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MAF rescue reunites mother and daughter

The team at MAF Arnhem Land work closely with women’s shelter to help pair fleeing domestic violence.Rescue flights are unexpected and unplanned, whether for accidents or sickness or domestic violence, and MAF pilots in Arnhem Land regularly fly all three.“I thought I was finished after my charter flight, and I was gearing up to do some office work in the afternoon,” says Arnhem Land pilot Matt Kaye (pictured below), recounting a recent flight to bring someone out of a domestic violence si...

Overcoming the barriers: How MAF helps medevac patients return home

Imagine being rushed to hospital in an emergency, far away from family, and then having to make your own way home during a painful recovery.MAF Timor-Leste’s Closing the Loop project is overcoming those barriers by supporting patients in hospital and flying them home for a joyful reunion.Teenager Virgilio Magno was flown to the capital by MAF from the regional town Maliana, after suffering a fractured leg. The 15-year-old feared a long, difficult road journey after treatment.“I am very grate...

Take a look inside MAF's Mareeba hangar

MAF is known for its work in the air, but some of the most important tasks are done on the ground by our talented team of engineers. Thanks to the generosity of MAF supporters, a new $4 million hangar complex was built at Mareeba Airport in Queensland and it provides a state-of-the-art home for engineering staff to carry out maintenance and bigger projects. ...

Silent tragedy: Mission to support Tanzanian mums

In just 45 minutes, a team from Maternity Africa flew with MAF to a dusty airstrip in northeast Tanzania with a mission to raise awareness on the devastating impact of obstetric fistula.MAF provided transport from Arusha to Malambo, for a team from Maternity Africa, who run the Kivulini Maternity Centre.Michael Hynds, the Country Director for Maternity Africa shared his gratitude for the partnership with MAF, highlighting the efficiency of air travel that reduced a nine-hour journey on road...

Expectant mothers in rural PNG benefit from MAF's solar power project

PNG ranks in the bottom half of the global maternal mortality index according to World Bank data. Rural areas without reliable electricity pose the greatest danger to women in labour. MAF is partnering with Dr Freda Wemin to roll out ‘Mama’s Waiting Hut’ initiative, which uses solar power to light remote clinics, making childbirth safer. MAF’s Joy Suarkia reports…Papua New Guinea ranks 129 out of 185 countries in the World Bank’s maternal mortality index.PNG has a population of ...

Flights supporting missionary workers in Arnhem Land

The Jamir family are missionaries with Pioneers, living in the community of Gapuwiyak in Arnhem Land. Gapuwiyak is a remote indigenous community of approximately 900 people. By air this community is located just 40 minutes away from Nhulunbuy, the nearest town, and by road it is more than 200 kilometres on a mostly dirt road that can only be used at certain times of the year. This letter was written to say thank you to the MAF Arnhem Land team for partnering with them in their ministry in t...

Audio Bible Impacts

Bill Smith and his wife Lori Smith are both missionaries who are highly involved in church planting through medical evangelist & theological education with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) in Papua New Guinea. Bill is also the chancellor of Goroka Baptist Bible College and his wife Lori runs the Seigu Baptist clinic in the Eastern Highlands Province of Goroka....

From darkness to light: transforming lives through eye surgeries in Moyale

MAF is crucial in transporting eye specialists from Kenya’s capital Nairobi, to Moyale to offer life changing surgeries.Omar (not his real name) * is overjoyed after his sight was restored following four years of vision loss during which he had to rely entirely on his son....

Healing Hooves and Hearts: MAF & VMP's Journey to Enairebuk

MAF Kenya partners with the Veterinarians with a Mission Progarmme (VMP) to support isolated farmers who have no access to vets or who can’t afford treatment to protect their animals. In 2023, MAF enabled VMP to save over 74,000 animals in Kenya. Read below the story of one such trip....

MAF Brings Cheer to Dusin, Papua New Guinea

The flight from Dusin to Mt  Hagen takes less than 20 minutes – to travel by foot would be 3 days. Read the impact this 20 minute flight – just $50 worth of fuel – has:As he banked his Cessna 208 Caravan onto the final approach for his second landing of the day at Dusin, MAF’s Jan Ivar Andresen observed how the crowd was cheering when they saw the plane.  “Knowing the coffee could go out and they could get the money. That’s why they were cheering…”, said Andresen....

Meet Rachelle Shilston

I was introduced to missions as a university student, while I was studying accounting.Together with my husband, Colin, we previously pastored The Gateway, a small church in Warkworth, for 14 years. We have 3 children and one grandchild.While pastoring, our church supported four missionary couples, including one who was serving with MAF in South Sudan. It was always a joy to be able to support missions with funds and prayer as a Church.Alongside pastoring, I have worked as a chartered accoun...

Meet Stephen Wood

Kia Ora,My name is Stephen Wood and I am very happy to be here working at MAF NZ. I have previously been involved in YWAM for about 18 years 12 of those years as a child being raised in various mission fields. the later in life the other 6 years from 18 to 24. After my time in YWAM I spent 3.5 years working on a Kiwi fruit orchard and then nearly 4 years as a youth pastor in Mount Maunganui. During my time in the Bay of Plenty I met and married my wife Brittany and we have (currently) 3 girls ag...

