AirVenture – Seth and Deb Whittington

It’s that time of year again – July brings the excitement of EAA AirVenture in OshKosh, WI. As in previous years, we are excited to attend AirVenture to share the mission of SOAR and the significance of Mission Aviation as a whole. This year, our presence at the air show will be even stronger, with more of our staff and candidates joining us to create connections with other missionary organizations. Our primary goal is to foster relationships and partnerships within the mission aviation community. Additionally, we believe that God can use this event to intersect our path with individuals who have a calling for mission aviation and may consider joining SOAR. While the show itself is filled with fun and excitement, it also demands long days and continuous conversations. Please pray that God would use this event to open doors and create meaningful discussions for our current mission candidates, as well as for sharing the Gospel with those who have yet to know Jesus.

Stay connected with us throughout the week by following us on social media. If you’re planning to attend AirVenture, we would be thrilled to connect with you. Feel free to message us and let us know when you’ll be there so we can arrange a meet-up. We would love the opportunity to connect with our partners.

Taking it to the next level.

Since January of this year, Deb has been involved in coaching our mission candidates in Partnership Development. This area of readiness has been in her heart since the day we joined SOAR. We understand that without dedicated partners in prayer and financial support, serving on the mission field can be exceptionally challenging. Building a strong partnership team is no easy task, and while Deb has been using her skills effectively, we believe that additional training is needed to elevate this area within SOAR. Your prayers are crucial as we discern the best approach for enhancing our partnership development efforts. It may entail considering opportunities for Deb to attend classes during the busy fall or spring seasons, which will require time away from our family. We are committed to advancing mission aviation and equipping our mission candidates to make a lasting impact in unreached areas of the world. Your continued prayers and encouragement are appreciated as we strive to grow and serve.

Prayer Requests for the July:

1. AirVenture: Please pray for our leadership team as they travel to Osk Kosh, WI. Pray that our conversations with sending organizations are productive and move SOAR forward in the mission he has called us to.

2. Missionary Candidates: Lift up 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. Pray that this time at AirVenture creates clarity and direction for them.

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 2023:

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.

Summer to Fall

Wow, We feel like we have been running at 100 MPH since the Spring. This spring we gave ourselves a deadline for Seth’s training and that meant that we have used our extra focus on that since then. That doesn’t mean we have slowed down in other areas it just means pulling up our bootstraps and doing our regular jobs along with allowing for time for training. It’s been hard but well worth the effort.

EAA Airventure 2022 was a success. We met with lots of other organizations, shared what SOAR is doing with a local group, served in our booth, and got to see some pretty cool things. We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve SOAR in this way.

During the summer we participated in Oshkosh EAA Airventure. This was our second year attending and it proved to be a great week of engagement with other organizations. This is always one of our priorities when we go.

In the fall we started another year of school. This marks our 9th year of homeschooling. Bella began 8th grade and Jordis began Pre-K. We also added volleyball to our school schedule, it’s been such a joy to watch Bell learn and grow in something she enjoys

In October we spent an evening at the Ethnos360 training center in Camdenton, Mo. It was such a great night of fun and fellowship. We were thankful for the opportunity to see their facility and to get to know these missionary pilots who are being trained to be sent. The partnership between SOAR and Ethnos360 will help us to be able to send more missionaries to the field.

Cookout time at the Ethnos360 training center in Camdenton, MO

Lastly, we have been serving with the youth and production teams at LifePoint. We have been doing this for several years and we love serving in this way. Students always challenge us to grow in our faith. Worship production gives us an opportunity to use our talents and skills in unique ways.

This summer and fall have been extra busy with events. We have loved this season of serving with the youth.

Big news and Transitions

It’s official! Seth has completed his CFI certification. We will fully admit we were not sure if we would make this deadline. The instructor we were using pushed hard and we are so thankful for that. We are also grateful for each instructor who poured into Seth. Without them, this could not have happened. We genuinely believe that each of them was brought to us at just the right time. Each one contributed to his training in a way that we believe will benefit SOAR in the long run. All of it for God’s glory and mission.

Greg and Micki Shetterly have been such a huge blessing to us and to SOAR this year. Micki is an experienced flight instructor and Greg is a flight examiner. Both have been pushing Seth to not only complete his training but to also go above and beyond so that SOAR can be a good steward of the candidates that God brings to us.

This month Seth will begin training his first missionary candidate, Bailey! We feel such a sigh of relief and excitement and we begin serving in a different capacity at SOAR. Seth’s roles that will continue are safety, some airport/city management, and now adding flight instruction. Right now he is tasked with the big job of organizing the fight curriculum. Thankfully he won’t be doing this alone. The group of instructors that have been so vital in getting him to his goal are also going to be involved in getting the curriculum organized. We are ready for this new challenge and ready to see how God uses us in this new season. The last transition will be one more rating. The next goal is CFII. This will be during the same time he begins training Bailey. This one is not as time sensitive so we are hoping to have a bit of reprieve while we focus on other goals personally.

Bailey George has been with SOAR since the spring. He will be Seth’s first student as we work toward training Missionary Aviators.

Partnership Focus

As we wrap up this last goal of getting Seth’s ratings done we are now shifting our focus to getting new partners. This will be a lifelong journey as we continue to work at SOAR. We need YOUR help. If you know of someone who might be interested in our story or what we are doing at SOAR please let us know. You are also welcome to share this newsletter with them! If you are not currently a partner with us through prayer or financial support we would love to share our story with you. Please contact us for more information. Thank you to everyone who has partnered with us on this journey. You have been such a support and blessing to us in ways we could never repay. Thank you!

Ways to Give!

Ways you can be praying for us & SOAR in 2022

• That God cultivates relationships and we are able to find direction as a leadership team.
• That Seth is able to finish his ratings and begin the work that he feels God has called him into.
• 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 you can be praying for us in November:

• That God will continue to provide the remaining partners needed.
• That we can find rest in this busy season.
• That God shows us direction for the next season here at SOAR.

Tag: AirVenture

It’s that time again!