It’s been a busy flying month complemented with plenty of
side projects. It’s also rainy season which made for some interesting flying, especially getting to the airport
on a motorcycle.
Before I could get
any flying done though, I needed a medical exam and bi-annual flight review.
David
Gates, Steve Wilson and I traveled to Lima Peru to get our medicals. Upon
return, Steve gave me a flight review which included low level passes over the runway.
You can see our wives were very excited to see their
husbands up in the air.
Later in the month it was time to repaint the runway tires
that serve as landing visual aids.
After the painting was done, Saray worked on her motorcycle
ridding. Even though she cannot reach the ground, she can manage to get it
going while I balance things out on the back. Once up to speed I jump off and
she rides no problem. Getting the motorcycle to a complete stop is another
story!
We did a lot of flying the past month, with Steve helping me
on several of those flights. Trips were made to Rurre and Guayarra, moving
volunteers and supplies. We flew over 4,300nm in less than 10 days, which
quickly led to a 50hr oil change.
Here is an ariel view of the school in Guayarra.
One of the other projects was moving the Cessna 172 from the
TV studio to our storage container on the runway. The airplane is under repairs
and in pieces. We carefully put the wingless body of the airplane on the back
of a small trailer for transport, Bolivian missionary style!
The Lord has blessed the aviation program this past month in
so many ways. He allowed for us to make all the necessary flights, pay for the
oil change, and make hanger rent. We are very thankful for his goodness to us.
The program is also blessed to now have a printer that also
scans and copies. It has external ink tanks in order to use ink that sells for
a much more affordable Bolivian price. This is a huge step forward in making
flight duties much more efficient. A
generous couple from Argentina donated this much needed piece of equipment. May
the Lord bless your generosity!
As the Lord continues to bless the program here in Bolivia,
we see so much need all around us. While we invest our time and energy in
helping those who need it, we continue to pray for support from those who
cannot invest time but have the resources to help. Reflecting upon a time when I had the
resources, sometimes it was hard to know who to give my offering to. I would
sometimes mark my offering envelope with not much thought. There are so many
projects around the world and so many worthy causes. I would like to direct
your attention to a new blog I have helped my wife create. It points out the
more personal needs of the Bolivian people. www.saraybolivia.blogspot.com If
you are interested, please take a few moments to read it. Though not aviation
related, it is very much part of the life we live here and part of why we are
missionaries in the first place.
The Lord bless,
Herman Gonzalez
Chief
Pilot-Bolivian Low lands
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
011-591-7-738-6139
http://hermanbolivia.blogspot.com
Herman Gonzalez
Gospel
Ministries International
Project
Name: Bolivia Mission Aviation
874 South
McDonald, TN 37353
1 (423)
473-1841 or 1 (423) 473-1842
