By Natalie Holsten

As the tropical sun beat down on the village of Long Pujungan, young children filed into the church building by ones and twos, freshly bathed and ready to learn.

They gathered at the front of the church, sitting on the floor in a semicircle, little folding desks before them. Their eyes were fixed on Refi, a young man tasked with teaching them the basics of reading and writing.

Refi is one of several young people helping with Hati MAF, or the Heart of MAF ministry, a discipleship initiative started several years ago by MAF and local church leaders in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, to reach remote communities.

Since the early 1970s, MAF has operated in Kalimantan, flying in places that previously took days or weeks to reach by river or overland routes through the mountain rainforest. Through the years, MAF has provided air support for the national church, as well as helping with medevac flights and community development.

Though much has changed in the decades since MAF first began flight service here, one thing remains the same: isolated communities need Jesus.

The need for discipleship

Starting in 2019, several MAF staff began discussing how they could be more strategic in helping the churches interior to be more effective in discipleship.

“The pastors in many of these communities were a bit overwhelmed, not even knowing where to start because of the issues their communities are facing,” said MAF pilot Jeremy Toews. “They specifically requested help from MAF to help bring in teachers, people who can bring in godly Christian teaching and disciple the people.”

Jeremy didn’t know exactly who their partners in a discipleship ministry might be, but as they were praying and discussing how MAF could be involved, one name in particular came up: Esther Adam.

Esther is a longtime friend of MAF, a “frequent flier” who often travels interior in her dual roles as an instructor at a Bible school, and as the head of children and youth for the Indonesian branch of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) in North Kalimantan.

When MAF staff met with Esther about how MAF might be able to better assist the church’s efforts, she had recently returned from a trip to Long Pujungan, where she met with Pastor Musa, head pastor for the CMA churches in that area.

She knew exactly where MAF could help.

A pastor’s plea

Pastor Musa shared with Esther how burdened he was for his people. Families were hurting, marriages were suffering, children were growing up in church but without discipleship in the home. The family problems he saw were compounded by the presence of drugs in the area, as well as the influence of the internet via smart phones.

In tears, he pleaded with Esther—was there anything she could do to help the people in Pujungan?

Esther was able to bring Pastor Musa’s request to the meeting with MAF, which also included Bob Lopulalang and his wife, Sery, a couple active in children and youth ministry. Bob had recently been part of a team that developed a curriculum specifically for the discipleship of children.

“We decided to focus on three areas: Bob focuses on Sunday school kids and the training for Sunday school teachers, I do the class for parents, and Sery does the class for teens,” Esther said.

With their ministry plan formed, it was decided that the first location would be Long Pujungan, an hour’s flight from the MAF base of Tarakan. MAF’s ability to provide safe and efficient transportation was a key component of the ministry, said Esther, who had experienced the harrowing, days-long river route from Long Pujungan to Tarakan in a long boat. “Without MAF, we for sure couldn’t be here.”

Caring for kids

In the fall of 2019, the new discipleship effort began, with MAF providing flights for six weekend trips into Long Pujungan.

“We asked that Pastor Musa, and the head pastor of the church, and the important people of the village attend the first parenting class we did,” Bob said of the ministry’s early days. “We knew that would have an impact on the others, to have the leaders attend. And they did, they came.”

Bob’s curriculum included not just how to teach children but also focused on how the Bible shows we are to value, nurture, and teach children about Jesus. “We found the parents needed discipleship and encouragement to help their children,” Bob said.

After the first few classes, Bob began to hear stories about how families were impacted, including one family known to be abusive that became more loving to their kids.

“We have heard testimonies from a few families that they shared with others in the village, saying this program really pushed them to care for their kids,” said Bob. “That really encouraged us, we saw the fruit, we saw this program is being used by the Lord.”

Esther was also hearing testimonies from families who were becoming more loving to their kids and less harsh. “Their difficult homes had transformed,” she said. “It’s amazing!”

Unexpected interruptions, new opportunities

The ministry was moving along, until a government runway renovation project shut down the Long Pujungan airstrip for months. Then COVID-19 pandemic restrictions severely limited where MAF could fly.

When restrictions finally lifted and the Long Pujungan airstrip reopened earlier this year, MAF began flying in the ministry teams  again.

As the ministry resumed, it expanded to include early childhood literacy. This was a need the leaders identified early on as they saw that children weren’t reading well, which provided a challenge to Sunday school teachers.

Rindu Siahaan, the office manager for MAF Tarakan, with a background in early childhood literacy, stepped forward and offered his services. He met with leaders in Long Pujungan to make sure they agreed with this new facet of the ministry focused on the children of the village.

“I thought if they don’t have a culture of reading and they don’t know how to read, then how will they know how to read their Bibles well?” Rindu said. “That’s what motivated me to pursue this.”

Rindu provides training to young adults, fresh out of college, like Refi, who volunteer for the program. They are usually sent in pairs for two weeks of intensive teaching with a group of four- to six-year-olds, with the goal of preparing the children for entering elementary school. And they’re seeing results, not just in literacy, but also in the students’ interest in school.

“The second time we met, I asked the teacher, are you seeing a difference in your students? And she said, ‘yes, they have more enthusiasm for learning,’” Rindu shared.

