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On October 24, 1980, Agape Flights was in-

corporated as an independent Christian ministry

committed to “Serving Christ by Serving His Mission-

aries” in Haiti.

Barely three weeks later on November 15, the

inaugural flight left the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport,

captained by Alan Cayo, and bound for Cap Haitien,

Haiti. The first flight served one missionary family but

soon the small Cessna 411 delivered emergency sup-

plies and mail to about 25 missionary families each

week.

Thirty years later, Agape Flights of Venice,

Florida now serves more than 300 missionaries, their

families, and missions throughout Haiti, the Domini-

can Republic and the Bahamas.

1980 Agape Flights founders, Keith and Clara Starkey, early in their faith adven-ture from “farmers” in Ohio to “Flyers for the Lord” in Florida.

Keith and Clara Starkey, 1980

On their knees in prayer,

the dream became a reality. Agape Flights founders, Keith and Clara Starkey, used their home address as both a col-lection center and the mailing address for the ever-growing number of missionaries who needed supplies in Haiti. The mail and cargo quickly overflowed the garage into the living room — mail and small boxes were piled on every available table and chair. Each package was care-fully recorded and assigned to an upcoming flight; Clara did the correspondence and Keith kept track of the boxes and mail. Each week the cargo was loaded into a van, taken to the airport, and loaded into a small Cessna.

Volunteer pilots like Bob Stinnett, Eric Richards, Dave Hollis and John Cloud donated their time for the two-day trip to help get Agape Flights off the ground. They flew to Haiti on Sat-urday and back on Sunday; the common de-nominator was Keith and Clara Starkey—every week, every month, every year, and every flight.

Keith and Clara’s thanksgiving and prayer from long ago is still their prayer today…

“Our thanks goes out to each one of you who have had a part in winning souls for the Kingdom through the efforts of Agape Flights. You have made it possi-ble to help the missionaries with those things that were necessary so they could reach the unsaved, the unloved, those who were ill and those who were hungry. Let us all join heart, hands, and souls as we strive together to make Agape Flights everything God wants us to be.”

The “waiting room” for Haitians on clinic day at the Zacharys’

1980’s

Excerpts from a 1985 note by Clara Starkey

about the beginning of Agape Flights:

In 1972 we moved to Bradenton from our

home state of Ohio where we were farmers.

About 20 years ago [1965] we went to Haiti on

a witnessing crusade. We fell in love with the

people and felt a real need to be of help to

them. During ensuing years we used our vaca-

tion time to work on lay mission teams going

to Spain, Guatemala, Uruguay, Africa, and

going back to Haiti several times. Five years

ago God led us to organize Agape Flights. Nei-

ther of us are pilots, but we supplied the plane

and God supplied the pilots and other volun-

teers to get Agape started. . . . It’s been a “big

step” from farming to flying missions, and we

give the glory to God for making it all possible.

He simply chose LOVE, for He said: "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another." (John 13:35)

Stepping out in faith, we chose the Greek word for love, “AGAPE” (the unconditional love He has for each of us) to describe our mission.

September 28, 1981 - Engine trouble in their twin-engine Cessna 411 caused Agape pilots Dave Hollis and

Marty Martin to make an emergency landing in Cuba. They were met by a dozen heavily armed military

personnel, none of whom spoke English. Despite their initial reception and thorough debriefing by Cuban

officials, they received VIP treatment at a hotel in Camaguey during their 36-hour stay while the plane was

repaired. One official told them, “I hope you will go back and say what a nice place Cuba is.”

A letter from missionary Joanna Hodges

described what happened when the missionaries who met the Agape plane returned to their

mission, Hospital L’Bon Samaritain in Limbe: Immediately, people came running and the truck was quickly unloaded.

Several people began sorting mail at the table. There was quite a clamor . . . “Did I get any mail???” “Are there any

packages for me?” “My folks promised to send me a package!” “Did my order from Sears come??”. . . ”Wow!, Look at the big

stack of mail for Jean!” and then, ”Hey, guys, look! A big package for me from the folks at my church!” . . . Into the midst

of this seeming mayhem walked a visitor to the hospital who asked what was going on. Our youngest son said, “Agape just

came!” And our innocent guest responded, “What’s Agape?” You can imagine the babble as everyone tried to tell him what

Agape is and what it means to us. After taking in all we had to say, our visitor said, “Well, I can see that Agape really

means HAPPINESS.” I think he was right!

Agape made over 120 flights to Haiti in 1984.

January 17, 1981 Bradenton Herald, by Michael B. Ross

(first record of publicity Agape has)

. . . . . a Cessna 411 left the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport this morning

with a load of seed trays. The cargo of young trees, destined for Haiti, is to be used in an agricultural

assistance program sponsored by a church mission. Today’s flight is the fifth in the recently formed Agape Flights.

