We are very excited to have Gracia Burnham as our guest speaker this year.  For 17 years she and Martin served with New Tribes Mission in the Philippines where Martin was a missionary pilot.

In May of 2001, while celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary at a resort, the Burnhams along with several more guests were kidnapped by a militant group of Muslims.

During their 376 days of captivity, they faced near starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles, coldhearted murder-and intense soul-searching about a God who sometimes seemed to have forgotten them.

On June 7, 2002, in a firefight between the Philippine military and the Abu Sayyaf Group, Martin was killed. Gracia was wounded, but was freed.

If you would like to be a part of this fundraising event by sponsoring a table please contact Laurel at 520-207-2918.  The cost is $500 for a table that seats ten.

Hundreds of children in Mexico exposed to missions by UIM (Click to enlarge)

Children everywhere! Hundreds of them, in all shapes and sizes, and they kept coming. This was sure to be an adventure, a missionary adventure.

For one day, the sights, sounds, and smells of world missions came alive for Mexican children aged 6 to 13. Participants were divided into traveling groups of about 35, plus guides, and spent the day rotating throughout the grounds learning about world missions in different countries as well as different types of ministries.

The UIM Aviation team welcomed each traveling group into a mock airplane. Kids took their seats, buckled in, and received pre-flight briefing. Via video on a large screen, our passengers experienced a missionary flight into some of the most remote parts of Mexico. They learned how God uses the airplane as a tool to reach the lost. We challenged them to develop their God-given gifts and abilities for His service.

This annual event is vital in exposing Mexico’s future missionaries to world missions. We give all praise and glory to God for the chance to be a part of His kingdom work. Pray for these children who have now returned to their homes. Pray that God is working in their hearts and minds to open their lives to missionary service.

Banquet Flyer (Click to enlarge)

Thanks to all who made our annual fund-raising banquet such a success!

260 people attended our dinner at the Westward Look Resort in Tucson, AZ. We raised just over $22,000 and thus earned in full a $10,000 matching grant from Mission Increase Foundation.

Did you miss the event this year? Make sure to watch out for it in the fall of 2010!

]]> http://www.uim-aviation.org/2009/10/08/uim-aviation-banquet-2009/feed/ 0 http://www.uim-aviation.org/2009/10/05/mission-aviation-day-2009-tucson-az/ http://www.uim-aviation.org/2009/10/05/mission-aviation-day-2009-tucson-az/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:18:42 +0000 UIM Aviation Admin http://www.uim-aviation.org/?p=190

MAD was great exposure for local kids to missions and mission aviation!

Have you ever seen the city of Tucson from a seat in a Cessna 206 airplane?

Those who came to Mission Aviation Day (a.k.a. “MAD”) at Ryan Airfield had an opportunity to do just that. Our pilots were busy as they flew more than 400 people throughout the day. With activities to engage the young and old, visitors learned about the many different ways God uses airplanes on the mission field to reach people. Although we were the main sponsor, 15 other mission organizations were also represented. Games, rides, food, and a variety of entertainment made it a fun, worthwhile way to spend the day.

We had great opportunities each day to share one on one with people about the ministry of missionary aviation and specifically what UIM Aviation is doing.

UIM Aviation was privileged to participate in the annual AirVenture air show this July at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. One of their main themes was Fly4Life, which highlighted mission aviation as well as  humanitarian aid. Our airplane that had been confiscated by the Mexican government for some months was displayed in the central show area.

Our staff also gave a seminar to the public on Cessna modifications for short take-offs and landings. It was a blessing to be able to share what God is doing in Mexico and how He’s using aviation. Many who visited the Fly4Life tent were believers already, but many more were not. We are praying that God uses the memory of our conversations to bring people to Jesus. Even after shaking so many hands, we were amazed to learn that 578,000 people attended the week-long event this year!