(Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Reierson with MAF)

The birth of conjoined twins is very rare, accounting for only one out of every 200,000 births according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Conjoined twins have their skin or often even internal organs fused together in the womb. Around 40-60 percent of conjoined twins are stillborn and 35 percent only live one day. Only between 5-25 percent of conjoined twins survive.

Pilot Brett Reierson with Mission Aviation Fellowship in West DRC knew something was up when he saw a crowd some 200-strong headed toward the airplane in Vanga. The doctor ushered a woman aboard with a bundle in her arms.

The doctor explained that the woman had given birth to conjoined twins nine days before, in a village so far away that no one in Vanga knew where it was. The twin girls were joined at the naval and shared some intestines. After reaching a nearby health center, the family then traveled 250 km further on a motorcycle to reach the Vanga Evangelical Hospital. The doctors in Vanga contacted a team of volunteer surgeons in Kinshasa who operate free of charge on children born with deformities.

(Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Reierson with MAF)

According to the doctor in Vanga, “The big problem was their transport from Vanga to Kinshasa. The newborns were stable but fragile and could not tolerate another, longer, overland journey over difficult roads to Kinshasa. MAF was contacted and without hesitation agreed to transport these children. The airplane transported these kids the next day from the MAF airport in Vanga to Kinshasa. We sincerely thank the MAF team and their donors for their willingness to assist in transporting these wonderful kids.”

Reierson explains, “After they were separated, they were in observation and recovering here in Kinshasa. They contacted us again and said, ‘Would you be willing to take them back to Vanga?’ And so we were, of course, excited to be a part of their return story as well…. They still have more to go, but they’re going to spend a little time in Vanga before they carry on.”

(Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Reierson with MAF)

MAF has three operating bases in the DRC. Reierson and his wife have been with MAF in West DRC for about a year, and he says carrying out medical flights are just one of the many ways they serve in the country.

“We operate and maintain eight small aircraft across the country and we do that to provide flights for missionaries, the local church, and humanitarian aid organizations that are working in the remote areas of the country,” Reierson explains.

“With MAF, we’re just one link in the chain but the transportation link is an important one. Vanga Evangelical Hospital is really there to provide hope and also through medical care to the patients and families. They also provide training for more medical professionals that can be trained and then sent out to various regions within Congo. So medical flights are really a way that MAF is able to provide reliable, fast transportation in situations where sometimes there is no other option or the option makes it extremely difficult for the patients or sometimes in certain situations it can actually save lives.”

As MAF serves the communities and families in the DRC, they are serving as witnesses for Christ.

“We have a really cool role to serve the Church, to serve others. When we fly for humanitarian groups, many of the passengers are not necessarily Christian. So we have a really cool opportunity to interact with these people from all walks of life and [share] why we’re here because we are a little bit of an anomaly. There are [humanitarian] aid workers that come, but it’s usually for very short periods of time and they ask the question, ‘Why are you here?’ It just opens up a great door to share Christ with them.”

(Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Reierson with MAF)

As the conjoined twin baby girls rest and recover with their parents in Vanga, please pray for good health and that as they grow in stature, they would come to know their Heavenly Father and grow in spiritual maturity as well.

Reierson also asks, “Prayer requests for our team would just be that we would be able to continue to share the love of Christ in this context. Congo is a very challenging context, it’s a very tiring context, and so sometimes it’s easy to allow the little things to creep in where you have a very negative outlook. So we want to continue to keep a positive, Christ-centered outlook.”

Finally, you can support Mission Aviation Fellowship’s critical ministry to make emergency medical flights like this possible! Please click here to support the life-transforming ministry of MAF.

(Photo courtesy of NTM)

Papua New Guinea (NTM) — It seems like just days ago that the news came: a Kodiak for Papua New Guinea!

And now, just four months later: Kodiak #2 for Papua New Guinea! It comes with the purchase price paid and many extras included. By the end of September, Kodiak #2 could be at New Tribes Mission Aviation headquarters in McNeal, AZ, and Kodiak #1 could be on its way to Papua New Guinea.

