Words and photos by Heather Marx

“Ah-EEE!” The Moi believer interrupted his own words with an emotional cry. “All praise to God! You brought this Word to us. We praise You, Father, that we have seen this day before we die!”

The villagers gathered around the MAF plane to receive the first shipment of Bibles my husband, Brian, flew in. As the engine spooled down, the people whooped and then danced around the plane. So much excitement!

As the first box of Moi Bibles came off the plane, I looked around. Tears of joy streamed down the faces of those gathered—the missionary families, the pilots and other support staff, and the Moi believers themselves. Much hard work and sacrifice led to this moment of bringing the translated New Testament and 1,500 verses of the Old Testament to the Moi people.

Brian and I, along with our children Ethan, Jayden, and Elyse, spent four days with the Moi in January, arriving a few days before the dedication ceremony. Brian flew us to the village in a Kodiak, and we stayed in one of the missionary houses built over 20 years ago.

Celebrating with all the missionary families was so special. Brian has been flying for 13 years in support of the work in Moi people group, flying in the missionaries, their children to and from boarding school, medevacs, flights for the Moi school run by Lantern of Hope, and the clinic. We also supported the work when we lived in Nabire, hosting guests and doing the occasional supply errand.

I was so excited to introduce our twins to a Moi mother of twins, a boy and girl, just like ours. This is the first time in Moi history that twins have been kept alive. The Moi used to believe that one twin was an evil spirit impersonating the baby. They would kill one twin, usually the smaller one.  But the gospel changed that!

On the first night we were hosted for dinner in a honai (traditional Papuan house) by a Moi family and enjoyed a meal of root vegetables, sugar cane, and bananas, all roasted in the fire. Sepaiye is the MAF agent who helps when the plane comes to Daboto. His wife, Betani, gave me her necklace and said, “Your husband is my husband’s friend, so you are my friend.” We were so blessed and humbled to be hosted by this family who shared their food and possessions with us.

On the day of the dedication, Brian and another pilot flew in dignitaries, pastors, and VIPs. There was more dancing and whooping around the planes. Boaz, the representative of the Bible society that paid for the printing of the Bibles, was lifted and carried around.

I loved watching the parade of Moi people, missionaries, and dignitaries carrying boxes of Bibles down the airstrip, along the foot paths, through the hamlet, over pig fences, and to the sports gym where the ceremony was held.

During the dedication ceremony, the Moi people sang, chanting in harmony. All involved in the translation work went forward. Speeches were made. A Bible was ceremonially given to each Moi clan, as well as to MAF and other support organizations.  “We couldn’t have done it without you all!” said Steve, a longtime missionary to the Moi people.

One of the Moi believers had this to say: “Regarding this book, it’s in our language. It’s ours. But, even more, the purpose contained in it is for causing us to live well. And for that reason, the joy in my heart is beyond words!”

After the dedication, a video chat was set up so the 35 Moi students who are studying in Jakarta could speak with their parents and hear all about the Bible dedication. The students received their Moi Bibles the same day!

That afternoon while sitting on the porch, Steve translated for me as I asked one of the key church leaders, “How does it feel to have the Bible in Moi?” He answered, “I am thinking about the timing of the printing of it. We are so happy it is a time when we are not old. We now have the Word of God in our hands, and we can start using it for the rest of our lives. We’re very happy about that.”

He continued, “When you first hear God’s talk you’re thinking ‘Is this some kind of legend or fairy tale?’ Now I know this is God’s word, He’s talking to us! It’s the truth!”

Story ran in the Vol. 2 2024 edition of FlightWatch. Read the entire issue here:

The post God’s Word Changing Hearts appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

By Natalie Holsten                                                                                                    

Fifteen years ago, Pastor V in coastal Mozambique held up a freshly printed book. The slim volume contained Genesis, Jonah, Luke, and 1 Timothy, translated into the EKoti language.

“Our book has four books,” he exclaimed to a group of believers. “But the full Bible has 66 books. We want them all!”

The Koti believers are moving closer to their goal of having the full Bible in their language, EKoti. It’s a language spoken by 100,000 that borrows heavily from Swahili and Arabic. “Through and through it’s an African language,” said translation consultant Sebastian Floor. “It’s very difficult to learn but sounds very beautiful. It has poetry.”

