A.J. moved from Washington state to pursue serving the Lord through missions and aviation at SOAR in January 2018. While attending Bible college, a friend told him about SOAR, where he could pursue both missions and aviation. A.J. met his wife Stephanie while serving at a local ministry in Bolivar. During his time A.J. has been training at SOAR, he has received his A&P, Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating and is working towards his Commercial Pilot Certificate.

Matt felt God’s call on his life to be a missionary in early high school, but it wasn’t until his first year of college at Montana Wilderness School of the Bible that he began to understand that the Lord not only wanted him to be a missionary but a missionary pilot specifically.  

Abi was called to missionary aviation at a very early age. As a young girl, she grew up next to a crop-dusting airstrip and was fascinated by everything to do with airplanes.  After hearing the story of Nate Saint and Jim Elliott, the Lord gave her a more direct purpose to her passion for aviation.  

Matt and Abi McWhorter joined SOAR in August of 2018. They have both completed their Private Pilot, Instrument, and Commercial Ratings, and their A&P certification. Abi has also received her Certified Flight Instructor License. They are serving an internship with SEND North in Alaska from May through September 2021.

Phillip grew up flying at the Bolivar, Missouri airport. He had a desire to combine his passion for discipleship and aviation. He was encouraged to become a missionary pilot by his now wife, Brooke. In the Lord’s timing, Phillip decided to pursue missionary aviation which led him to SOAR. He joined SOAR in 2019 having already completed his Private Pilot License. He completed his Instrument rating in March of 2021. Phillip is halfway through his A&P apprenticeship while continuing his training for his Commercial Pilot certificate.

In August, 2021, Madeline joined SOAR to train as an A&P apprentice and work as a flight instructor. Raised in Indiana, she developed an interest in aviation. With the intent of pursuing flight training after, Madeline attended a year of Bible training at Emmaus Bible College. While there, God opened her eyes to the great need for pilots in missionary aviation. She went on to earn her pilot’s licenses and become a Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) at Indiana State University.