The Liberty Gazette
December 21, 2021
Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely
Linda: There are signs in yards around town proclaiming that Jesus is the reason. Indeed, Christmas isn’t about trees, Santa Claus, and reindeer. If we are going to celebrate the birth of Christ, supporting people and organizations who are committed to doing his work deserve our attention. We can make a difference.
As we journey further along in the Giving Season, we aim to create awareness and present opportunities for your heart to change lives around the world. This week, we highlight the Christian mission organization, AIM Air. AIM stands for Africa Inland Missions.
AIM Air has two bases in Africa. The main base is at Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. The other is a remote base in Arua, a large town in northwest Uganda bordering South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This base serves the missionaries who work “beyond the end of the road.”
Donations to AIM Air become a lifeline for missionaries serving people in remote places. They provide critical support by air, and that keeps missionaries safer and serving longer in Africa in the most isolated and vulnerable places. Sometimes missionaries or the people they serve need immediate care. There have been scares with poisonous snakes, and there have been civil wars. Through these, and all kinds of emergencies in between, it has just taken one phone call to AIM Air to begin evacuation.
Because of the kinds of aircraft they fly, often generically referred to as “bush planes,” AIM Air pilots can land just about anywhere, load up, and take off, getting people to safety.
They also bring supplies to those on the front lines. Items such as mail, food, audio bibles and literacy materials, car parts and building supplies have made their way to the most remote places on AIM Air’s planes.
I flew with AIM Air a couple of times years ago. A Cessna 206 and a Caravan. We flew out of Nairobi and landed in South Sudan and Congo, ever mindful of guerrillas hiding in the trees. The kind that carry guns.
Mike: In 1982, the flight instructor who worked with me for my commercial pilot certificate was an AIM Air pilot. In 1985, this pilot who trained me to do canyon turns flew four hostages out of hostile territory after being released by Sudanese rebels that had held them captive for over a year. They sometimes are called upon to do these things.
AIM Air invites us all to join their “Half Ton Team”. By sending $50 a month, they can fly an extra 1,100 pounds of goods or people. There’s a special joy this brings to givers. For me, it’s one of anticipation for the future, because while I may not see the impact of what one flight with one little box on board may mean this side of eternity, on the other side… I can just imagine. If you’ve ever dreamed of launching a flight without being a pilot, supporting AIM Air will allow you to do that.
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