Sebastian recalled how a linguist couple began studying this poetic language in the mid-1990s and wrote a grammar to begin teaching literacy classes, which continue to this day.

“The language is very much alive. The children speak it, so it’s not a dying language,” Sebastian said.

While linguists labored to master the language and reduce it to written form, short-term evangelistic teams from Japan began visiting the Koti people, and a new group of believers was baptized in 2001.

What happened was nothing short of miraculous. Since that first group of believers, thousands more have put their faith in Jesus and been baptized. Believers, who called themselves ‘Tarikhi ya Haakhi’ (Way of Truth), were transformed by the truth of the gospel, with fewer marital problems and less violence.

“No one could ever imagine what God has done among our people,” one Koti believer said.

As the Koti church grew, the linguistic team translated some parables of Jesus from Luke, then focused on the book of Jonah, which seemed appropriate for a seafaring people like the Koti.

After that, portions of scripture were translated for specific needs of the growing church. To understand who Jesus is, the gospel of Luke was completed. Genesis was translated to help correct a faulty belief about separation from God. The book of 1 Timothy was translated when church leaders needed guidance. A selection of Psalms was translated to help give structure for worship.

Eventually, linguists—including many local Koti translators—focused on the New Testament, which was completed and dedicated in 2021, a huge step towards Pastor V’s desire for the entire Bible.

In 2022, two translation coordinators flew into Koti Land on MAF (known in Mozambique as Ambassador Aviation) to kickstart the Old Testament translation project.

MAF pilot Ryan Koher described their arrival. “The coordinators were joyfully welcomed by members of the local church, which reflects their love for God’s Word and the eagerness and excitement for the Old Testament.”

Later in the fall, Ryan flew Sebastian in to help with the translation for Psalm 117, the shortest psalm.

Sebastian and other consultants make frequent trips into Koti Land, where they are currently working on Psalms in a workshop setting. The consultants help the local translators fully understand and internalize a psalm through oral translation and creative songs, with the work concluding in a written transcription before moving on to the next psalm.

The consultant teams prefer to use MAF to travel into the area. It’s a 45-minute flight to reach the Koti from Nampula, where MAF’s base of operations is located. Last September, a cyclone washed out a major bridge on the one road from Nampula to Koti Land, and torrential rains continue to wreak havoc on road conditions.

“Doing a trip on MAF saves days. It’s an efficient way to travel. When I was in regional administration, I didn’t have time to spend weeks in one country. I have a trip of four or five days to visit three or four projects,” Sebastian said. “So MAF took me from one project to another. It saved me a lot of travel headache.”

Today there are 20,000 believers in the Koti church. “The New Testament is used passionately,” says church planter Graeme, “and they have sent church planting teams to take the gospel to an unreached people group further to the north.”

Safely transporting Bible translators is just one of the ways MAF is helping isolated people in Mozambique be changed by the love of Christ.

“It is a privilege for me to play a small role in making the Word of God accessible to thousands of people,” Ryan says. “I see partnering with translators as one of the most important ways we can minister to the people of Mozambique.

This story ran in the August (Vol. 3) 2023 issue of FlightWatch. Read the full issue here:

The post Way of Truth appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Your support is enabling the light of Christ to reach a dark place on the south coast of Papua

“Can you please come to the south coast?”

This was the request of Pastor Simson, who had gone to great lengths to seek out missionaries interested in serving the swampy south coast of Papua, Indonesia.   

Through a series of providential connections, God led him to Sam and Kari*, a missionary couple living in Sentani at the time.

“He just showed up on our doorstep one day and said, ‘Every single Sunday I preach the gospel from the pulpit and the people go home and worship demons. I want to help my people know who Jesus is. I want to help my people be free from fear of spirits. But I’m failing to do that because we don’t have a Bible that makes sense in the Asmat language,’” said Sam.

God had already placed it in Sam and Kari’s hearts to minister on the south coast. Now they had an official invitation from Simson.

