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.

The “Patient House” sits across the street from the air base used by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). Joe Adams, MAF Lesotho director and pilot, explains, “The patients come from the mountains. They’re very, very low-income people. They don’t have enough money to afford being in the city. They couldn’t rent a room for the night.

“So when they’re done with their medical appointment – or sometimes they’ve been discharged from the hospital – they have no place to go.”

(Photo courtesy of MAF Lesotho)

Working closely with Lesotho Flying Doctors, MAF connects remote clinics to hospitals that would otherwise take hours to reach by road. In some cases, the journey by vehicle can take half a day across rugged terrain. By air, it takes minutes.

Years ago, MAF helped start the Patient House to give patients a place to stay while waiting for treatment or a return flight home. Today, the ministry is operated by Lesotho Mountain Discipleship, a Christian group focused on discipling local believers.

“They keep the patients there, [and] we make sure they have food,” says Adams. “Some of them don’t know how to use anything but an open fire, so we have people that will cook them food with an electric stove or whatever we have in there.”

The Patient House also creates opportunities for spiritual encouragement. Every worker at the Patient House “is also a follower of Jesus and is there to also pray with [patients] and to share the Gospel with them as appropriate.”

Partners in aviation

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)

More than 80% of Mission Aviation Fellowship flights in Lesotho serve the medical needs of about 300,000 people living in remote mountain communities, many in partnership with Lesotho Flying Doctors.

Now, with a new leader at the helm of Lesotho Flying Doctors, Adams says the partnership has grown stronger.

“Karabo Lelimo, the leader of the Lesotho Flying Doctors, has been working at the Lebakeng clinic for eight years prior to being appointed as the director,” says Adams. “So he really understands what it’s like to be in the mountain context, to be supported by the aircraft, and be dependent on what is brought on the airplane. He’s also a fellow follower of Jesus – not everyone in Lesotho Flying Doctors is, but he is.”

Lelimo’s faith-filled leadership came out recently when he arranged for food to be delivered to the Patient House – something MAF has typically provided alone.

When Adams thanked him, Lelimo’s reply was simple: “Glory to God.”

For Adams, the moment represented something bigger: ministries working together to care for vulnerable people both physically and spiritually.

“It’s just amazing to have a partner like that in that position,” he says. “That is a blessing we’re thanking God for…. It’s really symbolic of how leadership is changing things.”

(Photo courtesy of Lesotho Flying Pastors, MAF)

Pray for patients served by MAF, Lesotho Flying Doctors, and the Patient House to know deeper spiritual healing in Christ. Pray also for the encouragement of MAF staff and their families.

“We can’t succeed if we try to do it in our own strength,” Adams says. “We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need Him to strengthen us and to empower us.”

Learn more about MAF Lesotho and support opportunities at their website here.

Header photo courtesy of MAF.

Five widows in Shell, following the return of the search party. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

It’s why Christians pray for their persecutors. And it’s why, even after Waorani tribe members killed their loved ones, Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint went to live among the Waorani and share the Gospel.

Yesterday, we covered the 70th anniversary of the martyrdom of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian, which took place on January 8, 1956. Saint was a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).

Now, seven decades later — with the continued ministry of MAF planes, the widows and family members of the martyred missionaries, and discipleship of a Waorani Church — the Waorani people are growing in faith and truth. Something that may never have happened if the five men were not willing to bring the Gospel to this once-violent tribe.

Gene Jordan, a former MAF pilot who served 22 years in Ecuador, says today, “The Waorani Bible has been translated. They have Scripture in their own language.”

Kimo (member of the spearing party) and Gene Jordan. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

The Waorani church also has many of the same strengths and struggles as any other church community.

Jordan shares, “There are Waorani that dearly love Jesus and want to follow Him, and their lives have been changed. There are Waorani that don’t want to have anything to do with the church or this new message of a God that loves them, and they turn their backs on it. And then there’s Waorani that play at being Christians. ‘Oh, I’m going to go to church on Sunday, but maybe on Wednesday or Thursday, I’m going to do whatever I want to do.’

“So down inside, they’re no different than we are. But they have had the chance to hear about a God that created them and loves them and sent His Son to provide forgiveness.”

Stories of Waorani Faithfulness

Jordan’s relationship with the Waorani is deeply personal. For more than two decades, he flew into their jungle communities.

“Some of the young church leaders were young school kids when I flew them around,” he says. “It’s just really great to see them taking leadership.”

From left to right: Gilberto Mincaye (Wao pastor/leader), Yowe (member of the spearing party), and Gene. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

That leadership includes the family of one of the original attackers. Mincaye was a member of the spearing party that killed the five missionaries. Today, his son, Gilberto Mincaye Jr., is a church leader and a representative for the Waorani people.

“He has totally accepted who God is and what He did through His Son,” Jordan says. “He’s just a delightful person to be with.”

