The Latest from MAF

MAF Dedicates Missionary Plane for Service in Haiti

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:10:00 GMT

Several hundred people gathered in Nampa on Saturday to dedicate MAF’s newest plane, which will serve in Haiti. MAF is a global mission organization which uses aviation and technology to improve the conditions of isolated people around the world. Photo by Colby Dees.

NAMPA, Idaho — Amidst a crowd of several hundred supporters, staff, and local residents, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) dedicated a Cessna Caravan aircraft in an April 28 ceremony at the ministry's headquarters in Nampa, Idaho.

MAF is a faith-based, nonprofit ministry that serves missions and isolated people around the world with aviation, communications and learning technologies.

Funded by gifts from supporters, the new plane will depart in May for Haiti, where it will support the work of churches, medical teams, and relief workers laboring to rebuild the island nation still suffering two years after the devastating earthquake. MAF has served in Haiti for 25 years and has a permanent base at the Port-au-Prince airport.

Talia Wills (top left), Larinda Fuller, Macy Fuller, and Gabriella Fuller explore the new MAF plane destined for Haiti. They are the children of MAF missionaries preparing for service in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A plane dedication event was held on Saturday. Photo by Colby Dees.

"The airplane is the tool that God has given MAF to reach out to a lost and hurting world," said John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. "And two years after the horrendous earthquake Haiti is still hurting, both physically and spiritually."

Dr. David Alexander, president of Northwest Nazarene University, led the prayer of dedication. David Rask, director of aviation resources at MAF, spoke about the plane and the impact it will make.

"One of the principal tasks of this plane will be to carry work teams – people who come from the U.S. for one or two weeks to build schools, orphanages, and medical clinics, to provide clean drinking water, or to build churches," said Rask. "In times of great needs, such as earthquakes and floods, this plane will carry food, water, and shelter."

The dedication ceremony was part of a day of activities that included airplane rides, a pancake feed, a gift drawing, videos, and children’s activities. Staff from MAF's Learning Technologies division demonstrated the latest gadgets for sharing the gospel easily and discretely in difficult areas of the world.

Nampa Woman Marks 81st Birthday with Ride on Missionary Plane

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:14:00 GMT

Betty Burge, and other passengers receive pre-flight instructions from Jeff Turcotte. Photo by Colby Dees.

NAMPA, Idaho — When Betty Burge marked her 81st birthday on Saturday, April 28, she celebrated by taking a ride on a small MAF missionary plane as part of her commitment to "do something outside of the box at least once a month."

In December, the spry Ms. Burge had her picture taken with Santa Claus for the first time in her life. In March, she convinced a girlfriend to go with her to a biker church at the Busted Shovel Bar and Grill in Meridian, Idaho.

"Life has become more restrictive for me recently as I have a lot more difficulty hearing," Burge said. "So, I wanted to spice things up a bit by getting creative and trying lots of new things."

She tries different ethnic restaurants and even attended a Romanian funeral that lasted four hours! "I wouldn’t recommend that," Burge said.

Betty Burge seated aboard the MAF KODIAK ready for takeoff. Photo by Colby Dees.

This month her out-of-the-box experience was a ride in one of MAF's missionary airplanes. On Saturday, April 28 -- Ms. Burge's birthday – the Nampa-based ministry organization dedicated a new aircraft for service in Haiti, and offered airplane rides as part of the day's activities. Betty Burge just couldn't resist.

Ms. Burge is a long-time supporter of MAF, and even sponsors one of its missionaries – Brendan Blowers, a Nampa-native who serves with MAF in Costa Rica.

While she hasn't flown in a smaller aircraft in a while, it won't be her first time. When Ms. Burge lived in Moses Lake, WA, she dated a man with a pilot's license.

"He used to call me up and invite me to dinner in Seattle," Ms. Burge said. "Of course, I didn't turn that down!"

Update from MAF Banda Aceh Program Following Earthquake

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:36:00 GMT

MAF personnel in Banda Aceh, on the Indonesia island of Sumatra, are evaluating the situation to determine how to best respond following an 8.7 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Sumatra Wednesday.

Amber Desist, an MAF pilot/mechanic in Banda Aceh, reports that all MAF personnel are safe. Desist said that the ground shook for 4.5 minutes. Phone service is unreliable and “roads are crazy” as people attempt to reach high ground. At this time there does not appear to be major damage in the area. A tsunami warning issued earlier has now been lifted.

