BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

*********** ADVERTISEMENT *********** Kenneth Copeland and You on the Mountain JUNE 27-29 TEACHING YOU HOW TO USE YOUR FAITH FREE EVENT kcm.org/mountain #MountainFaith18 Eagle Mountain International Church Kenneth Copeland Ministries Headquarters 14355 Morris-Dido Road Newark, Texas 76071 Schedule is subject to change without notice. ********************************************* ********article continues below ********** “I’m concerned that I’m not doing what God wants me to do with my life.” “What would you like to do with your life?” “I want to be a pilot.” There, he’d said it out loud. Leaning across the table, Lisa said, “Then that’s what you need to do.” She made it sound so simple. One Step at a Time “My heart’s desire wasn’t just to fly, I wanted to fly for the ministry,” Duane says. It was a seed that had been planted in him as a child. “We lived down the street from Fort Worth Spinks Airport,” he recalls. “Some of my fondest memories were of sitting in lawn chairs in the backyard, eating watermelon and watching the Thunderbirds fly overhead during air shows. Every day planes were always flying over. That’s when I fell in love with aviation. After my mother died, my friend Dean’s parents took me under their wing. They took me to church with them. They were Partners with KCM and Jerry Savelle Ministries. They listened to teaching tapes and bought me my own, which I listened to on a stereo in my bedroom. “When we were in middle school, Jerry Savelle started Overcoming Faith Center Christian School. Dean’s parents enrolled him, and he asked me to see if my dad would let me go. I didn’t think there was much chance of that. My dad was a steelworker. He got up at 3:30 in the morning and went to work at 5:30. Money was tight, and I couldn’t imagine him paying for tuition when I could go to public school free. But I was wrong; Dad let me go. The spiritual principles I learned at that school changed my life. I got to know Jerry Savelle’s daughters, Jerriann and Terri. I also met John and Kellie Copeland, who attended OFC as well. While visiting in their home, Brother Copeland was always so kind, answering my questions with great patience. “I still remember one cold winter morning when Dean’s dad, who was a pilot and flew on missionary trips, took Dean, his brother and me up in his plane. He had me sit in the co-pilot’s seat. After a while he said, ‘Duane, why don’t you fly for a minute?’ The moment I took control of the aircraft, with every molecule of my being I knew I wanted to fly.” The Next Logical Step Following their trip to Granbury, Duane took the next logical step toward fulfilling his dream. He signed up to take flying lessons, evenings and weekends, as he had the money. It took a while, but he eventually earned his private pilot’s license. Having the license was a good start, but it came with certain restrictions: Duane was only allowed to fly noncommercial and in clear weather. To advance as a pilot, the number of hours logged flying was crucial. Duane had less than 100 hours flying time, which was next to nothing. By 1997, John Copeland had become CEO at KCM. Duane made an appointment to see him. “I wanted you to know that I’ve earned my private pilot’s license,” Duane told him. “If you ever have a position open for a pilot in aviation, I’d like to be considered.” John’s eyes were pools of kindness, Duane remembers. In a gentle voice he said, “Duane, you don’t have any flight time.” “I know,” Duane admitted. “But I have heart.” Closed Doors Duane had the opportunity to pursue positions in other departments, but he knew in his heart he was supposed to work in aviation. One day, while looking over the job listings to see what was available, Duane saw there was an opening in aviation cleaning airplanes. He didn’t care what he did so long as he was around aircraft. Calling Lisa, he said, “There’s an opening in aviation!” “Doing what?” “Cleaning the planes.” “Duane, I don’t think that’s for you,” Lisa said. “If God’s going to put you in aviation, it’ll be a promotion.” That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “I was so frustrated,” Duane recalls. “I was almost mad at her, but I wouldn’t ignore her advice. So, I didn’t apply. “During that time, I read and meditated on Jerry Savelle’s book "Turning Your Dreams Into Reality." It inspired me to hold on and not give up on my dream. Then strange things started to happen that I couldn’t explain. It was as though I could tell things were moving around me in the spirit, but I had no idea what. “A while later, I decided to take time off from work to pray and fix some things around the house. I’d been home for several days when I left to run an errand at the Home Depot. I was in the back of the store when I heard an announcement over the loud speaker: ‘Mr. Duane Flanagain, please come to the customer service desk.’ When I arrived, someone handed me a phone. Lisa was on the line. ‘John called,’ she said. ‘He wants you to call him.’” 20 : BVOV

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