Knowing that MAF flights would support living in such a remote place, Sam and Kari began serving the Asmat area seven years ago. The community warmly welcomed them and helped them build a house, by hand. Sam and Kare are raising their three children here—now twelve, ten, and four years old.

Two Boats

“The only airplane on the island that can bring us in and out to our location is the MAF floatplane. The ground here is so swampy and muddy that essentially an airstrip is not possible,” said Sam.

Sam described the spiritual needs here as “enormous.”

“Church for them is like a shirt. It’s something you put on,” he added. “It’s not a heart change. It’s not a deep understanding of who God is.”

Since the Asmat travel by boat, Sam uses boat illustration to explain God’s redemption versus those who are separated from God and under wrath.

Unfortunately, Sam says the majority of Asmat people are in “Adam’s boat.”

There is a young group of believers who are in “God’s boat,” which is how Sam describes those who’ve been redeemed and hidden with Christ Jesus (Col. 3:3). But it’s hard for them to grow spiritually since they don’t have God’s Word in their southern Asmat dialect. 

Sam and Kari desire to see a mature Asmat church that’s alive and growing, that has the Word of God, that’s discipling its own people for the next generation.

Today, Simson and other church leaders are working alongside Sam and Kari to translate portions of Genesis and Exodus. Then they’ll tackle Mark and Luke. They’re also leading literacy classes, which have just started.

One Airplane

The MAF floatplane is the only one in all of Papua, and it’s critical to Sam and Kari’s mission.

“The fact that the floatplane can land right on the river, pick us up in the case of emergency, and take us directly to a hospital … That is a really key thing,” said Sam.

The other option is a four-hour boat ride on the ocean to the nearest airstrip. And that’s not even possible in certain seasons. When the wind kicks up, massive waves cause boats to capsize.

“When you think about a snakebite or a compound fracture … four hours is a lifetime. We couldn’t be here without the organization flying us in,” added Sam. “It’s almost impossible for us to function and be here.”

MAF medical evacuations have saved Asmat lives. The medevacs are vital, but they’re a last-ditch effort.

A new Siloam Clinic opened here last summer, which will help with day-to-day health and treat minor illnesses and injuries before they become a problem.

“The clinic here is going to allow the entire village to be healthy, to move towards wholeness, to move towards health,” said Sam. Malaria and parasite prevention, vaccination—these are the things that keep people alive and functioning well.”

“The fact that the floatplane can land right on the river, pick us up in case of emergency, and take us directly to a hospital … That is a really key thing,” said Sam.

MAF brought in a generator, a chainsaw, nails, tools, medicines, and other supplies so the new clinic and school could be built and open in time for the school year. Finally, MAF brought in the team of teachers, nurses, and a doctor.

God’s Blessings

When he reflects on the new school and clinic, Jack Gandy, the MAF floatplane pilot who did all of those flights said, “No one in the U.S. knows that the Asmat people even exist. But the Lord knows about them and He cares for them.”

Now, the Asmat children are receiving an education. The people will lead healthier lives. And, most importantly, hearts will change when they come aboard “God’s boat.”

As more missionaries—including families with children—are called to take the light of Christ to the swampy areas of Papua, they too will depend on MAF.

“Without the MAF floatplane, it would just be so impractical that it wouldn’t work,” said Jack. “The floatplane opens up so many more doors that would be closed otherwise. It opens up the whole south coast of Papua to the gospel.”

##

*Some of our partners request that identifying information be withheld for security reasons.

Story appeared in FlightWatch Vol. 2 2023. Read the entire issue here:

The post God’s Boat appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

The hamlet of Mokndoma sits high in the mountains of Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea in Asia Pacific. With no roads and limited government exposure, there has been little influence from the outside world.

You won’t find Mokndoma in any tourist guidebook, but the topography makes you think this area would be designated a national park if it were in America, with rugged mountain peaks, dense tropical rainforest, and rushing rivers.

Walking through the village is like a step back to another time. The Wano, the people group who populate Mokndoma, are living much the same way their ancestors did before them. They live in simple conical huts called honai. They cultivate sweet potatoes in their gardens and have pig feasts for special occasions. The women wear skirts, the men have their noses pierced, and almost everyone wears a beaded necklace. Anything that needs to be carried goes into a noken, a woven net bag usually worn from the head.

