Nearing the two-decade mark as missionaries, Chuck & Robin have learned to never expect the routine, and above all, seek God’s wisdom daily by reading and meditating on His Word. In missionary life, there are very few days that could be called “routine.” Stacks of paperwork demand attention daily, as does a to-do list that never seems to get any shorter. The plan formulated yesterday may well be obsolete before …
Dedicated to Charlie Martinez, my father (January 1, 1935 – February 28, 2022)
A telephone call from a ministry associate put a series of events into motion on March 8, 2022. A pastor from a small town about an hour from our ministry base in Quetzaltenango had sustained a serious eye injury. Medics at a local clinic determined he would need a hospital and surgery. The capital, Guatemala City, is some 6 hours away. The best option was for a medical transport flight. …
Site Survey Coban
About the middle of August, Chuck & Robin (C&R), SGSP Aviation Ministries International directors spent a morning talking with local pilots trying to get a feel for this 50ft wide by 3300ft long airstrip. The strip has a 3deg upslope with a pretty good kick at one end. Most pilots will opt to land uphill and takeoff downhill as seen in the photo however, given the right wind conditions a …
Taking Care of Our Volunteers
Brian and Deb are retired living in Guatemala but are by no means idle with their time. Here at SGSP Aviation Ministries we appreciate the gift of time and talent. Recently on an SGSP follow up mission between Quetzaltenango and Guatemala City, we invited B&D to ride along and get a look at the western highlands from a vantage point few get to see. Judging from the smiles on their …
Too Much of a Good Thing!?!?
In 1968, when I was 8 years old, my family lived in San Antonio, Texas. My elementary school was a short 15-minute walk from our back door. Or if one or several things captured my attention along the way, that walk could take near an hour. But on my Schwinn Stingray, with banana seat and high-rise handlebars, I could cover that distance in an instant. One day a school chum …
A Funny Thing Happened…..
Santiago is just fourteen nautical miles, as the crow fly’s, from Quetzaltenango and Serving God by Serving His People (SGSP) Aviation Ministries mission base. It is one of several municipalities that dot the shore of Lago Atitlan, I’m told each is named after an Apostle from the Bible, (Santiago is James in English). Robin and I took to the sky’s climbing up to 10,500 ft., to clear the ridge between …
ELT Battery Pack Replaced
The emergency location transmitter (ELT) is usually mounted in the aft section of an aircraft. In an emergency it can be activated manually by flight crew or automatically when subjected G-Forces from an off field landing. In either case, its ability to transmit your location is directly dependent on the condition of the battery. With few exceptions, aircraft worldwide are required to have an ELT. This device pinpoints your location …
The ladder of Success
It was early. The sun had just broken over the 10,000 ft mountain range on the east side of our valley. The city of Quetzaltenango, in the western highlands of Guatemala, was awake and moving, even in darkness before the dawn. Curious about a noise outside of our home early that morning, I opened the creaky metal door and found this ladder against the wall. A young man was preparing …
It’s a Good Thing…Really!
After a 18 months of service, the tire on the left is worn to the limits of safe operation, and has been replaced with a new one. Aircraft tires are exposed to punishing rough surfaces, and hard braking with every landing on rural strips. Here at SGSP Aviation in the western highlands of Guatemala, its business as usual with one exception. There is a glaring empty spot on the shelf …
Let None Be Forgotten
In the aftermath of tropical storm Eta, the rural people in the northeastern regions of Guatemala begin to take stock of what is left of their lives and livelihoods. These are the fortunate ones. For others, land and mud slides have completely wiped away meager and fragile family dwellings. Their reality is grim. Just hours after the rains subsided, Christian relief organizations began to mobilize, preparing 30 lb. bags of …