Natasha´s Notebook. An experience to remember

An experience to remember...

We recently got back from a week and a half  long trip to the interior of the amazon jungle. We were quite remote along the Putomayo River visiting 5 different villages.

...Let me explain. We took a flight from Leticia to a city called Tarapaca. It is only a 45 minute flight but by boat it can take 5 days. Then from this location we went by boat to another location, by fast boat it can take 6 hours but by normal boat it can take 12 hours.... imagine, we went in a boat without a roof for a ride of our lives!

In this village it was flooded with water, everywhere we wanted to go we had to take a canoe. Also what welcomed us were the mosquitos and horrible no see-ums. We got eaten alive! This village we enjoyed sharing with the people. This location was one of the hardest for Isabella and I, but we enjoyed it and God was teaching me about patience and joy.






The second village we went to was also covered in water, but it was quite small so they put planks around the village and you get to practice your balancing skills walking across them (who knows how deep that water is below you). A sweet girl in the village was helping cook for us came to ask some questions about modesty and it was nice to be able to explain a bit about that. I also wanted to take the pastors daughter home with us. She asked me a couple times if she could come to our ¨pueblo¨ I told her maybe when we live it Leticia she could come for some time if she was aloud.

The third village was more remote in the fact that is it not right along the main river route so they have less access to many things. But, we had an amazing time there sharing with the church and encouraging the pastor and his wife. In this village we came in contact with a sweet girl that has been having medical problems, she has had pain for over two months and could not keep food down. The people here are poor and were afraid to take her to a far away for medical attention. We encouraged her and her family to go to the hospital and we helped pay for the trip. Over the past couple of weeks she has been getting worse, please pray for her, the name is Nataly.

The pastors in the fourth village we went to were were older in age. The pastor´s wife was sharing with me how she had 9 children! All of them have left this village and it seems like they were lonely and needed encouragement. We also got to minister to the local Peruvian Marines which was an amazing experince, the barracks were closed for public engagement but the commander opened doors for us to come and share lunch with them and then we had a drama about how God is knocking at your hearts door. It was a great time.

The last location, Tarapaca, was nice to come back to the city for a while. We got to take a rest from sleeping in rough conditions and sleep in a more comfortable hotel room. The pastor here is a key person in communicating with the other pastors and has always been a great help to Jonatan and his dad.

I have been challenged so much by the people, they are always smiling and happy, no matter the circumstances... We need to practice this as well in the United States. God has also been showing me the need of helping with childrens ministry. Out of all the churches none of them have an established childrens ministry and I would say half of all the congregations are children! Can you imagine if these children came to know Christ at a young age! I would like to find some good materials for them, find key leaders in the church and train them. We have much work to do for the next visit!

Please continue praying for us. We covet them and have been feeling them!

Amazon June. 2016 Amazonas Junio

Life has been busy as ever here in the Amazon. We have had quite an eventful first month and continue to enjoy all our experiences.

When we first arrived Natasha got to visit with her brother in Bogota (the capital city of Colombia) and his girlfriend´s family for two nights. It was a nice opportunity to share memories as a family. We went to a restaurant where we ate chiguiro, a type of rodent, it was quite tasty! Isabella also got to meet her two uncles and aunt who came to visit Isabella for the first time, she was happy to meet them.

When we arrived in Leticia, the capital of the Amazon and the city where we are staying for most of our trip, we got welcomed with nice weather. It has been quite rainy here but that makes it not as hot.

The first team we hosted was called TLC, Touching Lives for Christ. This group is from the college where we both went to college, Hobe Sound Bible College. We visited two different villages with the intent to visit three but we had a medical emergency with one of the team members and had to rush back to Leticia. We were thankful though we got to help with pastoral training and also teaching the children. 

Isabella has a nickname here already. The pastor in the first village we went to named her ¨la reina= the queen¨ because she is always waving at everyone. He said she is like those beauty queens that like to wave as they do in the parades.... she loves it here. She has been handling everything well, she doesnt like to ride on the boats so much because she doesnt like to stay seated and wants to stick her hand out and touch the water. But, everyone loves her and she is already well loved. She makes it easier to be recieved sometimes :)

Please continue to pray for us. We currently are hosting a friend from ITEC, Jim, who has been a great help with making progress with the aviation ministry. God has been opening doors in amazing ways with letting us have meeting with key people in the area. 

Abril - April 2016

Natasha's first mother's day.
Primer dia de las madres de Natasha

Hello everyone. We have had an exciting past month, keeping busy and enjoying watching Isabella grow. She is so full of energy and can now say papa and mama; it is a joy to hear that come out of her mouth and it melts our hearts.

In this video you just watched, or will be watching soon, Isabella just took her first flight. Jonatan wanted to make sure he was the first to be able to fly Isabella before she took her long flight to Colombia for the first time. In the video she is her smiling self but during that flight wasn't quite as so...

We are getting excited for our time in the Amazon, it is one month away and God has been so faithful! We are slowly packing and getting our things in order so we know we have all the necessary supplies as need. We unwrapped the hammocks and got some bug spray and sunscreen.. mentally we are adjusting ourself.

We just want to encourage you today and ask. How is your relationship with Christ? Is it all about YOU and what HE can give you? Or, is it all about HIM and what YOU can give him?
I am sure you know what the answer is supposed to be... that is our challenge for you today and these coming weeks to think upon, God created us to worship him and give our all to Him.

