FALL 2021 MAF.ORG
SERVING PEOPLE’S CORE NEEDS
F L I G H T WATC H
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
None of the stories you are about to read would be possible without the support of people like you. It is our pleasure to show how you are making it possible for the gospel to transform the lives of isolated people around the world. Your prayers, your gifts, and your time, are key to MAF’s ministry. Thank you for sharing the love of Jesus at the ends of the earth!
Every gift you send, every prayer you offer for MAF, helps change lives through aviation. We enjoy hearing from you! Please send comments and questions to maf-us@maf.org.
Tracey Werre, Director of Marketing Chris Burgess, Managing Editor Micki Blair, Production Manager Justen Stryker, Designer Chris Burgess, Jennifer Wolf, Jeanelle Reider and Dianna Gibney, Writers/Resourcing
MAF maintains the highest standards of financial accountability and public disclosure to donors and the U.S. government. MAF is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) as well as other organizations. A list of all organizations can be found at maf.org/about/ accountability.
Mission Aviation Fellowship PO Box 47, Nampa, ID 83653-0047 208-498-0800 1-800-FLYS-MAF (359-7623) Cover Photo: MAF staff prepare for a quarterly vaccine flight in western Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo by Corrine Cadinouche.
“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” —Matthew 14:14 (ESV)
Our vision at MAF is to see isolated people changed by the love of Christ. It was Christ’s love for us which took Him to the cross to selflessly pay the penalty for our sin, and His love continues to work within us as we reach out to address the needs of others with compassion. As it says in 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.” This is why I believe the most impactful thing that can change someone is the love of Christ. His love meets our deepest needs and love for others is born out of that. There are other important things that can bring change to people’s lives, such as education, healthcare, and economic investment. It’s easy to minimize these things when you have easy access to them, and they are already a part of your life. But when you sit in the reality of the lives of those we serve, you realize just how important these core needs are—be it something as simple as milk for an orphaned baby, or as significant as a safe refuge in a war-torn country. In this edition of FlightWatch, you will read stories that depict some of the heartbreaking circumstances of many of the people we serve. We care about their needs because Jesus cared about those around Him. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and brought restoration to those who were ostracized. The Bible clearly shows the compassion Jesus had for those who had deep needs. Thank you for partnering with us as we seek to reflect that same care to others through our mission of serving together to bring help, hope, and healing through aviation.
Serving together,
David Holsten President and CEO
YOU MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR MAF AIRPLANES AROUND THE WORLD TO KEEP FLYING!
This spring, you helped us raise $1.5 million to continue our vision to see isolated people changed by the love of Christ.
Because of your support, projects such as these— and many others — were made possible: An engine overhaul for PK-MPF in Papua, Indonesia Repainting PK-MAD in Papua, Indonesia Finishing repairs & upgrades to HH-LLS in Haiti
Thank you! When you give to MAF you bring help, hope, and healing to people in remote places around the world.
F RO M
T E R RO R T RU T H TO
HOW YOUR GENEROSITY IS SENDING HELP, HOPE, AND HEALING TO PEOPLE IN THE MIDST OF A TERRIBLE CRISIS BY JENNIFER WOLF
A six-year-old Mozambican girl frantically wrapped her 3-month-old sister around her back. She could not fight the men who had just killed her mother, but she could run. Grabbing her younger brother by the hand, she fled with her siblings into the bush. Christian workers Henry and Patricia* were visiting homes in “Beach Town,” in northeastern Mozambique, to share the gospel. As they were speaking with an elderly couple in front of their house, they were surprised when people of all ages began to file out—nearly 20 of them. This is where they met the young girl and her siblings and heard their story. After hiding for a few days, the children had been found and were taken to their grandparents, who were now caring for them along with all the others. This was one of the couple’s first encounters with Mozambique’s internally displaced people (IDPs). Hundreds of thousands have fled their homes since violent attacks by an extremist group began in 2017. Henry and Patricia had been serving in Beach Town for several years and had opened a community center where they taught English, computer classes, and various trades. They helped with food distribution as the people began arriving. “[Because of the attacks] the roads were closed to the provincial capital so we used Ambassador Aviation** to bring in teams as well as supplies for food giveaways,” Henry said. “One weekend in particular, they did several trips back and forth to bring all the supplies needed for this.” In early 2020, the attacks were getting closer to Beach Town and another threat appeared—COVID-19. Patricia and Henry had to shut down the community center. “We needed to leave town for a couple days to re-stock in the provincial capital and prepare for lockdown,” Patricia said. *Names changed for security reasons. **AA uses MAF aircraft and staff to conduct their operations that align with MAF ministry priorities. MAF.ORG
4
A mother with several children, including a newborn, are flown to safety in Mozambique. Photo by Dave LePoidevin.
