Both Ryan and Abigail have felt led into cross-cultural missions for many years.

When Ryan was young, a missionary pilot shared about his ministry in Ryan’s church in Ontario, Canada, and right then Ryan felt the Lord prompting him to be involved in the ministry. At age 11, Ryan began flight training, taking flight lessons at a small local airport. His long-term goal was to be part of using aviation to see the gospel go to the ends of the earth.

For Abigail it wasn’t until college where cross-cultural ministry was brought to her attention by a course called “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.” Later, Abigail signed up to go on a summer trip with Ethnos to Papua New Guinea in 2010 to see firsthand what cross-cultural church planting ministry looked like and how nursing could be a part of that.

Ryan and Abigail met on this trip and were both committed to being a part of church planting ministries. Their next 10 years were invested in preparation — Bible education, practical missionary training and the large amount of aviation training required to serve overseas.

Ryan started as an airplane pilot, became an aircraft mechanic and more recently became a helicopter pilot and mechanic.

The de Roos family arrived in the Philippines in January 2022 after a long delay due to COVID. They are completing their culture and language study, and then Ryan will begin his aviation ministry.

“After the long journey of training, we are thrilled to be able to serve the church planting works in the Philippines,” they said.

They are looking forward to supporting the church planting missionaries by flying them in and out of their ministry locations, keeping them supplied with groceries and supplies and providing emergency medical transport services.