Thankful to serve ...

"Why did you choose Wings of Hope?"... "They give me the best opportunity to help others."

A few days ago, Facebook reminded me of a photo I had posted eight years back. I remember it very clearly. The photo is of me showing my mom around the Wings of Hope hangar in St Louis, Mo. I had just started working with Wings of Hope as an aircraft mechanic and would soon be sent overseas for international field work. As typically happens during parents' good-natured visits, you end up answering a lot of questions. The one I remember vividly is, “Why did you choose Wings of Hope?” My parents knew that I was doing extensive research on all organizations that used aviation to help mankind. The simple, and slightly embarrassing, answer is that they were the only ones that offered me a position. But the answer I remember giving is, “They give me the best opportunity to help others.”

Eight years later, I still believe that statement rings true.

Wings of Hope has always given me the preparation, education and, most importantly, the opportunity to help those in need. On the Christmas Eve before I boarded the flight for my first international assignment in Congo, Africa, the last thing I was told was, “You will know that you are doing a good job if every night you can say that you truly used that day to help someone who needed it.”  I still remember that simple saying. Some days may seem more successful than others, being filled with lifesaving emergency flights. Others are not as exciting or lifesaving, but still successful – like using wood and rope to build some neighboring kids a swing set. But the overall goal never changes.

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to use my life to help as many people as I possibly could. It’s the reason I got my pilot’s license and airplane mechanic’s certificate. Aviation shrinks the world we live in. It brings aid to the people who need it. It’s the reason I got my EMT license, because sometimes there is no a doctor. It’s the reason I got my bachelor’s degree in Global Missions – because to do humanitarian work, you need to learn how to be understanding and sensitive to the people you are serving and living among. Because of Wings of Hope and its numerous partners worldwide, I have had the opportunity to work two years in their hangar, four years in Africa, and now I am going on close to two years in Central America. I can’t honestly say that over the last eight years, I have felt that I helped someone in need at the end of each day. But it still remains the goal.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I find myself very grateful for Wings of Hope and its incredible team of dedicated volunteers and staff. I appreciate their constant example of hard work, dedication and service – with no regard for personal reward or gain. Mostly, I am thankful for their sacrificial desire to serve others. And I am especially grateful that they have given others, like myself, opportunities to do the same.