Missionary Pilot Training
Donation protected
We need your help!!! Our family has been called to the mission field and we can only get there through faith, obediance to God, and your donations. Please consider giving $25, $50, $100 or more.
Our Goal: Flight School starts on June 3rd 2015. To start school I will need to pay $27,600 on the first day. This gives our family just over 1 month to raise the first round of money.
Our Names: The Whitlows (Damon, Stacie, Courtney, Ryan, Casey, and Sophie)
Our Church: Bethlehem Church
Our School: Bethlehem Christian Academy
Our Mission: Glorify God and live out His purpose for us through foreign and domestic missions. (2 Tim. 4:5)
Our Story: As a kid I would lay in my backyard and watch the big airplanes descend towards Hartsfield Jackson Internation Airpot (KATL). My dream after becoming a professional baseball player was to be a pilot. Eventully baseball faded away but I still kept dreaming of getting my wings. I didnt know it but God had BIG plans for me. They didnt include me being a Blue Angels Pilot, a commercial pilot, or even a private pilot.
I was able to work my way through the Navy as a helicopter rescue swimmer but that was only enough to wet my appetite. I wanted more but every time I started planning, I was derailed.
God has HIS plan and HIS timing. Recognizing this was a struggle for me. HIS plan was for me to meet my future wife and settle in while raising 4 kids. HIS plan got me saved and in church. HIS plan eventually sent me around the world on the mission field. HIS plan has allowed me to worship HIM on 4 continents. During this my family and I grew closer to the Lord and we began to trust Him.
In 2010 I flew to Haiti 3 days after that earthquake. We served in the middle of the carnage. I was amazed to see the endless flights by mission organizations, bringing help and supplies into the devastation. In 2012 I met a pilot in Bolivia that flew mission teams and supplies into the jungle. I was amazed again that this was his way of serving on the mission field. I had never even thought about how God used the talents of these pilots to serve HIM.
Helping Hands Foreign Missions
God was showing me how he would use me in the future. I began researching missionary pilots on the internet. The qualifications were enormous in the sense they required large sums of time and money to achieve. As a father of 4, husband, baseball coach, and business owner I immediatetly felt overwhelmed.
My wife and I decided to take it slow. My plan was to get a private pilots license over a years time and then enroll at Liberty University and work over the next 4 years towards my BS in Aeronautics. Then I could hopefully save enough money to start working on the other certifications to become a bush pilot.
God's plan was different....... This past Easter my dad told me about a "special" flight school in Bainbridge, GA that trained people to become Crop Dusters or AG Pilots. I researched the school and eventually spoke with Billy Howe. Billy had been flying for approximately 50 years as an AG Pilot. His incredible school allows a student to fly as much as they want all day with pilots who have over 20,000 hours!!!!
During our conversation Billy asked me to come down to see the school and speak with him. We met 3 days later at the small airport in his office. Billy is older and full of stories about his experiences. I explained to him that I was on a journey to become a missionary pilot. He said "instead of talkng about it, lets see how you do." He sent me outside to go fly with an equally experienced pilot named Lawrence. Off we went and within 10 minutes Lawrence and I were diving in and out of fields at 140MPH. When we got back the three of us met and I was told that they would like to help me on the journey to becoming a missionary Pilot. The cost of the school was discounted, I could fly as much as I wanted daily, and I would be provided an apartment on the airfield for my family rent free.
AG Pilot School Website
Billy Howe
If I work hard I can knock out the qualifications to be a commercial bush pilot in under 2 years!!! This will allow me to focus on my aeronautics degree without having to be in flight school. In the span of 2 weeks God revealed HIS plan for me on the mission field. This blessing has has shown me a clear path through the training and into HIS service.
The Plan: My wife and I believe that God can do the impossible. This will take the impossible!!! My wife and I believe that through obedience and sacrifice God will bless this journey and our house. My wife and I believe that preparing the fields for rain does not mean simply hoping for the money. We firmly believe that the impossible can only be achieved through faith. To date our family has NO money to put towards this goal personally. We have a large family with large bills. We believe that our God will provide for us. We believe this so firmly that we are packing our house to move to the flight school for the summer. God says its going to rain and we are going to be ready!!!!
GoFundme is a great way to get the word out and raise money. We are also taking a portion of our business sales and putting it towards the fund. Our family is going to do everything we can to raise money towards this goal. We do not intend to sit and wait. We want to show God that we will go the extra mile to raise the money. As a family we are committed to the following:
WE will be obedient to God's will(2 Cor. 9:13)
WE will Pray daily and intentionally(Dan. 6:10)
WE will ask God to provide the finances necessary(Matt. 6:34)
WE will prepare the fields for rain(Philemon 22)
WE will continue to tithe (Deut .14:22)
WE will give financially towards our goal (Deut.14:25)
WE will cut excessive spending and save money
(1 Cor. 16:2)
June 3rd 2015: $27,600 (Private/Commercial Flight School)
Sept 1st 2015: $10,000 (1st year tuition at Liberty University)
June 1st 2016: $17,000 (AG Pilot Certification)
September 1st 2016: $10,000 (2nd year tuition)
June 1st 2017: $14,400 (IFR rating/ Multi Certification)
September 1st 2017: $10,000 (3rd year of tuition)
These dates are the milestones for our Journey. Upon completion I will be rated to fly almost anywhere in the world. I will be asking God to reveal to our family where he wants us to serve.
Your Part:
I am asking for the following:
PRAY for us daily and intentionally
SHARE our vision and our Journey with as many people as possible
GIVE towards our goal. $1 or as much as you can. Continual donations are greatly appreciated. Consider helping us on a monthly basis.If you cant go on the mission field this is a great way to still support missions.
