In the Air

Building Bridges

Building Bridges

(As of this post I was not able to get a picture of the actual bridge that was built. So here is a googled picture of bridge&Haiti.)

MFI received a call on a Tuesday afternoon from a group who was in Haiti to build a bridge over a river. The road crossing through the river was constantly being washed out - preventing access to the villages on the other side. The group had run out of a special type of bolt needed to complete the bridge and wanted to find out if MFI could get the bolts purchased and transported to them - by Thursday. Understand, this group was in a remote part of southwest Haiti and they wanted MFI to buy and transport 600 lbs of specialized bolts to them in less than two days time.

Of course, we were able to do it. An MFI volunteer, the cousin of the missionary this bridge was being built for, drove to Riviera Beach on Wednesday and purchased the bolts. On Thursday, I flew the bolts from Ft. Pierce (along with 20 people and their baggage and cargo) to Pignon, Haiti. MAF met us there with one of their planes, picked up the bolts, and flew them to an air strip near where the bridge was being built. In less the 48 hours from the initial phone call, the bolts were delivered and they were able to finish the bridge.

A New Role

A New Role

At Missionary Flights, everyone has multiple roles to fill. We have 12 pilots and each of those pilots spends significantly more time doing something other than flying. Some are mechanics. Some load airplanes. Some are executives. 

I am a pilot, a mechanic, the Parts Room Manager, and most recently - computer guy with the new addition of leading the conversion of our old computer accounting software to Quickbooks. So along with this, I am also having to dust off my old accounting textbook from 15 years ago.

I know this is not exciting stuff to read about (if you have even managed to make it this far), but it is what we do and I'm committed to sharing with you not only the exciting stories but also some of the hum drum of life working in an organization.

This is an example of how God really does know what he is doing. He has brought guys primarily trained as pilots and mechanics into an organization that needs so much more than that. He blesses us with skills and wants and desires and then finds a way to use those to bring glory to him. I am so thankful for the talents he has given me and for the opportunities to use them to benefit MFI and ultimately him.

Fixing Eyes in Haiti

Fixing Eyes in Haiti

In February of 2010, before I had started working for MFI, I went on a flight as a flight attendant. On that trip, I met Chris and Sue DenOuden. They lead a group to Pignon every year at this time to mainly do eye surgeries. That was three years ago and while they have gone on this trip the last few years, I have missed them - until 2013. So last week, I was talking with a lady on the flight and she mentioned she was from Iowa and with some eye doctors. And lo and behold, it was the DenOuden group. I got to say hi and above is a picture of the group with all their equipment and baggage packed in the back of a truck in Pignon, Haiti. 

It is a blessing and a privilege to be able to fly this committed group back to Haiti each year.

Feed My Starving Children Event

No, these children were not at MFI for a FMSC event. However, they are eating the meals that we helped prepare. Read more below to find out about what we did in MFI's hangar on Saturday, January 12, 2013 - the 3rd anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God's children hungry in body and spirit. The approach they use is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children. Those meals are then shipped to nearly 70 countries around the world. Read more at http://www.fmsc.org.



FMSC has packing events like the one held at MFI all over the country. The same weekend MFI was having its event, there was an event being held in Miami where 2 million meals were packed. The majority of the meals prepared at packing events go onto pallets and then into shipping containers. In 2011, 47,019,096 meals were shipped to Haiti. This organization is helping save children's lives all over the world.

(Kevin scooping rice in preparation for the event)

MFI's Role

Every flight to Haiti is planned at max gross weight on our airplanes. However, if there is a last minute cancelation or a team comes in light on their reserved baggage, weight is therefore open and needs to be filled. Often, that weight is filled with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) meals MFI keeps on hand. These meals are put on board to fill the extra weight and is sent down to three different organizations MFI serves.

On January 12, 2013, the third anniversary of the Haitian earthquake, MFI hosted a FMSC event in our hangar to prepare 100,000 meals. Every bag prepared contains rice, soy protein, and veggies. Each bag consists of six meals and actually tastes pretty good. Haiti is the largest beneficiary of these meals from FMSC because the need is so great in this country.

