The Richard West Foundation assists with pilot training and advanced flight training, especially where the missionary in question is outstanding as a pilot, yet unable to raise sufficient funds from other sources.
By donating to the Richard West Memorial Foundation, you will help equip missionaries to get over hurdles on their journey to service on the mission field with MAF.
Honouring the life of Richard West
Richard West served with MAF as a pilot for nine years. Along with his wife Cherie and children, they first served in the Aboriginal communities in Australia's Northern Territory, then moved to Papua New Guinea for three years.
Sadly, Richard and his colleague Chris were piloting a MAF Twin Otter aircraft when it crashed into trees near Wobagen in PNG’s Star Mountains while attempting to land on 22 February, 2005. The two experienced Kiwi pilots onboard received fatal injuries, tragically leaving behind their wives and young children who were living at the time in Western PNG. It was an incredible sacrifice from these two pilots and their families, doing what they felt called by God to do.
Some years later, Richard’s parents, Reg and Jan West, decided to turn something tragic into something special. They established the Richard West Foundation as a legacy honouring their son.
To date, $400,000 have been contributed to the foundation. The foundation is especially effective because it is only the interest on these funds that is used to help pilots train to serve with MAF. Therefore donations to the foundation are used many times over.
"“As a young married couple having just been through Bible College, and after having scraped together tens of thousands of dollars for pilot training, it was that final stretch that was the most difficult. We had to raise enough money to finally get on the mission field. This fund will hopefully enable other couples, heading for service like we were, to make it over the line.”
- Cherie West, Richard's wife.