Flying To Save

Change in location

2011-02-04T06:34:00.003-05:00

Hello Family and Friends! I want to give you some great news! Since my surgery and all the time I've had working on our website designing a much better way to keep in touch with us we have decided to end our Blogger site and continue our blog on our website. This "one stop" website is just that, a place you can go and see everything about us instead of having to go to a couple of places. There is a "Subscribe" button on the websites' blog that you may use and it will keep you posted on our new posts every time they occur just like this site. Thank you all for keeping us with us, it's an honor to know you care. Click the link below and make this the new place to go and catch up on what's happening with us. Then go to the "Flying To Save" page www.thespangfamily.com see you there!

As Our Family Grows...

2010-11-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

Zeke, the master Lego builder. He is always making something new and creative. He usually has a build request for me when I get home.

It's big news when you find a bear the same size as you. =-) Perfect for practicing your hugs.

My beautiful wife showing off our newest addition. Our youngest in mommies "waiting room." (at 16 weeks)

Zeke and Dawson having some good play time together. We often laugh at Zeke and the faces or poses he makes while sleeping, but this was picture worthy.

Here's daddy overhead dropping a parachute. If you look really hard you can just make it out right back from the tail (past the cloud) and just bit down.

This is the newest addition guard dog at the school, Annie. A Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd mix who is a very fun loving guard dog who keeps us safe. With a very throaty bark and only 6 months old she can stand on her back feet with her front paws on my shoulders easy. BIG dog. =-)

Zeke is almost there but still in the "potting training battle."

The apartment continues to progress, just not at the speed we might want. I continue to do what I can, when I can, with what we already have to work with, and it's coming along.

We would really like to move in by Christmas, or close to that time.

I wouldn't get much down without my partner. He loves to help, even if he can just have a hand in on whatever is going on, he's a part of it. We have fun together.

Oh, so often this is how we all feel, so sleepy from all that happens day to day. Feeling overwhelmed so many times with all that we have going on and still not feeling like we are getting ahead, but knowing that it's all in HIS time, and not ours.

We are so blessed each and every day, and very thankful for our training right now. Please continue to pray for strength each day, wisdom in tackling tasks, and knowledge to get them done.

Home again, home again, jiggity, jig--AAAAHHH!

2010-08-25T17:23:00.005-04:00

Well, we are home!

We left July 19th and made it home Aug 25th. Many have asked how did I do, being pregnant, and how did Zeke do on the road.... Really, I did well, I did feel sick a fair amount, but it was quickly remedied by eating something, I found that was the key to keeping the "morning" sickness at bay. Zeke did better than ever in the van. Every time he is a little older, which means that he is able to occupy himself better. We haven't "caved" and bought a DVD player for the car, but he sure is quiet back there when we let him play games on the iPod Touch. Ya, probably not much better than a movie, but I'm sure any parent who's been on a car trip can relate. How was the trip overall? Good, encouraging again. We know we gained a couple new supporters and helped others who've been with us understand where we are a little better. We were also challenged to be more bold in talking to people about our financial need. I have to admit it is awkward! We don't come asking for hand-outs, so we do not want to give people that feeling at all. However, in shying away from that we have perhaps swung to the other end in avoiding the topic too much. Do pray we would find a good balance, one we feel fully convinced of. Also, this trip has been an exhausting one. I honestly feel about as tired as I did after our 3 month trip! But, perhaps being the first trimester has something to do with that. Zeke was funny, being ecstatic to see "New Friends", but immediately upon seeing them would bury his head in our legs. However, it didn't last long, particularly if someone had toys for him to play with or kids for him to play with. In addition after the about the 2nd family we saw he no longer wanted to participate in goodbyes. Poor kid. :( He is excited to be home. Home though, are we really home?? Uh, not exactly! We were welcomed by a sign that our young friend made... ...and then an even bigger "welcome" from, uh, here, you tell me what you think it is... They pooed everywhere, floor, counter, in our bed, in 1/2 of Jeffrey's clothes and all Zeke's, etc, etc. Exciting, huh? At first I thought, "OK then, lets just clean up and get to work." Jeffrey started in on the kitchen/bedroom and I took the living room which had less poo than the kitchen, but I got overwhelmed when I reached the computer desk. Our friends the Fultons offered to take us out for dinner and let us stay at their house as long as we need to. At first I just thought of how badly I wanted to cook our own food again and sleep in our own bed, but thoughts of lying awake all night in our own bed hearing mousy sounds and hoping one didn't run across me quickly changed my mind. (of all the many gf flours that are on my shelf they only opened the potato flour...I didn't even like that stuff, can't figure out how to use it yet!) :) (sigh) You know that saying the Bible says "God won't give you more than you can handle..." I just wish He wouldn't trust me with so much? I kinda feel like that right now, once again, "How much more can I be stretched???" Please pray we can effectively get rid of these little critters and settle back in soon. We will write another post soon about the end of our trip. Thank you for your prayers.

