Stories from the work of MAF in: Paupa New Guinea, Tanzania & Guinea
Mission Aviation Fellowship New Zealand Autumn 2025
www.maf.org.nz
info@maf.org.nz
0800 87 85 88
MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) is a Christian organisation reaching men, women and children in more than 25 countries. Operating 120 aircraft, MAF’s pilots overcome terrain that has become inaccessible due to derelict roads, natural disaster, or violent conflict. MAF aircraft service more than 1,000 destinations - transporting food, water, health professionals, medical supplies, emergency workers and Christian missionaries where they are needed most. Each flight brings practical help, spiritual hope and physical healing to thousands of isolated people in remote communities for whom flying is a lifeline not a luxury. MAF is flying for life.
Front cover
Mark Hewes, Liberia.
This page
Terry Fahey, Papua New Guinea.
Back cover
Matt Painter, Papua New Guinea.
Flying for Life Magazine NZ
Editor/Designer: Danielle Welsh & Ashley Edwards
Email: comms@maf.org.nz
Printer: Roe Print Services
©MAF NZ Autumn 2025
MAF NZ
www.maf.org.nz
info@maf.org.nz
0800 87 85 88
7 De Havilland Way
Mount Maunganui 3116
Registered charity in New Zealand.
‘Hello’, from our CEO
Since the start of MAF in 1945, our vision has been to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. This issue highlights isolated people hearing the Good News for the very first time.
It’s only because of our generous supporters that these stories happen. Without MAF flights, it would be impossible to reach remote villages with the hope of Jesus.
I also want to acknowledge the passing of Minnie Kendon and Ted Crawford. Minnie Kendon, along with her husband Murray, were the founders and visionaries of MAF. Ted Crawford served both as a missionary pilot in Papua New Guinea and general manager of MAF NZ for many years. We are grateful for their dedicated service and the legacies they have both left.
I pray that as you read, you feel encouraged and inspired. I invite you to consider partnering with us to get the gospel further into the world.
Mark Fox, CEO, MAF NZ
Flying For Life Magazine is FREE
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Passengers on a Mission
An MAF plane visited four destinations in one day, bringing partners to remote communities.
United by a passion to serve the people of Guinea, representatives from Mission Philafricaine, Pioneers Bible Translators, City of Refuge Ministry and the Association for Education of Children of Guinea flew with MAF from the capital Conakry.
The mix of missionaries were delighted to be flying with MAF for the first time.
Alexandre Weiss, from SAM Global, had travelled from Switzerland to work with a clinic in Nzérékoré.
“I am here with my director to learn everything that SAM does. Seeing the work at the clinic and medical level will help us to see future partnerships,” he said.
“I’m very much looking forward to continuing to discover this beautiful country. I thank MAF for this beautiful trip.”
Prophet Rey Felix, senior ministry leader at City of Refuge in Conakry, travelled for evangelism.
“The ministry mainly went to preach to Muslims,” he said. “The gospel is my ministry in Guinea, it is my mission and what I do.
“I was always going in the context of evangelization. To preach the Gospel and announce the Good News to those who do not know the Lord.
”But there is also the social side. We went there with a few clothes that a sister brought us from the United States. We planned to distributed them to
those who need them in Kissidougou.
“This is my first time with MAF. It’s an exceptional experience and thanks to MAF today, we were able to travel by plane.
“Usually, I always leave Conakry at 4am in my car and that’s it. With the bad roads, we would arrive in Kissidougou around 4pm. Lots of accidents happen, too. But thank God. Today, MAF is a blessed organisation of the Lord that helps us make our jobs easier.
“We left Kissidougou around 1 pm and here we are. Only a 1 hour 15 minutes flight, it’s exceptional.”
Leane traveled from Switzerland in September 2023 to teach the children of missionaries. The 20-yearold was beginning her journey home with MAF.
“I was here for nine months and now I’m going back home. I’m still lucky enough to be able to fly with MAF from N’zérékoré to Conakry.
It’s very convenient, takes much less time, is very pleasant and the company is friendly. Thank you.
“I appreciated the culture and the kindness of the people, their welcome was so open. It was so beautiful to be welcomed like that by people. I learned a lot; a lot more than I could have imagined.”
Guillermo Wettstein from Mission Philafricaine flew to visit hospitals and give engineering training. MAF transported him from Conakry to the town of Beyla.
“The flight with MAF was perfect, very good,” he said. “It was a very nice experience.
