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)

If you have a passion for spreading the Gospel, India is one of the most critical mission fields — and now is a key time to support Mission India as they touch kids’ hearts.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Raina Miller with Mission India says, “Giving Tuesday falls during our 10-Day Children’s Bible Club matching challenge, so it’s a great time to take advantage of that…. Every dollar that you give to 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs is currently being doubled — so $1 is doubled to reach two children with the good news of Jesus!”

India is home to 1.4 billion people, and 96% have never heard the Gospel. Mission India works with local Christian partners for these Children’s Bible Clubs — even as believers face intense persecution.

“India is actually the 11th most dangerous nation in the world for Christians,” Miller explains. “There are people who are ostracized from their communities, they are facing violence, they’re facing intimidation in all different forms for following Christ…. And yet, we’re finding that the more persecution increases, the more the Church grows.”

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

You can donate to Mission India’s 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs today at www.missionindia.org/double.

This Giving Tuesday, help make an eternal difference for children in India.

Miller also asks, “Pray that the kids who are reached through the Bible Clubs that are being sponsored during this match would have their hearts changed in a way that pushes them to lead others to Christ as well. [Pray] that it just creates a domino effect where the kids reached through this match then go on to reach entire communities!”

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.

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.

“They say the blood of the martyrs [has] so fertilized the soil of Africa that everywhere you plant the gospel, it germinates,” says Ray Mensah with OneWay Africa. 

With that missionary history of sacrifice comes responsibility.

“The Bible says to him that much is given, much is expected or required. So now that Africa has the largest number of Christians, Africa has to play a significant role in world evangelization,” Mensah says.

“Africa cannot continue to be a mission field. Africa has to be a mission force. We believe we are [a] mission force but want to be [a] full-scale mission force, sending praying, supporting in every area.”

That’s why Mensah and other African leaders are planning the Africa Missions Conference September 23-27, 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.

(Photo courtesy of Annie Spratt via Unsplash)

“It will be a place for networking, for partnerships, for new movements to rise up,” he says, adding, “We’re hoping that some of the denominational heads in Africa will come and churches that are not missionary, and they will catch the fire for missions.”

The conference carries an open invitation for you to come in person. Mensah calls for anyone around the world interested in missions to attend — whether field workers, leaders, intercessors, trainers or [those] carrying other roles.

“I challenge all those with passion for missions to stand with us globally. Especially also if someone is listening and you are African in the diaspora… we are calling you, come!” Mensah says, sharing that many nationalities will be represented. “Be part of the mission movement. God is doing wonderful things in Africa, and we invite you, come back home.”

Jesus Film Riders (Image courtesy of OneWay Africa)

The conference committee is also praying that the gathering will lead to national missions associations being launched in every sub-Saharan country. These have already begun in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya and Malawi in the past decade or so.

“We have realized that mission movements, or national mission associations, help to push or propel missions in the country to reach the unreached,” Mensah says, adding, “Once those movements are formed, it will be a turning point in missions in Africa.”

Mensah sees [that] God is raising every part of His Church to be active. Learn more about the conference and register here. 

“I believe the Africa Missions Conference will be that part of the global Church in action, and Africa taking its place and playing its role, together with North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, together for the Great Commission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth,” he says. “Amen!”

Header photo of Jesus Film Rider courtesy of OneWay Africa.

The truth is that God can use anyone, regardless of their profession, to further His Kingdom.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a testament to this truth. Missionary pilots and mechanics are essential to their ministry. Yet, MAF relies on many different hands and laborers to reach isolated communities with the love of Christ — including IT, education, administration, and even human resources.

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

Marionne Tucker, MAF’s Vice President and Chief People Officer, is a prime example of how God can use diverse talents in missions.

With a background in human resources, Tucker’s role might seem far removed from traditional missionary work. Yet, her work in managing and supporting MAF’s staff is crucial to the organization’s ability to advance the name of Jesus through aviation.

Tucker’s prayer to the Lord captures the heart of missions: “We want to give You our lives, we want to give You our talents, our skills, our treasures… for the expansion of Your work.”

