MAF recently transported the family of Dr. Peter Stafford, an American doctor who tested positive for Ebola from the DRC to Uganda. Dr. Stafford had been working at Nyankunde Hospital and was evacuated separately to Germany for specialized treatment. While still symptomatic, his condition seems to be improving.

Nyankunda Hospital walkway to patient wings. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Passengers on the MAF flight included Dr. Stafford’s wife—also a physician—their children, and another doctor who had been exposed to the virus. Prior to this mission, MAF had conducted an earlier evacuation flight for another mission family. All evacuation operations are conducted in close coordination with public health officials and government authorities.

MAF is a Christian mission organization that uses aviation to support missionary and humanitarian relief efforts for remote communities around the world. MAF has served in the DRC since 1961. This is the 17^th recorded Ebola outbreak in the country since 1976.

MAF has an established Ebola Management Plan (EMP), which has been successfully implemented during previous outbreaks. The EMP includes strict measures such as passenger temperature checks, mandatory use of personal protective equipment, comprehensive aircraft sanitization procedures, and other safety protocols. MAF flight operations will continue under these procedures to ensure the safety of both passengers and crew.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak is centered in the Ituri Province, where Bunia—the provincial capital—also serves as the base for MAF’s operations in eastern DRC.

Nyankunde airstrip (Photo courtesy of MAF)

All MAF staff remain in good health and are taking appropriate precautions in their daily activities. A dedicated Crisis Management Team has been established and is working closely with the East DRC team to monitor developments, provide support, and guide operational decisions.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids. While it is not transmitted through the air, the virus can remain viable on hard surfaces for several days, making strict hygiene and sanitation practices essential.

This outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment available for this variant. Exposure risk is considered low while protocols are being followed.

MAF asks you to pray for impacted individuals and their families, and for the swift containment, effective response efforts, and continued safety and health of our staff. Please pray specifically for Dr. Stafford’s healing.

Header photo: The mission hospital in Nyankunde. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it one of the most critical chokepoints for global energy. Even the threat of disruption can send ripple effects worldwide — including ministry operations.

Strait of Hormuz (By MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC – Image by Goddard Space Flight Center of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Photo ID: 2018-12-10., Public Domain)

Stan Unruh, Vice President of Aviation for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), says, “MAF’s vision is to reach isolated people. So it makes sense, of course, that our aircraft and crews are positioned in remote regions…to reach isolated people. That means that, by default, we’re exposed to fragile supply lines for our fuel products.”

Those vulnerabilities are now being tested. For example, Unruh explains, “Africa gets 80% of their crude and refined products through the Strait of Hormuz, so we’re quite concerned about the potential supply disruptions because of the conflict there.”

While fuel supply isn’t suffering yet, the price tag for jet fuel is already up and MAF is feeling it.

In East Congo, MAF has a team based in Bunia where they use aircraft to support humanitarian and missionary efforts.

(Photo courtesy of MAF Guinea)

Unruh says, “At the end of the day, supply disruptions and cost increases have an impact on Gospel ministries that we’re supporting. So it’ll have a direct impact on [Bible] translation work, on famine relief work, some conflict mitigation that our teams are involved with there in East Africa, and medical work.”

Despite the uncertainty, Unruh encourages believers to remain prayerful.

“My prayer would be that the effects of this crisis in the Middle East…is mitigated, and that we come to a peaceful conclusion soon,” Unruh asks. “But also, [pray] that the long-term effects of that are mitigated for the people that we serve.”

Pray for MAF’s Gospel work to continue without interruption, and for stability in a region whose impact reaches far beyond its borders.

Learn more about MAF’s ministry work and ways to come alongside at maf.org.

Header photo courtesy of MAF.

In Lesotho, that challenge is familiar. But so is the solution.

(Photo courtesy of Lesotho Flying Pastors, MAF)

Groups like Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), Lesotho Flying Doctors, and Lesotho Mountain Discipleship are seeing what’s possible when ministries work in step. Together, they’re meeting both physical and spiritual needs – from emergency medical flights to long-term discipleship and patient care.

