (but we made a trip to South TX to see him when we returned)!




Christmas: Part 2 began with a tornado touching down just miles from my office on Wednesday as I was getting ready to drive home and meet my parents at the apartment. From what I know, no one was hurt, but it definitly made for an exciting night. Pete and I were able to spend our first Christmas in Texas since our engagement and we enjoyed having a bit more relaxed Christmas at home! Since dad and I had never gone to a UGA footbal game together, we bought them tickets to the Independence Bowl for Christmas and had a fun day in Shreveport, LA the day of the game. It was COLD, but was worth it to go to a game with my husband and parents!



It's hard to believe the year is at it's end already, but I look forward to what the Lord has for us in the year to come!


We will be praying that this year is a year of joy and peace for your families and that you will grow ever-closer to our amazing God!

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
Rev. 4:8

Time to Catch Up...

Life Update:

3 months later I finally have the time to post a new blog! These past few months have been filled with fun and work and most importantly, more steps towards getting to the mission field! Woo hoo!

Ashley has spent time traveling the Northeast to recruit students and has been organizing preview events for future students! Of course, she has done an excellent job (she would settle for nothing less) and is already working hard on her next few projects.

I have been focusing on school and flying. This semester we got 2 new multi-engine trainers that I have been learning to fly in and teach in. They are great airplanes that have taught me a lot and will be an excellent learning platform for our students. My three students are doing great and are getting close to finishing their courses for the semester despite 3 weeks of bad weather.

Update: Steps towards entering Mission Aviation Fellowship

A short time ago Ashley and I received our application to Mission Aviaton Fellowship (MAF) and have been working steadily at completing it. We have set a goal of starting with MAF in January of 2011. This means that between now and then we have to complete the required bible classes and I have to get my Airframe & Powerplant Certificate (A&P) which I will be tested for this coming April. After we meet the requirements we will get to go to MAF headquarters in Nampa, ID to do a technical evaluation consisting of flight and maintenance tests as well as interviews with MAF staff!

For more information about MAF please visit http://www.maf.org/

We are excited about what lies ahead and have seen God come through in HUGE ways. We thank you for your continued prayer support as we enter the "home stretch" of classes and next round of decisions.

There is one specific area where we need financial support. In order to responsibly enter a mission organization we essentially need to be debt-free. We have worked hard over the past year to get rid of any debt that is not school related and have accomplished that goal. Next we need to pay off school loans which are just shy of $39,000. Please prayerfully consider supporting us to help meet the goal of entering MAF in January of 2011 so that we can answer the call to take Christ to the nations of the world! For more details please contact us directly via email or phone.

Please continue to let us know if you have any concerns that we can be in prayer for. We cherish the time that we get to spend talking with God about our friends.

petegreenwald@gmail.com (404) 291-4112
ashleyfgreenwald@gmail.com (678) 641-8771

Fly 4 Life

Recently Ashley and I were able to attend Airventure 2009 in Osh Kosh Wisconson. We were there to represent LeTourneau University and share what LETU has to offer to future missionary pilots. Little did we know that this would be an experience that would teach us so much about the awesome community of people involved in mission aviation.

Fly 4 Life was one of the featured themes at Airventure. The Fly 4 Life tent on Aeroshell Square told the history of mission aviation and explained a few of the areas that it supports. Besides the Fly 4 Life tent there was also the IAMA tent. IAMA (International Association of Missionary Aviation) was the organization that brought us, other schools, and many mission organizations together at Osh Kosh. Our tent was flanked by MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship), JAARS (Wycliffe), and Spokane Turbine Center, a training organization for mission pilots who will be flying the new Quest Kodiak.

By the end of the week almost 750,000 people had been to the airshow grounds and almost 500 of those people were there specifically to represent Mission Aviation. What an awesome place to be!! Throughout the week Ashley and I were able to meet people like Steve Saint, the son of martyred Missionary Pilot, and representatives from almost every mission organization that was there. We also worked in the Fly 4 Life tent and had many opportunities to share the Gospel of Christ with people who had never even heard about Jesus!! Woo Hoo!!!!

We were also able to spend time around the new Quest Kodiak 100, an airplane which was specifically designed to operate on short, unimproved airstrips in some of the most remote areas of the world. The Kodiak is an impressive airplane which has the potential to transform mission aviation as we know it.

As I begin my last year of school at LeTourneau University Ashley and I are becoming more excited every day about what the Lord has planned for the future! Airventure 2009 was a great confirmation that mission aviation is exactly where the Lord wants us and has been continuing to lead us. Please be in prayer for us as we begin to take larger steps towards moving overseas to share the Gospel in some of the most remote areas of the world.