Covering New Ground

2010-08-14T06:47:00.012-04:00

We never knew he could play the piano, and with such passion =-).

Into Wisconsin we went with Zeke showing us how he could tickle himself. Driving gave me many miles to call friends and set up times to meet with them. I understand how a traveling business man feels now, but I have one thing better...the cutest secretary. It was very neat, we were able to set up many meetings with many friends in both WI and MI, praise the Lord! Zeke had to get his word in too. "What do you mean you can't deliver? Three large cheese pizzas, yes, the blue van" =-) Steve Irwin watch out, our son is a Zoo keeper. He likes to have ALL his animals in his arms, which he can hardly fit his arms around them all, before he goes to sleep. We were able to update three supporting churches on our progress, and give a better understanding of where our support level is. We enjoyed a neat little cook out with friends at this church one Wednesday, what an encouragement they have been to us. Oshkosh! Working at Oshkosh is always a joy, and something I have done now for the last 11 years! Wow, that's crazy! This year one of my old youth pastors came up and I was able to get him a ride in a trike, he loved it. It's great fun when you share the excitement of what you enjoy with others! What a great way to share THE TRUTH. One of the new LSA (light sport aircraft) at Oshkosh this year, we all called it "the flying egg." This is about the most simple aircraft out there. A Quicksilver with one person, no brakes or much else, but a whole lot of fun to fly. Zeke has been able to travel so much better this trip because he seems to be so much more creative. He can play with just about anything (picture) and keep himself occupied. It has also helped that daddy hasn't had so much "get there itis" that we stop for longer periods of "get the energy out." If Zeke knew how to petal he could have driven himself around the circle without a wingman. Visiting with friends and sharing with them our passion gives us so many opportunities to do things. We get to share everyday life with them as we catch up on their lives and share ours too. Zeke's new helmet for when he plays with Daddy. I was throwing pillows at him. =-) He is good at holding things down and loves to ride on anything that moves. What a boy. My old "home" when I was a staff kid here at NTBI. We stopped in and saw a lot of old friends still doing their part to teach students about the Bible. This is a very special couple. They did our premarital counseling with us and Bethany and I have really seen Christ in this couple's lives, and it's a blessing to know them as they continue to serve the Lord faithfully. We pray we can be has effective as they in our ministry. Across Indian, again on the way to Michigan. Spending some time at the annual Coast Guard Festival, Ezekiel was able to be the Captain of this Canadian vessel. With 4 2,000hp engines this ship can consistently break through 10ft thick ice! A really neat boat that can be operated by one man if needed, I can't imagine how busy he would be though. A night shot of Zeke and one of those glow stick necklace as we waited about an hour for the fireworks to start to end the show. Some of the best fireworks I have ever seen too. We were able to get a quick video of a part of the grand finale to share with you. - turn up the volume - It was almost too much with all of the "booms." Leaving Michigan on Monday the 16th we head over to PA for a Missions Fest at the Smoke Town Airport and some flying time with a friend there as we visit. Then we will be on to NC to visit some relatives and friends before heading south to "Home!"

Trusting Him

2010-07-21T05:39:00.008-04:00

This is very neat! We didn't know Zeke was an artist, but here is the proof! Any guesses? An airplane complete with (pressurized) windows, one wing, and partial tail. =-) He was in the living room drawing while mommy was washing dishes when he started proclaiming he had drawn an airplane! Upon seeing his masterpiece Bethany quickly looked around to see if anyone had helped him. Time to sign him up for some art lessons!

