MAF AFRICA MEET THE CANDIDATES

MAFSA has six candidates in the pipeline for MAF’s global missions field. Five of the six are the first of their kind to fulfil assessments in South Africa.

The Beginnings Of Maf Africa

In MAFSA’s 1Q Newsletter of 2023 we shared the story about our new wings, the beginning of a big dream for MAFSA!

In 2022, MAFSA Recruitment expanded its management scope from South Africa to subSaharan Africa. We now have five candidates (including one South African) in the pipeline who took part in MAF’s engineering technical assessment here in South Africa.

Originally, candidates would have to travel to various international programmes in order to fulfil this assessment, (see Gift Imposi’s story to follow) . These programme locations include Mareeba, Uganda, and the USA. For an African candidate, dealing with the currency difference, this endeavour was often far from simple, and it took longer than necessary as the individual and MAFSA raised the funds to send candidates elsewhere.

MAFSA’s goal is to set up a headquarters for MAF AFRICA that will serve to equip candidates across Africa. The following five of six candidates are the beginning of this venture.

The next step in the recruitment journey is MAF orientation and bible school, both of which are still conducted internationally. MAFSA is working on ministry partnership relations in order to establish training locally. These are exciting times, and as we are filled with anticipation, we are grateful to the Lord for opening up this vision and, through His grace, enabling us to execute it.

Gift Mposi

ZIMBABWE

My Story

The Mposi family is headed by myself, Gift, and I am an apprenticeshiptrained and licensed aircraft maintenance engineer. My journey with MAF started in November 2020. A close friend, who works for a United Nations-contracted aviation company operating in East and Central African countries, sent me the MAF link via Facebook. After reading what MAF stood for on their website — their purpose, vision, and beliefs — I fell in love with MAF! “Why can I not serve the Lord doing the work I was trained to do?”, I asked myself. I did not need an answer! After completing an online application, I was invited to write the MAF knowledge competency assessment. I can’t describe my happiness at passing it.

My Family

We are a Christian family who attend the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Abigail, my wife, takes care of the home and our three lovely daughters. She is into cake baking and sewing. She also does nonprofit work as church youth director, children’s ministry director, and pathfinder director. Currently she is the treasurer for the annual church camp committee. Jacqueline, our eldest daughter is pursuing a statistics degree with a local university in Harare. Nicole, our second daughter, is waiting for responses from overseas colleges where she has applied to study for a degree in marine biology. While waiting for the overseas opportunity, she has meanwhile enrolled with our local university where she will be studying for a degree in biological sciences. Ivy, our youngest daughter is in her third year of high school at a local girl’s school.

Aspirations And Goals

My selection journey continued with an initial discussion with MAF South Africa Recruiting where the numerous but very important processes ahead of me were described. I just felt excited about every challenge that I was going to face. I have my whole family and church colleagues behind me as I forge ahead. I later had a formal interview where I gained a greater understanding of what MAF stands for. I keep praising the Lord for the guidance and foresight I gained regarding the path ahead of me. This was followed by an interview with the MAF International team, which was really exciting despite the nervousness I felt initially. But I always tell myself that “God will never leave me alone”. The event went well. Abigail was always beside me for moral support, and she later had her chance to learn about MAF during her spousal interview. Following that was a further psychometric assessment, and that was soon followed by what I consider to be the mother of all assessments so far. The technical assessment done at the MAF Uganda facility. I appreciate the warm reception and hospitality I got from the MAF Uganda family and the assistance during the technical assessment. I am still on my selection journey and am currently on the ministry partnering training and coaching programme, where I am receiving guidance regarding my support should I be accepted into MAF service.

Will I get the chance to be in a MAF programme? A catchphrase on one of MAF’s planes really caught my attention: “Flying for Life“. I get touched whenever I come across news items about people who are vulnerable and displaced because of wars and natural disasters. In considering lives saved through maintenance of the MAF aircraft that fly to the remotest places, and supporting these in every way possible, MAF’s purpose and vision resonates well with my passion for saving lives and souls through Christ. The sky is not the limit!

My Spiritual Life

I have been a born-again Christian since high school, where I was invited to scripture readings. Even though young, I first learnt about the Bible at the readings and started to believe that Jesus had died for me, and I accepted Him. It took some time before I felt the need to be baptised, but I was all the while aware He was there all the time and He died for me personally. I began to experience spiritual growth, and strength in my beliefs, wanting to grow into a better person. I want to gain mission experience and work on different aircraft, and to grow in my spiritual life as well as in my career. I see life in the field as an exciting challenge in getting supplies to those in need. I have experienced similar work before while flying aid missions in the military and so I will feel at home in MAF, serving God.