Jordan also recalls Dawa, one of the first Waorani women to fully embrace the Gospel. She also spiritually mentored other women in the tribe. When she became seriously ill, Jordan flew her to a hospital and later brought her home.

“About six months later, I landed in her community. She came up to the airplane and said, ‘Captain, I made you this hammock.’ She made me a hammock like they use to sleep in. She said, ‘I want you to have this so you will have many, many children.’

“That hammock, I have it here in the summer. I put it out on my deck, and it’s a precious thing,” he says.

“It just constantly reminds me that one day we will live together forever in Heaven because of the willingness of these five guys who want nothing else than the Waorani to hear about a God that loves them.”

Gilberto and Mincaye, less than a week before Mincaye died. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

Praise God for the way He continues to work through the faithful legacy of these martyrs. Please also pray for the Waorani people that, as they grow in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord, future generations will choose to follow Jesus Christ.

“I can only imagine the reunion someday when they meet the five guys in heaven and say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for bringing the Gospel to our community.'”

Header photo: Gilberto, Ompode (Mincaye’s wife), and Mincaye. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

Saint was a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). On January 8, 1956, he and four fellow missionaries were killed on a jungle beach in Ecuador by the very tribe they were attempting to reach with the Gospel.

Gene with Nate, Shandia, 1955. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

For Gene Jordan, a former MAF pilot who spent 22 years serving in Ecuador, the story is personal. Jordan’s parents were missionaries in Ecuador starting in 1951 with a different mission organization.

“My parents knew all the missionaries in those early days,” he says. “I have a picture of myself sitting on Nate’s knee in the little jungle station of Shandia where the Elliots worked. I don’t remember it; I was too young. But what I do remember is always knowing of Nate with an airplane serving other people in the jungle.”

As a teenager, Jordan spent his time at the MAF base in Shell, Ecuador, helping however he could — fueling and washing planes, loading cargo, and buckling in passengers.

(Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

“I saw the difference the airplane made in the jungle communities. But more than that, I saw the impact and the effect that the pilots had in living out their faith and caring for people,” says Jordan.

“I decided this might be something that I could do, and I go back to the influence when I was young — of always knowing about MAF, knowing MAF pilots, seeing what they did, and the main one being Nate Saint because he was in Ecuador. I grew up with his kids and his widow, Aunt Marge. So it was always an influence in my life.”

Seven decades after the killings, it still echoes today – the faith legacy of these men, their widows, and a surrender to God’s will.

Jordan says, “When the five guys were killed on that day, the widows’ worlds fell apart. But…I never heard any of them say or write that they doubted that God was not in control.

“I have a letter that Elizabeth Elliot wrote my mom just a couple weeks after Jim was killed. In it, she says, ‘My house feels empty, but Jim died doing exactly what he felt God would have him do in the fullness of his manhood, and I cannot fault God for anything.’

Elisabeth Elliot with spears retrieved from the bodies. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

“Today, we have 70 years of being able to look back and see what God has done.”

As believers remember the sacrifice of these five men and the steadfast faith of their families, the question remains deeply personal.

What mission field is God calling you to?

Learn more about MAF’s ministry here.

Header photo: Five widows in Shell, following the return of the search party. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

MAF President David Holsten says their mission is about far more than transportation: “We like to say in our mission statement that we use airplanes to bring help, hope and healing, and we see that happening both spiritually and physically.”

This year marked MAF’s 80th anniversary. The ministry began with men and women who served during World War II, who had seen airplanes used as tools of destruction — and dreamed of something different.

“They had seen airplanes that were used as instruments of war — that brought death and chaos, and all the things that can happen during war time. And as they came out of the war as followers of Jesus, they thought, ‘Wow, what could it look like if we used airplanes as instruments of peace that could bring life and peace to places?’”

(Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)

Now, 80 years later, Holsten says the airplane continues to be a tool God uses to protect people, reach isolated communities, and serve refugees.

“[It’s a tool] that can help bring protection for people, to fly them over places that where there’s conflict on the ground, or to bring supplies to people or to serve the needs of refugees,” he says.

2025 was a fruitful year. “Just from a statistical standpoint, our airplanes were able to serve people in about 12 different countries,” he adds. MAF also flew up to 50 thousand passengers.

But those flights often go into unstable places. “Places that we fly to, there could be war and unrest. And so it’s a miracle in and of itself, that after 80 years of doing this, we’re still able to do it,” he explains.

MAF delivered medical aid and Bibles and supported evacuations. But tragedy struck in Indonesia when a remote-area teacher was attacked and died during an air evacuation, leaving the team grieving. It also underscored why their Gospel work must continue. “Without the work of Jesus in His Spirit, in people’s lives, this is the sort of violence that can take place,” explains Holsten.