“I hope we will have some meetings here in this area.”
STORY & PHOTOS / JOEL CONTE
“A fascinating memoir, full of sparkling tales....and rewards of a pilot’s life.”
Kiwis Can Fly - Flying to Save Lives in Papua
New
Guinea.
Memoir by Ted Crawford
Transforming Lives in the Massai Community
Many received the word of God when a MAF plane landed on a dirt airstrip in northern Tanzania, west of Lake Natron.
Daniel Siang’au had his neighbours curse him, his flock stolen, and his face shot. Now, he is seeing healing and peace in a remote Tanzanian village.
He came to faith in 1998 and became an evangelist. He suffered years of persecution before his former rivals embraced Christianity.
Daniel fought for his life after receiving a gunshot wound to the face. Despite this, he went on to propose the development of an airstrip so MAF could bring a team to preach.
MAF flew evangelists on the Malambo Safari to several Maasai villages. This allowed them four
nights of teaching and discipling. The atmosphere in the villages changed. It was filled with songs of praise as evangelists preached the word of God.
One flight brought the team to Lemguru, where Daniel talked about his passion to share the
good news. It began after he and his family first walked into a church in the village of Pinyin.
“As time passed, I felt a profound calling to share the Gospel with my village, where Christianity was not known,” he says.
The mission was new and dangerous. There was conflict and opposition. My peers scorned me. Fellow tribesmen cast curses on me, as they felt that I was deviating from ancestral belief. They wanted to silence my preaching
“All my flock was stolen, and some slaughtered.”
But Daniel reflected on how much hearts had changed.
He says a former adversary told him, “Let us allow the development of the airstrip. It will not only serve evangelists, but bring healthcare through MAF’s mobile clinics.”
The congregation started with only 63 people, according to evangelist Elisha Moita. Now it has grown to more than 10,00 Christians, with new churches being built.
“It is through MAF’s help that many airstrips were developed. This has allowed us to share the gospel of Christ widely among the Maasai. In a mere 4 to 6 minutes, we can fly from one village to the next easily with the MAF plane,” he says.
A LEGACY
“Through MAF’s support, I established Malambo Bible School. This has trained many evangelists within and beyond Malambo, some of whom lacked basic literacy skills.
“We developed a programme to teach them in the Maasai language. This is the predominant used in Malambo, and they would use it while sharing the word of God.”
Elisha was introduced to MAF in 1985. But in those early days of the ministry, Elisha travelled long distances on foot.
“I walked for long distances without food and water to quench my thirst, encountering wild animals,” he says.
“I want to thank MAF for their plane that has over time changed my life. It has made it easier for myself and other evangelists to continue with this ministry.”
STORY & PHOTOS / JACQUELINE MWENDE
Bring more the hope of the Gospel by remembering MAF in your Will. By doing so, you will leave a legacy that will make a difference to the isolated people MAF serves beyond your lifetime.
Talk to your solicitor, or if you would like more information or a brochure, scan the QR code or visit www.maf.org.nz/legacy
Emptying the Bible Box
MAF pilot Jan Ivar Andresen flew to the rural community of Sengapi from Mount Hagen. He brought a full Bible Box, but when he arrived, he quickly realised he did not have enough.
The flight’s purpose was to bring more than 600kg of valuable school supplies. Jan Ivar had also prepared by bringing the Bible Box with him. It was filled with Bibles, Comics, Audio Bibles, and reading glasses.
“The last time I was in Sengapi, the MAF agent had asked me for Bibles,” said Jan Ivar.
“I promised him that next time I came to Sengapi, I would have the Bibles with me.”
As Jan Ivar landed at Sengapi, the MAF agent, Kos Simbi, came to him with enough money to buy 15 Bibles.
“Who are the Bibles for?” asked Jan Ivar. “I am giving them to the pastors,” said Kos.
“Do others want to buy Bibles too?” asked Jan Ivar.
“Yes, they want them, so they need more,” said Kos.
Jan Ivar only had one Bible left, a large Tok Pisin Bible, but that sold fast.
He also sold two reading glasses, two audio Bibles, and four comic Bibles.
“The request from them is that the next time I come, I should have many large Bibles with me,” said Jan Ivar.
Only three days later, Jan Ivar flew back to Sengapi, where he sold eight Bibles. The same day, he sold five Bibles at Dusin and eight Bibles at Mamusi, once again, emptying his Bible Box.