MAF has three international families and five Indonesian staff members in Banda Aceh.

MAF Named Finalist for a 2012 Lightspeed Aviation Foundation Grant

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:57:00 GMT

Villagers greet the MAF plane in a remote area of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo by Dave Forney, MAF.

NAMPA, Idaho –– Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is one of 20 nonprofit organizations named as finalists for a 2012 grant from the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation. Lightspeed made the announcement today at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida.

The final grant recipients will be selected by aviation enthusiasts who vote online at the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation website. The five charities that receive the most votes will each receive a grant of $10,000.

“We are grateful to the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation for its support of those organizations that use aviation to do good,” said John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. “This is an exciting opportunity for MAF, and we encourage our friends to vote online!”

Voting is open March 28 through Nov. 2, 2012. Winners will be announced in November.

MAF received Lightspeed grants in 2010 and 2011, with Lightspeed citing the ministry organization’s work to meet the physical and spiritual needs of isolated people around the world. To be eligible for the foundation’s grants, aviation organizations must be committed to growing the pilot community, building awareness, and using their grants for compassion and service to others.

Lightspeed Aviation manufactures headsets that are used by MAF pilots and others around the world.

Join MAF at the Sun 'n Fun Airshow in Lakeland, Florida!

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:30:00 GMT

MAF is located in the Fly4Life Tent

LAKELAND, Florida – March 27, 2012 – Aviation enthusiasts are invited to visit Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in and Airshow, happening now through Sunday, April1, in Lakeland, Florida.

Billed as “Spring Break for Pilots,” the 2012 Sun ‘n Fun event is expected to attract 160,000 to 170,000 visitors from Central Florida, North America and more than 80 other countries. The event is the largest aviation convention in the state of Florida and the first major international aviation event of the year in the Americas.

MAF, a global ministry organization that uses aviation and technology to share the Gospel, will have an exhibit inside the “Fly4Life” tent in the southeast exhibition area, space #8. The MAF exhibit includes murals illustrating the organization’s history, a flight simulator, and videos showing MAF planes taking off and landing at challenging airstrips in remote, isolates areas of the world. MAF will also hold a drawing for a gift basket featuring safari-type gifts valued at id="mce_marker"55.

MAF pilot and recruiter John Hook will present a forum on The Art of Short Field Take-Offs and Landings on Wednesday March 28at 11:00 a.m. in room #7 of the Central Florida Areospace Academy. Hook has been with MAF since 1975, flying in Indonesia and Haiti before joining the U.S. recruiting team.

Sun ‘n Fun is held at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Learn more at

www.sun-n-fun.org.

MAF Plane Dedication

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:04:00 GMT

Mission Aviation Fellowship Dedicates Two Planes for Service in Indonesia

NAMPA, Idaho -- Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), an aviation, communications, and technology ministry serving 1,500 Christian and relief organizations worldwide, today dedicated two new aircraft for service in remote areas of Indonesia.

The Kodiak planes were given as gifts by two donors who wish to remain anonymous. Each Kodiak costs some $1.7 million dollars.

"I know the excitement the sound of these planes will generate in places with names like Kiwi, Bomela, Langda, and Koropun," said Dave Rask, MAF’s director of Aviation Resources. "These are places that have never seen a car. Places so remote that the only way to reach them is a long trek through the jungle, or by plane. In these areas, the missionaries, the medicines, books, Bibles … even the nails for the buildings and the aluminum for the roofs are delivered by MAF."

Mission Aviation Fellowship President John Boyd addresses guests at the dedication of two planes for service in Indonesia. Photo by Colby Dees.

Some 150 people gathered at the MAF aircraft hangar in Nampa, Idaho, to ask the Lord to bless the work of the two planes and the people they will serve.

MAF has been ministering in the isolated areas of Indonesia since the 1950s. Today, MAF has 48 missionary staff members and 102 Indonesian employees serving in Indonesia with 22 planes. In 2011, MAF flew 14,735 Indonesian flights, delivering 51,918 passengers and 4,870,818 pounds of cargo.

