Missionary Update – Brent Dodd
Greetings from the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico.
The rainy part of the year has ended, and cooler temperatures have arrived. God continues to work and show Himself faithful. I trust your heart is encouraged in the Lord, as you keep your eyes on Him. He is trustworthy, our rock and fortress during these times of uncertainty.
Thank-you for your prayers for us! We are grateful for safety, and for the strength we need, each day. The flight program, hangar maintenance, airplane maintenance, and paperwork (both for our mission, and for the government) keeps me busy.
New Solar System Installed And Fully Functional:
What a blessing to have electricity 24/7! God has abundantly provided a three phase, solar electrical system for the hangar (including our co-worker’s home and our home, which are at the back of the hangar). It is above and beyond what we originally expected. The installation was a team effort, and it was encouraging to see how it all came together. We are truly grateful!
Family Visit:
Our second son, Blake, who is a fireman with the Greenville, SC, fire department, and our grandson, Wesley, were able to make a short visit to Mexico. It was a very special time, and we were able to do a lot of things together in the short period of time they were here. They were able to fly with me to a new airstrip site, and they helped install the windsock pole, rim, and windsock. I thank the Lord for the special times we had together. They were also able to go on a flight with the medical, dental, and CHE team, and were able to see one of the locations where this team ministers.
Medical, Dental & CHE (Christian Health Evangelism) Team:
God is using this team to not only help meet the medical needs of remote communities, but also the spiritual needs of the people. Both the UIM Aviation turbo Cessna 206, and the Hospital Mission Tarahumara Carbon Cub FX3 (perfect for the shorter, mountain airstrips) are being used to transport the teams from the hospital to these remote communities. Currently, the teams are serving 4 different communities. They are in the process of adding another community to the roster of outreaches. Please pray for safety and strength for the teams as they go out. There are times when the team overnights, and other times they are flown out early in the morning and then picked up late in the afternoon.
Critical Medical Emergency Flights:
Recently, I have had several critical medical emergency flights. We thank the Lord for the Cessna 206, which enables us to receive a stretcher patient through the double doors on the right side of the fuselage. One lady I recently medivaced had previously had open heart surgery. She needed to be transported to Chihuahua City, an hour flight away, due to complications with her pregnancy. The midwife and nurse, who are pictured, were able to care for the lady in flight, and helped get her admitted to the hospital.
Victoria Brielle Dodd Is A Senior:
Our youngest daughter is in her final year of high school. Please pray with us as she looks to the Lord for what she should pursue after graduation. God has entrusted her to our care, and we are grateful for the 18 years we have had with her. We pray her deepest desires will be to know the One in whose image she was made, and that she will faithfully pursue Him, and walk closely with Him all the days of her life. This Fall, she has been able to get a job as a tutor to a fellow student who needs help. She also babysits for a community group, as well as babysitting her nieces and nephews from time to time. She enjoys creating things, and she is often found crocheting little creations. Please pray for us, as her parents, that we will be the help and support she needs, as she decides her next steps. We know the Lord has a good plan for her, and we are excited to see it unfold.
God’s Provision To Meet Our Needs:
Time has flown – 27 years ago, Hollie Mae and I embarked on a global journey, as ambassadors for Christ, on an aviation adventure, with three children, to help take the Good News to the tribes in Papua New Guinea. Blessedly, nine years into our journey in Papua New Guinea, Brielle was entrusted to our family.
Many who started on that adventure with us are still part of our team, while others have joined us along the way. You have prayed for us, and given sacrificially, so we could serve as ambassadors of the Lord, first in Papua New Guinea, and now in Mexico.
God is so faithful. He has invited each of us to co-labor with Him in the fields that are white unto harvest. He says that some sow the seed of the Word, some water the seeds that have been sown, yet HE is the One who gives the increase. It takes TEAMWORK to reach the world for Christ. Being a good ambassador is about being a good RE-presentation (representative) of Christ to those we encounter each day, and being faithful with the talents God has entrusted to each of us.
Hollie Mae, Brielle, and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for partnering with us. We count it a privilege to serve together with you. All the praise, honor, and glory goes to our loving God, who enables each of us to fulfill that which He has for us to do. Grace and peace to you, and blessings in abundance, from God our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Your fellow ambassadors for Christ,
Brent, Hollie Mae, and Brielle Dodd