The power of networking :)

November 15, 2009

Here’s an update on our business status:

Kingdom Flyers, S.R.L. will be able to take their first tourist on a flying boat ride when:
-We nail down a lease agreement for beach space
-The inspector looks at our aircraft and issues the boat registration
-We get insurance

With the way things look and only these few tasks left to accomplish, we believe we should be up and running within 2 weeks (at most!). If you only saw the mile-long list we were first presented, you would understand why looking at this one is so refreshing.

At times this process is frustrating. Meeting with the attorneys, meeting with different land owners, going here, going there, not understanding Spanish and of course waiting, waiting, waiting… But, at the end of the day we are ALWAYS in awe of how perfectly everything fits together.

You see we have been blessed with so many people helping us. It is mind boggling at how the 1-2 year process of beginning our tourism business is actually taking us roughly 3 months! It’s so remarkable to us how we meet someone, who then leads us to another person, who introduces us to someone else who is able to help. I mean the unintentional marketing that has gone on here is incredible! Nonetheless, we all know its not mere coincidence ☺. There is undoubtedly something bigger going on here… Ironically enough, I just read in my devotions yesterday, “we can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.” (My Utmost for His Highest, Nov. 14)

Here are two examples:

1. We were asking a worker at the local fruit stand if they knew a welder who could build us a water trailer and our popped a Haitian named Rodney. He said to meet him there tomorrow at 5:30pm. He took us around to some welders and we began sharing with him our business ideas. He works for a Tour Operator called Scuba Caribe and thought this company might want to do business with us. Well he introduced us to a manager of one of the stores named Damian. Damian also liked our business idea, and thus referred us to Nicholas, the manager of the land where his shop was, on Bibijagua beach. We met with Nicholas and presented our business plans to him. He was a very stoic man, we couldn’t really tell if he was thrilled or not. But, he told us he would call us back either way. But you see, we ended up getting hooked up with Nicholas all because of the guy at a fruit stand. It’s kind of comical!

2. So, the other day we went to this local mailbox/print store to get our business cards printed up. We were aware that the manager/owner of this particular store is very good friends with the fellow who we were originally going to work underneath.

((As previously mentioned, things were not working out with him and getting help from him was like trying to nail jell-o to a tree. As of right now we have no idea what he is thinking. In other words, we’ve been back almost three weeks now. We’ve contacted him a few times and even stopped by his beach hut. In spite of that, he’s never there and hasn’t returned our calls. In my mind, that is our easy way out. We’re here, ready to go, and he isn’t giving us the time of day. Therefore, we needed to become independent. Bills don’t pay themselves, you know? ☺ Travis and I just can’t figure out why he is acting like this. I guess we figure, we could have potentially made him a lot of money and he would be required to do nothing. Wouldn’t you want to help get someone get set up quickly so your return investment could begin? Anyways, we don’t know if he thinks we gave up or are independent, or what...))

Sorry for the rabbit trail, but I felt like that was a good place to update the situation with that guy ☺ So we’re at this print shop and scoping the store to see if the owner is there. At this point, we were still being very careful about what we would say to people. We were slightly paranoid that the information would get back to the guy we were first planning to do business with. As were sitting there anticipating for the business cards to finish being cut so we could exit unnoticed, in walks the owner. We both could have died! We were literally about 2 minutes away from getting away undetected. Luckily we both happened to be wearing hats that day. We tried every way possible of being disguised. And it worked… until we had to go to the cash register to pay out.

As we were being handed our change back the owner walks right over to us and greets us in the friendliest manner imaginable! He was asking us all sorts of questions about if we’re flying yet, what needs to be done, this that and the other thing. This guy used to be a helicopter pilot so he knows the logistics about how it all works here. Travis and I were both being so careful talking to him. Of course were immediately going to assume that he is going to relay this information. So of course the only answers we were giving were very vague. However, as we talked a little bit longer Travis and I both had a peace about him. We didn’t have any sort of intuition that he had malicious motives. Trav says, “It’s a pilot thing, he wants to help another pilot out!”. After some more business talk he told us that he really wants to help us with whatever is left in the process. He had compassion because we are young, trying to do everything by the books, and of course it’s a flying business. He gave us his business card and said to call tomorrow at 4pm.

We can’t help but laugh. The one person we were trying so hard to not talk to, is the one who sincerely wants to assist us, with entirely pure motives. Some people who offer their help are very quick to include that they want a percentage of our income, but then there are others who just want to do good for someone else out of the kindness of their hearts. So after us both agreeing that we didn’t think he was up to anything, we met up with him again the very next day. The poor guy was a little scatter brained because he had been running around all day with work, and came directly to meet us and had not even eaten that day. Maybe I’m naïve, but why would someone go out of his or her way that much just to snitch on us? Anyways, be was very helpful! Apparently he used to be the head manager at an insurance company so he was going to contact them and get some quotes. He also knows the owner of the land, Bibijagua, which is the exact land we’ve been trying to get in with. We will see what all comes about with this guy and his help, but I’m sure it can’t hurt.

As far as the land goes… Nicholas, the manager of Bibijagua and finally called us back yesterday. He told Travis he wants to do business with us, but that he wants to see him do a demonstration flight. After Nicholas sees that then the negotiation process will begin. But, if we get in with the owner as well, perhaps they won’t try to take THAT much money from us. ☺ But, first we must wait for the boat registration.

Sorry if I was rambling, sometimes I try so hard to not make this thing 10 pages long yet inform ya’ll of what’s going on.

Please pray that these last few items come about in a timely manner so we can begin flying soon!

Love & miss you all!
D&T