FlightWatch
Fall 2012
Indonesia
Overcoming Isolation Flying compassion to the remote communities of Indonesia
FlightWatch a publication of
From
Mission Aviation Fellowship
the President’s
Desk
John Boyd President & CEO MAF USA
Our Mission Sharing the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed.
Managing Editor: Tracey Werre Production Manager: Kelly Hewes Art Director: Colby Dees Writers/Resourcing: Jennifer Wolf Jason Chatraw
Much has changed Dear Friend in Christ, Nearly 60 years ago, when MAF began serving in Dutch New Guinea (now known as Papua), Indonesia, the province contained some of the most isolated indigenous tribes in the world. Many of these tribes had never seen anyone from the outside world, and most had no written language. Through the efforts of dedicated Bible translators, medical professionals, and church planters, much has changed over the years in the interior of Indonesia. Entire villages have been transformed by the Gospel. People have access to medical care, education, and the means to make a living. And today, the next generation of Indonesian Christians is taking the reins and bringing the Word to its own. But what hasn’t changed is the lack of infrastructure in many places MAF serves; that’s especially true here. From high mountain peaks to dense jungles to swamps, the extreme terrain makes the construction of new roadways difficult, if not impossible. Add to this the fact that there are still unreached tribes within Indonesia. There are languages to be learned, and Bible translations to be completed. People in the remotest of areas need to hear about Jesus. So MAF’s work here continues. What God has accomplished through MAF’s presence in this country is nothing short of astounding. We look forward to the fruit of earlier efforts being multiplied as we continue to serve this unique nation and its people. Thank you again for your faithful support and partnership with this ministry. It’s because of you that we can demonstrate Christ’s love and proclaim His Word to the lost and hurting. In His grace,
John C. Boyd President and CEO
1 Samuel 10:6
“The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.”
EVERY GIFT YOU send, every prayer you offer for MAF, helps change lives through aviation and technology. We enjoy hearing from you! Please send comments and questions to MAF-US@maf.org.
MAF PO Box 47 Nampa, ID 83653-0047 208-498-0800 1-800-FLYS-MAF (359-7623) www.maf.org
MAF maintains the highest standards of financial accountability and public disclosure to donors, the government, and the world at large. MAF is a member of ... ACCORD™ • CSC Christian Service Charities • ECFA Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability • IAMA International Association of Missionary Aviation • Missio Nexus. All Scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
On the Cover: A plane sits on a remote airstrip in Papua, Indonesia.
Get Connected
»
Jungle Trek Two MAF pilots on a jungle adventure gain a greater compassion for those they serve Dave Forney (back center), Paul College (far right) with guides.
I
t’s one thing to tell people that airplanes save missionaries days of travel; it’s another to discover it firsthand. Over the past several years, MAF pilots Dave Forney and Paul College have committed to experiencing the jungles of Borneo in Indonesia. As a result, their appreciation for air travel into remote areas has grown. They began their yearly trek because they were curious about the jungle they had only seen from above. Since then, it has grown into a more challenging venture—and one that has helped them truly understand the need for MAF. “Nothing proves the validity of our ministry like one or two hours of hiking through virgin Bornean jungle—let alone two weeks,” Forney said. “Almost every day that we fly, we’re overwhelmed with far more flight requests than we can possibly meet. And for those people, there are only two choices—wait for another plane or do it the old-fashioned way.”
Photos by Dave Forney.
going to be unlike any other we’d taken.” “We were trying to replicate the initial Borneo exploration trial—doing what the missionaries had to do back in the day,” College added. “We kept going up and around, and we missed parts of it.” In the end, the eight-day journey turned into 14 days. Even for fit pilots, such a trek is challenging. Aside from the rigors of traversing a jungle with thick vegetation and few trails, there are also other obstacles to manage. “This year we came across three sun bears (or honey bears) during our trek,” Forney said. “Last year a pack of monkeys went screeching over our heads like they were being chased by something, which we later learned was a spotted leopard. We also saw a 10-foot python once, which isn’t that large by python standards.”
Last year, Forney and College flew into the village of Data Dian in the Apo Kayan region before traveling by motorized canoes into the headwaters of the Iwan River. This was their starting point, the beginning of their adventure.
