On the Wings of the Dawn: Memoirs of Ron and Mikel Ann Pritz

By Ronald H. Pritz

Though the interior of Irian Jaya, now called Papua, the Indonesian half of the Island of New Guinea, is not the end of the earth, it is said that "you can see it from here!" Ron and Mikel Ann Pritz relate some amazing missionary adventures working alongside the missionaries and national church leaders using aviation, helicopters, and light Cessna aircraft to reach the remarkably remote, primitive, and often hostile native tribes. Walk with the Pritzes as they prepare for the field and adjust to life in Indonesia. Live the adventures of trusting God for safety and protection from the ever-present danger of weather, terrain, and the challenging flying environment of New Guinea. Thrill with the advance of the gospel as whole tribes turn from animism and turn to the one true God. Grieve with the loss of dedicated young men and women who have sacrificed themselves in the pursuit of tribe upon tribe, turning to trusting God and putting their faith in Jesus Christ. Rejoice in the victories that come as new tribes come to Jesus.

Join Ron and Mikel Ann and their two sons, Andy and Kevin, as they have the privilege of witnessing the transformation of primitive peoples into dedicated followers of Christ. Watch tribe after tribe move away from the hopelessness of their pagan roots to new life and new hope in the Lord Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891123465

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Foreword

Endorsements

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

About the Author

cover.jpg

On the Wings of the Dawn

Memoirs of Ron and Mikel Ann Pritz

Ronald H. Pritz

ISBN 979-8-89112-345-8 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89112-346-5 (Digital)

Copyright © 2024 Ronald H. Pritz

All rights reserved

First Edition

Cover photo credit: photographer Roland Neveu (rnbk.pictures)

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.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

If I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

Your right hand will hold me fast.

—Psalm 139:9–10 (NIV)

To Mikel Ann who, for better or worse, was by my side through all these adventures.

We dreamt the dreams together

We experienced the moments together

We now share the memories together

Foreword

In his letter to the church in Ephesus, the apostle Paul wrote these words: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us" (Ephesians 3:20). On the Wings of the Dawn relates the thrilling fulfillment of this verse in the life and ministry of Ron Pritz and his wife, Mikel Ann. In these deeply inspiring memoirs, Ron shares the story of his dream as a young child to become a missionary—the way in which that dream was refined to serve as a missionary pilot—and the ultimate fulfillment of his dream as Ron served as a missionary pilot in Irian Jaya (now called Papua), Indonesia. Throughout this process and the accounts of Ron and Mikel Ann's adventures and challenges during their years of service in Irian Jaya, the sovereign hand of God is powerfully evident.

I first met Ron and Mikel Ann in 1987 when they came to serve with our OC team in Indonesia. For the past thirty-six years, it has been my privilege to partner with them as the Lord of the harvest used the foundational years of their ministry experience in Irian Jaya to expand the impact of their ministry—first throughout the nation of Indonesia, then throughout the continent of Asia, and ultimately throughout the world. As you read this story of the way the Lord graciously wove together the moments of Ron and Mikel Ann's lives and ministry together, I am confident that you will be encouraged to dream God's dreams for you and trust God to fulfill them as you seek to follow Him fully.

—Dr. Greg Gripentrog

Former president

OC International

Endorsements

Ron Pritz's memoirs, On the Wings of the Dawn, provides a compelling and honest perspective of his and his family's years of serving with Mission Aviation in the rugged province of Papua, Indonesia. From the stark beauty of an early morning takeoff to the heart-wrenching grief of losing a friend in an accident, Ron accurately captures the many contrasts that surround the unique work of MAF. He also depicts the life-changing hope that can break through the darkness of tribal animism and superstition when the truth of the gospel finally reaches the unreached.

I, too, had the privilege of flying with MAF for a number of years in Indonesia. Ron's writing quickly took me back to a season of life that was full of challenges. Papua is a land that a fellow missionary once described as a costly place for ministry. Despite those challenges, it was also a time of great purpose and joy as we saw the airplane used as a ministry tool to bring help, hope, and healing to those living in isolation. Through Ron Pritz's writing, you will see a clearer picture of the heart of our Savior, who seeks out the one lost sheep.

—David Holsten

President and CEO

Mission Aviation Fellowship–USA

The Great Commission is a great adventure, and few have lived it more wholeheartedly than Ron and Mikel Ann Pritz. I had the privilege of serving under Ron's leadership in One Challenge during our years of ministry in Southern Africa. It was always a highlight when Ron and Mikel Ann would visit our team in Johannesburg. We'd circle up OC adults and kids to soak up the vivid stories about their years with MAF in Irian Jaya. We sat transfixed by their risk-taking encounters and inspired by how God met them each step of the way.

Those God-related stories are now masterfully captured in On the Wings of the Dawn. Ron and Mikel Ann's grace-filled journey demonstrates how God can plant a dream in a boy's heart, form godly character through life's challenges, and bring one's calling to fruition through a lifetime of obedience.

The deeper the surrender, the greater the impact. Indeed, the Pritz's formative years and service with MAF were a powerful prelude to their thirty-five years of ministry with One Challenge in Indonesia, across Asia, and around the world. May their lives encourage you afresh to say an unreserved yes to God and to step into the unique story he's planned for you.

—Dr. Dean Carlson

President

One Challenge–USA

Introduction

Dreams and Moments

God entrusts a life to each of us. Along with that life, He equips us with the capacity to dream. His perfect hope for each of us is that we will dream dreams of Him. His perfect desire is that we will take each moment, also gifts from Him, and direct them toward the realization of those dreams. Moments can come in many forms. They can be events outside of us or they can happen inside us. They can be imposed on us or brought on us by our own actions and choices. But one thing that defines every moment is that each moment is a decision point. Each moment and the choice we make in it will lead us either closer to our dream or set us back from it.

Memories are nothing more than a recounting of those moments. Sometimes we remember things quite randomly. There seems to be little cohesion between the moments that we remember and our dreams, some of which came true and some of which faded away with time. But in reality, most memorable moments are memorable because they took us either closer or further away from our dreams.

One of God's greatest gifts to me has been the incredible joy and privilege of seeing some of my earliest and greatest dreams come true. Dreams that He instilled in my heart, some as a little child, have actually become reality. My memories confirm each of the moments that acted as building blocks to see those dreams become my life.

In the chapters that follow, I will attempt to recount some of the moments of my life. Most are my moments, things that impacted me and either moved me toward my dreams or tarnished my dreams in some way. I will cherish most of these moments for a lifetime. Some I would change if I could relive them, but that is not the nature of the moments in life that God gives us.

Dreams

My dreams were probably unavoidable, given my family and heritage. Godly parents living their values for the audience of their five sons tend to bend one's dreams in a certain direction. For me, that direction was to live the adventure of a missionary life. My parents' highest value was service in God's name. They didn't preach full-time service. In fact, I don't remember that distinction at all from my early years. But they modeled service from the heart and exposed us to those who served in that way. Service could and should be done by any profession. As a child, I was constantly hearing, reading about, or meeting missionaries. Those innumerable moments—hearing a missionary speaker, reading a missionary story or letter, meeting a missionary in our home—molded my most basic dream—an adventure dream, really—becoming a missionary in a foreign land. My second dream, which came a bit later, was to be a missionary