Bethany, Ezekiel and I have another opportunity to "Hit the road" to visit current supporters and continue allowing our Lord to build our financial support team. God is faithful, always! He was faithful to put this desire of aviation missions into our hearts, to provide the training I have already acquired, the supporters who have come alongside us, and He will be just as faithful to bring other supporters alongside our ministry. We are currently at 37% monthly support. I know we had stated before of a higher support level, but we must confess that we miscalculated. To have an effective training period here at Compass Aviation we have been praying that our monthly support would rise at least to 50%, would you pray with us? Please pray God would bring His servants alongside our ministry to allow us to enter into service together for HIM! View Larger Map Off we go then. On our way up the North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia countryside. Very beautiful area as we climb up through the Smokey Mountains. Into the hills of lovely West Virginia. My sign shooting skills are a little rusty. =-) Crossing the river brought us to Ohio and... To the house of my 4th grade teacher and principal. Living in a very quaint house, they are close to their roots and family now. Tiffany, their daughter is a serious Green Bay Packer fan who is proud to let everyone know it. We enjoyed our time of remembering silly things I used to do in school, and many other good memories of those years. They said I was their best student they could ever remember. Ok, maybe not the best ever. =-) Leaving their house and time of fellowship with them we felt very refreshed and excited about the way our trip has begun. Thanks for the great visit! This is the "look" that Zeke gets on his face as he wiggles his ears. It's great to watch him concentrate so hard. How does a kid keep himself occupied for long hours in the car ?... he is VERY creative! It's so neat to be loved! Every once in a while Zeke will want to hold our hand as he falls asleep and it's such a joy and comfort to know we are loved by him. God wants that relationship with us too. He has been showing us these things through our relationship with Zeke. He loves it when we draw close to Him and want to be with Him, clinging to Him for comfort. So cool! Here is our itinerary that you might pray with us along our journey... July 20-21 = Beavercreek, OH 22 = Indianapolis, IN 23-27 = Brookfield, WI 28-30 = Oshkosh Air Show, WI 31-Aug 1 = Sussex, WI 2-6 = Brookfield, WI 7-18 = Grand Rapids, MI 19-23 = Landisville, PA 24-27 = Pilot Mountain, NC Aug 28th = Home! Oh, and one other things. We were thinking about getting this shirt for Zeke, what do you think?Ya, we're excited too! We had been working towards getting Bethany as healthy as possible before we became pregnant again so we could try and avoid having another blood platelet problem like we had with Ezekiel, but we continued to hear God say, "Just trust me." After finally giving Him control and letting Him plan we are pregnant! Rejoice with us over this life of another baby growing inside Bethany. Zeke is really having a hard time not being able to hold the baby "Now." He is excited to have someone to play with though. Please pray with us about our new "Little Sprout", that God would make Himself known through this little one's life, and that we may stay close to Him trusting Him with everything. We sure appreciate you all, thank you for standing with us along life's journeys.

Sidetrack, and the work goes on...

2010-06-18T14:23:00.011-04:00

This is about where we are at with the apartment! Cutting cement is hard work! All my kitchen knives are ruined! j/k :)

Praise the Lord for willing hearts from our church that have helped. (The whole church came over one Saturday and did a good bit of work on framing windows and cutting more cement. PTL!) Daddy scored bonus points by making dominoes with the left over wood blocks

Plans have changed and a week or so ago we moved into a couple of the used-to-be offices. It feels like one of those one room cabins...but with two rooms. Truth be told, we really like it! But, it did indeed cause us to put the real apartment on hold and do a few things to prepare this space to be livable. First off, a shower in one of the bathrooms, oops, shower was too big, gotta cut through the metal/cement door frame...

There we go, now it's in and framed, and built up to allow for plumbing.

And Jeffrey drywall, mudded, and painted it.

Dirty, but installed! Yeah!

And now to put the door back on.

Ah plumbing...this cute little nob turns off the water to the whole school, it was installed in 1962. It quit working. :( Thankfully the next day the guys realized why and were able to fix it.

Here is our temporary apartment. You can see the progress that has been made in the next few pictures. This room is our bedrooms/kitchen.

I even got cabinets and a (cool water) sink! :)

Room #2 has our desk, dining area, chair, and toys.

What a sport. (pardon the pun)

It's coming together...

I keep putting off posting this so we can hang pictures empty the last boxes and get it looking nice, but as anyone who has ever moved knows, that just about never happens, so you'll just have to use your imaginations, and someday we'll show you the finished (temporary) apartment. :)

Kidsenses

2010-06-18T14:08:00.004-04:00

Memorial Day was rainy, but we set out in the van to do "something" fun together anyway. As we drove through the small town of Rutherfordton I saw a "museum" called Kidsenses. It was great! Well priced and looking like lots of fun, we decided to give it a try. First Zeke tried out the fire engine.

Then a play grocery store, and a room full of slides, caves, trees and books...

Zeke and Papa made "lunch" for me, and then we all sat down to eat.

This room was all about bubbles! Here you stood on a platform and pulled a hoola hoop thing up and it brought the whole bubble around you!

A life sized kalidascope...

and much, much more. On the way from downstairs to upstairs, Zeke and I took the "unconventional" way.

We sure love this little guy, and we were so glad to have a fun day with him :) (I'm a little tea pot??)

Tony's "The Man"

2010-05-30T16:45:00.008-04:00

Tony came out early this last Saturday to give me a hand with the framing of our new apartment.

I finally had the room completely empty and ready for the framing to begin.

Zeke was happy to have Uncle Tony here to help make him a bedroom.

First the outside walls went up.

Tony and I got to a point once that we just had to have Ezekiel come and show us how to do it.

It was great to work with Tony, we work well together.... most of the time. =-)

For his birthday Zeke received a bunch of play tools and thought this was the perfect time to try them out.

The floor plan is very simple for this room and only has two bedrooms with a closet each.

Tony brought all his own tools, and we just found a groove that allowed us to work fast together.

Master bedroom closet.

Yea, half of the apartment framed!