The literacy program has provided a way for other church denominations to be involved in Hati MAF, which has been a desire of the Hati MAF team.

“Rindu’s been very actively recruiting young people from a variety of churches here in Tarakan…that are also very missions-minded,” Jeremy said.

According to Jeremy, having people from different church backgrounds come together united under the banner of discipleship broadens the potential and reach of the ministry. And MAF, with its long history in Kalimantan, is well known and respected in interior communities. Using “MAF” in the Hati MAF name provides a neutral umbrella so that communities know the ministry is something MAF supports and can be trusted.

The word spreads

Word about Hati MAF’s work interior has spread to other villages, and people are asking for the team to bring the ministry to their communities. One such place is Long Belaka, a village two hours upriver from Long Pujungan.

One of the local church leaders, Pastor Sadung, is burdened for the villagers there, and invited members of the Hati MAF team to visit and assess the needs.

“The people there are still tied to their old beliefs,” Pastor Sadung shared. “On one side, they go to church services, on another side, if they have somebody who’s sick, or a child is born, they revert to their ancestral ways to protect themselves from evil spirits.”

On a recent visit to Long Belaka, members of the Hati MAF team saw a deep need for the gospel to impact the village, along with educational and other needs, and will prayerfully consider next steps.

“We have to pray and ask the Lord to lead us in what He wants us to do for this village,” said Esther. “We will wait for what He asks us to do, after that we will move according to what the Lord wants.”

A partnership with donors

Hati MAF is funded through the National Church Subsidy, a funding initiative donors give to that also covers the cost of flights for Bible schools, translation projects, and church conferences.

“For all the people that donate, that support us in prayer as well as financial means, thank you,” said Kalimantan Program Director Tyler Schmidt. “We can’t do this alone. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

Watch the video of the MAF Hati team’s visit to Long Balaka:

Story ran in the Vol. 3 2022 edition of FlightWatch. Read the entire issue here:

The post The Heart of MAF appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

“Airplanes are unique machines. And they’re not just unique because they can fly, but have you ever noticed how there’s always a story that surrounds airplanes?”

David Holsten, MAF’s president and CEO, spoke these words during a commencement speech he gave at the School of Missionary Aviation Technology (SMAT) graduation this summer. He was addressing an auditorium full of maintenance and flight students, and their families and friends, as well as several MAF staff who were there to show support. The event was held at Restore Church in Ionia, Michigan, on Monday, August 22, 2022.

“One day we’re all going to look back on our lives and there will be a story that will be told about our lives,” David continued. “What is the story that you want your life to tell?”

Three of the graduates that night were MAF’s own staff, representing three different countries—Haiti, Mexico, and Lesotho. God is writing each of their stories, and it’s evident by their faith and how they strive to use the skills and talents He’s given them.

There’s Zacharie François, who graduated from SMAT in 2019 with his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate and served as an MAF maintenance specialist in Haiti before returning to SMAT for his flight training. He’s the first international student to attend SMAT’s flight training program and has earned his Commercial Instrument Pilot’s License with a High-Performance, Complex and Tail-Wheel endorsement.

On graduation night, Zacharie had this experience: “You look to your left and to your right on stage, and all your classmates have captain bars on, and your friends and family are either in the room or live-cheering you on. You tear up how faithful our great Heavenly Father is.”

“It’s so rare that somebody from these countries would have acquired these sorts of skills,” David said, “but the fact they’ve acquired it within the context of ministry, to be utilized for the kingdom, is even more unique.”

Two other staff members, Mantlibi Mafa from MAF Lesotho, and Juan Antonio Rivera from the MAF affiliate Alas de Socorro in Mexico, graduated with their A&P certificates. Mantlibi had done an internship with MAF as part of her auto mechanic’s schooling, and later she was hired as a maintenance assistant. She’ll be the first female maintenance specialist at the Lesotho program.

Of her experience at SMAT, Mantlibi said, “Graduating from SMAT has been such a huge blessing. I am thankful to have had the opportunity for that training and so thankful that I performed well in such a short period of time, and passed. Glory be to God.”

Juan Antonio and his wife, Amy, have a heart to serve in a restricted-access country, and MAF is more than glad to send them to one in the near future. “We are grateful beyond expression for the opportunity He is giving us to serve Him overseas in a closed country where His light has not yet reached,” Juan said. “For now, we are in the process of completing a few more requirements and preparing for this next step as soon as the doors open.”

“It has been a pretty special year for them and for me,” said MAF’s Dave McCleery, former Latin America regional director, based in Michigan. “I felt a bit like their dad at times … ‘Careful driving in the snow. Do you have enough cold-weather clothes? Is your housing working out okay?’”

Several of the SMAT staff had mentioned to Dave that our trainees had a positive impact on this year’s class. “They had a quiet influence in a good direction,” Dave added.

Each of them did well in what is known to be a challenging program. There’s a lot of training compressed into 12 months.

“You could tell they were respected by their peers and faculty. Everybody was speaking very positively about their character, how they handled going through the program. I felt very proud of that,” David Holsten said after the event.