"The needs in Indonesia are so great that MAF's capacity has never been able to meet all the demands," said Rask. "The Kodiak is a larger, faster plane that is able to land on most of the small airstrips we use. One pilot can double his output and goods can be delivered for much less. Will these planes change lives? Absolutely!"

Over the next two years, MAF hopes to acquire seven more aircraft to replace aging planes and meet growing demands for service. All seven are earmarked for Africa.

Mission Aviation Fellowship Celebrates 25 Years of Service in Haiti

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:53:00 GMT

Beyond natural disasters, MAF is committed to the people of Haiti who live in remote and isolated areas

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti––With more than 100 missionaries, aviation officials, and other guests on hand, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) celebrated 25 years of service in Haiti with a special ceremony Tuesday afternoon at the MAF aircraft hangar at the Port-au-Prince Airport.

Mission Aviation Fellowship personnel prepare to load an injured Haitian man aboard one of the ministry organization's planes. MAF is celebrating 25 years of service in Haiti. Photo by Anthony Cece.

MAF is a Christian ministry organization that uses airplanes and other technologies to serve church and relief organizations in remote areas of the world.

MAF officials shared about the work in Haiti, as did guest speaker Joe Hurston, an independent missionary pilot who lobbied MAF to come to Haiti in the mid-1980s.

"This morning I had the opportunity to visit Pignon and see some of the impact MAF is making in Haiti through the ministry partners we serve," MAF President and CEO John Boyd said at the event. "I am as excited as I've ever been about what is happening here in Haiti and look forward to what God is going to do through MAF in the next 25 years."

MAF began operating in Haiti in 1986, serving missions and relief agencies in remote areas of the country. Poor infrastructure has plagued Haiti's development and causes non-profit organizations serving there to seek alternative transportation. A trip that might take eight hours or longer over rough, unsafe roads can be reduced to 25 minutes aboard an MAF plane.

Greg and Barb Van Schoyck, missionaries serving in Pignon with the Haitian American Friendship Foundation, noted how MAF has enabled them to minister more effectively.

"Flying MAF gives us the opportunity to be good stewards of the resources God has provided us. Trucks are expensive and the roads take their toll," Greg said. "Long drives over terrible roads batter not only our trucks but our bodies as well. It didn't take long to determine that flying is more cost effective for us in the long run."

Following the massive earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010, MAF's knowledge of the country and expertise in transportation, communication, and disaster response positioned the organization to effectively serve the scores of humanitarian and medical aid groups that descended upon Port-au-Prince. It is that longevity within Haiti that has endeared MAF to local church leaders, medical groups and government officials.

Over the past two years, MAF has played a critical role in efforts to halt the spread of cholera in Haiti. MAF has assisted Samaritan's Purse, Operation Blessing, Medical Teams International, and other groups by transporting medical teams, equipment, and supplies.

Anniversary celebrations will continue Wednesday, Feb. 29, with a reception and worship service at Quisqueya Chapel in Petionville, Haiti.

Growing Pains in South Sudan

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:25:00 GMT

Due to refugee movement, tribal conflicts, and the activities of development organizations in South Sudan, there has been an increased demand for MAF services. MAF-Kenya, based in Nairobi, is ramping up its operations in Juba, South Sudan to meet the need. Recent flights in the area have resulted in 400 blind people receiving sight—thanks to doctors from Christian Blind Mission—and a 10-day mobile clinic bringing dental care to nearby Chad.

MAF Work Vital to Rebuilding Efforts in Haiti

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:14:00 GMT

Two Years after Quake, Ministry Organization Enables the Work of some 30 Relief Agencies

MAF Haiti personnel load a plane with food, including “Manna Packs,” specially formulated food packets for people on starvation diets. Photo by John Woodberry.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Two years after a devastating earthquake crippled Haiti and killed thousands, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) remains actively involved in the rebuilding process, supporting more than 30 relief organizations with critical flights to 15 airstrips.

“We have been encouraged by the progress made in Haiti over the past year, but we know there is still a long road ahead,” said John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. “It is a privilege to serve the people of Haiti daily and we look forward to continuing our role in assisting with rebuilding efforts.”

MAF, which currently operates three planes in Haiti and has been serving the country since 1986, provides daily flights for relief workers, medical personnel, churches, and work teams involved in community development efforts. In a country where roads are nearly impassable and bandits threaten travelers, MAF services are invaluable.