God has provided once again through His people to furnish this new Kodiak. What a tool it will be to sustain missionary teams in harsh regions as they bring Christ to tribal villages!

You can almost hear the sigh of relief coming from tribal teams who only get supplies every three months. Right now, “with limited pilots and aircraft, it’s hard to reach everyone,” says Adie Leedahl. Her husband, NTMA pilot Jon Leedahl, recently flew his first round of supply routes on West New Britain island as part of his Kodiak training on location in Papua New Guinea.

With Jon ready to fly when the first Kodiak arrives, the supply situation should ease up. “Every translator or church planter who Jon has flown has said that they are so thankful for [his] coming!” says Adie.

It’s not a surprise that missionaries are glad the Kodiak fleet of three is 2/3 reality! Besides carrying supplies, the Kodiak can also do medevacs, bringing great peace of mind to missionary families living in remote areas. To the most outlying locations where NTM serves, the Kodiak could make an emergency round-trip flight without refueling. For critical medical cases, it can make the over-water flight to Australia.

Don’t stop praying for the Kodiaks to be positioned as lifelines to bring the gospel to remote tribes. Kodiak #1 is nearing its final stages of preparation. Kodiak #2 will need all the same outfitting–the HF radio, satellite tracking system, other equipment and tools, ferry flight, and paperwork, along with finances to cover all those items.

Just as God is providing for the final costs of Kodiak #1, we are confident that He will do the same for Kodiak #2. It is clear that He wants isolated people to meet Him, and He is providing the transportation for it to happen!

Impact remote people groups by giving to the outfitting of Kodiak #2.

Jim Sims of New Tribes Mission worked as a fixed-wing and helicopter pilot with the aviation ministry to Papua New Guinea for 11 years. He shared some recent highlights with us.

New Tribes Mission Aviation team had a KODIAK in an Asia- Pacific region, but they desperately needed one in PNG as well. (Photo by New Tribes Mission)

For years, NTM has used Cessna 206 and 185 planes, small aircraft enabling them to reach isolated tribes all over the world.

In the early 90s, however, fuel increased in price and decreased in availability. NTM was paying $15 or more per gallon. This issue, combined with the small cargo hold, made the old fleet insufficient for the work NTM was doing.

Fortunately, a mission-specific aircraft was in the works. Quest Aircraft created a superior plane for the mission field called the KODIAK.

For a long time, NTM staff and supporters prayed for the money to purchase a fleet of KODIAK for PNG. But they had no answer.

But all of the sudden, God moved. Donors gave the money to purchase the first of three planes. When NTM went to purchase the plane, instead of waiting for Quest to build it, the plane was ready and waiting, complete with a coat of paint.

God had been working the whole time.

“We had no idea that this was going to take place, but we were informed just a short time ago that an airplane had already been built, was painted white, and was sitting at the Quest plant,” says Sims.

The KODIAK runs on cheaper fuel, has a stronger engine, carries nine passengers, and has a cargo hold big enough for a small boat.

Sims says, “This airplane was designed basically for mission work. It’s just going to be a blessing, and we’re very excited about it.”

The delivery of the PNG plane is taking place today, beginning the transition to the new fleet of aircraft.

“This is a team effort. The people that are donors and supporters: they’re our co-laborers and co-workers in this whole thing.”

The plane needs to be outfitted with seats, a cargo pod, an HF radio, and a splash of red paint. They hope to have it in operation by the end of the year.

The plane was all ready to go. (Photo courtesy of NTM)

Sims says, “As we know from God’s Word, His timing is always perfect. And so, we’re not aware that anything’s going on behind the scenes when, in fact, God already had this plane built and put together and was sitting on the ramp, ready for us to go. [This] is a huge thing because if we had to actually put in the order, it would probably be six months.”

NTM needs support to purchase the whole fleet. You can help that effort here. If you’d like to become part of the flight crew at NTM, follow this link.

The new fleet of planes is going to help NTM reach more people with the Gospel quicker. They train indigenous groups to witness to their neighbors.