MAF desires to have close relationships with mission-focused schools like SMAT. David says it’s because “we’re not just interested in technical things. There’s an ethos that surrounds the training that helps prepare men and women for the mission side of things. It’s technical training done with a Christian worldview.”

The resources these young adults need are not typically available within their own countries. But MAF’s commitment to strengthen the capacity of our staff in the places we serve, and God’s provision through generous donors, made this training a reality.

“I’m excited because this will increasingly be the picture of what we do around the world, working with brothers and sisters of the countries we serve in. It’s a partnership. In the U.S. we have access to resources that can come alongside of them, both financially and with training,” David said. “It reflects the body of Christ that way.”

The post Faith and Provision appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

On a Sunday in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Zacharie François got a call from one of the MAF pilots at the hangar. The starter generator on the Cessna Caravan was smoking.

Zacharie, the first Haitian to graduate from the School of Missionary Aviation Technology (SMAT) in Michigan (2019), was then working as a maintenance specialist with MAF Haiti. In fact, at this time he was serving as the interim director of maintenance.

“They shouldn’t smoke,” Zacharie explained. “If it smoked, something arced inside. Given that the starter-generator is connected to the engine’s compressor shaft, a current may have made its way through there and welded the bearings, thus seizing up the engine; and that is not good.”

“We’re going to ground the aircraft,” Zacharie told MAF pilot Eric Fagerland. “I’m going to come in at six. We’re going to take this thing apart…”

What did Zacharie find when he took apart the starter-generator? First things first: How did Zacharie come to be serving with MAF in Haiti?

The Road to MAF

“Due to my parents’ work, I grew up around MAF families. And because of that, I’ve known about MAF my entire life,” Zacharie said to a crowd of donors and guests at a special event at MAF headquarters in September 2021.

“I was never really interested in becoming a pilot or mechanic for them,” he continued. “But all that was going to change after my first flight.”

In May of 2013, close family friend and MAF pilot Will White prepared to take Zacharie on a flight. The sun was just rising and God was painting a glorious white-orange sky as Zacharie boarded the small MAF airplane. He was about to gain a new perspective.

Up until that point, Zacharie’s view of Haiti had been limited to the capital of Port-au-Prince—a city of 2.7 million people—where he’d lived his entire life. Then, as 16-year-old Zacharie peered at the rural parts of his country from the air, he experienced a rush of emotions.

Two things struck him on the way to a remote village:

“One: I realized how poor my country was, but I knew the potential that exists within the land of Haiti,” Zacharie told the guests. “And two: I realized that mission aviation can make a difference. It can actually change the ending for so many isolated people.”

After that flight, Zacharie’s heart was moved to want to become a missionary aviator—he had his doubts, though. On his own, he couldn’t see a way to make that happen. But after he graduated from high school, God nudged Christine Harms, one of the MAF wives, to approach him—a friendship was formed, which eventually led to him becoming an aircraft mechanic apprentice with MAF.

In this role, he had opportunities to ride along on some flights. On one medical flight in particular, he and the pilot waited at the airstrip for the paramedics to return from transferring a patient to the local hospital. In the meantime, the local children had come out to see the airplane. They had a lot of questions, which Zacharie happily answered. But one six-year-old boy said something that broke his heart.

“Haitians can’t fly this thing,” the boy said. “They can’t work on this.”

Zacharie tried to tell him there were Haitian pilots and mechanics.

“Not Haitian, can’t be,” the boy replied, and the other kids around him echoed in agreement.

That six-year-old’s comment stuck with Zacharie and served to cement his calling to become a missionary pilot/mechanic. He began to see how God could use his upbringing.

“I grew up in a Christian home, and I was able to hang out with missionaries from different countries,” Zacharie continued. “But I also lived with the struggles that other Haitians were living with—my parents are from a poor family.

“Our heavenly Father allowed me to grow up in this environment, so he could use my story to inspire others to seek a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Him.” 

An Extra Pair of Wings

“We have some big butterflies in Haiti,” Zacharie laughed as he shared in an interview with MAF staff what he had found when he opened up the starter-generator of the Cessna Caravan.

Somehow a large butterfly had made it through a little hole located behind the propeller, through a spinning fin, all the way to the back of the engine and the starter.

Zacharie knew he would need to explain to Nampa (HQ) that a butterfly had destroyed this very expensive part and could have potentially destroyed MAF Haiti’s turbine engine—a half-million-dollar engine.

So he took a photo of the butterfly. And because of Zacharie’s discovery, butterflies are now “a thing”—something that’s covered during MAF’s maintenance standardization classes.

“Upon further inspection, it was determined that no damage had occurred to the engine, Zacharie added. “We praise God for such protection and give thanks that we had the funds to buy another starter-generator.”

Nothing Impossible

Zacharie was much like that butterfly that found itself in a seemingly impossible place. But as you know, nothing is impossible with God, and Zacharie was proof of that as he shared with the crowd at MAF headquarters in 2021 about the milestone he had just reached.

“Two weeks ago, I started my flight training at SMAT,” Zacharie said as he began to tear up.

The crowd cheered and clapped, then he concluded: “And yesterday I had my first flight as a student pilot.”

