2014 FlightWatch Volume 1

A Publication of Mission Aviation Fellowship 2014 Vol 1

A CHANGING WORLD A global shift in Christianity ... Is MAF’s job finished?

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a publication of

from the

Mission Aviation Fellowship

PRESIDENT’S DESK

Our Mission

Sharing the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. —Revelation 7:9a (NIV)

A Colorful Celebration!

Dear Friends, When I think of heaven, one thing I look forward to—besides being in the presence of our Lord and Savior—is being with so many friends from so many places. Zimbabwe, Haiti, Scotland, Canada, the U.S., South Africa, Lesotho, the DRC … what a reunion it will be.

For nearly 2,000 years, Christianity has spread around the world—every day it grows.

And as God’s Word is preached around the globe, the face of Christianity is changing.

It’s not just a European and American faith, as some may imagine. Rather, it’s a joyful mélange of people groups, cultures, and traditions.

Mission work, too, is changing. Today, MAF’s passengers are likely to be local believers ministering to their fellow Indonesians, Congolese, Basotho, or Mozambicans.

Likewise, 69 percent of MAF staff at overseas locations are local Christians.

This change is something to celebrate, as it means Christianity on earth is looking more and more like heaven, where every nation, tribe, people, and language will be represented before the throne and before the Lamb. Praise be to God! In His Grace,

Managing Editor: Tracey Werre Production Manager: Kelly Hewes

Art Director: Colby Dees

Design: Clayton Borah Writers/Resourcing: Chris Burgess Jennifer Wolf Dianna Gibney

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) 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™ (formerly AERDO) • 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.

John C. Boyd President and CEO

On the Cover: A photo from MAF’s archives, showing a missionary in Indonesia providing Christian education

Get Connected

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Photos courtesy of LuAnne Cadd, Tripp Flythe, Mike Lowery and Jonathan Smith.

The Many Faces of MAF How local workers are making a big difference in MAF programs around the world

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AF employs 290 local workers to fill administrative and technical roles at its overseas flight programs. Compare that to the 127 expatriate staff stationed around the world.

It’s obvious these workers are greatly needed to help each program run smoothly and efficiently.

In western Democratic Republic of the Congo (WDRC), Leta Kupa has been working for MAF nearly 30 years. He manages the program finances and uses MAF’s projection equipment to show the “JESUS” film in the capital of Kinshasa at least once a month. Like many of the 31 Congolese staff MAF employs there, Leta plays a critical role in MAF’s work in the DRC and views it as his ministry.

Also working in MAF’s DRC program are Maurice Mvumbi and Tshitshi Zondondo. Maurice handles customs, taxes, and immigration issues, and Tshitshi interfaces with the Civil Aviation Authorities to secure licenses for pilots and airplanes, and flight permissions, among other things.

“These guys understand how the system works and how to deal with it,” said Ron Wismer, former program manager for the WDRC base. “Their understanding of the politics and sociology of the system is invaluable.”

Eighty Indonesian staff work at MAF’s five bases in Papua, Indonesia.

Onong Baikole started out on the load crew, and then joined MAF’s disaster relief efforts in Sumatra after the 2004 tsunami. Because of how he handled the work and scheduling issues, he was later offered the position of flight scheduler at the Sentani base. Today Baikole oversees flight requests for all of the Papua bases, prioritizing church requests and coordinating efforts with MAF flight schedulers across Papua.

“I’ve learned a lot from observing MAF missionaries,” Baikole said.

“Working with true believers has taught me a lot about living life as a true believer.”

Papua program manager Mike Brown describes the local MAF staff as being “the face of MAF.” MAF provides on-the-job training and when possible helps in obtaining certificates and licenses to help its workers advance. One worker, Evrin Pratama, progressed from digging ditches to being the top Indonesian mechanic. Last year he traveled to the MAF headquarters in Nampa with Brown, to participate in the Maintenance Instructor Seminar. In addition to being able to sign off on scheduled maintenance inspections, he can now train new staff as well.

Besides jobs created by MAF at the various bases, MAF-US staff also employ house helpers and security guards. In doing so, MAF staff learn how to deal with the idiosyncrasies of a new culture, which helps them assimilate better and build friendships in the process.

MAF missionary Matthew Lind, who recently completed his first year of service in WDRC with his wife, Lisa, and two children under the age of four, confirms this: “We had a lot of household help, which made the cultural transition easier. They were able to guide us on how to make life function there.”

Employing local workers is an important part of how MAF makes a difference in the places it serves. This practice not only bolsters the local economy, it provides an opportunity for MAF to support local believers and share the Gospel with those who may not be Christians.

Additionally, local staff are invaluable to MAF. Their skills, talents, and unique cultural perspectives enable MAF to effectively serve in partnership with local churches to share Christ’s love.

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Photo by Richard Hanson.

A Changing World

How MAF partners with the indigenous Church

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recent study*on global Christianity revealed that the 20th century saw the greatest shift in Christianity the world has ever seen.