Managing those dangers along with the physical challenge of navigating the jungle and the emotional struggle of being away from family for a week or more isn’t easy. But these two have seen the fruit of these excursions pay big dividends in unsuspecting ways.
“Any signs of a trail or human contact had long since vanished,” Forney said. “One of our three guides thought he remembered the ‘trail’ from his early childhood. He was 60 and strong as an ox, but hadn’t been there since he was six. It was obvious after a few days that this trip was
“A side benefit of all this has been how the people all over this part of Kalimantan have heard about the two crazy MAF pilots who hike all over the jungle,” Forney said. “They’ve grown to respect and appreciate the fact that we understand their life and challenges on a deeper level.” Fall 2012 | www.maf.org
3
Double Vision Double Vision How God used a living example to change hearts and save lives
W
hen Paul and Jeannie Burkhart arrived in Papua, Indonesia, in 1968 as Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) missionaries, one thing was clear: Their work would be immensely more difficult without air transportation. From the Burkharts’ first flight to their mission station, to an emergency medical flight, to flying building supplies and work teams to rebuild their house after it burned down in 2009, MAF has been there for this dedicated missionary family. It’s that kind of partnership that has helped the Gospel flourish in remote regions of this vast island nation. Flying to more than 200 landing sites in Papua alone, MAF’s shared vision for reaching the most isolated with the Gospel has made it a mainstay for mission agencies and the indigenous Church there.
Whether flying Bible translators, delivering pastors to a church conference, or taking supplies to missionaries working in isolated regions, MAF is helping the Church grow. Meeting church requests is MAF’s top priority, second only to emergency medical flights. Special Delivery There was only a handful of local believers when the Burkharts arrived to work with the Wolani people. Now there are hundreds, and 12 churches. The Burkharts are finishing a translation of the New Testament in the Wolani language, and hope to complete the Old Testament soon. Over the past 44 years they have planted churches, built airstrips, run clinics, and taught in a local Bible school.
Their presence there has had an impact in many ways, including one very surprising way that only God could have orchestrated. It started with an emergency call to MAF when Jeannie went into early labor in May of 1970. MAF pilot Melvin Isaac, now part of MAF’s IT department, recalls making the flight, “flying down the freeway” from Sentani to Ilu to pick up the mission doctor, Ilu to Mulia to get the doctor’s bag, to Tigi to pick up the Burkharts, and then back to Mulia. The couple arrived at the hospital at 5:50 p.m., and Jeannie gave birth to a son at 6:35 p.m. Paul commented that the baby was really small (2 lb. 14 oz., to be
Final approch into Bugalaga. Story photos by Becky Fagerlie.
4
1-800-359-7623
‘60s and ‘70s remarked to MAF pilot Nathan Fagerlie after landing at Bugalaga, that he was shocked to see so many kids running around—a stark contrast to earlier days, when the infant mortality rate (IMR) was so high. (According to the World Health Organization, the IMR for Indonesia as a whole declined from 128 per 1,000 live births in 1960 to 32 out of 1,000 in 2005.) But that’s one thing MAF service has changed by providing access to medical care, food supplies, and just a better quality of life for these people.
exact), and then the doctor announced, “Hey, wait a minute! There’s another one.” And so, to everyone’s surprise, a second boy was born eight minutes later (weighing 3 lb. 12 oz.). Telegrams were sent home and word went out— literally around the world—to pray for these tiny boys. But while twins were a surprise to everyone else, God knew. And He had a plan. Back then, superstitions prevailed, often with dire consequences. Within the three language groups that the Burkharts lived among, twins were not allowed to live; the smaller one was thought to be an evil spirit of the larger one. “After the boys were born, the people used to come around and watch them for long periods of time,” says Jeannie. She remembers vividly the day she was called to a hut where a woman had just given birth to twins. With the help of a pastor, the father made the decision to allow both girls to live. “The hold of Satan was finally broken on that belief, and over the years we have seen more and more twins.”
“
Without MAF we would never have been able to do what we have done.
”
Photo courtesy of Paul and Jeannie Burkhart.
