Counting the Cost

    A fellow classmate shared the following story on his family's blog and it cut me to the heart. I wanted to share this story as well, not to bring glory to Phil or our classmate that lived this story but to show the kind of heart that I desire to have, "that there is nothing more important than following Jesus". I hope that I can encourage those that read this to also place Jesus in such a place in your heart.

Greg

Imagine this scenario… 


    A young family walks into a pawn shop. While mom and dad engage in conversation with the shop owners, the older son peruses trinkets while the younger son stays close to his parents. As they slip off their wedding rings and exchange them for cash, the younger son begins to cry. His tall boisterous father kneels down to make eye contact with his son and asks what is the matter. Through bitter sobs the boy says, “You and mommy are taking off your wedding rings and I want you and mommy to always be married. Does this mean that you and mommy are not married?” 


    The father stills and pulls the boy into his arms and gently rocks him. He whispers into his ear, “My son, your mommy and I will always be married. Our rings are only an expression of the vows that we have made in our heart. Our vows will never change or go away. Today, mommy and daddy sold our rings so we could follow Jesus and move to America to be trained as missionaries. This is our moment and, though it is sad to sell our rings, there is nothing more important than following Jesus. So we give up everything to follow Him, even if that means giving up something that we care a lot about. But, mommy and daddy will always be married.” 


    He hugs the boy again and wipes the tears from his cheeks. “Do you understand?” 


   “Yes Papa, I understand,” replies the son. 
________________________________________________________________ 


    This is the story of one of my classmates at SMAT. He and his bride sold not only their wedding rings but much more because they consider the call to missions a privilege and an honor. They consider the Gospel the greatest treasure on earth. 


    It is humbling to see the sacrifices of others for the sake of the Gospel. It is an encouragement and a blessing to rub shoulders with men and women who’s focus is on Christ alone. We know that we will be called to sacrifice as we pursue God’s calling for our lives, but it is nothing compared to the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf. 


    May you be encouraged and spurred on by the testimony of our friends, and may you know that knowing Christ is the greatest treasure in the entire world. 


Phil Vana

Halfway Point

     I could hardly believe it when Greg brought it to my attention that we are now halfway through our time here in Michigan and for Greg's course. Which means in a few more months I have to start thinking of packing again and preparing to move again. This time around should be so much more fun to pack with my mother close by as she is great a packing a huge amount of things into a box or suitcase. Our household has been extremely busy over these past weeks as we have found ourselves involved with many different ministry's, school projects, and extra challenges.  Greg has been enjoying his bible studies with different men from school and now he is preparing to lead our adult Sunday school class at church for a few weeks.  He even had the privilege of leading the Wednesday night study last week for our church.  I am so proud of how Greg has willing followed God's leading as he has stepped into these roles which have nothing to do with airplanes.  Sometimes I think that going to school is the easier part of Greg's day as God has been asking him to step out of his comfort zone and do different things.  A few weeks ago I started hosting the ladies bible study in our own home and I really enjoy having all the ladies over as we fellowship together and learn more about Him.  Of course I think that Franklin enjoys having the study here more then me because that means he doesn't have to start school until after lunch time!  And last week we had a special visitor from Alberta (our brother-in-law) who was in the area for training was able to come for the weekend and catch up.  I love Isaac's reaction when we told him who was here.  He said, "what in the world is he doing all the way over here for?"  It was a great visit and Greg was even able to take him flying so he really got a good look around.  The children were even able to send a message on video back to grandma and grandpa through their uncle.  All the children are doing great and it seems like their favorite thing to do lately is EAT!!  We just went through a few weeks of all three of the children going through growth spurts at the same time and they ate us out of house and home.  Thank you for all your prayers and support as we continue to serve here in Michigan.

 Look what Greg found in Michigan!

                                                   

Taste almost like home!

                                                         

Welcome to Michigan Andy!

                                                       

Franklin hard at work doing his school.

                                               

Practicing up for when the snow gets here, do they get snow in Michigan?

                                             

Mechanics

Some may wonder why is the mechanic's license is require?  Which is a fair question.  Well some might think it is so I can fix things in the jungle when the plane breaks.  Which is somewhat true but it is rare for this to happen as aircraft used in mission type work like we will be involved with tend to be maintained at a higher level than other general aviation (GA) aircraft.  And for good reason, as we are operating these aircraft in harsher environment than the typical GA aircraft of North America.  So if fixing the airplane on a remote jungle strip is not the main purpose of getting this training what is it?  There are a few reasons and yes one of them is the above situation it's just not the main reason as I have come to understand.  Most mission aviation bases have limited resources and for efficiency proposes by allowing programs to run with fewer maintenance specialists on staff.  If the pilots are able and qualified to pitch in with the basic routine maintenance tasks not only in the physical aspect of doing the work itself but also being able to do the paperwork as well.  This frees the maintenance specialist to focus on the larger projects and the more serious repair work.  This skill also increases our skills as a pilot in the way that we have a more intimate working knowledge of our aircraft making us more proficient in it's operation and dealing with emergencies.

