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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.

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.

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)

A woman who was shot while travelling by road in Sudan was flown by Mission Aviation Fellowship to hospital in Kenya.

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.

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 the 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 families 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.

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.