flying for life: aug 2013

Flying for LifeAugust 2013

The quarterly magazine of MAF Australia

Arnhem Land4 Timor-LesteDefeating Hunger40 years on (part 1)

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COMPASS CREAT IVE STUD IO IN C

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www.compasscreative.ca

MAF LOGO WITH TAG - CMYK

Mission Aviation Fellowship

June 2012

Jason Bouwman

C: 100 M: 57 Y: 0 K: 40

C: 5 M: 100 Y: 71 K: 22

C: 0 M: 1 Y: 0 K: 51

CMYK COLOURS

Flying for Life | May 2013

1. The MAF Australia ConferenceIn May we held the MAF Australia Conference – the first in years! We had representatives from the States and programmes join our Sydney staff and Board members. Fellowship was enjoyed; we were inspired and encouraged by the involvement of passionate people throughout the MAF world and right around Australia. One particularly special part of the weekend was the presentation of ‘Certificates of Appreciation’ and dedication of all MAF staff and Advocates (volunteers). What an inspirational list! We look forward to next year’s conference in Melbourne!

2 Flying for Life August 2013 www.maf.org.au

2. The Great Wheelbarrow RaceChallenged by the tremendous need, a number of MAF staff from Cairns and Mareeba entered a rather unusual race to fundraise for MAF Timor-Leste. For 3 days this team took it in turns to run with a wheelbarrow for 140km! They successfully raised over $11,000 and, at the same time, had countless opportunities to share about the wider work of MAF as well as the wonderful Timor-Leste programme. If you want to read more about this race visit: maf.org.au/wheelbarrowrace

3. Mother’s Day cardsYou will probably remember that alongside our Mother’s Day appeal we gave our supporters the opportunity to write a note of encouragement to MAF mums serving all over the world. We were blown away by the response. Card after card came in, all filled with scriptures and encouraging notes. We sent these cards to the Arnhem Land and PNG conferences where the serving mums could read them. They have asked that we send back their heart-felt thanks.

4. A new plane!A major challenge for 2013 has been that, with the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping forces,

MAF Australia: A busy few months

Go go go!To say that the last few months have been busy for MAF Australia would most certainly be an understatement! CEO Michelle Dorey shares 5 of the many highlights of this time.

Main Stephen Charlesworth in The Great Wheelbarrow RaceLeft MAF Australia Conference prayer sessionTop Right Room for one more? MAF Timor-Leste’s hangarFar Right Some of the Mother’s Day cards spread across a table at the Arnhem Land conferenceCentre right MAF Mareeba’s Rebekah Somandin receives Certificates of AppreciationBottom right Ruth Ussher

Michelle DoreyCEO MAF Australia

August 2013 Flying for Life 3

MAF now operates the only fixed-wing aircraft in Timor-Leste. That’s right: one plane serves the whole country of 1.1 million people! However, thanks to the Lord’s provision, a second-hand GA8 aircraft has just been purchased from an aviation company in Western Australia. Funds permitting, this aircraft will be sent to Timor-Leste. We are now faced with the challenge of raising the $500,000 to fund the purchase and upgrade of this aircraft. With $80,000 of the $500,000 already raised we are on our way. Timor-Leste would dearly love this aircraft in the country as soon as practical. Would you prayerfully consider being a part of this exciting tax-deductible project? Go to: maf.org.au/newplanefortimorWe have also prepared a ‘Case for Support’ for this important project. Contact us if you would like further information or would like to pass it on to others.

5. Ruth UssherRecently I had the privilege of attending the Memorial and Thanksgiving Service for Ruth Ussher. We were so shocked and saddened by her sudden death. I count it a real privilege that I was able to meet Ruth a few times over this last year. I couldn’t help but marvel at how the Lord had laid it on my heart to talk to our

supporters about ‘Mums on a Mission’ and Mums as the unsung heroes of MAF and here I now was attending what many would describe as the funeral of one of the most wonderful Mums in MAF. Our thoughts, prayers and continued support go out to Winston and his family. The Lord has used both Ruth and Winston to touch the lives of thousands over the last four decades with MAF and the testimony of their daughters was an inspiration to everyone in attendance at the packed services in both Melbourne and Brisbane.

Why volunteer?

It’s hard to put into words just how important volunteer Advocates are to us in achieving our mission. With God’s strength and your help, we are able to achieve big things!