An Ambassador Aviation (AA) airplane landed in Beach Town and soon Henry, Patricia, and their children were flying to the city of Pemba. “Two days later we got a call from friends saying our town was under attack,” Henry said. THIS CURRENT CRISIS The violent attacks continued to escalate until, on March 24 of this year, several days of fighting in the town of Palma caused thousands more to flee—some on foot, to the jungle; others by boat, to a southern town or a nearby Island. Some fled to the border of Tanzania but were turned away. Many were traumatized by what they experienced and were exhausted, hungry, sick, or injured. According to reports, there are approximately 700,000 IDPs in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado due to the insurgency. Over 50,000 were displaced in this latest attack on Palma. In late March, Ambassador Aviation began evacuating those fleeing the violence and delivering relief supplies. The AA team carried medicine to Ibo Island and delivered food and relief items for another partner, VAMOZ (Voluntários Anónimos de Moçambique) that is also coordinating distribution to those in need. 5
1-800-FLYS-MAF
“That flight represents God’s sovereignty over us.”
JOB’S FLIGHT Job is a Mozambican man who’s been on the receiving end of one of those flights. After he came to know the Lord a few years ago, his family kicked him out, saying he was an embarrassment. After last year’s attack in Beach Town, Job’s wife was due to deliver a baby. “Ambassador Aviation helped us get him and his family to the provincial capital as well,” Henry said. The baby came into the world safely and Job rented a house there. Just a few weeks later, his extended family’s village was attacked. They all sought refuge at Job’s home, where two of his siblings and a sister-in-law came to know the love of Christ. FROM FEAR TO HOPE When Henry and Patricia received the call about their town being under attack, they also learned their home and community center had been ransacked and robbed. While saddened by the news and concerned for their friends, they were also in awe of the timing of their flight out of Beach Town. “That flight represents God’s sovereignty over us,” Patricia said. “He knew what the future held and he aligned everything for us to get out in time. Our family is safe and able to continue ministry to refugees now!” Ambassador Aviation will continue to work with our partners on the ground— VAMOZ, Henry and Patricia, and others—to bring relief to the growing number of displaced people who are suffering at this time. MAF partners are a key part of this, praying and supporting the important work of serving these precious people, like the little girl and her siblings—and many others. “The Mozambicans live in great fear,” Patricia added. “They never know what is rumor or truth. So, if they don’t have the peace of the Father to hold on to, they give in to that fear. This is a great time to share the hope we have!” MAF.ORG
6
LAST-MILE D E L I V E RY
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has a history of vaccine delivery beginning in the 1950s in Central Africa. Recent vaccine flights include transporting Ebola vaccines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (January 2021), and measles vaccines in South Sudan (November 2020)—which included superfreezing systems maintained with dry ice.
BY CHRIS BURGESS
New mRNA treatments require super-chilling (-94°F), which MAF can maintain across long distances with the use of dry ice and super-chilling freezers installed inside the aircraft. In countries which lack dry ice production or super-chilling facilities, MAF assists in critical last-mile delivery by air to avoid dangerous and lengthy overland travel, and ensure vaccines safely arrive in rural locations.
Vaccines ready for loading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo by Corrine Cadinouche.
On March 23, 2021, MAF pilot Grant Strugnell delivered the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to a mountainside clinic near Kuebunyane— a journey too difficult for the vaccines to achieve without spoiling. “Kuebunyane is one of the locations we fly to most because reaching this location by road is just too difficult,” said Strugnell. “The clinic is located on a steep mountain ridge, four hour’s trek from the nearest road. On average MAF lands there twice a week, offering the only air service to connect this remote region to vital medical supplies and personnel.
