Seth Whittington

March 18, 2025

Snow Days?

What do we do when it Snows?

Well, the short answer is … we still show up. The airport is homebase to some essential services such as air ambulance and Missouri State Highway Patrol. For these services to operate we have to clear the essential areas for them to be able to serve the community. As soon as the snow stops the City of Bolivar Street Department will come and clear the areas that will allow the helicopter to get out of its hangar and clean around the fueling system to allow it to get fuel. Mother nature typically does a good job at melting the snow off of the runway, taxiway, and ramp areas as long as the snow depth is less than 4″ or so. This last snow we needed to assist mother nature in the process. We used our tractor front-end loader to clear the large snow drifts around the main building and fuel area. Later the city crew was able to come out with their larger trucks and clear the runway and taxiway. We are really grateful for our partnership with the City of Bolivar which allows us to do ministry through the operations at the Bolivar Airport.

Mission Candidate Update!

As we work throughout the year we have lots of milestones to hit this year. Bailey will be wrapping up his Commercial Certificate soon. Not long after that, we will begin to do some additional training for him so he can get his Flight Instructor rating. Skyler has been flying weekly, but the weather hasn’t been good enough to really focus extra enabling him to prep for solo. Hopefully in the next few weeks, we will be well into more favorable weather for him to complete that milestone. Dustin is in the home stretch of Procedure Trainer lessons that have to be completed before he can get in the cockpit.

Follow our Missionary Candidates and read more about them here!

Prayer Requests for March:

For SOAR: Pray for God to provide workers for our organization.
Personal: Pray for health and renewed strength for our family in this season.
For Mission Candidates: Pray for God to give them direction with big decisions.

Prayer Requests for 2025:

Pray for God’s guidance in all the decisions we face throughout the year.
Pray for spiritual growth and deeper faith for each member of our family.
Pray for God’s provision to meet our ministry’s financial needs.

September 5, 2024January 3, 2025

Summer Wrap Up

As we spend our first summer in Bolivar we are learning new routines and rhythms. The neighborhood we moved into is great. It has been a blessing for Jordis to have friends who live close by and love to ride bikes as much as she does. It’s hard to get her to stay and play in our own yard, she spends more time in the neighbor’s yard.

We are trying to set a new routine of having friends or family over once a week. One of the main reasons we moved closer to our ministry is to be able to build a closer community. Not only with those at SOAR but for more margin to spend time with you guys our fantastic community of partners! If you want to come up for dinner or coffee send us a message and we will make it happen!

New to us Airplane

As we look to the future of evolving technology we want to make sure that our mission candidates are trained on the latest equipment that we have access to. Many aircraft on the mission field are equipped with a full glass avionics suite, instead of individual gauges that display just one piece of information. Through a partnership with LeTourneau University in Texas, we were able to purchase a 2016 Cessna 172. This advanced avionics training aircraft will help our mission candidates be better equipped to transition into aircraft that will be on the mission field. This was SOAR’s largest purchase to date. If you would like to give financially to a special project, we will allocate those funds towards this aircraft. Reach out to us if you would like more details.

EAA Airventure

This year was a special year for us at Airventure. We were able to take Bella along with us. No free rides though, she served in the MASA(Mission Aviation Support Association) tent. This team is a huge blessing to all of the mission aviation groups. They provide daily meals, housing, transportation, and any other needs that may arise during the week. Bella worked in the meal tent for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She loves to serve and we were proud to watch her serve the missionaries throughout the week in this way.

Taking on More Responsibilities and Long Term Planning

Over the past couple of years, Seth and Kerrick have been planning on what the long-term future of SOAR looks like. Seth has been assuming several of the operational responsibilities and learning the foundational tasks that it takes to run the SOAR business. As the skills have developed over the past couple of years more and more emphasis has been placed on Seth’s role in this area. Last month Seth’s official role changed from just Flight to Chief Operating Officer. While the responsibility of the flight department and flight instruction hasn’t changed this positions SOAR for the future generations of SOAR.

