Kalimantan

In 1969, MAF began to serve mission groups and the emerging indigenous churches of Kalimantan.

Today, with 14 staff families and seven aircraft, MAF ministers from two bases: Palangkaraya in central Kalimantan and Tarakan in east Kalimantan. MAF aviation and communications services enable and maximize ...

• Theological education by extension (TEE), church conferences, and outreach teams.
• Pastor training in remote locations, student transport to Bible schools, and the placement of ministerial students in remote villages for internships.
• Support for medical clinics in remote villages, as well as emergency medical evacuations.
• Community development projects, surveys, and conservancy initiatives.
• Delivery of materials for needed improvements to church buildings, schools, local businesses, and homes.
• Transport of goods, medicines, and school supplies.

MAF enables ministry groups to bring the Gospel and basic, life-sustaining services to this primitive and otherwise inaccessible region of Indonesia. The MAF team provides much-needed and appreciated flight services, and maximizes opportunities to minister in ways not available to other mission agencies. Aviation allows MAF to establish and develop relationships with a broad cross section of society. On any given day MAF pilots might minister to the poorest of the poor with medical flights, then later transport officials at the highest level of local government.

Indonesia has been especially affected by the global shortage of aviation gasoline (avgas) shortage and escalating prices. To address this, the Kalimantan program will take delivery of a Cessna 208 Caravan that uses jet fuel. With its greater cargo capacity, the Caravan will be able to deliver passengers and supplies with fewer flights.

In the past 12 months, the MAF program in Kalimantan ...

• Saved Christian and humanitarian workers 10,083 days of travel time—or 41.7 work years redeemed for productive Kingdom work!
• Executed 6,448 flights, transported 18,526 passengers, and delivered 865,570 pounds of cargo in order to provide access to the Gospel and to basic services such as health care, medical emergency evacuations, and education—services otherwise unavailable in jungle locations.
• Transported church leaders and ministry teams to five leadership meetings or conferences.
• Continued ministry efforts at a local prison. In partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, completed a new chapel for the facility.
• Began construction of a floating hangar in Palangkaraya.
• Finished upgrading the Peninke Hill school facility.

1. Continue providing safe, reliable, and affordable air transportation to people living and serving in Kalimantan, with 6,400 flights projected in 2009.
2. Prepare for the arrival of a Cessna 208 Caravan and a KODIAK 100 in 2010. Complete pilot and mechanic training. Prepare facilities, inventory, and tooling.
3. Finish upgrading the MAF facility at Tarakan.
4. Complete the training of the MAF chief pilot on turbine aircraft, as well as train maintenance staff on the PT6 engine.
5. Be available to minister to interior churches and, upon request, translate for indigenous ministry teams whose English is limited.
6. Complete the construction of the floating hangar in Palangkaraya, including an office and fuel shed. Host a work team from a Nebraska church that will help with the construction.
7. MAF staff involvement in nonflight ministry is critical to the communities they serve. Therefore, staff will complement their technical work with local ministry activities, encouragement of indigenous pastors, and three to four ministry trips to the interior.
8. Plan additional opportunities for meaningful interaction with air traffic control staff in Tarakan—a group that is almost entirely non-Christian.

This year, it will require $3,784,425 to operate ongoing MAF services in Kalimantan. Total funding from support raised by MAF missionary staff and from field revenue amounts to $3,330,823—or 88 percent of total operating costs.

We seek the remaining 12 percent—or $453,602—from caring partners: individuals, churches, and foundations.