On the Wings of Love

By Lynn Cooper

For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

--Psalms 91:11

Davey Gibson has grown into a strong young Christian man at twenty-four years old and has dedicated his life to flying a bush plane into the South Pacific islands supporting the missionaries in their ministries to the natives. Grampa Hal goes home to heaven, and Davey's mother suffers a near-death experience, changing all their lives for the days ahead.

The story weaves itself through days gone by while revealing golden memories being made in the present. Tragedy strikes time and time again as Satan attempts to destroy the work and stop the light of God's Word from changing the lives on the islands caught up in witchcraft and idol worship. Davey's team is accused of theft at one point, and then Davey himself is arrested for drug smuggling at their home base on Kalmajo Island. The team ends up in the crosshairs of a violent drug gang that nearly costs them their lives. The reader will pass through times of tears and sorrow and then times of joy and laughter.

On the Wings of Love is a delightful sequel to the Grampa Hal children's series that is guaranteed to captivate the reader's mind and keep them turning pages, sharing one last visit with little Davey Gibson and Mama on Maplewood Avenue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886851915

Book preview

On the Wings of Love

Lynn Cooper

ISBN 979-8-88685-190-8 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88685-192-2 (hardcover)

ISBN 979-8-88685-191-5 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Lynn Cooper

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Grampa Goes to Heaven

Trouble in Los Angeles

A Time of Reflection

Death on Feltao Island

Drug Smugglers and False Arrest

Danger on Makita Island

Dangerous Recognition

Two Become One

Urgent News from Home

A New Life Begins

More Duct-Taped Boxes on the Side Table

Project of Love

About the Author

Other Books

Preface

On the Wings of Love is the long-awaited sequel to the Grampa Hal series of children's books. It shares the story of little Davey Gibson as a young man in his twenties serving as a bush pilot supporting the missionaries on islands in the South Pacific. It is a story of suspense and intrigue, sharing the struggles on the islands, along with a number of near-death experiences of those in the service of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Davey and his team get caught up in a drug operation that threatens to destroy everything they have worked for. The story weaves itself through the present while also taking the reader back in time to many of Davey's most precious moments growing up with Grampa Hal. It opens with the family being engulfed in sadness as Grampa Hal leaves this world behind and takes his flight home to heaven. It concludes with Davey and his beautiful wife, along with their small twins, back at home on Maplewood Avenue with Mama. This begins a new chapter in all their lives as they start building many golden memories of their own. The tale is sure to bring tears to the eyes in certain places while also eliciting laughter from the reader as they are carried into different strange and funny situations.

The Grampa Hal series was written to not only entertain young people but teach them moral values, respect of authority, and love of the Bible and for God's house, the local church. The books are reading books targeted for children beginning at three years old. They are colorfully illustrated and can be passed down through the years, being enjoyed for generations to come.

One of the greatest gifts that God has given us is the gift of imagination. A story well told opens up our minds to the adventures held within. This author's prayer is that readers of all ages will be blessed and enjoy the adventures of Grampa Hal, Mama, and little Davey Gibson. The stories take us back to a time where simple things coming into our lives filled us with the joy of living.

May God bless you and keep you in His care today and every day as you walk the path of life with Him.

1

Grampa Goes to Heaven

When did he show up?

He came in early this morning shortly after midnight, according to Regina. He's been sleeping in the chair since I got here.

Sandra Davidson was the seventh-floor head nurse on duty at the Hands of Mercy Hospital and always kept a keen eye on everything going on in her area of responsibility. She was a mild-mannered person in her midthirties, staying fit and trim, rushing up and down the hallways caring for her patients. She believed that a cheerful attitude and a positive outlook were just as essential for a person's healing as the medications given out by the doctors that came and went.

Judy Whiting was the nurse reporting to her on the day shift and tried to stay up-to-date on anything happening on the opposite shift, knowing Sandra wanted to be advised upon her arrival each morning. Regina Walters was the night nurse and was notorious for being weak on communication with her day-shift counterparts. This was a sore point with Sandra who had tried to encourage her to become a better communicator, to no avail.

Regina was a woman in her late fifties and resented being on the night shift and underneath the head nurse on days, who was much younger than herself. This created a constant state of friction between the two of them, with Judy running interference to keep the seventh floor operating smoothly and out of the hospital administrator's eyes.

The older man in room 714 began to stir glancing over at the young man slumped in the chair next to his bed. At first, he didn't recognize him with his face turned toward the large window on the opposite wall and kept staring at him trying to jog his memory. He had been in the hospital for six days, and his mind was struggling at times to remember who he was and why he was in this place.