Once Ezekiel had earplugs in he just hung out with us guys in the room as we made all sorts of noise and he broke in his new tools. He loved being a part of the fun, and playing with the 2x4 scraps.

We all enjoyed the day and time with Tony. We are very thankful for the time he sacrificed for us and the product we are left with! Now we are one step closer to moving in!

We have bedrooms and closets! Hooray!

The Old Schoolhouse

2010-05-22T19:55:00.005-04:00

So, for starters, here is a picture of the school from google maps... The section we'll live in is the top right. The family that owns this place also owns a machine shop, located in they gym, the large building on the left end.

Here is our "front door"

Duplicate picture from the last post, but here is our "back door"

This is what it looked like with the tile and carpet, board and cupboards on the walls.

Demolition is in progress. There goes the carpet, and all the tiles are being ripped up.

This used to be a kindergarden class, so it had a small toilet and sink. (Nice because there is plumbing!) Jeffrey is knocking out the wall.

No more things on the walls.

More to come!

Mooresboro, NC (otherwise known as...) WE ARE IN SHELBY!!!!!!

2010-05-22T19:22:00.006-04:00

Wed. May 19th we finally did it! We moved to North Carolina!

Thank you Dad & Mom Spang for moving your camper/trailer and allowing us to use it for a few more weeks!

We will be living at an old school that a Christian family owns. We will be working to turn 2 school rooms into a duplex for people in ministry. Later we'll help the family turn another section of classrooms into their home. For now, we continue to live in the trailer...

I ran to grab the camera and when I came back Zeke was holding these two ladies hands.

Everyone helped to get the trailer pulled in the gate and set up.

Here is where the duplex will be, one residence on either side of the white fence. From the first day we met this family, Victoria and Zeke were inseparable! Here she is showing him the baby chickens, actually, more like teenage chickens. Here you can see the rest of the family. Nathan & Jane, then Nate, Matthew, Charity, and Victoria.

The whole thing took about 3 hours, overall a very smooth set up!

Thank you for your prayers! We are here! (next update...the duplex!)

Ezekiel's 2nd Birthday!!

2010-05-22T19:04:00.005-04:00

Zeke turned two on the 20th! Wow, such a big boy! Here are some pictures of Thursday...we opened two presents that day, and then had a party on Saturday with family and our new friends :) Nonna sent a gift and I was able to use the stuffing paper to wrap it, but it was boring, so I decorated it :) We look forward to going camping as a family and now Zeke can has his own sleeping bag!! Now...to find ours (haha!) New pj's from Gwamma and Gwampa We told a couple people that Zeke would think tools were really cool, especially since Papa will be using them soon... Now, he's better prepared than Jeffrey! He got so many tools! Awesome! Aunt Kari and Uncle Dallas gave him a little work bench and the Grandparents and our new friends gave him "loose" tools...saws, hammers, screw drivers, etc, etc. He was very excited! He blew out the candle all by himself. The Mr. Spangs The Jr. Spangs Thanks for joining in the fun!

Finished Traveling! - - - - for now =-)

2010-04-08T21:27:00.026-04:00

Elizabethton, TN

Our Northeastern trip began with a friend I met at Oshkosh, WI many years ago. A newer Christian then, he and I have kept in touch over the years. He is a prayer warrior now and growing in the Lord and I am happy to know him. We shared some lunch and fellowship as we caught up together. Knoxville, TN Our first night was spent with an old friend of Bethany's from when she lived in Montana. We had a nice time visiting her, eating some Thai, and just catching up. Ezekiel especially enjoyed her and I think this picture explains that just perfect. She is enjoying being a teacher, and would very much like to minister to her community through her life and just be a Christ-like example to those around her.