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At the time of this posting, Zacharie is finishing up his last quarter of flight training. He is the first foreign student to be admitted to SMAT’s flight program and expects to graduate this August. From there, he will return to Haiti and continue serving as an MAF mechanic while adding to his flight hours before he  goes through MAF’s technical evaluation and flight standardization; once he passes those he will be accepted as an MAF Pilot.   

The post Flight Path to Possibilities appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

By Jennifer Wolf

One day in 2012, a few men from Bina, a village in the highlands of Papua, Indonesia, started a two-day trek to traverse a huge valley. When they reached the rushing river in the middle, they stepped barefoot and sure-footedly on a narrow vine bridge to cross to the other side.

The bridge had been torn down years before due to tension between their tribe—the Dem—and the Wano people. They had recently rebuilt the bridge because they’d heard a group of missionaries were visiting the Wano people in Mokndoma and they hoped to bring them to Bina.

In Mokndoma that day, four men were helping a fellow missionary with a project. They were all expatriates from the same Christian organization.* As they were working, they got word that some men had come from Bina and wanted to talk with them. They put down their tools and met them at the local meeting area.

Through a translator, the Dem men shared how they felt like forgotten people; all the tribes around them already had missionaries come and translate the Bible in their language.

“We know when Jesus comes back we’re going to die. We are in darkness,” said one of the Dem men, wiping tears from his eyes.

Although missionaries had passed through Bina around 50 years ago, they hadn’t stayed. They were on their way to bring the gospel to another tribe. But they told the Dem that if they were to build an airstrip in Bina, missionaries would be more likely to come. So they did, but no one came. And while a few Dem people had some brief Bible training, it wasn’t in their mother tongue. What little the people knew was mixed in with their animistic beliefs—the belief that spirits lived in inanimate objects. And they continued to live in fear of these spirits.

Dylan, one of the four men helping at the time, and his wife had been asking God to reveal where He wanted them to serve. They had committed to go to a people group who were asking for the gospel, which is how they came to be in Papua, Indonesia. The visit to Mokndoma was an unplanned, last-minute trip.

“I knew right away that this was the answer from God we had been waiting for. It couldn’t have been any clearer,” said Dylan.

Dylan told the Dem men, “If it was up to us we would grab our bags and come to the village to live with you.” But first, they needed to return to the city to finish tasks, check with their organization’s leaders, and talk it over with their families before they could come to Bina.

But they did come. Almost a year later, Dylan returned to build a home so his wife and three young children could come and live there. Near the end of Dylan’s visit, MAF officially opened the Bina airstrip and began serving Dylan’s family and the other three men who were with him that day—and their families—who followed shortly after.

Over the next seven-plus years, MAF airplanes landed in Bina often, bringing the families in and out; transporting zinc roofing for their homes, a literacy building, and a large gathering place; and delivering appliances, food, and other supplies needed to live in the remote village. MAF also did medical evacuation flights for the Dem people.

Together, the missionary families learned the culture and the language of the Dem. They taught literacy classes so the people could one day read God’s Word. And, eventually, they were able to translate and prepare a series of 79 Bible lessons covering Creation to Christ—“God’s Talk.”

The Hamstras’ Path to Papua

Just days after Christmas 2020, Jack Hamstra, an MAF maintenance specialist, his wife, Angie, and their three teen children, along with other teammates, were spending a few days in the village of Bina, to help with a special building project—a large gathering place where the Dem people would soon be hearing about the God who loves them.

Jack had been serving with his family in Papua, Indonesia, for a few months and he was happy to do this work project for the Bina missionaries who were supported by MAF flights. As Jack thought and prayed about what would soon transpire under the shelter they were building, he was amazed at the goodness of God and the path He had brought them on to get to this point—even though that path had included some tough things along the way.

A few years earlier, Jack and Angie had stepped out in faith in their first “mission field”—fostering and adoption. Angie had cared for their four children, including an adopted daughter who had several medical needs. Jack had been working on corporate jet engines for several years but was beginning to feel unsettled at work.

“I  liked my job fixing airplanes and the guys I worked with. I just felt like there was something more.”

His discontentment had gone on for three years while the couple had prayed together every morning for the Lord’s direction. As time went on, their daughter’s health had begun to decline. The family had been through some difficult times before, but when Laila died, it was the most heart-rending trial they’d experienced. They hadn’t known it was coming, but the Lord knew.

Six months later, after they’d taken time to grieve, God finally began to reveal what he had in mind for them next.

In 2017, they sent an inquiry to MAF, trusting that God would open the doors if it was His will. God opened them wide. Three years later, the Hamstras were in Indonesia serving at the MAF base in Sentani, which is how their family came to be in the village of Bina in late 2020.

They had a sweet time of fellowship during that visit with the four missionary families and learned the amazing story of how God had called them to Bina. They also met the Dem people and heard about their culture, their beliefs, and their fears. But now, the Dem were so close to hearing God’s Word in their own language for the first time; it gave Angie pause for thought.

With Laila’s death and other hard things her family had been through, plus the general craziness of the world in 2020, Angie had sometimes found herself thinking, “Jesus, can you just come back?”

