Reinhard Wilhelm is a pilot for an areo-taxi service in Peru. On Sunday, December 15, 1996, Reinhart was flying from Lima to Cuzco. He sent a radio message saying he flew into bad weather. He and his four passangers haven't been heard from since. Here are the e-mail messages that I've received, with the newest at the top. Please pray for Reinhard, his passengers, family and friends.
I'll update this page as I get more information. If you hear something that I don't have here, please e-mail the news to me.
March 11, Ruth Cowan
Rudolfo called this weekend. Nothing has happened -- any and all
helicopters have continued to be used for relief efforts in
flooded/emergency areas, plus two were out for mechanical problems. He
said he and Eva do not have peace yet about leaving Cuzco, though, so they
will continue on there until the Lord shows them differently. Esther comes
to Lima Thursday and flies on to Switzerland Monday, 17th.
He asked prayer as before for direction and some kind of word or news regarding Reinhard and the plane/passengers. He also has gotten word that there have been heavy rains in Industrial and possible damage/loss of bags of concrete stored there for building a church. This is also on his mind but he does not feel flying up there for a quick trip would be worth the money or time.
February 16, Ruth Cowan
Rodolfo called this morning from Cuzco. Nothing has happened for two
weeks now. There is a change in local military leadership which has
stalled action regarding a helicopter. In addition there have been some
personnel changes within the company Reinhard worked for which has stalled
things too. Rodolfo asked prayer that the family have "some kind of light
so they will know how to proceed".
February 9, Ruth Cowan
Today marks 8 weeks since Reinhard's plane disappeared. Rudolfo called
from Cuzco last night to say that nothing had happened / no air search had
taken place this last week. The owner of the plane, who has been in Lima,
was to have been working on acquiring use of a helicopter. He goes to
Cuzco tomorrow, Monday, and hopefully he will have obtained permission for
use of a military helicopter, for at least a few days. Rudolfo said this
was a very specific prayer request, that indeed they have use of a
helicopter to be able to check out unsearched areas.
Eva went to Cuzco last Monday morning (1st) to join Rudolfo and Esther
there. Anita had left a few days earlier for Switzerland to resume her
studies.
The are very grateful for those who are persevering with them in prayer,
knowing that the longer it goes the easier it is for people not directly
involved to forget. "Thank you" on their behalf!
January 31, JAARS Prayer Ministries:
Wilhelm Update (Reinhard Wilhelm and the plane he was piloting from Lima to
Cuzco, Peru, disappeared the week before Christmas. You have been praying for
the SIL pilots and the family. The Reinhard and his sisters all attended
school in Yarinacocha)
Praise God the search teams did have two good flying days on Monday and Tuesday this week so the plane was not moved to another airstrip as tentatively planned. Weather has been better this week so continue to pray to that end. Although the Cessna returns to Yarina this weekend this will NOT mean the end of the search. Another small plane will likely be available again, and there is the possibility of a helicopter. The search will continue.
Continue to uphold the Wilhelm family, Eva is in Lima, her husband and daughter Esther have been in Cuzco. Another daughter, Anita, leaves this weekend to return to her studies in Switzerland. The Wilhelms are so grateful for the worldwide family alongside of and behind them in prayer. Pray the missing plane will located soon.
January 27, Dixie Cherry:
Many of you know that the search will end at the end of January or
when the cessna has 26 hours, whichever comes first. Pris called
Butch and Marcia Phaneuf and asked that on Tuesday, January 28th we
would all pray (and fast if possible) for the Lord to give Rudolf &
Eva some kind of answer so the family can go on.
Some of you may have already heard this but if you know of someone that would like to be a part of this prayer time, please notify them.
The girls are convinced that he is still alive so we need to do this for them as well as for his parents.
I can't imagine that we have lost Reinhart to this accident as I would not like to imagine losing anyone from Peru. Let tommorow also be a time to examine whether we are ready to go be with the Lord and are we doing for Him what he would have us do?