Often people like the idea of volunteering but are restricted by time and worry that they’ll be signing up to something that won’t be sustainable.

Well, in the lead up to this year’s Father’s Day, we are looking for help in promoting MAF in your local church. All that will be required is one Sunday morning of your time. This will be a huge help to us.

Take a look at the back cover for more details on how you can help us this Father’s Day. Together we’ll keep the life-saving flights happening all around the world!

Sky Pilots in Arnhem Land



Few places on the Australian mainland present the barriers to surface travel that Arnhem Land does. Bounded by the Gulf of Carpentaria to the East, the

Arafura Sea to the North, Kakadu National Park in the West and “We of the never never” country across the South, this Aboriginal Reserve is fractured by major river systems, while at its heart lies a rocky and inhospitable plateau. Around its long and heavily indented coastline (and included in the reserve) are dozens of islands, some inhabited, the largest by far being Groote Eylandt in the Gulf.

Home to several quite distinct Aboriginal groupings, Arnhem Land has benefitted from the presence of Christian missions for more than a century. In the early days, travel on horseback or by mission lugger meant weeks or even months of isolation for these remote stations, especially when the long monsoonal wet season put an end to land travel altogether. With aviation still in its relative infancy, the use of aircraft to overcome this hurdle of isolation was not considered until the advent of suitable machines in the 1920s.

Getting things off the groundIn 1928 a young Anglican missionary, Keith Langford-Smith, commenced work at the remote Roper River Mission (now Ngukurr). It was not long before he came to realise the

In the 40 years since MAF commenced operations in Australia’s Top End, it has unintentionally grown to become the Northern Territory’s senior air service.

Main Service at the grassroots. A MAF Cessna 207 arrives with supplies at a remote outstation airstrip south of Gove.

Left Camera-shy: a rare photograph of pioneer aviator Rev Harold and Mrs Ella Shepherdson on Elcho Island near the end of their 50 years of service in Arnhem Land. Note Shepherdson College coat of arms on the fin of the Cessna 207.

Right Harold Shepherdson’s Heath Parasol, built on Milingimbi Island in 1933. The 80-year-old remains are preserved in a private collection in Darwin.

Story Ron Watts Photos Ron Watts and MAF archives

Australia

Milingimbi

Gove

Arafura Sea

Arnhem Land

Elcho Island

100 miles

Gulf of Carpentaria



benefits of using an aircraft to assist in his work. In true pioneering style, Langford-Smith raised the funds to purchase a second hand Gypsy Moth. Naming the aircraft ‘Sky Pilot’, man and machine soon became legendary across Arnhem Land. His 1935 book ‘Sky Pilot in Arnhem Land’ tells the complete story.

“Bapa Sheppy”Meanwhile, 200 km to the north, the Rev Harold Shepherdson of the Methodist Mission at Milingimbi was reaching the same conclusion about the value of this new technology. Ever practical, ‘Sheppy’ (or ‘Bapa Sheppy’ as he became affectionately known to the Yolngu of the area) decided on a more ambitious (but as it turned out, less successful) solution. Importing a Heath Parasol kit aircraft from the USA, Sheppy constructed this single-seat aeroplane in the remoteness of his tiny island mission station. After crashing the Parasol, Sheppy shelved this project, turning to more conventional light aircraft to serve his purposes.

The Methodist Mission continued to use aircraft around the north coast of Arnhem Land until, at its invitation, MAF assumed responsibility in 1973. But more than two decades earlier, in 1949, a MAF aircraft had already been seen in these skies, although only

briefly. It was a Tiger Moth under the command of Harry Hartwig, a former WW2 Liberator pilot. Harry and his passenger Alex Freind were surveying much of northern Australia with a view to establishing the first Australian MAF program. In the event, that first operation would be in New Guinea to the north.

The time had comeBy 1970 both Anglican and Methodist missions were operating early model Cessna aircraft across the breadth of Arnhem Land, and regularly into Darwin, in support of multiple mission stations and communities from Groote Eylandt in the east to Oenpelli in the

MAF has 15 Australian families currently serving in Arnhem Land. They can be found on pages 3-9 of the Staff Prayer Handbook.

If you would like a copy of the handbook to pray for the MAF staff serving around the world, please visit:maf.org.au/prayformafand select “Staff Prayer Handbook”


west. The time had come for the 1949 MAF survey flight to bear more fruit. Firstly the Methodist Mission, and two years later the Church Missionary Society, decided that MAF possessed the professional experience and expertise to take over their operations, combining them in such a way that enabled remote communities to connect as never before.