So why doesn’t this kind of collaboration happen more often in the ministry world?

MAF Lesotho director and pilot Joe Adams says, “I think one of the challenges that we see is a lack of collaboration and communication…. Sometimes people think, ‘Our way is the best way.'”

That’s where MAF often steps in – not just as a transportation provider, but as a connector.

Adams says, “We’re kind of a hub for the missions community and the people who are doing the kind of work that we support. We can say, ‘Hey, you know what? This is a farming initiative over here, and I just heard from Lesotho Mountain Discipleship that there’s really poor farming practices in this particular village. I wonder if we could connect those people?’ So that’s something that I enjoy doing.”

Pray for those who stay at the Patient House run by MAF’s partner, Lesotho Mountain Discipleship. The house offers patients and their families a place to stay while they receive medical treatment or recover. (Photo, caption courtesy of MAF)

The airplane itself plays a key role.

Adams calls it a “time machine,” shrinking what would be days of travel into hours. Recently, MAF flew a group of rural believers to a two-day expository preaching seminar in the capital, Maseru.

“We were able to bring that group out on a Thursday or a Friday, and then they went back to the field on a Monday,” he says. “It wouldn’t have been even physically possible for them to attend that training if we didn’t have the aircraft.”

That same aviation support also helps doctors reach remote clinics and enables discipleship teams to return again and again to isolated mountain villages – places where consistent Gospel witness is only possible through partnership.

But when collaboration breaks down, Adams says the consequences go deeper than logistics. Disconnection can open the door to pride, competition, and missed opportunities to advance the name of Jesus.

Adams says, “Acknowledging that we’re in a spiritual battle is so important for us who are followers of Jesus. The adversary is a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

Where ministries choose humility over independence and partnership over preference, the Great Commission moves forward with greater clarity and strength.

Adams asks, “Pray that we’re protected from the adversary and from our own pride, but also that we would abide. That’s how we’re protected from the adversary. When we’re in Christ, we’re unassailable.”

Learn more about MAF’s work in Lesotho!

Header photo courtesy of MAF Lesotho.

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

David Holsten, MAF’s President and CEO, says, “From the beginning, when MAF was founded, the founders of the organization had a vision that the airplane would be able to serve a multitude of different organizations that were involved in Kingdom work. Early on, a lot of our passengers were Western missionaries who were trying to reach hard-to-reach parts of the world.”

Today, the makeup of those who fly with MAF has changed dramatically. Many passengers are local nationals — villagers, medical patients, and refugees — who depend on MAF’s flights for vital transportation.

As the passenger log has shifted, the face of missions has also changed over the years.

“We used to see larger numbers of Western missionaries who were serving in remote parts of the world,” Holsten explains. “Unfortunately, the number of missionaries that are going to some of those pioneering parts of the world has decreased.

“Now there are national missionaries who are responding to a call that God has placed on their life to reach their own people.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo offers a clear example. Holsten says, “Twenty or thirty years ago, there were thousands of missionaries that were serving in that country. Today, there could be less than 100 who come from North America or Europe or places like that. But yet, there’s a generation of Congolese who are seeking to reach their own people.”

Zacharie Francois, MAF Haiti pilot/mechanic. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

MAF’s vision for the future includes recruiting pilots and mechanics from all over the world. These faithful believers may even minister to places far from home — serving as Gospel ambassadors in difficult environments.

“It could be that an Indonesian pilot joins us to serve in Ecuador, or a pilot or mechanic from Mexico joins us, and they’re able to serve in a place like Nigeria,” Holsten says. “That’s an exciting thing to contemplate, and we’re praying for God’s leading as we move into the future.”

At the heart of MAF’s ministry is a commitment to Jesus and the Great Commission. “Following Him is also a life of impact, of purpose… something that’s bigger than ourselves and is ultimately rooted in His way of living life and kingdom principles.”