And the Burkharts were a big part of that change. They state that “without MAF we would never have been able to do what we have done. We could not have raised a family in the village, or sent our kids to school, had medical care, or daily radio communication. We could not have helped the people with medical emergencies or sent young people by plane to Bible school. If we had to wait for roads to be built, we would have missed the best opportunity to take the Gospel to the remote groups of Papua.”
In fact, another noticeable difference in those three areas is the overall presence of children … lots of children. A returning veteran missionary who was there in the Fall 2012 | www.maf.org
5
Missionary Spotlight: Brad and Rebecca Hopkins
L
ong before Brad Hopkins ever took a plane across the ocean to Indonesia, he dreamed of flying in the military. But he also wanted to do something meaningful with his flying, something that would make a difference in people’s lives. That’s when he learned about missionary aviation and discovered MAF. Rebecca Hopkins grew up in a military family and bounced around from place to place. At an early age, she became a Christian and only needed a couple of short-term mission trips to suddenly develop a heightened interest in missions. Today, Brad and Rebecca—along with their young children, Evan and Renea—are both living out their passion for missions and aviation with MAF in Tarakan, off the coast of Borneo in Indonesia. Brad serves isolated communities located throughout the vast jungles that cover much of the island—flying in and out of remote villages all day long. He transports villagers, church workers, government officials, doctors, medical supplies, food, and other staples. Besides the technical side of flying, Brad sees his work as a bridge for building relationships to open doors for sharing the love of God.
Photo by Tripp Flythe.
To learn more about the Hopkins family and to support their ministry in Indonesia, visit www.maf.org/hopkins.
On the ground, Rebecca has the opportunity to develop friendships with Indonesian women living nearby. In addition to volunteering at a free clinic for women and children, she teaches English and visits patients at the hospital who were flown there in an MAF plane. Earlier this year, Rebecca flew into the interior to speak to women on a variety of issues including motherhood and pregnancy. The mother of two had no problems sharing on these topics as well as speaking truth into the lives of these women.
Ask MAF! Have you ever wondered … - What missionaries in Africa eat? - How many crocodiles fit into one plane? - What a person has to do to become an MAF pilot?
Send your question to ask@maf.org, and it may be featured in our next issue.
Question:
Via Facebook Joycelyne Jordan asked, “How are missionaries sustained/supported while working for MAF?”
Answer:
Before an MAF missionary family can leave for their assignment, they typically spend about a year developing a team of prayer and financial supporters. This involves quite a bit of travel to visit with various churches and groups around the U.S. The supporters’ monthly contributions cover the cost of getting to the field, required immunizations, final training, language school, and a monthly salary.
6
1-800-359-7623
Support Mission Aviation Fellowship
... without leaving the office!
A Wing with a “Leg to Stand on”
W
hile serious pilots may bristle at the expression “winging it,” MAF’s John Miller took the expression literally when searching for innovative solutions to perform maintenance on landing gear. “It’s one of those ideas that came in the break room over a cup of coffee,” Miller explained. “About five years ago, our maintenance guys were asking us to come up with a better way to do things.” The invention that emerged? The wing stand.
THREE WAYS Through PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS Many employers offer a workplace giving program that encourages contributions to charities through payroll deductions. Simply designate MAF as your charity of choice when you contribute through your workplace campaign, United Way of America campaign, Combined Federal Campaign (designate #10989), or state/local campaign.
3
Through GIFT-MATCHING PROGRAMS
Your place of employment may be one of hundreds that generously match their employees’ contributions to MAF check with your employer, or visit www.maf.org/ workplace_giving and search the online company database to determine if your company has an established matching program. It’s fast and easy.
As a WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER
Photo of wing stand.
“When you work on the landing gear or the belly pod beneath a Cessna Caravan, you need to be able to levitate the plane once you pull the wheels off,” Miller said. “The wing stands gives you that ability.” Once maintenance workers jack up the plane, they lower the wings onto the wing stand. It gives the mechanics more room to operate and remove the landing gear or perform other maintenance duties. After the plane is jacked up a few feet, a giant ERECTOR set-looking device is placed beneath each wing as the plane is lowered down on top of them. They keep the plane suspended off the ground while work commences.
