Jack and Leigha Gandy

Jack and Leigha Gandy are excited to be fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus through the utilization of aviation with Mission Aviation Fellowship. Jack uses his skills as a pilot/mechanic to overcome physical and spiritual barriers and reach the lost with the love of Jesus. Leigha continues to raise their children, Elisabeth, David, and Paul, as well as cultivate gospel-centered relationships with whomever she meets.

Born and raised in Wichita, KS, Jack grew up going to church, but wasn’t interested in the things of God until he saw the Lord reconcile his parents from divorce when he was 13. God used those circumstances to illustrate His love and power to Jack. Since then, Jack has had a passion for reaching the lost and sharing God’s love with the world. In his family, loving airplanes was a non-negotiable, and he grew into the joy of aviation. It was the story of Nate Saint (missionary pilot, martyr) that sparked his desire to serve the Lord as a missionary pilot.

After high school, Jack was admitted to the Professional Pilot Program at Kansas State University in Salina, KS. There, Jack earned all of his pilot and mechanic certificates. During this time Jack spent two summers as an intern with MAF-Bangladesh, which further confirmed his call to mission aviation. After graduating, Jack instructed at Kansas State, and later moved to the St. Louis area where he flew cargo commercially.

Leigha grew up moving to different areas of the central U.S. with her parents, who are pastors in the Salvation Army. She always heard the message of the gospel, but had not experienced grace and forgiveness until her mother had a stroke when she was 14. This event brought Leigha to the realization that it was not by good works, or the good works of her family that made God love her, but only by the work of Jesus on the cross. As a sophomore in college, Leigha had the opportunity to spend a semester in Uganda where she taught people about Jesus’ love and forgiveness. She realized that telling people about Jesus, especially people from other countries, was something she wanted to do whether in the U.S. or overseas. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in social work. She hopes to continue sharing the Good News with the nations along with using her social work skills overseas.

Jack and Leigha met at church in 2013, and discovered they shared similar interests and a passion for living in another context while sharing the gospel. They were married in January 2016. Since then, God has blessed them with a daughter, Elisabeth Grace, and two sons, David Terence and Paul Michael. They have been blessed to serve and live in Papua, Indonesia since 2019.

God calls the men and women of MAF to serve Him in unique ways.  He may also be calling you to a special role in the Gandys’ ministry.  Please prayerfully consider becoming a Ministry Partner with them through prayer and/or financial support.