“Posion Report” Tim & Cheryl Doggett Back to Africa Summer 2014 The Samaritan’s Purse Cessna Caravan, Tim flew in June, serving the people of South Sudan. Kiersten DeLong coming on board as our part-time Office Administra- tive Assistant. (We are in dialogue with others as well—stay tuned). Again this is very representative of where we are in ACMI. It is time to get others (many others) involved in the leadership of this ministry and this extends right out into our fields. We consider it a great honor that the door has opened to serve with Samaritan’s Purse. We are certainly not new to their team (we have served side by side off and on for many years) but this will be our first assignment as SP members. We are very excited about their Christ- centered approach to humanitarian relief, literally fulfilling the vital compassion-role of the Church in this world. Wherever there is natu- ral disaster, disease, or war, you are very likely to find SP personnel on the ground. We praise God for this opportunity to give witness to His Kingdom in some of the most des- perate situations in the world. So we are headed to Africa! Cheryl prepared a small shipment of some basic furniture (a bed, some chairs, a table) and supplies, with just two weeks notice; it is already on its way to Africa and should ar- rive shortly before or after Tim does. We head to a new-member orientation in North Carolina next week (this will be our fourth orien- tation). Then we have some major ACMI events to tend to (our own pre-field orientation with our new- est members, a business meeting and ICOM) and then Thanksgiving during which I’ll be packing my bags to depart two days later. We are overwhelmed by God’s abun- dant provision (if you are interested in how this affects our budget, let us know—He is amazing), and by His clear leading over these past few weeks. We look forward to all He will do over the next two years. Cheryl and I believe that God has spoken, once again, with very specific direction for our lives. Maybe we have become too com- fortable in our present life circum- stances, and in many ways this seems like yet another radical (certainly sudden) change in direc- tion for us. In other ways, howev- er, we feel like God is simply in- viting us to go back home. In short, we are making plans to move back to Africa. Tim has tickets to depart the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Cheryl plans to follow a few weeks later. We are calling this new as- signment the 90/30 Hybrid, a plan that allows us to live and work both from our home-base in the U.S. and a new home-base in Afri- ca. For 90 days we will live and work from the Samaritan’s Purse (SP) base in Eldoret, Kenya. Tim will be officially employed as a pilot flying various relief missions for SP mostly in and out of South Sudan, but also to and from other African destinations. At the same time we will continue our ACMI administrative duties, Tim as Ex- ecutive Director, Cheryl primarily as Office Manager (though she will be much more involved in the day to day management of ACMI while Tim is flying). Then for 30 days we will be moving back to the U.S. to fulfill important ACMI administrative duties (meetings, interviews, training, the annual retreat etc.) that can only be done in person. In other words the con- cept of having a mobile office (which we have pulled off before, with a laptop and a cell phone) will become a more constant reali- ty. We have committed to this 90/30 Hybrid, rotating back and forth, for a period of two years. These last few months have been quite a ride (exciting yet stressful) as we have processed this opportunity. In many ways we feel completely out of our minds, mak- ing a move like this at this stage of life. We are full-fledged grandpar- ents for crying out loud, and I just found out I qualify to eat off the seniors’ menu! This year’s calen- dar was already pretty full, and liv- ing in two places does not sound like a lot of fun. However, as we have invited our family, our team- mates, the ACMI board, our home church, and many others to pray alongside us and to share their thoughts, God has granted a certain- ty that this is what He is asking us to do. So much about this new ar- rangement does make sense based on where we are as a couple, and based on the direction God is lead- ing ACMI. We feel a more con- sistent field presence could definite- ly be part of His plan. Of course there are and will be challenges and we are working on a plan that will help cover the bases, here at the physical office, while we are away. Even so, however, God’s fingerprints have been evident in this process as well. God has been providing the staff we need, begin- ning with our daughter in law, Eri- ka Doggett, taking on the Office Accountant role and more recently