But in other crucial ways, the Wano people are living a new way of life very different from their ancestors. Formerly an animistic tribe, they lived in fear of the evil spirits they believed controlled everything. But after the message of Jesus’ love for them took root in the hearts of a core group of believers, the Wano in Mokndoma are walking a new path, one not of fear, but of following the way of Jesus.

These believers were taught and discipled by the Ingles and Wild families, expatriate missionaries who lived among them. Before the airstrip opened in Mokndoma in 2014, the two families used a helicopter to get in and out. The Wano put in thousands of hours of labor into the construction of the airstrip, which sits high at 7,000 feet above sea level. Since the airstrip opened, MAF has been able to provide transport, bring in medicine and other supplies, and do medevac flights.

Our family lived for a number of years in the town of Sentani, about an hour and a half flight from Mokndoma. We became friends with Mike and Libby Wild and their four boys and as we learned about their ministry, we came to have an affection for the Wano. Eventually, our family had the opportunity to visit Mokndoma in 2017.

When my husband David, who served as regional director for MAF’s operations in Indonesia at the time, flew us in, our first attempt at landing was aborted because of clouds covering the airstrip, a common occurrence at that elevation. On our second attempt, the clouds parted, and the 1,500-foot-long airstrip came into view (by contrast, a typical commercial runway at major airports is between 8,000 and 13,000 feet long).

Shortly after we landed, our Kodiak aircraft was surrounded by our friends and many of the Wano. We were met with the traditional greeting of “Wa, wa, wa!” and a handshake that involves joining knuckles and pulling back hard for a satisfying snap.

We got the grand tour of the village, including the clinic, the church, and the literacy building. I even popped into the honai of Grandma, one of Libby’s close friends, who shared a roasted sweet potato with me. One of her grandchildren handed me a roasted honeybee from a comb that was found in the jungle (if you’re wondering, it tasted like a smoky nut).

I was struck by how friendly the children were. Many times on my trips with David into villages, my attempts at friendly interaction with the village kids sent them screaming and running away. But in Mokndoma, the children came right up to us, slipping their hands into ours as we walked around.

After one of our meals, Libby and I stood at the sink together, washing dishes. The kitchen had a large window that looked out over the village. Below us, we could see a man named Liku and another man squatting on the ground, talking and playing with their children while their wives worked in the garden.

“Before the teaching, you wouldn’t have seen that,” Libby said as she handed me a soapy dish.

The teaching she referred to is the chronological teaching, from creation to Christ, of God’s redemptive plan for mankind. The Ingles and Wild families spent years learning the language and culture of the Wano, putting it into a written form, and translating portions of scripture. They also held literacy classes so the Wano would be able to read the scriptures for themselves. It all culminated in 2010 when they were able to present the teaching, and right away, there were many sincere testimonies of faith.

And then the changes began. Warriors laid down their weapons. As the men began following Jesus, they embraced their roles as husbands and fathers and were learning to help their wives. Men were trained as Bible teachers, and several of them, including Liku, began to have a desire to reach Wano in other areas.

There is much more to this story, which you will be able to watch in the upcoming documentary, Ends of the Earth. I can’t wait for you to “meet” the Wano for yourself and see how God is raising up men like Liku with a heart for evangelism, and how MAF is partnering with them to reach others with the good news of Jesus.

The post Walking a New Path appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

My sweet friend, Maggie, lives in the jungle among the Fayu people. Her family relies on the MAF floatplane for medicine and food. After months in the tribe, it was time to resupply. Greg flew four hours from MAF’s Merauke base on the South coast so he could make the 30-minute supply run. I prepared a package of fresh English muffins, candy for the kids, and a note of encouragement to send. I was delighted when Greg said, “Actually, there’s an extra seat! Would you like to deliver the package yourself?” Otodemo is one of our more challenging water strips. I gripped my seat as Greg weaved between the trees and touched down on one float in the river bend. Amazing! We are blessed to be a blessing. It is fun to find creative ways to care for and encourage the missionaries we serve.