Karl & Helene Orchard

Karl and Helene are both multi-generation Kiwis. They first met as children at Ruapehu Street Chapel in Kapiti. Karl joined the Air Force at 17 and when he returned to visit his family, Helene and Karl met again and became great friends. Now married for 15 years, they have two beautiful daughters Ayla (7) and Thea (4).Helene has a degree in counselling and now works as a full-time mum home-schooling their children. Helene is also the Wellington regional representative for an organization called ...

Evacuating Refugees from Renk, South Sudan

On Tuesday, 4 July, 16 refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan arrived in Juba on a MAF flight from Renk organised by Citizens Call -Emergency Response Rehabilitation Initiative (ERRI). For Pilot Jonathon Pound, it was a 6-hour round flight battling weather on the outbound journey and the clock on the way back.As Jono flew north on the outbound flight, he skirted the Ethiopian border to avoid the storms.Meanwhile, the same weather system was dumping rain over his destination, Renk, causing floodi...

Trevor Strong: MAF Founder

Trevor Strong is also a true gentleman, and the first thing this soon-to-be- centennial does when I meet him in his rest home on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand is to offer me his chair. He asks me about myself and my work, and laughs easily as we exchange personal stories. His smile is contagious and, despite his years, his eyes still hold a twinkle of good humour and delight. Put quite simply, Trevor Strong is charming.Greeting Trevor Strong is like meeting a long lost friend. His war...

Murray Kendon: MAF Founder

The Beginning Of MAFBorn in Auckland in 1917, Murray Kendon became a Christian when he was 16 years old. He had a growing passion to share the truth of life in Christ, and soon became a passionate and dedicated speaker. When war loomed heavy on the horizon, Murray was called up to train as a pilot. He learned to fly in Christchurch, then moved to Canada to continue his training before finishing his qualifications in the United Kingdom.During this time, Murray worked hard keeping up with his flyi...

Zoë Davies

Zoë’s childhood years were spent on campus at EastWest College and WEC NZ with her parents as students and staff for over 10 years. The family dinner table was often surrounded with family friends sharing stories of their most recent missions trips and how God had moved. From an early age, it sparked a desire within Zoë to devote her life to ministry.After completing high school, Zoë moved to Sydney, Australia to attend Hillsong College. After achieving her Diploma in Christian Ministry, sh...

Cobus and Tronel van der Merwe

Cobus became interested in aviation during High School and maintained a keen interest in all things aircraft related. His other interest is alarms, and he installed his first system at the age of thirteen! Cobus studied to be an electronic technician in Cape Town, South Africa and became a telecommunication technician specialising in fibre optic and microwave broadband. He owned a telecommunication company with three colleagues and spent more than a decade installing, fault finding and project m...

The Groundwork for a Move of God

God is inviting us to prepare the soil for seeds of great blessing and impact. He has the seeds ready, but it is up to us to do the groundwork. The MAF Kagamuga Development in Papua New Guinea is our opportunity to partner with God for the next chapter of MAF in PNG. Would you consider giving today to prepare the groundwork for a move of God?Read more here...

When The Plane Doesnt Come

We love the stories along the lines of When the MAF Plane Comes. What is it like When the MAF Plane Doesn’t Come? When MAF is the only organisation making the difference between life and death?A heart-breaking plea for the urgent medevac of a sick little girl in the highlands of Papua New Guinea emphasised the importance of MAF planes being able to reach isolated communities. Without access to a MAF flight, the family set out on a long walk for treatment, but miraculously Julie’s condition i...

Closing the Loop

Closing the Loop is a new initiative in MAF Timor Leste to provide more help for medevac patients, than just a flight out to medical care. Country Director of Timor-Leste Nick Hitchins explained why MAF implemented this new project.“Closing the Loop is about taking care of people from the time that we pick them up in the districts when they’re sick, until the time that we take them home again when they’re well,” Nick said.“This project is designed to extend our care of those peopl...

Michael & Naomi Lindsey

Sent from AustraliaMichael and Naomi have always felt God’s call on their lives to serve Him. The Bible explicitly instructs all followers of Christ to reach out and help the marginalised and vulnerable and God has been working to prepare and enable them to do just that. As an aspiring second generation MAF pilot, Michael has always been fascinated by aviation and the ways in which it can be used to serve people in need. Growing up in Arnhem Land and Indonesia gave him an insight into the phy...

Give a gift that reflects the meaning of Christmas!

By purchasing a Jerrycan Christmas card, you are making it possible for MAF flights to continue. This means medical aid, education, essential resources and the Christmas message can get to those cut off by conflict, natural disasters and geography. We can quickly and efficiently fly church and relief and development teams to the areas of greatest need. And of course, we have flown hundreds of emergency evacuations to transport people in serious physical need for treatment. While many stories in ...

Abigail Vincent

Office AssistantAbigail was born in Hamilton as the youngest of five children. She was home-schooled for her entire primary and secondary school education. Her Year 13 studies were completed in June 2020 and she is currently studying a double bachelors in business and communications. When she was five her family moved to Mareeba, Australia and lived there for four years where her mum started working with MAF. Ever since then she has been helping out at events where needed and volunteering for va...

Amazing Stories!

An old proverb about making soup illustrates the importance of working together. Somebody brings a pot. Somebody else brings water, another wood, another matches, somebody else potatoes, carrots and salt. If just one person fails to bring what God has given him or her, no soup can be cooked. In the same way, without MAF Jonathan Kopf and his family couldn’t get in or out of the remote villages they live and work in. Without fuel our planes cannot fly. Without an airstrip, like the one painstak...