Dear Praying Partners,
Six-months after he graduated from Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City, my father joined the Air Force. It was 1956. Just over ten years earlier, in April of 1942, the Air Force had completely remodified a Boeing B-25 to hold a 9,600-pound atomic bomb which the Dolittle Raiders then dropped on Japan and promptly ended World War II! The Air Force Squadron which did the extensive modifications was the 509th—the very squadron to which my father was assigned. He served for six years as an airplane mechanic and crew chief who worked mostly on B-45s, B-47s and briefly on B-52s.
In the summer of 2001, almost 40 years after leaving the service, my dad was driving on I-10 west out of Pensacola, Florida, with my mom when they saw Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile Bay where the 690-ft. long USS Alabama Battleship was docked. They decided to stop and enjoy the museum for a few hours. At the park there were several airplanes on display, and among them, my dad noticed none other than a B-45 Tornado—just like the ones he used to work on! He admired, reminisced, and finally became curious about this particular bomber. The markings seemed vaguely familiar. He asked permission to climb aboard to view the mechanics log. When he did, he saw both his initials and signature multiple times up and down the log next to repairs and services he either performed or oversaw! This plane was one of the very bombers he had cared for almost 40 years earlier!
Like my father faithfully serviced those planes, we, too need to faithfully ‘service our missionaries’ by heavily investing hours of informed and intelligent prayer on their behalf! We don’t know how long they will last in active service. The B-45 only served for about 9 years before it was superseded by another aircraft. But even so, during its term, it played an important part to the US’s nuclear deterrent! In like manner, our missionaries play a critical role in the sovereign plan which the Lord of Hosts is using in the world today to deter the enemy and march on the gates of Hell, snatching some out of the flames!
I would love to be able to be reunited with many long-serving missionaries after 40 years of undergirding them in prayer! I urge you to not grow weary or distracted as we stand firm in praying for those who actively serve in various locations throughout the world! Their service depends on it!
Humbly yours,
Rodney Myers
GFF General Director