Saturday 27 October 2012

Entry 7

Today was the day the operations started (well, ish because there were a few yesterday evening...)

At the start we talked to Dr. Eric and a patient - she (Jacklin) was a gorgeous young woman, however when you looked at her left eye it was bulging and milky-looking. Apparently, when she was 2 years old she had an accident, and the doctor who looked after her made a mistake and she could no longer see out of that eye, plus occasionally it would hurt her. But mainly the problem was that it didn't look particularly attractive.

We then went to see the surgery room. It was different... With English surgery rooms it's very clean and sterile. Well this was very not sterile, and the equipment was very basic... But somehow, so Dr Eric told us, people didn't really get infections, so erm, ok? Anyway after an exchange of pleasantries we watched the surgeries begin! (exciting moment)

***

Jacklin had her eye taken out (usually you would expect someone to be deeply upset to lose a part of themselves) but after the operation, when we saw her, she had a patch over her eye and a massive smile stretching from ear to ear. A fake eye has been ordered to be put in tomorrow!

The blind man I mentioned yesterday went in just as we left, but I really want to see him, seeing the world all over again!


(Please pardon the lateness of the post, I had more Internet troubles... And just pretend this is 2 days ago... Yeah, I'm not awkward at all!)

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Assessment Room (Part 4)

Assessment Room Part 4

A blind man came into the assessment room. After an examination we found out that he has an infection in his eyes, and he has cataracts. But the doctors can remove the cataracts and cure the infection. (I'm so grateful that he would be able to see again, it was so sad to watch him, because he had no idea where he was or what was going on, but his wife was so caring and loving towards him.)

There was a mother and daughter, the daughter needed the surgery for cataracts, but it was complicated in her case and they needed state-of-the-art equipment to do the operation, which they did not have here in Mtwara. They would need to take the girl to Dar Es Salaam, and then they both cried because they just couldn't go there. It had been a big thing for them to come to Mtwara, but to go to the big city was just too overwhelming - and the cost would be too much as well.

Assessment Room (Part 3)

Assessment Room Part 3

One lady had her cateracts removed years ago, but it was done the old-fashioned way and they removed her lens, and they gave her really thick glasses (that is simply how they did it, removed the lens, then gave glasses). But now Dr. Eric has ordered a fake lens (from Dar Es Salaam - it's on a bus as we speak! - Don't doubt the bus!) to put into her eye, so she doesn't have to wear glasses anymore (neat, huh?).

Assessment Room (Part 2)

Assessment Room Part 2

It's sad to find out that some people can't be helped at all. Due to bad eye services (no opticians, etc) problems go undetected and some people have lost the communication between their eyes and their brain, or the cateract is too thick and nothing can be done because of it, except to can give them an injection in the eye nerve connectiong to the brain so it will at least kill the pain. The poor patients says:
"Give me a drug so I can see." And it's hard to say (as Dr Eric did to one poor man),
"No, we can't do anything".
It's a shame because normally all it takes is vitamin pills, or eye drops, or even an injection (*shudder* I hate them) at an early stage to prevent this kind of blindness.

Assessment Room (Part 1)

Assessment Room (part 1)

When I was observing what was going on I learnt that, some eye problems can trigger other problems such as cateracts. Cateracts cannot be removed util they have "matured" (reached a certain thickness), if they take them off too soon then the eyes will probably be damaged - let's use an orange as a sort-of-example:

If the skin on the orange isn't ripe and is too tight then you will probably damage the orange eg. the juice comes out, (please not the eye wouldn't do that, but it would be damaged). However if the cateracts are too thick, like the skin on an orange it will come off easily but lots of "pith" (you know that weird, tasteless white suff?) is left behind, it's like that...

Entry 2

Sorry I didn't update yesterday (internet problems) so here's what happened yesterday!

We arrived at the clinic at 3:00pm (Roughly... Well it was the conclusion we finally reached). Soon after we arrived they started the assessments, the waiting room was FULL! There were so many people (and the nurses had already assessed that they needed treatment).

First we sat and watched in the Surgery Assessment room. (I think it's overwhelming reading it all in a big chunk, so its gonna be in smaller chunks)

Alright, what happens in the Assessment room will be in the next few blogs - "stay tuned folks!" :D

Monday 22 October 2012

The First Entry- Introductions

Alright the first entry of my blog ... (unnecessary suspense!)
We all know we have to get the nitty-gritties over and done with, so here goes:

My name is Emma-Lee, and I've come with my parents (Lesley and Nic Taaffe) and we're from Amptill, Bedfordfordshire in England.

