Jan 2009
Year-end Letter
January 01 2009
Dear Friends and Family in
Christ,
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well? …Take up your bed and walk.’” (Jn. 5) With those two sentences, a man’s whole world was changed. A man who had been sick for 38 years was healed. Made whole. Redeemed. He had waited a lifetime for his life to intersect with that of the ‘Master.’
Transitions are a part of life, and can sometimes be as natural as falling asleep or waking up in the morning. Or they can be tragic, violent and traumatizing. AIM AIR has experienced a year that spanned a rather wide portion of this spectrum in 2008.
The year started off with Kenya’s presidential elections, which brought violence on a scale Kenya had not seen for decades. Tens of thousands of people were deeply affected and in need of critical help. In the first two weeks after the elections, AIM AIR transported over 600 people to safety, among them many who had narrowly escaped being burned to death in their homes and had no method of reaching safety overland. In January and February, our planes flew over 28,000 pounds of food to families who could not buy even the basics locally.
AIM AIR experienced two changes in the position of General Manager in 2008. Matt Olson, who did an exemplary job for many years, followed the Lord’s lead in his life and moved back to the States in April. And in a few days, Denny Dyvig will take over as Manager as I return Stateside for a furlough. Denny is a man who demonstrates professional excellence as a pilot and, more importantly, spiritual excellence as a man. He and his wife Sue have lived and ministered in Africa for close to 32 years. They are easy people to look up to.
This year we lost one of our aircraft in an accident, but thankfully, the physical injuries to those on board were minor. That aircraft was quickly replaced, and another, a ‘new’ twin engine King Air purchased by Samaritan’s Purse for ministry with AIM AIR, will be arriving soon. AIM AIR was also blessed with several new pilots this year, one of whom is our first female pilot.
While AIM AIR has experienced a wide range of transitions in 2008, our strength continues to be that we are still all about providing air transport for the Lord’s servants in this area of the world. In doing so, we—and you as our partners in this work—help make a way for the lives of thousands in Africa to “intersect with the Master,” sooner rather than later. And as they meet HIM, lives are changed, people are redeemed, and the broken are made whole.
Thank you for your sacrificial, consistent, and intrinsic support both prayerfully and financially as you have partnered with us this year in Serving Those Who Serve.
—Jim Streit
General Manager
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well? …Take up your bed and walk.’” (Jn. 5) With those two sentences, a man’s whole world was changed. A man who had been sick for 38 years was healed. Made whole. Redeemed. He had waited a lifetime for his life to intersect with that of the ‘Master.’
Transitions are a part of life, and can sometimes be as natural as falling asleep or waking up in the morning. Or they can be tragic, violent and traumatizing. AIM AIR has experienced a year that spanned a rather wide portion of this spectrum in 2008.
The year started off with Kenya’s presidential elections, which brought violence on a scale Kenya had not seen for decades. Tens of thousands of people were deeply affected and in need of critical help. In the first two weeks after the elections, AIM AIR transported over 600 people to safety, among them many who had narrowly escaped being burned to death in their homes and had no method of reaching safety overland. In January and February, our planes flew over 28,000 pounds of food to families who could not buy even the basics locally.
AIM AIR experienced two changes in the position of General Manager in 2008. Matt Olson, who did an exemplary job for many years, followed the Lord’s lead in his life and moved back to the States in April. And in a few days, Denny Dyvig will take over as Manager as I return Stateside for a furlough. Denny is a man who demonstrates professional excellence as a pilot and, more importantly, spiritual excellence as a man. He and his wife Sue have lived and ministered in Africa for close to 32 years. They are easy people to look up to.
This year we lost one of our aircraft in an accident, but thankfully, the physical injuries to those on board were minor. That aircraft was quickly replaced, and another, a ‘new’ twin engine King Air purchased by Samaritan’s Purse for ministry with AIM AIR, will be arriving soon. AIM AIR was also blessed with several new pilots this year, one of whom is our first female pilot.
While AIM AIR has experienced a wide range of transitions in 2008, our strength continues to be that we are still all about providing air transport for the Lord’s servants in this area of the world. In doing so, we—and you as our partners in this work—help make a way for the lives of thousands in Africa to “intersect with the Master,” sooner rather than later. And as they meet HIM, lives are changed, people are redeemed, and the broken are made whole.
Thank you for your sacrificial, consistent, and intrinsic support both prayerfully and financially as you have partnered with us this year in Serving Those Who Serve.
—Jim Streit
General Manager