Prayer Requests for the September:

1. School and New Friends: As we begin another school year please pray for our girls. We are hoping to narrow down a church and we are praying that they transition well and make new friends.

2. Missionary Candidates: Lift our missionary candidates who are currently undergoing training and preparation for their future service in the mission field. Pray for the ones who have not decided on the organization they are joining.

3. Financial Provision: Join us in prayer for our financial needs at SOAR. Pray that God would provide abundantly, enabling us to meet our monthly budget and move closer to our financial target. Ask for open doors, divine connections, and generous hearts to support our ministry financially.

Prayer Requests for 2024:

1. Global Impact: Pray for an increased impact of our missionary pilots and mechanics in reaching unreached areas with the Gospel. Ask God to open doors for strategic partnerships, favorable relationships with local communities, and effective ministry opportunities. Pray lives would be transformed, and communities would be impacted through our ministry.

2. Spiritual Growth: Please pray for our personal spiritual growth and deepening relationship with God. Pray that we would have a hunger for His Word, a fervent prayer life, and a sensitivity to His leading. Ask for a greater understanding of His will for our lives and the strength to walk in obedience.

3. Wisdom in Decision-making: Seek God’s wisdom on our behalf as we make important decisions personally and professionally. Pray that we would have the discernment to make choices that align with His will and bring glory to His name. Ask for clarity, guidance, and confidence in the path that God has set before us.

March 1, 2023May 11, 2023

Pushing through winter!

Winter Weather

This month has been met with some difficulties with the weather and training. Despite this Seth and Bailey have been pushing toward the goal of getting Bailey to be solo ready. The days that have been clear weather enough to fly, have been extremely windy. Bailey has been working hard, and should be ready to solo by the end of this week. Pray for him and Seth as they push toward this milestone. This is the first big milestone for Bailey, and Seth’s first student to reach solo.

Join us!

In March we are planning to speak at our home church. We would love for you to come and hear as we share a ministry update with our sending church LifePoint. We will be sharing a brief time during the morning services and have to opportunity to share more in-depth during our Night Of Worship in the evening. Be sure to mark your calendars on March 19th and join us.

Ways you can be praying for us & SOAR in 2023

• That God brings clarity and unity and we are able to find direction as a leadership team.
• That Seth is able to get his CFII done this year.
• That God grows and shapes our candidates to be used on the field and that he opens doors for them to be able to serve.

Ways to Give!

Ways you can be praying for us in March:

• That God will continue to provide the remaining partners needed.
• That weather will clear for Bailey to be able to solo.
• That God shows us direction for the next season here at SOAR.

August 19, 2021

EAA Airventure and Partnerships

Worlds Largest Airshow

Dubbed as the worlds greatest aviation celebration. Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture is legitimately the world largest airshow. 600,000 people, 10,000 aircraft ranging from hot air balloons to military jets that ooze the sound of freedom. There is truly something for everyone that enjoy any facet of aviation. With the large concentration of people that love aviation this also gives us the opportunity to reach people that otherwise might not be possible.

We joined other missionary aviation organizations under the IAMA (International Association of Missionary Aviation) tent.

We joined other missionary aviation organizations under one tent to share what God is doing in each of our corners of missionary aviation. This affords us the opportunity to educate those who have no idea about what we do, collaborate with other organizations to pool our resources and ideas to further the Kingdom. It also allows us talk to prospective mission candidates about our program. It was a fruitful week for us personally and as an organization. Deb and I were encouraged by others that have been in our same shoes, and we were able to encourage others with the skills and ideas that we have. We gained a true understanding of the community of mission aviators and how powerful a team of people can be with a unified focus. The relationship building that Deb and I personally experienced with others from different organizations was the best part for us.

During the week MASA (Missionary Aviation Support Association) fed us and provided housing for all of the mission aviation organizations. We are so grateful for the hands that cared for us so well that week.