The Bible Box is made possible by generous donors who enable MAF to sell Bibles at an affordable price.
Although the original purpose was to bring supplies for Sengapi Primary School, a whole community is now able to get to know Christ personally.
STORY / TAJS JESPERSEN PHOTOS / LANDEN KELLY
Septon Philip is standing in front of MAF pilot Glenys Watson, as he prepares to explain how important it is to hold the Bible in his hands.
“I would just like to say thank you on behalf of everyone here in the community,” said Septon.
What it means to finally have your own Bible.
MAF pilots got a chance to ask people in remote communities what it means to be able to own a Bible.
A woman in the community, Ata, bought a Bible from pilot Glenys. She was thankful to MAF and pilot Glenys for bringing the Bible, but she also wanted to share how important it is for the whole community to have Bibles.
“There are many people here who know how to read, but they don’t have a Bible,” said Ata.
“Lots of the older educated people have come. They already have received the knowledge of the Bible, so what could they use it for? But the Bible has come for a cheap price, so now they can read it. If there are others who can’t read, they can read it to them.”
“Thank you, MAF, for bringing the Bible to this place in the bush. Thank you, because God’s word is inside.”
MAF isn’t the only way for the Wabo community to find a Bible. They can travel by boat to Kerema around 150 kilometres down the river, but this is not without its dangers due to rough seas. Another way is to go by foot to Goroka in the mountains. While a safer way, it’s a long journey and would take seven days through rough terrain.
“If we managed to go to town, the Bibles would be very expensive,” said Septon.
“A huge thank you goes to those people who have donated to lower the price of the Bible, so that people like us, who live in the bush, can afford to buy the Bible,” said Septon.
Delivering hope and water-bottle baptism
When a cholera outbreak forced a change of plan, MAF worked with a local church to bring bundles of clothes and the good news to three villages.
Rev Peter W Fumbi flew with MAF to an isolated community in Tanzania. As a result of a successful outreach, a group of mean were baptised with water from the plane.
Peter landed in the community of Mahaka with MAF pilot Mark Liprini. He immediately got chatting to members of the Sukuma tribe who had approached the plane.
Peter preached to them, explaining how God can be reached through Jesus, our saviour, and that we are not reaching God through our ancestors – we are worshipping and reaching God because we have the one way, who is Jesus Christ. They had a chance to ask questions, which Peter answered. By the end of the meeting, they were happy to be baptised.
“We had no water, but I asked the pilot. He had some water in the plane,” Peter said.
MAF pilot Mark was happy to help with the improvised ceremony.
“Baptism in the bush is quite an easy business,” Mark said.
“You grab a bottle of drinking water and the guys knelt down. Then he [the pastor] sprinkled them with the water and baptised them.
“So that was quite a novel way of doing it.”
It was a life-changing impact from a flight that nearly didn’t happen.
A cholera outbreak postponed the regular Kilimatinde safari. They couldn’t bring their full medical and evangelistic team to visit Mahaka.
The MAF team in Tanzania prepared the plane in anticipation of a cholera medevac, as they knew how dangerous it is when left untreated.
It was agreed that the medical clinic wouldn’t take place in Mahaka. But by the time the plane reached Dodoma, the outbreak was contained and appeared to be subsiding.
While the medical safari didn’t happen, the evangelistic outreach was still possible.
A church in Dodoma had collected 30-40kg of clothes for the three villages. The two pastors were able to pick up and distribute due to the extra capacity in the plane.
It was during this trip that the encounter happened with 13 local men who gave their lives to Jesus.
“We thank God because it was a very, very God chance meeting with them. It was like God brought them [to] speak to these people and baptise them,” said Peter, one of the visiting pastors.
Peter said one of the men wanted to be baptised with the name of MAF’s pilot. He believed that if Christians are good in this way, he wanted to have that love of the pilot. He saw the love of someone leaving his country and spending time to come and find them in these villages, and he wanted to be like this. He wanted to be the love that Jesus embodied.
“We are believing that through this love, more people will come to the kingdom of God,” Peter said.
“You have been a blessing for us. Those who are supporting MAF are doing a very, very big job.”
Will you give hope today?
Will you bring the hope of the Gospel to isolated people worldwide? Scan the QR code or go to www.maf.org.nz/donate
STORY / ELISABETH HALL PHOTOS / PETER FUMBI
Equipping leaders to grow remote churches
MAF Technologies is helping train pastors to share the Gospel in remote communities.
