Flying with the Pattersons

AMAZING! That's the only way to describe our night with the Pattersons.

Ok, so our good friends, Robert and Jennifer, are preparing to do missionary aviation, meaning that they will be able to fly missionaries where they need to go and to bring them supplies and what not. Anyway, Robert has finished aviation school and is now in mechanic school. As a fun little date for the four of us, Robert flew us to Sikeston, Missouri for dinner. Yes, that's right. We flew to another state just to have dinner and flew back right after. We ate at this really fun restaurant called Lambert's Cafe, "The Only Home of Throwed Rolls." I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll start from the beginning.

Ryan and I pulled up to Bowman's Field that night. Robert gave us a quick tour of the hangar and the planes in it, and then we headed outside to see our plane. It was this small four-person plane. We climbed in and we were off. We all wore headphones, both to protect our ears from the loud noise and so we could talk to one another throughout the flight. It was overcast and drizzling when we took off, but as we climbed in altitude, we went above all the clouds, allowing us to see the end of a beautiful sunset. The sky seemed endless, and the clouds below us looked like waves in the ocean. It was breathtaking! I mean, when in your life do you feel like you are the only person in the world!? That's how it felt as we flew above the clouds. The hustle and bustle of the world was far below us, hidden by a sea of clouds.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire."
Psalm 104:1-4

When we landed in Sikeston, we used a phone to call the restaurant, and they sent a courtesy van to come pick us up. Though it was a busy Saturday night, we were given the next available table. We quickly understood the tagline for the restaurant as we walked to our table with rolls flying overhead. Ryan and I had seen a segment about this restaurant on the Food Network, so we were excited to experience it in person.

As soon as we sat down, rolls were being thrown to us from the other side of the room. Right after that, a guy came around and put large scoops of fried okra onto paper towels we had laid out. We ordered our food and then watched the rolls flying around. One guy even proposed to his girlfriend while we were there. He apparently hid the ring in a roll that was thrown to the girl. Our portions were huge, and yet when we were done eating, I had lots more food on my plate than when I first got it. That's because throughout the meal, people walked around scooping different side dishes onto our plates. After dinner, we packed up a total of five completely full to-go boxes between the four of us. I'm not sure how that was possible, but it made for some yummy leftovers!

I hope you can appreciate the humor in this picture. Right as Jennifer was taking a picture of Ryan and me, Robert decided to throw a roll at us.

We got back in the courtesy van and were driven back to the airport, where we loaded up for the flight home. This time, Ryan rode in the front seat with Robert. On the way home, Robert taught us all about flying. He explained the importance of looking at the instruments in the plane, as opposed to relying on your own intuition. Ryan even got to fly the plane for 20-30 minutes. He was so excited! I must say, he was the cutest pilot ever! I am amazed at how much goes into keeping the plane level and at a constant altitude. Ryan did such a great job, though.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it's one that we will never forget! Thanks, Robert and Jennifer, for sharing this part of your life with us! May God bless you and your ministry.