Dear Friends,
I started this letter on Veteran’s Day and I ran
across this quote from John Stuart Mill: “War is an
ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the
decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic
feeling which thinks nothing is worth a war, is
worse. A man who has nothing which he cares more
about than he does about his personal safety is a
miserable creature who has no chance of being free,
unless made and kept solely by the exertions of
better men than himself.” I know we are all thankful
for the freedoms we have enjoyed. We are losing them
at an alarming rate!
A missionary’s grandmother passed away recently. His
place of ministry is just north of the Arctic
Circle, and I must go fly him to Fairbanks to catch
the jet south; then fly him back to the bush a week
later. I go to the hangar and look at the insulation
which was donated by an anonymous donor a while
back. The gift had come at just the right time, to
the penny. I can at least start this flight warm.
At my little airstrip, I must taxi on a road about a
tenth of a mile to the runway. As soon as I “break
ground”, I’m in the “soup”—in total darkness. Ice is
building on the wings! My passengers, giants in the
faith, loving associates, could not help me. They
really don’t have a clue as to how close tolerance
flying this is. It’s just me and God, and a dark
snowy night! I find myself somewhat lonely, but not
afraid. I’m reminded that, all too often, God cannot
use a man in the talent He has given him, not
because he is unclean, but because he is unprepared.
But I had trained for this kind of flight.
My small flashlight helps me keep a good watch on
the rate of ice buildup. At 750 feet per minute
going up, I can roughly calculate how long it will
take me to reach 12,000 ft., an altitude high enough
to assume cold enough air to change my condition
from ice to only snow or ice pellets which don’t
stick. My guess, which is better than the weather
forecaster, allows me to arrive with a manageable
load of ice. The flight home was more of the same.
My home base runway has no lights except the two
landing lights on my plane. I find the five
reflectors at the end of the runway…..and I’m home.
As we sat around our Thanksgiving table eating
turkey and ribs from my smoker, I was reminded that
all this did not come to me free. That men in their
fallen state usually live under crushing
dictatorships. I became very thankful for the
courage of our patriots, realizing that a short life
lived courageously is better than a long life lived
in fear. “A coward dies a thousand times—the warrior
only once.”
Some would say, America’s future is in God’s hands.”
It’s true, the ultimate outcomes are His and only He
rules the world in the end. But David could have
said, “It’s all in God’s hands” and never picked up
the five stones. Joseph could have said the same and
saved up no food for the hard times ahead. Something
to think about. What might our next thanksgiving be
like?
What if....
“What if today, God took away everything you failed
to thank Him for?
What would your tomorrow be like?
Would you have food, a home, a family? Would you
still live in America?
Would you have a God-centered church to attend?
Would you hold your Bible in your hands?
Would you be able to get out of bed?
Would you be able to smell, taste, hear, & see?
Would you be able to read this?
Thank about what you should be thankful for…
and to Whom we should give thanks!
Thanks so much for continuing to help with our
African refugees and pastors at $35 per month.
Please keep this up for a while. Liberia just
re-elected the Nobel Peace Prize winning President
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the “Iron Lady of Liberia.”
We are, with President Sirleaf “optimistic that
Liberia will rise again.” Pray For God to bless her
and Liberia. You may watch the film of her first
year in office at
www.pbs.org/independentlens/ironladies.
Or read her amazing bio at
www.emansion.gov.lr/content.php?sub=President's%20Biography&related=The%20President.
Pastor Bordor is back in Yekepa. You helped him
survive his serious burns, and now he will help the
church survive for returning refugees. One man sent
extra funds for four months so Pastor Bordor could
get resettled. “All’s well that ends well.”
We are quite involved with the jail ministry at this
time, Jane goes to the RU Bible study weekly, but we
put more time into thinking and praying for these
inmates. A local pastor has asked us to provide
short term housing for one of the ladies as she
transitions from jail to parole to transferring out
of state to follow her military family.
Discipling is a long term process. A person is saved
in a moment, and the feeding and corrections begin.
Keep praying for the Hot Springs for a children’s
home. We approach 3 hours and 42 min of daylight
soon in Fairbanks, and people drink and do really
bad things. It’s time for me to feed the wood stove
and warm up my boots. But did you know that quite a
number of Alaskans still have an outhouse? The
toilet seat hangs above the wood stove until needed
for excursions outside.
Recently we had 6 days of record breaking cold
weather—40 below zero. (I wonder where Al Gore is.)
Winterizing a car means putting small heating pads
on the battery, engine block, and oil pan; then
plugging in for four hours before starting.
During these coldest months, I shall make the time
to overhaul the plane engine. Thanking God again and
again for the hangar, the insulation, the waste oil
heater and you who give and pray.
Prayer requests
-
Those who are being
discipled.
-
Wisdom and adequate funds
to overhaul the plane engine. Really don’t know
the cost of the overhaul until I tear it down.
The airplane fund has been building for several
years.
-
Donations of $35 per
month to support pastors or buy bag of rice for
starving families. Should you desire to donate,
send your check to CMC with a note attached “for
Les Zerbe” and designating which project—support
pastor or buy bag of rice for needy.
-
For ladies in the jail
ministry at Fairbanks and for us as we work with
them.
-
For our nation.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas,
Les Paul Zerbe
www.FarNorthFlyingChaplain.com
THE CARAVAN CONNECTION, Inc., 356 Louise Lane,
Fairbanks, AK 99709
Sending
Church: Lavon Drive Baptist Church, 1520 Lavon Drive,
Garland, TX 75040