Holsten encourages fellow Christians anywhere in the world to partner with MAF — through prayer, giving, advocacy, and even serving! “It takes every individual, all of these parts of the body of Christ, to allow the work of MAF to move forward.”

To learn more or get involved, visit www.maf.org.

Header photo courtesy of Becky Fagerlie/MAF.

(Photo courtesy of MAF Guinea)

According to the World Food Programme, half of all children in Guinea live in poverty, and nearly 22% of all households face food insecurity. In remote communities, humanitarian relief and medical care are essential for survival.

“There are also significant challenges with infrastructure,” says Lisa*, MAF’s Guinea Country Director. “Honestly, it is one of the bottom 10 on the human development index, so you have a lot of challenges when it comes to health and education.”

In the midst of these difficulties, MAF is making an impact. Their flights support humanitarian aid, medical care, and Gospel outreach, all in the name of Christ.

Lisa says, “This is 13 million unreached people who live in Guinea, and that means that you have 95% of the population who maybe don’t know a Christian or [have] no churches in their communities.”

(Photo courtesy of MAF Guinea)

Lisa says MAF works with the small but faithful Church in Guinea. “As we seek to push back the darkness, we use the resources that God has given us. We use the airplane. We use our skills and gifts as pilots, as administrators, as engineers to serve the local Church [and] to serve the missionaries here in Guinea.

“Over 80% of our flights currently are for mission and church partners, which means that we are transporting pastors who are going maybe back to their home church or maybe they’re planting new churches. We’ve just heard of a new partner with us that wants to go out and plant five different churches in the interior.”

God has even opened doors for the ministry to impact Guinea’s government leaders. When MAF repatriated an official’s body to his home village for burial, Lisa says, “We sat with the authorities and we were able to very clearly express and explain why we were doing this flight – that it is the love of Christ that compels us.”

(Photo courtesy of MAF Guinea)

MAF’s critical Gospel ministry in Guinea is fueled by your prayers and encouragement! Learn more about support and giving opportunities at MAF’s website.

Please pray for the people of Guinea to be reached with the Good News of the Gospel. Ask the Lord to encourage MAF’s staff faithfully serving isolated peoples.

*Last name omitted for security.

Header photo courtesy of MAF Guinea.

Just ask Marionne Tucker, Mission Aviation Fellowship’s (MAF) Chief People Officer overseeing human resource functions.

It’s not your typical missions role. But even a ministry like MAF needs an HR department.

Marionne Tucker, MAF’s Chief People Officer (Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)

Tucker says, “I believe in having engaged, motivated, and committed staff who strive for continuous improvement to impact the organizations that they work for. Because no matter how well a strategy is written, no matter what is put together to impact whoever the beneficiaries are, if its staff are not committed, if they’re not ready, then it’s useless. You can’t give what you don’t have.”

When you think of advancing the Great Commission, a career in HR might not be the first thing you think of. But for Tucker, serving in this role with MAF allows her to use her gifts and talents for God’s Kingdom.

Ultimately, Tucker says, “My heart is in mission work to see isolated people changed through the love of Christ.”

Before coming to work at MAF, Tucker served as the Global HR Operations Lead for Food for the Hungry. She also served as People and Culture, Administration & Security Director for World Vision Kenya.

“When I worked in Kenya and we took MAF planes, the pilots would always pray before we took off. I found that so touching — that these people are skilled, they’re equipped to do their job, but they rely on Christ for safety, for protection, and for guidance even as they go.”

Are you curious about how God could use your gifts and talents to advance the Great Commission — even in an unconventional way?

Currently, MAF needs more IT staff and teachers for missionaries’ children. Learn more about these opportunities and other careers at MAF’s website!

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

Tucker asks, “Pray for us that we have teachers. Pray for us that we have IT staff. Pray for us that God just brings men and women of God – workmen and laborers in His vineyard to come alongside us to be able to accomplish the vision of taking His love to isolated communities.”

You can also partner with missions work by giving to MAF here.

