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MAF Flight For Don Bosco Charity

MAF South Sudan pilot Florian Poinstingl chats with Father Jan Marciniak, a Polish Salesian missionary who has worked in missions in Africa since 1991. Florian flies a MAF charter to Maridi for the Catholic charity Don Bosco with a full load of cargo made up of mostly medicine for their dispensary and some food items, plus two passengers, Emmanuel Simon Mbiko, a candidate for priesthood, and Salesian priest Roman Portukhai from Ukraine who will volunteer for two months. Father Peter, who met the...

The Gabbra Tribe In Northern Kenya

The flights of Loglogo-based MAF pilot Melvin Peters mean a lot to the Andersen family, who have served in northern Kenya for several generations—Eddie Andersen’s grandfather started the work at LogLogo. Eddie and Rachel Andersen and their six children work amongst the Gabbra tribe in Northern Kenya, a people group who are spread over a vast geographical area with towns separated by large desert plains. Based in the remote village of Dukana since 2014, their work involves church planting...

Doctors Who Stay!

The hospital in Bardai is impressive, well equipped and bizarrely, for a hospital in Africa—empty! Inside the spacious walled compound the cream and green-trimmed buildings are well laid out but there are no inpatients on most days. If you searched all the buildings, you’d find only a few hospital staff with little to do. After years of neglect, with equipment gathering dust, this shell of a hospital had few vital signs until recently—when two experienced British doctors arrived, r...

Blessings Beyond Belief

In September 2017 the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) headquarters in Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea received an interesting request. The Yamka community, greater tribal clan(s) living around the area of the airport (Kagamuga), wanted to have a celebration honoring MAF for its more than 65 years of service and commitment to rural communities of PNG. This would also be an opportunity to share the mission and vision of MAF with those of the community who were new or were unaware of the nature of th...

The De Leeuw family in South Sudan

In 2015 a simple, dirt airstrip was built and this now provides safe access in and out for missionaries in Kali, South Sudan. “Without MAF, we couldn’t have a ministry to the unreached people in Kali. There is only one road in and out. So when there is trouble on that road, we have no exit. MAF is a big blessing to us.” Carin de LeeuwJust a year ago, the de Leeuw family were ministering to unreached people groups in Uganda with Africa Inland Mission (AIM). But they felt God calling them to...

Supporting Mental Health Delivery In Liberia

Liberia has a unique history of trauma that has battered her people in waves. Before a generation could recover from a brutal civil war, the Ebola virus hit them—a crisis that shook the world in its relentless ferocity. In December 2014, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) began a program to strengthen the mental health systems and improve quality service delivery, first in Montserrado County, in communities close to the capital of Monrovia. Then, in January 2016, the IRC set out for ...

RUN A FUNDRAISER FOR MAF

Your fundraiser event could be with your neighbours, family, home group or church. It doesn’t have to be complicated or too big, just gather some people and do something fun while at the same time raising some money for MAF—all the while knowing that you’re helping share the work of MAF with others.By helping to organize a fundraiser, no matter how simple, you are helping us reach those forgotten people who are in desperate need. Thanks to you, we will be able to continue bringing them...

Transformation In Northern Uganda

In Northern Uganda an entire generation of children have grown up never knowing peace. These children were displaced and remain un-educated because of 20 years of incessant fighting between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Government forces. Four Corners Ministries saw the desperation of this region 12 years ago, prayed—and saw God perfectly place Abaana’s Hope in this area. Now, on a 100-acre plot, they have been reaching out to the people in the community through farming and traini...

Supporting Future Generations

Mäpuru is a small homeland south of Elcho Island with roughly 120 residents. During the dry season the school uses the road to transport goods—but during the wet season they call upon MAF. This wet season has had very challenging conditions, which has resulted in an increased number of flights. Between 21 February - 12 March this year (less than three weeks), MAF delivered 3670kg of food to Mäpuru Christian School alone.  Ten years ago, when there was a lack of affordable food for t...

No Matter How Small

Bangladesh mechanic, Tapon Mondal, believes in doing his best—no matter how small the job. If there’s one thing that stands out about Tapon Mondal, it’s that he is rarely idle. If there’s no work to be done, he’ll find something to do or someone to help. Tapon, 37, began working for MAF Bangladesh in 2003. Although his brother-in-law David worked for MAF, and through him he knew many MAF staff, he couldn’t get his foot in the door until the unfortunate death of a night guard and ...

Engaging Men For Female Rights In Liberia

Ten men from ten communities sit in a circle discussing the lists they have just made: privileges and limitations for men and women. The two hand-written lists on the board are clearly out of balance. Fourteen privileges listed for men; four for women. Three limitations for men; ten for women. One participant raises his hand to add another “privilege” to the men’s list: they can beat their wives. The training facilitator, Albert Bundoo thinks this is worth discussing. One man thinks that w...

Clean Water For Semi Nomadic People

Founded in 2002, the Millennium Water Alliance (MWA) is a coalition of charities who work to bring clean, safe drinking water and sanitation to millions of the world’s poorest people, with a focus on sustainable solutions rather than temporary measures. The MWA currently operates in seven countries worldwide.  Jon Lenchner, a research scientist, was recently a MAF passenger to Marsabit as part of a team from the Millennium Water Alliance (MWA) to visit projects that the organisation is in...

