Back in Thrills~

Hi Everyone!~

I'm finally back in the little town of Three Hills! I have noticed since returning that there is something that this lil' place offers this time of year that the west coast does not - and that is

SUN!!

After weeks of grey skies and rain, it has been wonderful to return to such a bright place!

COLD, but sunny!

Where are my wellies???

Did your mother ever lecture you on wearing sensible shoes for every activity? My mom did:) I think this is why I cannot bring myself to wear super high heals, for that off chance I'll have to run down the street or stop by for a quick game of soccer, or ....walk. Anyways, I am presently in the Vancouver area visiting friends. I learned very quickly that rain is quite popular here these days and my Alberta soft non-waterproof moccasin-boots are not very "sensible" here. If they were made of say caribou...perhaps...but no, they are made of some other material. So although I have only a few days left in this damp area....I am on a mission to find some sensible boots:) Ones that could be worn in BC , in AB and in SE Asia. A feat that could appear impossible, but I feel I can be victorious!

It has been wonderful catching up with so many old friends these last 2 weeks! Thank you to all of you who have let me stay in your home, do laundry, feed me and just have great conversations:) It has been wonderful to be in your world and see you again!

I look forward to seeing a few more of you over the next week as well!

Till then~

April

To the Potato State I go!

Welcome & thank you to those who have recently joined the team!

Today I am ever so briefly back in Three Hills to repack & have a good night sleep. Tomorrow morning I am flying to Nampa, Idaho to start the 2 week MAF-US Candidacy Orientation. Because the place I will be serving is one of the MAF US programs, I will need to complete all of my training through Nampa, Idaho. This is the same place where I did my technical evaluation in October, but this time there is no flying, just a time of getting to know MAF-US and additional preparation for moving abroad.

After this training, I will be heading up to Pullman, Washington to visit a friend and then over to Portland, Oregon to visit a few more and then finally up to the Vancouver area in BC to visit some more of the crew. I'll be returning to Three Hills, Alberta on February 6th - just in time for my birthday:)

I ask you for your prayers as I will have a very tight traveling schedule over the next 4 weeks. Pray that I'll balance visiting with rest and that the Lord will continue to build His team and encourage all of us as He carries out His plans.

May we all reach for the Lord and find Him.

Acts 17:26-31 (NIV)

"From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. "

The Traveling Begins!

Hi friends & Merry Christmas!!

Our family just celebrated Christmas on December 30th. Everyone was home and we had a wonderful day of food, gifts and laughter:) I've played a lot of games in my day, but Balderdash with the my family has to be one of the best activities ever! There are usually tears with a smattering of wheezing; such deep laughter from the caverns of your being.

I wanted to let you all know that I'll be starting the tour of excitement, if you will. If you or people you know are interested in hearing more about how I will be involved with MAF, let me know and we can make a coffee/food date! I'm a snack 'n' chat kind of girl ;)

I'll be in Portland/Salem/Eugene area of Oregon from Jan. 24-Jan.26th and in the lower mainland BC from Jan. 27th - Feb. 6th.

Send me an email at april_lanigan@hotmail.com, comment below or facebook me!

I look forward to hearing from you!

April:)

Another Christmas:)

It's been pretty quiet around the airport these days. Our 2nd year students are finishing up and the rest of us are preparing for the onslaught of new aviators that will arrive in a month. I have been creating training manuals for the instructors and students. It's been nice to do some administrative work after such a busy flying & training season. I am on my last 2 weeks of working at Prairie. Gosh, I love this place. I have great friends here and although people move along a lot - every 2 years usually - our friendships are deep and long lasting. I am really going to miss being a part of this community.

In two weeks, I'll head back home to Ontario for Christmas and then the busyness will start. I have been scheduled for Candidacy Training in Nampa on Jan.9-20th. I hope to visit a lot of you on the west coast of the US & Canada and then head back to Alberta early February.

Please continue to pray that all the preparations will come together quickly. Because I have been requested to go as soon as possible, MAF has slotted me into the training schedule in a much tighter timeline than usual. Where most pilots have a year or so for their team to come together, I will have 3 months (mid-January to mid-April) for my financial partners and prayer partners to be in place. Would you pray and ask the Lord if He would have you be a part of this team?

I would like to thank the individuals who have already come on board and I look forward to serving with you!

Merry almost Christmas:)

Assignment!!!

Friends, I have great news to share!

After much prayer and counsel, I have chosen to serve in South East Asia. There is a new work that is about to start and the Lord has opened the door into this country where traditional missionaries cannot enter. It's very exciting to see how He has worked over these last couple of months by finalizing the approvals with the government and providing airplanes and personnel.

The program manager would like me there as soon as possible, but there is still some MAF training to complete, so the earliest departure in my opinion will most likely be in late August/early September 2012. I will also need to be fully supported at that time (monthly & outgoing). I wish I could tell you more details about it here, but due to the nature of the work, I need to be careful on what I write. I'll be sending out a newsletter very soon, so for those who are interested, send me your email address to april_lanigan@hotmail.com or Facebook me and I can send you more information about what I'll be up to for the next 4 years!

Thank you to those who have lifted me up in prayer - especially as I have worked out in my heart where the best place is to serve with the gifts and abilities the Lord has given me. The Lord confirmed it to me last week. I and some friends were praying that the Lord would specifically show me which country & program I was best suited to and that His answer would be all around me - wherever I looked. On Friday night I was at a conference center/bible camp where the orientation was held and another group had booked the facilities for that weekend. It was a kids camp and they were sharing the same room as we were. I asked where they were from and they proceeded to say the name of the country that I'll be going to. I have never met anyone from this particular country before and here they were - 100 people of that particular country completely surrounding me. I was absolutely speechless. I know that this is the place He has for me and I can move ahead with confidence!

The Lord has been gathering a team of people who are anxiously waiting to hear all that He will do through this particular work in SE Asia. If He's laid it on your heart to be one of my teammates either in prayer or financial support, please let me know:) It's encouraging to hear from people who are equally anticipating what the Lord will do in that country. If not yet, may I challenge you to prayerfully consider being a part of the team? I know He has some adventures for us and I have valued your encouragement & excitement thus far in my journey:)

Thanks friends:)

It's Official!!!

I have moved from a MAF Candidate to a MAF Pilot!!!!!!! Thank you for praying and being a part of this!! Your prayers have been answered!!!

Next, I ask you to pray about placement (country/program). MAF will be looking at different options this week. Please pray that both MAF and I will be on the same page as to where the Lord is leading.


Thank you!!!
April