Keith Starkey, founder and president of the non-profit organization, said in a recent interview that

Agape Flights is “an organization of persons dedicated to fighting disease and poverty by providing food, clothing,

and medical supplies to various missions and hospitals.” . . . The organization is governed by a 12-member board

of directors and is assisted by approximately 30 members.

. . . (Starkey) noted that those who attend the organization’s monthly meetings usually include mechanics,

attorneys, ham radio operators and pilots wanting to assist the ministry’s purposes. The group meets the second

Monday of each month at 7:30. . . .

“We can get all the supplies and medicines we need,” Starkey continued, “and we have plenty of volunteer

help. Our biggest need is help in paying for the cost of the flights.” Fuel for one round trip is over $700 and the cost

of the complete flight is $1,100.

Mr. Ross, the reporter, flew to Haiti with Agape while researching his article. On his return flight, he was

joined by a missionary family returning to the U.S. so their four-year-old son could be treated for a nutrition-

related disease.

December 31, first flight in Agape’s new plane, a Cessna 402.

1981

1982

1984

Agape began construction of a “firm foundation” for its hangar at Sarasota International Airport. After nine years, the Starkey’s home would no longer be the central mail and package depot.

1989

1993

74 flights to Haiti in 1993

(Each required State Department approval)

200,000 pounds of mail and mission supplies

delivered to 215 missionary families.

May - Agape made its 1,000th flight,

representing the delivery of over

two million pounds of mission

supplies since 1980.

Dear Agape Staff and all involved,

Joyce and I would sure like to be there, but we have our annual IMO Haiti Convention Jan 19-23, 2011.

Rest assured we appreciate all that you at Agape have done over the years, especially Keith and Clara Starkey for the vision they had in the beginning to start this service.

We were in Haiti without any means of getting things in when we needed parts or materials we could not get in Haiti. There was another service coming to Haiti at the time in 1976 but we were refused the use of that ser-vice simply because we were of the Pentecostal faith. Thank God Agape reached out over the walls of denominations and accepted independents and other faiths. Sounds like something Jesus did.

We wish you the best and pray God meets every need that you have financially or whatever it may be. We are honored to be a part of this organization.

Please extend our love and sincere thanks to all, the Agape Board, Staff, and Volunteers — and many of those that labored in the hard times in the beginning when they started. So many people volunteered and gave of themselves unselfishly, just like a man from Nazareth called Jesus.

Keith and Clara, you are to be commended in the great ministry that you started and worked so hard to keep going. Thank you for all that you have done. Only heaven will reveal the blessing you have been to so many that needed “just a helping hand”.

God richly bless you, John Hanson,

Agape Flights Missionary Member

Jesus looked at them and said,

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

Protein deficiency is a major problem for most all Hai-tians, but especially for children. The tons of protein powder Agape supporters have donated since 1980 have changed and saved the lives of thousands of children.

Hurricane Georges and the floods it created

left a trail of devastation in Haiti and the

Dominican Republic. It destroyed entire com-munities, wiped out food and medical supplies, and contaminated the water.

Supporters and missionaries prayed and God provided a DC-3 and a pilot that enabled Agape to deliver 25,000 pounds of disaster relief supplies. The Dominican government waived all fees on relief flights as Agape joined forces with groups such as the Brethren Service Center, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and King Pharmaceutical International Benevolent Fund to transport the desperately needed supplies.

Agape’s connections with missionaries provided a ready-made, organized, and dependable conduit for quick delivery and effective utili-zation of emergency supplies.

At the request of missionaries, and with financial assistance from the Episcopal Church, Agape Flights ex-panded its service to the Dominican Republic.

January 12 - A small, rented Aztec took off from Sarasota, Agape’s first official flight extending service to missionaries in the Dominican Republic. Waiting in Santiago to greet the pilots were 19 missionary families waiting to join the Agape Flights family.

1998

Agape received 2.5 tons of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, electrolyte

solutions and other medicines that offered life and health to sick, malnourished, and protein deficient children and adults. The packing slip, from King Pharmaceutical, Bristol TN, listed the wholesale value at $888,300.46 but the discount line read “God’s discount - 100%.”

1999

Charles Gardner

Executive Director

1992—2009

2001

August - Missionary Dr. Mubudiga Nzunga, a theology pro-fessor and evangelist with UCNH Universite Chretienne du Nord d’Haiti, turned to Agape when a dog suspected to be

rabid bit his 10-year-old daughter, Benito. Agape worked with a state-side doctor and pharmacist to locate the antidote. The treatment vaccine for the first shot was immediately available to go on Agape’s regular flight but the subsequent series of needed treatment injections were not. When the additional vaccine was ready, volunteer pilot Wes Head flew the medicine to West Palm Beach, just in time to make Missionary Flights Interna-tional’s next flight to Haiti.

God’s people, working together, to change and save lives — both physically and spiritually.

2003

As Max Lucado reminds us in his book, It’s Not About Me.

Simple.

Promote God.

