Sluiter Family Roots
Missed Approach
I've figured out that over the last 33 years, I have averaged 1.8 years per home (18 major moves). Lisa is only slightly better than that, having been maried to me since 1994. I was raised in Holland, MI and began moving when our family moved to Nappanee, IN in 1975. My father was in the grocery business and opened a Family Fare supermarket in Nappanee - the heart of Amish country.
Lisa was born and raised in Indiana. About the time our family moved to Indiana, Lisa and her family moved to South Haven, Michagan. Then her father took a job in Indiana about the same time that my family moved back to Michagan so my dad could open another Family Fare in North Holland. (Missed Again).
But it doesn't stop there. I was going to school at ITT Technical Institute and moved to Indianaopolis to get my Bachelors - SAME TOWN as Lisa. Guess where Lisa decided to go to school. You guessed it - Grand Rapids, Michigan (Calvin College).
But I stuck to my guns and stayed in Indianapolis volunteering at the church as a youth group leader - Completely oblivious to the fact that I was 90 degrees out of phase with the woman of my dreams. After I finished my degree, I continued on in Indianapolis, working as an electrical engineer at a small firm called Indiana Automation. It was a cool job!
Eventually Lisa came home from college on summer break and showed up at church. That's when we met, and eighteen months later we were married (August 27, 1994).
Mountain Holler
Both of us had decided that we would commit our lives to the work of missions. So shortly after we were married, Lisa and I moved to the hills of far eastern Tennesee - Elizabethton to be exact. That's where I spent three and a half years studying for mission aviation at Moody Aviation (Aviation Training for Moody Bible Institute). Living in the hills around Elizabethton, in an area known as Houlston Holler', was perfect missionary training: Completely different culture, farm animals walking through our car port, couldn't understand the locals, and couldn't drink the water. It was an incredible time and a beautiful place to call home. In 1998, just after graduation, we gave birth to our first son, Joshua Logan Sluiter (Logan means "From the Holler").
After I completed my training we Joined up with South America Mission and began raising funds to go to the field. In about 12 months we had raised our support and headed down to Arequipa for 9 months of language training. Arequipa is a beautiful town in the high deserts south of Lima. Our second son, Caleb, was born while we were there. Then it was into the jungle for our first assignment on the field.
Into the Jungle
We moved to the jungle town of Pucallpa, Peru. It is a wild-west town at the end of a long, rough road. Our base was located several miles outside of town at a small mission community called Cashibococha. We had two grass runways and a lake to land our float plane in. There were 4 other missionary houses on the base and a couple native families that lived on base as well. Across the lake we had Shipibo natives that soon became our friends.
My job at Cashibo was officially, Pilot/Mechanic. But as anyone knows, a missionary rarely wears only two hats. At various times I was also Head of Security, Business Manager, and Accountant. We were also very much involved in things like teaching / preaching, sports ministries, and what ever else came our way. In 2002, while Lisa was 7-months pregnant, she came down with apendicitis. Not a good thing in the jungle. You need to read our story on that entitled Culture of Crisis.
Back in the USA
In July of 2006 I accepted a position back in the US at the home office at a time when they were moving from Lake Worth, FL to Fort Mill, SC. I moved into the position of Director of Operation and began setting up the new office in a new location with a new staff and new corporate software. I had my hand full before I hit the ground. But the Lord brought some great people to join our staff and we eventually got things working somewhat like a 'well oiled machine'.
After two and a half years building and 'oiling' this machine, I decided it was time to get back into the cockpit. When I heard there was a big need at JAARS for a Pilot Trainer, I jumped at the opportunity. They were eager to latch onto both my field pilot skills as well as my management / administrative experience. I am currently enjoying my job training pilots that are heading out for assignments overseas - most of whom will be working for Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Click HERE to view a slide show explaining our ministry.