“Not everyone is able to go physically,” says Tucker. “But you can also go by sowing seeds, making contributions [and] donations so those that God has called to go will be able to go with your financial support.”

Header photo courtesy of MAF.

However, Zacharie had no idea the Lord would eventually lead him to become MAF’s first Haitian pilot/mechanic.

It all started in May 2013 when he had his very first flight in an MAF plane. Zacharie says, “He (the pilot) fired up the engine, and next thing we know, we were flying! You could see a shadow of the plane separating as we took off that day. We flew to the northern part of the country, which is Pignon.

“Throughout that flight, going there, being there, and coming back, God sort of touched my heart and showed me how mission aviation can make a difference in people’s lives. It can actually change the ending of so many isolated people. But beyond that, though, having a Christian perspective in an area can make a big difference.”

Zacharie François, left, on a flight with MAF Haiti pilot Eric Fagerland. Nestor Mercure, an MAF mechanic assistant, is in the back seat. (Photo, caption courtesy of MAF)

Prior to this, Zacharie didn’t know what he would do beyond high school. Zacharie says, “I was already on track to being the first to graduate from high school on both sides of my family. Knowing that my dad only made it to 2nd grade and my mom only made it to 9th grade, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m already struggling to get through high school itself. I don’t think I can make it any further than that.’”

However, with leading from the Lord and encouragement from an MAF pilot’s wife, Zacharie began to consider what it would look like to attend flight school in the US.

Yet, this would prove to be easier said than done.

Zacharie explains, “You had to prove to the US Embassy that you have all the funds in place to be able to pay for [your education]. So that was a challenge. Basically, I had to have all the money sitting somewhere before I could go.

“During that time, that’s when I started interning at MAF has a mechanic apprentice. I joke to people I did everything during my internship except for counting money up until last December! But everything from cutting the grass, washing the planes, passenger receiving, cargo, flight following — you name it, I’ve been through it all.”

Eventually, the Lord opened doors and Zacharie had everything in place to pursue becoming a pilot/mechanic with MAF. He enrolled at the School of Missionary Aviation Technology (SMAT) in Michigan in 2018.

Zacharie’s graduation from SMAT. (Photo courtesy of Zacharie Francois/MAF)

“You’re in and out in 12 months with your full mechanic license, with some missionary mechanic training background, and some very, very high standards,” says Zacharie.

“I graduated [from SMAT] in 2019 and came back to Haiti. Within a year and a half, I was holding the director of maintenance position for MAF in Haiti by interim and also was trying to raise support to do the flight training portion.”

In 2022, Zacharie completed the flight training program at SMAT.

Not long after that, he shares, “In April 2023, I took MAF’s TE and passed, so I was approved as an MAF pilot. Now, I’m going through the MAF internal flight training as we speak!”

As MAF’s first Haitian pilot/mechanic, Zacharie serves as an inspiration and example for other young kids and believers in Haiti. Praise God for faithful brothers like Zacharie for using their gifts and following His call on their lives in the mission field!

We’ll share more tomorrow about what ministry looks like for Zacharie flying with MAF in Haiti.

Meanwhile, is God calling you to consider a life of service in missions? Learn more about MAF’s ministry here!

Header photo of Zacharie Francois, MAF Haiti pilot/mechanic. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Ryan says, “During my detainment, I think I gained a new love for the Mozambican people and a deeper and more rich understanding of who they are as a people. We feel that God is calling us back and we’re really excited to be going back.”

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

While the Kohers are in the States on furlough, they’re connecting with support partners, debriefing and training with MAF, and enjoying a time of refreshment with loved ones.

The next deadline for Ryan’s case is in June. If the prosecutor in Mozambique doesn’t make a decision before then, the investigation will expire or need to be renewed.

“We trust God for safety through wherever He leads us,” says Ryan. “We know it may not be an easy ride, and it hasn’t been an easy ride. But He was with us through all the trials and struggles that we had to go through.”

Pray for the investigation in Mozambique to end favorably and Ryan’s case to be closed. Ask the Lord to open doors for the Koher family to continue ministry in Mozambique.