Beginning in a small way on 1 November 1973 at Elcho Island, with just two aircraft, the operation gradually expanded, as the years went by, eventually peaking at about twenty aircraft. Additional bases were opened at Gove, Oenpelli, Milingimbi, Ramingining, Lake Evella (named after Sheppy’s wife Ella, and Eve Webb, wife of another pioneer missionary; also known as Gapuwiyak), and remote Numbulwar in the south, where the Rose River flows into the Gulf.

God’s timingProvidentially, MAF’s arrival coincided with the beginnings of the ‘Outstation Movement’, whereby Aboriginal people were being encouraged to move back into their traditional homeland areas, and by so doing, taking much more responsibility for their own affairs. Whilst this was fairly easily done during the northern dry season, most were unwilling to remain there in total isolation from the outside world for months at a time during the ‘wet’. But as

Left top Keith Langford-Smith in the brown and gold “Sky Pilot” at Mataranka in 1931.

Left bottom No hand tools here! Local men from Oenpelli constructed Mikginj Valley airstrip in just 15 days at the end of the 1977 dry season.

Right top Supporting local industry. Yiniya Guyula helps unload artifacts from eastern Arnhem Land communities, on their way to market.

Right middle Conditions were still basic when MAF assumed responsibility for the Methodist and Anglican aviation programs in 1973.


these small communities were gradually provided with basic airstrips, Aboriginal families were prepared to live ‘out bush’ year round, especially when they had access to battery-powered radio transceivers. Indeed, so keen were many to embrace this more traditional lifestyle that they often took the initiative, carving their own airstrips out of virgin scrub, sometimes only with hand tools, the sites having been simply surveyed and pegged out beforehand.

Meeting a needMAF’s growing fleet has continued to be the transport backbone of Arnhem Land ever since its inception. Throughout the 1970s, the Territory’s regional airline Connair had connected the major centres with Darwin, MAF providing the ‘micro-network’ of services

“...the majority of MAF’s work was, as it still is today, to serve the local people at the grass-roots level”


to the scores of Aboriginal settlements scattered around the coast and further inland. In the same way, while the Northern Territory Medical Service’s aircraft were able to service a handful of the larger communities, medical evacuations and routine clinic runs to the outstations needed the capabilities of bush aircraft, historically MAF’s forte.

The end of ConnairBy the end of the decade, however, a crisis was looming that threatened to virtually exclude MAF aircraft from flying over its most-used routes. Connair had been serving destinations in northern and central Australia since the war years, and its founder, Eddie Connellan, had fought long and hard for government subsidies to enable his network of services, including the several routes into Arnhem Land, to remain viable. Things came to a head in 1980, and when there was no funding forthcoming, Connair ceased operations. The vacuum was filled by a new carrier, the short-lived Northern Airlines, but with it came tightened restrictions on some of the old Connair routes.

RPT operationsMAF had little choice but to bid for these, in order to retain the freedom to use them on a daily basis. Initially under Regulation 203, and then eventually as a regional airline in its own right, MAF rose to the challenge of full RPT operations.

But the personal touch was never lost and the majority of MAF’s work was, as it still is today, to serve the local people at the grass-roots level, in and out of tiny communities. Our desire is to enable Aboriginal families to thrive on their own land away from the major centres, living as independently as possible, but with a committed and reliable (and sometimes life-saving) link to the outside world.

Stay tuned...Today, MAF Arnhem Land flies more hours per year than any other MAF programme. In 2012 they performed 18,416 flights (the next highest was MAF PNG at 12,522). They have a staff of 32 and a fleet of 15 aircraft. Almost 80 airstrips thoughout Arnhem Land are serviced by MAF and around 96 organisations use MAF to increase the effectiveness of their work.

Just how did MAF grow from the small operation of 5 aircraft that it was in the 80s, to be one of the main air service providers for Arnhem Land that it is today? Well stay tuned! In our next edition of Flying for Life, Ron Watts will explore the journey of MAF Arnhem Land from the 1980s through to today.


Timor-Leste: defeating hunger

Thanks to Caritas Australia and our GA8 Airvan, villagers in Timor-Leste’s most isolated area can now feed their families and become self-sufficient.