You can introduce your coworkers to the ministry of MAF by representing MAF during your company’s annual workplace giving campaign. Most campaigns are closed to MAF unless an employee of the company invites MAF to participate or represents MAF at the event. If you are willing to help open the door for MAF to be represented at your company, MAF will provide the necessary materials to help you introduce others to MAF. For more information contact MAF at 1-800-FLYS-MAF (359-7623) ext. 1765, or CFC@maf.org.
When word began spreading among MAF mechanics and pilots about the wing stand devices, every program wanted one. The latest set Miller created is heading to Mongolia, after completion of a six-month engineering analysis report required by the country’s civil aviation organization. As originally created, the stands can hold up to three times the weight necessary to support a Caravan. “You can’t buy wing stands,” Miller said. “They are something we created specifically for MAF. But they sure do make things easier for mechanics. And as you can imagine, they’re quite popular.” Fall 2012 | www.maf.org
7
NEWS Briefs
Please pray for our staff serving in Indonesia:
History in the Making MAF Introduces New Logo
M
ission Aviation Fellowship introduced a new logo in August, giving a fresh look to the ministry’s familiar dove emblem.
“From the flying Bible to the globe-and-cross emblem to the dove, the MAF logo has long been a symbol of hope and help to isolated people in remote corners of the world,” said John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. “This new logo continues that proud tradition.” The new logo was developed by a steering committee of MAF personnel from around the world, with assistance from a marketing firm. Its bold, clean lines are easy to read. The dove—part of MAF-US’s logo since the 1970s—was maintained in the new emblem and represents the Christian faith, aviation, and MAF history. MAF-US’s first logo was developed in the 1940s and featured wings, a Bible, and a cross. A second emblem sometimes used in those early years included the cross, a globe, and a more stylized version of the wings. In 1972, MAF-US President Charlie Mellis introduced the “wave” version of the logo that contained the first dove. Though the “wave” was quickly abandoned, its dove element remained and was incorporated into the burgundy and gray emblem in use since 1992. MAF is already using the new logo in signage and marketing materials. It will be placed on the tails of MAF planes over the next few years.
MAF Logo History MAF-US’s first logo was developed in the 1940s. This second emblem was sometimes used in the early years.
The MAF-US logo developed in 1972 contained the first dove. In 1992 the dove was incorporated into the burgundy and gray emblem that has been in use until now.
The new MAF logo was released August 15, 2012.
8
1-800-359-7623
Allrich, Doug & Karin Ambrose, Kyle & Esther Basinger, Matt & Jacinda Bergstrazer, Dennis & Rose Bolser, Tom & Julie Bontrager, Lynne Boogaard, John & Kathryn Brown, Mike & Christy Cannon, Sean & Rebecca Chin, Jon & Amy Claassen, Vangie College, Paul & Beth Dalton, John & Stacy DeSalvo, Daniel & Sarah Desjardine, Chris & Sarah Discoe, Alan & Alyssa Epp, Reg & Mary Fagerlie, Nathan & Becky Flythe, Tripp & Heather Forney, Dave & Joy Geaslen, Daniel & Joy Grant, Will & Nan Greenwald, Pete & Ashley Harris, Matt & Alyssa Hartin, Jeremiah & Mindy Hoffmann, Aaron & Katie Hollander, Craig & Christa Holsten, David & Natalie Hopkins, Brad & Rebecca Johnson, Mike & Angie Kidjo, Roy & Lientje Koens, Justin & Corrinne Kramer, Aaron & Sarah Lohn, Annika Lundholm, Ricky & Heather Lynne, Kevin & Beth Martin, Dick & Mary Marx, Brian & Heather Maynard, Tim & Kathy McClure, Miles & Dion Moore, Chad & Angela Neal, Peter & Joy Palmer, Brent & Melanie Perez, Daniel & Becky Persenaire, Steve & Laura Pratt, Jason & Robyn Raney, Jonathan & Cindee Richards, Steve & Jodi Ringenberg, Dave & Linda Rogers, Isaac & Amber Scheer, Matt & Ellie Underhill, Brian & Holly Wiley, Jared & Teresa Wiley, Wally & Joan