The young man in the chair was wearing a flight jacket with silver wings on it and had a head full of curly, dark brown hair. His broad shoulders filled the jacket out as he sat slumped in the chair, his long legs stretched out on the floor before him. The older man worked his mind to remember who he was as strange memories came and went before him. At one moment, he was walking in a bird sanctuary and, at another, he was in a park by a beautiful sparkling pond. As his eyes tired, he turned his head back toward the doorway, closing them and entering back into the dark, silent world that had engulfed him these many days.

The woman entering the room gave out a sharp gasp and ran to the young man who was beginning to stir from the chair next to the bed.

You came! Glory to God, you came!

Davey Gibson rushed around the foot of his grandfather's bed and caught his mother in his powerful arms. They stood holding one another, swaying back and forth in a tight embrace, as tears filled both their eyes.

Silence filled the room as they held each other tightly, trying to shield themselves from the sorrow that flooded their hearts over the past few days.

You must tell me everything, Mama. I thought he was in good health and still active in the church and his ministry to the nursing homes. I was just preparing to leave Kalmajo for the islands when I received your telegram.

It happened so fast. He worked up the garden, as he's done all these years, and planted it and then sat in the chair on the back porch. When he didn't come in to wash up for lunch, I went to check on him.

Mary could say no more. She lay her head on Davey's chest and began to weep as the memory of finding their beloved Grampa slumped in the old chair filled her mind.

Hey, you two, I need to check on my patient here, and you need to go get some good hot coffee in you.

Sandra looked at Mary whom she knew and then gave a questioning glance at the tall young man holding her.

This is my son, Davey Gibson. Harold is his grandfather and helped raise him after his father's plane crash many years ago.

I'm pleased to meet you, Davey. I'm Sandra Davidson, your grandfather's nurse. We fully intend to bring him back to good health and return him to your family. Now you guys run along and get some warm food in you while I check on our man here.

Davey and his mother got their food from the buffet in the hospital cafeteria and sat at a small round table next to a full wall of glass looking out onto a beautiful spring flower garden. They bowed their heads, asking God to bless their food and to heal their loved one seven floors above them. They ate in silence at first, and then Mary began to tell her son of the tragic events from the week before.

When I found him. his face was pale and sweaty as he sat bent over in the chair. I asked him what had happened. And at first. he couldn't speak. I knew something was terribly wrong when he looked up at me and tried to form his words. His speech was slurred. And I could see the sagging on one side of his face. I called the ambulance. and they brought him here and after examination confirmed that he had a stroke. His mind hasn't been real clear since his arrival. and sometimes. he doesn't recognize me. Don't be shocked if he doesn't know who you are at times. I'm trying not to cause him stress by pushing him to remember things. The doctor said to remain positive around him and let him have the time he needs to remember on his own.

Had he been feeling bad before this happened?

No. He had been active as always. He has kept coming every Friday afternoon having lunch with me and staying over until Sunday. It seems that he wanted to continue being a part of my life the same as when you were growing up. We would still walk to the park and set by the pond, visiting about the old days.

He was such a blessing to me as a little boy. Our weekend visits are as fresh in my mind as if they happened yesterday. I loved him as a father, knowing that Daddy was at home in heaven. The lessons he taught me have stayed with me through flight training school and beyond.

As they sat and talked, Davey shared with her the ministry that God had given him becoming a bush pilot flying supplies to the missionaries in the South Pacific islands.

It hasn't always been easy, but I have some wonderful people on our team that help in the difficult times.

I pray for you on these trips. I always wait for your letters and trust God to keep you in His care. Will you be able to stay a while or do you have to leave soon?

I will be staying for now. I don't want to leave while Grampa's still down. It hurts me to see him this way. He was my mentor and guide growing up. He is so frail now. What are the doctors telling you about his recovery?

Mary stared at her son before speaking. She wanted to choose her words carefully to allow them to keep up the hope that their loved one had a chance to recover.

I need to be honest with you, son. They had a meeting with me yesterday and said that he may be building for another stroke. They are doing what they can by giving him medication and hoping for the best. It's going to be touch and go for the next few days.

Davey sat in silence. His mind flooded with memories of his grandfather who was such a part of who he was now as a young pilot.

The lessons from his weekend visits had formed him into the man that he had become. Tears again filled his eyes as he thought of the duck-taped boxes and Grampa making him wait to open them until the moment was just right. The content of those boxes would stay in his mind all his days. The excitement of the adventures waiting inside them filled his young mind, preventing many nights of sleep as a five-year-old boy. Those were truly golden years that had passed all too quickly. He had come to realize that time was a precious commodity that once gone cannot be recalled.

