We are Alex and Patricia. Born sinners. Redeemed through Christ.
Both of us were raised in God’s country: Iowa City, Iowa.
We have been married since August 6, 2011. Shortly after we were married we moved to Spokane, Washington for Alex to continue his training with Moody Bible Institute's aviation program. We feel called to spread the good news of the gospel through the tool of aviation and felt this program was the best means to that end. Over the course of 5 years, the program takes the student through a year of Bible courses (and more classes throughout the program), a two year aviation maintenance school, and two years of flight in order to prepare and train for overseas missions. During that time Tricia, who graduated from the University of Iowa in 2011, spent her time working to put Alex through school and volunteering.
Since Alex's graduation in June of 2014 we had moved back to Iowa to develop skills in aircraft maintenance, and to build up a team of supporters to send us out to the mission field. In 2016 we joined MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) and after the process of support raising and technical training we were off to Indonesia to start language school. 10 months later we moved to the island of Papua, where we have been serving until now. We live and serve in the city of Nabire with our 2 boys, Jackson and Benaya. We are super stoked about where God has brought us so far, and excited as to what God has for us in the future in Papua.
ABOUT ALEX
I was born in Florida, and raised in good ol' Iowa under a pretty sweet family who loves the Lord.
I graduated from the pristine Iowa City West High School back in 07', and started right up with engineering at the University of Iowa. I also wanted to fly those fast jets like on that movie Top Gun, so I signed up for the University's Air Force R.O.T.C. program. I found out quickly however, that engineering was something that I would not bring me satisfaction, and although I loved the Air Force, God strongly put on my heart that there was something else he has for me to do.
At this time I felt like I there was no way that I could do what I wanted to do, so I waited for some guidance and direction from God. Well, that only took a week because someone from church directed me towards mission aviation at Moody and I knew that is what God had for me. Three days after returning from a trip from Tanzania that summer, I had all my stuff packed in my car and drove to Spokane (where ever that was I thought) to start Moody Aviation.
Five years later plus taking a year off to marry my beautiful bride, I am finally a graduate of Moody Bible Institute. What happens next then? I get a job turning wrenches on airplanes in Iowa City near family, we pay off debt, I got my flight instructors certificate and apply to MAF and have a kid all in 2 years! After a 2 week test we were accepted as a missionary family with MAF. We attended training in late summer 2016 followed by our deputation (ministry partnership) process. Next comes language school on the island of Java, Indonesia for 10 months in January 2017, the birth of our second son, moving to Sentani, Papua for flight/maintenance training in January 2018, then moving to our final base of Nabire in November 2018... Here we are now and ready for what this next chapter has in store.
About Tricia
I was born and raised in Iowa City by Jim and Jill Schlott. They owned a gymnastics club and made it a point to be highly invested in my education and in showing me how important it is to pursue Christ every single day. So, I spent most of my childhood either at the Iowa Gym-Nest, at Heritage Christian School, or playing in the back yard with my older sister Kelly. To say that I was blessed seems like a massive understatement! For those interested, my parents sold their business in January 2012 and are still in the process of discovering what God has next for their lives; Kelly recently finished her masters in art administration and is currently working for a history museum in Georgia.
I graduated from Iowa City West High in 2007 and, after a brief stint as a education major, graduated from the University of Iowa with a social work degree in 2011. One short week after I finished school, Alex and I were married. I moved to Spokane with him and began 2 years of searching for the perfect job in my field, during which time God has taught me that His plans are not mine and that having a professional career is a bit overrated. In my personal life during that time, I have also learned more than I can wrap my mind around about being married, the gospel, fellowship in the church, friendship, cooking and cleaning, my own strengths and limitations, and the list goes on. Now Alex is finished with school and we are back in Iowa, I am looking forward to the professional and personal growth God has for me in this season.
For those of you wondering how mission aviation fits into my story, I am happy to explain. When I was a kid, we would often have missionaries our church supported come and preach on sunday mornings, and for as long as I can remember I felt that I was supposed to be one of them someday. However, looking back, I think that most of my thoughts on the matter came from a motivation to have great adventures and change the world. Later, during high school and college I had the chance to take two 2-3 month trips to experience missions, one to Bolivia South America and one to Namibia Africa. I can safely say that neither of those trips went the way that I had planned and, by the end of them, I was quite discouraged about my ability to do just about anything. As it turns out, that was just what I needed. As it came time for me to choose a college major and as I evaluated my strengths, interests, and the all of the many choices before me, I always inevitably came back to one thing. Serving people. So I chose social work as a major, trusting Christ that He knew how that choice would play out in my life. I also had the opportunity to take a class called Perspectives on the world Christian movement at my local church, which helped me further understand the role of missions within Gods heart for mankind. (I would recommend this class to anyone who has the opportunity to take it, wether you are interested in oversees missions or not.) Now, married to my best friend, our purpose and goals are united. I am looking into our future armed (most days) with the understanding that it is not about changing the world but about love and obedience, and that I bring nothing to the table except what Christ can do through me. I think I am equal parts excited and terrified about what lies ahead for us, but i wouldn't have it any other way.
Would you like to learn more?!
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