The Burns Family
Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, some communities are separated by hundreds of miles of river and rainforest—and a small airplane can make all the difference.We’re the Burns family, serving with Missão do Céu to use aviation as a bridge, bringing the hope of the Gospel and practical support to people in places that are often difficult to reach.Come along with us as we fly, serve, and see what God is doing across the Amazon.
About Us
We’re the Burns family, and God has led us on a remarkable journey from the American Southwest, to the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. Sam and Alyx have been married 2018 and have two daughters, Selah and Isabella. For the first several years of our marriage, we lived in Tucson, where Sam worked in healthcare leadership while we also volunteered in a ministry discipling teenagers with a heart for missions.Around the time our first daughter was born, we began asking what it would look like to give our lives more fully to missions. As we explored the needs around the world, we discovered missionary aviation and were drawn to the unique opportunity it provides to serve people in remote places. That led us to Spokane, Washington, where Sam studied at Moody Aviation in a program combining seminary, aircraft maintenance, and flight training. Along the way, we were introduced to Missão do Céu and developed a deep love for their vision and ministry in Brazil.
In 2024, after completing pre-field training with JAARS in North Carolina, we moved to Manaus, Brazil. Today, Sam serves as a missionary pilot, mechanic, and safety director, while Alyx serves with our counseling and member care teams. Alyx also has a passion for dance and its ability to transcend communication barriers. Together, we're passionate about discipleship, missionary care, logistics, and helping people serve faithfully and sustainably.
Our family loves the adventure of life in the Amazon, but we love the people even more. Sam grew up as a missionary kid in Brazil, and Alyx has dreamed of serving in missions since she was a child. Now we're grateful to be raising our own girls in this unique part of the world. Selah brings leadership, courage, and a strong sense of justice to our family, while Izzy brings warmth, joy, and an infectious love of beauty. We're learning that the adventure isn't ultimately about where we're going, but about who God is shaping us to become along the way.
Our Work
Bringing the Gospel to places that are hard to reachWe serve with Missão do Céu, a Christian aviation ministry based in the Brazilian Amazon. Here, rivers and rainforest stretch across enormous distances, and many communities are difficult or impossible to reach by road. For isolated churches and communities, an airplane can make the difference between being connected and being cut off.In missionary aviation, we use airplanes to help people go farther.We fly pastors, missionaries, medical teams, supplies, and other essential resources into remote communities, helping local churches reach people who might otherwise remain isolated. Every flight is more than a trip from one place to another—it is an opportunity to strengthen relationships, support the work of local believers, and make the message of Christ more accessible in some of the most remote parts of the Amazon.
Aviation is only part of the workAlongside flying, Sam serves in our aviation department with a focus on safety, maintenance, and operational development. Reliable aviation in the Amazon requires much more than capable pilots. It takes careful planning, well-maintained aircraft, strong safety systems, and a culture where people are willing to learn from mistakes and continually improve.Much of this work happens behind the scenes: developing safety programs, improving reporting and training, coordinating maintenance, and helping build systems that allow our aviation ministry to operate safely and sustainably for years to come.
Why it mattersOur goal isn't simply to fly airplanes.It's to use the unique opportunity aviation provides to serve the Church, support those working in remote communities, and help make disciples where distance would otherwise stand in the way.We believe God has called our family to this work, and we're grateful to have a part in what He is doing throughout the Amazon.
Thank You
We look forward to reading your message!
Help the mission take flight
Your partnership makes it possible for us to serve communities throughout the Amazon through aviation and ministry. If you would like to financially support our work, you can give securely online through our giving portal using the link below. Donations are processed through New Horizons Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
If you prefer, you can also mail a check to:New Horizons Foundations
731 Chapel Hills Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
“Burns Take Flight” in the memo line.If you have questions or need help with giving, the New Horizons Foundation donor support team can be reached at 719-260-1213, option 1.Thank you for partnering with us!