Here are some of our favorite quotes of the past year, received from the people we serve or gathered from interviews.
We’re the smallest of the villages in the area, and without MAF, no one else would care for us. As a servant of God ministering here, it would probably be impossible to be here without MAF.”
— Pastor Hendry, working in Data Dian, Kalimantan, Indonesia
We have 40,000 students in our schools, and in the last two years 15,000 have professed faith in Christ. It’s just amazing what God is doing. There’s no way we could exist there without the work of MAF and what it does for us.”
— Dr. Sam Vinton, Grace Ministries International, EDRC
I think I’ve had the chance to fly every plane in Papua. But it’s not the flying; it’s what we do with those planes. There are guys who like to talk about this plane and that, but the real bottom line is, what are we doing with this plane? How are we ministering and serving?”
— Phil Nelson, MAF pilot in Papua, Indonesia
I’ve worked with MAF for about 13 years, and during that time I have grown personally. My faith has grown. I’ve gotten a lot of new experience working with MAF. When I joined MAF, I got direction in my life.”
— Yonatan Karel (an Indonesian MAF staff member in Kalimantan) Assistant to the Chief of Maintenance
The VSAT [provided by MAF] has been a big boost for the effective communication of Shalom University with the outside world. It enables quality research via the Internet essential for a University in the center of Africa, where books are extremely expensive and hard to come by. The connection has been reliable and a blessing.”
— Ted Witmer, Director of Development, Shalom University of Bunia, EDRC
I think we could easily say that we depend on MAF for several mission-critical functions, and without them, we could not live here. And I haven’t even mentioned flying yet.”
— Kent Rasmussen, Linguist and Bible translator with Wycliffe in Bunia, EDRC
More than once we have stood beside the plane with hearts breaking, buckling our kids in to send them off to school. Always, the pilots have caught our eyes with a reassuring glance that said, ‘We’re praying for you. We’ll get them there as safely as possible. And we’ll look after them for you.’ Such comfort and encouragement as they passed on to us during these times cannot be overstated, and for that, too, we are grateful.” Steve and Carolyn Crockett, New Tribes missionaries in Papua
Before the airstrip was completed, we had air drops from MAF. They supplied us with food … whatever we needed. The secret was MAF. It couldn’t have happened without them.”
— Former missionary to Ethiopia – Harvey Hoekstra, Talking Bibles
MAF is such a big support for us. Without MAF it would be impossible by road to go into the villages.”
— Daniel Kasereka, OEIL reconciliation ministry, EDRC
MAF has been a big help in bringing in consultants and teams of different sorts. It is much easier to throw people on a 50-minute flight versus an 8-hour car trip to come down here. This allows us to accomplish in a weekend what would otherwise take almost a week with travel time.”
— Phil & Elin Henderson, New Tribes missionaries, Mozambique
This is how much God loves Papua. In spite of all that your family has been through, you’re coming back as a new family to continue serving here. God must really love us!”
— A Papuan friend speaking to Beth Lynne upon her return from furlough as the new wife of MAF pilot Kevin Lynne.