MAF continually seeks individuals with various skills to join its mission. From IT specialists to teachers, there are countless ways to contribute to the Great Commission.

Beyond offering talents, Tucker emphasizes the importance of prayer and financial support. She prays for more laborers to join the mission and for the resources needed to sustain MAF’s work.

“I just pray…that they may desire to come alongside Mission Aviation Fellowship… to be a blessing, to sow into this ministry,” she says.

Whether you’re on the field or behind the scenes, God can use your talents to reach the unreached and bring His love to the ends of the earth.

Find missions roles at MAF here!

Header photo courtesy of Chuttersnap/Unsplash.

A report from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project says more than 24,000 Sudanese people have been killed since April 2023. The actual number is likely higher.

Dane with unfoldingWord says, “There are atrocities happening every day in Sudan that are equivalent or worse than the worst atrocities we saw on the October 7 invasion of Israel. So, I won’t get any more graphic than that.”

(Photo courtesy of unfoldingWord)

But God is at work in refugee camps, which are almost like towns populated by tens or even hundreds of thousands of people.

A ministry partner with unfoldingWord in Sudan operates equipping centers in more than two dozen refugee settlements. There they disciple new believers for compassionate Gospel ministry.

“When they send these trained people out to plant churches [and] to do ministry in these refugee areas, they are trained as evangelists,” Dane says. “They’re trained as pastors. Some of them are trained as Bible translators. They are trained in Bible-centered trauma counseling because these people have been violently traumatized.”

Discover how you can support Sudanese Bible translators alongside unfoldingWord at their website.

Dane asks, “Pray for those translators. Pray for unfoldingWord — and if God so moves your heart, please tap on that ‘give now’ button!”

Header photo courtesy of DFID – UK Department for International Development, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

By God’s grace, the experience of imprisonment in Mozambique actually deepened Ryan’s passion to serve the Mozambican people.

“Over at least my detainment experience, I grew to love the people of Mozambique more as I spent time with the worst of society in jail and learned to love them and love the people who put me in jail and the prison guards,” says Ryan. “We just also look forward to doing life with our team and our national staff that we came to know in Mozambique, and just ministering to them as well.

“Our drive going back is rooted in our love for Christ and our love of serving Him and bringing people to Him.”

Ryan Koher, Annabel Koher, and their two boys. (Photo courtesy of MAF, used with permission from the Koher family.)

MAF has been serving in Mozambique since 1999 and created Ambassador Aviation in 2014 to meet new requirements for charter services. Today, the ministry’s missionary families and indigenous staff primarily serve hard-to-reach people groups in northern Mozambique, flying healthcare resources and other forms of aid in Jesus’s name.

The Kohers still believe in this mission and want God to use them, despite whatever future challenges may arise.

“God has given us special gifts and abilities and skills, and also opportunity to go and serve in Mozambique,” Ryan says. “We are just going to take that open door and go and serve them there.”

After their daughter is born and they have time to recuperate as a family, Ryan and Annabel plan to move back to Mozambique and continue serving with Ambassador Aviation.

As they prepare to follow God’s calling, Annabel requests, “Prayer for the visa process, that our daughter’s passport would come through quickly and smoothly, that we’d be able to get visas to go to Mozambique smoothly.

Ryan Koher (Photo courtesy of MAF, used with permission from the Koher family.)

“Also [pray for] the transition back into Mozambique because we have been out of the country for over a year now. Our boys are five and almost four, and they’re super excited to go back. That’s home to them, but we also realize that there will be a transition going back. So prayer that that will go smoothly, that our language skills will come back to us, and just that we’ll thrive there and be open to whatever ministries God has for us in Mozambique.”

To learn more about how Mission Aviation Fellowship serves communities in Mozambique, visit MAF’s website.

Header photo taken in September 2022 at Nairuko, Mozambique. Featuring Ryan Koher, Annabel Koher, and their two boys. (Photo courtesy of MAF, used with permission from the Koher family.)

Zacharie’s story is significant, not just because it shows what can happen when we are faithful to follow God’s direction. His example today is a living testament to other Haitian kids and believers that they are not sidelined in God’s story. If they commit their lives to follow Jesus, God could use them on the mission field too — maybe even as a missionary pilot/mechanic!