Roanoke, VA This was my pastor when we were in England! It was great to see them again. I enjoyed introducing Bethany and Ezekiel to them for the first time in the flesh. =-) During our stay I either picked up a stomach virus, or had food poisoning because Sat. night I was sick really bad. I retired that night early and spent it mostly in the bathroom. After my stomach told me it wanted nothing in it about 8 times I was able to sleep, get rest and start to recover. I felt so bad my sickness caused me to lose time with them, but the time we did enjoy together was very nice. He gave me some time to share our ministry from the pulpit and what a joy it was again. I always enjoy sharing what my hearts desire is, because it gets me fired up again. I can get so bogged down with all of the things of this world every day, but sharing it really lights that fire again for me. =-) Driving north we past through some beautiful country. Nothing like what we came upon out West, but it did have it's own way of being beautiful. Charlotesville, VA Another friend of Bethany's and her husband allowed us to share a few days with them. Newly weds, they both are in school and learning lots. We spent a good amount of time with them mostly getting to know them better, but we also enjoyed seeing the city and surrounding area. Up north a little ways we found some Grand Caverns! Very pretty and neat to see how God's beauty is not just above the ground we stand on. Huge caverns filled with slow growing formations Zeke thought were great. As we entered the Caves he loudly proclaimed, more than once, "WOW!" This brought smiles to all the faces of those who were in the party exploring that day. North again on up to PA and more of the Shenandoah Valley to see. Landisville, PA Airplanes! =-) Here we had time with some old friends from MI that we have been missing for a while. In MI we did many things outdoors together, and just spent many nights eating pizza, playing games, watching movies, or sharing. We were very excited about our time with them again and were not disappointed. These folks now live near their family and Daryl is a part of a aviation company who fly charter flights and tow banners for big events as advertising. The Super Cub is the airplane they use to tow the banners. One night we sure had a good time flying in it. It is an old airplane, used as a trainer many years ago, and still today. A great short takeoff and land airplane, but only holding two people it's more of a purpose built aircraft. We went up flying just the two of us first but then I had to take Zeke and see what he thought of it. He loved it more then I thought he might, so much that when we landed he wouldn't leave the airplane unless we went up for more. After agreeing to take him up for one more time around the patch he willingly got out of the plane. It was great! I'm sure he has "the bug" and that makes me VERY proud. =-) He had to be in the middle of anything that went on and just wanted to be involved. It was a fun time for sure as we visited these friends, we miss them and made up for it while we spent time together. We also looked around at some really cool airplanes on the field. Daddy and his co-pilot. This airplane is a replica of the one Nate Saint flew during his time in Ecuador, South America. Nate Saint was one of a group of men who wanted to reach a tribe of people greatly feared by many for good reasons. They used the airplane to reach them in more ways then one. I would challenge you to read about it if you have the time. Nate was a pioneer in many ways in aviation. A man of many ideas and creativity he designed and made many things to add to the airplane to use for the purpose of reaching the lost. This barrel was used for the pilot to drop preloaded items, during flight, to the people below. This invention is a long rope on the a spool with a motor to pull it back up. At the end of the rope was a bucket which would be lowered and upon the pilot flying a smooth circle in the sky it would stand still on the ground some hundred feet below. Another invention of his was telephone he had along the same lines. It was attached to long cord on the real and another telephone was on the other end for the pilot to talk with those on the ground. All inventions way before their time, and some not even duplicated since. All things to aid in expanding the reach of the gospel. Ezekiel of course had many times to sleep in the van again. Bethany and I said many times this trip that he had done so well, much better then before. (Lego were one way we kept him busy!) Washington, DC We spent a day in DC to see the things of this nation that made it a nation. Here is the White House as we drove into town. A hour and a half wait to see the many documents the National Archives held. During one of our stops to play Zeke decided to stand and pose like this for a little while. The World War II Memorial was very neat to see. Abraham Lincoln's Memorial was quite a sight as well and our favorite. A cute picture. =-) Back down to Virginia, which was just across the river, we stayed with a relative of Bethany's. What a wonderful time we spent with her visiting and enjoying each other. Zeke VERY much enjoyed his time with her as they played, drew, and laughed together. She was renewed with every smile he gave and all the wonder a two-year old can show. We always try to be a blessing to those whom we stay with and this time we really felt we were able to do that. Her fridge upstairs was almost dead so Bethany and I moved the one from down stairs up for her to use. We sure like to help, and pray we can continue to "help" all the way through the ministry God has for us in the road ahead. Virginia Beach, VA More friends from England were here to visit. Traffic made us two hours late, but we sure enjoyed the late night catching up time we did have with them. After a nights sleep we went out with them for breakfast and headed down the road together as we traveled the same direction for Easter Sunday. Oh Yeah! Ezekiel has touched the Pacific, Atlantic oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico all within 7 months! He thought it was pretty fun chasing the waves We enjoyed a couple of days with these friends in NC. When I was a boy and my parents were in training at New Tribes in Waukesha, we knew Kelly. We had a nice visit with her family over Easter Sunday. Coming soon! Our new prayer card!

N/E Trip Itinerary

2010-03-18T10:49:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow (Friday, March 19th) we are off again! This is the last of our big trips around the states (for now). Here is are where the labels mark: A-Home, Greenville, SC B-Elizabethton, TN C-Knoxville, TN D-Roanoke, VA E-Staunton, VA F-Charlotsville, VA G-Landisville, PA H-Fredricksburg, VA I-Virginia Beach, VA J-Roxboro, NC K-Fort Mill, SC L-Home again, home again, jiggity, jig :) We are excited to see continue building our friendships with folks. We are also getting very excited as we are now near 47% of our needed support. Remember, at 50% we can move up to Compass and start full time training! We look forward to how God will continue to raise up people to stand, kneel, and work with us as we train. We praise God for the team that is already behind us!

Our Southeastern Trip

2010-02-23T13:37:00.016-05:00

Some of you have been asking how our trip was, or even if we were still on it, so we figured we'd better get with the program and let you know how it went!

