(Above, two Cessna 185’s at a mountain village in Irian Jaya, Indonesia.)
Wings of Blessing grew out of a ministry begun by Regions Beyond Missionary Union (RBMU) when they created a flight program called Regions Wings in the early 70’s. This ministry supported Church planting efforts to an unreached area on the island of Irian Jaya, Indonesia.
Irian Jaya, as it was known at the time, is now called Papua which is the western half of the island of New Guinea belonging to the country of Indonesia. The flight support ministry initiative was focused on the Mamberamo river region located in north central Irian Jaya. This is a vast area is covered in jungle with many isolated villages. A network of airstrips were developed across the region enabling access to many of these villages. RBMU initiated church planting efforts among the different villages and translation projects were started.
All of this made possible with the help of the airplane.
(A village in the Mamberamo region with airstrip in the middle.))
(Packing a 40′ container with two Cessna 185 aircraft.)
Over the years Regions Wings grew, expanding from a single Cessna 185 to a total of four. RBMU then merged with another mission organization to become known as World Team. The flight program’s name was changed from Regions Wings to Tariku Aviation and a Papuan board was developed which helped provide oversight of the flight program operations.
In 2010 World Team made the decision to nationalize the program by transferring ownership to the Papuan board. Due to the difficulty of obtaining aviation gasoline in Indonesia, the Papuan board decided to explore options for aircraft that use jet fuel, thus, the decision was made to discontinue the use of the 185’s. These airplanes were donated to a new organization called Wings of Blessing. The airplanes and all spare parts were packed in two 40′ shipping containers and sent back to the United States.
For more information check out our BLOG and see the rest of the story!
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country located in Central America, heavily influenced by the Mayan and Spanish civilizations. This has created a diverse culture for the Guatemalan people, especially those living in the villages of the mountainous regions of the country. AGAPE, an aviation ministry with a long history of serving the Guatemalan people is reaching out to these isolated areas with the Gospel. Wings of Blessing is partnering with AGAPE in ministering to these remote Peoples.
The rough mountain terrain and economic conditions have isolated these people from the benefits of the developed world. The airplane:
- Provides a means for medical evacuation by carrying the sick to a location where they can receive health care
- Enables pastors to attend training seminars to better serve their churches
- Teams are brought in to minister to and encourage the local church.
- AGAPE buys coffee from local farmers and flies the beans to market where they sell to coffee buyers for a profit providing a boost to the local economy.
AGAPE is in need of personnel and equipment. They currently have a Cessna T206 and two Cessna 185’s. Unfortunately, due to maintenance issues the 185’s aren’t flying and they are short-handed personnel wise. Pray that God would lead us as we explore different ways that we can help serve the people of Guatemala.
Honduras
Honduras is a poor country and the majority of it’s people work and live under extremely difficult conditions. The bulk of the population lives an isolated existent in the mountainous interior. This isolation is compounded by occasional violent tropical weather. The need is great for both an effective flight ministry and for the continuing functioning of a Christian hospital.
We were invited in by a board in Ahuas, in the Miskito Coastal area representing the Meskito Indian people group. We will provide flight support to these isolated peoples for medical and other needs.