In particular, one moment stands out to Zacharie that shows how God can use him to inspire others.

In a rural village, Zacharie explains airplane lift and physics to a group of school children who are on a special field trip. (Photo, caption courtesy of MAF)

When Zacharie was interning at MAF Haiti as a mechanic apprentice, he went on a ride-along medivac flight. The MAF plane landed in Fond-des-Blancs, a town nestled in the mountains which is normally a 3 to 5-hour drive from Port-au-Prince.

“We had landed there, dropped off the paramedic,…and we were gonna wait for the paramedic to come back so we could come back to Port-au-Prince, the capital, with them,” Zacharie explains.

“While we were waiting, the kids in the village came out to the plane. Typically, there’s only a foreigner there who doesn’t speak Creole well, so they’re kind of shy about it. But this time, there’s this Haitian guy wearing an MAF shirt, and they were like, ‘Oh, I want to talk to him!'”

Zacharie says the kids gathered around him and started asking him questions about the plane. It was a sweet interaction, but then he says one of the young Haitian boys spoke up.

“Basically, what he was saying was that he didn’t believe that a Haitian could fly or maintain an airplane, even with God’s help.”

Zacharie was not yet a pilot/mechanic with MAF at the time. He was still pursuing the education and training. Still, he couldn’t shake the child’s doubtful comments.

“I was not there yet. I was unable to provide him with an answer. And that was hard. On top of that, being a Haitian, I understand where he’s coming from. I understand the comment he’s making. I’ve heard it. And there’s time when I might be tempted to believe it.”

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

Haiti is the poorest country in the Caribbean and Latin America. Its unemployment rate is around 15%, and only six in 10 Haitians above age 15 are literate.

Yet, even Jesus was dismissed by people because of where He was from. In John 1:46, Nathanael (who would eventually become Christ’s disciple) responded to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth saying, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”

Zacharie overcame many barriers as a young boy from Port-au-Prince to finally become a pilot/mechanic with MAF. He eventually completed his pilot and mechanic training as God opened doors through donors, encouragement, and countless prayers.

While his resume is impressive, Zacharie gives all glory to the Lord for his achievements and service on the Haitian mission field, supporting Gospel initiatives and inspiring others who didn’t think it could be done.

“People start seeing you slightly differently. And especially because it’s MAF, they’ve never seen a Haitian fly for MAF. I’ve already had comments on the airport! They’re like, ‘Wait, you’re the Haitian who is the MAF mechanic? How did that happen?’ Or, ‘Wait, you fly for MAF?’ It is a bit of a different shift!”

Zacharie says, “Every step, I could see God along the way. Every single step of it.”

Pray for more Haitians to follow Jesus and allow God to use them in big ways for His Kingdom! Thank the Lord for faithful believers like Zacharie following the Holy Spirit’s lead to the mission field.

Learn more about MAF Haiti’s ministry here.

Header photo of 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)

Dave, Joy, and Kenya Hope volunteer Julie Holman were killed in a car crash in Kenya on October 25. The Muellers are survived by their three sons — Ian, Forrest, and Cameron Mueller, along with their wives and four grandchildren.

The couple served as executive directors with Kenya Hope for 13 years. Prior to that, they worked with New Tribes Mission, Partners in Compassionate Care, and Closed Door Ministries.

Ian Mueller says his parents were passionate about ministry at Kenya Hope, caring for Kenyan widows, providing clean water, and distributing audio Bibles.

Dave Mueller, Joy Mueller, and Julie Holman. (Photo courtesy of Kenya Hope)

Joy’s heart was especially with the widows they served at Kenya Hope. Each widow sponsored through a 24-month program receives food assistance, skills training, goats, and Bible instruction.

“She just saw the need of the widows in Sub-Saharan Africa was just like, ‘I can’t sit idle,” says Ian.

“The thing I want people to remember about my mom is she was impossible to contain. [She had] endless wells of energy powered by her love for the people that she valued and the people that God loves as well.”