Sims has many inspiring examples of this work. Watch for these stories soon. While you’re waiting, try to guess what cake has to do with the Gospel.

The KODIAK can carry more cargo and passengers than a Cessna 206 while using the same remote landing sites, making it an excellent aircraft for the mountain and river areas of Indonesia. Photos by Dave Forney, MAF.

“The Lord has provided MAF with an exciting chance to purchase two KODIAKs at substantially less than the current market price,” said John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. “We had not budgeted for this expense in 2013, but when such a God-given opportunity presents itself, we have to say ‘YES’ and ‘Thank you, Lord!'”

These two KODIAKs are part of a long-term strategic initiative to upgrade the aging MAF fleet. The two floatplanes currently serving in Palangkaraya, for example-small Cessna 185s-are 51 and 44 years old. Like many MAF airplanes, they burn aviation gasoline (avgas), which has become expensive and difficult to obtain-the ministry sometimes pays $15 per gallon or more for fuel.

The KODIAK burns jet fuel, which is much less costly and more readily available than avgas. This remarkable aircraft was designed specifically to meet the challenges of missionary aviation. It can travel longer distances than a Cessna 185 or 206 and carry more cargo while using the same challenging landing sites. And these two KODIAKs are desperately needed in Indonesia.

“Wednesday afternoon we got a call for a double medical evacuation flight from Long

MAF passengers.

Nawang,”said MAF pilot Dave Forney. “A truck went over the edge of the mountain road and rolled about 75 feet to the bottom of the ravine. They were fortunate to be alive.”

Two badly injured men and their family members boarded the Kalimantan program’s KODIAK-the patients on blankets, strapped to the floor. A little over an hour later they were receiving life-saving treatment in the city of Tarakan.

“This would have been impossible with the Cessna 206,”said Forney, “because the 206 isn’t capable of carrying that much weight from Long Nawang, or that many people. But the KODIAK can handle it.”

Airplanes are costly. MAF must now raise some $3.5 million to pay for the KODIAKs and their journeys to Indonesia. Over the next few months MAF will be taking the KODIAK on the road so that friends of the ministry will have a chance to see this remarkable aircraft for themselves. Please be in prayer about how you might be part of this Kingdom-building project.

“Scripture says that with faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing is impossible-even mountains will move,”said Boyd. “We are relying on the Lord, working through His people, to move this mountain!”

To learn how you can help send these two KODIAKs to Indonesia, visit www.maf.org/kodiak.

"The Lord has provided MAF with an exciting chance to purchase two KODIAKs at substantially less than the current market price," says John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. "We had not budgeted for this expense in 2013, but when such a God-given opportunity presents itself, we have to say ‘YES' and ‘Thank you, Lord!'"

These two KODIAKs are part of a long-term strategic initiative to upgrade the aging MAF fleet. The two floatplanes currently serving in Palangkaraya–small Cessna 185's–are 51 and 44 years old. Like many MAF airplanes, they burn aviation gasoline (avgas), which has become expensive and difficult to obtain. The ministry sometimes pays $15 per gallon or more for fuel.

The KODIAK burns jet fuel, which is much less costly and more readily available than avgas. This remarkable aircraft was designed specifically to meet the challenges of missionary aviation. It can travel longer distances than a Cessna 185 or 206, and carry more cargo while using the same challenging landing sites. These two KODIAKs are desperately needed in Indonesia.

"Wednesday afternoon we got a call for a double medical evacuation flight from Long Nawang," says MAF pilot Dave Forney. "A truck went over the edge of the mountain road and rolled about 75 feet to the bottom of the ravine. [The occupants] were fortunate to be alive."

Two badly-injured men and their family members boarded the Kalimantan program's KODIAK: the patients on blankets, strapped to the floor. A little over an hour later, they were receiving life-saving treatment in the city of Tarakan.

"This would have been impossible with the Cessna 206," said Forney, "because the 206 isn't capable of carrying that much weight from Long Nawang, or that many people. But the KODIAK can handle it."