But as she stood in the middle of a village of five-hundred people who didn’t know Christ, it gave her a different perspective. “Maybe wait a little bit longer, Jesus. We need these people to have the Word.”

Hope comes to the Dem

In early January 2021, Dem villagers walked across the dewy grass and took a seat on the ground under the new shelter. They may not have realized it at the time, but God was calling them to His heart. He wanted them to know the extravagant love He had for them—the salvation that awaited each and every one.

Among them were Tigitogon, Liut, Nambal and his son, Yanet, the ones who had crossed the bridge several years earlier. Terisi, whom God had saved the year before through an MAF medevac flight, was there with her twin babies. Many others filed in, some who had hiked from over an hour away to hear the teaching, even three people who were crippled and endured difficult, muddy mountain trails.

The teaching began in the Old Testament with the Creation story and continued every weekday for several weeks. By March, they were in the New Testament. In mid-April, the Dem heard of Jesus’ death and resurrection and learned how they could be made right with God. Many tears were shed and confessions of faith were shared that day.

“Jesus did nothing wrong. He took my punishment so that I wouldn’t have to die and be separated from Yagwe,”† said an elderly woman through her tears. “I believe He did that because I couldn’t do it myself; no one can. Jesus did that for me. That Talk is very true.”

One man, after he’d believed in Christ as his Savior, said, “We have always thought Yagwe was white man’s Father.”

God in His sovereign, merciful way called the Dem men to cross the bridge that led to the four missionary families coming to Bina, which led to MAF opening the Bina airstrip. All continue to be obedient to God’s call on their lives: the Dem seek after God, the Bina missionaries teach and disciple, and the MAF missionaries partner with them.

Now the Dem people know that the good news is for all people, even for those who feel like the forgotten ones—even for those who live at the ends of the earth.

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*Some of our partners prefer to be anonymous, particularly when they are in the early stages of working with a new tribe.

†Yagwe – Dem word for Yahweh

This story appeared in the Vol. 1 2022 edition of FlightWatch. Read the full issue here:

The post The Bridge to Hope appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

By Jennifer Wolf

“The pilot went full throttle and we were rolling down the runway. My heart started beating fast and I wanted to be up front doing that, experiencing that over and over again,” said Rickson Poki, describing the first time he flew on a commercial aircraft, when he was a preschooler.

Rickson, or “Ricky,” as most people call him, comes from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and is one of several foreign staff members who have spent time at MAF’s headquarters in Nampa, Idaho, to further their flight or maintenance training.

Whether it happens at an overseas flight program or here in the U.S., MAF is deeply committed to building the capacity and talent of local teammates in the developing countries where we serve.

“There is a big need and MAF leadership sees a lot of potential in the national staff around the world,” said MAF flight instructor Erick Paradizo, who is working with foreign pilots like Ricky.

These are pilots who joined MAF overseas in some other capacity—administration, maintenance, or another role—and haven’t flown for a few years. That was true of Ricky, who served for three years as an executive assistant to the MAF PNG country director. Part of Erick’s role is to give pilots like Ricky more experience, increase their flight hours to meet MAF’s requirement, teach MAF’s standards, and prepare them to serve on the field.

Foreign staff come to MAF headquarters to further their training, but it’s much more than that. There’s quite a bit of mentoring involved.

“I think it is important to help provide the wisdom and guidance that they need,” Erick added. “So before every lesson, we spend time in prayer. We make our Lord and Savior the first thing of the day and we glorify and praise Him for the good things He has done.”

Ricky went through ground classes with Erick before he began flying with him.

“When we started, Erick got to know me—what I found easy or what helped me learn. So just going through ground class, we’ve actually bonded really well. I see him as an instructor but I also see him as a friend, a big brother, a mentor.”

Following the Call

“Throughout school, I just felt that calling, deep down inside,” Ricky said as he finished the story of where his desire to be a pilot came from. “That passion still is there. I can’t explain it sometimes.”

After graduating from flight school in the Philippines, Ricky discovered YouTube videos showing MAF in action.

“As I was looking at MAF, it nailed two things that I really wanted because I have a heart to serve people. That’s just in me,” Ricky said. “And flying is something I love. And I thought, if I could serve my people in the way MAF does and end up flying at the same time, that would be like killing two birds with one stone.”

While Ricky continues his flight training with Erick, he’ll be working toward passing MAF’s Technical Evaluation and then Standardization. When he passes, God willing, he’ll likely serve at an MAF-US program until he builds up enough flight hours to qualify to serve in PNG (which has a higher hour requirement).

“My ultimate goal at this stage is surrendering to the Lord and to see what he has in store for me,” Ricky said. “If it is to fly, I would like to be an encouragement to my people and to children who want to do this and serve God in this capacity.”

“For me, the purpose is to follow the calling that the Lord has for me. He’s called me to fly. It’s going to be that way.”

Empowered to Serve

Knowing that the pilots he has trained are now serving with MAF back in their own countries, or in other countries, Erick feels he’s been part of their journey to the mission field.

“It feels like I’m going with them, wherever they’re going,” Erick said. “And I just love seeing them serving the Lord in different parts of the world.”

Since October 2020 Erick has trained one pilot each from Ecuador, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and now, PNG.

