Completing the Task
Although I couldn’t understand the words the Ibatan leader spoke, the tears flowing from his eyes and the expression on his face said it all.
As he finished, Bible translator Rundell Maree translated his message. The leader had shared how thankful he and the Ibatans were for the arrival of the Scriptures. Back in 1996, I’d joined them in a weeklong celebration of the launching of their New Testament. God’s Word had since brought life and joy to those on the island.
He’d also shared how thankful the community was for our service—and for the many times we’d flown people who were in life-and-death situations.
As I looked at those gathered by the airplane, I saw tears of joy ... and sadness. Tears started to flow down my cheeks as well. When we prepared to leave the island, the people burst out in songs of praise. What a blessing to experience the encouragement of these brothers and sisters in Christ!
During my 19 years as a pilot in the Philippines, I’d made numerous trips to the island of Babuyan.
But this would be my last.
Mixed Emotions
Over the past several months, we’ve had many last flights.
In the Philippines, the strategies and scope of Bible translation are changing—and as a result, the aviation services we provided over the years are no longer needed.
Throughout 52 years of service, roughly 70 people worked on our aviation team. Nine aircraft served 90% of SIL International’s language projects in the country.
But it’s now possible to travel by land to locations where roads simply didn’t exist 50 years ago. Today, 57 New Testaments have been completed, and 25 more are in process. Mother-tongue speakers have been trained to continue language development and translation work in many areas.
This is exactly what we’ve worked toward—but closing our aviation program in the Philippines comes with mixed emotions. This slightly sentimental pilot has to admit some heartache at the reality of no longer flying here.
Our Primary Focus
When my wife and I first came to the Philippines, my primary focus was to fly and maintain airplanes. The fact that we supported Bible translation was good, but we didn’t have a clear picture of what that meant.
Over the years, that’s changed.
We’re now completely sold on Bible translation as a ministry tool to bring God’s Word to the nations. That’s our primary focus. Aviation is a tool God uses to support the work of Bible translation and related ministries. God has gifted me with the ability to fly airplanes, and I still love it! But I’m even more thankful to use this gift for Him by serving others—like the Ibatan.
—Ken Van Weerdhuizen and his wife, Chris, served in the Philippines for 19 years. They plan to continue serving with JAARS in Cameroon, Africa.