The ministry organization has also distributed micro grants to help families and small businesses get back on their feet after the earthquake. MAF funding has allowed families to rebuild their homes and send their children to school. MAF also assisted in repairing a school, provided meals for school children, and constructed 26 small homes for those in need.

Since cholera broke out in late 2010, nearly 500,000 cases have been reported, resulting in more than 265,000 hospitalizations and some 6,800 deaths. The Haitian Ministry of Health recently reported that it expects the cholera epidemic to continue for the next two to three years as it spreads from urban centers to rural areas. MAF has aided in the ongoing battle against cholera by flying medical teams and supplies to clinics and hospitals.

While the country has suffered through some dark times, many people seem encouraged about Haiti’s future.

“The country is optimistic right now about what is going on,” MAF Haiti program manager David Carwell said. “We’ve also seen many churches and mission organizations that have been strengthened and are moving forward. We pray that MAF can be a catalyst in the process.”

Mission Aviation Fellowship Adds New Training Technology

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Donor Gifts Enable Purchase of Flight Simulator for Relief Organization

NAMPA, Idaho—October 26, 2011—Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has acquired a new high-tech flight simulator, providing another tool to help prepare its pilots for the challenging conditions they face when flying in remote parts of the world.

MAF employees Jason Chatraw (left) and Scott Channon try out the new RedBird flight simulator. Purchased with donations, the Redbird will allow MAF to provide a more realistic training experience for its missionary pilots.
Photo by Colby Dees.

With funds raised by the MAF Ministry Advocates—a volunteer group—supplemented by a matching grant, MAF purchased the RedBird SD flight training device for approximately $60,000.

This new piece of equipment is a fully-enclosed Advanced Aviation Training Device that is certified by the FAA. With visuals that wrap around the device and realistic flight controls, pilots have an opportunity to experience a simulated flight with conditions similar to the environments in which they will fly.

"This new RedBird enables us to do a lot of training that we couldn't do before," said Paul Bergen, MAF's aviation training manager. "We can experience the overseas environment—we can see the exact terrain. We can fly in the mountains and over rivers and give pilots an experience similar to what they're going to see when they arrive on the field."

By training at Idaho's backcountry airstrips, MAF is able to duplicate the mountainous terrain of various countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Matching the atmospheric conditions of those places isn't so easy. With the new flight simulator, an instructor can introduce weather and other variables such as causing a plane to malfunction with low oil or instrument failures, or simulate engine failure. Bergen says it will be especially useful for training pilots to fly in instrument-only situations, where visibility is limited.

"It gives us a much more realistic experience than we had before," Bergen said.

MAF Receives Second Grant from the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:00:00 GMT

NAMPA, ID — Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is one of five aviation charities to receive a $10,000 grant from the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation. Lightspeed announced the winners today at the AOPA Aviation Summit in Hartford, Connecticut.

Jeff Turcotte and Scott Channon received the gift on behalf of MAF

This is the second year that MAF has received a Lightspeed grant. The recipients were selected by pilots from around the world who cast their votes on the foundation’s website.

"We are so grateful for the flight community’s vote of confidence in MAF," said John Boyd, president and CEO. "We appreciate the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation and its commitment to doing good through aviation."

Lightspeed cited MAF’s work to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those in isolated areas of the world, as well as the ministry’s partnership and service to Christian organizations and other agencies.

The foundation was established in 2010 by Lightspeed Aviation Corporation to promote the pilot community and serve others for the betterment of the world. The company manufactures aviation headsets. More information is available at www.lightspeedaviationfoundation.org.

MAF Helping Fight Cholera and Measles Epidemics in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:18:00 GMT

Aviation Ministry Flying in Doctors, Critical Vaccines, Medical Supplies

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo – As cholera and measles sicken thousands in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is providing desperately needed flight services to assist medical agencies in their efforts to combat these deadly diseases.

Mission Aviation Fellowship delivers a load of medical supplies and beds to a measles clinic in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo by Tim Chase.

A measles epidemic has threatened the DRC for the past nine months. MAF, a faith-based relief organization that brings aid to needy people in remote areas of the world, has been flying medical workers and supplies into the areas most affected.

