MAF Youth magazine #20

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MEET MAF PNG'S NEWEST RECRUIT

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A 2020 MESSAGE FOR YOU FROM MAF UK CO-FOUNDER STUART KING

WHEN MAF Y O U T H M E T //

Joseph Tua 5-MINUTE READ PHOTOS JOSEPH TUA AND MANDY GLASS

Joseph Tua is one of MAF Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) newest pilot recruits. After leaving a short message on MAF PNG’s Facebook page in 2017, he started his journey towards serving with us.

He joined the team in January last year and can now be seen flying as a Pilot-inCommand Under Supervision (PICUS)!

What makes Joseph’s journey special is the fact that he’s from PNG. MAF prefers to take on new team members who come from the country they’re serving, so to have Joseph onboard is particularly exciting!

Here’s an interview he did with MAF PNG Communications Officer Mandy Glass.

How does it feel to be finally flying with MAF? I didn’t expect to be flying an aircraft as big so soon! I was a bit nervous at first because I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to fly the Cessna Caravan, but I was also excited! I’m someone who loves a challenge, and this felt like a good one.

To be starting my training to become an MAF pilot is a big privilege and an honour!

I don’t think many people get a chance like this, so I feel very blessed.

However, it’s also stressful. I need to perform to a high standard and sometimes I question if I am able to, or even if I’m worthy enough to be doing this.

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My biggest drive right now is to serve God and the people of PNG. So far, flying around and bringing medical staff from the Aerial Health Patrol project to villages, doing medevacs (medical emergency flights), and shuttling people in and out of isolated places has been a joy.

How is flying as a PICUS different from your previous training?

The flying isn’t so different. However, the biggest difference is having to deal with passengers and MAF agents at the airstrips.

So, it’s in terms of dealing with people, loading cargo and — oh my goodness — the paperwork, ha-ha!

Right now, I’m focusing on getting out of that training mentality where your instructor tells you what to do, without you questioning them. Now I’m making decisions, dealing with the consequences, being in command of the aircraft and making it work for me.

Have you had any ‘wow’ moments during your training?

My mind has been blown so many times by so many moments so far! I think the one that sticks out is our flight to Dahamo.

We had two PNG missionaries on board who were bound for Dahamo, but the

Main // Joseph flying the national flag to celebrate PNG’s day of independence Below // Flying selfie

area was covered with cloud and patchy showers — it seemed like we weren’t going to get there. We’d tried to land there the day before, but we couldn’t make it because of the weather.

We managed to work our way around the clouds and showers and, guess what?

There was Dahamo – in sunshine! It was literally grey all around except for Dahamo itself. It was magical!

The instructor flew down perfectly and we landed on the short, wet airstrip.

We dropped off the two missionaries and were back in the air and out of the grey as quickly and safely as possible. But, wow, what an experience!

it’s about people.

PNG is more than just the place I come from, it’s everyone from the highlands to the coast. We play our small part by providing an air service and I hope, sooner rather than later, that proper roads and services will reach the isolated communities.

Some of the communities are so isolated that it feels like you’re going back in time when you visit them.

What are the challenges of flying in Western Province?

The main challenges of Western Province would be the weather and the airstrips themselves. Judging how wet the airstrips are and whether they are safe to land on can be a challenge. If you manage to land, the next thing is making sure that the plane doesn’t get stuck in the mud.

What has been the most enjoyable experience you’ve had flying in Western Province so far?

Flying the people around and seeing how grateful they are to be going home or to be receiving supplies. The smiles on their faces — I live for that!

Have you had any challenging moments with passengers?

My most challenging interaction was handing a passenger the sick bag while they were throwing up and cleaning it up afterwards. It was a huge mess! I feel like throwing up just thinking about it!

How does it feel being able serve the people of your country by flying?

It’s an honour, a privilege and a joy! You can see how much these people rely on air services and just how grateful they are when you land. It’s more than just flying —

How are you coping with living away from your family?