My Work And Career

I have served in two air forces as well as with a number of approved aircraft maintenance organisations, I have worked in multicultural teams and service providers. In South Africa, I spent six months with Safair, as well as the South African Air Force, where I maintained and serviced the PC7 aircraft, carried out flight line operations, as well as doing general hangar maintenance. During my exposure to war, I prayed strongly against the violence and for peace. Afterwards, I wished to serve in a peaceful environment and found MAF. I liked the Christian work done by MAF and decided to do all I could to join and serve.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province in a City called Gweru.

How young were you when you first had a desire to work with aircraft?

I was just finishing primary school and beginning high school. I was 13 years old. It is the time I started giving serious thought about the different types of military aircraft that I had seen almost every weekday flying just outside our suburbs. The City of Gweru houses one of Zimbabwe’s Air Force bases. The experience of visiting the nearby Air Force Base on a year-end school tour had a significant bearing on my choice of career. We had a chance to see different types of military aircraft taking off and landing at close quarters, and I always recall that experience vividly up to today.

My first wish was to fly, especially the jet aircraft that I often saw flying gracefully past in formation or individually. But as time went on I was fascinated by the thought of how the aircraft actually flew and how they were made and maintained. Then I decided to be an aircraft mechanic rather than an operator.

When, later on, the Air Force of Zimbabwe put up an advertisement in one of the local newspapers for the recruitment of pilots and engineers, my mind was already made up. Many years later I cannot think of any other substitute for my current job.

What have you found most inspiring in your journey with MAF thus far?

Working on aircraft whose roles are to rescue, transport the sick, transport food and medical supplies to the most inaccessible places. My experience in military aviation has helped me appreciate the serviceability of these platforms. I am inspired by the awesome work by MAF, their role in saving lives and most importantly souls. The catch phrase ’Flying for Life’ keeps me inspired to continue with my work.

What have you found most challenging in your journey with MAF thus far?

The Covid 19 pandemic ranks as the most challenging for me so far. A lot of people lost their jobs with some organisations or companies folding due to low or no business owing to the reduction in tourist inflows in most countries. I was also a victim of the Covid 19 induced retrenchments at one of the companies I had just joined. But God is always looking out for us. Within no time l was contracted to a neighbouring company. Although travel restrictions have now been relaxed things have never gone back to full throttle operations.

Are there any prayer requests you have that you would like to share?

Yes, I really need prayer for good health to all. The lord’s work needs healthy personnel for it to be efficient. Thank you.

Eirene Mumber

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

ZAMBIA

My Story

I am 31-year-old Zambian citizen, born into a family of four where I am the second-born daughter. My parents are Eunice (deceased) and Davies Mumba. My siblings are Charles, Davies, and Faith. My youth has been interesting, I was groomed for ministry, and a career in aviation. And my parents taught us to be sensitive to and embrace cultural diversity. Growing up we learned skills for everyday life such as gardening, cooking, hair plaiting, and computer application. My aspirations and goals are to serve God with the abilities He has given me, i.e. in my career, and with my gifts (spiritual and physical).

My Family

My family is a Christian family. We are fully involved in missions, evangelism outreaches, community development activities that benefit widows, orphans and specially abled. I have a young son.

My Spiritual Life

I am a Christian, a Pentecostal believer, and I was baptised in May 2007. After baptism I enrolled in foundation school in my home church – the Apostolic Church in Zambia. After graduation I joined the main praise team until I relocated to my current town of residence 10 years ago. Here I continued to worship with the new team I joined after relocating. I was a cell leader in my college days for the local church and a worship team member.

My Work And Career

2014 January I joined Proflight Zambia as an apprentice (technician) and in December 2014 I was employed permanently. Since 2016 I have worked as production control planner.

In 2017 I enrolled for a professional course at the University of Zambia to study monitoring and evaluation for which I received a certificate.

In 2019 I was sponsored by Proflight Zambia to study principles in maintenance planning at Cranfield aviation school and I was awarded a certificate.

In 2020 I obtained my Zambia Civil Aviation Authority aircraft engineer’s license. In 2022 I was sponsored by Proflight Zambia to study bombardier CRJ100/200 and CEF4 Engines manufacturers course at Kenya Flight School and I was awarded a certificate. In 2023 I was sponsored by Proflight Zambia to study Jetstream 4100 and TPE Series manufactures course at Debela Training school (DTM) in South Africa and I was awarded a certificate.

