How you can join a lasting legacy
There are several challenges that stand in the way of MAF being able to fulfill the mission of sharing Christ’s love with future generations of isolated people, but each challenge presents an opportunity for God to show His faithfulness and for supporters like you to become involved.
Fleet Optimization
For more than 25 years, the Cessna 206 has been the workhorse of the MAF fleet. Unfortunately, the aviation gasoline (avgas) required to fuel its piston engine is increasingly scarce and often expensive in isolated areas where MAF serves.
Years ago, plans were made to optimize the fleet by replacing most of its C206s with jet-fueled airplanes, such as Quest KODIAKs, and Cessna Caravans. Since 2009, 19 airplanes have been deployed in MAF programs across the world. In the next three years, MAF plans to purchase a Caravan on floats for Papua and a Grand Caravan for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Campus Expansion
MAF’s US headquarters is a global hub—not just for supporting our work in several different countries but also for training and sending missionaries across the world.
Families in training temporarily live in campus housing, sometimes for months at a time, and there are currently very few facilities where they can socialize or where their children can safely play. Providing these families—especially those with children—the space they need to foster a sense of community is essential for our staff to thrive as they prepare to live and minister cross-culturally.
The expanded campus will provide the space not only for new and furloughing families, but for our many volunteers who often stay on campus to serve throughout the summer months. Expanding the campus has always been a part of our overall vision for MAF since the move from California to Idaho in 2006.
Children in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo by Layton Thompson.
New Ministries and Initiatives
MAF is always attentive to opportunities for new flight, technology, and training programs. But launching a new program is an arduous process for an aviation and technology organization. In order to achieve the end goal of reaching unengaged and unreached people, MAF seeks creative, legitimate ways to be in politically sensitive regions through ministry models that leverage the aviation and technical skills of our staff.
Examples of new ministry initiatives in the most recent years consist of a pilot training school in a politically and religiously closed country, laying the groundwork for a long-term program in Nepal, and navigating regulatory requirements to launch a new aviation program in a Central Asian country that currently has no flight service into remote areas.
When a new opportunity presents itself, MAF doesn’t want to miss an open door. That’s why a dedicated fund needs to be in place for new initiatives, so MAF can act quickly to research and develop new ministry thrusts and programs as God leads.
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