Grant Strugnell unloads vaccines in Kuebunyane, Lesotho. Photo by Grant Strugnell.
“MAF is really grateful to be partnering with the government and Lesotho Flying Doctors Service to deliver vaccines to the harder-to-reach clinics across Lesotho. I’m pleased that MAF aircraft are so well suited to this critical last mile of vaccine transport. By offering a journey of half an hour rather than eight, these vaccines can arrive at the required temperature.” With a history of rural vaccine delivery spanning more than six decades, MAF flights will make it possible for some of the poorest and most remote communities to receive COVID-19 vaccines maintained at the correct temperature from the beginning to the end of their journey.
Nurses carry COVID-19 vaccines to a remote clinic in Lesotho. Photo by Grant Strugnell. 7
1-800-FLYS-MAF
STEPPING INTO BROKENNESS
WHERE LOVE AND SUFFERING MEET BY JEANELLE REIDER
Jamie Dimon often wonders what Baby Grace’s life is like now.
knew it wouldn’t be easy. As Jamie said, “Suffering is common, expected, in Congo.”
As is true of many children born in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Baby Grace was thrust into tragic circumstances at birth. Her mother, faced with the prospect of raising a child whose father was not her husband, abandoned Baby Grace the moment she was born.
There is a mission hospital in Nyankunde, the village where the Dimons were assigned. Many of the patients are newborns whose mothers have died during childbirth. A few infants have been abandoned because of their HIV/AIDS status. More recently, escalating conflicts in the region have caused an influx of newborns whose mothers have been killed in the violence.
By God’s mercy, MAF staff found the tiny infant— placenta still attached—lying helpless in a field near their airstrip.
Jamie is a registered nurse with a background in pediatric intensive care. She wondered: was God forging a way for her to bring healing and hope into the suffering?
And this is where Baby Grace’s story first intersected with Jamie’s.
These precious babies have one thing in common: malnutrition. Even if a friend or family member can be found to care for them, infant formula is beyond the means of most Congolese families.
COLLABORATIVE COMPASSION Jamie and her pilot husband, Chad, headed to the DRC over five years ago to serve with MAF. They
A few months before the Dimons moved to Nyankunde, Anna La Rochelle, a nurse practitioner from another missions group who had started an
An aerial view of Nyankunde. Photo by LuAnne Cadd. MAF.ORG
8
A DISTRESSING DISRUPTION In April 2021, the rat-a-tat of guns and the angry shouts of military and militia filled the air. Over 35,000 people in Nyankunde and nearby villages fled into the forest. Mama Sunday, Anna La Rochelle, and Lindsey Cooper also were forced to evacuate. MAF staff—including Chad, Jamie, and their four young children—relocated to nearby towns. At the time of this writing, no one had been able to return. Nor did anyone know what had happened to Baby Grace and many of the other infants. Jamie and the others trust that they are still in the care of families who love them, safe from harm. They hold onto hope that one day they may see them again. Jamie Dimon holds Baby Grace at the hospital. Photo by Gabriella Dimon.
In the meantime, MAF continues ministry flights from the town of Bunia. And Mama Sunday and MAF missionary Donna Jacobsson make sure that formula is delivered to the seven babies whose whereabouts are known.
orphan formula program at the hospital, invited Jamie to assume leadership of the program. Seeing this as a God-given opportunity, Jamie agreed.
JUST BEING FAITHFUL
With the help of Mama Sunday, a Ugandan nurse who worked in the Nyankunde hospital’s ICU and maternity ward, and Dr. Lindsey Cooper, a pediatrician who ran the malnutrition center at the hospital, the program thrived. Babies were placed with caregivers, and for the first year of their lives, infant formula was purchased and delivered regularly. Homes were visited to ensure the infants were growing and well cared for. Over the years, some 100 babies were given a chance at life.
Life stories are rarely tied up in neat little bows. The Congolese people know it, MAF staff know it, and chances are you know it too. Still, the loose ends can be excruciating. When Jamie tried to describe the suffering, she faltered. “There are just no words … the fact that we’ve been able to make a little bit of a difference—I mean, it’s just a drop in the bucket, but it’s something.”
