A white and blue 737 screams onto the runway. After it has passed, a dark-skinned Papuan woman scurries across the asphalt, her colorful net bag swaying behind her. Probably not a scene you would see in America, right? Welcome to Wamena! A remote aviation town situated in a breathtaking valley at 5150 feet above sea level. Surrounded by sheer, rugged mountains, Wamena’s terrain is impassible. No roads go through to the coast. Everything has to be flown in by aircraft.

A jet unloading its cargo at the Wamena Airport.

One of the joys of being based out of Wamena is serving interior missionaries with the airplane. Like us, most everything they receive has to be flown in by airplane. MAF delivers their mail, packages from the post office, food, and supplies. We can do medical evacuations if there is an emergency.

C.J. and Ryan, watching a jet land.

Downtown Wamena.

Wamena MAF team.

As I sit on my porch writing this post, several aircraft have landed. I wonder what supplies they will bring, how many new people will arrive, and what impact the Gospel will continue to have. I breathe a prayer for all of the pilots who fly here, and I thank God that He has called us to serve in this unique place called Wamena.