How did you first hear about MAF?

Through a friend.

How young were you when you first had a desire to work with aircraft?

I was 9 years old.

Tell us a bit about your calling to join MAF?

To serve God through my skills. To reach out to the ends of the world with the gospel, through aviation.

What have you found most inspiring in your journey with MAF thus far?

The passion MAF has for the isolated, and vulnerable.

What have you found most challenging in your journey with MAF thus far?

Raising donors.

Tell us a bit about the latest milestone you have achieved in your MAF recruitment journey?

I’ve passed through all assessments successfully; through this process I have been able to meet different nationalities and cultures.

Are there any prayer requests you have that you would like to share?

Grace to fulfil God’s calling – which is to spread the gospel to all corners of the world through aviation. Thank you.

Daniel Chilipamushi

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

ZAMBIA

My Story

I was born in 1995 in Zambia from Zambian parents. My father is a retired engineer and now an associate pastor at Yeshua Adonai church in Lusaka, Zambia.

I have four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. My inspiration has always been my father who was working as a heavy-duty engineer. He would come home with his toolbox most times, I grew interested in wanting to become an engineer, too. On my eighth birthday my father took me to the airport and when I saw an aircraft up close, I made up my mind that I would be a licensed aircraft engineer one day.

Growing up in an African community, my childhood and youth were about interacting with family and neighbours, visiting my village during school holidays, playing sports in my leisure time, and mostly attending church programmes on the expected days.

My Family

My family is Christ-oriented, therefore everything we do and believe in is based on the Lord Jesus. We have daily family Bible studies, participate in church programmes like youth seminars and prison ministry. I also enjoy going on family picnics during holidays, where we go to places like Lake Kariba and have time to see the beautiful creation as well as time to pray as a family. Being raised in a Christian home and having Christian parents has always been the greatest privilege in my life because I was introduced to the Lord Jesus at very tender age. My dad is a pastor and always taught us the word of God. During my university days I then had a serious encounter with the Lord Jesus at a student fellowship, and from then I knew that the Lord wanted me to be a person that will work for Him at one point, but unfortunately, I didn’t know how. It was four years after that encounter when I realised that the Lord wanted me to use my career as a weapon to win souls. The privilege I had of getting to know the Lord Jesus through my parents isn’t a privilege that somebody staying in a remote place has. I believe God blessed me with that privilege, so that I can also be a blessing to the underprivileged who are thirsty to hear the gospel.

My Spiritual Life

I felt called to work as a missionary when I had a strong conviction that the Lord called me to use my professional life for His glory, because I realised that there are people out there who have not had the privilege of hearing the gospel because they stay in remote places. And it’s to those kinds of places where MAF flies with the purpose of spreading the gospel. I also knew that the aeroplanes used for this will need mechanics and engineers to keep them serviceable.

My Work And Career

I started working when I was in my final year at the aviation school as a trainee engineer at Sky Trails in 2018. After graduating as an aircraft maintenance engineer in 2019, I started working for Mahogany Air in 2020 as a line maintenance engineer. I was responsible for servicing the aircraft, for on line , pre-flight and post-flight inspection on the Embraer 120 and Beechcraft 1900 aircraft till 2021.

How did you first hear about MAF?

I first heard about MAF because in Zambia we have flight missions which also does a similar work with MAF and it’s also a Christian organisation. After I completed my Tertiary education I went there just to visit their Hangar and found out about Mission Aviation. The missionaries there welcomed me told me about other mission aviation organisations, MAF was one of them.

What have you found most inspiring in your journey with MAF thus far?

What I have found most inspiring in my journey with MAF is that everything is done as the Lord leads; even the application process - it takes time to complete and teaches patience. As the Bible says that one of the fruits of the spirit is patience and even the people in MAF are all friendly and truly represent the discipleship of the Lord

Jesus.

What have you found most challenging in your journey with MAF thus far?

The only challenge is that sometimes it’s not easy to convince people especially to financially sponsor you as you prepare to go onto the missions field, so sometimes potential supporters will say ‘no’ but as Christians we ought to pray not to be discouraged, just as the Bible says that we shouldn’t be afraid or discouraged.

Are there any prayer requests you have that you would like to share?

My prayer request is that the Lord strengthen me and keep me and encourage me as I am about to go into His fields; and that I will be a blessing to someone out there.