And, one day, a baby girl was found abandoned near the MAF airstrip.
For such a time as this, Jamie and her co-laborers stepped into their broken world and loved as Jesus would. When you support MAF, you, too, are reaching into the lives of hurting men, women, and children and showing them there is a Father who cares for them.
For the first few weeks, nurses cared for the little girl in the maternity ward. They gave her the name “Grace.” Jamie and fellow MAF missionary Sheryl Strietzel often visited the baby and at times brought her into their homes. Eventually, Baby Grace was placed with her maternal grandmother and sustained through the orphan formula program.
9
1-800-FLYS-MAF
NEWS
COMING OCTOBER 18 & 21: A MOVIE ABOUT MAF!
Later this year, you’ll be able to watch MAF in action on the big screen! Ends of the Earth, a feature-length film, explores real life stories of MAF pilots—past and present—who strive with other missionaries, churches, and organizations to take the gospel to the most inaccessible places on earth. It’s an exciting look at how men and women are responding to the Great Commission in the 21st century. We’ll share more details soon, so tell your friends and get ready for a serving of adventure with your popcorn!
Video still by Tim Ingles.
NEW AIRCRAFT CROSSES THE PACIFIC TO PAPUA
After a nine-day flight from one side of the world to the other, N190KQ, a Kodiak aircraft, arrived in Papua, Indonesia, piloted by MAF’s John Boogaard and Dave Ringenberg. The airplane left Winnipeg, Canada, on April 18, flown by volunteers Dylan Fast and his wife, Val Neufeld, who have done many MAF ferry flights. They arrived in Guam on April 24. To avoid COVID-19 quarantines, MAF’s pilots took over in Guam for the final leg of the trip, lasting 7.5 hours. The MAF Papua team is celebrating the arrival of this new aircraft—the latest tool in our mission to bring hope, help, and healing to isolated people.
MAF’s Dave Ringenberg (left) and John Boogaard arrive in Papua, Indonesia, with a new MAF airplane. Photo by Debbie Klynstra.
DOING GOOD ON THE SABBATH
MAF Haiti usually doesn’t fly on Sunday unless it’s a life-threatening situation. This time, two lives hung in the balance: a woman in critical condition following a stroke, and a young boy with a high fever and shakes. HERO, a medical organization, called MAF’s after-hours phone number requesting Sunday medical evacuations from Cap Haitian to Port-au-Prince. Because they didn’t know if the boy might be contagious, two planes were needed so the stroke patient would not be exposed to the unknown illness. Thankfully, two aircraft were already fueled up and ready to fly when the call came in. The team safely delivered the patients to Port-au-Prince where they were loaded into a waiting ambulance and whisked away to the hospital. MAF.ORG
10
HERO staff stabilize a stroke patient prior to an MAF medevac flight. Photo by Dan Wanvig.
PRAYER REQUESTS - Lift up the people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who were recently displaced by violence and a volcanic eruption near Goma.
- In Haiti, the assassination of the president, roadblocks, and kidnapping threats continue to cause security problems. Haitians who used to travel by road now fly with MAF. Pray for peace.
- Pray for an end to the attacks in Mozambique, and for the displaced people to find safe shelter, food, and hope.
- Lift up new MAF missionaries who are traveling around the states, visiting churches, and building their ministry partnership teams.
MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT
“You just pour your heart out to every student … It’s very fulfilling when you hear they’re on the field somewhere or they’re joining MAF or another organization doing mission work.”
DAN AND JODI APPLEBY Dan and Jodi Appleby began their MAF ministry 27 years ago as a mechanic family in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Recognizing the need for well-trained Christian aircraft mechanics, in 2003 MAF “loaned” the Applebys to Moody Aviation, which teaches the technical and theological disciplines needed by MAF staff. At Moody, they play a key role in shaping the next generation of missionary aviators—Dan as an advanced maintenance instructor and Jodi as administrative assistant and internship coordinator.
Dan and Jodi are seeking prayer and financial partners to support their ministry. Will you join their team? Learn more at www.maf.org/appleby.
11
1-800-FLYS-MAF