Awesome morning at MAF headquarters!

Almost 25 years ago, my daughter Anna and I were on a mission trip to Zaire, Africa (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). She was 16 at the time. On two occasions we flew out of Kananga on a small four seater single prop airplane piloted by a Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) pilot. At the time, MAF's headquarters were in California. MAF sold it property and facilities in CA and moved its headquarters to Nampa, Idaho. Here, in Nampa, they built a state of the art facility for training missionary pilots, developing worldwide communications with other helping agencies, housing missionary pilots and their families on furlough, and overhauling as needed their more than 200 planes now in service in countries around the world.

This morning Helen and I and two new friends visited the MAP headquarters in Nampa. We were privileged to hear Astronaut/Commander Patrick Forrester who just recently completed his third shuttle mission to the space station 240 miles above the earth. We also were given an up-close and personal tour of the MAF facilities.
NOTE THIS! 'Through Gates of Splendor' is the book and movie of the five missionary men who flew into Ecuador and, upon finding the tribe they sought, tried to share the gospel with the leaders of the tribe. The five men were brutally murdered. Later their wives followed them to Ecuador, lived among the tribe that killed their husbands, and brought the leaders of the tribe to saving faith in Christ. (See also the book 'Jungle Pilot'.)

The son of the leader of the murdered five men returned to Ecuador in 1995 and found the remains of the small airplane his father flew in Ecuador. We were privileged to see the plane now in display in MAF's headquarters in Nampa. The frame, seat and some instruments are still intact. (The son later met and had Christian fellowship with the tribe chief who years before had speared his father to death.)

In 2008, the MAF fleet of 122 aircraft executed 88,200 flights, logged more than 6.7 million miles, transported 245,687 passengers and delivered 19.8 million pounds of cargo -- all on 2,812 rough, unimproved dirt and grass airstrips as well as waterways. MAF's learning technologies supported more than 39 ministries in 25 countries. More than 2,000 pastors were trained in digital resources.
MAF has enormous connections all over the world and is on top of any international catastrophy. They are usually the first ones into a catastrophy such as the tsunami a few years ago. We saw a wall size computer board lighting up all over the world that keeps them in touch everywhere. They have an International Operations office here at the facility in Nampa, Idaho. It is obviously a very dedicated mission work around the world.

If you can or want to fly,you can fly for Christ with Mission Aviation Fellowship.



Every 6 minutes, in some of the most remote places on earth, a MAF aircraft either takes off or lands. 54,187 pounds of precious mission cargo is delivered daily.
We are simply awed by discovering this mission ministry in our backyard, and realizing these are the guys/gals who flew Anna and me across African jungle several times. What a truly awe-inspiring morning it was, Commander Forrester and the tour.

Here is MAF's website. Check it out. www.maf.org