In 1910, roughly 80 percent of all Christians lived in the United States and Europe—a century later over half of the world’s Christians live in Africa, South America, and Asia. That percentage is expected to continue rising.

And while the United States still leads other nations in sending the most missionaries, not far behind are Brazil, India, South Korea, and China. (Another point of interest: The United States also receives more missionaries than any other country.)

This shift in Christianity can be attributed to the faithfulness of past missionaries— and ultimately to the glory of God. As missionaries have gone from place to place, sharing the Gospel message, the churches they established are now sending out their own missionaries to reach even more people with the news that God loves them and sent His Son to die for them.

“We now realize that for missions to go full circle, it is necessary for churches established by missionaries to become sending churches in order to gather the momentum necessary to penetrate each of the world’s remaining unreached people groups,” wrote Ralph D. Winter founder

of the U.S. Center for World Mission, in the book Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.

While wonderful, the rise of global Christianity has not only presented some unique issues to MAF in how to best partner with these local churches and organizations—it has set a challenge to believers across the U.S. and Europe to continue reaching not only the world, but their own countries.

MAF’s Role Does this mean MAF’s job is finished?

Is MAF’s presence no longer needed in light of local believers already being there?

“Our job is not finished! I have chatted with [Christian] leaders around the globe, and they are saying they do not want us to disengage,” said John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. “They want us to engage more!”

In many places, MAF has adopted a more direct role with indigenous churches— serving as the connection to the outside world and partnering with these churches to reach isolated people. This partnership involves listening and asking questions like, “How can we help you? What are your needs?”

Partnering with Indonesian Churches It took Petrus Giay four weeks of rugged hiking to reach the Weserau village—deep in the jungles of Papua, Indonesia. Giay sought to share the Gospel message with this primitive tribe who still wore clothes fashioned from tree bark and lived in huts made from natural materials. Giay was overjoyed when MAF partnered with his

church and him to return to the village more easily in an amphibious MAF Caravan plane by landing on a near by lake.

Giay, an Indonesian evangelist, is a member of the Effata church, one of many churches that are rapidly growing across parts of Indonesia—churches that, like Giay, are passionately sharing the Gospel with their countrymen.

MAF partners with an increasing number of churches and believers in countries across the world to spread the message of Christ’s love. This growth is happening in many of the places MAF serves. For instance, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) MAF supports Congolese pastors, doctors, and others since the country’s two violent wars forced many Western missionaries and aid workers to leave the country.

While there may always be Christians from the U.S. and Europe ready to follow Jesus’ command and take the Gospel message to the farthest reaches of the world, MAF pilots are often finding local believers like Giay sitting in the passenger seats of MAF planes, rather than missionaries from the U.S. or Europe.

With MAF’s help, Petrus Giay and other Christians around the world can more effectively reach people living in the most remote corners of their countries. Listening to the needs of local churches and working with them enables the Gospel message to spread in a way that is both culturally relevant and impactful.

“The biggest thing for MAF is that we are tracking in a direction as an organization to deliberately engage people at the farthest reaches of the earth with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, and doing it in a culturally relevant way,” said Boyd.

END

“Christianity in its Global Context, 1970-2020.” Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.

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MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Irwin Family

Changing Hands Chad and Andi Irwin have seen a lot of change in their 12 years with Alas de Socorro del Ecuador (ADSE), the nationalized Ecuador program that MAF began over 60 years ago. When they first arrived, there were 11 other MAF-US pilot-mechanic families—now they are one of two families that remain. The native Ecuadorian team includes three pilots, four mechanics, two accountants, a director, and various other staff who are all taking ownership of the ministry.

While it was hard to see their expatriate coworkers go, the Irwins feel God placed them there for this transition. As the chief pilot, Chad was directly involved in the training of all three of the Ecuadorian pilots. He has seen one local pilot go from being a loader/fueler to becoming a flight coordinator to now flying for ADSE for more than two years.

“It has been a huge encouragement for me to help him reach his goal of flying for MAF/ADSE,” said Chad.

According to Andi, it was hard saying goodbye to so many good friends, but it also allowed them to build stronger relationships there, particularly through their local church.

“God has proven himself faithful to provide new Ecuadorian friends who encourage and challenge us in our walk,” she added.

Because the church is missions-minded, the Irwins enjoy working with the various ministries as the MAF planes are used to reach out to people in the jungle.

One such ministry involves weekend trips to an interior village to lead a yearlong Bible study series. Chad and his coworkers are currently ministering to and discipling the Sapara people.

Even in town, in Shell, there is plenty to do, and Andi jumps in to help wherever she can. She is very involved in the women’s ministry and planning church events. She is also the librarian for the Nate Saint Memorial School, where her children attend classes, and is president of the school board.

The couple is thankful to “play a small part in what God has been doing in this country for so long.”

Last year, the Irwins and the other U.S. family were on furlough at the same time, leaving the local staff to “fly solo.”

“It was great to see the team work together to manage, fly, and maintain the ministry without “gringos” for the first time in MAF Ecuador history,” said Chad.

