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It all started in 1995, when a young German teen of 13 years wrote a letter to PMA asking about our pilot and mechanic requirements. As a missionary kid and the son of a pastor, Simon had been raised to fear God and had been taught in the faith from an early age. Even then, he felt drawn to PMA because of our multi-faceted missionary efforts. What he didn't know when he made that initial inquiry, is that God had everything already laid out and perfectly orchestrated for a life of service.

In his teen years. Simon spent his free time fixing model airplanes which taught him perseverance and persistence and a lot about physics and aerodynamics. After school, he did a 3-year-apprenticeship as an auto mechanic. During his last year of training he applied with PMA. He had neither the pilot nor the aircraft mechanic qualifications that PMA required, yet was accepted as a short term missionary to help out in the Yap aviation department. For the first time, away from home, he was on his own, and began to learn to apply his faith.

From the first day he began working with PMA, he studied for his FAA Airframe and Powerplant. It was agreed that he would stay longer to finish his "on the job training" under Peter Reichert, who was the Director of Aviation at the time. Simon ended up staying an additional 7 years in Yap, earning his FAA A&P. In addition to mechanic duties during his time in Yap, Simon helped out with the music in the PMF church, was involved with the Bible studies and helped out with prison ministry.

In 2010, God opened a unique opportunity for Simon to move to Oregon for professional pilot training at Hillsboro Aero Academy. The training took about one and a half years. After which he worked at the flight school for a year as a commercial pilot instructing other pilots. This process gave him very valuable flight experience and enabled him to build the flight time to meet experience requirements and gain the confidence needed to fly for PMA. During this time the Lord blessed him with a time of spiritual growth through the challenges of training, as well as through the fellowship of Christian friends. He also had opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ in everyday life among both students and other instructors at the flight school.

Simon returned to Yap in the summer of 2015 and now serves as a pilot/mechanic. But this is not his only role in Yap. His passion has always been for the building up of the church. As he uses his God–given gifts (Ephesians 4:11-16), Simon has found great joy and purpose in dedicating his life to serve the Lord as he ministers to the people of the Islands. To God be the glory!