Phil and Ellen Koop Serving with NTM Aviation from the Arizona Desert 
Dennis, Nancy & Aurora
Aurora Madeline Koop came into the world on October 2, 2009. Grandpa and Grandma were very excited to welcome this new little one into their family and were thrilled that the Lord had provided money for them to make the trip to Virginia. Phil made it possible for Ellen to connect into the office via the internet, and so she was able to stay longer than she otherwise would have been able. It was a wonderful time to be with Dennis, Nancy and Aurora.
October in Virginia is beautiful with the kaleidescope of colors emerging on the trees contrasted against the delightful shades of green. Thinking of home in Arizona, I remembered one videographer telling us that all we had in McNeal were various shades of brown. It almost seemed dismal in contrast until I remembered that God created both the lush forests and colors of the eastern states as well as the ever changing deserts of the western ones. God delights in variety and is so caught up in diversity that He created fascinating and almost unbelieveable fish in the deep oceans of the world that men may never see. He created a universe so infinitely large and diverse which we will never explore and never see unless He gives us that honor in eternity.
In the same way that God delights in the immense tapestry of diversity in the natural world, he also finds great joy and pleasure in the vast variety of differences in the human population. Each one of us is an individual created by a loving God to have a unique set of physical traits, talents, skills, interests, work and ministry. No two of us can minister in exactly the same way and in the same place. We often look at others and are jealous of their appearance, abilities, or the path that life has taken them. How much more exciting it would be to ask the Lord to show us what He has in store for us and to surrender our will to His as we follow His leading wherever that will be? For some of us that will mean taking the gospel to a new tribal group in a remote part of the earth. To others it will mean supporting the efforts of those tribal missionaries through various ministry opportunities on the field or in the U.S. And for others it may mean giving and praying so that these others can serve where God has placed them. Each of us is valuable and has a spot to fill that no one else can.
Let’s rejoice in diversity in the same way that our Creator God does and enjoy serving wherever He places us.