“In the places that we serve, you see people with the heart of Christ who really want to glorify the Lord and use their skills and talents in their own country, to help their own people,” Erick said. “It’s important for us here at MAF to empower the nationals and give them the tools they need to accomplish the mission of bringing help, hope and healing to isolated people.”

A Look at Foreign Staff Studying in the U.S.

Some foreign staff don’t have the ability to obtain certification or licenses in their own country, either because the cost is prohibitive or it’s just not offered there. One solution is to bring them to a school in the U.S. This year four of MAF’s national staff members are pursing pilot or mechanic training.

Zacharie François
After obtaining his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate from the School of Missionary Aviation Technology (SMAT) in 2018/2019, Zacharie François has returned this fall to start his flight training. He is the first foreign student admitted to the flight program. And, he’s the first certified Haitian maintenance specialist on the MAF Haiti program. Prior to that he served in an apprentice role. You can read an earlier story about Zacharie’s dream to be an MAF pilot at maf.org/zach.

Waren Lelewa
Waren Lelewa and his family arrived in Waynesboro, VA, in early August. Waren is continuing his studies towards a U.S. A&P certificate at Blue Ridge Community College. He has completed three semesters worth of theory online, and now needs to complete his practical labs and Basic Electricity. Waren is an apprentice mechanic with MAF Papua (Indonesia). He’s served with MAF since December 2014, starting in the warehouse, becoming head of the warehouse, and then moving into the hangar for the last 4.5 years.

Mantlibi Mafa
As part of her automotive maintenance schooling in Lesotho, in southern Africa, Mantlibi Mafa acquired an internship with MAF in the capital city of Maseru. After she graduated, MAF Lesotho called her for odd jobs and then asked her to come on permanently as an apprentice aircraft mechanic in 2017. After a delay due to the pandemic, she’s started her classes this fall at SMAT to receive an A&P certificate. You can see an earlier video of Mantlibi at maf.org/mantlibi.

Juan Antonio Rivera
Growing up in a missionary family in the remote mountains of southern Mexico, Juan Antonio and his family collaborated with MAF. Eventually, his father became country director for Alas de Socorro Mexico (ADS), as MAF is known in Latin America. As a teenager, Juan Antonio started doing projects with ADS and today he and his wife, Amy, are in Michigan. Juan Antonio is attending SMAT and working towards an A&P certificate, which is a one-year program.

This story and sidebar appeared in the fall 2021 edition of FlightWatch. Read the full issue here:

The post Where Passion and Preparation Meet appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

October 8, 2021

Local Nonprofit Featured in Documentary Coming to Treasure Valley Theaters on October 18 and 21

NAMPA, Idaho – Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a global nonprofit Christian organization based in Nampa, is the subject of an inspirational documentary titled, ENDS OF THE EARTH. The movie will be released in 700 theaters nationwide and will be shown in local theaters on October 18 and 21.

The film shares true stories about the lengths MAF pilots and others go to in serving the most isolated people around the world. The documentary, which explores faith, the passion to help others, and how hope emerges from tragedy, was written to challenge and inspire audiences to consider serving the deepest needs of others, whether it is around the globe or right next door.

ENDS OF THE EARTH will be shown locally at the Village Cinema 15 and Cinemark Majestic Cinemas 18, in Meridian, and the Regal Boise Stadium 22. The film will also be released to churches throughout Idaho on the same day as the theatrical release.

Watch the trailer for ENDS OF THE EARTH here

“We believe that every follower of Christ should have a passion for missions,” said Mission Aviation Fellowship President and CEO David Holsten. “Some will be called to go, others will be called to use their gifts to support, and all are called to pray that people will accept the life-changing salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.”

Chris Burgess, MAF’s creative director, is hoping the movie will inspire people to reach out to others. “Maybe that will mean that some people do go overseas and they give their lives to actual missions work. Maybe that means they’ll be involved in some way here supporting that work, or maybe that means that they will cross the street and show the love of Christ to a neighbor.”

The movie includes inspirational messages from Dr. Mark Jobe, president of Moody Bible Institute, and David Platt, church leader and author of Radical.

MAF’s key partners in making and distributing this movie include Fathom Events, Collide Media Group and Change Media.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (www.maf.org) was founded in 1945 by WWII pilots who had a vision for using aviation to spread the gospel. Since that time, MAF has grown to a global family of organizations serving in 37 countries across Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Indonesia, and Latin America, supporting the work of missionaries, Bible translators, and relief and humanitarian agencies around the world. MAF’s U.S. headquarters is in Nampa, Idaho.

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For artwork/photos related to ENDS OF THE EARTH visit the Fathom Events press site.

The post Local Nonprofit Featured in Documentary Coming to Treasure Valley Theaters on October 18 and 21 appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

My sweet friend, Maggie, lives in the jungle among the Fayu people. Her family relies on the MAF floatplane for medicine and food. After months in the tribe, it was time to resupply. Greg flew four hours from MAF’s Merauke base on the South coast so he could make the 30-minute supply run. I prepared a package of fresh English muffins, candy for the kids, and a note of encouragement to send. I was delighted when Greg said, “Actually, there’s an extra seat! Would you like to deliver the package yourself?” Otodemo is one of our more challenging water strips. I gripped my seat as Greg weaved between the trees and touched down on one float in the river bend. Amazing! We are blessed to be a blessing. It is fun to find creative ways to care for and encourage the missionaries we serve.