January 26, Ruth Cowan:
No news/word yet on passengers or missing plane. Pete Lawry went to Cuzco
Saturday and Paul Smith returned to Yarina. The possibility of moving
center of operations from Cuzco to Nuevo Mundo is being explored. This
would be closer to the area towards the jungle they are still wanting to
search. The weather in Cuzco has continued poor, preventing flying from
there for much of the time. Pray as contacts are made to see if the
Cessna could be moved to Nuevo Mundo, or some other closer airstrip, and
flights made from there. The possibility of acquiring use of a helicopter
is still being pursued also, but further contacts have to be made.
One of our Peru MK's called here Friday night to say that a number of friends of the Wilhelms in the U.S. are making this Tuesday, Feb. 28, a day of fasting and prayer for the Wilhelms and for finding the passengers and plane. We are sending this out today in order to reach you by then in case others would wish to participate. The family was greatly encouraged by this, as well as the contining knowledge of prayers going up from all over the globe. Their friends in Norway and Switzerland are keeping in close contact with them also. Anita will return to Switzerland this Friday (31st), in order to begin her classes again which start the following Monday.
January 20, Ruth Cowan:
Our plane was able to fly very little last week to check out the areas
they are wanting to check due to low clouds in those areas. This morning
Steve Rowan talked with Pete Lawry and Jim Roberts in Yarina, and Paul
Smith in Cuzco, and the decision was made to leave the Cessna available in
Cuzco until the end of the month, or until 26 more hours of flying have
been made, whichever comes first. After 26 hours the Cessna will be due
for an inspection and needs to be in Yarina for that. The 10 extra days
would also allow for completion of searching possible areas which we have
been unable to due to poor weather. Please continue to pray that the Lord
would overrule the cloudy/rainy skies.
Paul Smith and Peter Lawry will change places sometime this week, with Pete going to Cuzco and Paul returning to Yarina. The family and others have also been trying to acquire use of a helicopter again, which would be able to fly lower than our Cessna. It is hard to find one. That would be another specific way to pray, in addition to all the ways you have already been praying.
Marianne returns to Switzerland tonight. Anita continues here in Lima with Eva, and Esther and Rodolf in Cuzco.
January 13, Ruth Cowan:
No sign yet of any passengers or plane. Paul Smith reported yesterday that
he had only been able to fly 9 hours during the week due to poor weather in
the areas needing to still be searched. There are still a couple of areas
they haven't been able to search yet. Today weather was poor again. The
ones in Cuzco wait at the airport each day, prepared for any opening in the
weather. There is fuel available. A number of individuals have been
involved in search by ground.
Please continue to pray. As far as Wilhelm family members, Eva (mother) and Anita continue here in Lima; Rudolf (father), Esther and Marianne continue in Cuzco (going out to look when the plane is able to fly); Sonia is in Switzerland; and Anita's fiancee is here for 1 week from the U.S.
January 7, Ruth Cowan:
We just got word from Paul Smith in Cuzco. No sign of 4 passengers or
airplane yet; today they had flown over an area to the south that had not
previously been checked and was an "unlikely" area but needing to be
checked out. Our Cessna has been the only plane involved the past 2 days;
it is indefinite yet whether the Twin Otter and helicopter will be
involved in continuing search efforts.
For prayer, there is an area to the north towards the jungle that has not yet been investigated due to poor weather; pray that weather clear up sufficiently to be able to search there. We have committed to continuing to help search with the Cessna until Jan. 22. We trust to find him/get word on Reinhard, passengers and plane before then!
January 3, Theresa Nagel:
At this writing still no word on REINHARD WILHELM, please continue to
pray for the family, continued supply of fuel and good weather, and PETE
LAWRY who is flying the Cessna to help search; PAUL SMITH will take
PETE'S place soon
December 29, Ruth Cowan:
No sign of the airplane or passengers yet. Today was a beautiful, clear
day and a Twin Otter and helicopter, as well as ground crew, went out.
