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MAF Pilot Drowns in Indonesia Swimming Accident

By on November 9, 2010 in MAF

SUMATRA, Indonesia – Benjamin T. Uskert, a pilot and mechanic serving in Sumatra, Indonesia with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship), died Sunday, Nov. 7, in a swimming accident.

Uskert was at a beach with a group from a local orphanage when two teenagers ventured into deep water and were swept away from the shore. He and another adult swam out to assist them, but Uskert and one of the youths were overcome by the waves and current. Uskert was pronounced dead at the scene; the body of the teenager has not been recovered.

uskert MAF Pilot Drowns in Indonesia Swimming Accident

Ben, Katie and Jeremiah Uskert, have been in Sumatra since 2004

“We are profoundly saddened by the loss of our friend and fellow worker in Christ, as well as the young man he was attempting to rescue,” said John Boyd, president and chief executive officer of MAF. “Please pray for Ben’s wife, Katie, and son, Jeremiah, as well as the other members of the family.”

The Uskerts joined MAF in 2008. They attended language school in Indonesia for nine months before beginning service with the MAF Sumatra program in December 2009.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Nov.13, in Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.

A fund has been established to assist with the cost of family members’ travel to Indonesia. Contributions can be made through the MAF website at www.maf.org, or by calling 1-800-FLYS-MAF.

MAF has served in Sumatra since 2004, when the organization played a key role in the recovery efforts following the deadly Tsunami that devastated the Aceh area.

Ben Uskert was born and reared in Valparaiso, Ind., and accepted Jesus as his Savior at an early age. He graduated from Purdue University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technology. He took additional courses at Trinity Bible College and Moody Bible Institute. Prior to joining MAF, Uskert worked as an aircraft technician and trainer. He also served as director of maintenance for the Indiana Aviation Museum, overseeing a fleet of 17 aircraft. He married Katie Tucker in 2005, and their son, Jeremiah, was born in 2007.

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Technology

By on November 1, 2010 in Faith, MAF, Technologies

What do we think of when hearing the word technology?

I think I heard the term best described as “stuff that has been invented in my lifetime”.  For me I grew up with television, it was no big deal.  But getting a colour TV was massive.  It arrived the week that the Olympic games in Montreal began.  I still remember the opening ceremony.  I remember my last year of high school the school bought a video recorder – a huge device capable of recording things off tv.

For my kids who have grown up with these things…………………….and, internet, mobile phones, mobile internet, digital video, pens that record video etc etc I am interested in the things they will call technology.

Technology is really anything that we use to get something done.  God used the technology of some stone tablets to communicate some laws to man. The apostle Paul used the technology of letters when he wrote to the churches he visited and couldnt return in person to.  Neil Armstrong used the technology of video and long distance comms to transmit tv pictures of man stepping on the moon’s surface for the first time.

A man was carried for three days on the stretcher in the photo below to reach a remote airstrip in Papua New Guinea.  While most likely not the most comfortable three days he’s ever had I guarantee he was thankful for the technology of that stretcher.  Was he aware of the radio technology used to communicate with the MAF aircraft?  How much did he appreciate the technology of the aircraft itself?  The technology used by doctors in treating him?

stretcher Technology

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MAF Martyr Nate Saint House Restoration Completed

By on October 5, 2010 in MAF

The loving four-month restoration of the house that MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) missionary Nate Saint built on the edge of the jungle in 1948 is nearly complete. Hundreds from Ecuador and abroad are expected to attend the ceremony to dedicate the historic building at 3 p.m. Oct. 30.

Screen shot 2010 10 05 at 9.22.45 PM MAF Martyr Nate Saint House Restoration Completed

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Open Library for Local Learning Communities

By on September 8, 2010 in Faith, Learning, MAF, Technologies

The Open Library for Local Learning Communities (OL3C) is a large project that MAFLT has been asked to take a major role in by Wycliffe / SIL (Gary Simons, Chief Research Officer), Shell books (Mike Trainum, CEO), and ARCA Associates (Peter Clark, CEO). The purpose of the project is to facilitate the development and distribution of SALT, LIGHT, and Multilingual Learning Resources for limited literate education needs around the world. Several documents and audio sessions are attached to explain the project by the key initiators from Wycliffe and ARCA and Shellbooks. litejazz logo Open Library for Local Learning Communities

The first attached document #1 gives an introduction to the OL3C project with an early initial proposal. By the end of the three year project the following four outcomes are expected:

  • Shell book Creation: Hundreds of resource shells are available in Shell book format for localization by local learning communities, and thousands of localized editions are available to demonstrate the success of the approach.
  • Library System: Development agencies and local learning communities alike are using the Open Library for Local Learning Communities (OL3C) to share both resource shells and localized editions.
  • Training Development: Development agencies and local learning communities have access to the training they need for creating resource shells, making localized editions, and using the Open Library.
  • Community of Practice: A self-sustaining consortium of all the agencies participating in the OL3C is functioning as a community of practice to share results, promote best practices, establish standards, and make strategic decisions regarding the future of the OL3C.

The specific tasks and responsibilities to accomplish these goals are given in attached document #2. OL3C Preliminary Plan. In this document the detailed objectives that MAFLT has been asked to be responsible for are given in 1.1a through 1.1L. We are being asked to manage the development of the online open library that will allow worldwide multilingual sharing of shell book and PDF resources. The online library will facilitate the search for and downloading of existing resources in major trade or national languages so that they can be contextually moved to local heart language resources and uploaded to the online open library.

A preliminary model of this functional concept has been created and is located at www.worldvision.ol3c.org This pilot site will guide you through the extensive shell books resources it contains and gives access to. This is mean to only be a concept example and not a GUI design for the OL3C project. It is an example of a tailored agency portal within OL3C.

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Malaria kills

By on July 6, 2010 in Asia Pacific, Faith, MAF

When I travel to Papua New Guinea areas where malaria is known to be present, I always take up a supply of the right pills so I dont fall victim to malaria.  I just read this blog post from the guys flying around the world in an Australian GA8 Airvan, the same plane used in some of the MAF programs:

“One lady told how she had lost three boys and two daughters to malaria, another man spoke of the three children that he had lost to malaria . . . the stories went on and on.  One chap said that until the missionaries came to Malamaunda, they had no access to any medicine due to their remote location, and the death toll each year was in the thousands.  Even now, the villages “close” to Malamaunda are a number of days walk away, and Bob Kennel told how a man had tried to bring his child sick with malaria to the village where Bob was - a three day walk.  After a day’s hike, the child died in the man’s arms and all he could do was return home to bury his little child.  This is happening right now.  As I write this, people here in PNG are dying from malaria . . . only a very short flight away from Australia.  This should not be happening . . . this must not continue to happen.”

Lets not ask “What would I do?

Ask “What can I do, now?”

Imagining myself as that father carrying his sick child rammed home the impact that malaria has.

malariamap png 300x278 Malaria kills


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