The first time I had anything to do with baskets was on a short-term missions trip in Jamaica. As our team walked the streets in Montego Bay we saw vendors selling baskets of every size, shape and description. During our years of missionary service in Brazil, a boy clutching a huge basket met my wife and me at the entrance of the market. He carried our basket as we walked among the stalls loading it with fruit and vegetables. Baskets are mentioned in the Bible. God preserved Moses' life by placing him in a basket. The disciples took up 12 basket of left over food when the Lord fed the 5000. In Acts 9:23-25 we read about another basket; this vignette from Paul's life makes us ask some questions... Read More.

Allen Yoder, Jr., missionary pilot in Amazonas, Brazil, and Matthew Cropsey, an MK from Togo, started out March 12 on the first leg of what was to have been a routine flight from Brazil to St. Vincent, an island off the coast of Carolina. Al was taking a single-engine Cessna, equipped with pontoons, back to the US for needed repairs. Weather reports indicated that this portion of the journey would provide the best flying conditions of the trip: all clear. At about 9:30 am with the plane leveled out around 9500 feet over Venezuela, Al and Matt sat back to carry out the normal duties of a flight, maintaining hourly radio contact with Al's father-in-law, Hank Scheltema. Hank is the Director of Aviation Ministries for ABWE, stationed... Read More.