The Same Instructor
June 5, 2026
Dear Friend,
During my teenage years, I spent countless hours in a photographic darkroom. I mixed
chemicals, developed negatives, and watched photographs slowly appear on blank sheets of
paper. Those pictures eventually found their way into scrapbooks, photo albums, and school
annuals—preserving moments that otherwise might have been forgotten.
Old photographs have a remarkable way of bringing memories back to life. Sometimes they even
reveal discoveries that no one expected.
During the first year of our marriage, my wife and I were paging through one of her high school
annuals together. She had attended school in Southern California, while I had grown up in
Northern California. She recognized nearly every face on every page, but to me they were all
complete strangers.
Then suddenly, she turned a page, and I froze in disbelief.
There before me was a photograph of a small Cessna 150 airplane with its registration number
clearly visible on the side: N5527E.
“That is my airplane!” I exclaimed. “How do you have a picture of my airplane in your school
annual?”
She looked at me with equal surprise.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “That’s the airplane I learned to fly in!”
I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
“No,” I responded, “that was the airplane I learned to fly in! Who was your instructor? Was it
Lyle Hammel?”
“Yes!” she said with a smile. “He was a wonderful instructor!”
“He certainly was,” I replied. “One of the most patient and thorough instructors I have ever
known.”
As we pieced the story together, we discovered an incredible connection. The owner of that
airplane had moved to Northern California so his daughter could attend the same college I would
soon attend. In order to help pay for her education, he sold the airplane to my family.
Long before my wife and I ever met, we had both sat in the same cockpit, learned from the same
instructor, and trusted the same steady hands guiding us safely through the skies.
Even more meaningful to me was remembering the careful instruction of Lyle Hammel. His
meticulous training and calm wisdom would one day help save my life during a dangerous in-
flight emergency years later.
As I reflect on that remarkable discovery, I cannot help but think about another instructor, Jesus.
Long before we understand what God is doing, He is already at work in our lives—guiding,
preparing, protecting, and teaching us. We may not recognize His hand at the time, but later we
look back and realize He was there all along.
Jesus is the perfect Instructor.
Patiently, He teaches us through both smooth skies and turbulent storms. He warns us when we
drift off course. He corrects us when our judgment becomes unreliable. He prepares us for
dangers we cannot yet see.
An inexperienced pilot can easily become disoriented in bad weather. Fear clouds judgment.
Instincts become misleading. In those moments, survival depends upon trusting the instruments
and listening carefully to the calm voice of someone who knows the way.
Life can feel that way too.
There are seasons when unexpected storms surround us, when the horizon disappears, and when
we no longer know which direction to turn. Fear and uncertainty can leave us spiritually
disoriented, much like a pilot flying through heavy clouds without clear visibility.
Yet Jesus never loses control.
While we tremble, His hands remain steady. While we struggle to see ahead, He already knows
the safest path through the storm. He patiently reminds us to trust Him even when our own
understanding fails.
And sometimes the wisest thing we can do is surrender the controls to Him completely.
Isaiah 30:21 says,
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”
How comforting it is to know that the patient Instructor still holds the controls and continues
guiding us safely home.
With warm thoughts and prayers,
— Verlyn
PS. Watch for a continuation of this story next week!
______________________________
Our Sabbath School and the Worship services are live and viewable via Zoom. Two Adult
Sabbath School classes are presented each week. One of them is viewable via Zoom. The
Junior/Earliteen Sabbath School class meets in the Pathfinder Room. Cradle Roll and
Kindergarten classes are available for younger children. If you are unsure where the rooms or
classes are being held, please don’t hesitate to ask one of the greeters for directions.
The Worship service is in the Sanctuary and via Zoom. The Zoom Meeting ID# and Password
are listed below.
Zoom access for Crescent City SDA Church meetings:
Meeting ID #: 993 5770 413
Password: 4642738
You can join by going to Zoom.us, click on join a meeting, and then enter the Meeting ID # and
password; or by dialing 1 669 900 9128, entering the meeting ID# and password as prompted; or
accessing through the Zoom app.
June 5, 2026 – June 12, 2026
Friday 5th Sunset 8:48 pm
Sabbath 6th Church Worship Leader, Bob Phang 11:00 – 12:00 pm
Sermon, Eddie Heinrich
No Fellowship Luncheon this week!
No Bible Lab this week! 12:30 pm
Sunset 8:48 pm
Tuesday Bible Study (Exodus) 6:00 – 7:00 pm Church
Wednesday Community Services 1:00 – 3:00 pm Dorcas
Prayer Group 5:00 – 6:00 pm Church
Pathfinders Will resume in September
Thursday LLL Ladies’ Group (Learn, Laugh, Love) 4:00 pm
Friday 12th Sunset 8:41 pm
CALENDAR:
June 7, 2026 – Meri and Wilmer extend their invitaƟon to you, our friends and church
family, to celebrate the joining of their lives together in marriage on Sunday, June 7,
2026 at 3 pm here at the church. No formal invitaƟons are being sent but all are
welcome with a specific request for no wedding giŌs. Your presence will be your giŌ
of love and support to them.
June 13, 2026 – Worship Leader, Ginger Bliss; Sermon, Brian Glass
June 20, 2026 – Worship Leader, Bob Phang; Sermon, Kelly Kinsley
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Fellowship Luncheons are usually on the first Sabbath of the month, but because of special
Sabbath events, please note the weekly updates for any changes. There will NOT be a
Fellowship Luncheon on June 6 due to a wedding the next day. An additional Fellowship
Luncheon will be held on June 20 to host our guest speaker.
Wedding Announcement
Tithes and offerings are being collected during the 11:00 AM Worship service each Sabbath.
Other options include the locked offering box on the rear wall of the Sanctuary, the link to
Adventist Giving on our church website:
https://crescentcityca.adventistchurch.org or you can download the Adventist Giving app.
Tithes and offerings may also be mailed to Crescent City SDA Church, P.O. Box 1905,
Crescent City, CA 95531. Please designate where the funds are to be deposited: tithe, church
budget, Little Red School House (School), special projects, etc.
Thank you for taking the time to be part of our church family, in person or via media. Please
reply to this email (or ccadventistchurch@gmail.com) if you have specific prayer requests. The
Prayer Ministry team is active and cares about your needs—let us know!
Verlyn
A Worldwide Church Family
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with approximately 19 million members worldwide, including more than one million members in North America. The Adventist Church operates 173 hospitals and sanitariums and more than 7,500 schools around the world. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) works within communities in more than 130 countries to provide community development and disaster relief.
Pacific Southwest News