It was an answer to prayer: Zeke did very good in the car on this trip. We were gone for almost 2 weeks this time...he even made the last 7 hour leg (almost a miracle!) Hooray! Our first stop: Conyers, GA...hm, I guess we forgot about the camera until we hit AL! Oops! We saw some old friends (the Pastor and his family who used to be the Spang's Pastor in England!) in Georgia. We had a great time, their daughter said Zeke even looks like me (she's my newest "best friend" haha!) :) We also had the privilege of sharing a meal with Jeffrey's Uncle and family! Our next stop: This gentleman lead Jeffrey's Dad to the Lord back at Beale AFB in CA, almost 30 years ago. Wow, the influence that people have...God used him to share, and now Jeffrey's whole family is saved. We bought our van in April of last year at 98,000 miles. As you can see we have gotten good use out of it so far!! Next stop (not-so) warm... Snow in FL? Nope, that is the beautiful white beaches of Panama City Beach! We enjoyed flying an airplane shaped kite for a few minutes too. Wow, you should see some of the houses around that area, this one was kind of Flintstones meets Retro style. Rosemary Beach had the neatest looking style to all the houses, here are just a couple examples of what the whole community looked like. And finally, the sweet people we were there to visit! These folks have been New Tribes Mission Representatives for years and years...the Circuit Ridin' Preacher and his Southern Belle. Just about the sweetest couple you could ever meet. They liked Zeke a lot too, and even got a special shirt for him. Zeke's first Carousel ride, he liked it! We stopped by Wordspring Discovery Center, put on by Wycliffe in Orlando, FL What is this place? Well, it is just what is says, a "discovery center". We discovered all sorts of things about missions... ...how people of different regions dress, and what John 3:16 sounds like in their language... ...what some some verses look like in Greek and Latin... ...what our names look like in old, modern, and made up languages, how you can say "carry" some 20 different ways in one language, and how changing the tone of your voice can change what you are saying... ...and many different stories about how the Bible came to be in so many different languages, including some of the very first translations. This is the couple at NTM's Headquarters who let us stay with them. They were wonderful examples to us of hospitality, of how we should treat our "brothers and sisters" in the Lord. We missed a lot of the NTM staff we wanted to see, but we did get a tour and visit with this dear praying friend. Jeffrey couldn't believe this truck, look at it compared to the normal size garage it is parked in front of! We were able to meet a family that I (Bethany) have been praying for since Bible School. They recently returned from the Siawi tribe in PNG after 11 years of living there and translating the Bible. It was encouraging to hear some stories from "front line" missionaries! They told us a little of what aviation meant to them too, how wonderful it was to see the pilot come every so often. They told us the pilots that were the most encouraging were the ones who made sure that their own walks with the Lord were good first, and second were actually interested in the missionaries and took the time whenever they could to sit and talk and listen and remember some of the details of their lives! We pray God will continue to grow us to be effective and useful like this. The husband in this picture was friends with Jeffrey over 10 years ago. So fun catching up with friends! It's an old picture, but this is my friend's parents and they were our last stop before home. This was by far the most encouraging stop in the food realm of things. She has struggled with the exact same food things I am currently struggling with so she knew exactly what to do and I didn't have to worry at all. Not only that but we had a great time visiting them and seeing some of their friends and attending a Bible Study too. Can't resist, he's just too cute!

Almost There

2010-02-02T17:57:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends & Family, We are almost to our goal of 50%! We are currently at about 40% and are still in need of about $400 dollars a month support. We are so close and are excited to be supported by so many people already, but would you also prayerfully consider joining our team? We need your support to help us continue in our training and become better equipped for the mission field. Once this 50% mark is reached we are then able to move to Shelby, NC from our current residence here in Greenville, SC (about an hour south). Upon moving to Shelby, NC we can continue our mechanical & flight training. Thank you for considering us. Jeffrey, Bethany and Ezekiel Spang

Support Team Building Trip-leg 2

2010-02-02T16:17:00.005-05:00

Yes, we are off on another trip! This time only to the southeastern corner of the USA, with an approximate 2,300 miles (1/6th the length of our last trip!) Here is a map of our currently planned stops... (if you click on the picture it will get bigger) We leave this Saturday with our first stop near Atlanta, GA, then over to Alabama, with the majority of people we know in Florida. We hope to see around 17 people. We look forward to seeing YOU if you are in the area. If you haven't heard from us yet, please let us know, we don't want to miss you!

A "Bear" from the woods

2010-02-02T11:43:00.008-05:00

One night I was out back doing something and heard a noise from the woods. I quickly got my flashlight on it but couldn't see anything right away. Then, out from the leaves came an hairy cat? Well I thought it was a cat at first, but then this furry animal came trotting over to me and sat on my feet looking up at me. It was a very furry, black and very cute puppy. He seemed to have just come from the woods. We did our best to find whoever it was that owned him, and ended up putting an ad on Craigslist, and the Humane Society.

