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| January 2021 Happy New Year! |
Many of you know that in December we went to Missionary Flights International to candidate to join the organization. As of December 22nd, 2020, they have extended the invitation for us to join the organization and we said yes! For those who are not yet familiar with MFI, they are a mission organization helping other missions. Their tagline is “Standing in the Gap”. They partner with over 500 organizations and families serving in the Bahamas, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic by flying in short-term mission teams, cargo, mail, and more. When hurricanes strike, MFI also serves as a collection center for donations of clothing, food, and building supplies. Additionally, MFI also flies emergency medical flights. MFI has asked James to train under the current load master. The responsibilities of the load master includes calculating the weight and balance of the airplane as well as configuring and loading the plane. James will also serve as a maintenance specialist. He will be able to help maintain the two DC-3s currently operational, as well as help with the third one they have being rehabilitated and reconditioned. Sam’s primary job will be to keep working with the kids with homeschool, but there will be opportunities for her to be trained on passenger check-in for the flights, as well as learn the warehouse for handling and preparing packages that come in daily. This is an exciting time of transition for us. There are several ways you can partner with us as we continue the journey God placed us on 5 years ago. First, be a prayer partner. Prayer is such a critical and vital tool. There is no way we could be at this point without all the prayer we have received thus far. Second, continue to read our letters. Third, be a financial partner. MFI has given us a goal of about $5500 monthly support. If it’s God’s will, we are planning to move between summer and fall of this year after James finishes his last semester at Moody. |
| Family News Christmas has come and gone, as well as our grand adventure. We are so blessed to have had not only a great time, but a safe and healthy time too. When traveling, especially during the current times, being and staying healthy can be a challenge. As alluded to in the beginning of the letter, we started our time in Florida. The kids absolutely loved our time there. They were excited for the warm weather, the ability to swim, and the opportunity to serve with Missionary Flights while we were there. Two of the afternoons we got to work with Barb, the “warehouse boss”, sorting and preparing packages for customs. Each child was able to learn how to drive a pallet jack and had fun helping figure out what all goes into preparing packages that arrive for customs. We still had some schoolwork to do, but our schoolwork was significantly lighter during the trip.Helping in the warehouseFrom Florida, we got to go spend time with James’ family in Indiana for Christmas and being able to help James’ uncle out by helping take care of Grandma. It was a week of relaxing some for the kids and getting the one opportunity they had to play in the snow. We also had the joy of connecting with friends we have not seen in years too. Connecting again with people reminded us just how much we love and appreciate each person. Our time was so great and connecting with family and friends was exactly what we needed. Following our short time in Indiana, we spent the last of our time connecting with friends back in the Elgin area. Sam’s “big brother” and his wife set us up with a hotel for a couple of days so they could have some time with us before the full time shift up in Elgin began. We appreciate the time we had with them. Once in Elgin, it seemed that we had consistent busy times connecting with more friends, meetings, and coffee dates. We seemed to not have much down time overall, but we would not have had it any other way. Once again, we were reminded just how precious our friends are. Now being back home, we are working on getting back into the swing of things with school and appointments that fill our weeks. Sam’s mom has had a few appointments as well as Jonny having a few too. Things are doing well overall there and we praise Jesus for those things. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support in this training process. James and Sam Gabhart |
End of Year Giving
It was wonderful to see the Lord’s hand at work through our end of year giving. This year the missions team decided to split our giving into three separate, yet still substantial gifts.
Salvation Army Gift
One third went to the Salvation Army. This international movement is the evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. They have been active in Elgin for many years. They provide assistance with clothing, housing, food, family needs, youth, and veteran services, and many other areas.
Aperion Care and Heritage Manor Gift
One third was split went evenly between two Elgin nursing homes, Aperion Care and Heritage Manor. This was in the form of specific items purchased for them, for the benefit of their residents, who have lived under extremely restrictive conditions since March 2020 due to Covid-19. The goal was to encourage and uplift these seniors. Items included word search books, coloring pages, markers, game prizes, snacks, and other items.
Stone Temple Ministry Gift
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And one third went to Stone Temple Ministry (Stonetempleministry.com) in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The project we are supporting is a community center. The church has acquired land and is working to build a center which will include a recreation room, half court basketball, full kitchen, serenity space, auditorium, Black History exhibit, conference center, and computer lab. The Englewood neighborhood deeply needs this ministry in an area.