Missions at the Airport--a family event with an international focus

  • By Denice Rovira Hazlett
  • September 13, 2012
  • 410
                        
Summary: Kidron's Missions at the Airport began because of the Stoltzfus family's passion for supporting the work of Bible translation and jungle aviation services. Now, it has returned, thanks to the steadfast commitment of a third-generation pilot who shared his family's vision. Story: Ken Stoltzfus, Jr. of Kidron was a third generation pilot and aviation entrepreneur, just like his grandfather, Chris Stoltzfus of Penn., and his father Ken Stoltzfus, Sr. And, also just like the men before him, Ken Stoltzfus, co-founder of Preferred Airparts in Kidron, was a dedicated supporter of Wycliffe Bible Translators and Jungle Aviation and Radio Service (JAARS), a nonprofit organization that provides support services to advance Bible translation and literacy programs worldwide. In fact, the Stoltzfus family had been supporting Bible translation and jungle aviation organizations in a variety of ways for decades. So, in 1987, Preferred Airparts sponsored their first Missions at the Airport (MATA) at the Stoltzfus Airfield on Hackett Road in Kidron, a JAARS' event designed to help people learn about the ministry and get acquainted with the technical aspects of Bible translation and things missionaries encounter every day. It was such a success that the Stoltzfus family continued hosting and sponsoring the yearly event through 2001, and again in 2006, raising more than $600,000 to assist Wycliffe in Bible translation services. "Bible translation was something Ken Jr. was very passionate about," says Dale Miller, marketing manager for Preferred Airparts, a leading international supplier of aircraft parts for everything from puddle jumpers to jets. "It was a lot of what his life stood for. He was always suggesting we do another MATA because he felt everyone needed to hear God's word in their own language." In 2004, Ken Stoltzfus, Jr. was diagnosed with a slow-growing, low-grade tumor on the left side of his brain which was removed. But five years later, a more insidious tumor appeared, this one inoperable and followed by more and larger masses. In the years that passed between his first diagnosis and his death on July 19, 2011, Stoltzfus, Jr. actively served his community and championed for JAARS and Wycliffe. Though Preferred Airparts hadn't hosted a MATA event since 2006, Stoltzfus, Jr. pushed for another one. "Ken felt it was being laid on his heart to bring MATA back into the community," says Dale Miller. "He wanted people to know about the modern methods being used to speed Bible translation." And so, on Saturday, Sept. 22 and Sunday, Sept. 23, MATA will return to the Stoltzfus Airfield in honor of Ken Stoltzfus, Jr.--his love for God, his generous heart, and his desire to do his part to share the Good News. During the two-day event, more than 75 missionaries will be on-hand with a variety of aircraft, displays, children's activities, storytelling, technical presentations and more. "There will be missionaries from Haiti, Africa, Papua New Guinea, here in the U.S.--missionaries will be literally flying in from everywhere," said Miller. "The local community has been very gracious in opening their homes to them. It's been pretty awesome to watch." Visitors of all ages will be given the opportunity to purchase rides in a JAARS Helio Courier, Cessna 206, JAARS Robinson R44 helicopter or MFI turboprop DC-3. "You can ride in an airplane that's actually used in the jungle to transport missionaries into their field," Miller says. There will also be a by-donation food stand in addition to a Saturday evening chicken barbecue. Activities will include special speakers, demonstrations and displays of maritime equipment and hovercraft, short takeoffs and landings, and hands-on displays of cultural clothing and instruments. There will even be free wagon rides, a drum circle with drums from around the world, and a free Saturday evening concert by John Schmid. The main fundraising focus for this year's MATA is Bible Translation Acceleration Kits (BTAKs). According to the Wycliffe Associates website, BTAKs are state-of-the-art equipment for safe and effective remote collaboration. Instead of traveling through dangerous terrain to hard-to-reach locations, translation consultants can connect remotely with national translators on-site through this technology. Each BTAK, costing $3,500, includes a small, portable netbook computer, satellite communication terminal, solar panel, battery, and power supply. Wycliffe Associates has been offered a matching $40,000 donation for all local contributions toward BTAKs as part of the 2012 Kidron MATA project. The current plan is for Preferred Airparts and co-sponsors Priority Air Charter and AFM Hardware to continue hosting MATA on a biennial basis. MATA organizers say Ken Stoltzfus, Jr. was the impetus, having effectively expressed the Stoltzfus family’s vision to use the resources entrusted to them and to make God’s love known to the ends of the earth. "He was a man of quiet but authentic faith," writes his father, Ken Stoltzfus, Sr., "and his integrity confirmed his walk with God. He lived with a compelling sense of serving God in all He did, doing all he could to give others the opportunity to hear and receive God’s gift of eternal life." For more information on Kidron's MATA, visit ohiomata.com, call 330-698-0280 ext. 227 or e-mail mata@preferredairparts.com. Contributions for BTAKs can be made during the event or by mailing a check to: MATA project, P.O. Box 228, Kidron, OH 44636 Or, send it directly to: Wycliffe Associates 11450 Translation Way Orlando, FL 32832, Be sure checks are clearly marked “For Kidron MATA, BTAK project.”


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