For MAF, the opening or re-opening of an airstrip is a beautiful moment. It’s an opportunity and a gateway through which the gospel can be accessed by another isolated community! Well, you can imagine our excitement when we’d received word of an airstrip being opened in Bunam, PNG!
Michael Duncalfe, MAF PNG’s flight operations manager and chief pilot, declared the Bunam airstrip open towards the end of 2014. The celebrations that normally occur were not as extravagant as they sometimes are but during the visits soon after the opening, something exciting was slowly becoming clear!
Mandy Glass and husband MAF pilot Mathias Glass, were on the first operational flight that landed on the newly opened airstrip on the 1st of December. Whilst doing his circuit above Bunam, Mathias exclaimed “I can see about 20 people and there are more coming!” As they landed it appeared that the whole parking bay was surrounded by people! The community had turned up to witness the first landing!
The reason for such a turnout? Bibles. Mathias ended up selling 20 Bibles that day and then a further 40 on the pickup day. It must create such a buzz and excitement for the pilots as they witness how eager the communities they serve are for not only the presence of MAF but the word of God. It certainly gets us enthused too!
This wasn’t the only occasion where the interest for Bibles was displayed by the Bunam people. Even before the first operational flight, MAF pilot Brad Venter recalled being asked about the availability of Bibles during the inspection and test landing on the Bunam airstrip by the local people!
It’s absolutely thrilling to see these beautiful people getting excited about Jesus and what they can learn through the Bible and it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of our work in PNG! We’re certain that God has great plans and purposes for the Bunam airstrip and we’re so looking forward to seeing them unfold in the next few years!
mafyouth 