Our Nabire patio is serving Bible translation work and strengthening the church. Here, Seth meets with Barnabas and Klaus, his Fayu language helpers. Seth is with one organization. Iwan and Maggie are with another. Seth sometimes travels to Otodemo with Iwan and Maggie. Both are focused on the same people group. Pray for the gospel to take root, for the Church to be established. Last month Seth launched a tour of villages, recruiting Fayu helpers for the next Bible story set.

Significant unrest in the Wolani valley has meant no air service of any kind. Troublemakers have moved on and things are returning to normal. The Sunday school kids in Bugalaga sang these words of Thanksgiving when Brian landed: “Yesus adalah penolong kita, dia setia… Sebab itu mari kita memuji dia.”(Jesus is our help. He is faithful. So, let us praise Him!) It is the first time any plane has landed there in six months!

Kegata village received a monetary blessing from the government. They are using it to build a new sanctuary! Brian has made 20 flights so far with plywood, roofing, tile, cement, and nails. Builders went in several weeks ago. The head pastor was away on an evangelism trip, going from village to village. He finally came by road to Nabire and Brian flew him back to Kegata the next day. Boy, was he excited to see progress on the new building.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these firsthand accounts of how the Marx family is able to bless others in Papua. Please pray for them as well as for Maggie and her family in Otodemo, Seth, Barnabas, and Klaus and the Fayu translation work.

The post Blessed to be a Blessing appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.

一位生病的婦人病得無法坐在航空宣教使團（Mission Aviation Fellowship）（簡稱為航宣，MAF）的飛機座位上，因此飛行員林才欣扶她到機艙地板上，幫她繫緊安全帶，並開始為她禱告時，林才欣熱淚盈眶，聲音哽咽地祈求神。這不是悲傷的眼淚，而是充滿盼望的眼淚！

對才欣而言，這是個特殊的時刻。

那天是因冠狀病毒封城後的第一個醫療救護飛行，她從印尼巴布亞省瓦美納（Wamena）的高山跑道起飛，要帶這婦女到一個較大的城市聖塔尼（Sentani）就診。

這也是才欣的第一次醫療救護飛行。

是她生命中重大的一步。

一個長期的順服

林才欣在麻省理工學院獲得兩個工程學位後，曾任職美國空軍軍官，以及在私人機構從事網絡資訊安全工作，十年的工作生涯裡，才欣感受到神的呼召進入基督教宣教事工，於是，申請進入高登康衛爾神學院（Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary）就讀。在神學院期間，她發現了飛行宣教的事工，就利用一暑假到印尼巴布亞省的航宣基地實習。

才欣在她2019年的禱告信中寫道：「十年前，我離開巴布亞時，就確定要追求飛行宣教的事奉。但那時並沒有任何保證我可以走到今天，成為飛行宣教士。」

又說：「我非常感謝每位飛行教官，每位朋友，及每位醫護人員，因為他們各用不同方式幫助我克服這些障礙；我也感謝神，祂賜我異象，讓我看見未來的景象，以及祂信實地保守我及引導我到巴布亞。」

活出夢想

她終於抵達聖塔尼航宣基地，成為航宣飛行員和資訊技術專業人員，很快成為團隊的核心成員。她開始載運重要物資到偏遠的村落，同時協助完成了多年的光纖電纜項目，以支援航宣在巴布亞省的資訊技術工作。她對同工與所服事村民的關愛，留下了長遠的影響！

每天早晨，才欣都要行一段從家到辦公室的「長」路程 – 包括從家出發，穿過街道，以及打開通往聖塔尼機場航宣辦公室的門，坐在桌前，展開一天的工作。對才欣而言，每天這樣的節奏超越了工作本身，她的桌子不僅是桌子而已了。

才欣這樣說：「這是我作資訊技術工作的桌子，也是每天神使我成聖的地方。」

林才欣在世界一個偏遠的角落活出了她的夢。

才欣說：「我很榮幸能服事巴布亞許多的教會和宣教士，使他們得以繼續服事偏遠的村落，帶給村民身體與心靈的轉變。」

「凡認識才欣的人不難發現她是完全奉獻與委身的，顯明在她願被神使用，與他人分享神的愛，特別對那些較貧窮的人。她也非常慷慨大方，無私地分享自己以及她的財寶。」Brock Larson才欣的同工及區域主任說。