We go to Ampthill Baptist Church, and I am a student at Wootton Upper School.
We are here in Tanzania to see MAF in action (http://www.maf-uk.org/) MAF has organised a group of doctors to come out here on an "eye-safari" which means they will be removing cataracts, and helping with other eye problems (which will allow people to see again). This is going to be very interesting - to see Africa with my own eyes, to really experience it and see if it is anything like what I have read and heard about it - and I am really excited! (Woo!)

We are going to a town called Mtwara, Tanzania (On the south coast of the country, on the Mozambique border). The locals speak KiSwahili and English. Tanzania has a pleasent tropical climate (25C - 30C) (yes, pleasant indeed! *puts on sunglasses* oh yeah!)

Well that wasn't too difficult *puts down book -"The Idiot's Guide to Blogging"*

Thursday 19 April 2012

So to the Three of Three



International travel requires patience – which is not my best attribute! So I arrive at Nairobi airport even more well ahead of time than the recommended 3 hours to find the flight is delayed for 2 hours. But I bump into MAF pilot Brad Sinclair who is on his way to the MAF South Africa programme for flight orientation prior to starting flying in the Kenya programme. His flight was delayed even more than mine so we end up in Java House, the airport restaurant, and the hours passed by quickly as we engage in conversation. One of those God spots. Arriving in Uganda I am struck by how green it is.

With a late arrival I was more than happy to meet my hosts for the week - Laurie and Emma Nason. Laurie is the IT Manager.

During the week I have been made to feel very welcome and to be invited to the homes of many of the international staff. It has given me the opportunity to be a listening ear and to bring some perspective to the challenges of life. I have also attended many of the sessions of the RMC (Regional Managers Conference). The RMC gives the Country Managers, based in Africa with MAF International, the opportunity to pray and to discuss various topics. I led a couple of sessions on Relationship Management which looks at the various factors that contribute to good working relationships as well as exploring areas that need developing. The session below was led by Annie Russell the MAFI HR Manager based in Ashford.

On Wednesday we joined all the staff to celebrate the opening of the new hangar in Kajjansi which is the airport where MAF Uganda operates. The building of the hangar has been an incredible achievement which has been hindered by a seemingly endless number of setbacks. Steve Forsyth (Programme Manager) is giving thanks to Kees Barendse (Maintenance Director) and Martijn Verboom (Engineer) for their tremendous commitment and hard work in the hangar building project.

A stark difference between the cramped conditions of the old hangar and the new.

As I prepare to leave from my visit to Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda I am thankful for all that I have learnt, experienced, the staff I have met, and for the amazing work that MAF does as followers of Jesus.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

So to the second of three

South Sudan was HOT and when I arrived in Nairobi from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, it was pouring with rain and rather COOL. It seemed to take longer to get to the guest house from the airport than it did to fly from Juba! It was a welcome relief to meet Alan Sully, the Programme Manager, and his wife Davina to share in a very large dish of Ethiopian food. We then relaxed around a wood fire at their home. A pleasant end to a long day.



First thing in the morning at the MAF Office was to join them for a time of praise, Bible teaching and prayer. It was a most uplifting experience with harmonious singing, a challenging talk and fervent prayer.



Next a visit to Wilson airport to meet Jane Wambui. Jane has been with MAF for a number of years after completing her pilot training in Kenya.



My first proper job was a development engineer in the electrical laboratory of the Ford Motor Company. So for me it was a fascinating to spend some time talking ‘techy’ stuff with Hannu Heinonen who is the chief avionics engineer. He is an absolute whizz on all things electronic such as radar, satellite positioning systems, and radios along with all the other specialist instrumentation on board modern aircraft used by MAF. He has also built some complex testing equipment.



One aspect of living in Nairobi is the traffic jams. I used to think the M25 was bad. This is worse. And even though the distance from the 2 MAF compounds to Wilson Airport is under 10 km It can take up to an hour in heavy traffic. Taking children to school or after a hard day’s work flying, working in the hangar or office it is a drain on energy and patience keeping safe in Nairobi where the rules of the road are loosely adhered to.



