Finishing the Fear of Flying
For 25 years I would not set foot on an airplane! Shortly after Julie and I were married in 1972 we were in a small airplane piloted by a missionary who flew supplies into the jungles of Guatemala. As we approached the airstrip for landing, this missionary pilot told us, “Now I’ll show you how I land in the jungles of Guatemala.” Because the runways in the jungle are cut into the forest, they are short. We nose-dived to the earth. Julie thought it was great fun. “Whee” she exclaimed. I was on the floor of the plane, eyes closed, heart racing, and petrified! There were many opportunities for ministry, travel and business that I passed up because I could not bring myself to step back on an airplane. Somehow I knew that God wanted me to minister in India as well as other places. I asked my friends to pray. I asked my pastor to pray. I thought my first flight in 25 years might be a short one, say from St. Louis to Kansas city, about 30 minutes. Instead, in 1997, Julie and I flew nonstop from Memphis to Amsterdam, about 10 hours! We took off from Memphis at night, Julie sitting next to the window, commenting, “Aren’t the lights of Memphis beautiful at night?” I peeked briefly and turned back to what I was reading. But the flight wasn’t bad. And I began to have victory over the fear of flying. Since that time, in addition to several trips for visiting relatives and tourism, I have been blessed to participate in the following mission trips:
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