In the past month MAF has carried some 100 medical staff and 14,000 pounds of vaccines and medical supplies to support 24 mobile clinics that Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) has launched to fight measles.

“We have recently flown 13 flights to Malemba from Lubumbashi for MSF France, transporting doctors, nurses, logistics people, vaccines, medical supplies, generators, beds, food, water – you name it,” said MAF Pilot Tim Chase. “We have also been flying for MSF Holland, as they assess the situation and prepare to respond. Our support of this crisis is ongoing.”

Says Chase, “In one village, the residents wanted help so desperately that 300 people worked four days to clear and reopen an overgrown airstrip so MAF could land with the medical team and supplies.”

According to UN reports, some 115,600 Congolese children suffered from measles between January and June, and 1,145 died of the disease. MAF has provided continuing support for treatment and vaccination campaigns.

While measles plagues south central DRC, cholera threatens the western part of the country. Ron Wismer, MAF program manager in western DRC, reports the aviation ministry has been transporting medicines and personnel from Kinshasa into Bolobo and Mbandaka, towns located north of Kinshasa on the Congo River.

“We are now flying into Mbandaka two or three times per week to support the cholera work, and also flying regularly into Bolobo,” said Wismer. “The epidemic seems to be following the river.”

Cholera was first reported in western DRC in March. According to the World Health Organization, 3,896 cases have been reported, including 265 deaths.

MAF Offers Oral Learning Workshop in Boise August 16 - 20

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:07:00 GMT

NAMPA, Idaho – Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a global ministry organization based in Nampa, is offering a workshop on presenting the Gospel using story telling. The training will be held August 16 - 20 at MAF’s facility in Nampa. Three-day and five-day sessions are available.

“Jesus told stories. Seventy-five percent of the Bible is in story form,” said Regina Manley, MAF Oral Communications Specialist and certified Simply the Story (STS) senior instructor. “Stories reach the heart! Workshop participants will learn how to use Bible stories to engage their listeners and present the Gospel more effectively.”

According to Manley, some 80 percent of the world’s population either do not read, or prefer not to learn using written methods of communication. The workshop presents ways to effectively connect with these oral learners.

Those who attend the three-day session, held evenings & Saturday, will become certified STS Practitioners. Participants in the five-day “Leadership Workshop” will have additional opportunities to practice and develop their skills, and will obtain STS Provisional Instructor certification.

“The workshop is very useful for anyone who wants to find new ways to share God’s Word, be that on the mission field or with media-savvy teenagers in the U.S.” said Manley. “Some have found this brings family devotions alive. Others use STS to plant churches and train leaders, while others have become STS trainers themselves, multiplying their effectiveness.”

Workshop participants will learn to …

Lead interactive, inductive Bible studies
Tell fascinating, accurate Bible stories without using written materials
Teach using interactive discussion
Design questions that help listeners discover spiritual truths and personal applications.

Manley has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of oral learning. She has presented oral strategies workshops in Brazil, India, Colombia, Lesotho, Thailand, Guatemala, and northern Africa. Manley also served 17 years as an MAF missionary in Ecuador.

The three-day session costs $30, and the five-day session costs $80. The fees cover materials as well as meals and snacks during the all-day sessions. For more information or to register, visit www.maflt.org. If you have questions, please contact Regina Manley at 208-498-0781 or rmanley@maf.org.

MAF Preparing for Famine Relief Flights

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:11:00 GMT

Nairobi, Kenya—06-21-11—An airplane from the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) program in South Africa is flying to Kenya to reinforce the mission organization’s response to the famine in the Horn of Africa.

Over the past week, MAF has flown leaders from relief and mission organizations, as well as ambassadors from several countries, into the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya to assess the situation.

The organization is also experiencing increasing demand for flights into South Sudan following the country’s independence earlier this month.

“MAF is in contact with a number of relief organizations working in the area,” said John Woodberry, MAF manager of disaster response and security. “We are ramping-up our capacity to respond should the need for relief flights continue to grow.”

With this additional plane, MAF will have seven aircraft in Kenya. To maximize flight capacity, MAF crews have been working into the night so that planes are ready to depart early each morning.

On Wednesday, the UN declared a famine in parts of southern Somalia. Across the region, 11 million people are facing a hunger crisis caused by several years of severe drought.