Story Stephanie Gidney Photos LuAnne Cadd

‘Separated from the mainland, transportation is a big issue,’ explains Caritas Programme Co-ordinator Cornelio Ase, ‘It’s important to get support from MAF because reaching the other cities is a major concern.’

An MAF flight from Dili takes just 45 minutes. The alternatives are overland travel through Indonesia which takes 9 hours and a great deal of paperwork, or a 12-hour ferry ride which isn’t an option during the rainy season as it’s too dangerous.

AmazedPartnering with the villagers of Aos Ero, Caritas introduced a microfinance scheme in 2006, which complemented an agricultural project initiated earlier that year. Now, the 33 families trained by Caritas manage the bank themselves

and are amazed at what they have achieved.

Some of the members of the co-operative borrowed funds from the bank

Excitement fills the air in the village of Aos Ero, Timor-Leste. Word has gone out that the key holders are required. The villagers are keen to show the

results of their hard work, careful management and collaboration. All that’s needed is for those responsible for their co-operative bank to arrive.

After unlocking the external door, the door to the bank and the co-operative’s money box, Ermelindo Dacosta Anin brings out the villagers’ precious, hard-earned savings. His expression of delight speaks volumes!

IsolatedAos Ero is in the district of Oecusse, the most isolated part of Timor-Leste. With tropical seas on the north-west, its borders are surrounded by Indonesian land, which cuts it off from the rest of the nation. It’s a striking place. Craggy mountains clad in thick vegetation give way to emerald green rice paddies and white beaches. Despite the area’s beauty, the people live in real poverty.

Oecusse is a regular destination for our GA8 Airvan based at the capital Dili. Some 20 NGOs work here, including Caritas Australia.

Defeating hunger

Main Villagers sell their produce at Oecusse’s main marketRight Breeding livestock in Aos EroTop right The co-operative bankFar right Cornelio Ase


and bought a cow to fertilise their vegetable gardens. This increased agricultural productivity and the income earned through selling their produce. Now they have more than one cow, the villagers can breed them and sell the bulls for additional income.

From May to October, the villagers sell vegetables at Oecusse market. By 8.30am, the place is already buzzing with activity. Marta Anin and Terejina Pauf from Aos Ero are selling corn, watermelon, pumpkin, onions and garlic.

From Nibin, another village Caritas is helping to become self-sufficient, Imakulada Elu is selling Japanese pumpkin and avocado. The variety of produce is a colourful testimony to the agricultural project’s ongoing success.

Enabled Before Caritas arrived, the villagers struggled to earn money and buy food during the January to March ‘hungry season’. They had to seek alternative work planting rice for other people or borrowing from outside the community.

Better farming methods mean they can now store corn, rice and peanuts for emergencies. Their savings also buy rice for the October to

Timor-Leste• 75% of the population live in rural areas

• 42% live on less than $1 a day

• Many are subsistence farmers

• 80% cannot grow enough food to feed their families for 2 months each year.

Doubling upThanks to God’s provision, a second plane has been acquired for Timor-Leste!

This will greatly increase our ability to serve the Ministry of Health and the NGOs in Timor-Leste.

We are now faced with the challenge of raising the $500,000 to fund the purchase and upgrade of this aircraft. To help visit:

April rainy season, when roads are impassable and it’s impossible to obtain food from outside. Thanks to Caritas’ microfinance programme, families can also buy medicine or obtain medical assistance.

‘Year after year,’ says Cornelio, ‘we trained them from growing plants to saving their own money. Most people are illiterate, but they have a big heart to learn and help themselves grow. Now they are able to grow plants, consume good vegetables, access their own savings and send their kids to school or even university.

‘We support them with training, equipment, materials and funds. This is all about caring for the poorest of the poor, training them so they can stand on their feet. MAF flights also play an important role in responding quickly to medical emergencies – evacuations to the main hospital in Dili are a great support.’

TransformedCaritas’ investment in villages like Aos Ero and Nibin has transformed villagers’ lives. They no longer have to worry about not having enough food, and are grateful to Caritas and MAF for making this happen.

maf.org.au/newplanefortimor

CRMF: Learning Technologies

For many years there have been countless denominations and sects in Papua New Guinea, each teaching their own brand of religion. Recently, the Alotau Pastor’s

Fraternal, Milne Bay Province, embraced the vision to bring true Christian religious education into schools.