And finally it is always a joy to spend time with families. Sensing the call of God in their lives to use their skills to bring physical and spiritual hope to those in remote areas. Adrian and Lindsay Rose have been in the programme for a number of years. Adrian has a lot experience of the Cessna Caravan will soon begin flying the bigger PC12.



Steve and Katie Machell have only been in Nairobi a few weeks with their children. Steve is currently obtaining all the licenses he needs to fly in the Kenya programme. I know they would appreciate our prayers as they settle into the programme, accommodation and new schools for the children.

Friday 13 April 2012

So first off – South Sudan.

So first off – South Sudan. The newest country in our world. First impressions on nearing Juba (see photo below) is relatively barren land with a sparse population. It is also HOT! Normally around 40 degrees centigrade or 105 degrees Fahrenheit.



First evening had a meal with the Juba team of international staff. Going round the table from left. Laura volunteered to be a short term base administrator. Gero an experienced MAF Pilot. Brian (that’s Laura’s husband) normal does IT with MAF US and its continuing his IT work remotely (the wonders of modern technology!). Cory – He is from the US and is volunteering for a few months seeking the Lord’s direction. Adrian – arrived the same day as me and is doing a 2 month stint helping with the operations. Adrian and his wife have been with MAF for many years but he is helping throughout the year on short term work.. And lastly Mike who is a pilot.



The MAF office at Juba made out of 2 porta-cabins. The Juba base is undergoing significant developments in the coming year.



Got up very early in the morning – that’s me! To help with loading a Cessna Caravan. Mike told me that he had recently taken Baroness Cox on a flight recently as she is currently on visit to assess the current situation.



Now I am back in Nairobi. Please pray for the staff in South Sudan as there is considerable tension between the Government of the Sudan in the north and South Sudan over the oil fields on the border. I understand that fighting has taken place.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

East Timor



East Timor (or Timor Leste as it is known within the country) is hot and humid, but very beautiful. Formerly a Portuguese colony, later invaded by Indonesia, it is the world’s second youngest country - 10 years old in May. There is a noticeable UN presence, to support this young nation in building government and infrastructure. The UN will withdraw at the end of this year.

The capital, Dili, is located on the northern edge of the country, looking out over calm blue waters that seem to merge with the sky in the absence of any visible horizon. The various islands in the distance seem to just hover in the blue. The city is small and cleaner than many places I’ve been to. Most buildings are one storey high. Amongst the crowds passing along the roadside are individuals carrying a pole over their shoulder, an assortment of produce to sell hanging from either end of the pole, like freshly caught fish strung up with reeds. Elsewhere are market stalls lining the road, with neatly arranged piles of brightly coloured strange shaped vegetables or exotic fruits - purples, reds, greens.

Having landed at about 7am (and only managing an hours sleep while overnight in Darwin airport) the schedule for our time in Timor Leste is packed - we begin interviews with partners at 8:30am. There are numerous NGOs working here, and those who fly with MAF include World Vision, Oxfam, Pradet, and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).

Friday I flew down to Oecusse, a part of the country which is cut off due to it being surrounded by Indonesia in Western Timor. Options to access Oecusse include: a 12 hour boat trip; a long overland drive that requires a lot of paperwork to cross the Indonesian borders; or by air with MAF (or the UN until they pull out of the country). The MAF flight to bring in a RACS plastic surgery team from Adelaide enabled the team to practically immediately hold the pre-operation clinic to review the cases planned for the week ahead, despite them only having arrived in Dili early that morning. 26 operations were planned, mostly cleft palette in children and two women, but there were a couple of limb deformities for surgery too.

In Oecusse I also met with representatives from Caritas. They took me out to the village of Aos Ero where they had been working on a number of projects with the people, including food sustainability and a microfinance. The villagers had been informed of our visit in advance and were all gathered to greet us and present us with gifts – woven scarves – on our arrival. Their warm and generous welcome was humbling, their poverty clearly evident along with their excitement and smiles over our visit. While the majority of their subsistence crops had already been harvested their maize grew high and close to their palm-roofed huts. Underneath the maize they were growing pumpkins as ground cover and food (including the leaves), some of which they sell at the market in town. There was a real sense of pride over what they had been able to achieve with their microfinance programme, the village having a small cooperative bank from which members have been able to take loans to buy a cow, or for assistance with children’s school fees, or to purchase medicines. It is what I love the most about these research trips – meeting people who ultimately benefit from what MAF does; who have so little but who are so welcoming to strangers. But I was also told that our visit meant a lot to the villagers too – that there are people from far away who care about them.