So we were able to spend a few days with this little guy. We think he might have been a lab/chow mix of some sort, but boy was he a cute little dude. After a bath and a breath mint he smelled good too. =-)

We figured that someone might have just been given him as a Christmas present and he wondered off, but after three or so days we started to wonder if anyone wanted him at all.

Zeke really like that fact that the puppy was small like him and liked him so much.

Zeke would try running with the puppy, only to be tripped by him and have him lick Zeke's face like crazy once Zeke was on the ground. =-) It was quite the fun process to watch.

We kept him for five days and enjoyed it very much. Before we gave him to a good home we named him "Bear" because he looked so much like a little bear cub. He really was a cool little pup.

So Blessed

2010-02-02T09:07:00.007-05:00

Ezekiel had his second photo shoot. He received these pants as a present from uncle and anutie and they wanted a picture of them on him. He sure does like the camera, and is learning more faces everyday to make when one is pointed his way. =-)

We had the privilege of sharing a few days with Bethany's dad who came out from Utah for a quick visit. I think the camera took him by surprise. =-) Zeke liked seeing and playing with his "Abu".

Grandpa & Grandma have also very much enjoyed the time they have had with Ezekiel. We can all see changes in this little boy just from the time we moved here. I know I have heard this from so many parents, but "he is growing up so fast!"

I still don't understand it, but Zeke is always the most giddy right before bed. The perfect time for daddy to get him wound up. =-)

South Carolina

2010-01-13T12:11:00.002-05:00

You know those Christmas pictures you set the camera timer and try to run to your spot so you can pose for the picture, well this one was a mess up for sure. The timer just seemed to go too quick for an 18month old bag of wiggles, but we did get some fun ones, and those are the "real" pictures of our life.

Zeke didn't think mommy and daddy were smiling enough.

We were constantly telling him "don't touch" when he would try to grab the ornaments on the tree. From the eyes of an toddler why would you put hundreds of hangy things all over a giant thing right in the open if you couldn't go and grab them for inspection?? (side note: He did really well not touching. He also had a blast helping Grandma un-decorate yesterday!)

After lassoing these two they were strapped down to get some pictures with Grandma & Grandpa. =-)

Zeke REALLY has been enjoying his cousin Dawson. They keep each other busy and always find new ways to get into mischief.

Zeke is practicing his "smile" for the camera.

He found the stash of diapers.

Tony and I went out on the four wheelers and had a great time! There were more trails then I had ever seen before and not enough daylight to ride them all.

We would get so far out on a trail and realize that if we both got stuck that we would be out there for quite a while.

The one time of the day I listened to my brother to "go through it" the puddle turns out to have a huge hole in the middle.

Mud = Fun A really cold morning turned into a beautiful day and a great time with my brother.

"HOME"

2009-12-20T16:32:00.006-05:00

Of all the signs we saw on the road this one seemed to have more brilliant colors, and a louder "Welcome" then all the others.

We realized on our trip that "home" is where we are, together. Staying with my parents is only a temporary thing, but a good time we get to be close to my family. My brother lives just at the end of the street and my sister is two hours away outside Charlotte. Ezekiel is really enjoying the time he gets to spend with Dawson (his cousin). They sure enjoy wrestling together. We really would have liked to move right to Compass Aviation, one hour north of us, but our monthly support level is still below 50%. We are currently at 37% monthly support, and trusting God to bring us up the rest of the way. My parent's trailer is working as a pretty nice "home" for the time being, and we are very happy for it. It's a whole lot bitter than our van! We arrived here Nov. 17th late at night and crashed into bed with the releiving feeling of not having to travel any more. Thanksgiving was wonderful and very tasty! My mom makes some really good stuff, and my wife has adapted to our new, hopefully temporary, way of eating no wheat. With more food than we could all eat even if we tried, we enjoyed our time of fellowship together as a family. Christmas isn't far away now and we all are getting excited. Zeke likes to look at the tree when all the lights are shining brightly. I wish I could help him understand the real meaning of Christmas now, but I know that will come soon. We are so thankful for all of your prayers and support along our trip!! It was very fruitful, very adventuresome, and very fun. Looking ahead and remaining faithful to get to Compass Aviation as soon as possible we are planning another trip, but his time only the East Coast will see our faces. With many lessons learned from our West Coast trip we plan on continuing our travels some time in February. May you all have a blessed Christmas filled with the Joy God meant for it to hold for us. Merry Christmas.

Ohio

2009-12-20T16:10:00.009-05:00

With only one stop left before we would stop traveling, Ohio was the next destination.

We had Bethany's Grandpa to visit and some friends of my family we had not seen since England.