They stated that this need had been expressed by various teachers and pastors who taught at the schools. A Goroka based CLC Salem trained teacher in children’s ministry commented, “Consistent teaching of religious education at RE periods in schools needs to be a top priority”.

Following this the CRMF PNG Learning Technology team received a request to research the materials available for such a project, such as the EBC Discipleship material and the Lutheran Church’s Rainbow series.

The real questionDuring a public question time, the issue of different denominations in schools was brought up, in particular having a standard curriculum that would cover the doctrines of the established mainland churches and the teachings of the various Pentecostal movements in PNG.

The answer I offered the group was that the word of God will be the only way to solve the issue of what material to teach. Now, the LT team has the task of thoroughly checking the material to see that ‘denominational emphases’ are not obvious in the ‘Word of God based’ material.

Please pray with us as we take on this important task. Every teacher and pastor we’ve asked so far expresses an urgent need for this material. This is a significant part of the children’s learning that has been neglected for far too long.

Making the moveDuncan Kasokason, a translation consultant with the PNG Bible Translation Association who graciously gave his time to ‘connect’ us with the Alotau Pastors Fraternal, emphasised that there has been an exodus of highly academic and qualified workers away from mission work.

He added that the church can now make a move to change this mentality by teaching the Word of God as one of the formal subjects in schools.

Getting untangledPersonally, I feel like a fisherman who finds himself with fish biting in every direction. The line falls but is tangled. We need God’s wisdom and direction as we do more research and more pilot projects with different schools in the various provinces.

Top Caine Ruruk speaking to group of school students at Karkar IslandLower CRMF LT’s Lina demonstrates the Audibible while Vali, Salem trained Children’s Ministry Chairperson, looks on


Caine RurakLearning Technologies

The word of God firstCRMF Learning Technologies face the exciting and somewhat daunting task of preparing Christian resources for schools in PNG.Story and photos Caine Rurak

The land of the unexpectedMeet Lukas and Mahela Schadegg. This Swiss couple have been married since 2004, have 2 children (2 and 4) and are about to make the move to PNG.

CRMF: A new addition


Lukas is a qualified radio-television electrician and IT specialist. He will start in October 2013 as Technical Manager at CRMF

(Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship) based in Goroka, Papua New Guinea and will be responsible for the IT department. As a former parachutist and aviation enthusiast, he is particularly pleased to contribute his technical skills as part of the MAF vision.

Mahela is a trained nursery teacher and will initially be at home with the children to give them a stable environment and to help them settle in.

A long time coming“We are excited that what has long been in our hearts will soon be reality” says Mahela. “In 2006 we joined PMA (Pacific Missionary Aviation) in Micronesia for a short-term placement. This was the

point where we started to think about mission. Since early 2012, when we finally decided to head out on mission, one door after another has opened for us and God has led us in wonderful ways.”

What’s next?As is common with most missionaries that move to PNG, their excitement is mixed with the uncertainty that comes from moving to such a unique country. “We are trying to be cautious in our expectations as we travel to a country that advertises with the slogan ‘The land of the unexpected’,” laughs Lukas, “but we expect that God will use us as a small

gear in His plan. It is our first desire to serve Him with our lives. Next, we hope that we can be a blessing to the people of Papua New Guinea, not only with technical skills but also through personal relationships.”

Brace yourselfLukas is well aware of some of the challenges that await him in this new role. “I’m very time orientated,” he says, “since I always want things done punctually, I will definitely be challenged in PNG and I will have to practice patience. Also the resources will be less hi-tech than at home, which requires flexibility and improvisation.”

But in all these expectations and new challenges, the Schadeggs are confident that God’s Spirit will equip them with what they need. They are looking forward to their new home.


A monster UPS

CRMF: Learning Technologies

In mid-2012, Dr. Michael Seward of CBM (Christian Blind Mission) asked CRMF how he might protect his medical equipment from being

damaged by the voltage surges and spikes that come through the PNG mains power supply.

A power problemThis was a particularly pressing need

for him, since he was in the process of having a new ophthalmology operating theatre built at his clinic in Goroka.

His other requirement was that his equipment should be able to continue to function during a blackout, until the hospital’s backup generator kicked in.

This would ensure that critical instruments would not go “off line” in the middle of an operation.

Dr. Seward’s staff was also excited at the prospect that their sterilizer would no longer reset itself half way through a three hour sterilizing cycle – something that had regularly forced operations to be delayed or put off until another day.