The program may have gone through its share of changes, but one thing remains the same: continuing MAF’s vision of sharing God’s love in Ecuador for over 60 years.

“We are blessed to work alongside our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters as they make bold plans to continue and expand the ministry in the still difficult-to-reach parts of the Amazon basin,” said Chad.

END

“Some things have changed greatly since the early days of Nate and Marj Saint, but many things remain the same. God’s love for the Ecuadorian people is as strong as ever.”

—Chad and Andi Irwin

Photo courtesy of the Irwin family.

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TECH CORNER

Wind LASSO

Roping in a safe landing Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) trains pilots to be “thinking” pilots—equipped to make decisions in situations when they might not have all of the information or technology available. One technique every MAF pilot must become skilled in is called the three pass Wind LASSO. Used when encountering a new or unknown runway, the three pass Wind LASSO not only gives the pilot necessary information—it can save his life.

Wind LASSO stands for wind (strength and direction), length, altitude, slope, surface, and obstructions—all crucial information for landing on any airstrip. A strip chart is available for most of the airstrips on which MAF pilots land.

These charts provide the pilot with all pertinent information about an airstrip, including the normal Wind LASSO. Yet occasionally MAF pilots must open new airstrips for which a strip chart is not available. At these times a pilot must know how to gather this information while airborne, and that is where the three pass Wind LASSO is put to use.

Arriving at the new airstrip, the pilot plans three passes along the strip. Each pass allows the pilot to determine more information about the strip. The first pass is conducted at pattern altitude where the pilot gathers information on the wind and the overall slope of the land, allowing the pilot to determine the direction he will fly when he makes the next two passes at lower altitudes—he is careful to not fly into rising terrain! The pilot makes note of the altitude and looks to see if there are any obstructions along the flight path or on the runway.

The second pass is lower than the first—barely 100 feet above the airstrip. On this pass the pilot will determine length, and again verify the altitude of the strip. Multiplying the plane’s speed by the time it takes to cross the landing strip gives the distance to within roughly 50 feet, allowing the pilot to determine if the strip is long enough for normal landing.

Again, as in each pass, the pilot is checking for obstructions on the strip.

Finally, the pilot does a low pass. On this pass, the pilot looks at the condition of the surface, determining strip composition—rocks, clay, grass—and the quality of the surface whether rough, wet, or dusty, as each of these would influence the landing in different ways. After these three passes, if the pilot has determined it is safe to land, he will return to the strip for the first landing, usually greeted with cheers and great enthusiasm by the local population.

END

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NEWS BRIEFS

Now Open – Hospital Guesthouse

Guesthouse ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo by Wilbert Rietveld.

MAF recently dedicated the Rumah Singga guesthouse in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The house, which is directly across the street from the hospital in Tarakan, provides temporary housing for patients and family members flown by MAF from the interior to seek medical treatment.

Prior to the opening of the guesthouse, those who came to Tarakan for medical care were left to their own devices in a city where they knew no one, without a safe place to stay. Rumah Singga offers shelter for families while they look after their loved ones in the hospital. MAF staff lead weekly devotions there, distribute Christian literature, and pray with the residents.

Please join us in praying for this unique outreach and how the Lord will use it for His glory.

Gracious Words of Thanks An Indonesian pastor recently sent a gracious letter of thanks for the MAF evacuation flight that she credits with saving her life during childbirth. Pastor Yesika wrote: “Without MAF, my baby and I probably would not have survived.

At 1:00 p.m., MAF arrived to take us to Tarakan. When we arrived in Tarakan, there was an ambulance waiting to take us to the Tarakan Hospital. At 9:00 p.m. on the dot, I delivered a baby boy, the first fruit of our hearts … Blessed be the Lord Jesus!

“MAF, the service that you all give is extraordinary. Many souls in remote corners of the interior need you all. With continued joy in our service, all the congregation in Binuang and I will always support with prayer every service that is done by MAF.”

“Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.”

—Hebrews 13:18 (NIV)

… and pray ...

For the MozMed program in Mozambique, which is seeking doctors and dentists for this vital ministry.

That the various visa and work permit issues affecting our overseas staff would be resolved.

Pastor Yesika and Vemark Bie Fide.

Photo by Steve Persenaire.

College Goes Online with MAF-LT

The Rumah Singga house after renovations.

Photo by Steve Persenaire.

Join us in prayer ...

Tony Macias and Rosalia Sanchez of MAF-Learning Technologies in Costa Rica were recently recognized by Global University Costa Rica for their ongoing work in converting the university’s traditional courses into online courses.

A special ceremony honoring their work took place October 4. Global University is a fully accredited distance education, nonprofit Christian university in the Pentecostal tradition, based out of Missouri. The MAF-LT team expects to see the courses go “live” early in 2014.

For MAF staff adjusting to an increase in support levels, that the Lord would bring additional ministry partners.

That the Lord would bring the right candidates for the open positions needing to be filled at MAF-US headquarters.