In a nut shell this training will allow me to be apart of a more efficient team on the field as well as a better rounded pilot as to what I would be if I was heading to the field with just a pilot's license in toe.

Snow Day?

I'm not in Canada anymore!  It's 37 F (3 C) outsides with some fog and mist which calls for school closures?  I braved the trip into school, well not really I was already there before I was informed of the closure.  Isaac however did get the day off and was prompt in rubbing it in as he sent me a couple emails throughout the day telling me what he was doing on his day off. This affords me some extra time this morning to share some of the things that God is working on in my life I guess.

Since acquiring the title of missionary, reading has become a little more important in my life, not that it wasn't important before.  Anyway I have just recently finished reading Don't Waste your Life by John Piper.  And yes I have been working through this small book for the almost a year now (I'm a slow reader unlike my wife).  I'd also would highly recommend others to read this as well.  One of the main points that I pickup on was where are my priorities or treasures?  Questions like where am I spending my time, money, gifts & talents?  Really these questions should be asked where am I spending God's time, money, gifts & talents that have been in-trusted into my care?  As I work through questions like these I'm realizing that there are some real lifestyle implications.  Thankfully the Lord is gracious as we seek Him more as we work through these lifestyle changes to bring more glory to our Awesome Creator.

Finishing off one book I have now moved on to a new one.  One in fact that was an assignment of sorts that I was given by the CBP Officer that processed our paperwork when crossing into the US last summer.  The book is titled Like a Mighty Wind by Mel Tari with Cliff Dudley.  I've only made it to chapter 3 and already really enjoying the book.  So far the book has been an account of Mel experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in very real and physical way.  An experience similar to the one you can find in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the book, it is also written more in a reading level that I can handle with my limited reading skills.  So hopefully I can finish this one a little sooner than my last read :).

Looking Forward To A New Year

For me I think one of my favorite days of the year is New Year's day.  I love looking back over the past year and remembering everything that God has done for me and for my family.  Sometimes when I am in the middle of a busy week I get so wrapped up with daily life that I forget all of the blessings that God has been sending to me.  So I love spending a day thinking about what God did for me over the past year.  And I will admit that I am amazed every year at how faithful and loving our God really is.  Then after spending sometime reflecting on the past there is this excitement that starts building inside of me as I start to wonder about what God has planned for myself and for our family in this up and coming year.  I wanted to share with you some of my most favorite moments of last year and what our family looks forward to in this new year.

Blessing of 2011

*  I would have to say that the biggest blessing and learning time for me this year was really learning to understand the word faithfulness and how our God is a FAITHFUL God. There have been so many moments that God has asked/pulled/or nudged me about a matter and I would just have to let go and rely on His strength and faithfulness that I have lost count. And through it all there has not been one time that God left me alone and go back on ANY of His promises.

*  Our wonderful family/friends/supporters are totally AMAZING and  a true BLESSING to us.  There is not a  single day that we could be doing what we are doing without YOU and your amazing support.  Thank you for sending us encouraging emails or facebook notes and amazing cards.  We have also been wonderfully taken care of, whenever a need has arisen someone has been there to help meet that need.  I feel truly blessed to have gotten to know you all and spend time in your homes, or reading your letters, and sharing in your Churches.  Thank you for all your support and being apart of showing us God's faithfulness.

*  Through this year it has been a huge blessing to witness my husband and children grow and watch how God has been molding them as we prepare to serve overseas.  I have stood back in awe of Greg as he has not only learned to present the ministry of MAF but has learned to prepare and give sermons, led men's bible studies, live out of suitcases, and return to being a student.  God has truly blessed me with a husband who has a deep passion for following God leading. And I am always amazed how God has allowed are children to keep rolling with the every changing pace of our life.  You guys are a true blessing and I love you!

Looking into 2012


*  I (Julie) am looking forward to becoming more involved in our church here in Michigan with leading a ladies bible study and possibly doing some more work with the children at our Church.

*  One exciting event that we are looking forward to in August is Greg completing is course at SMAT and receiving his mechanic licence.  He has greatly enjoyed his time at school and is making some great friends.

*  Our family will be preparing another move this year as we will be leaving Michigan and heading to MAF's US office in Nampa, Idaho for are last round of training before leaving.  If all the required support is in, shortly after our time in Idaho then we will be heading for language school in Indonesia.

