Grace Holsten grew up on the islands of Indonesia as an MK (missionary kid), the daughter of an MAF pilot. She currently resides in Chicago and studies Communications at Moody Bible Institute.Finding home in God.
“All right, I’d like everyone to share their name, their major, and where they’re from,” my professor said with a smile. It was a new semester at college, and I was sitting in one of my Bible classes when the inevitable “where are you from” question popped up, instantly filling me with […]
The crucial role MAF plays in Outdoor Education.
We sit in a circle on the damp grass, the smell of woodsmoke cutting through chilly mountain air. As we play a wild game of duck-duck-goose, laughter and excited shouts bring more and more kids running to join our group. These Papuan children and I don’t speak the […]
My Last MAF Adventure
As the sun rose in glimmering shades of gold and orange, my dad prepped the Kodiak for take-off. I strapped myself into the front passenger seat, the engine a powerful hum through the cockpit. We taxied down the runway and rose up into the clouds, bound for the hamlet of Mulia, located […]
How to help when you feel helpless
My stomach churned as I scrolled through Facebook, watching a video of dark water flowing through streets and destroying buildings and bridges. My friends in Papua, Indonesia posted social media updates on deadly floods that hit after nights of heavy rain. I was deeply saddened and shocked to see […]
Two worlds converge in a college cafeteria
It was a rice cooker. A simple, industrial, extra-large rice cooker, steam pouring from the lid. My eyes welled with tears as I stared at this particular cooking vessel.
I was waiting for lunch at my college cafeteria, and I struggled to hold myself together as I went through the […]
Grace enjoys hanging out with the people of Pogapa. Photo by Grace Holsten.
Crowded around me, the women of the village of Pogapa sang and hollered with all their might, their colorful woven net bags swinging from their heads. We ran up and down the airstrip, in search of greens and leaves for the […]