Our Nabire patio is serving Bible translation work and strengthening the church. Here, Seth meets with Barnabas and Klaus, his Fayu language helpers. Seth is with one organization. Iwan and Maggie are with another. Seth sometimes travels to Otodemo with Iwan and Maggie. Both are focused on the same people group. Pray for the gospel to take root, for the Church to be established. Last month Seth launched a tour of villages, recruiting Fayu helpers for the next Bible story set.

Significant unrest in the Wolani valley has meant no air service of any kind. Troublemakers have moved on and things are returning to normal. The Sunday school kids in Bugalaga sang these words of Thanksgiving when Brian landed: “Yesus adalah penolong kita, dia setia… Sebab itu mari kita memuji dia.”(Jesus is our help. He is faithful. So, let us praise Him!) It is the first time any plane has landed there in six months!

Kegata village received a monetary blessing from the government. They are using it to build a new sanctuary! Brian has made 20 flights so far with plywood, roofing, tile, cement, and nails. Builders went in several weeks ago. The head pastor was away on an evangelism trip, going from village to village. He finally came by road to Nabire and Brian flew him back to Kegata the next day. Boy, was he excited to see progress on the new building.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these firsthand accounts of how the Marx family is able to bless others in Papua. Please pray for them as well as for Maggie and her family in Otodemo, Seth, Barnabas, and Klaus and the Fayu translation work.

The post Blessed to be a Blessing appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Story by Gene Arnold, MAF staff on-loan to Moody Aviation Institute’s missionary aviation training program in Spokane, WA.

This season I am teaching instrument flight to our senior class. Instrument flying allows a pilot to navigate through the clouds and other weather without seeing the ground, except for the moments of takeoff and landing. As amazing as blind navigation is, the moment-by-moment control of the airplane is even more critical. The reason for this is that once humans are in flight, our bodies are completely incapable of telling the difference between gravity and the other forces associated with motion. In short, without seeing the ground, we can’t tell which way is up! Students learn to read and trust the instruments even when everything inside them is screaming that some other direction is up.

Recently, my students proved this to themselves as we flew from Spokane, WA, to Lewiston, ID, to Moses Lake, WA, and back to Spokane on instruments. Throughout each flight, the student piloting the plane wore a hood on his or her head, allowing a view of the instrument panel only. There was a lot of joy in the airplane when I let the student look outside a few seconds before landing and there was the runway right in front of us! I think you can see there’s a spiritual lesson here, too. Just like with instrument flying, when we set aside our natural inclinations and trust the truth set before us, we can arrive at the right destination.

After a long trip

When the trip is long, it makes that final approach to land even more joyful. In a way, this happened recently in Papua, Indonesia. Let me set the stage with a little background.

In 1956 missionaries Gordon Larson and Don Gibbons hiked into the Ilaga Valley in what was then Netherlands New Guinea. The valley was shared by two tribes, the Dani and Damal. Gordon Larson turned his focus to the Dani, and Don Gibbons to the Damal. They had worked toward this event for three years, but God had been at work even longer.

Although Don didn’t speak any Damal, God prepared a translator in the form of the Damal chief’s son, Sam, who had studied in the Indonesian language at the government school. But even more significant, years before, God had placed the thought in the heart of Sam’s father, Chief Den, that someday someone would come to give the Damal people the key to heaven. Over the months, Don Gibbons learned enough of the Damal language to present Bible stories and the gospel. Finally, Chief Den became convinced that this gospel was the key to heaven he had been looking for. He and his people were animists, believing that spirits lived in everything around them and influenced all aspects of life. For this reason, all the people kept fetishes designed to appease these spirits, but in a great act of faith, Chief Den led his people in burning all their fetishes.

Don and his wife, Alice, built their home in a place called Beoga, deep in Damal territory. There, supported by MAF, they lived for the next decades and continued to teach the Damal. They also started to translate the Bible into the Damal language. The Damal received these early portions of God’s Word gladly.

In turn, they preached it through their villages and then to the neighboring Dani and beyond. Eventually, the Gibbons retired and have now passed away, but others continued translating the Bible into Damal. At last, a few months ago, the translation of the entire Bible into Damal was completed! This has been a long approach and was celebrated with great joy!

The post On Approach appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

By Chris Burgess

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the largest countries in the Africa by both land area and population. This vast country, which is almost as large as the eastern half of the United States, is home to an estimated 242 language groups. With mountains topping 16,000 feet, vast rainforests, and gigantic rivers, this country is beautifully complex.

It has also seen its share of tragedy. COVID-19 is just one of the latest hardships afflicting this nation. Recent years have seen tribal warfare, recurring Ebola outbreaks, and a staggering number of internally displaced people.

Yet hope stubbornly persists amid hardship as the gospel continues to spread.

For decades, MAF has worked with Western missionaries in the DRC, yet in recent years, MAF pilots increasingly find their cabins filled with Congolese pastors and missionaries who are taking the message, hope, and love of Jesus to people in remote parts of this huge nation.

