Papua, Indonesia

Note: Papua, Indonesia, should not be confused with Papua New Guinea (PNG), which covers the eastern half of the Island of New Guinea and surrounding islands. MAF-Australia operates in PNG.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) provides vital aviation and radio communications services to national churches, Christian missions, and non-government organizations (NGOs) ministering in Papua, Indonesia.

Since 1952, MAF has brought hope and support to this rugged and forbidding place. Today, 38 MAF missionary families, two short-term staff, and more than 80 Indonesian staff members serve from six bases in Papua. Thirteen MAF aircraft, as well as three email hubs and communications networks, multiply the effectiveness of some 65 agencies and hundreds of churches ministering in Papua. MAF services impact more than 250 ethnic groups by maximizing and sustaining evangelism, Church nurture, medical assistance, community development, education, crisis relief, and the training and leadership development of Papuans.

In addition to aviation and communications services, MAF missionaries in Papua impact their communities through a variety of ministries. In the past year, staff members have rescued and "parented" street children, taught a marriage relationship course, served on a mission school board, taught child-rearing techniques, led church worship, provided medical care, led Bible studies, taught literacy courses, counseled national workers, and established a preschool program.

Impact

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

Saved Christian and humanitarian workers 17,223 days of travel time—or 71 work years redeemed for productive Kingdom work!
Executed 9,910 flights in Papua, transported 39,598 passengers, and delivered 5.1 million pounds of cargo in order to provide access to the Gospel and to basic services such as health clinics, medical emergency evacuations, and education—services otherwise unavailable in jungle locations.
Purchased a Caterpillar generator to replace the old and inadequate generator at the Sentani base.
Transported building materials for churches, homes and schools. Delivered furniture, generators, and motorcycles to developing outposts.
Transported some 150 people a day, including missionaries, church leaders, aid workers, missionary children traveling between home and school, government workers, searchers looking for a downed aircraft, national school teachers moving to interior villages, as well as the sick and injured.
Identified an Indonesian as the program’s next candidate for formal aviation maintenance training in Australia.
Welcomed two new missionary families to the program.
With the assistance of a ministry team from New Heights Church, replaced electrical wiring and service panels in the Sentani hangar and offices.
Completed construction of one staff home in Sentani, and the renovation of another.
Began construction of a much-needed aircraft hangar and office facility at the Nabire base.
Purchased a small pickup truck for use by the base construction team and office staff in Sentani.