International (MNN) — At the close of a year, many Christians find themselves asking God what He would have them do for the Kingdom next year. It could mean a short-term missions opportunity or a long-term career in the mission field.
For believers ready to take a leap of faith and commit their talents to the mission field full-time, Mission Aviation Fellowship could be the right fit. MAF is currently hiring more aircraft mechanics, pilots, field IT support specialists, and teachers to join their team!
As an aviation ministry, MAF partners with ministries and organizations to reach isolated people with aid, resources, and the hope of the Gospel. In the day-to-day, this looks like medical evacuations, transporting food and supplies, flying indigenous pastors, and more.
Pilots
Pilot Daniel Moser taking off from an airstrip in Timor-Leste. (Caption, photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)
Pilots are, obviously, a major driving force of MAF’s outreach. Crissie Rask, MAF’s manager of mobilization, says many of their pilots specialize in another skill as well, such as a pilot mechanic or pilot finance.
“Sort of the backbone of our pilot staff is pilots that have a mechanics rating because of the kinds of places we fly…. We have a variety of people that bring the pilot component and another component to it. But for pilots who are going to be piloting and that is more their focus, we would ask for 1,000 hours of flight experience.”
Additionally, she says, “We’re looking for pilots that have a commercial license with an instrument rating and 50 hours in high-performance aircraft. [We require] an airframe and powerplant A&P mechanics license for our pilot mechanics [and] a minimum of 400 flight hours in a fixed-wing aircraft.”
Aircraft Mechanics
MAF also needs mechanics who specifically have avionics experience.
(Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)
“Avionics and electronics are much more complex than they used to be and we have a lot of work to be done in those areas, so that is a really high needs area,” Rask explains.
“On our mechanic side for…aviation, we want somebody that has an airframe and powerplant mechanics license and experience in general aviation maintenance. There is a rating called an inspection authorization that is very helpful and that is something else we look at. We have requests for those kinds of people really in almost every field we serve in.”
MAF operates with a mostly turbine fleet. Because of this, mechanics with turbine experience would be especially appreciated.
Tech Resources
MAF’s tech resources department is also looking for individuals with information technology-oriented talents to join them in the field.
“We need what we call field IT support specialists — somebody who can come alongside and assist in all kinds of levels of expertise in the IT world,” Rask says.
“As anyone here knows, it’s hugely necessary in any organization or business — and so much more even in a global context — where we rely on technology to have the communication and the infrastructure we need.”
Teachers
Finally, teachers are a critical need in the places MAF serves. But the teacher role is a bit different in that MAF’s teachers work with the children of other MAF families.
“Our families live, I like to say, ‘on the edge of isolation.’ But often there are not good opportunities for schooling in the local context.”
Homeschooling isn’t always an option either. “Not every family is interested in or has the right mix of personality and focus to do homeschooling. It is very common here in the States for people to homeschool, but often they have the support of a local library, local sports teams, a local kids club or church club. Overseas, it is so valuable for our children…to have somebody besides their parents [who] is nurturing and guiding them and investing [so] they have a solid education.”
The MAF team in Indonesia dedicating a new Kodiak. (Photo courtesy of David Holsten with Mission Aviation Fellowship)
MAF hires teachers to fill this need for families serving in various capacities on the mission field.
“So we are looking for certified teachers that are willing to go and invest. They are investing in the lives of the students they teach and that is their primary focus, but through that, the ripple effect is just wonderful in the communities they live in and get to participate in.”
Also, Rask says teachers with MAF can enable families to stay where they are and continue serving longer-term.
“I just have a quote here from one teacher. It said, ‘Last year, many families considered leaving the field when their kids were suddenly unable to attend school mid-year. Having teachers allows our team to focus on their MAF ministry as pilots, mechanics, and IT personnel. Some MAF spouses help out in the parts room at the hangar, teach English to national children, or host recovering patients from the local hospital. The teacher role allows them to have the margin to do that.’”
Get Connected with MAF!
View of Nabire, Papua, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship)
You can learn more about these opportunities with MAF at their website! Just go to www.MAF.org/serve.
There, you can send an inquiry to MAF and share how you are interested in getting involved. If you don’t already have all the qualifications, they can connect you with resources to equip you. MAF has Mobilizers located around the US who will provide you with more information.
Meanwhile, please pray for MAF’s ministry going into 2019. As Jesus says in Matthew 9:38, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Header photo courtesy of Mission Aviation Fellowship.