War and instability in the northern parts of the country make passage on the few roads crisscrossing the Ituri rainforest dangerous, but MAF flights can help local pastors bypass these challenges.

Recently a Congolese pastor moved from Bunia to Banda. MAF staff managed to fit all the pastor’s belongings into a Cessna Caravan—huge bags of clothing, cooking equipment, mattresses, jugs of oil, a bike—all items that may not have been able to make the difficult trip by land.

“One day I found myself taking a team of pastoral leaders to a small riverside village called Dingila, which is about 320 miles away and over 90% of the flight is spent over the jungle. I’d estimate at least a week of travel time was saved. Their mission is to strengthen the local church leaders through extensive Bible training as well as evangelism and strategic church planning seminars,” said Chad Dimon, an MAF pilot in the DRC.

When I step into the airplane and get to take pastors to interior villages so they can strengthen the church and bring others into the kingdom, I cannot describe the sense of fulfillment and impact it brings me.” – Chad Dimon

Cory and Annaleis Woodsum serve with MAF at the Nyankunde base in the eastern DRC. Their local church in Nyankunde hosted a youth retreat last summer. During the retreat, a young man asked if it was possible to follow Christ if he had already made a contract with dark forces for a talisman to protect him.

“He soon found that yes, Jesus breaks every chain, as he decided to follow Christ,” wrote Annaleis in a prayer letter.

Later that summer, Cory flew a few chiefs and delegates to a round table peace conference, attended by nearly 30 representatives of the chiefdoms within the Irumu territory. At the summit, they identified many practical solutions to foster peace among the different tribes in this area. They focused on intercommunity conflict resolution, the disarmament of several militias, illegal mining solutions, aiding displaced peoples and helping to return them home.

“God has been at work in our province in bringing about unity,” Annaleis wrote.

MAF is able to serve Congolese pastors and the needs of isolated people in this vast country because of the support of people like you. You make it possible for Christ’s love to be shared in places like this around the world.

Story appeared in the Winter 2021 edition of FlightWatch. Read the full issue here:

The post Peace Grows in the Congo appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Eight anxious young passengers gave one last hug to their hopeful parents, took a deep breath as the MAF pilot buckled their seatbelts, and watched their village disappear from view. As the airplane rose higher above the mountains, tears trickled down their cheeks. Each child silently wondered: what will happen to me now?

An hour and a half later, the airplane landed in the coastal city of Sentani and the children stepped into a world they could not have imagined.

What if …

Over a decade earlier, Wally Wiley—then MAF program manager for Papua, Indonesia—had a growing desire to see Papuan children become future MAF pilots/mechanics and leaders in their society. But he faced a major obstacle: these kids, so full of potential, belonged to a marginalized culture with little opportunity for formal education.

Wally’s idea was to form a school where village kids could receive a quality education and be discipled in Christ-like leadership qualities, while retaining their cultural identity and family connections.

Papua Hope School (Sekolah Papua Harapan—SPH) was born a few years later. And eight wide-eyed children from the Moni tribe stepped off an airplane to become the school’s first kindergarten class.

Hearts awakening

Imagine never having seen a car or TV or lived in a home with electricity. When the youngsters first ate ice cream, they were shocked—how could something be cold and seem to have smoke rising from it at the same time?

MAF staff helped the students acclimate to their new surroundings by welcoming the students into their homes, flying them back and forth to their villages, giving them opportunities to learn aviation skills, teaching English, and mentoring them.

Because of the commitment of devoted families in the village, passionate teachers, and faithful missionaries, the students grew in their relationships with Christ.

When they reached ninth grade, the students took an important national exam with a roomful of other students. After the test, the proctor offered everyone a chance to cheat. Tegi, one of the SPH students, refused to change his answers, and the other SPH students followed suit. They all passed the test with their integrity intact.

As the students grew, so did their understanding of God’s plan for them.

Ester discovered the career she was meant to pursue after Willem Jonkers—an MAF pilot and host family dad —took her to visit an air traffic control tower. “Willem is the one who told me to have a plan B and C for my future.”

Erik remembers the moment he knew God was calling him to be an MAF pilot. It was when pilot Alex Ludvicek let him take the controls during a flight as part of an MAF internship. “I felt like, ‘This pilot role fits!’ Praise the Lord—I’m so thankful for MAF’s ongoing support!”

The stage is set

On May 9, 2020, seven beaming young adults in blue caps and gowns stepped onto a stage (the eighth will follow next year). An aspiring doctor, government leader, community developer, health care worker, air traffic controller, MAF pilot, and MAF mechanic.

Erik rose to speak. “When I was a little kid in the village, I had no idea that we would be chosen to be a part of SPH. And now look at us standing here! When we’ve succeeded in our educational journey, let’s invest to make Papua an even better place!”

These graduates are grateful for these life-changing opportunities. They stand on the shoulders of people like you whose prayers and financial gifts helped open their future. Today, they are joined by 1,000 other children who attend seven sister schools in the mountains of Papua. Schools that depend on MAF flights.

This story ran in the Fall 2020 edition of FlightWatch. Read the entire issue here:

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