And so I come to the end of another overseas trip. It has been interesting to visit three separate programmes back-to-back, and as a result see such striking differences between the people and the work that MAF does in each. During my trip I’ve been reading Max Meyers’ book ‘Eyes Turned Skywards’ – a great and thought provoking read – to learn a little more about the work of MAF in this region over the past decades. I work for a Christian mission organisation which is motivated by God’s love to help meet the needs of people in isolated places, most often in a very practical way by providing access. It’s an organisation where hi-tech (aviation) meets poverty and basic human need. The role I have seems very small in the grand scheme of things, and staring out of the plane window enroute to Darwin this morning I was considering this – the privilege of meeting so many isolated people, and those that serve them, and wondering why God had given me task. But Max’s book reminds me of the importance of telling the story – the many stories – to inspire others who cannot visit the places but who ultimately fund the work of MAF, many of whom are inspired to help unseen strangers because of the Gospel – the greatest story of good news. God has a plan, and a love for people that cannot be quenched. I am thankful that I have just a small part to play in telling stories too and sharing God’s love with others.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Elcho Island



Yesterday I flew out to Elcho Island. The population on Elcho is about 2,300 and is made up of about 17 different clans, though only 3 of these have homelands on the actual island (i.e. they originate from there). So the small town around the airstrip is called a ‘community’ rather than a homeland. Here, as elsewhere across Arnhem Land, the people are hunter gatherers – obtaining much of their diet from their surrounding environment. But I wouldn’t have guessed this as their homes are not of a traditional design, and look both permanent and quite a good size until you learn that large extended families live in them altogether. I was informed that only one man had a ‘green thumb’ in the community, unusual in that he had a garden where he was growing fruit and vegetables for his family.

I visited one of our partners, CSIS (Co-ordinating Support for Indigenous Scriptures), which comes under the overarching umbrella of the United Church of Australia. Having completed translation of the New Testament in one of the aboriginal languages, the CSIS team is now using it as the source document for translation work into a number of the other indigenous languages in Arnhem Land. But what do you do with the translated work (quite a sizeable book) in a place where a high percentage of the population are illiterate? Recognising the problem, CSIS also has a team – Mary and Sandra - working on ways to share and teach their people, with illustrated and digital resources (many people have mobile phones – a tool for reaching them).

I also visited Lake Evella, another outpost where two MAF families are based. Here I met pilot Daniel Roth’s adopted mother Lucy (actually, she’s just one of his mothers). Daniel has been based there for 6 years and what was lovely to see was the genuine concern and care Lucy had for her adopted son and his family.

Having flown back into Gove, this evening I attended the children’s outreach in Yirkala, facilitated by the MAF ministry team. From experience they have learnt that none of the children arrive until darkness has fallen, so we didn’t rush dinner. Having set things up under a spot light on a grassy area, and with music playing, about 50-60 children appeared and had a load of fun – playing games, tug-of-war, action songs, Bible story and teaching, and a supper of sausages (possibly the only protein they’ll eat in the week), bread and bananas. It was the first time I’ve seen children here really enjoying themselves. I sat talking with Eunice who had brought her grand children along to participate – for her it was really important that they hear about Jesus, and she shared how she and other women in the community gather each week to pray together for their people.

During my time here in Arnhem Land I’ve discovered the term ‘Fourth World’, used in relation to minority populations or sub-cultures existing within a first world country but with a standard of living of a third world population. It is a term that is helping me to realise that in such circumstances, where you find a strong sub-culture existing where another dominant culture has control, there are some unique challenges. There doesn’t appear to be any common ground between the two. For example, for the aborigines attendance at funerals (which can last for days if not weeks) and ceremonies is much more important than work responsibilities. So if there is a funeral within the extended family, an employee will be absent from work for its duration. Then consider how strong, in western society, the work ethic is. You can imagine the potential difficulties that arise when the two meet. It’s been fascinating!

Tomorrow I head off to East Timor. Hopefully there’ll be easy access to internet to share a little of what I see there.