We were able to visit the National Museum of the Air Force! Zeke had a blast pointing out all the airplanes. I had a blast too trying to explain why each aircraft was so cool. Zeke had his first in-cockpit training from his daddy. =-) Yup, Zeke dressed up for us. One of my favorite airplanes, the P-38 Lightning a really cool plane. With our quick stop over with and a sigh of relief that our next stop was the end for a while we set off down the road for Greenville, SC.

Michigan at last!

2009-12-08T12:09:00.007-05:00

On the road again but this time it would be back to Michigan over three months after we left.

Ezekiel sure had been a trouper for this entire trip. At the beginning of it he could travel for about 4-5 hours at a time, but by the end he thought any amount of time strapped into his car seat was too long. We were very blessed by this little boy the entire trip.

We would look back many times along our way to see this peaceful little face of our son, pretty cute.

We were very glad that he could sleep in the van.

While we knew it would only be a week or so we were very glad to get to Michigan again to see our sending church and many friends. During our time there we were able to spend almost a week with some good friends, share the events of our trip with the church, and visit so many folks. Praise the Lord we had only one van problem for the entire trip and that happened while in MI. The Gas tank started to leak, and with all the visits planned with folks I really had no time to fix it myself. God provided the money, the place, and time to get it done within our stay there. It was really nice! We said good bye again to the folks at church, and set out for SC. The end is in sight!

Missouri

2009-11-30T13:46:00.016-05:00

Named after the its river, this 240 mile wide state held two stops for us.

We all enjoyed some time out with our best friends from MI.

I used to ride with this guy to school everyday for the year we went to SMAT in MI. We lived by each other for about three years and have really missed them since our move from the blistery North.

Ricky loves taking pictures, and managed to get one of Zeke in a normal pose while riding in the backpack carrier.

Zeke saw pretty much the entire world, in his little mind, from this position. We took quite the many excursions like this, and I loved hearing his little giggles here and there letting me know I was doing the fun stuff.

It was a great day for a walk in the park, and this park was just next to the river.

I almost stepped on this little 8" guy who was playing his own game of "Frogger" crossing the walk/bike path in front of us. This little Prairie Kingsnake was quite the sight and a little mad that he couldn't get across the path without a photo shoot. =-)

While visiting our friends we stopped into a Nature Center to see about nature in Missouri. Zeke loved pushing their daughter around in the stroller, that's why the picture is fuzzy cuz they wouldn't stop moving.

Have you ever kissed a Gar, I have and I wouldn't suggest it. Their long snout makes them really bad kissers. =-)

Nothing like a Fall day in the park playing in the leaves. These two bundles played together and we snatched a quick picture in the leaves. There's a couple of faces for ya.

He's a young one, but he's riding to save his princess....or something like that. Of the two horses Zeke really liked riding the black one.

Swings!

What's really funny is Zeke never use to like swings, but this day he had a grand old time.

Great poses, but no comment.=-)

Some of you know that Zeke has this huge thing about motorcycles. I finally got him one and he loves it. It was a great feeling knowing my son really likes a "guy thing."

With as many beautiful sunsets as I have seen it amazes me to think of the beauty we all shall see some day in heaven, and in the new earth.

New Tribes Missionary Training Center is in Camdenton, MO and what a sight it is. Roughly 300 acres this place is dotted with apartments, houses, and classrooms preparing missionaries for work in the mission.

These folks were also friends of ours in MI and I enjoyed going to school with this guy for 1900 hours of classroom aircraft mechanic school. We saw many friends from New Tribes in Waukesha, and many others we have known through the years.

"Oklahoma"

2009-11-05T23:22:00.007-05:00

No, not the movie, but the state. =-)

Nicknamed the "Sooner State" this state held two families we had not seen for a while. The first family was in England when I was a young boy, and the Mrs. was my Sparky leader. We enjoyed our time catching up with them and sharing our ministry as well. This guy was in my mechanic class in MI. I used to cram into the smallest car with this guy and two others to ride to school every day. It was nice to meet his wife, see their house, and just spend some time together.

The Lone Star State

2009-11-05T16:20:00.012-05:00

Welcome to Texas!

We were starting to consider skipping Dallas altogether, but (woohoo!) we were finally able to get a hold of the 2 sets of friends we wanted to see. Here are some old friends. They made gluten free brownies for us (besides a great dinner meal). They scored major BONUS points! :)

Here is the other couple we saw, this one was some of Bethany's friends from when she lived in TX. We learned that this man was a personal assistant to Billy Grahm. Pretty neat stuff!

My little cowboy.

We enjoyed some "family" down time in the Dallas area.

We went mini golfing. We played with normal putters, but Zeke enjoyed watching us try with his little one... we felt pretty silly, but it made us laugh and we all enjoyed that. =-)

One good lookin' kid.

Playing motorcycle with Daddy.