The fuel the Cessna needs arrived in Cuzco tonight (arranged by other
entities), so Pete Lawry will join the search effort tomorrow (Monday).
Pray for another clear day and some sign, somehow, of the plane and
passengers. Pray strength for those searching too, as some are getting
tired.
Sonia Wilhelm returned to Switzerland yesterday (Sat.) for work. Rudolf and Esther Wilhelm, along with John Agersten are in Cuzco. Eva, Marianne and Anita are here in Lima.
December 26, Ruth Cowan:
Today marks 11 days since Reinhart was last heard from. The search
stopped for 24th Eve. and 25th but resumed today. There is one mountain
they have not been able to search, as it is always cloud covered. It is
unlikely he went down there--wasn't in most direct route--but if wind or
weather pushed him that way...who knows. They want to check it out.
John Agersten, Sonia Wilhelm and Jessica, Reinhart's girlfriend, returned
from Cuzco to Lima Tues. evening. Marianne & Anita Wilhelm arrived from
Switz. yesterday. Several of the group will return to Cuzco tomorrow.
Search efforts continue. Our own Cessna is in Cuzco today, having taken
passengers there, and will remain a day or two in case those coordinating
the search effort wish their help. It is being coordinated through the
leaders of the search efforts.
Thank you for your continued prayers for Reinhart, the Wilhelms and the
search parties.
[Somewhere in here there was a rumor that the plane had been found. I don't have that message]
December 24, Millie Lyon:
Kevin sent note to Steve Moore and got back this response.
"No sighting of aircraft known to them. Rudolph said they are calling
off search over Christmas."
I called Mary Lou. She said that Phil Hocking had called her. So she tracked down her source. Johnny Hocking had received a FAX from a Peruvian man who said he had seen the crashed plane and was sending a helicopter. Johnny called his brother Phil who called Copes. I have passed this word on to Steve.
December 22, Ruth Cowan:
John Agersten, who has gone to Cusco (along with Sonia Wilhelm and
Jessica, Reinhart's girlfriend), called the Wilhelms tonight. He had been
out on one of the search parties, in the helicopter. They had gone to
about 6 villages. No one had seen anything but word had already reached
the villages that a reward was being offered and some of the villagers are
going out on foot to do further searching. At least one other plane is
also involved in the search, and the Army has offered some troops who are
also doing ground search. John reported that probably about 80% of the
territory in the projected area where the plane might have gone down has
been searched (by air). Continue to pray for all the efforts. The
Wilhelms are encouraged to know that extensive efforts are being made.
Anita and Marianne arrive here from Switzerland Wed.
December 19, Ruth Cowan:
No further news to share on Reinhart. Neither the plane nor any of the
passengers have been found. Search efforts have been diligent and
continue, with a number of different groups involved -- both by air and by
land. Sonya and Esther Wilhelm are here now, with Rudolf and Eva.
We'll send news as soon as we know anything more.
December 19, Steve Moore:
A young man we
know who was piloting an aero-taxi Sunday afternoon sent out a distress
signal because of bad weather. They haven't heard from them since. Four
people were on board.
Reinhert Wilhelm, 26, was born in Peru to Swiss/Norwegian independent missionaries working in the jungle. He and his sisters grew up in our center in Yarinacocha and were practically one of us. I was the High School retreat speaker the year he graduated. He went to Switzerland and the US, and returned a couple years ago with his pilot's license and began working for a Peruvian company. Please pray for peace for his family as the search teams have also been encountering bad weather.
December 17, Betty Gibson:
Willie Gesch called Sam last night from Peru to tell him that Reinhart Wilhelm,
who is a pilot for a Peruvian airline, is missing. His flight yesterday from
Lima to Cuzco did not arrive, and it's whereabouts are unknown. Reinhard's
parents are on the way to Peru now.