Well, I have to cook for myself because mama is too far away (Port Moresby), ha-ha!

But it’s not so bad. This part of the journey is helping me to be independent and take care of myself. It’s a chance to find out what paths I want to take as life goes on.

I do miss my family — but this time away from them is necessary so that I can take care of them in the future!

When you begin living on your own, you start to notice all your habits — the good ones and the bad ones. You also have the opportunity to fine-tune yourself with a little less influence from your friends or family.

You learn to survive, stand on your own two feet, make your own decisions and realise that life won’t end if you make mistakes. You just learn from them and grow.

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ION//TIME TION//TIME

Madagascar

3-MINUTE READ PHOTOS CHARLOTTE PEDERSEN, LUANNE CADD AND MARTIN LIND

Medical Safari diary It was decided that we would take off early. We were heading to Ankavandra, a very isolated destination that’s only an hour’s flight from the capital Antananarivo (Tana).

I snuck outside the house before the rest of the family woke up. I was travelling with a group from Denmark and it was the first time any of us had ever seen the Madagascar Medical Safari (MMS). We were so excited!

About 20 times a year, MAF flies medical teams to Madagascar’s most remote locations — places where there are no hospitals, doctors, nurses, medicine or equipment!

What isolation really looks like After taking off, we soon saw what ‘remote’ looked like from the air. At first, we simply got to see Madagascar as a beautiful country with lots of green hills.

However, after 45 minutes’ flying, we caught a glimpse of the closest town and hospital that serves the villagers we were going to visit.

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In the dry season, if you wanted to get to Tsiroanomandidy from Ankavandra, you’d have to walk for 1½ days and then jump in a truck for another day and a half. In the rainy season, Ankavandra is totally cut off from the rest of Madagascar!

A doctor told us that, ‘If you are lucky enough to survive the walk and drive to Tsiroanomandidy without getting robbed, the cost of going to the hospital there is too high. So most people wait for us to show up twice a year.’

No electricity, running water or flushing toilets When we eventually landed, there were people everywhere! Having left the plane, we went into what looked like an improvised hospital. The first room we entered was where the patients would meet the doctors.

Listening to the medics explain their work really struck me. ‘Yesterday,’ one said, ‘we treated more than 100 people. We continued until 8pm by candlelight. We have no electricity here.’

Main // Throwback picture of a MAF plane parked at Ankavandra Top // Baby Dennis just after he was born with Arida and Sister Yunita Middle // Ankavandra from the air Bottom // Inside the surgery room at the make-shift hospital

On this occasion, MAF had flown a group of local Malagasy doctors and nurses who voluntarily took a week off from their ordinary work to come and serve their own people. They slept on tough mattresses in hot tents, with no electricity, running water or flushing toilets.

Next stop was the surgery room. The surgeon welcomed us in, but we hesitated because there was a baby lying on the little table under a single lightbulb.

The little boy, who was only seven months old and being treated for a hernia, was lucky to be able to have this operation this early in life.

Because the window didn’t have glass, we could hear the power generator, a surgeon joking with an anaesthetist, the birds singing and people chatting outside. The atmosphere was so unique!

It was extreme!

We went outside again. Patients were waiting, shading themselves from the sun. Some were lying on mats on the floor with their IV drips hanging from a nail in the wall. The postoperation recovery room was already full.

It was extreme!

But the people were so thankful! ‘I walked for 1½ days to get here,’ a lady explained happily. There was hope in her eyes and now she was healed — she could look after her family without pain!

Wow, what a day!

Eventually, it was time for us to head home to Tana. I was so touched that tears were running down my cheeks. We were full of emotion after encountering the people, the makeshift hospital, the doctors, the needs and the tough reality that so many of Madagascar’s people face every day.

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The Sefoidi community visiting the MAF plane in Papua, Indonesia PHOTO MARK + KELLY HEWES

COUNTRY PAPUA NEW GUINEA CAPITAL PORT MORESBY MAF BASE JAYAPURA PROGRAMME EST 1987

The sky is not the limit!