-Pete

Blood = Life

Lately I have felt a real call to sacrifice. While I didn't know what/how, I knew the Spirit would lead and make it clear. Walking into church on Sunday morning, I noticed the "Blood Bus" (Carter Blood Center) and my stomach sank. As a child several nurses were called in to hold me down so that they could take my blood for a routine cholesterol test. Just the idea of blood leaving my body (much less knowing that people are willingly TAKING it from me) has always been a source of anxiety. Immediately after seeing the Blood Bus, I knew what type of sacrifice I had been called to. Just like the widow who gave a mite showed Jesus her true sacrifice, me giving blood - my own blood - would be an ultimate sacrifice.

The message Sunday morning was on Bloodlines and the fact that we are called to sacrifice for "even for the least of these" in accordance with the will of God. That Jesus gave not just one pint of his blood, but all 12 pints demonstrates His love and desire to give us life - ABUNDANT LIFE! We learned how a lack of just one pint of blood can be the reason to call off many surgeries. At this point in the service there was a knot in my stomach, my mind was racing and thinking of all the reasons I shouldn't give blood today, and my heart knew that if blood gives life, then I would give blood.

As the service ended Pete looked over to me and said, "So should we give blood now or after we help out with the family worship theatre?" This not only confirmed what I knew I had to do, but gave me no way out - I couldn't just go home and then bring it up later as one of those "I should have done that" type of thing. I love how the Lord overcomes the evil of Satan even in our minds as we are battling over the sacrifice we are called to make.

After the line at the Blood Bus grew short, Pete and I hopped aboard and started to fill out our paperwork. We both began at about the same time and laid head to head while the blood was being drawn. The entire time I knew that the Lord was overcoming a fear of mine and would be able to use the blood to give life! The Carter Blood Center employees were a delight to spend time with and made the experience better than expected.

With apple juice and oreo cookies in hand, Pete and I left the bus and began talking about how amazing the Lord is and the joy of obedience to Him!

Therefore I urge you, bretheren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. - Romans 12:1

This is how the Lord is using aviation to change lives around the world.

Summertime Fun

Summers in Texas are much like summers in Georgia... heat, heat, and more heat. One thing is for certain about a TX summer - the heat is worse, the humidity is better! While faculty and students take a month or two off from the rigors of classes and meetings, the Admissions Office (along with a few other offices) stay for the long hot summer months. Luckily, this is also the best time for us to take vacation days. After Pete had completed his summer classes we packed up our bags for a trip east. Along with 5 other couples, we hid out in the Outerbanks of North Carolina! It was a great time of rest, fun, and THE BEACH! While we were at the Outerbanks, a group of us went to Kitty Hawk - home of the first powered flight! It was incredible to see where Orville and Wilbur had worked, slept, and prepared for their first flight. Pete and I had a great time at the Memorial! In addition to our trip to Kitty Hawk, we also enjoyed local restaurants, putt-putt golf (I got two holes-in-one!), ice cream, and the waves!
As all good things do, our vacation came to an end - but it will not be forgotten and the rest that occured was much needed. We are already looking forward to our next adventure with the couples we vacationed with and are grateful that the Lord provided such a perfect week for us.

Solo!!

Although we are not currently involved in a mission aviation organization we still have the opportunity to work within mission aviation.

Zac Wojahn is a young man from Minnesota who was one of my flight students this semester. Zac wants to be a missionary pilot as well, so it was a joy to work with him.

When Zac and I first started flying he had just a few hours of flight time under his belt. The goal that he and I worked towards together was for him to Solo. This is one of the biggest accomplishments of any pilot. I still remember the insanely hot day in the North Georgia mountains that my instructor actually found me worthy to fly the airplane all by myself! There is nothing else like the experience of taking to the air by yourself and experiencing such incredible freedom!

Well sure enough Zac soloed early in the summer. Being able to play such an important role in helping a future missionary pilot accomplish the necessary steps towards taking the Gospel to the world was a humbling and exciting opportunity. I am still amazed that the Lord has put me of all people in a position to teach others a skill that He will use to enlarge the Kingdom!

Mighty to Save

Savior, He can move the mountains.
My God is mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation.
He rose and conquered the grave.
Jesus Conquered the grave!

We've just returned from another great Easter weekend with Pete's brother's family. Our two nieces are always a delight to be around. Kalli (3 1/2 years old) has a new pink room and an OKC Thunder basketball, while Tori (1 1/2 years old) wakes up after every nap with a mohawk that is truly inspirational. Some of my favorite moments in Oklahoma this weekend were when we Tori would see me after a nap, sunday school, or some other function that kept us from each other. As soon as she would see my face she would light up and run full throttle towards me while saying "aunt Ashawee". This adorable little girl of 1 1/2 years brighten my life with her unabandoned excitement when she saw me. Not only did this warm my heart, but it really made me start thinking - if I get joy from a sweet little girl running into my arms, how much more joy does the Father receive when his children run into His.

