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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.

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 is a family of organizations with a singular mission: to share the love of Jesus through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed. Serving in 32 countries with more than 140 planes, recent MAF work has supported famine relief efforts in Kenya and combatted measles and cholera outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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 Paul O'Brien, MAF.

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.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (www.maf.org) is a family of organizations with a singular mission: to share the love of Jesus through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed. Serving in 32 countries with more than 140 planes, recent MAF work has supported famine relief efforts in Kenya, combatted measles and cholera outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and provided aid to victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti."

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.

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.

Mission Aviation Fellowship is a family of organizations with a singular mission: to share the love of Jesus through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed. Serving in 32 countries with more than 140 planes, MAF supports the efforts of some 1,500 Christian and relief organizations.

A significant part of this global network, MAF-US is headquartered in Nampa, Idaho. In addition to its aviation services, MAF-US also provides communication systems and learning technologies to share the gospel and improve the quality of life in remote areas of Africa, Asia, Eurasia and Latin America."

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.

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.