Monday 20 February 2012

Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia



I am now in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. First impressions: it’s HOT, HOT, HOT and HUMID, and therefore a physically demanding place for MAF pilots to work. Thankfully the MAF houses and offices have air conditioning. The land is pretty much flat – flat, red and covered in thin bush land with spindly trees. A complete contrast to PNG.

The programme in Arnhem Land is presently MAF’s biggest, but it’s quite different to other programmes. Part of this relates to the partnership with Laynha Air – an aboriginal company that owns seven small aircraft to service the YolÅ‹u homelands (settlements) - MAF pilots fly their planes. There is one MAF plane based at Gove (the programme’s base) and additional MAF planes located at outposts throughout Arnhem Land.

Friday afternoon I flew with a team to Baniyala – a homeland on the edge of the sea, about a 35 minute flight from Gove along the coast. The first thing that strikes me is how small the homeland settlements are – there seem to be only a handful of homes, and Baniyala is one of the bigger ones. As we flew I saw a number of airstrips below. Unlike other programmes, the airstrips don’t service a widely dispersed population – just the small community in the immediate area.

Another noticeable difference is that no crowd gathers to meet the plane upon arrival – no excited children come running – in fact no one at all met us when we landed.

Our visit to Baniyala was to hold an outreach event in the evening, following meetings last year at Christmas and Easter. With two aboriginal Christians from Yirkala (near Gove) the MAF staff provides support with travel, equipment and one pilot speaks for a short while from the front of the meeting. Perhaps more importantly, staff have developed close relationships with the aboriginal Christian leaders seeking to reach their own people with the Gospel, investing time outside their duty hours in Bible study and discipleship. In many places, since earlier missionaries were all expelled in the 1970s, the practice of Christianity has included much of the traditional beliefs so many still live in fear of sorcery and witchcraft. Helping to ensure clarity over what is Biblical teaching and what is not is an important part of what the team does here, and recognition of this side of the role has increased the job satisfaction that many of the staff now have – many pilots joined MAF with the specific desire to be ‘missionary pilots’, and sometimes struggle with the absence of overtly sharing the Gospel in their day to day jobs.

Stephanie Gidney's Research Trip to Papua New Guinea

Check out the latest photos from Stephanie Gidney's research trip in Papua New Guinea.

KompiamSalome Hoey at Mogoulu

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Reflections on my time in PNG

My time in PNG is drawing to an end. The last couple of nights have been in Goroka, a town of about 10,000 in the Eastern Province. Part of MAF’s work here is to fly sacks of coffee beans grown in remote villages to the processing plants in Goroka. Coffee is the only cash crop the villagers can grow. There are only two options to transport their harvest to market: walking for a number of days across rugged terrain with 50kg sacks, or MAF. I joined a flight to collect 16 sacks of coffee beans, and spoke with the people about the service. The plane (Twin Otter) had been in the week before and carried out about 2000kg, flying back and forth. In so doing, MAF supports the economy of these communities, enabling people to more easily support their families and earn money to pay for school fees.

Back in Goroka I visited Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship (CRMF), an organization that has served in PNG for about the same time as MAF (six decades), and an important partner for MAF: their radio network has been incredibly valuable for MAF. Each day the different locations report in about the weather and airstrip conditions. With advanced warning of such conditions, in a country where weather can change quickly and dramatically, such communication can save a lot of inconvenience for the pilots (as they can know in advance if conditions aren’t good enough to land in). The main focus of CRMF’s work has been installing and supporting an HF radio, but with developments in technology new opportunities have arisen and they now also provide an IT service. The team is also branching out into providing learning technologies that fit with the aural traditions of the majority of people in the remote communities. With so many expatriate missionaries having left the country, this is potentially a very effective way to support rural pastors and the national church.

Radio communication is essential between the different organizations and with remote communities. Another substantial part of MAF’s flying here are medevacs (medical evacuation flights), and the need for such a flight is usually communicated via the HF radio system. The top two categories (i.e. most numerous) for these are: complications in childbirth and snake bite victims. The impact of these flights – literally saving lives by enabling patients to get to hospital – is clearly evident. During the week there have been at least two medevacs – a lady from Ambunti in labour, and a man in heart failure returning to Telefomin.