Ten days away from home and our girls was a long time, both for them and us. We are thankful to the grandparents that took on the girls while we were gone. We are thankful to the Host home that housed us for ten days. God truly provided for us during this trip.

This is our group from SOAR. We had a great time sharing what God is doing with our organization and listening to what God is doing around the world and how we can be a part of that work.

If you plan on going to AirVenture next year let’s connect, I would love to arrange a time for us to meet up.

Personal

This year we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. We were thankful to be able to get away and enjoy some time together as a family. This gave us the opportunity to be able to re-connect as a family without the influence of media and all that is going on. We spent lots of time hiking and enjoying the beauty and creation that God has blessed us with. We came back recharged and ready to hit the ground running doing the work that God has given us the opportunity to do.

What is God Teaching us

Patience. Now patience isn’t some that I particularly care for or even strive for. In my mind I would have already completed my instrument rating, and be well on my way to building hours for my commercial certificate and flight instructor ratings. While I have made great progress on my instrument rating, it has been taking longer than anticipated. The timeline for completing my instrument rating is looking like fall at this point, around Thanksgiving. This will position me to have my commercial and instructor ratings completed Summer of 2022. This is only possible because of the support you all have given and belief in our vision and calling that God has given us.

I want to continue to extent to offer for anyone to come up to Bolivar and tour SOAR. If it works out we could possibly get up in the air. We are proud of the work we are doing up here and enjoy to opportunity to show that in person.

Ways you can be praying for us:

• That God will continue to provide the remaining partners needed.
• That Seth be able to manage his time and all the tasks that he has at SOAR efficiently.
• That we will always be quick to give God all the glory for the work he is doing.

January 8, 2021February 12, 2021

New Beginnings… again?

New Work space and Pace

Change is always hard right? Change always seems to come with a certain level of uneasiness. This can be for many reasons but I believe for me (Seth) it always boils down to the unknown, and this unknown causes uneasiness. As I closed the chapter of working my job for Control Service Company, there were still certain number of unknowns, and if I’m truly being honest that came with that uneasiness. This is the first time in eight years that I haven’t driven home a company vehicle, as I looked out in the driveway it was odd not seeing one parked there. This is the first time that I am putting away my tool bag and grabbing my flight bag. This is the first time that I will have the opportunity to work beside my wife doing what we both love, while equipping the students for the field. While there are still many unknowns in our new role in God’s Kingdom, everything is known to him. The challenge is to rest in God’s knowing even though it is our unknown.

What did 2020 Teach you about God?

2020 was a year to remember for sure. We began the year confident in what God had planned for us. 2020 started out with God showing us to learn to trust in him and his provision. We sold our house in downtown Springfield, Mo, it was him who provided a buyer. We needed a place to live and rent that was centrally located for all our new obligations, he provided a home that was exactly the size and location we needed. We needed the training to tell our story and advice on how to build partnerships, he provided the education and friends who were willing to help us. We discovered that we were partnering with him in what he is doing to develop partnerships, prayer, and finances, to launch into ministry full time, he provided. The list could go on. Deb and I were in awe that we could have developed enough partnerships to launch into full-time ministry in less than a year, as we talked about this we determined that we really shouldn’t be in awe, because we could have never done this within our own strength. Only God could have provided. We serve a sovereign God! A pandemic, political unrest, or any other thing that is out of our human control isn’t out of His control. Ask yourself this question, “How did God provide for me in 2020?”. Then when you get that, share it with us as we would love to come alongside you in praising him for the blessing in your life during 2020.

Praising God:

• He made a way for us to begin work in January 2021!

Ways you can be praying for us:

• That God will continue to provide the remaining partners needed.
• That the girls transition into their new schedules effortlessly.
• That the transition into our new jobs goes smoothly and we are able to clearly see the direction that SOAR needs to be heading.