Airplanes are costly. MAF must now raise nearly $3.5 million to pay for the KODIAKs and their journeys to Indonesia. Over the next few months, MAF will be taking the KODIAK on the road so that friends of the ministry will have a chance to see this remarkable aircraft for themselves. Please be in prayer about how you might be part of this Kingdom-building project.

"Scripture says that with faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing is impossible; even mountains will move," says Boyd. "We are relying on the Lord working through His people to move this mountain!"

To learn how you can help send two KODIAKs to Indonesia, visit www.maf.org/kodiak.

But they’re not done yet.

Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that involves people in the acceleration of Bible translation efforts, is raising funds to purchase a fourth KODIAK aircraft for service in Papua New Guinea. Bible translation projects there are underway for more than 190 language groups.

$2 million in funds are needed. Wycliffe Associates hopes to raise enough funds by January 31 to help purchase the new aircraft. They have received a matching challenge for the first $42,300 received: gifts toward the aircraft’s purchase will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

There are 830 living languages spoken in the nation, which occupies half of the island of New Guinea, east of Indonesia between the South Pacific Ocean and the Coral Sea.
But more than 300 language groups in the nation do not yet have a single verse of Scripture.
Due to Papua New Guinea’s difficult terrain of mountains and jungles, approximately 80% of Bible translators rely on air travel for transportation to and from their remote translation locations.

Traveling by land is difficult or even impossible in many areas of Papua New Guinea, which comprises 600 islands. Without an aircraft, it can take up to five days to reach some language groups.

“The Kodiak is a critical tool to reach language groups who are crying out for God’s Word,” says President and CEO Bruce Smith, a former missionary pilot. “Insurmountable mountain peaks, dense rainforests, and hard-to-reach islands in Papua New Guinea make sharing the truth and hope of God’s Word time-consuming and extremely difficult.”

Developed with the rigors of the mission field in mind, the KODIAK can take off in under 1,000 feet at full gross weight and climb at more than 1,300 feet per minute. It carries more than three times the load than other planes previously used for mission work, and it uses jet fuel, which is less expensive and more readily available in Papua New Guinea than avgas.

“I see the KODIAK as an incredible opportunity God has given us to pierce the spiritual darkness of Papua New Guinea by accelerating Bible translation,” says Smith.

Through a growing global network, Wycliffe Associates is striving to overcome local limitations of time and resources to achieve the goal of beginning the translation of God’s Word in every remaining language that needs it by 2025. Last year, the organization mobilized 3,103 volunteers and staff members to accelerate Bible translation in 73 countries.

Click here to help Wycliffe Associates provide the Gospel to people in Papua New Guinea.

The aviation program's first Kodiak aircraft is finally on its way to overseas service. It's currently in
Wichita, Kansas, being prepped for the ride over. NTM's Jim Sims says, "We're hoping that
on the 16th of this month, this aircraft will be headed over to Indonesia. This
will be our first Kodiak going into service, and we're very excited about
that."

Four years ago, an AV gas scarcity forced a switch to the
cheaper jet fuel, which also forced a decision to replace NTM's fleet of 14 planes. Raising money for the project seemed like an
overwhelming task with each aircraft costing over half a million dollars apiece. 

A special deal with Quest Aircraft meant that out of every 10 planes sold, one
was provided for missions at a significant discount. NTM
raised money for the first plane. In the
Spring of 2010, the first of 14 Kodiak airplanes NTM ordered was dedicated at a
ceremony at the ministry headquarters in Sanford, Florida. 

Why has it taken two years to get from dedication to
service? Sims explains that the need changed.
"Indonesia has some areas that have
not had aviation service in years. We
have new believers in some of these areas."

The plane was originally destined for service in Papua New
Guinea. However, with the new believers
in Indonesia, there had to be some way to get a team there who could disciple
and teach. That meant tools and translation projects. The issue, says Sims, was location. "We
had some people in Indonesia that were 
in very remote places, and we were going to need to fly over large amounts
of open ocean with a single engine airplane (Cessna 206). We just said, 'Ya know,
this is not the best.'"

