First time in Australia - thoughts from Gary Colvin Head of HR.

Week 3 and I am just about to board a plane back to the UK. This last week I have been at Treetops in Cairns. Treetops is a joint guest house run by MAF and Wycliffe. It is often used by missionaries from different organisations who work in countries in this region for short breaks. It is in a beautiful location with access to the beach and other amenities. I have been here for meetings with other members of the MAF International Human Resources track: Gene Jordon (MAF US), Annie Russell (MAF Africa region), Mark Outerbridge (MAF Canada) and Alrena Martis (MAF Asia Pacific). MAF across the world is seeking to work together more closely in a number of ‘tracks’ to enable sharing of resources and to improve efficiencies. We have spent the week looking at a range of issues from the layout of application forms, the content of induction and orientation courses, standardisation of pilot testing, Knowledge Management, pastoral and members care, and the development of staff. It seems like a world away from the excitement of my recent experiences of medical evacuations, or landing vital supplies and church workers in remote locations often in hazardous flying conditions. Yet those of us in the home staff are passionate about raising up an army of supporters who pray and contribute financially where possible. Along with the HR team role in Folkestone and other supporting countries we are recruiting staff who are called by God, have the technical skills and will fit into the various MAF programs around the world. We are the backroom boys – the support staff to all the operational programmes.

My visits to Arnhem Land and Papua New Guinea have reminded me of the importance of what I am engaged in. My part in the MAF vision of bringing physical and spiritual hope to remote communities through aviation. As a supporter you are vital in MAF throughout the world fulfilling this mission. We need your prayers in the MAF supporting offices around the world that we will be faithful in all we seek to do in raising support in prayer, funding and finding the right people to fill the much needed vacancies in operational programmes. Pray for our Boards and leaders, particularly in the international work of MAF, that they will make wise decisions to enable MAF to have an impact for remote communities around the world.

First time in Papua New Guinea - thoughts from Gary Colvin Head of HR

Second week and I am now in Papua New Guinea (PNG). A real contrast to the spiritual darkness of Arnhem Land. In PNG most of the population would call themselves Christians. However the church is described as a mile wide and an inch thick. There are dozens of churches in Mount Hagen which is the main MAF base in PNG. The country is stunningly beautiful with high ranges of hills, lush vegetation where anything will grow. The colours of the flowers by the roads are like your local garden centre. Yet to get from A to B could not more clearly show the need for MAF. On a flight with pilot Michael Bottrell we flew to a remote community to pick up 2 ladies who were having complications in their pregnancy. It took us 6 minutes to take them to Mount Hagen where they could go to hospital. Can you believe that it would have taken them 2 days to walk if they had not gone by air! Made that long as they could not pass through the territory of a neighbouring community as they were at odds with them and may risk attack. Today I flew to a community on Aeu for a medical airlift. A lady had tried to escape from her husband but relatives had caught her and stabbed her with a machete. The result was that her arm was in need of urgent medical attention. We had a doctor on board who was able to check that she was OK to fly.

Pray for the MAF staff here who fly in a breathtaking country that hides deep valleys, unexpected cloud formations that can make flying a challenging ministry. Pray for Michael and Nicki Duncalfe (from UK). Nicki has a key role in inducting new MAF international staff and their families. Michael is the Crew Training Competency Manager and is covering for the role of ATC Manager involving the training of new pilots. I will be flying with him all day on Thursday in a Twin Otter, the largest twin engine plane in the PNG Programme.

Yours
Gary

First time in Australia - thoughts from Gary Colvin Head of HR.

I am currently visiting the MAF Arnhem Land programme of the Asia Pacific Region. Arnhem land is in the Northern Territories and is in a remote location. It can only be reached by 500 miles of dirt road which is cut off during the rainy season or by plane or sea. All supplies for staff and the programme are delivered by sea barge that takes several days to arrive – definitely not next day delivery! The MAF programme is providing flights for many different organisations who are seeking to develop the indigenous Aborigine population. The land mass is huge – about the size of the UK yet the population of the area is numbered in only tens of thousands. The need is tremendous both physical and spiritual. The Aborigine people are animists by tradition and follow a lot of occult practices. It is hard to get to know them as you have to be ’invited to their family first’. Aborigines live in small communities and a few MAF pilots are based with a plane in these communities seeking to be a witness. Some have Aborigines have come to Christ but sadly many place an emphasis on their traditional animist beliefs first when difficulties in life arise. I have been privileged to fly with a number of MAF pilots to deliver vital supplies to outlying districts and to transport teachers to schools. There are huge educational needs in this area. Pray for the 40 plus MAF staff here to know God’s protection in a spiritually oppressive place; To know encouragement in the day to day ministry of flying, servicing the planes and being part of the local churches and various outreach projects; For Doug Miles the Programme Manager who took up the role in April.

-Gary

Today's flight...

...unfortunately couldn't fit me in but it took far more useful people instead - 3 Rotary doctors during a voluntary 6-week stint at Garissa hospital.

This is something that MAF has supported from many years - the rotation of doctors going to and from Garissa. The doctors really provide expertise and a boost to staffing levels there, and are vital in training and equipping the local doctors and medical workers to eventually be able to fully run the hospital there.

I hear that the hospital is quite good for local standards, although teleport it to the UK and one might think differently!

Tomorrow afternoon is my return flight back to the UK, marking the end of what has been a great two weeks in Africa, and one with memories to cherish.

In the southern hemisphere!

I am now in Kenya after a long flight south in the MAF plane from Juba. And now in the southern hemisphere for the first time. Not that anyone finds that interesting other than me, but it's a small milestone! I'll have to watch the water go down the plughole to see if it really does circle the other way...sad, aren't I!

And as always, the MAF plane I joined was well utilised, and there were many people from various organisations returning back from Juba. These included Medair staff - Medair are a medical mission that provides primary healthcare in some of the remotest parts of southern Sudan, and without MAF, would really struggle to work where they do. Also on the flight was a small team from Nairobi Lighthouse Church, back after assessing the needs in parts of the country and working out what the church can do to help in outreach. One of the outcomes is that they will be taking over a remote medical facility after the existing development organisation are pulling out of the area. One of the church members, Janet, had actually been in Sudan for 4 months, and was 'stranded' in a village after running out of money. Thankfully, MAF were able to bring her back home to Nairobi. She was very grateful for the work of MAF - quite a recurring them, it has to be said. The team said they were truly humbled by the enormous needs that many Sudanese communities face. I'll say it again - Sudan needs our prayers.

So, here I am in Kenya. Nairobi is 5,500ft above see level, and therefore noticeably cooler than Juba, despite its proximity to the equator. Very refreshing after my few days in the relentness Sudanese heat. MAF has good hangar and office facilities and the large team here are all very hard at work. The city itself, compared to what I have seen so far in Africa, is very well developed. But at the same time, still maintains its African influence, culture and interesting driving habits.

From Nairobi, MAF does flights to outlying settlements in Kenya, particularly the north which is still famine-affected. There are also flights to Somalia, although with the current situation within that country, it can be difficult to get permissions to fly across the border. But the majorty of flights are into Sudan, carrying tons of cargo and people every week to and from the country, all making a difference.

Weight permitting (let's suck that belly in), I hope to be able to hop on a flight tomorrow in our little Cessna 206, but we'll keep you posted.