“A Helicopter Pilot’s Answered Prayer”
by Heather Dickman Hoewing
A few months ago, my husband and I accepted the call to work with the Philippine Adventist Medical Aviation Services (PAMAS). To prepare for our transition, my husband Jared, who is a helicopter pilot, has been praying about the examinations he has to take for the pilot license conversion to the Philippines. Of course, he has passed the required FAA examinations as evidenced by his commercial helicopter license in the USA. However, it has been his prayer for four months now, that the Lord would take away the requirement for him to do the examination in the Philippines. After starting the license conversion process, he had even emailed the person in charge of the examination and asked for an exemption to the examination, but his request was refused.
Jared was originally scheduled to take the Air Law examination on May 31st. He went to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on May 24th to try to take the examination early. He waited for 6 hours and finally got the approval to take the test. However, his test questions focused primarily on airplanes and related content rather than helicopters and air law. Unfortunately, he did not pass the examination. He was very frustrated that, being a helicopter pilot, he still needed to take an exam for airplanes. However, he determined to go to the CAAP the following morning to get study materials. Knowing how discouraged Jared was, I made the decision to fast and pray for him and the situation.
The next day, he went to the CAAP and at the registration desk asked who he could speak to regarding study materials for the air law examination. The person at the desk was busy and waved him on telling him to take the second door on the right. Jared found the second door on the right and entered. He then found himself standing in front of the person in charge of the examination. It was the same man he had previously asked for an exemption to the examination and been denied. Jared introduced himself and they had a nice conversation about what Jared was doing in the Philippines and why he was converting his license. The man thanked him for being willing to serve the people of the Philippines in missions. They talked about the examination, and Jared shared his frustrations regarding being tested on airplane material when he is a helicopter pilot. The man nodded his understanding and said that they were currently working on the helicopter air law examination. He sent Jared some study materials via e-mail and then they shook hands, and Jared left his office and went down to the first-floor lobby.
Jared was decided not to leave the building until after he had confirmed that he could open the study material that had been e-mailed to him. However, shortly after taking a seat, he heard his name being called. It was the same man in charge of the examination. He asked Jared to follow him. Jared got up and they went back up to the man's office on the second floor. The man instructed his secretary to write a letter for Jared exempting him from the air law examination due the fact that they are working on the helicopter air law examination. What an answer to all our prayers! As you can imagine, Jared was elated. He was singing God's praises and walking on air all the way back to where he was staying.
It is exciting to have experienced our own modern-day miracle, and we believe it is greatly a result of prayer! Our faith has been built through this experience and it is our prayer that as we share this story, your faith may be strengthened as well. Please pray for us as we begin our official service here in the Philippines.
Heather Dickman Hoewing is a physician assistant and a homeschooling mom to their two sons, Stephen and Daniel. Heather and her husband Jared, along with their boys, moved to the Philippines this spring, to work with PAMAS, not long after a PAMAS helicopter pilot and nurse went missing over the Sulu Sea. The answers to that tragedy have never been found, but God’s work continues to moves forward.
World Church Prayer Requests
June 23 - 29, 2023
- Please continue to pray for the aviation work in the Philippines with PAMAS. Pray for God to send many more missionaries like Jared and Heather to the field.
- Pray with us for the Chechen people of Turkey. The Chechen have a difficult history and about 112,000 have settled in Turkey. As far as we know, there are no Christian believers among this group. Join us in praying for them to meet Jesus through tentmakers and believers in their communities.
- Pray for our church members throughout the 10/40 window who have limited resources and ways to worship collectively.
- Pray for the upcoming special 24/7 United Prayer event called “1Mind4 the Three Angel’s Messages that takes place June 30/July 1st. To learn more, visit: www.247unitedprayer.org
- Prayer that God’s people would use every opportunity to teach and share the Three Angel’s Messages while there is still time.