Field report from pilot Mike Delorenzo

We descended through the haze, steering toward coordinates our passengers had handed forward on a scrap of paper. The village of Duk Paynel lay ahead. Panther Bior looked out the window of the Caravan and began to smile. He recognized his home, even though he had not seen it in twenty years. He and Samuel are among what western media, and the world, have come to know as the "Lost Boys" of Southern Sudan. Their stories have been documented in articles and books over the past several years, and recently in a National Geographic movie entitled "God Grew Tired of Us." The stories are remarkable... how they survived years of wandering throughout Sudan during the civil war which tore apart their homes. They were children, without adult supervision. And they numbered in the thousands. A fortunate few were plucked from the refugee camps at Kakuma, Kenya and brought to America more than a decade ago. They have grown up in a new land far from the one they called home. And now they are coming back.

AIM AIR Pilot Linnie Weeks and I had the privilege of flying Panther and Samuel back home today, along with three men from their church in Skaneateles, New York. They are coming to build a health clinic for this community over the next several months. It is a blessing which these men long dreamed to bring upon their home village, overflowing from the grace of God they have known these past twenty years. It is a long time coming. Panther and Samuel fled this place in 1987, seven-years-old and destitute. Today they returned in a Cessna Caravan, speaking good english, and sporting still-childish smiles as they greeted a jubilant crowd at the airstrip. For the churches that took these boys in, it is another remarkable milestone in an accidental ministry to the people of Sudan. For us pilots, its another day on the job, albeit a special one - one where you catch a glimpse of your small part in a grander and sovereign Plan.

For more information about the clinic project, try these links:
First Presbyterian Church, Skaneateles New York

American Care for Sudan Foundation

Learn More about the Lost Boys of Sudan
God Grew Tired of Us

"At the airport Karyn and I and Dr. Furman dropped in to speak to the missionary pilots and support personnel at AIM-Air, who have flown us in and out of the bush in Africa over the years. I was introduced by pilot and now great friend Jim Streit, who inspires me with his commitment to serving others. These Christian mission pilots are committed to serving others, ferrying missionaries and supplies all over east central Africa. They specialize in sweltering deserts, rain forests, war zones, mountain highlands, and barren landscapes that are “remote, dangerous, and almost unreachable.” Using aviation, they “go the extra mile to help others meet their calling to ‘Go and make disciples.’” They are a selfless and remarkable group, that as a pilot and as one who has benefited so directly from their services (personally in Chad, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, etc.) I am really thankful."

Article in the Tennessean - click here to read the full article.