Summer – Seth and Deb Whittington

July 20, 2023December 15, 2023

It’s that time again!

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.

November 18, 2022February 1, 2023

Big News and Transitions

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.

September 19, 2020September 20, 2020

The End of Summer

New Video post! We wanted to share a bit of history. Click the video to watch.

Back to School for everyone!

August in our home means that it’s time to start back to school for the kids. This is our 7th year of homeschooling. The girls participate in a homeschool co-op that we are fortunate to be able to attend this year. We are excited about the new school year and getting back into rhythms. The girls are not the only ones going back to school. A unique opportunity has come up for some specialized training for me (Seth). Our original plan was to begin training in January but we were contacted by a pilot who volunteered to help train me. Please pray for our schedules. This season has already been busy with partnership building and now school this will add another thing to our full schedules and we will need God to sustain us during this season.

Training Opportunities

Most of you have heard me talk about my vision for the flight training at SOAR. The need for specialized training specifically geared towards the demands of mission aviation. I have been praying that God would provide for us the resources to build a curriculum from the ground up with the guidance of someone with real-world practical experience. This month I met with a missionary pilot on furlough from Papua New Guinea that serves with Ethnos 360. He is actually the training director in-country and has the primary role of getting new in-country pilots up to speed and also oversees recurring training. He and I will work together to build the new curriculum for SOAR. He has volunteered to take me through the rest of my training. This is a huge opportunity for him and us to take a blank slate so to speak and mold it the way that we can use our resources more efficiently. Equipping our students better and more prepared for the mission field is at the core of my vision. Stay tuned in the upcoming months for updates on this!

Family Reunion (Deb)

For our family, July/August is usually filled with church camp, mission trips, and many other things. This year all of that has been different. We have been blessed with opportunities to use our summer to serve but they look very different than we are accustomed to. One thing that we look forward to each year is that my (Deb) family gathers for a family reunion. I know many of you are rolling your eyes but we genuinely enjoy it. The weekend is filled with games and family time. We end the weekend every year with a small worship service. Hands lifted in love to our savior who sustains us each year. This year’s reunion was different for us and we were sad about all the changes. It was during this season we were reminded how grateful we were to be together. We were grateful for his provision and we were grateful for his grace which sustains us. The four of us have had a lot of ups and downs this summer. It was in this service where we sang “The Blessing” over our family and future generations that God reminded me he has been working and will continue to work. He was the reason we were together. Yes, we have family ties to each other, but we were also connected because we were a part of a larger family. God is working in each moment and each event for our good and his glory. Our home church regularly says this blessing at the end of the service, it has been such a sweet reminder of his goodness. So with this, I wanted to send this blessing over all of you who are reading this today.

Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Ways you can be praying for us:

• That God will continue to build partnerships.
• That our marriage stays strong in this season of full schedules.
• That God would give us wisdom for these upcoming months.

August 3, 2020September 23, 2020

Birthdays and Summer Fun

July for us finally felt like summer. With June being filled with weddings, graduations, and many other things it was nice to hit July and a hint of normalcy. Camping, birthday, flying, partnership meetings, and community time brought some busyness but also some much-needed relief from the never-ending bad news that is 2020. We were thankful for the rest and community time in July.

SUMMER CAMPING

Typically from spring through fall, we camp several times as a family. Camping allows us to unplug from media and reset our family compass and bond. Being in God’s creation and nature is restful for our bodies and souls. We come back from these trips refreshed, recharged, and ready to focus on what God had called us to do. We also love to share these experiences with others, so if this is something you guys like to do as well hit us up and we will plan a trip together.

Happy Birthday Seth

This year has been different for a lot of reasons. COVID has changed how we spend our downtime. For the past few years during Seth’s birthday, we have joined our church on mission with our students as we serve our partner churches in other areas. On the years we have not served on mission trips, we have typically gone to the lake or camped at a state park. With COVID we are being cautious with our family. This year Seth’s birthday was spent at home. We had partnership meetings and other things on the schedule, so we played it safe. Quiet but still good. This guy spent his birthday without complaint loving his family and others well. We are so grateful for the love that he shows us. Happy Birthday, Love.
– Deb

DOING LIFE IN COMMUNITY

If you have known us for very long you know that this month we typically go with the students at our church on a mission trip. This year like many churches, our church, has had to adjust to a very different schedule. For us, that means combining a couple of events into one and staying local. We along with our students served and spent some time together in community. While we are sad to not be able to help serve other churches this year we loved spending some time with our students. Please be praying for our church and church partners in this season.

Ways you can be praying for us:

• That God will continue to build partnerships.
• That our marriage stays strong in this season of full schedules.
• That God would give us the wisdom for these upcoming months.