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your loving kindness, because of

Your truth.” Psalm 115:1

Life in Haiti was marked by rioting, mobs, looters and roadblocks prior to President Aristide’s ouster by rebels. He left Haiti quickly, flown to Africa on a U.S. plane, but missionaries continued to serve in Haiti. In late February, John Hanson, a 28-year missionary to Haiti, reminded guests at Agape’s mission banquet,

“Jesus is still going on in Haiti!” A letter from Judy Heady in Port au Prince said,

“This has been another day of taking people to the airport

who are fleeing Haiti. So far we have prepared meals and

overnighted over 50 missionaries….”

“The internet is our only means of communication, and we

praise God for it! We don't know how long it will be that the

roads, airports, ports, and telephones are all cut off. If it goes on

very long, terrible hunger will set in….” Jules and Laurie Casseus

The most important question that comes to mind is:

"Has Agape reflected Jesus in our words

and deeds?” Keith and Clara Starkey, 2004

Some of Agape’s more unusual cargo comes equipped with four legs. Through the years, special missionary projects supplied goats to provide milk and dairy products for families, or breeding stock for the opportunity to learn a sustainable life trade.

2004

New volunteers from the Venice area came for workdays during the summer and fall of 2006 as Agape prepared to move its operations from the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport to the airport in Venice, Florida. Agape volunteers from Bradenton, Sarasota, and Venice all worked together to make the move.

2006

How does a missionary kid (MK) in Haiti celebrate her high school graduation and 18th birthday? Call Agape to order Chinese takeout for 12.

You certainly brightened the day

of many here in Haiti yesterday.

Thanks so much for all your effort in sending the Chinese

food and ice-cream (and of course, all the other things). It

worked out really well. This is one birthday Christie will not

forget, that's for sure. We really appreciate you making

everything come together!

Volunteers are the heart of Agape Flights. They are responsible for much of the work, from the hangar to the reception desk. No matter what the job, volunteers share the best of their hearts and

SMILES...

January 2 - Agape’s first official day

in its new home in Venice. The warm reception from Venice residents helped staff members make a smooth transition.

2007

2010

Less than two weeks into the year, Port Au Prince, Haiti was rocked by a 7.0 magnitude

earthquake on January 12.

This year was like no other in the history of Agape Flights. Just 36 hours after the quake, food, water, and medical supplies were on the way from Agape’s hangar in Venice, Florida to the people in Haiti.

In addition to the basic necessities of life, the Agape network of DONORS, CHURCHES, VOL-UNTEERS, MISSIONARIES, STAFF and PILOTS delivered love, care, healing, and hope to Haiti. God’s power and miracle filled day-to-day journey through the relief response changed people forever.

In the first 90 days following the

earthquake, the extreme generosity of donors, volunteers, and pilots made it possible to:

Fly 150 mission relief flights to Haiti

Deliver over 500,000 pounds of donated emergency and medical supplies

Transport medical teams

Evacuate Haitian children to their adop-tive parents waiting in the U.S.

Fly missionary families to safety

In 2010, Agape Flights served more than 300 missionaries, their families, and their missions throughout Haiti, the Do-

minican Republic and the Bahamas. As evidenced throughout the history of Agape, God provided his people and the resources to sustain regular mission flights, make additional relief flights, and deliver

supplies so desperately needed in Haiti.

When Agape’s King Air was damaged during the third week of earthquake relief flights, Dave Corey, President of AirNow in Bennington, VT made it possible to continue unin-terrupted service by loan-ing and later making a gen-erous arrangement with Agape to purchase its current plane, an Embraer 110. (Bandit)

Dick Armstrong

Interim

Executive Director

2009 — 2010

Agape Flights Donors, Staff, Volunteers, and Missionaries on the field are

Changing

And

Saving Lives

When you make a financial investment in Agape Flights, your gift:

Supports 340 missionary families and their ministries; reaching over 1 million people with the

Gospel of Jesus Christ and humanitarian aid in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

Ways to Give

Phone 941.488.0990

Mail to 100 Airport Ave, Venice, FL 34285

Online at www.agapeflights.com

Gifts of stock, annuities, IRA’s

Remember Agape Flights in your will

Increase your gift with your employer's matching gift program

Federal employees may choose payroll deduction via the Combined Federal Campaign

is a Christian aviation ministry transporting continuous and critical supplies to support missionaries, their families, and their unique missions.

Agape is committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ

through the missionaries it serves.

Each year, Agape Flights touches the lives of over one MILLION people through its affili-ated missionaries who provide:

Clean Water Medical Services

Community Health Micro Enterprise

Education Orphan Care

Evangelism Vocational Training

For a listing of missionaries currently served by Agape Flights, and much more information, including links to Facebook and our blog

www.agapeflights.com

Agape Flights 100 Airport Avenue, Venice FL 34285 941.488.0990

email: gomissions@agapeflights.com www.agapeflights.com