Stuart King, one of MAF UK’s founders, has been leading the way since 1945!

Since we’re celebrating 75 years of service, Stuart has a message for all of our supporters – including all our awesome MAF Youth magazine readers!

Dear friends As we approach our 75th birthday, y I would like to take the opportunit ery to say a heartfelt 'thank you' to ev member of the MAF family. s nd sa ou th to ve lo 's od G n ke ta ve ha Your prayers, gifts and service we en wh ' ed pp a 'm y ll a ci fi of t no re of places – many of which we en part be ve ha u yo , od G of ll wi e th g in first arrived there. In follow ansformed. tr s ve li s es tl un co en se s ha t a th t of a movemen uld wo d rl wo e th s, de ca de e th er ov t or Without your faithful supp munities. m co e ot m re in le op pe d te a ol is r fo look very different today ink of the th I n he W . rs te or pp su r ge un yo r Finally, a message to ou tential. If po se en m im ur yo by d te ci ex ry ve years ahead of you, I'm s ow kn e H t a th y wa e th in it s es bl you allow God into your life – to ! it m li e th t no is y sk e th en ev – u is the very best for yo Stuart King President Emeritus, MAF UK

pray, PrAY, pRay

Pray that the Madagascar Medical Safari will continue to be a massive blessing to isolated people suffering from treatable problems.

Ask God to keep the medical volunteers going and enjoying serving the people.

Remember Joseph Tua! Pray that his ongoing flight training is successful and that God protects him every time he takes off and lands.

We’d love for you to pray and thank God for MAF worldwide!

This year marks 75 years since it all began. God has used this organisation to bring help, hope and healing to isolated people since the end of World War II and we’re so grateful for all He’s done!

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Room for a For a child living in rural PNG, running barefoot through nearby fields and jungle is all part of an exciting childhood.

However, as fun a life as that sounds, the reality isn’t always that easy-going.

The likelihood is, if you live in a quiet village in PNG, you’re probably part of one of the most isolated communities on earth — which comes with its own set of problems.

Living so remotely often means that it’s hard to find healthcare and other necessities nearby. So, if you’re running around with unprotected feet, you could risk becoming injured — and staying injured!

It’s something that happened to little Tesnia a few years ago, living in the Sepik region of PNG.

Stranded missionaries In March 2018, a missionary couple called Gerhard and Brigitte Stamm arrived at April River village by canoe. They’d just finished serving a community further down the river and were making their way home to Mount Hagen.

They needed to reach April River because it was the only place where they could catch an MAF flight home. Gerhard and Brigitte, members of Liebenzell Mission, have flown with MAF for years!

But the couple’s short stay wasn’t going to be quite as short as they thought! The weather in that region was pretty bad, which prevented MAF planes from being able to land on the airstrip and pick them up.

So, Gerhard and Brigitte would have to stay put until further notice. However, it was during their time in April River that they got to know Tesnia.

Wounded and badly swollen Soon after meeting her, Gerhard noticed that Tesnia walked with a limp. He asked if he could look at her foot, and soon discovered that it was badly swollen because of an infection.

Gerhard became even more concerned when he realised that Tesnia would never get the treatment she needed if she remained in April River. So, Gerhard and the community prayed that there would be space for Tesnia when the MAF plane arrived.

But, because the weather was so bad, there was no way of contacting the MAF base in Mount Hagen to tell them about Tesnia. They just had to hope that there was space on the plane when it came!

Far-left // Gerhard and Brigitte Stamm onboard an MAF plane prior to flying Left // Tesnia Below // Tesnia’s bandaged foot Bottom // Gerhard Stamm and former MAF pilot Michael DuPuis

little one

3½-MINUTE READ PHOTOS JUDITH DUPUIS AND LUANNE CADD

No room for mistakes

Barefoot and injury free

The next morning, the weather improved and an MAF plane was soon spotted overhead.

