Neighbor of MN
Mindy
Early on in my career, I started out as a flight attendant, but later I went to flight school and became a commercial airline pilot. It was an amazing blessing that I was able to do that as a career.
I spent many hours staring out at the earth 40,000 feet in the air.
I spent many hours staring out at the earth 40,000 feet in the air.
There were some times where I could go into silent prayer and look at the earth and wonder at God’s majesty. I was able to visit a lot of the places on earth that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to visit. I loved it. I was able to fly for 22 years with Northwest and Delta and recently retired to spend more time with my new grandbaby.
God weaves the fabric of our lives, he pulls thread from places you don’t expect, and later you are able to see the tapestry and be amazed.
God weaves the fabric of our lives, he pulls thread from places you don’t expect, and later you are able to see the tapestry and be amazed.
Back when my daughter went to college, I started volunteering with Westwood Community Church’s Uyghur team. Our church had adopted the Uyghur people as an unreached people group to pray for. I had never heard of the Uyghur people, but I was fascinated by this people group who lived in Northwest China, since I knew something about China from my days in college.
I had never heard of the Uyghur people, but I was fascinated by this people group…
I had studied East Asian studies, traveled to Thailand and China, and learned to speak Chinese while in college.
In 2011, my daughter and I and a couple of team members went to Northwest China to visit some of the missionaries our church supported. We met some of the Uyghur people, and they were absolutely lovely people. They are extremely hospitable and hard working. They love music and dance, which I also love.
I went back to visit in 2015. We met some Uyghur people on the street, and although we were complete strangers, we were invited into their home. They had a table that is always ready for guests, and out of their armoire they presented bowls of food, candy, nuts and a pot of tea ready to be served to any guests that arrive. The Uyghur people I’ve met are beautiful people. Traditionally they are Muslim people and peace-loving people. There are some who are hungering and thirsting for God’s word.
It is unbelievable and heartbreaking what has happened to Uyghur people.
When I was over there ten years ago, I asked a missionary what we could do to support them. Once a year the missionaries went to Thailand for an annual retreat, and they were looking for childcare help. So, a fellow airline friend and I went to Thailand to help with childcare at the retreat center for 7 years.
It is unbelievable and heartbreaking what has happened to Uyghur people.
Lately, there has been an enormous push to get the world to see the genocide that is happening to the Uyghur people. We think 1.5 million Uyghur people are in internment camps, which is more like concentration camps, not education camps, with the goal of brainwashing the Uyghur people to repeat the Communist doctrine.
We want the Uyghur people to know that those who have been actively speaking out on their behalf are Christians.
It is heartbreaking. We have little information because most of the missionaries we support have been kicked out of the area.
A friend of ours who was a part of our prayer team has been researching and finding hard evidence of this modern-day genocide of the Uyghur people. There are reports of the Chinese government sterilizing women of childbearing age, trying to reduce the Uyghur population.
We have hard evidence, leaked documents, and testimony of people who have made it out of the camps that genocide is happening. We want the Uyghur people to know that those who have been actively speaking out on their behalf are Christians.
It’s an honor to be a part of this welcoming committee in Christ’s name.
This atrocity is more front and center on the world’s stage than when I actively started praying and advocating for the Uyghur population 11 years ago.
A pastor at my church saw my heart for the Uyghur people and my heart’s passion for international people. He invited me to be a board member for Arrive Ministries. It’s an honor to be a part of this welcoming committee in Christ’s name.
Mindy is the Board Vice Chair for Arrive Ministries.