There were many hopeful moments too — like in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where pastors finally received paper Bibles. “Our airplane was able to bring in more Bibles that they could share between their different congregations and some clothing,” explains Holsten.

And that’s just one of examples of how God is using MAF flights to strengthen the Church.

Pray God will continue to provide people for the ministry, along with resources and permissions. To learn more and be inspired by their work, visit the Mission Aviation Fellowship website.

Header photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship.

“The suffering of the people is so huge,” says Pastor James Byensi, founder of Rebuilders Ministries, and a partner of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). “Someone needs to be there to be alongside and to give hope. Not everyone is supposed to run away.”

Violence has surged again. The UN estimates around 200,000 people have recently fled M23 fighter attacks in South Kivu province, and at least 74 people have been killed.

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

Rebuilders Ministries launched in 2019 with a simple mission: restore what war has taken. Pastor Byensi says, “In a war-torn country, and especially our country, many churches are being burnt down and destroyed, so we rebuild those and schools as well.”

Peacebuilding in a War-Torn Country

However, the ministry’s service in eastern DRC goes beyond physical restoration.

“The main work we do is evangelism and discipleship,” he says. “The second one is peacebuilding in a war-torn country like the DRC.”

To reach these scattered and sometimes dangerous communities, Rebuilders Ministries relies on MAF. With rebel groups blocking most major roads, MAF flights allow Pastor Byensi and his team to move safely between regions that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Pastor James Byensi, left, flies with MAF pilot Ben Samuelson, right. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Information is also part of the repair — a critical lifeline where rumors and propaganda feed the fighting. Pastor Byensi says Rebuilders Ministries provides “constructive communication through the radio station and social media that we have. We try to broadcast real information in the midst of all fake news and all kinds of propaganda that happens.”

The cost of staying is steep. “Personally, with my family, we have undergone a lot of threats, including being evacuated out of our own house very quickly for over 45 days.”

Worth the Risk

Still, Pastor Byensi says the risk is worth it to see the spread of the Gospel in the DRC.

“The first thing that keeps us motivated is the call that the Lord has placed on our life…. Once He has called you, He gives you grace and strength to pursue the call and do it as He really wants. But the second thing is definitely praying as we depend on Him, on His guidance, on His strength day-by-day.”

Pastor Byensi urges, “We need prayers for our brothers and sisters suffering in the Congo, in this displacement, hunger, and death every day…. So our [global Christian] brothers, we request them to pray, to advocate and give wherever they can, and support whichever cause their heart and the Holy Spirit may lead them to.”

Learn more and consider supporting Rebuilders Ministries at lesrebatisseurs.org.

Header photo courtesy of MAF.

Ryan, a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), was detained in Mozambique in November 2022 while preparing to fly supplies for local orphanages. He was released months later, and in 2024, a Mozambican court officially dismissed the case against him.

(Photo courtesy of Annabel Koher)

Now, the Kohers have returned to the city of Nampula in northern Mozambique, resuming their Gospel ministry with MAF.

“Back in October of last year, we got news that the case was closed, and that was really exciting for us,” Ryan recalls. “At that time, Annabelle was pregnant…. It was several months after the case was closed that we were finally able to return here. So we got back to the field in mid-April.”

Ryan has stepped into a larger leadership role this time — serving not only as a pilot and mechanic, but also as the Director of Operations.

“It’s a lot more responsibility and a lot more challenge,” he says. “But I find it really enjoyable to be serving this way.”

MAF’s team in Mozambique supports the MozMed Project, a partnership that flies doctors into the Niassa Special Reserve. Medical teams visit remote villages, providing vital care in the name of Jesus.

Ryan also flies for other ministries and church partners — helping short-term mission teams and denominational leaders reach distant congregations. Meanwhile, MAF’s Mozambican staff continues to share Christ through Jesus film showings.

“We’ve had [at least] 30 requests from local pastors and communities too for us to come out and show the Jesus film,” Ryan says. “It’s really cool to see the desire for Jesus here.”

MAF pilot Ryan Koher reaches a flying milestone. (Credit: Annabel Koher/MAF)

Following Ryan’s detainment, MAF has implemented a few internal policy updates — but the ministry’s mission hasn’t changed.

“We’ve understood that my situation was very unique,” Ryan explains. “We did learn a lot from it, so we have made some changes policy-wise, but nothing very major. I don’t think we’ve changed who we fly or where we fly at all because of this.”

The Kohers ask believers to pray for northern Mozambique, where terrorist activity has intensified and some attacks are being directed at Christians.

Annabel requests, “Be praying for Christians in Mozambique, for protection, [and] for them to stay steadfast in their faith. Also, [pray] for the terrorists, that they would come to know Christ and they would repent of their ways. They’re not too far gone, and we believe that the Gospel is powerful.”

Learn more about MAF’s work in Mozambique.