Leaving A Legacy

A bequest is simply a gift left in a will. Many people don’t realise that you don’t have to be rich or famous to make a bequest. The truth is that most bequests are made by ordinary, hardworking people who want to make a positive difference to their community or to a cause after they're gone. The good news is that including Mission Aviation Fellowship in your will is just as easy as providing for your loved ones. And it can be as much, or as little, as you want. The first step should always ...

Helping Orphans In South Sudan

Maria Alfons of True Light Ministries frequently relies on MAF to fly her safely in and out of Mundri, South Sudan where she runs an orphanage and is opening a medical centre. Originally from Egypt, Maria first came to South Sudan in 2009 to begin a ministry for street children. As a trained teacher and fluent in Arabic she was able to step right into the challenges and joys of serving some of the most vulnerable children in South Sudan’s capital. In 2011 Maria started an orphanage in Juba, So...

Medevac In Mongolia

Before noon on Saturday, we received a call for urgent medevac flight. A 13-year old boy called Baasandorj had been severely injured as a result of falling off a racing horse during the annual Mongolian festival Naadam.  Naadam is a traditional multiple-day annual festival celebrated in Mongolia. The festival is held in July and originates from the times of Genghis Khan. The main event is held in Ulaanbaatar (the capital), but each district capital and village holds its own local Naadam. Th...

Sister Wilhemena - Transforming Lives

“I believe in empowering people so that instead of giving all the time, it’s good to help them learn how to fish for themselves”, states Sister Wilhelmena. As the Chinese proverb says, you give a man a fish, you feed him for the day. Teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. Her statement encapsulates the heart of a remarkable woman whose presence fills the room with joy and who speaks with such passion about her work that it’s contagious. She is a Sister of the Holy Family, an...

A Link In The Chain

In MAF we often talk about how each “link in the chain” is so important —and how even one missing link affects all the other parts. MAF’s life-transforming work overseas could not take place without supporting countries like New Zealand! MAF New Zealand is a vital "link in the chain". We raise the money, prayer and staff to keep the planes flying But our work would be severely hampered without the MAF aircraft. It is another vital "link in the chain". Since the MAF aircraft arrived i...

Arnhem Land Kids Love Sports

If it’s not AFL (Australian Football), it’s basketball, if it’s not basketball it’s volleyball, if it’s not volleyball it’s running. Aboriginal Kids love sports!  Any opportunity indigenous kids are given to kick or run with a ball, they respond to it, often with beaming smiles. The love of sports has lead many young Aboriginal people into various AFL and other sport programs that run throughout the country. The schools in East Arnhem Land especially recognise the potential that...

An Interview With Glenys Watson

Recently the NZ Herald did an interview with Glenys Watson, who is heading to PNG as a pilot. They also produced a short video of Glenys sharing her story and talking about what she will be doing in PNG. Below is the story as it appeared in the Herald. Here is a link to the article and a video. It took the death of Glenys Watson's father to remind her just how short life was and prompted her and her husband to do something extreme to help Five years on, the Hamilton mother-of-four is moving her ...

Changing The Odds

After years of civil war and Ebola that decimated the health care system in Liberia, Partners In Health is committed to changing the odds for the Liberian people....

Inspiring Young Hearts

MAF occasionally are able to participate in inspiring young hearts by opening their doors wide to kids that wouldn’t normally be able to experience the world of aviation. We received a letter from 3 students who came to do work experience at the hangar from the Rainbow International School (see below).  They ended by saying, “These have been some of the best 2 weeks we have experienced all year”. A few months back, a friend of ours came to visit Uganda short term and organised a visit...

Selling The Sofa

Rune and Maria Karlsson were called to the mission field with a loud, crystal-clear shout from God that could not be ignored. It wasn’t a call to just any mission doing any work. God said to go with Mission Aviation Fellowship. It was hard to say no. The Swedish couple married at age 18. Rune started a sawmill business; they purchased a house and renovated it; and they bought a sofa—an expensive, leather Chesterfield sofa from England that they loved. One evening, Rune was at a campgroun...

East Timor Hearts Fund

Fainting, dizziness, shortness of breath and chest pains may all be indicators of a serious heart condition—but what do people do if they live in a place where the specialist heart doctors they need are simply not there? What if it was impossible to get treatment for your medical condition within your home country? What if your only hope of health, wellness and a fully active life is a trip overseas to another country where they have the technology and training to fix your broken heart&mda...

Empreza Di'ak - Good Business

Pilot Jason Job put on his life jacket for the short fifteen minute flight from Dili to nearby Atauro Island in the GA8 aircraft, MQO. He was about to fly staff from one of MAF Timor-Leste’s frequent fliers, an organisation called Empreza Di’ak. Empreza Di’ak means “Good Business” in the local language of Tetun, and has a vision to see people of Timor-Leste build a better life, through the combination of their own efforts and the power of business. The story behind Empreza Di’ak begi...

Looking After Airstrips

Well-maintained airstrips are essential for MAF operations into remote communities. MAF flights are often the only way in and out of basic services, especially in the case of a medical emergency. In PNG the Rural Airstrip Agency (RAA) and MAF partner together to support villages in keeping their lifeline safe and accessible for our aircraft. However, it is the community itself who is responsible for looking after their airstrip. “I’ve been to five airstrips in Enga yesterday, and now I am go...