The Kodiak is significantly larger than the Cessna, and the
change of plans meant quick alterations to things like hangars and airstrips. The Indonesian government owns those
airstrips, and widening them meant getting permits and permission. Enter: red
tape. Sims says, "The government
had to actually give us permission to import the aircraft. Then, the governor
of the province had to give his blessing. Then we wanted to bring it in duty
free and import customs free, which was a huge item, and it took a long time to
do all of that."

The new airplane will mean fewer complications in a crucial
aspect of ministry. As the Kodiak can
carry more people and cargo, this means missionaries and missionary aviators
alike no longer have to take as many trips. 

There's still a lot of work to do in the meantime. The team will need to
construct a new hangar to house the plane, and flights aren't stopping. Sims says, "In the day of the smartphone
and all the communication aids that we have, it's hard to imagine that there are still people that have never
heard about Jesus. But that is the case, and these people are located in some
very remote locations."

Aviation saves mission and translation teams weeks of travel into an untamed
jungle interior. That time is better
spent doing language and culture study for the purpose of church planting. "We
feel very privileged to be a part of that and to be able to help the
missionaries get in to where they can actually start to learn the language, learn
the culture, [and] prepare their lessons."

Please pray for the aviation team to remain encouraged as
they work through this transition time, and for the health of those in the
tribes.

Last year an anonymous donor provided a $1.7 million grant to purchase a KODIAK, with the condition that another donor commit to a grant in the same amount. Just recently, a second anonymous donor stepped forward with the funds for the second new plane.

"We are grateful for this generous gift that empowers MAF to further assist people in remote areas of the world that are largely inaccessible without MAF air service," said John Boyd, MAF president and CEO. "We greatly appreciate our partnerships with donors who have come alongside us to increase our services to people living in hard-to-access areas of the globe."

Most planes in MAF's fleet are Cessna 206s that run on avgas–a costly fuel that is difficult to obtain in remote areas. KODIAKs, however, run on more readily-available jet fuel while using the same short, rough airstrips, thus solving the fuel problem. KODIAK airplanes are far more cost-effective to operate, and they enhance MAF's ability to quickly transport essential aid where it is most needed.

More than a decade ago, MAF launched a multi-year initiative to replace many of its aging Cessna 206s with new KODIAKs. Designed by Quest Aircraft Co. of Sandpoint, Idaho, with input from MAF and other relief organizations, the KODIAK carries a larger payload than its predecessor.

The six KODIAKs MAF received since 2009 have been deployed to Papua and Kalimantan, Indonesia, and Central Asia. MAF's first deployment of a KODIAK for disaster relief was following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The new planes will be deployed to Papua.

Churches, individuals and foundations are encouraged to visit www.maf.org/waystogive for information about how they can contribute toward MAF's effort to upgrade its fleet of aircraft.

Founded in 1945, MAF (www.maf.org) is a Christian ministry organization that transports missionaries, medical personnel and supplies, performs disaster relief work, and conducts emergency medical evacuations in remote areas. In 2010, MAF-US flew 94,961 passengers and 9.2 million pounds of cargo on 33,365 flights, enabling the work of hundreds of mission and relief organizations. MAF also provides distance learning services, as well as telecommunication services such as satellite Internet access, high-frequency radios, electronic mail and other wireless systems.

Mission Aviation Fellowship is ferrying its newest member of the fleet, Quest Aircraft's Kodiak airplane, to their base in Kalimantan.

MAF's Manager of Aviation Services Rocky Mason says, "It's actually going to take 10 to 12 days, depending on weather, to make it all the way to Indonesia." The MAF Kodiak is expected to land at the MAF base in Indonesia on Friday.

The Kodiak is a unique aircraft for several reasons. It's a large, single engine aircraft. Mason says, "It's much bigger than our [Cessna] 206, which is our mainstay–what we've been flying for years. But it's capable of landing and taking off in very, very, short distances. So it's able to take more of a load into the same size airstrips we've been using for years."