(14 pallets and 108,864 meals)

All of the 108,864 meals prepared will remain at MFI. We will fly them down at our convenience and at our cost. It was an excellent opportunity to be a part of the preparation of these that serve so many.

(Kaden and Blue helping seal bags)

MFI Success Story

Brooke R.

Ten years ago, MFI was called upon to rescue eight year old Brooke. She was a missionary kid in Haiti and had been hit by a truck while riding her bicycle. She had life threatening internal injuries and he pelvis was broken in four places. MFI dispatched an aircraft to Haiti and returned Brooke to the United States for treatment. It is exciting to report that Brooke recovered completely and recently graduated from high school. MFI is glad to have been a vital part in Brooke's life.

Dealing with the DOT

Dealing with the DOT

Since MFI began its service to the mission community in the West Indies in 1964, many rules and government regulations have been added to aviation and to the MFI operation. It seems that every year more rules are created that we must comply with. It takes many hours each week for our office staff to accomplish all of the government requirements for our international flights. Recently the Department of Transportation (DOT) has contacted MFI about how we conform to certain transportation regulations. We have followed the same FAA guidelines over the past 48 years but now we must re-evaluate our procedures. Please pray that MFI will be able to meet the standards that are set before us.

The DOT has asked us to suspend our website until the issue is settled. Any recurring credit card donations will continue to be processed normally. If a new donor would like to donate online, please call the MFI office at 772-462-2395 and they will assist you.

Surprise Medical Mission

It was a normal flight day. Leave Ft. Pierce around 7am. Make a fuel stop in Exuma around 9am. Then to Cap Haitien to unload cargo and passengers. After that it was on to Port au Prince to drop off a little more cargo and to pick up passengers. The passengers were on the airplane and I was doing the flight safety briefing while the captain took care of captain business.

When out of the corner of my eye I saw a vehicle pull up to the plane. At the door was a Haitian woman and a teenage Haitian boy with a huge bandage around his right eye. I knew nothing about these passengers but led them aboard and figured if there was a problem the captain could deal with it.

Come to find out, Davidson was a 15 year old Haitian boy with a large cancerous brain tumor - about the size of a softball under his right eye. Unbelievably, the tumor first presented just a few months earlier. The documentation accompanying him said that unless he receives urgent medical treatment, he will die an excruciating death.

The Bicol Clinic Foundation was sponsoring his trip and treatment and we were able to provide the transportation. Again, MFI was able to go beyond our normal operations to help someone in dire need. 

Wrestling in the Bahamas

So do Haitians wrestle? Not that I've ever seen. So it's a good thing we didn't take this humongous wrestling mat to Haiti - but to the Bahamas.

Jake Stortenbecker runs a camp in Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco for kids and part of the camp involves teaching wrestling. Since big huge wrestling mats aren't so easy to ship, Jake asked us to fly it over for him. This is quite possibly the largest item MFI has ever flown. It was, however, quite easy to unload with the help of some Bahamians.

Something that doesn't happen often is that we got a follow-up. Jake sent a thank you and a picture of him using the wrestling mat with his boys in the Agape Christian wrestling class. It's always pleasing to see the results of one of our flights.

When Goats Fly

The live animal freight that MFI transports is often interesting and amusing.  We have flown dogs, cats, horses and prairie dogs.   The most recent interesting cargo was a load of goats.  Occasionally the mission community tries to upgrade the goat population in Haiti by bringing in fresh stock.  After a few years the local goat population is pretty much run down and they look like skinny little dogs rather than goats.  Our passenger goats seemed to enjoy their DC-3 ride to Port-au-Prince.  The USDA approved each goat to go on this international flight even though they did not have passports.

Standing in the Gap for Youth Groups

Standing in the Gap for Youth Groups

Groups looking for a short term mission project in an area without a language barrier can minister in the Bahamas.  By “Standing in the Gap” MFI provides air transportation for youth groups to participate in evangelistic outreach including Vacation Bible Schools, sports camps and construction or maintenance for the ministries on these small islands.  Young people are given the opportunity to participate in mission outreach in Haiti as well.