by Holly Smith

RIDGECREST - There's a new airline in town: Mission Air.

Sponsored by Immanuel Baptist Church in Ridgecrest, Mission Air's maiden voyage served as an alternative to the traditional Sunday night missions banquet. Theme for the March 4 event was, "The Call: Come Fly With Me," featuring 11 "destinations" where church member-missionaries shared their experiences of short-term mission work in Russia, Canada, New Orleans, Togo, Myanmar/Burma, China, Turkey, Mexico, California's High Desert and Hawaii.

The "flight" came complete with boarding passes; "flight attendants" distributing peanuts, pretzels and water; sound effects simulating take-off and landing; safety instructions from Pilot Ray Schenk, a church member and Commander with the U.S. Navy based at nearby Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake; and even an in-flight movie (excerpts from the film "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" about Gladys Aylward, missionary to China in the 1930s).

After "deplaning" the "aircraft" - set up in a large meeting room in the church's 60,000-square-foot education building - "passengers" spent 10 minutes each in six of the 11 destinations.

Jessica Lenderman, who in 2005 completed two years as an International Mission Board Journeyman missionary to St. Petersburg, brought a new perspective to the church's missions committee upon her return from Russia. She agreed to head up this year's North American and international missions emphasis, saying she "wanted to go beyond" a traditional meal and guest speaker.

Lenderman explained that being "someone who's done (international mission work), someone who can stand up there and tell people they need to go overseas because I've been overseas, and it's not just someone saying it because they know you're supposed to" makes a difference. "There's a little more credibility," she said.

Jim Witham, long-time Immanuel member who has traveled to Myanmar/Burma three times, acknowledged God "is not going to call everyone to be out on mission. But we pray that more will go with us, more will give, more will pray."

Several already have agreed to go - to New Orleans this spring to assist in ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, according to Scott Johnson, Immanuel's minister of education. He presented information during the missions emphasis about Southern Baptist Disaster Relief efforts throughout the world, but primarily in New Orleans where he recently served for a week. He worked with a team providing food for volunteers who ministered in the city to restore homes damaged by the deadly hurricane.

Jason Arnold, 11, said he learned from Johnson that "more than I thought was destroyed in New Orleans, and they're really doing a good job to help. They're building a lot of houses."

Some of the rooms for the "destinations" were elaborately decorated to simulate the area represented. The entrance to Myanmar/Burma, hosted by Witham and his wife, Melody - who also has been to the country three times - was draped in black plastic to suggest the spiritual darkness of the country.

Togo, led by Garon and Susan Harris, featured a humidifier and heater in the room to simulate the African nation's weather conditions under which the couple has ministered seven times in the past 10 years.

Melody Witham noted she initially was led to serve in Burma, explaining, "I really felt that He was calling us to go as a team but I knew the Lord had to tell (Jim) that Himself."

Jim said after getting more information about International Crusades (affiliated with the IMB) and their ministry, God began "using some verses in Revelation where He talks about every tribe and tongue and language will be worshiping before the throne. And I just felt that if I didn't go, that there would be something missing there."

He added that as a result of the mission service, "We've really grown in the Lord."

Though nervous at first about sharing her faith, Melody realized that "basically you just say what Jesus Christ did for you. Everybody knows that - you don't have to have the exact scripture and everything. The Holy Spirit works and He tells you what needs to be said."

Donna Rinehart, 78, noted that as a result of "Come Fly With Me" she realized "anybody can do missions. It's been interesting because each area is so different and it shows us an overview of what people are doing."

Initially reluctant even to become a Christian - which he did in 1981 - because "I thought God would send me to Africa," it took Garon Harris 15 years to do just that.

"I saw a very tangible means to minister and that was through (Life Water International)," Garon said. "We could address their spiritual needs through the physical need. So we fixed water-pumps, drilled water-wells, provided the water they didn't have especially during famine time."

His wife Susan, a nurse, joined Garon after the third trip to Togo to help address medical, sanitation and hygiene issues.

When Garon first decided to do international mission work Susan said she wasn't ready to join him.

"We had four young kids and I had all these excuses why I couldn't go," she explained.

"But the Lord kept moving in my heart, impressing on me the needs of people there because they're so sick and there's such poverty." She's now been to the African nation five times.

Roman Hucks, 14, said he enjoyed all of the evening's missions emphases.

"I'm interested in missions and kind-of feel led that way," he said. "For a couple of years I've gone on mission trips short-term  - to Mexico - and I've enjoyed them. Just getting to see people (tonight) who have been there and the things they do, made me feel that I want to go even more."

He learned that "it's work but it's not work." Missionary service is "going to be a lot of fun because you'll be able to share the gospel," Hucks explained.
Church receptionist Cindy White said she thought the evening "was very well done - very interesting." She enjoyed the "enthusiasm of the missionaries, the love they have for these people they're trying to reach," noting they seemed to have an "inner glow."

Some 160 attended Come Fly With Me, in addition to the 40-plus church members who helped with the flight and hosted the destinations. Jessica Lenderman was pleased with the number who participated, noting attendance at the traditional missions banquets had decreased to "about 50 people" over the last few years.

At a dessert fellowship following the flight - which featured recipes from some of the destinations - Lenderman told the group, "The call just begins tonight. Our prayer is that God has spoken to your heart - that He does have a call for your life."

She challenged the group "to take the first step to get involved in missions."
Garon Harris noted that before he went on his first mission trip 10 years ago "there wasn't really any short-term missions here (at Immanuel), so that was kind-of a first venture into that area."

A few members had served on mission over the years, but his "was the first time the church commissioned someone and offered prayer and support," Garon said.

"Ever since that, more people have been getting involved and it's been a real blessing to see." 

Jim Witham agrees.

"I think something's beginning to happen here - and others can tell too - that the Lord is really beginning to do something.

"We've had some missionaries head out before from Immanuel, but it seems like the Lord is calling more and more of us to be out on the mission field."