Camp Adventchur, Alton Bay, New Hampshire, 2004
by Rebekah

God has led me through experiences and desires to serve Him as an aviator. The second semester of my senior year in high school, God opened my eyes to the field of aviation. I had always liked airplanes and thought that they were fascinating; however, I never thought that I could have a career in that field. God works in miraculous ways. He instilled a desire in my heart to serve His Kingdom through being a pilot. It has always been a dream of mine since my senior year to be a missionary pilot. I live near Camp Pendleton, so there are helicopters and all sorts of military airplanes flying over my house all the time. I have always thought that it would be so cool if I could be the one flying those aircraft. Whenever I would hear the noise of an airplane approaching my house, I would run outside and watch it fly over. I love airplane noise! God kept increasing this desire and the reality of being a pilot was coming into view. My parents thought that it would be a good idea to send me to a camp where I could get some experience. They wanted to discover if God was really leading me into the area of aviation and if I would really like it or not.

My mother researched on the Internet for a camp and found Brigade Air. Most of the camps were already filled up, but there was one in New Hampshire that was starting in a couple of days. God opened up the doors and I was able to go to that camp. My parents got me a ticket and I was on my way from California to New Hampshire. It was my first time being alone on a flight.

God used Brigade Air to encourage me to stay on the path of aviation. The camp took place in Alton Bay and was directed by Sean Donnelly. This camp enabled me to get a grasp of what being a pilot was really like with an emphasis on missions. I was able to fully understand why an airplane stays airborne and the make up of an airplane through the ground schooling that was provided by retired volunteer missionary pilots. It was a privilege to listen to the thrilling stories about what the pilots had been through. Once we understood the basics of the ground schooling, Sean Donnelly, another missionary pilot, took us in the air in a Cessna 172. It was so exciting to apply what we had just learned and to be able to understand what was occurring while we were flying. We flew over Lake Winnipesauke, which was beautiful. We were able to fly every day of the week, except one. To compensate for that day we flew an expensive flight simulator. I became more and more excited as the week went on. By the end I was ready to become a missionary pilot. I really felt that God wanted me to do this. All the little details about airplanes and all the aspects of being a pilot enraptured me. I knew that being a pilot was made for me.

From the reassurance that God gave me at Brigade Air Camp, I am now going to be attending Christian Heritage College (CHC) located in El Cajon, CA, this fall, majoring in aviation. I will receive my private and commercial licenses, instrument ratings, and my CFI within the four years that I will be attending there. God led me to attend William Carey International University this school year. I went through the one-year Bible program called INSIGHT, which has helped me to grow leaps and bounds in my walk with God. He has been preparing and molding my heart for attending CHC. I am very excited to know that God wants me to be a missionary pilot for Him.

My favorite aspect of the camp was when I was able, with my own hands, to fly the airplane. Sean Donnelly really wanted us to completely understand what it takes to fly an airplane. He was generous enough to let us take control of the yoke and direct the airplane. It was so exhilarating to place my hands on that yoke and steer the aircraft in numerous directions. I was able to feel the power of the airplane and almost get under the skin of the machine. It was so much fun flying through the clouds, over the lake, and over the camp. It is interesting to see the little world that humans live in from above. That perspective is so amazing. I also was able to taxi on the runway, which was hilarious, and take off all under the provision of Sean Donnelly, of course. Taxiing on the runway was funny because I had never touched the pedals that control the rudders of an airplane before. I did not know what I was doing. It was hard to find the balance of putting equal pressure on both of the rudder pedals in order to go straight. I was going in a zig zag motion on the runway, which must have looked puzzling to a spectator. Despite my ignorance, it was good to get a feeling for what flying an airplane should look like. My experiences at this camp were so good; I had a ball. God blessed this time and instilled a love for flying airplanes in my heart.