Within the past few weeks healing has been the prayer of my heart. With friends and family recovering from heart surgery, dealing with the onset of cancer, and undergoing procedures that can bring about devastating results, my heart has been crying out for healing in many ways. Over the past week or so, "Mighty to Save" by Hillsong has been playing over and over again in my mind. I am reminded during this Easter season that our God, the God who spoke and the world was created, who breathed and life was formed is the very same God whose character is love and whose desire is relationship with His created. That He wants our salvation. That's what it's all about. That's the reason for the cross. That He wants us. He wants us!! The cross is a reminder for us to surrender to His will, to His goodness, to His love, to His might and mercy to save!

While I do want physical healing for my family and friends, more than that I want them to know the God who gave them life and know that He not only created them, but that He wants relationship with them and loves them. My heart breaks thinking that any would perish without the opportunity to know and accept the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Risen Savior.


Shine your light and let the whole world see.
We're singing for the glory of the RISEN KING!

- Ashley

A week at MMS Aviation

During my spring break I was able to spend the week at MMS Aviation in Coshocton Ohio with a group of LeTourneau students and faculty. MMS is dedicated to maintaining and repairing aircraft that serve in the mission field both overseas and in the US. The service they provide saves hundreds of thousands of dollars for mission organizations across the globe.

I worked almost exclusively on a Cessna 206 which will be returning to service in Honduras when it is complete. When this aircraft first came to MMS they discovered severe corrosion of the airframe which had to be repaired for the aircraft to be safe. The aircraft was gutted and has been almost rebuilt from the ground up. I worked on installing a Robertson STOL Kit and repairing a portion of the right wing. STOL kits (short takeoff and landing) are installed as after market modifications and allow the aircraft to fly much slower and land on extremely short runways.

Here Scott is instructing me on the finer points of installing the Robertson STOL kit.

The leading edge of the right wing had been previously repaired but we decided to go ahead and replace a large portion of it. This required us to make a cut in the sheet metal, drill out all of the rivets that held the metal on, form a new leading edge, and then reinstall it. Unfortunately our week was ending just as Scott and I were preparing to form the complicated shape out of a sheet of flat aluminum.

Scott finally turned me loose to remove the middle portion of the leading edge and prepare it for new skin.

For more information about MMS Aviation click the link at the bottom of the page. Ashley and I are looking forward to seeing some of their crew at Oshkosh this summer!

An afternoon in the SKY

Pete and I have had a wonderful weekend spent together (a rarity in our lives currently)! Saturday was filled with flight cancellations, which led to a full day of resting with one another. I was pretty sad that Pete didn't get to fly with his students, but think it was the Lord's way of making sure we make time for each other during our full weeks. Pete is such an amazing flight instructor, always wanting the best for his students and making sure that they do well. I appreciate this about him.
Today, Pete had some flight time saved up that he needed to use to stay current, so I got to don my headset and tag along. We flew for about an hour, looking over East Texas and checking out the local lakes, "piney woods," and LETU from the air. I even got to fly a bit. I am currently learning to fly straight and level and do turns (with rudder and aileron). It's so much fun being in the cockpit with Pete! He has such a passion and talent for flying and teaching. The Lord is equipping him for great things!

We have another full week ahead of us. Pete will be flying with students (weather permitting) and trudging his way through another week of classes and labs. I will be hosting a UIL Competition on campus tomorrow and a small version of a preview on Friday. It should prove to be a good, productive week for both of us. We are blessed beyond words and grateful for our time at LeTourneau and all the Lord is teaching us in this season.

-Ashley

Let's get it started!

Greetings from Texas!

We're so excited about where the Lord is leading us and can't wait to share each step of our journey with you! Questions about what we're doing? We'll here is the answer.

From early years we've both felt a call to full time missions. In the recent past the Lord has clarified how He wants to use us overseas.

For the past five years, Pete has diligently worked towards his Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument rating, Commercial Pilot License, Multi-Engine rating, and Instructor Certificates (MEI, CFI, & CFII). While not always easy, Pete has remained focused and driven towards what he feels called to do: become a Missionary Pilot. This not only meant that he needed to be a pilot, but also a certified aircraft mechanic with his Airframe and Powerplant Certificate (A&P). As a missionary pilot, Pete will be expected to fly and perform any necessary repairs on the aircraft. Pete is in the process of completing his A&P as he flight instructs to gain hours and experience flying. This keeps him pretty busy, but I get to go on his student's cross-country flights and sit back-seat as he passes on his knowledge!

Ashley graduated from the University of Georgia in 2006 with a bachleors degree in Speech Communication. She now works at LeTourneau University as an admissions counselor where she recruits for the School of Buisness and plans preview events for students who are interested in LeTourneau. Ashley is a great encourager and she keeps me motivated when school becomes overwhelming. In the future Ashley would like to get her masters degree in marriage and family counseling which she intends to use overseas as she works with orphans and local families.

We are currently serving the Lord in Longview, Texas as we continue preparations to serve overseas. For now there is not a specific part of the world which we feel specifically called to. We are excited about the doors that the Lord will open and the work that He will continue in both of us!

Our desire is that above all else, God is glorified through our lives and that His Kingdom is enlarged through the work that He has for us.

We appreciate continued prayers and support as our journey continues.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16