Story and Photos Dan Perrett

Historically, the name of CRMF has always been associated with radio and telecommunications, but increasingly, our team here in Papua New Guinea is called upon to source and install equipment for some very diverse projects.


Bigger than we’d realisedMichael Wakefield was involved in the initial stages of the project and his suggestion was that a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) would be the best solution.

Most people’s experience with a UPS is the small “box” that keeps their work computer running for a few minutes during a blackout. Such a UPS is capable of putting out about 500 Watts of power.

Once we had visited the clinic site and conducted an audit of the equipment that the UPS would need to support, it soon became apparent that we would not be dealing with a small “box” in this case.

In fact, the final sums showed we would need a unit that could produce almost 30,000 Watts of power!

After seeking advice from Buzz Henrickson, an electrical engineer serving with New Tribes Mission, as well as various electricians and suppliers in Australia, a suitable unit was finally ordered.

“We were possibly not quite prepared for the size of the 600kg, 6 foot tall crate that the freight company dropped off at CRMF”

We were possibly not quite prepared for the size of the 600kg, 6 foot tall crate that the freight company dropped off at CRMF in January – this UPS was a monster! By April, construction of the clinic had progressed to the point we could begin installation.

Moving the monsterThe biggest challenge we faced was how to move the unit from the car park through the old clinic, across a muddy construction site and into the new operating theatre. We were blessed that the UPS was equipped with its own wheels and in the end laying down sheets of plywood and lots of willing helpers got the machine into its final position.

The final stepIn late May, upon the electricians

completing the final wiring, the unit was ready to be commissioned. With a UPS of this size, the manufacturer is not too keen for you to simply flick the switch

and go for it. Myself and David Feka spent the

morning on the phone with a factory representative who ran us through checklists of inspections and tests, before we were given the green light to turn the machine on.

It will be some months before the new Goroka CBMI operating theatre will be opened. When it does, we pray that the contribution that CRMF has made by providing a clean and reliable power supply will enable Dr. Michael Seward and his team to continue to bring sight to many people.

CRMF has two Australian families currently serving in PNG - the Wakefields and the Perretts. They are on page 18 of the Staff Prayer Handbook

Acute flaccid paralysisThis is an illness characterised by a rapid weakness of the muscles and their nerves, caused by extreme disease or trauma. The condition can become fatal if weakness spreads to respiratory muscles, thereby posing the threat of suffocation.

Dr Bill McCoy says, ‘Since coming to PNG in 1997, a cluster of six instances of the illness have come from the Banz area, up the Wahgi valley. Since then, there have been sporadic cases, mostly in young children three to six years old, with only a quarter of the victims being adults.’

Pilot Mike Davis has completed a successful day’s flying and arrives ahead of schedule at our Mount Hagen base in PNG. He is

pleased to be back earlier than expected and is looking forward to spending an unhurried afternoon doing paperwork. Then an urgent request for a medevac comes through.

Frieda, a four-year-old girl from Jiwaka Province, has been unwell for several weeks with acute flaccid paralysis. Her condition has deteriorated. She is now paralysed from the neck down and unable to breathe without assistance.

When Dr Bill McCoy and anaesthetist David Wan arrive in an ambulance from Kudjip Hospital, they explain the situation. Mike removes the seats from the aircraft so Frieda, her parents and the medical team can fit inside.

Once Frieda is stabilised, Mike takes off for Port Moresby. During the two-hour flight, Bill and David assist the patient’s breathing by providing artificial respiration. Each time Mike turns around, one or the other is helping Frieda to breathe.

Despite frequent calls to the hospital – ‘Yes, it is coming, it’s coming!’ – no ambulance has arrived to pick them up. It is dusk and things are looking serious. Fortunately, as the plane lands, Mike sees Port Moresby Office Manager Dobie

Bunemiga waiting to take them to the hospital in the MAF van.

Dr McCoy says he saw a case like this 16 years ago when a 6-year-old boy was also airlifted by MAF. ‘The boy,’ he recalls, ‘is now 22, and wrote not so long ago to say how he was doing.’

Now, according to reports from Kudjip Hospital, Frieda has also recovered fully and returned home.

Because of our strategic partnership with mission hospitals in PNG, another precious person from a remote community is alive – thanks to God’s grace, expert medical care, and an MAF pilot who had to do his paperwork a little later than anticipated!