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

Annabel and Ryan Koher have experienced this firsthand through their work in Mozambique with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). Their stories have taken unexpected turns causing both of them to lean into God’s plan. While Ryan is often the primary missionary out of the home, Annabel shares that her role is missional and requires this same trust and obedience as well.

“I thought I knew what it would look like,” she says. “I think many people think they know what it’s going to look like going to be missionaries, whether you’re the spouse or the primary missionary in the family.  And we really just don’t know what God has in store for us.”

Steady Work to Support the Mission

Koher says that much of her daily work as a missionary in Mozambique looks the same as it would as a wife of a commercial pilot in the United States. She makes their meals, does the laundry, homeschools their children, and keeps the house running smoothly.

This work is crucial in any family, but Koher shares that sometimes it can be hard to connect it directly to the missions work in Mozambique. In those times the stories of God at work through her husband and others helps fuel her role.

“Hearing their stories, I remember my part in the kitchen, washing dishes, changing the dirty diapers, hanging the laundry on the line – those things allow for Ryan to be able to fly the planes,” Koher says. “Which allows for the Bible translator missionaries to be here. Which allows for the Bible to go out and the Gospel to be shared and for people’s hearts to be changed and come to know Christ.”

(Photo courtesy of Annabel Koher)

In addition to supporting her husband’s flights Koher is part of the spiritual enrichment team in Mozambique. She helps prepare for their monthly meetings as well as arranges conferences and retreats for their team and the national staff.

Koher also explains that her first role, and every parent’s primary mission field, is with their own children. “I would also say that any parent, in a way, is a missionary at least to their kids. The kids are not automatically saved and they need discipleship. And I think a lot of moms in particular, their home is their primary mission field, and then it goes out from there.”

Walking in Obedience

However, no matter what she is doing, Koher seeks to stay focused on God. For those considering a foreign mission field or those who feel called to stay where they are at, there is consistency – rely on God.

“I think our story is a great one, because we were committed to doing the work that we thought God had for us and turned out that that also included Ryan going to jail. And a lot of waiting in the US. And lot of interviews that we never thought we would be doing.

“So, we don’t always know what God has in store for us. We don’t know what He has in store for us if we go overseas. We don’t know what He has in store for us if we stay where we are currently at. So, I think the biggest things are not to be afraid of the unknown, because we know who is already there, and that is God. If He’s calling us to it, He will give us the grace and the peace to sustain us through whatever He calls us to. It doesn’t mean it’s not going to be hard, but if we continue to keep our eyes on Christ and on the work that He has done and on who He is, then we will be able to get through anything – even if it’s the dark valleys or celebrating the Gospel proclamation going out.”

To learn more about Mission Aviation Fellowship’s work in Mozambique or how you can get involved visit their website.

“We’re very glad to serve there because it’s untouched. They would never see a doctor there,” says MAF’s Dave LePoidevin. “The more difficult cases we fly back to Nampula, the big city where we’re based.”

(Photo courtesy of Dave LePoidevin/MAF Mozambique)

MozMed flights serve communities in the Niassa National Reserve, a vast, underdeveloped region of Mozambique where healthcare access is nearly nonexistent. MAF pilots fly teams of Christian doctors to these isolated villages, partnering with Bethesda Mission and local conservation groups that help maintain the airstrips.

However, the service had to be suspended for most of the past year. LePoidevin explains, “For quite some years, we’ve had the insurgents there — a branch of ISIS — and so they’ve been moving in from the north and attacking there. That’s been a constant threat, and we were always watching, ‘Is it safe to fly where we want to fly?’”

The danger only escalated when national elections last October brought political unrest.

“People wanting to make a statement or insurgents, they would just love to see a burning airplane,” says LePoidevin. “So we got kind of nervous that we might be a target, so we pulled the airplane out.”

(Photo courtesy of Dave LePoidevin/MAF Mozambique)

Now that conditions have improved, MAF has returned to the skies — carrying both medicine and Christ’s compassion.

LePoidevin says, “We can love the people with medical help. Even small diseases or wounds or difficult pregnancies or something like that, [which] would be relatively small for us, is a big deal for them there.”

The Niassa region is predominantly Muslim and animist, and direct evangelism is difficult. Still, LePoidevin says the love of Christ can be felt in every flight.

“We’re focusing on material needs and medical needs, and we’re glad to be doing that,” he says. “Nearby here, we have had some opportunities to show the Jesus film…. Some went well, some not so well with objection from the local Muslim community. So we’re focusing on loving our neighbors here.”

Pray for continued safety as MAF flies MozMed teams into Mozambique’s conflict-affected north. Ask God to open hearts among Muslim and animist communities to the hope of Christ.

“If anybody would pray for us in our work in this area in the north, to find opportunities to show Jesus in a respectful and kind way, we would appreciate your prayers for that.”

Header photo courtesy of Dave LePoidevin/MAF Mozambique.