A glimpse into some of those you are reaching through MAF
Unless you are of Jewish heritage, there was likely a point in time when someone, somewhere had to cross a cultural boundary to share the Gospel with your ancestors.
Paul went to the Gentiles. Mediterranean Christians went into the rest of Europe and further East. And the message of Jesus Christ has been spreading throughout the rest of the world ever since.
Yet there are still people groups who are either cut off from the news of Jesus Christ—or are still working to kindle the fires of their faith.
MAF has the privilege of working with many different people groups around the world—some of them have had access to the Gospel for years—others have yet to hear it in a meaningful way.
We wanted to give you a glimpse into just a few of the many people groups MAF serves.
Thank you for making it possible for MAF to be part of bringing hope to these people and many others around the world.
BASOTHO
Nearly two million Basotho people live in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho in southern Africa. HIV/AIDS is one of the most pressing concerns for the people of this remote country. MAF works with local Christians, missionaries, and doctors to meet the physical and spiritual needs of these people who are often cut off from medical care and the message of the Gospel due to Lesotho’s rugged mountainous terrain.
WANO
The Wano tribe lives deep in the mountains of Papua, Indonesia. Some studies estimate that there are only about 1,100 to 1,500 Wano people. In recent years, the first airstrip opened in Mokndoma, one of the Wano villages. This airstrip opens doors for MAF to support our partners who live and work there among these people. Before missionaries brought the message of the Gospel to the Wano, they were animists who lived in fear of evil spirits—even going so far as dismembering themselves to protect their families from these spirits. Since then, many of the Wano have passionately embraced their faith in Jesus and are reaching out to surrounding tribes. Efforts are still being made to translate the Bible into the Wano language.
HAITIANS
There are nearly 11 million Haitians living in the small island nation of Haiti. Their main language is Haitian Creole. MAF has worked in Haiti since 1986, helping churches and other organizations share Christ’s love with these people—particularly when disasters like the 2010 earthquake or 2016’s Hurricane Matthew struck this small island nation and devastated the lives of many of the Haitians who live here.
DAYAK
The term “Dayak” refers to some 200 different ethnic groups who live on the island of Borneo. The southern part of this large island belongs to Indonesia, and is known as Kalimantan. MAF serves many of the Dayak peoples throughout the interior of Kalimantan—often using floatplanes to land on the rivers that wind their way through this remote region. Traditionally, most Dayak have held to animistic beliefs, but in recent centuries, both Islam and Christianity have taken hold among the Dayak people. Along with providing access to medical care, MAF works with local churches and some Western missionaries to share Christ’s love here.
Story appeared in the spring 2018 issue of FlightWatch.