Meanwhile, Ian says his father Dave was a handyman, known for fixing almost anything, “So taking a multi-year construction process and turning it into a two-week complete move-in — from prefabricated homes in the jungle for missionaries, to Ferro-cement buildings in southern Sudan, to water towers and water projects, churches, chapels, and school buildings in Kenya.

“A do-it-all guy. We called him MacGyver most of the time! The Kenyans called him ‘The General.'”

Dave and Joy Mueller (Photo courtesy of Mueller family)

Dave was also especially attentive to the audio Bible distributions. “These people walk everywhere, miles and miles and miles a day, and they’re just listening to the Word constantly,” says Ian.

“They would come to him like three or four years later and they would say, ‘It (the audio Bible) doesn’t work anymore. It’s been through rain and everything.’ He would hook them up with another one [and saw] the life that brought to so many people.”

The Muellers’ celebration of life service is on Saturday, November 4 at 1:00 pm EST. The service livestream can be viewed at this link.

You can read Dave and Joy’s obituaries here.

Ultimately, Ian says anyone can serve God as his parents did.

“You don’t need to be a super person because a missionary isn’t a special person. It’s just a job, and the job is faith.

“My dad would say you never graduate from the school of faith. It just gets harder. He would say he hated walking by faith, in all honesty. Even though he was an incredibly committed missionary, it never gets easier. It only gets harder. But Jesus is a light unto our feet and He guides the way, so you’ve just got to keep saying yes every time.”

Please pray comfort for the Mueller and Holman families, and for Kenya Hope as they grieve and continue in Gospel ministry.

Header photo courtesy of the Mueller family.

A small group of MAF interns travels together to one of the ministry’s overseas bases. There, they spend four weeks being mentored in missionary aviation life and help with remote outreach opportunities.

Eric Kellerer, MAF’s Director of Waypoints says, “It’s really designed to begin thinking about a long-term calling.”

(Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)

Before MAF interns go to the mission field, they spend eight weeks preparing. “They join together with usually about 10 others that are going on this internship and they learn to [deal with] conflict,” says Kellerer.

“What do they do when they have interpersonal conflicts on the field? What will they do when they don’t know how to get food in a different language? We process through lots of different questions like that and they try to think ahead about what that will be like. Then we prepare them to actually go onto the field.”

On the mission field, a mentor couple walks alongside the interns as they learn the local language, culture, and challenges.

From there, Kellerer says, “We usually go out into some of the far reaches where Mission Aviation Fellowship flies on a regular basis, and these are to the most isolated people groups…. [But] instead of going by air, we go by foot or boat or bus or van or horseback, depending on the country. It’s not an easy journey.

“For example, on a recent trip to Lesotho, our interns hiked for eight hours into a village. At the end of that time, they spent two days ministering alongside of some pastors and some nurses that were working in the village in this remote area. Then after two days, an MAF airplane came into that landing strip and picked them up and took them back to the capitol.

(Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)

“Now the flight back was only about 35 minutes long. But the interns then will forever understand how important that tool of ministry the airplane is in that region. If we just flew in, they would be thinking, ‘Wow, this was a nice flight, very pretty, beautiful flight, very nice village.’ But they would not understand how remote and isolated those families are — and there are about 9,000 people that live within a two hour walk of that village.”

Interns also interact with local missionary families, see what life is like for spouses and children, and work with other ministries MAF partners with.

Ultimately, the Waypoints internship program was created to prepare potential missionaries in practical ways, dispel myths about missions work, and hopefully refine interns’ sense of calling from the Lord to become full-time missionaries.

“We looked at many of the reasons why people left the field early…and we said some of those are very legitimate, very noble reasons to come home to your home country,” says Kellerer. “But some of the reasons were really things that, if we had actually invested in their lives, we could help them to actually have longer terms of service there.”

If you’re interested in learning more about a Waypoints internship, contact MAF here!

“Is God inviting you to be part of this Great Commission in different cultures and different lands outside of your comfort zone?” Kellerer asks. “Is He inviting you into that experience to be sent?”

Header photo shows a view of Papua, Indonesia from the window of an MAF plane. (Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)