Fwd: Lewis update

Dear Family and Friends,

We are happy to greet you once again and pray that this letter finds you well.  We are doing very well, Praise the Lord! We've gained a few extra things and a few extra pounds we will hopefully be looking to get rid of this summer as we are closer to going to PNG! The last couple of weeks and days have brought about some big changes for us. Change is usually not all good, neither is it all bad.  It's amazing when we look back and see how the Lord works in our lives and never leaves us or forsakes us.  We are eager to see what he has in store for us next. 

We were so blessed while working with GMI and are so grateful for your support.  Our desire to go to PNG began to grow in our hearts while we were still in Guyana.  When we left there we joined Hope on Wings in order to follow that growing desire. With them we gained many contacts with the people there, we got the offer to come fly there and the use of an airstrip when we get there but we still needed airplane maintenance and mechanic support. So we joined Adventist World Aviation (AWA) knowing that they would be able to provide the needed support. 

We have been working with AWA for about 8 months now but, due to a variety of issues, we have decided to look for another organization to work with. One of the items was that AWA insisted on a 6 year commitment and at this stage in our lives considering the age and health of our parents we are not sure we could complete it.  We will miss the maintenance help but we are confident God will provide.  He has already sent us a mechanic that is very interested in moving to Papua New Guinea (PNG) with us!  Another item is that AWA is not ready to go to PNG for 2-3 years yet.  Since we have felt very strongly for a long time that PNG is where God is calling us and time is of the essence, we are greatly determined to answer that call.

Changing to Mission Projects Inc. (MPI) allows us to get back on track and go to PNG now.  MPI will also allow us to have more funds for the project as the administration fees are 2% and are a small fraction of what we have been charged thru AWA..  We want the donor money to go as directed to the project and to go as far as possible. We have seen over and over how God takes donations and multiplies them like He did the 2 fish and 5 loaves.  We strive to manage the money in every way to honor Him. This change also allows us to remain in control of the airplane--how it is used and where. You, our donors,  have entrusted us to get the plane ready for service, and we are humbled at how you have met the needs and we want to make sure it is used as you intended.

We don't always understand the paths the Lord leads us down, and sometimes we divert and the Lord has to bring us back.  Our goal is to continue to follow Him and "He shall direct our path".  We are happy to once again be focused on PNG where our burden lies. 

Thank you again for your loyal support and encouragement. We would like to be sending stories from PNG by summer if all goes well.  We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause you. We feel the pros out weight the cons and are trusting God as we move forward to work in His vineyard.

The new address for donations is:

Mission Projects Inc.

P.O. Box 504

College Place, WA 99324

Checks should be made out to Mission Projects Inc.

Please include note stating; Lewis Project.  For credit card or pay pal you can go online to www.missionprojectsinc.org and go to donation area, or you can call Susan at 509-529-2378.

Thank you and may God continue to bless you,

Gary and Toni Lewis

 

 

Philippine trip

 

SDA hospital

village home

underground river

SDA church near airbase

school

It has been awhile since we have written, not because there is nothing to write, but we have been busy as things are finally starting to take shape.  

Gary went for a two week survey trip to the Philippines and just got back last week. With the 15 hour difference in time, it has taken a bit to readjust.  The director of operations for AWA (Adventist World Aviation) went and so did David Brain who is planning to move over there with his family later this year, to work with us. The three of us went there to see what the possibilities might be and what the needs are.  We also checked out the AWA plane that was bent there two years ago, and tried to determine if it was worth repairing or just use it for parts.  

We hiked, three and a half hours out to a mission outpost in the mountains operated by Kent & Leonda George and had a nice weekend with them. 

The Philippines has about 7000 islands and many don't have any regular connection or transportation to the rest of the country.  We can help to reach some of these islands with the plane and bring in supplies, health workers and missionaries. AWA already has property there and has started an airbase, but the airstrip is not finished, there is no hanger, it needs a well, and electricity hooked up.  We also need to build a house for us to live in.  We would basically be starting from the bottom up. There will be lots of challenges there getting the base and operation going.  Maybe this is practice for Papua New Guinea, if the doors ever open for us to go there.   If not, looks like we could be busy in the Philippines for as long as we wish.  At least it is not nearly as primitive there, as where we had planned to base in PNG. 

As you may remember in our last email, we told you about our friend John Lello getting killed . Attached is a link to the testimony his wife gave at his funeral.  She puts out the challenge for someone to go and continue the work that she and John started.  It is a powerful testimony, I hope you will take the time to watch it.