*  As well looking at past years I'm sure that God has numerous special moments ahead for our lives that will bring us hope, encouragement, and push us to seek Him more.

Time With Julie

I now that we have been posting a lot of blogs about what Greg has been doing at school and on the children so this time we wanted to share with you what Julie has being doing through out her days and some special moments since we arrived in Michigan!

What Julie Has Been Doing
Thankfully, my day doesn't start as early as Greg's or I would be in serious trouble because I am NOT a morning person.  So on school days I have to be up around 6:30 a.m. to start the morning ritual of trying to get the children up for school and to the bus on time.  I am happy to say that we have not missed the bus yet however, there has been two different times that the kids have had to run since the bus is waiting for them. Then comes my most favorite time of the day as I get to sit down with Franklin at the kitchen table and do school with him.  I love this one on one time with just him and helping his mind grow and learn new things.  One of our favorite things to do is on Wednesday's when we have the truck Franklin and I head to the library.  This library has two computers that are set up for children to use so of course my computer child makes a bee line for one.  There are also lots of comic books which are great for Franklin as he has a hard time with just reading so if he has lots of pictures to go along with the reading it works great for him. After we are done with his school then comes the fun time of doing normal things like tackling the dishes, picking up the toys that I have been stepping on, finding something for supper, and sneaking in some fun time by doing a little reading myself.  Another fun part of my day is keeping in contact with all of our friends and supporters.  I love answering emails (however depending on the day it may take me a while to answer), writing thank you cards, or setting up meetings with churches or friends to share with about MAF.  Since we are still trying to finish raising our support we try to spend our weekends out meeting new people, sharing at Churches, and catching up with family that we haven't seen in awhile. Then on Thursdays comes a pause from school work as I have joined a ladies bible study that I am greatly enjoying.  We are doing a Beth Moore study that I have already done so I am enjoying seeing how much God has been changing me through these past years.  I remember the first time I did this study and I thought that I couldn't possible do what she was saying but it is really amazing what God can do when you let go and really let Him lead.

Julie's Special Moments and Blessings We Have Received


At the beginning of this month our family was able to attend a Granger Family Christmas party for only the second time in thirteen years.  I was able to visit with my cousins and for a few of them get to meet spouses that I really have not met before.  Then came the fun of trying to figure out which little child belong to which of my cousins as they all ran around playing with each other.  I will admit that I was wrong most of the time on who belonged with who.  It was a great time of sharing as a lot of them had questions about our work with MAF.

A few weeks ago I was able to attend a church basketball game with Isaac and Franklin that my father was playing in.  It was the children's first time cheer for their grandpa and let me tell you those boys know how to cheer loudly.  My dad said later that it was really neat and strange to have his grand kids cheer so loudly for him.  At the game I had a wonderful surprise of running into people who I knew my last year of high school from church.  It was fun to see them and be able to share with them what I have been up to these past thirteen years.

Last weekend I had a blast directing the children's program for our Church.  It was a last minute idea so I will admit that there was a lot of stress involved with it but just so much fun.  This was a great time for me as I was able to get to know the children better and I was able to help in an area that I love working in.

A HUGE blessing that we received as a family came from a Church that we have never even meat before but has been involved with SMAT for a while.  They take all the families in Greg's school and basically adopts them for Christmas every year.  The bought all the children new coats, snow pants, and boots a month and a half ago.  Then they brought presents over for all the children and not just one gift but everyone of them had a least four packages to open.  Talk about some really excited children that night!  However, they didn't stop with that as they carried in bags and bags of food into the house.  It cover every counter in our kitchen and we had to put some on the floor.  And this Church did it for every family that attended school with Greg!  Talk about an amazing outreach!  We are extremely gratefully for them and want to thank them for all that they have done for us!

Trust that your Christmas was filled with the wonderful blessings from our Lord.
Blessings
The Dole family.

Welding, Flying, Airframe Electrical & Fabric Pics

I thought we were due for somemore pictures of what I have been doing these past few weeks at school.  We have just finished up welding, and airframe electrical, and will be finishing fabric at the end of next week.

Learning how to gas weld.

A lake between Ionia & Greenville.

Ionia at dusk.

Back side of our groups electrical project early on.

Front side of our groups electrical project early on.

Project all wired up.

Showing it off to the rest of the class

Aileron before.

Aileron's insides

Making repairs to the ribs.

Ready for fabric.

Ready for the iron to tighten it up.

First coat of Poly-Brush many yet to go.

After a couple coats of Poly-Spray which is for UV protection.

First coat of Poly-Tone for color.

Masking our registration letters Canadian style.

Waiting for the paint to dry.

All finished