When he was a young boy growing up in Belgium with missionary parents, Jonathan de Jongh had plenty of chances to ride in “the big airplanes.” Every time he flew to the States, he loved visiting the cockpit, full of buttons and levers.
“My mind was made up,” said Jonathan. “I was going to be a pilot.”
Jonathan realized God was calling him to use his skills and passion for flying for His Kingdom. Doors opened for him to move to the USA and attend Moody Aviation’s program.
While there, he met and married Nicole, as she was studying for a bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership with an emphasis in women’s ministry.
Jonathan and Nicole de Jongh with their two boys, Noah and Quinten.
At Moody, they met several MAF families and were impressed by their testimonies. As they delved deeper, both Jonathan and Nicole realized MAF’s mission statement resonated with them.
“We wanted to bring the Gospel and physical help to the isolated, wherever they might be in the world,” said Nicole.
The de Jonghs are excited about when they’ll finally get to their new home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Jonathan looks forward to flying to remote places and meeting the many people who count on MAF. Nicole is eager for the relationships that will blossom through school, church, and the neighborhood because of her outgoing boys.
But right now, they still need the support to get there.
They are working on building a ministry partnership team of individuals and churches who are committed to pray for and financially support their ministry. The de Jonghs see this as a way to advocate for missions and give people an opportunity for greater involvement.
A chance encounter at an IKEA led to a conversation with a pastor about what the couple is doing, where they are heading. “He said he wanted to support our ministry with MAF,” said Nicole. “Two days later we had a one-time gift and a monthly commitment from his church!”
“God continues to amaze us with these unplanned ‘divine appointments,’ ” added Jonathan.
The de Jonghs expect they’ll continue to experience God’s faithfulness throughout this support-raising process and when they arrive in the DRC because, as Jonathan says, “God is with us, He will carry us through it, and He loves us where we are at and has enough grace for us along the learning path.”
If you would like to join the de Jongh’s ministry partnership team and help them get to the DRC, please visit maf.org/dejongh.