We are now focusing on getting the logistics worked out to get the plane and supplies shipped to the island of Palawan in the Philippines. We hope to go as soon as possible.  We are excited to finally reach the stage of getting things wrapped up to go.  There is a lot to work out yet, and some big expenses, but our God is big enough to provide as He sees best.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support--despite the delays,  God is still moving us forward.  Your continued support has meant so much.  It has all gone to the project, as Toni's work has provided for our personal needs.  We are still short some funds, but we know it will come in on time.

Pam Lello's testimony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHonYFSQB-A&feature=youtu.be

Fwd: Christmas 2012

              Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

                        Love, Gary & Toni Lewis

 

Detour Ahead!

I'm sure that most of you who have done much driving have come across "detour ahead" signs. You have to divert and leave your planned route in order to reach your destination. Sometimes the detours are short and sometimes they go a ways out of the way and take awhile before you get back to your original path. Remember the story of Caleb and Joshua and the 10 spies.  Caleb and Joshua were ready to enter the promised land but the others lacked faith, so the children of Israel had to detour for many more years in the wilderness before reaching their goal.

We have been planning and preparing to go to Papua New Guinea (PNG), where we feel strongly that the Lord has been calling us. Many obstacles have been overcome and many doors have been opened. However there are some that have arisen now that seem to make it impossible for us to get there anytime soon.  Because of this and our strong desire to get back out to the "bush" we have been offered the opportunity to go to the Philippines until the doors open for us in PNG. 

Adventist World Aviation (AWA) has an unfinished airbase there, that currently has no pilot or plane in operation. Gary is going over there with an AWA officer next month to see what needs to be done and how to pack for deployment.  The needs are great there too, with thousands of islands that have many unreached people.  We hope to begin flights to many of these remote tribes with medical help and the story of Jesus. AWA has another family and plane that are planing to go there in a couple of years, but we would be trying to get things started now so that things are up and running when they get there and then hopefully by then we can hop on over to Papua. 

The Philippine project presents many challenges too, but with God as our Leader and Pilot, all things are possible. The airbase is on the island of Palawan and needs to be completed so that it is useful in serving the needs of the project there.

For those of you thinking of or looking for a place to spend some time in the mission field, (short visit or longer) the cost to get to the Philippines is quite a bit cheaper than going to PNG.  We always welcome missionaries.

The airplane is operating well and is a joy to fly. The cost of getting the plane and ourselves deployed to the Philippines is no small sum, but our God has proved to us many times that He is able to meet our needs for the task He gives us. He is Faithful!.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support,

Tragedy in the Jungle

It is with a heavy heart and much sadness that we write this update for you. Last Monday, Nov 26 our former student, good friend, and fellow missionary, John Lello, was killed while cutting trees in Papua New Guinea.  He was 46 and leaves a lovely wife Pam, and two young daughters. There were working as volunteers in PNG since March of this year trying to help a remote village in the Sepik Delta of PNG.  If you will look back on our blog site to a post (an email we sent out) in Sept. you will see a copy of a letter John sent us asking us to come to PNG quickly as there is so much work to do and so great a need. Two weeks ago, while I was in Idaho picking up the airplane, I received a phone call from John via his sat. phone in the bush asking us to please come quickly and he was trying to help get things lined up for us on that end so it would be easier for us to get the necessary permissions and support. He was doing his best to help make if possible for us to come.  He said it would be such a huge blessing if we would take our little plane and make a circuit to as many of the remote villages as possible, to do medical clinics on a regular basis. These are villages that very rarely, if ever, see a health worker of any kind.  Toni is very excited about being involved in this. John was hoping to help with this as well, and also to tend to spiritual needs of the villages.  Now he is resting until the Lord calls him forth on the resurrection morning. Why his life ended so soon, after being there such a short time, we will have to wait until heaven to find out. We are looking forward to seeing John in heaven and being able to fly with him there. Pam and the girls will be returning to the USA after they complete saying their good byes this week.  Our hearts and prayers go out to them during this painful time.

John and his family came to do a water system project in a remote village (Paruima) in Guyana while we were there. They stayed at our house upon arrival and when they departed.  I got to fly them in and out, and flew in many of the supplies that they needed to put in the water system.  The whole family was involved and in the evenings after dark, John would give Bible studies to those who were interested.  This is a true volunteer missionary family.  The price of missions can be very high, but the reward that is awaiting the faithful, is out of this world!  Rest in peace my brother John.

www.forevermissed.com/johnlello/#about  Here is the url for more info on John's death.