http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.maf.org.nz en-us Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:47:48 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/163218/from-burundi-to-south-sudan-an-adventure-in-mission/ Jean Thierry and Moise caught a bus in Burundi to make the 2-day, 782-mile journey overland, from Bujumbura to Nairobi. From there, transport options narrowed.Boarding an MAF plane, they flew 2.5 hours to Torit in South Sudan – and began their one-year ‘Inbound’ orientation with Africa Inland Mission.Before Jean Thierry arrived, South Sudan was already on his heart.“When I was in the school of mission, I prayed for South Sudan without knowing why,” he said.“Moise and I were praying i... Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:32:04 +1200 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post163218 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/163216/thank-you-maf-for-rescuing-us--88-year-old-nun-flown-to-care/ For years, MAF has flown Sister Bianca during her life of service, back and forth between South Sudan and Uganda.But this flight for the 88-year-old carried urgency: it was a medevac.MAF pilot Andrew Parker made the almost three-hour-flight from Yambio in South Sudan to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The alternative form of travel to Uganda is by road, which would take over two days.“It is good to be able to bring Sister Bianca down here to Kampala where she will... Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:21:38 +1200 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post163216 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/163214/aerial-health-patrols-save-lives-fly-in-medical-team-treats-sick-in-yambaitok/ “This patrol is the only link we have to reach our rural communities,” said Philomina Baking.From the coastal town of Rabaul in East New Britain, Philomina is a volunteer dentist at Kompiam District Hospital. She participated in a two-day aerial health patrol to the village of Yambaitok, with the support of Mission Aviation Fellowship.“I don’t know how these people would get help without aerial patrols, especially in places like Yambaitok,” she said. “I deeply appreciate the work MAF... Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:07:13 +1200 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post163214 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/162894/egberts-one-way-ticket-pays-off-for-bush-people/ After graduating from Don Bosco Technical Institute, Egbert Awani bought a one-way ticket and travelled across Papua New Guinea. In search of work, he left the city of Port Moresby and focussed his efforts on the small town of Kiunga.“You guys have to pick me up from the airport,” he told his friends. But after almost a year, and multiple failed attempts at finding a job, he stumbled across a social media advert for a role with MAF.Growing up in Nuku, in the Sepik region, Egbert had seen MAF... Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:59:26 +1300 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post162894 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/162893/from-bush-hut-to-permanent-health-centre-maf-flights-enable-epic-transformation/ Dedicated community health worker Patrick Dickson has been serving at Yambaitok health centre for almost nine years. Working in a bush materials building, he has personally experienced the pressing need for a proper healthcare facility to support locals from Yambaitok and neighbouring communities.Thanks to the ten crucial MAF flights that delivered the required building materials from Kompiam, the new facility will feature a labour ward, a small outpatient area and rooms to accommodate patients.... Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:43:32 +1300 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post162893 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/162402/from-dreams-to-skies-a-png-pilot-story/ “The spark was there,” says Ricky Poki. “But I honestly believe God puts it in your heart before you’re even born. Ever since then I’ve always had a thing for flying.“My first plane ride – man! The thrill that I got! I was like, ‘I want to be the person doing that over and over again.’”Little did Ricky know, his lifelong dream would eventually shape his calling – to share God’s love through his passion for flying.“It’s like showing a little bit of what God is like for... Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:35:31 +1300 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post162402 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/162398/flying-seriously-big-fridges-across-razorback-ridges/ In much of Papua New Guinea’s mountainous Hela Province, getting to the nearest hospital where you can vaccinate your kids means days of travel through thick vegetation, crossing dangerous rivers and climbing to high elevations.In this part of the highlands, there are no roads to drive on. The only way to reach many villages is to take the risk and commit your family to a long journey on foot.But MAF changes this.Hela Provincial Health Authority technician Peter Herowa was grateful for the two... Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:12:18 +1300 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post162398 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/162396/two-days-from-death-meltine-saved-by-dawn-flight/ When Rasoarimalala Meltine was safely flown home after nearly a month of treatment, her family knew they had witnessed something far greater than medical skill alone.“If we were only two days late,” her daughter, Rakotoarison Landihasina Yollande, said, “she would have died.”Meltine, a 58-year-old mother of seven, had suddenly fallen ill.What began as a simple flu worsened rapidly, as Meltine stopped eating and suffered from fevers. Concerned, her relatives brought her from her home in t... Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:03:05 +1300 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post162396 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/162022/only-maf-can-help--aircraft-fill-critical-gap-to-save-lives-in-timor-leste/ When patients cannot safely travel by road, since 2007 MAF aircraft have helped evacuate them from municipalities across Timor-Leste to the national hospital in Dili.Dr Simplicio Amaral de Deus, a general doctor who has served in a director role since 2023, said the partnership between Servisu Nasional Ambulancia Emergencia Medika (SNAEM) and MAF has become a necessity for the country.“This partnership is very beneficial and important for the people and government of Timor-Leste,” he said.Be... Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:55:08 +1300 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post162022 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/post/161934/some-dont-come-because-they-havent-eaten-removing-barriers-to-education/ “When children receive a meal at school, it does more than fill a stomach. It helps them stay in class, helps parents, and hopefully helps them build a better future,” said Alice KoloinaRahelimalala, director of Convoy of Hope in Madagascar. Convoy of Hope works to bring help and hope to communities in need, whether by feeding children, empowering women, training farmers, or supporting vulnerable families.In Madagascar, the organisation currently focuses much of its work on hard-to-reach vil... Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:38:09 +1300 http://www.maf.org.nz/blog/#post161934