Ryan’s wife, Annabel Koher says, “God was calling us to come alongside Him in the ministry that He is doing in Mozambique to reach the Mozambican people with the true Gospel — and that hasn’t changed. That’s still the same.

“We know that when God calls us to something, we are committing to it. We know that there will be hard. We didn’t necessarily expect that we would experience this! But we knew that we would experience hard.”

You can support Ryan and Annabel Koher’s ministry with MAF here.

Header photo courtesy of MAF, used with permission from the Koher family.

In fact, Mission Aviation Fellowship just made the difficult decision to pull their pilots, mechanics, and staff out of Haiti. The decision went into effect on April 1st.

David Carwell, MAF’s Haiti country director explains why the current climate in Haiti has gotten so dangerous: “The political arena has deteriorated, and all elected positions, all the terms have expired. What I mean is there’s no elected President. The President was assassinated and has not been replaced. All of the legislators, the senators, deputies, mayors, all the elected positions are defunct at this point. In some cases, there’s somebody in the office that really doesn’t have the authority of the elected position.

“Meanwhile, the gangs have grown. With the lack of jobs, people are struggling to eat and to make ends meet, and they have turned to criminal activity in order to provide for their families.”

(Photo courtesy of Patrice S Dorsainville via Unsplash)

There was at least one kidnapping per day committed by Haitian gang members. But lately, Carwell says, “By this point, more than that…. Human rights group say that kidnappings now average more than four per day.”

Things have gotten increasingly challenging for Christian ministries. The roads are treacherous to travel — especially in or near Port-au-Prince — so transporting supplies is difficult.

MAF used to circumvent many of the gang threats since they fly and don’t rely as much on road travel. But there were still times they couldn’t use an airstrip due to unrest in area.

Carwell says the bigger concern for MAF was, “We were in a position where family units were not able to stay together. We were doing rotations. We have a number of families on our team with young children and it was just not a healthy situation at the time. So we needed to take care of those families.”

Although MAF is ceased operations in Haiti for now, the ministry is hopeful this is simply “see you later,” not truly “goodbye.”

MAF flying a team of nurses from Port-au-Prince to Jeremie. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Carwell says, “Many people are curious about our pause and we’ve been asked, do we want to sell airplanes? Do we want to sell equipment, our homes, or even offer us jobs? Our team is resolute in wanting to return to Haiti. No, we’re not selling our airplanes or anything like that. We really have every intention of going back to Haiti if the Lord were to open that door, and that’s what we’re praying for.”

He asks, “Pray for the security situation to be adequate so that elections can be held and government positions can be filled once more.”

Pray ultimately for changed hearts to the Gospel in Haiti, that gang members would abandon acts of desperate violence to follow Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to make Haiti a peaceful country so ministry may continue.

Header photo courtesy of MAF.

The employee has been suspended, and authorities have started an investigation.

Nehemiah with FMI says the whole incident was caught on security footage. “This Muslim man added while he was shouting at this woman that he will bring clerics to frame her in a false accusation. And then he said that he was mad at her and he will cut her down. The female officer can be heard calling the man out for threatening her and daring him to register a blasphemy case against her.”

Blasphemy laws

It’s an example of how blasphemy laws in Pakistan can be used against Christians, even outside of religious situations. The laws forbid saying anything against Muhammed, the Quran, or Allah. It gives Muslims a feeling of power over Christians, even in petty disputes.

Nehemiah says the law was first passed in the late 70s and early 80s. “This is one of the laws that is strictly enforced. Most of the time, people don’t go to court. Right away, they decide the situation on the street.”

“This is one of the reasons why mob culture is very common in Pakistan.”

Ask God to strengthen Pakistani Christians who live under this constant threat. Nehemiah says, “They live on the sharp edge of a sword. Many of these people who are being accused of blasphemy are part of congregations with these brothers and sisters who are serving with FMI. Pray for safety, security, and wisdom, how they can deal with such situations.”

Header photo courtesy of FMI.