“There are too many people.” Miguel’s dark eyes stared blankly back at me. “There are too many people to take off safely from this runway,” I said again.
Miguel and his two co-workers had just spent a week downriver in Brazil, sharing the Gospel in a village where outsiders are forbidden. Now, I had arrived to take the three of them home to their village.
It was my first stop of the day, and already the itinerary was starting to unravel. A fourth passenger hoped to join us—a daughter who urgently needed to reach Pucallpa because her father was facing a medical emergency. But with this short 400-yard airstrip, we couldn’t carry the weight of Miguel’s group, an extra passenger, their luggage, and a few large watermelons they’d picked up along the way – up above the towering jungle at the end of the airstrip.
“Let me take two of you and half the luggage to Breu, eight minutes away. Then I’ll do another shuttle and take everyone together from the much longer Breu airstrip.” Everyone nodded in agreement, and we were off.
Extra flying meant that I needed more fuel. So, I coordinated with a local missionary to bring me another 10 gallons. As I refueled, a local health worker approached with an urgent request: a 9-month-old baby named Richard had fallen into a cooking fire the previous week. His burns were now becoming infected. Could I transport the nurse, mother, and baby to Pucallpa for treatment at the hospital?
Yes. It meant another change to my flight plan and refueling for a second time, but this is why we have SAMAIR’s little Cessna airplanes here. I coordinated with the nurse to be ready when I returned from dropping Miguel’s group at their village. Two hours later, I returned to Breu, this time without any watermelons, and loaded up my new passengers.
I could see that Baby Richard’s arm and part of his head were badly burned. His mother held him close, covering him with a light blanket as I started the plane and took off for the 80-minute flight back to Pucallpa. Upon landing, an ambulance whisked them away to the hospital.
Sitting back in my air-conditioned office afterward, I marveled at how the day had unfolded. In one day, SAMAIR’s Cessna had transported Gospel workers, assisted in a family emergency, and flown a baby boy to receive life-saving care—all because we’re able to adapt to the needs that arise.
Maybe we can count eight lives changed on this day – Miguel and his two co-workers, the extra passenger and her father, the nurse, Baby Richard, and his mother? But, we know God brings the increase. He is the one who causes growth, expansion, and advancement. He multiplies whatever we do!
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David Speyers, born and raised in Suriname where his family was involved in mission work for 20 years, developed a deep-rooted faith in Christ at an early age. Growing up, David had a keen interest in aviation, yet he did not consider becoming a pilot until college. After graduating with honors from Moody Bible Institute’s missionary aviation training program, he joined SAMAIR as a pilot and aircraft mechanic. David met his wife, Lisa, while both were serving with SAM in Bolivia, and their shared commitment to the Lord has become a foundation for their ministry. Today, the Speyers family serves with SAMAIR Peru, advancing the Gospel across the most remote parts of the country.
Angel Ballew, raised in São Paulo, Brazil as a missionary kid, has a unique worldview shaped by her upbringing with missionary parents and two older brothers. She loves volleyball, singing, and playing guitar. Angel’s deep love for God and people shines through her passion for teaching and pouring into her family’s lives. The Ballew family serves in Barranquilla, Colombia with a focus on church planting and a transformative coworking space, reaching out to professionals as a means of developing leaders and sharing the gospel.
6. Pray for Henrique and Corina Terena Dias. 
12. Pray for Dave and Katrina Smith. 
