Always Something New to Learn

Story Hannah Gardner Photos Mandy Glass

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Amber Joy Mori was a teenager growing up in Papua New Guinea (PNG) when she felt called to missionary work with MAF.

“From a very early age, I was aware of MAF,” says Amber, “because I went to primary school with a lot of MAF kids. Also, there were a few MAF families at our church. Living in Mount Hagen, it’s hard not to know about MAF!” However, it was while Amber was studying engineering at university that her calling was sidetracked by other job opportunities. After graduation, she tried unsuccessfully to secure work in nearby Australia before realising that God wanted her to stay in her home country. “In hindsight,” Amber recalls, “I realise that God was closing all those other doors and calling me back to PNG.”

“I joined helicopter company Manolos Aviation and worked there for a year-anda-half before joining MAF in 2018. My work varies from day to day because each task depends upon the maintenance job we’re assigned. Then, if you’re assigned an unscheduled job, you have to drop

whatever you’re doing and tend to that. There’s a sense of satisfaction when we complete a scheduled maintenance on time, and the engineer or pilot comes back after an engine run or test flight and says, ‘Everything was great.’ “One thing I find about this role: there’s always something new to learn! I enjoy that aspect of my job. MAF is a lifeline to a lot of people in PNG, especially in rural communities. There aren’t a lot of other airlines that provide the services we do, such as medevacs. People really need MAF — I’ve seen first-hand just how grateful they are. MAF always tries to put people first. In this pandemic, I know a lot of people in the aviation industry have lost their jobs. At MAF PNG, we’ve been blessed with relative security during the pandemic.

“Eventually, I want to go with MAF to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, or Uganda, so I’m currently trying to learn French and Swahili – although Swahili is so difficult!”