Flying the plane was Pilot Michael Dupuis [left].

As soon as the aircraft landed, Gerhard asked Michael if he could fly Tesnia to Mount Hagen.

The request is not as simple as it sounds for an MAF pilot. A whole lot of maths and careful thinking has to go into how much weight can be allowed on board, especially if the airstrip has been softened by rainwater.

Michael expertly re-calculated the cargo and passenger weight and managed to find a way to ‘squeeze’ Tesnia on to the plane safely! However, having the maximum weight allowed on board, there could be no room for mistakes during take-off!

Although PNG is one of the most challenging countries in which MAF flies, our pilots are trained to such a high level that Michael was able to take off safely without trouble.

Later that day, having reached Mount Hagen, Tesnia received treatment for her foot and was able to get back to enjoying her childhood barefoot and injury free.

It’s amazing what God can do when we’re made to wait!

Remembering an incredible man Sadly, Gerhard Stamm passed away as a result of a tragic accident in July last year.

He will be remembered as a man who lived to serve God and will be missed by the MAF pilots who flew him for many years.

We’re so thankful to God for this incredible man.

Y utH Wall Emily I’ve been out of school for a year now, and I have GCSEs in a few months. Every time I think I’m making progress everything comes crashing down all over again. I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next few months – prayer would really be appreciated. Thank you.

Zoe in Uganda

SNAPCHAT AL PRAYER PORT

ganda MAF teens in U ying have been pra for you!

Dear God, what Emily is going through right now can be really hard and stressful, but I now pray that you would give her the strength to get by these next few months and you would help her see all the beautiful, small and hidden things every day that give her joy and peace.

Help her to know that she has the capacity to do it and I pray that you would calm any nervousness she’s been feeling. Amen.

Poppy I’ve got fibromyalgia and I’m always in pain. I’m going to uni in September and I’m fretting about it because I don't want to be in pain or be taking pain medication as it makes me . I’ve been to so many doctors and they keep sending me to other places. I’m just not getting the help I need. Thanks guys.

Ariela in Uganda Dear God, we lift up Poppy to you. I know it must break your heart to see her in pain.

I also know that you love her more than we could ever imagine. I pray that you give her comfort and reassurance. When we are broken, and when we have nothing left to rely on but you, that is when we bond with you, and experience your love. I pray that you would encourage Poppy and give her peace and rest. I pray that she would realise that although her real home is in heaven, she has a family here on earth and we are praying for her, feeling for her and loving her. Thank you so much for her willingness to follow you and all the people she impacts without even knowing. In your name we pray, amen.

CongratulAt ions

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by shodnett295 Jonathan

Competition winner

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ry Facts

a 75th Annivers

pilot s the first MAF . a w e n e re G y 1. Bett Mexico in 1946 and she flew in s t MAF used wa a th ft ra c ir a t rs ide’ 2. The fi nd Dragon Rap the ‘de Havilla e rs of MAF in th gs, e d n u fo o c , 8 min 3. In 194 and Jack Hem UK, Stuart King during a survey survived a crash di, East Africa. flight in Burun

I have a really big show coming up in May and I have the main part and I get stage fright a lot. But I want to overcome it so was just wondering if you guys could pray for my show to be all fine and that the Lord will help with my stage fright.

Ariela in Uganda Dear God, I know exactly how Jonathan feels and I know that what he needs right now is your reassurance that he got the part for a reason and that he is going to do amazing. I pray that you also guide him with a calming hand throughout the performance and allows him to really enjoy it.

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MEET MAF PNG'S NEWEST RECRUIT

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WIN AN INDOOR SKY DIVING EXPERIENCE FOR YOU AND A MATE

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A 2020 MESSAGE FOR YOU FROM MAF UK CO-FOUNDER STUART KING

Search ‘MAF Youth’ W maf-uk.org/youth E youth@maf-uk.org