Let's head back up, Mama. The nurse must be done by now, and I want to try and talk to Grampa.

They got off the elevator and made their way down the hall, finding the door closed to the room. Mary went to the nurses' station and was directed to wait in the common area at the end of the hall.

The doctor will come down and sit with you when he is finished with his examination.

Judy smiled and left the station to answer the call signal of another patient.

Mary and Davey walked to the end of the hall and took their seats in the large open room where four other visitors were sitting chatting together.

Tell me more about your visits to the islands.

I have three other men that work with me helping to purchase the supplies requested by the missionaries, and then I fly them in. Sometimes we're delivering medical supplies, and on other occasions, we're carrying in Bibles and Sunday school materials. Most of the time, I drop the supplies near the landing place, but on some of the islands, I meet with other men that help me carry them overland to the missionary camps. Not all the camps are near the landing strips and are located inland in the mountain areas.

Is that dangerous? Do you ever come across hostile people on the island?

Normally, the men that help me transport the supplies are natives of the island and know how to take the safe routes to the camp. We've come up against some shady characters in the past that tried to steal from us, but we were able to give them just enough to send them on their way. Most of the islanders are poor and will do whatever it takes to plunder those around them. The guides bring with them some small amounts of food or other items that can be given to the perpetrators. That assures us safe passage. When they see that we are carrying Bibles or other church materials, they show no interest in taking them.

Davey held back on some of his experiences where the thieves had threatened his life, along with his companions. Most of the islands were fairly safe. But on two of them, danger was always lurking and caution had to be taken. They carried weapons but only for protection against wild animals. The missionaries were risking their lives preaching the Gospel to the natives to save their souls, and he and his companions didn't want to kill any taking away the possibility of their salvation. It would be better to let them take the supplies rather than shooting them sending them out into eternity without Christ as their Saviour.

Hello. I don't think we've met. I'm Dr. Robinson.

Davey stood up, introduced himself, and shook the doctor's hand.

He was a large, portly man with a friendly demeanor and a full head of snowy hair. He had a firm grip with hands that were large enough to swallow Davey's up in their grasp.

Have a seat, young man, and we will discuss your grandfather's condition. I think it's wonderful that you are here to support both him and your mother. Let me get straight to the point concerning Harold's condition. We've ruled out that it was a transient ischemic attack and have determined that it was a right-sided stroke.

Whoa, can you explain that in layman's terms?

Yes, I intend to get to that. We've run a number of tests and are confident that he has suffered an ischemic stroke. The first one that I mentioned is a condition where a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain has occurred that doesn't cause lasting symptoms. His condition is more serious and has been caused by a blocked artery. That is what we refer to as an ischemic stroke. We are doing more tests to determine where the blockage has occurred and what if anything we can do to correct it.

Do you mean that you may not be able to correct the blockage and he could be in more danger from it?

Davey's alarm was evident as he stared intently into the doctor's face.

He could be building for a second stroke. That has happened before with other patients. I'm sorry to have to be so blunt, but you need to know what we're dealing with here.

What has this stroke done to him physically?

He has experienced muscle weakness on the left side of his body. That's why you can see the sagging in his face. He has some slurring in his speech and may exhibit some level of hearing loss. He probably will also experience some amount of memory loss and possibly have a certain level of change in his personality.

You say he may have a second stroke?

Mary's sorrow poured forth from a low, strained voice as she struggled to comprehend how quickly their loved one had gone down.

Right now, it's a wait and see. The next twenty-four hours are critical. Let's stay as positive as we can and hope for the best. We have him on some blood thinner medications and will continue our testing to determine the next steps. Do you have any questions?

Can we go visit with him now?

Davey was already moving toward the hallway as he waited for the doctor's response.

Yes. Just don't push him and don't expect more from him than he can give.

The nurse had placed another chair in the room to accommodate Davey and left them cups of coffee on a small nightstand. He and his mother sat in silence, watching their loved one sleeping in the bed with the sad news from the doctor flooding their minds.

Tears formed in Mary's eyes and flowed freely down her face as she stared at the man who had given her so much strength through the terrible days after her husband's death. Davey moved his chair closer to hers, placing his arm around her, as his own memories of his grandfather passed through his mind. With his arm around her small shoulders, it struck him at that moment just how frail his mother had become.

Mama, it will be all right. We will pray and ask God to lift Grampa up. You need to take care of yourself so that you can be there for him should he need help when he's out of here.

The attempted comfort of his words didn't enter into his own heart and had little effect on his mother.

"What will we do without him, son? He's been so much a part of our lives all these years. I remember our adventures and the joy he brought to our home in his weekend visits. He's been there