 

El primer vuelo de Isabella.
Isabella's first flight

Isabella getting to know more cousins.
Isabela conociendo mas primos.

First year with Itec - Primer año con Itec

Hi, It has been almost a year since we joined Itec in Florida. We don't have any doubt that God brought us here, and we feel so excited about getting closer to one of the main goals for the ministry God has called us to do in the Amazon region. We celebrate at the same place where we spent our first week with Itec, last year, at Sun & Fun, one of the largest aviation fairs in the country. Please celebrate with us as we thank God for his mercies and we remember the many things that happened this past year. 

Enjoy the pictures.
 

Normal day at the hangar - Un dia normal en el hangar 

Landing gear test on a Cardinal
Prueba del tren de aterrizaje en un Cardinal

Flying with Steve Saint - Volando con Steve Saint 

 

All our belongings from Virginia to Florida
Nuestras pertenencias de Virginia a la Florida

Making wonderful friends - Haciendo amigos maravillosos

Learning something new - Aprendiendo algo diferente.

Zenith floats removal - Removiendo los flotadores del Zenith

Aviation fair 2016 - Feria de aviacion 2016

      

Aviation fair 2015 - Feria de aviacion 2015

First week of Isabella - La primer semana de Isabella

Assembling an RV-10 (a)

Assembling an RV-10 (b)

Assembling an RV-10 (c)

Assembling an RV-10 (d)

I-med training - Entrenamiento I-med

Installing engine on Cessna 182
Instalando motor en Cessna 182

Teaching music at our church
Enseñando musica en nuestra iglesia

Panel upgrade RV-8
Actualización de panel RV-8

Panel upgrade RV-9
Actualización de panel RV9

February 2016 - Febrero 2016

February 2016

Hello family and friends! Here is a short update of the highlights from this past month.

We were able to visit Hobe Sound Camp Meeting (this was the place where Jonatan and Natasha studied). It was good to get some spiritual refreshment during that time as well as connect with old friends and professors from the college. It was a blessing that we were able to speak at 3 churches in 2 hours with a great friend, Junior.

 For the aviation ministry in the Amazon, we are forming a team and it is doing well. We are planning, organizing things, collecting information and we will be making the first trip to the jungle together this summer.

The training at ITEC is going well. There is a lot of work, as usual, and exciting things to learn every day.

Our countdown for our anticipated move to the Amazon in now 16 months.

Here are some prayer requests:
*For our health, there are some viruses that are spreading in the area we are planning to go this summer
*The pastor and leaders where we will be working, open hearts
*The teams that are preparing to come, for us to be a light and things to go smoothly
*Our trip to the Amazon this summer, funding
*Isabella as she grows

We have been able to raise 30-35% of our monthly budget. Please pray for us so God can continue opening doors and providing for our needs.

If you are interested in supporting us you can directly donate through Itec's website: http://www.itecusa.org/donate.html
Option #1 You can donate online, Designation= I-FLY Program and Memo= JN (our initials)
Option #2 You can send a check to this address (with JN in the memo line):
I-TEC
10575 SW 147th Circle
Dunnellon, FL 34432

 Thank you so much for your support!
 

January 2016

Hello family and friends!
We finally made it back to Florida since Jonatan completed all of his studies and got the aviation licenses. The Itec family, as always, has been very supportive and loving to keep us excited to continue the training in missions and aviation for the ministry in the Amazon. 

Our countdown begins (17 months left) and this brings challenges, with some effort and commitment to make them happen. We are so grateful how God has been providing for every single need and how he has given us good health along the way.

Our goals to start this new year are the following:
 -Create a work team for the ministry in the Amazon. We are excited to hear from others who have the same passion and how God has been bringing us together to develop his will in our lives and go where he has called us to go.

 - Raise our monthly support as we both are involved full-time with the ministry, as well as when we are in the Amazon. So far we have been able to raise 10-15% of our monthly goal. Please pray for us so God can continue opening doors and providing for our needs, and if you are interested in joining us in the ministry financially, we would be grateful. It could be a one time gift, monthly, or for a specific missions trip like the one we are planning to make this summer.

You can directly donate through Itec's website: http://www.itecusa.org/donate.html
Option #1 You can donate online, Designation= I-FLY Program and Memo= JN (our initials)
Option #2 You can send a check to this address (with JN in the memo line):
I-TEC
10575 SW 147th Circle
Dunnellon, FL 34432

 Thank you so much for your support.
 

Feliz Navidad

Hello to everyone,
This is our last update of the year and we want to wish you a great time with family and friends.
We also want to remind of the importance and need of keeping the real meaning of the greatest gift of salvation of all of us during this and all the seasons.

Jonatan was finally able to complete all his studies. It has been a long process and we praise God for his help, provision, motivation and strength to close this chapter of our lives and keep moving forward with the ministry the creator has entrusted us to do.
One more goal we have set is for the preparation of our move to the Amazon put to a time frame.
We hope that in one and a half years we will be ready to establish our home in the amazon region.
The training with ITEC might take more or less time but we want to set this goal to help us stay focused.

 In the year 2016 both Jonatan & Natasha will be devoting all of their time to serve as volunteers in the ministry. We know the Lord will provide for every need because we have seen him working in our finances for many years, please continue in pray with us about this.
Merry Christmas!