PARTICIPATE in the impossible
Our Goal: Flight School starts on June 3rd 2015. To start school I will need to pay $27,600 on the first day. This gives our family just over 1 month to raise the first round of money.
Our Names: The Whitlows (Damon, Stacie, Courtney, Ryan, Casey, and Sophie)
Our Church: Bethlehem Church
Our School: Bethlehem Christian Academy
Our Mission: Glorify God and live out His purpose for us through foreign and domestic missions. (2 Tim. 4:5)
Our Story: As a kid I would lay in my backyard and watch the big airplanes descend towards Hartsfield Jackson Internation Airpot (KATL). My dream after becoming a professional baseball player was to be a pilot. Eventully baseball faded away but I still kept dreaming of getting my wings. I didnt know it but God had BIG plans for me. They didnt include me being a Blue Angels Pilot, a commercial pilot, or even a private pilot.
I was able to work my way through the Navy as a helicopter rescue swimmer but that was only enough to wet my appetite. I wanted more but every time I started planning, I was derailed.
God has HIS plan and HIS timing. Recognizing this was a struggle for me. HIS plan was for me to meet my future wife and settle in while raising 4 kids. HIS plan got me saved and in church. HIS plan eventually sent me around the world on the mission field. HIS plan has allowed me to worship HIM on 4 continents. During this my family and I grew closer to the Lord and we began to trust Him.
In 2010 I flew to Haiti 3 days after that earthquake. We served in the middle of the carnage. I was amazed to see the endless flights by mission organizations, bringing help and supplies into the devastation. In 2012 I met a pilot in Bolivia that flew mission teams and supplies into the jungle. I was amazed again that this was his way of serving on the mission field. I had never even thought about how God used the talents of these pilots to serve HIM.
Helping Hands Foreign Missions
God was showing me how he would use me in the future. I began researching missionary pilots on the internet. The qualifications were enormous in the sense they required large sums of time and money to achieve. As a father of 4, husband, baseball coach, and business owner I immediatetly felt overwhelmed.
My wife and I decided to take it slow. My plan was to get a private pilots license over a years time and then enroll at Liberty University and work over the next 4 years towards my BS in Aeronautics. Then I could hopefully save enough money to start working on the other certifications to become a bush pilot.
God's plan was different....... This past Easter my dad told me about a "special" flight school in Bainbridge, GA that trained people to become Crop Dusters or AG Pilots. I researched the school and eventually spoke with Billy Howe. Billy had been flying for approximately 50 years as an AG Pilot. His incredible school allows a student to fly as much as they want all day with pilots who have over 20,000 hours!!!!
During our conversation Billy asked me to come down to see the school and speak with him. We met 3 days later at the small airport in his office. Billy is older and full of stories about his experiences. I explained to him that I was on a journey to become a missionary pilot. He said "instead of talkng about it, lets see how you do." He sent me outside to go fly with an equally experienced pilot named Lawrence. Off we went and within 10 minutes Lawrence and I were diving in and out of fields at 140MPH. When we got back the three of us met and I was told that they would like to help me on the journey to becoming a missionary Pilot. The cost of the school was discounted, I could fly as much as I wanted daily, and I would be provided an apartment on the airfield for my family rent free.
AG Pilot School Website
Billy Howe
If I work hard I can knock out the qualifications to be a commercial bush pilot in under 2 years!!! This will allow me to focus on my aeronautics degree without having to be in flight school. In the span of 2 weeks God revealed HIS plan for me on the mission field. This blessing has has shown me a clear path through the training and into HIS service.
The Plan: My wife and I believe that God can do the impossible. This will take the impossible!!! My wife and I believe that through obedience and sacrifice God will bless this journey and our house. My wife and I believe that preparing the fields for rain does not mean simply hoping for the money. We firmly believe that the impossible can only be achieved through faith. To date our family has NO money to put towards this goal personally. We have a large family with large bills. We believe that our God will provide for us. We believe this so firmly that we are packing our house to move to the flight school for the summer. God says its going to rain and we are going to be ready!!!!
GoFundme is a great way to get the word out and raise money. We are also taking a portion of our business sales and putting it towards the fund. Our family is going to do everything we can to raise money towards this goal. We do not intend to sit and wait. We want to show God that we will go the extra mile to raise the money. As a family we are committed to the following:
WE will be obedient to God's will(2 Cor. 9:13)
WE will Pray daily and intentionally(Dan. 6:10)
WE will ask God to provide the finances necessary(Matt. 6:34)
WE will prepare the fields for rain(Philemon 22)
WE will continue to tithe (Deut .14:22)
WE will give financially towards our goal (Deut.14:25)
WE will cut excessive spending and save money
(1 Cor. 16:2)
June 3rd 2015: $27,600 (Private/Commercial Flight School)
Sept 1st 2015: $10,000 (1st year tuition at Liberty University)
June 1st 2016: $17,000 (AG Pilot Certification)
September 1st 2016: $10,000 (2nd year tuition)
June 1st 2017: $14,400 (IFR rating/ Multi Certification)
September 1st 2017: $10,000 (3rd year of tuition)
These dates are the milestones for our Journey. Upon completion I will be rated to fly almost anywhere in the world. I will be asking God to reveal to our family where he wants us to serve.
Your Part:
I am asking for the following:
PRAY for us daily and intentionally
SHARE our vision and our Journey with as many people as possible
GIVE towards our goal. $1 or as much as you can. Continual donations are greatly appreciated. Consider helping us on a monthly basis.If you cant go on the mission field this is a great way to still support missions.
PARTICIPATE in the impossible
Organizer
Damon Whitlow
Organizer
Hoschton, GA
