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Coffee for Communities – Latitude 6

By on October 6, 2009 in MAF
boikoa radio house Coffee for Communities Latitude 6
Supporting PNG communities

Coffee grown in the highlands of Papua New Guinea is some of the best around. However, for many growers, getting the coffee processed is nearly impossible due to an accessibility and lack of roading infrastructure.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is often the only outside contact for these isolated communities. They provide aerial transport of people and produce, thus helping Papua New Guinea’s developing economy.

LatitudeSix – coffeeforcommunities returns 10% of sales of it’s coffee, back to the growers in Papua New Guinea. This is over and above the price the growers initially get for selling their beans. The projects that LatitudeSix help fund, aid further development of the communities that grow coffee crops.

Coffee for Communities Latitude 6 Coffee for Communities Latitude 6

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MAF Responds to Indonesian Earthquake

By on October 5, 2009 in MAF
Within 24 hours of the massive earthquake that shook Sumatra, Indonesia, on 30 September,

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) were flying in urgent medical supplies and assisting survey efforts to assess the damage.MAF’s Sumatra-based Cessna Caravan carried a relief team from

earthquake map MAF Responds to Indonesian Earthquake

Operation Blessing International (OBI) to the scene of devastation.

Stan Unruh, MAF’s Programme Manager in Sumatra, reports that presently ‘We are working primarily with OBI, but the phone is ringing off the hook with requests from the Red Cross and others.’ The situation is being evaluated and additional staff are ready to come if needed.

MAF is currently providing critical flights from Pekan Baru to Padang, close to the epicentre of the earthquake. Easily accessible from Jakarta and other places, the present plan is to stage MAF’s emergency response operations from Pekan Baru.

The 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck at 5:16pm local time off the west coast of Sumatra, 29 miles north-west of Padang. Dozens of aftershocks followed, two of a 6.0 magnitude.

The death toll is predicted to be in the thousands.

To give to the MAF rescue work in Padang,  click here.

4551 2a%234%23 MAF Responds to Indonesian Earthquake

MAF in Sumatra

MAF began flying in Sumatra in response to the 2004 tsunami that devastated the Aceh area of northern Sumatra. MAF was one of the first to respond to the disaster, initially sending aircraft and personnel from their programme in Kalimantan. MAF also provided communications services to support the relief efforts.

MAF have served in Indonesia since 1954. Government officials have invited MAF to extend its operations indefinitely in the province of Aceh, Sumatra.

The programme operates a Cessna 206 and a Cessna Caravan from their base in Medan.

(via maf-uk.org)

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Shot by Road

By on September 17, 2009 in MAF

A woman who was shot while travelling by road in Sudan was flown by Mission Aviation Fellowship to hospital in Kenya. 3096%234%23 Shot by Road

Beatrice was shot during an attack while travelling between Juba and Torit.

Africa Inland Mission asked MAF to fly her from Torit to receive medical treatment at Kenyatta Hospital in Nairobi.

Pilot Adrian Rose was able to accommodate the patient on an existing shuttle flight from Sudan to Nairobi. The patient was placed on a foam mattress and was accompanied by two people. A Medair doctor already on board looked after her.

Upon landing at Nairobi, the ambulance rushed her to hospital.

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In awe in Arnhem Land

By on September 3, 2009 in MAF

A team of 13 has just returned from helping MAF in Gove in Arnhem Land, Australia. Geoff Marsh writes about it:

‘The trip’s main focus was to go and do some practical work for MAF. They are in theArnhem%20Land%234%23 In awe in Arnhem Land middle of building three new houses for pilots, engineers and families and also finishing off a new hangar at the airport in Gove.

During the week we would work hard on these projects, building, tiling, painting, plumbing or any labour work that would help out.

Then on the weekends or when it could be arranged we would be flown around by the MAF pilots out to “Homelands” – the small remote communities where indigenous familiesAircraft%20in%20Arnhem%20Land%234%23 In awe in Arnhem Land are living. There we would share some time of “Fellowship” with them, worshiping, praying, and sharing the Gospel with them.

On one Island (Bremer), it was the very first time the Gospel had been shared with this group and they were so hungry for it.

Paul Woodington (the pilot and organiser of homelands visits), led the way but gave our team the opportunity to get involved. I will picture forever sitting around in the dark with the camp fire going,

25 young and old so eager to sing, dance, and listen to us share how Jesus has changed our lives, then inviting the Holy Spirit to come and touch those that wanted Him, it was a very moving time.

Lake%20Evella%234%23 In awe in Arnhem Land

After seeing first hand the way these MAF families have embraced community, sacrificed, and chosen a simple lifestyle to take the Good News to their local communities, I am in awe, well done you lot.’

MAF flights in Arnhem Land transport medical personnel to outlying communities and patients to hospital. They support education and fly government, officials, essential services, pastors and other personnel to and from the isolated communities.  Flighst also facilitate travel for the people of those communities.

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Shot Fired at MAF Twin Otter – Papua New Guinea

By on August 28, 2009 in MAF

A shot was fired at a MAF Twin Otter aircraft as it was landing at a remote airstrip in Papua New Guinea just one day after the tragic Airlines PNG crash near Kokoda that claimed the lives of all on board.

The two incidents are not connected.

The MAF Twin Otter piloted by Richard Marples and Greg Falland was on its final approach to Aiyura airstrip near the community of Ukarumpa at 9.30am on Wednesday August 12 when a bullet fired from a nearby hillside pierced the rear of the cabin and ejected through the roof.

Shot Fired at MAF Twin Otter Papua New Guinea

Operations Manager Geoff Calder in the seat where a cabin attendant would have been located. Note steel tracer indicating the trajectory of the bullet.

Neither pilot was aware of the incident at the time and nobody on board was injured. The pilots later reported they heard a sound like a cargo strap breaking and slapping a coffee bag. This could have been the sound of the bullet passing through the cabin and is consistent with reports of tribal violence taking place at the time. There had also been reports of intermittent gunfire all day at Aiyura.

The bullet hole was found on a subsequent walk-around inspection as the hole is not immediately visible from normal ground perspective.

The bullet entered the rear cabin door and exited through the roof narrowly missing fuel cells, the aircraft’s battery and the elevator trim control cables. Had it hit any of those, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

Damage to the exterior skin of the aircraft has been repaired and it has been released back into service.

There was no cabin attendant on board at the time. If there had been and he was sitting upright, it would have missed his nose by five centimetres. If he was leaning forward or looking out of the window, he could have been killed.

MAF PNG Program Manager, Patrick Williams, said he believed the shot was fired from a hill at the end of Aiyura runway, at Ukarumpa, SIL’s headquarters.

“We believe it was immediately before some houses on the hill were set alight and 15 houses were burnt to the ground,” he added.

“We therefore believe that it was a random act of violence rather than (an attack) directed against MAF.

Shot Fired at MAF Twin Otter Papua New Guinea

The external bullet hole

“Aiyura airstrip was closed immediately, and we followed SIL’s advice about re-opening it. Limited SIL operations to return (their) pilots and family members to Aiyura were resumed over the next two days.”

A report was made at the time of the incident to the Kainantu police station. It is believed but not confirmed that rascals broke into the police station that morning and stole all the police guns. These may have been used in local gun violence around Ukarumpa and possibly in the incident involving the MAF aircraft.

“I thank the Lord for his protection in this incident, that no-one was injured and the aircraft sustained only superficial damage,” said Mr Williams.

“We consider it a random act of violence at a time of tribal fighting and that MAF was not specifically targeted.”

Via www.maf.org.au

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