The highlight of my visit was staying in Mogoulu with the Hoeys, who I mentioned before. A really lovely couple! What I didn’t previously mention is that the people they have lived among and worked with for over 40 years were formerly cannibals. The government worked hard to end this practice over the past decades, and where people have discovered the love of God the transformation has gone deep. I spoke with a number of the local people, including three women (many speak English), and asked what difference the missionaries had made. One example they shared, quite animated, was that one of them gave birth to twins. In the past this could have been highly dangerous for the woman, as their people weren’t familiar with twins and she would have been considered as having been unfaithful to her husband. Now it is accepted and understood, and she has two beautiful 9 year old daughters.

Afterwards, Tom Hoey explained that in the past it would have been likely that these three women would have still been alive. The people used to believe that when someone became ill it was due to sorcery practiced by women (a weaker form of sorcery compared to that practiced by men, which was associated with people’s deaths). So in the event of sickness a ‘perpetrator’ would be hunted out, killed and eaten. Not surprisingly their lives were full of fear, and they were feared by other tribes (as enemies were treated in a similar way). As I spoke with the people and listened to their stories I was conscious of the emotional challenge of handling what the tradition of these people formerly involved (and I do emphasize formerly) – such an extreme form of violence – with the fact that none of us can fall beyond the reach of God’s love and grace. How easy it is to judge people, particularly when there are vast cultural differences. But of course we are not meant to judge others, and through it condemn them. The individuals I met were gentle and shy, and belong to the same family that I do: we have been given the right to be called children of God.

Friday 10 February 2012

Arriving and exploring in PNG

It is hard to believe that I am visiting Papua New Guinea (PNG) – a country that I would never have dreamed I’d visit.


After four separate flights, and around 2 full days of travel, I finally arrived in Mount Hagen on Sunday morning.


Mount Hagen is the main base for MAF in PNG. Even here there is a sense of being remote.


Mount Hagen is a small town set on a small plateau surrounded by rugged hills, with the mountains not so far behind. What first strikes me is the lush, vibrant greenery of the vegetation, with splashes of bright red leaves and numerous exotic flowers. Being at 5800ft above sea level the air is fresh, and it’s certainly not as hot as I expected.


Monday I spent at the hangar and MAF offices, meeting the staff and absorbing a whole lot of information about the work here. In the evening I met Tom and Salome Hoey, missionaries to the Bedamuni people for 44 years. When asking them about the difference MAF has made for their work the very first thing Salome listed is that MAF brings the mail – and has done for decades. Salome wasn’t sure she would have lasted for so long without being able to hear from her children.


Communication remains as important today. Every time I do a research trip I hit problems with communicating with people in the UK. Conscious of the cost of phoning long distance (and my mobile has completely died since I arrived in PNG), I rely on skype and email, but there aren’t always internet connections where I’m staying. Even if there are there are frequent down times or the connection is poor. For staff whose children, grand children or elderly parents are overseas, the ability to regularly communicate is still hugely important.


Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were packed full of flying out to remote locations (Kompiam, Ambunti, Wewak, Mougolu, Rumginae, Kiunga, Telefomin, Yenkin) to meet partners and the local people ultimately benefiting from the work here. I have spoken with doctors, patients, teachers, missionaries, villagers, students and a government official. Spontaneously, people are commenting how critical MAF is to their work and lives in incredibly remote locations. There is no road network in the highlands. The only alternative is walking, or if you’re lucky going by canoe for part of a journey if you’re near a river. But the distances are also great - Western Province alone is huge. Looking out of the plane window the dense jungle covering rugged terrain stretches to the horizon in every direction – though stunning in its beauty, it also seems impenetrable with the absence of any visible tracks.


Another thing that is clearly evident is that this programme needs more pilots. A number of partners I have spoken with have spontaneously commented as much. The programme is considerably smaller than it used to be, primarily due to staff shortages.


The pilots I’ve chatted with have a huge sense of job satisfaction – a combination of using their aviation skills to serve God and people in need, with the challenges that come with ‘bush’ flying. So if there are any Christian pilots out there who have been considering mission aviation (or if this is the first time it’s come to mind as an option) – please do contact our HR department to investigate further! We want to hear from you!


Tuesday 31 January 2012

Coming soon: a journey down under

Thanks for following Carolyn's blog during her time in Bangladesh.

Next up: Stephanie Gidney. She is about to visit MAF's operations in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Arnhem Land (northern Australia).

Please do re-visit in the next few days to hear more about her journey to the other side of the world.