Summer 2024
As we contemplate the year behind us, we truly have cause to be thankful. Another year of safe operation; not only for us in Mareeba but for MAF worldwide. We've also spent another year fostering relationships and contributing to the vibrant community we have found ourselves integrated into. Along with reflection, this season allows us to think about and prepare for the year ahead.
We hope this final update for 2024 finds you well, and that among busy festive celebrations, you are able to meditate on the greatest gift of all - the birth of the King of Kings!
Training Centre Goings-on
I've worked with a number of students this year, all at different checkpoints in their flight training journeys.





Safety Manager
Ever wondered what a safety manager looks like? Look no further. I've accepted the role of Safety Manager for our Australian AOC. This basically means I'll be in charge of maintaining our already deeply intrenched safety culture and overlooking flight safety for Mareeba, Arnhem Land and Timor Leste. I will be taking on this role in addition to flight instructing - prayer would be appreciated!

'Storm's coming up Ani, you'd better get home quick...'
The wet season usually sets in after Christmas, but it decided to set in a month early this year. As frustrating as it is to have training flights scrubbed due to weather, it is a nice change from the relatively dry and bumpy conditions.



Naomi's World
Though I'm not a pilot, I've had my fair share of flights over the past few months! During the September school holidays, I had the privilege of going back to Vanuatu for another mission trip. The purpose of this trip was twofold: to provide healthcare to people in remote villages and to run children's ministry activities (fondly referred to as 'Bible Club') in local schools.
As I did during my visit there last year, I took responsibility for the children's ministry side of things and was helped by a wonderful team of youth. We had the picture book 'Jesus and the Lions' Den' translated into the local language of Bislama and shared this story with over 500 children in less than two weeks! Other activities we organised included bracelet making (with beads to spell out the words 'pray' and 'trust' in Bislama), colouring pages, singing and lots of outdoor games. The days were busy, hot and tiring but the joy on the children's faces as we shared God's love through our words and actions made it all worth it!
One of the highlights of our time in Vanuatu was a two-night stay in a traditional village on the small island of Malo. The local women cooked our meals and prepared a special lunch for us on the last day, including a number of traditional dishes but also banana cake! While the generosity and joy of the people we met there will remain with me for a long time, it's their faith in God that stood out to me the most. Each morning and evening, they in the church (which the village is built around) for a shared devotional time - children included. Few people in the village have their own bible and many of them can't read; however, spending time in God's word and in worship is a priority for them. I could only pick up bits and pieces of what was shared during these times (as most of it was in Bislama) but I felt God's presence so strongly, and was humbled by the way in which these people begin and end each day intentionally focusing on God. What a beautiful picture of the Kingdom this is!



Just over a week after arriving home from Vanuatu, I flew to Weipa with a colleague. Weipa is a remote, coastal mining town about 800km northwest of Cairns. You're likely wondering why our principal would send us to such an isolated place! Well, our school has partnered with Kluthuthu Christian College in the nearby Aboriginal community of Napranum and we're planning to take students on a mission trip there in June, 2025. My colleague and I had the opportunity to spend some time at Kluthuthu, and tour both Weipa and Napranum, to begin organising details for the mission trip. As a relatively new school, Kluthuthu has limited resources so one of the tasks for the mission team next year will be to lay more turf in the school yard. It won't be an easy job, with the average temperature in Weipa being around 30 degrees at that time of year... a little cooler than the 35+ degree temperatures we had during our October visit though!
We also helped out in the classrooms and my favourite part of this was teaching a maths lesson to three very enthusiastic boys... who knew that addition and subtraction bingo would be such a hit! The staff at this school are incredibly dedicated to the education and wellbeing of their students, putting in long hours each day. It was a blessing to witness the outworking of the gospel in this place and it was hard to leave. I'm incredibly thankful I had the opportunity to visit. Sadly, Tiny Ted didn't join me on this trip - all the more reason to return!



In other news, the school year ended well and included an excursion to MAF in Mareeba for my class. They especially loved 'flying' in the simulator and were thrilled to meet 'Mr Lindsey'. As the term drew to a close, it was hard to say goodbye to my students but I'm looking forward to teaching a Year 3 class in 2025.

Prayer
Give thanks for safety and the building of relationships during
Naomi's trips to Vanuatu and Weipa.
Give thanks for the opportunity to spend time with family and
friends over the Christmas season.
Pray for the students and staff at Kluthuthu Christian College.
Continue to pray for more instructors at the Flight Training Centre.
That's all for this year! Have a wonderful Christmas and blessed year to come.
In Christ,
Michael & Naomi
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