It also solves aviation gasoline problem. Mason says av-gas is very expensive and in short supply in Indonesia, particularly. "[It's] an airplane that burns jet fuel, which you can buy at any international airport because commercial airliners are going in and out of there. So it's always available, and it's always cheaper than aviation gasoline. It's a huge benefit for us," he says.

Not only can MAF continue what they are currently doing, but they can do it better. "We're going to be able to take larger groups of people to where they need to go in just one trip. The Kodiak is about 40 to 50 miles per hour faster than our 206. So that's time saved, being able to go faster."

This airplane will do more than save money. Mason says MAF provides aviation service for missionaries, humanitarian workers, and others who may not have access to an aircraft. He says this new olane will help the church in dramatic ways. "They do a lot of flying trainers out to the local pastors, to the people, to give them the type of training that they need to be able to shepherd their flock, to shepherd a small church or whatever, or to go out and evangelize."

Bigger and faster also has its down side. "It carries more," says Mason, "but it also burns more fuel. So, one of the things that we're going to have to work on is raising support to enable the local pastor who jumps on an airplane to be able to afford one of these seats."

In fuel alone, it costs about $250 a hour to operate a Kodiak. You can help an MAF airplane bring desperately-needed aid and assistance to needy people in remote places. For only $1 a day, you can join MAF's Adopt-A-Plane program and help open the doors to the Gospel in places you'll never go.

Your support is needed. Last year, the MAF fleet of 53 aircraft executed 37,821 flights, logged more than 2.9 million miles, transported 120,350 passengers, and delivered 11.3 million pounds of cargo–all on 1,700 rough, unimproved dirt and grass airstrips or waterways.

Concluding yesterday, the event took place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
and was attended by hundreds of thousands interested in aviation.

MAF has always participated in the air show, but the
organization's presence was greater this year due to the event’s "Fly4Life"
theme. The theme focused on public benefit aviation, with a whole section
devoted to missionary aviation.

MAF looked forward to the air show for a year, excited about
the opportunity to share its mission with a new audience.

"We bathed this week in prayer for months and months. God gave
us this opportunity to share with those we would never normally encounter," said John Boyd,
president of MAF. Boyd said the number of people encountered far exceeded his
expectations, as did the questions they asked about the ministry.

In addition to providing access to a new audience, Boyd said the
show enabled MAF to showcase the future of missionary aviation.

"It's a great opportunity not only to share with tens of
thousands of people what God is doing through MAF, but to tell folk about this
great new season of mission aviation as we transition to using this wonderful aircraft
called the Kodiak," he said.

With the Kodiak,
MAF will spend less money on scarce and expensive "avgas" or aviation gasoline,
as the new aircraft uses cheaper and more easily-available jet fuel. Boyd said MAF
just received its second Kodiak
plane, and a third is on the way. By the end of the year MAF will have five new
Kodiaks to help further the spread
of the Gospel.

Boyd said the highlight of the show for him was on Thursday
morning while he was walking in AeroShell
Square.

"I saw the new AirBus A380—a 550 passenger jet liner—and I
thought to myself, "Wow, Lord. If I could just have one of those, what we could
do at MAF!'"

Boyd said he then saw the MAF
Kodiak and realized what could be done with the small plane in areas the
huge jet liner would never be able to go. "We are able to use the tools that
God is giving us in these smaller aircraft to get out into the most remot and
farthest corners of the earth. And that’s exactly what the Great Commission
calls us to do."

With this new season at MAF, Boyd said the ministry is still
in need of more people to  serve in remote
areas where isolation and poverty are facts of life. He asked for people to
consider partnering with the ministry in some way, whether financially or by
giving of their time.

Prayer is also important. Boyd seeks prayer for discernment,
wisdom, and courage for the ministry and its leaders during difficult financial
times. Pray also for renewed passion for those involved in the ministry as they
wait on the Lord’s leading.

Visit maf.org to learn more about MAF and how you can become
involved.