Thursday, February 18, 2010

Kodiak in Haiti

Pictured above are two Quest Kodiaks at work in Haiti relief efforts, the one on the left belonging to Samaritan's Purse and the other to MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). What excites me about this photograph is that it represents a tangible expression of Jesus' prayer in John 17:23, "May [those who believe] be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me." (NIV) Seeing the teamwork and unity within the body of Christ that makes pictures like this reality is so encouraging. It's a team effort. We all have our part to play in the work of Christ. From the assembly line workers at Quest, to the crew training staff, to the crew themselves, to name a few, a lot of people were heavily involved in the makings of this scene. It's also exciting to see these two particular aircraft being utilized in this manner as I have a brief history with both of them. I was privileged to help with the production of these aircraft as they rolled down the assembly line at the Quest facilities when I worked there part-time while still at Moody Aviation. Since beginning my instructor intern position at STC (Spokane Turbine Center), almost all of the MAF Kodiak pilots have received their training through STC. Although we didn't train the Samaritan's Purse crew, one of our instructors delivered their Kodiak from Idaho to their headquarters in North Carolina, allowing it to be ready for a quick dispatch to Haiti shortly after the quake. It's pictures (and their stories) like these that we as Christ's disciples have the privilege of participating in. May we continue to show the world the love of Christ as manifest in our brotherly love for each other.