Saving Frieda‘It was an amazing day,’ says pilot Mike Davis in Papua New Guinea (PNG), who was about to get on with some office work

Story Glen Sim and Gary Clayton Photos courtesy of Sharlene Coker

PNG: Saving Lives



Have you thought about Workplace Giving?

Ministry OpportunitiesCurrent staff opportunities:

For further details of MAF positions please visit www.maf.org.au/positionsvacant or email [email protected]

• Pilots with appropriate qualifications (PNG, Africa and Arnhem Land)• Engineers (Arnhem Land, Africa, PNG and Mareeba, Qld)• Programme Manager (various locations)• Operations Manager (PNG)

• Base Operations Manager (South Sudan) • Quality Manager (PNG)

• Finance Manager (various fields)

• Teachers (Africa)

Current volunteer opportunities:

Many employers have workplace giving programs through which employees can contribute to the charity of their choice, including MAF. If your employer has a workplace giving program, there may be advantages to both you and MAF in making use of it for your donations.

Usually such programs accept gifts for registered charities (like MAF) that are Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs). That means that your donations are tax deductible. When given through your employer’s workplace giving program, you give in ‘pre-tax’ dollars, effectively getting your tax deduction immediately.

Most often, workplace giving programs include a ‘matching gift’ from the employer to the charity you have given to, effectively doubling the value of your donation. This is a real blessing to MAF and the people we serve.

So, please check whether or not your employer has a workplace giving program. If they do, please consider taking advantage of it! If they don’t, perhaps you could suggest that they begin one… it’s not something that’s only for giant corporations.

For more info call us on 1800 650 169 or email [email protected]

ContactMAF AustraliaABN 26 134 583 887

PO Box 7187Baulkham Hills NSW 2153Phone: 1800 650 169Email: [email protected]: www.maf.org.au

CRMFPO Box 7187Baulkham Hills NSW 2153Phone: 1800 650 169Donations: [email protected]: [email protected]: www.maf.org.au/CRMF

Flying for LifeISSN: 2202-0365Editor: Rich ThompsonEmail: [email protected]: Dominion Print GroupFlying for Life is the official magazine of Mission Aviation Fellowship and CRMF in Australia. Articles may be printed with acknowledgment.Flying for Life is a member publication of the Australasian Religious Press Association.If you no longer wish to receive Flying for Life (MAF News), please advise us at: MAF Australia 1800 650 169 and your name and details will be removed from our distribution list.

Front cover: Pilot Matt Alcorn (Arnhem Land). Photo courtesy: Rich ThompsonBack cover: Pilot Eivind Lindtjørn. Photo courtesy: Ron Wormser

Privacy StatementMAF is committed to safeguarding your privacy. We will only disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Statement and/or with your permission. Our Privacy Statement explains what information we collect from you and how we intend to use it. You can view our Privacy Statement at www.maf.org.au

• Help promote MAF in your church this August! We are running a special appeal this Father’s Day and need your help to make it a success. See back page for more details.

• Volunteers urgently needed for a variety of administration tasks in the Sydney office - no experience necessary!

• MAF will have a stall at a number of events in NSW including ReachOut and Black Stump. We’d love your help!

Successful applicants for the non-volunteer positions will need to meet the requirements for MAF International staff membership including raising prayer and financial support.

Help MAF sell jerrycans of fuel this Father’s Day

This Father’s Day we’re offering the chance to donate a jerrycan of fuel to MAF on behalf of your dad. In return you’ll get a jerrycan shaped card to give him.

To keep the life-saving flights going, we need your help in promoting this at your church!

It’s simple... MAF will provide a short video to play in church sometime during August... all you have to do is get approval from your pastor to show it and sell the cards we provide you after the service.

If you’d like to help sell Jerrycans of Fuel in the lead up to this Father’s Day, pleaseemail [email protected] or call us on 1800 650 169

MAF Australia MAF_Australia MAFvideosAustralia | www.maf.org.au | [email protected] | 1800 650 169

This is what the card will look like

It’s amazing to think that the power to save a life can be contained in 2 jerrycans! One jerrycan of fuel for the flight out and one for the flight home means one life can be saved.

Alternatively, if you want to buy a jerrycan of fuel for your dad, visit maf.org.au/fathersday

flying for life: aug 2013

Documents

maf mums

maf world

maf australia conferencein

number of maf staff

wider work of maf

western australia

i e n t

years conference