航宣總裁David Holsten 說：「才欣具體呈現了我渴望看到的航宣同工的許多素質。她融入當地文化中，同時也與分散在世界各地的家人、朋友、和支持者保持深度的連結。她在資訊技術與飛行方面都是非常專業的，她是一個敬業的同工，並被她所服事的人們所愛戴。」

才欣在支援崎嶇深山裡的宣教士的事奉、當地的信徒、及社區發展上扮演著重要的角色，當新冠病毒迫使巴布亞省封城時，才欣和她的同工們仍持續地服事著，在這前所未有的挑戰裡，才欣仍然找到感恩的理由。

才欣在她五月六日的電子郵件中說道：「聽起來可能奇怪，在這受考驗的時刻，大大地增強了我待在巴布亞的意義感，每次的飛行，我親眼目睹航宣如何將迫切需要的物資與醫療救護即時送到偏遠的村落，既使在平常時刻，這並不是理所當然的事，特別在此時此刻旅行受限的情況下，更是如此。村民提醒我們，每次飛機在他們的村落著陸時，他們是多麼地感恩。」

「我們不像那些沒有盼望的人那樣哀傷」

2020年5 月12 日早上6點27分，才欣駕著航宣的Kodia飛機從聖塔尼機場起飛 – 這是她自從認識航空宣教以來一直夢想要飛的飛機。機艙滿載著學校用品及冠狀病毒快篩測試劑，她要運送到偏遠的村落。

那一刻，高高地飛過美麗的巴布亞上空，才欣正在做上帝呼召她做的事。

從她第一次聽到上帝的呼召——在世界另一端的神學院校園裡，到在愛達荷州無數次的飛行訓練，再到拜訪全國各地的教會，以及長時的禱告，最終抵達聖塔尼 —這旅程的每一步，上帝都與她同行。

起飛兩分鐘後，才欣傳出緊急的呼叫。

不久，搜救人員將她的屍體從聖塔尼湖撈上來。

但才欣已不在那裡了。

她在她一直在的地方 – 她救主的膀臂中。

值得分享的盼望

才欣看見了福音在巴布亞的影響，發生在該島各偏遠村落的生命改變歷歷可見。

「神的同在已經給予巴布亞人盼望，是我要分享的真實盼望。」

不論降落在偏遠的跑道或坐在資訊技術桌前工作，她都帶著這樣的盼望。

同工 Brock說：「在她離世與神同在的兩天前，她分享到她正如何活出她的夢想，多年來她跟隨主的呼召所付出的各種努力，她本人每天都在得到回饋，也叫別人得福。才欣是一盞反射耶穌光芒的燈，她會大大地被眾人懷念。」

才欣走向航宣的道路是漫長的，充滿著不少挑戰，但是她看到的，不是那些困難，而是擺在前面的盼望。

才欣說：「我最感恩的事就是能親身認識神，在每個低谷中，祂從未離棄我，並且還不斷地用我個人無法做到的方式『將哀傷變為跳舞』（詩篇30:11）。儘管我總是快樂興奮地駕駛飛機和在電腦上工作，但我最興奮的，還是在於向人分享耶穌基督的愛，幫助人從灰心失望中轉化成跳舞與歡樂。」

當我們悼念才欣時，我們的眼淚雖然帶著悲傷，但就像才欣為那位在她飛機上的生病婦人所流的眼淚一樣，是充滿盼望的眼淚。

如果您想為延續才欣的事工而奉獻，您可以上林才欣紀念基金網站（Joyce Lin Memorial Fund），此基金將作為航宣對印尼同工的培育訓練，在飛行與維修的技術上更為精進，進入該基金的每份奉獻都會通知她的家人，給家人的卡片或慰問可寄到如下地址：Derwood Bible Church, Attn: Lin Family, 16011 Chieftain Avenue, Derwood, MD 20855 或電子郵件至：office@derwoodbiblechurch.org。

The post 懷念林才欣（Joyce Lin）飛行宣教士 Memorial appeared first on Mission Aviation Fellowship.