Charity
Charity of the Month – Mission Aviation Fellowship
Every three minutes, somewhere in the world, a Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) aircraft is taking off on a life-saving journey. Founded in 1948 by Christian RAF pilots wishing to help those in impoverished remote areas, the Charity now operates 131 aircraft and regularly files to over 2,500 destinations – more than any commercial airline in the world.
MAF serves 35 countries including Ecuador, Tanzania, Madagascar, Kenya, Uganda, Cambodia, Mongolia and Papua New Guinea. Wherever overland travel is dangerous, roads are non-existent or time is of the essence, MAF fulfils the aims of numerous partner organisations by air, often using only basic isolated landing strips that are inaccessible to other larger aircraft. It operates in support of Tearfund, World Vision and World Relief, among many other agencies, all of which work tirelessly behind the headlines and rely on MAF to get them beyond the reach of other forms or transport where and when it matters most.
Missions include flights carrying food, water and medical care or entail the transportation of experts, teachers and aid workers supporting projects such as long-term development initiatives, provision of training and education to adults and children, health care and education, food and agricultural schemes and support and training for the Church and evangelistic outreach.The flights might also involve the emergency evacuation of a sick or injured person to hospital, known colloquially as a ‘medivac’.
Despite operating in such remote and deprived areas, MAF does not compromise its standards in aircraft maintenance. MAF’s worldwide fleet of aircraft includes the Cessna 206 and 210 along with the 208, 208B and an Amphibious Caravan, as well as the de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, the Pilatus PC12and the GA8 Airvan. All are flown and maintained by highly qualified staff who will have met a demanding set of criteria prior to joining MAF.
The Charity has retained its Christian roots and to this day. Christian values guide MAF’s pilots, engineers and support staff, through their aviation skills and passion, to help those in need. Some of its staff are local to the country they serve, whilst others have left a comfortable western life and propelled themselves and their families into some of the most remote regions on the planet.
MAF’s motto is “Flying for life”: the sense of humour, the spirit and the passion is characteristic of all who work for MAF – they live to fly and, in so doing, their flights save lives, all over the world, every single day.
In mid 2008 MAF is facing the serious threat of soaring fuel costs and is cutting operating costs by 10% so as to avoid having to reduce flight services. Please pray this month for the unique witness and mission of MAF and that it may continue and develop despite this threat. And please also consider making a donation this month to MAF’s work. You can find more information about MAF from its website www.maf.org or from the display in church.
CMS Mission Partner
Alison Fletcher’s latest letters from Kiwoko Hospital in Uganda are on the display board around the tower staircase.
