Mike's Blog

Letters, stories, and other stuff

132 stories

Mar 13, 2010

Soil, Sheep, and the Work of a King

The problem was not so much the plough however. The problem lay deeper than any curl of steel could cut in a field. Deeper than the gullies swallowing up the fertile soil. Deeper even than the sorrow of the Basotho who have summarily…

Continue reading

Mar 7, 2010

Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Richard's face is almost entirely, almost always, a mixture of joy and burden. His eyes are wise and reserved beneath an unwieldy tussle of graying eyebrow. His smile sometimes comes with a coordinated squint and a mild shake of the…

Continue reading

Feb 2, 2010

Move Against the Fear

This video is aimed at Christians who already have a call to missionary work but perhaps don’t have a direction to go. It is intended to give an unpolished perspective on the needs in these parts of Africa, and challenge people to consider…

Continue reading

Dec 15, 2009

To certain poor shepherds

For a week in November I traveled throughout the “mountain kingdom” of Lesotho. I visited with a missionary family living in a quaint village tucked within a breathtaking valley on the eastern side of the small country. Over the course of…

Continue reading

Dec 15, 2009

Newsletter – December 2009

News since April Dear Friends, It’s been 9 months now since we’ve been back in Africa. Returning after our extended stay in New York last year felt a little like starting over again. But it also felt like coming home. I laugh at myself…

Continue reading

Dec 1, 2009

Return from the mountain kingdom

I’m sitting in a window seat over the wing, just a couple arms lengths from the giant turbofan engine of a 737 high above Zambia or Tanzania -- I’m not sure which -- on our way back home. The sky is serene and the light is fading fast…

Continue reading

Oct 18, 2009

Inch by inch

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. That's partly why the blog has fallen behind. I haven't wanted to subject you to all kinds of disjointed thoughts. Sorry if we've left you wondering where we've been, or how we've been doing. It's…

Continue reading

Aug 12, 2009 · Essay

Tribute to a friend

Frank’s steady hand on the yoke of an airplane was but an extension of his heart. And his steadfast determination to follow his calling is what brought he and his family to AIM AIR. And to the far corners of Africa.

Continue reading

Aug 8, 2009 · Essay

When the world caves in

Time’s arrow points firmly forward, whether we recognize it or not. Our lives are fragile. Our days are numbered. And there is never enough time to do enough good with the days we have. Chances are, our last day will be a day very much…

Continue reading

Jul 30, 2009

Move Against the Fear

Our objective was to gauge the state of the church here, if there was one, and to learn how to re-engage these lands with a renewed missionary effort. What do you take on a trip like that? Good boots and a Bible. A notebook and an open…

Continue reading

Jul 21, 2009 · Essay

What to do with this

From what I saw over the course of our journey, watching 3,800 miles of African wilderness tick by below my wings, and from what I witnessed on the ground in our visits from the cool Didinga hills in South Sudan to the stagnant waters of…

Continue reading

Jun 30, 2009

Long hauls, short months

We'll I've officially been busy enough to neglect our blog. I spent the month of May with AIM AIR getting current in the airplane and back flying operationally. I had one long trip into Sudan before I retreated to the media office and…

Continue reading