About W4C
- Wings for Christ is the dedication of my career as a pilot to Christ. We read in Colossians 1:16 "all things have been created through him and for him" therefore, the reason I live and the reason I have wings is for Christ.
- I believe that God is Pilot-In-Command and He has called me to serve Him full-time as a missionary pilot.
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- 7 years later: This is still true and so is my story below, but in 2013 God sent Amelia on my path. She came out to Arusha from the UK in 2009 (3 years before me) to work as a teacher at an international school. We met through friends and colleagues at church and in 2014 we got married in Cape Town. In 2015 our first son, Johann, was born in the UK and in 2017 Louis was born in SA. So, from solo wings to a crew of four, God has blessed us in many ways. It has not always been smooth sailing (cruising) and the future is not always clear. But, for the time being, God is still using us to serve small communities with healthcare and evangelism in northern Tanzania.
When I started my flight training in 2003, I would have never imagined being where I am today. My only interest was to become a professional pilot. But God had a different plan. My training was stretched out over 5 years with extended periods of no flying in between. It was during these periods that God was preparing me for His plan. I reluctantly became involved with Christian volunteer work and youth missions through which God started to impress a calling on my life. Still passionate about flying I started researching aviation ministries and discovered a world I never knew existed. I received Nate Saint’s book Jungle Pilot from MAF and was so moved by the reconciliation found in Christ that I decided to dedicate my flying career to God's work. However, as opportunities for full time youth ministry opened, the door on my flying dream seemed to close. Finally, after I exhausted all my own plans, I surrendered everything to God to show me the way forward. Immediately after this prayer I was offered a contract to do construction work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A job I did not apply for nor had any experience in, but after one year I had sufficient funds to complete my flight training! I did my commercial flight test in May 2008 and already had a job lined up in Malawi. After 18 months of flying for a small charter operator I gained enough experience to start my application with MAF in 2010. Looking back on the journey so far, I can see God’s hand in every single detail as He prepared me for where I am today.
God has a heart for the lost and every believer has a role to play in making God’s love known to the world. Paul teaches the Corinthians that: “God in Christ, is reconciling the world to Himself” and the “message of reconciliation” has been committed to every believer. Christ did all that was required for us to be reconciled with God, but the message of reconciliation needs to get to those who need to hear it. As the Body of Christ, it is the primary task of the Church to proclaim this message to the ends of the earth. Not every believer is called to full time service, but as an ambassador for Christ every believer has a part in the Great Commission.
When I started my flight training in 2003, I would have never imagined being where I am today. My only interest was to become a professional pilot. But God had a different plan. My training was stretched out over 5 years with extended periods of no flying in between. It was during these periods that God was preparing me for His plan. I reluctantly became involved with Christian volunteer work and youth missions through which God started to impress a calling on my life. Still passionate about flying I started researching aviation ministries and discovered a world I never knew existed. I received Nate Saint’s book Jungle Pilot from MAF and was so moved by the reconciliation found in Christ that I decided to dedicate my flying career to God's work. However, as opportunities for full time youth ministry opened, the door on my flying dream seemed to close. Finally, after I exhausted all my own plans, I surrendered everything to God to show me the way forward. Immediately after this prayer I was offered a contract to do construction work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A job I did not apply for nor had any experience in, but after one year I had sufficient funds to complete my flight training! I did my commercial flight test in May 2008 and already had a job lined up in Malawi. After 18 months of flying for a small charter operator I gained enough experience to start my application with MAF in 2010. Looking back on the journey so far, I can see God’s hand in every single detail as He prepared me for where I am today. 