Pastor Robert Hane and wife Rhoda have spent the past four years training new leaders. Their goal is to plant churches in isolated communities in Papua New Guinea.
They have been able to use the resources from MAF Technologies to train their leaders. These resources prepare pastors for the challenges the church faces in remote areas.
Pastor Robert believes this ministry has reached as far as the Gulf Province borders. A recent advanced leadership training prepared 71 leaders from Yavaipo.
Many of the attendees travelled significant
distances, some as far as Menyama district. Yavaipo is approximately 60-70 kilometres north of Bulolo. The rugged route there is challenging.
“The Lord has opened the door to collaborate with MAF Technologies. The ministry has reached far inland in the two districts of Bulolo and Menyamya,” Robert said.
“We have been able to use MAF’s resources, such as print Bibles and audio Bible units. Some of the attendees can’t comprehend God’s word. But it has helped all attendees to lead their congregation.
The leadership training empowers and supports ministry leaders in remote areas. Caine Ruruk, Community and Partnership Officer at MAF Technologies, says it’s the way forward.
“This training is the way forward in equipping and training ministry leaders. They don’t need to have the educational qualification to enter Bible School. All they need is a heart to serve.”
The audio Bible with Christian content recordings and other resources are used to train leaders.
“We thank the Lord for the connection with FNBC and FFC so that we can use the audio and print Bible. It has meant capacity building for church leadership can be achieved,” Caine added.
Danny Sanea, a local pastor and attendee of the training, says the church should play a crucial role in building a healthy community. He says he has seen a decline in both churches and ministry work.
“This has declined as leaders have not fulfilled their roles well,” he said.
EVANGELISM
“I have learnt a lot of things during this training. As leaders, we must closely indulge in God’s word to lead the flocks. Three leadership functions were introduced in the training. The shepherd guided by the shepherd leadership function was one of them.”
Pastor Roselyn Mairi was able to reflect on her future ministry goals. She praises MAF for providing the training.
“This training has paved a new beginning for me. I appreciate the Lord Almighty for providing these programmes to us,” she said.
Since then, the impact of this event has been fruitful. It has resulted in the formation of four new churches, each with a growing congregation. Most of the pastors and elders in these new churches underwent this training at Yavaipo.
STORY / KOWARA BELL
PHOTOS / JOHNSON IRARU & CAINE RURUK
Medical safari brings hope to Tanzania village.
Pontus from MAF Sweden went on a medical safari in Tanzania with three young adults from Co Pilot Sweden. Together with pilots and evangelists, they flew to the small village of Chidudu.
The medical safari went to provide medical care and to share the gospel. Mothers and babies received essential medicines such as vaccines for polio. At the same time, worship services were held and the Good News was shared. Both brought hope and comfort to the village, as access to medical care in Chidudu is a challenge.
VOICES FROM THE VILLAGE
Paulina Mpembela, has been involved with MAF’s work since 2006. The 58-year-old health volunteer was elected to oversee the village airstrip. This is to ensure MAF can land safely.
Wearing a hat that says “Yesu”, Paulina shared; “First of all, it means that the word of God can spread to the village. It also means that the children can get treatment and the new health dispensary can be built.”
She also said that the construction of the small health dispensary has helped a lot when hosting the medical safari.
Left: Paulina Mpembela.
Pendo Robert, is a 31-year-old mother of four. She illustrates the harsh realities of life in Chidudu.
This day, she walked 5 hours to come to the mobile clinic with her baby daughter. She explains that the nearest hospital is a 12-hour walk. She could go by motorbike under ideal conditions in 1.5 hours, but it isn’t cheap. During the rainy season, this journey becomes impossible.
Right: Pendo Robert with her baby daughter. Below: Pastor Peter William Fumbi preaching to the people in Chidudu.
Pastor Peter William Fumbi is a church leader from Dodoma. He emphasized the critical role MAF plays in the village. “If this service was not here, many children’s lives would be lost,” he said.
Since 2006, countless children have received medical care, and many villagers have heard the gospel. The evangelists always take time to visit the village during the safari. This is to meet the needs of the people and talk to the students in the local school. The people and students get very encouraged, since visits to them are rare. As there is no local church, MAF is the only way the gospel can reach them.
For almost 20 years, the people of Chidudu have relied on MAF’s unique ability to reach the unreachable. The work of pilots, health professionals, and evangelists have saved lives, nurtured faith, and built a brighter future.
STORY & PHOTOS / PONTUS DANFORTH
