Day 1

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Day 1

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

A is for audio Bible,
For listening to God’s wonderful Word.
As Mike took off in his small aircraft,
He was glad the Good News would be heard.

The first stop was northern Australia,
The territory of Arnhem Land.
As Mike landed his plane on the airstrip,
A man came to lend him a hand.

‘Most Bibles here are in English.
That’s not something that’s easy to read.
But now we can hear our own language,
Your cargo’s a blessing indeed!’

Mike showed him the audio Bible,
All charged up by the sun’s warm rays.
No need to worry about batteries or plugs,
Now people could listen for days.

These audio Bibles are just one of the things
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 2

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Day 2

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

B is for blankets, cosy and warm,
Stacked up in the back of Mike’s plane.
Flying so high, he looked down at the view
But could only see muddy terrain.

Beneath Mike lay Sulawesi island,
A place where he often had flown.
This Indonesian land was ruined and scarred,
It was a true disaster zone!

There’d been an earthquake and tsunami,
But MAF had got there quick,
Delivering everything the people might need
To those who were injured or sick.

Mike brought his plane down safely
For the people who’d lost their homes.
They were glad to receive his blankets
To cover their weary bones.

These blankets are just one of the things
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 3

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Day 3

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

C is for chimpanzee – what a surprise!
As Mike turned his plane to the west,
A call came over his radio set,
‘Please respond to this urgent request!

‘A poor baby chimp has been injured,
She has fallen out of a tree.
Please will you help us by taking her
To the wildlife sanctuary?’

Mike landed his plane in Liberia,
Where he picked up the injured ape.
Her name was Mary Beauty,
And she’d had a lucky escape.

Some poachers had killed her mother,
Leaving Mary all alone.
Mike was only too happy to take her
To the safety of her new home.

Chimpanzees are just one of the things
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 4

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Day 4

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

D is for dentist – open wide!
They help us to keep our teeth healthy.
Although there are many in the UK,
Not every place is as wealthy.

The next stop for Mike was Papua,
And as he began to descend,
Down there waiting, below on the ground
Was a dentist called Ika, his friend!

‘Please take me to Nalca,’ said Ika,
‘I’m teaching the small children there
About how to clean and look after their teeth
And to treat all their smiles with care.

‘I use my puppets to teach them,
They really enjoy the show.
Fun helps the children remember
The toothbrushing skills they should know.’

Dentists are just some of passengers
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 5

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Day 5

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

E is for evangelist –
Which is quite a difficult word
For a person who tells others about God’s love,
So the Good News can be heard.

Elisha lives in Tanzania,
Where he shares God’s Word with his tribe.
He travels all over the area,
Preaching to those far and wide.

As Mike brought his plane to a standstill,
He saw Elisha with a giraffe.
It was his dear friend Alpha,
Who always made Mike laugh.

The pair were surrounded by people,
Who were eager to hear what they’d say.
They’d been sharing God’s love with the Maasai,
And teaching them all how to pray.

‘MAF flies me to faraway places.
If I walked, it would take many days,’
Said Elisha, as he entered the aircraft,
‘You’re such a great help Mike, always.’

‘May I join in your alphabet adventure?’
Alpha asked his good friend Mike.
‘To see the things MAF’s flying,
Is something I’d really like.’

Evangelists are just some of passengers
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 6

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Day 6

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

F is for fuel drums – jolly and red,
And very heavy indeed.
With fuel inside, to help our planes fly,
It’s just what our pilots need.

Mike’s next stop was back in Australia,
To MAF’s maintenance base.
Waiting was Pilot Bridget,
With a great big smile on her face.

‘Welcome, Mike and Alpha,
I hope you can help me today.
These drums full of fuel will help me fly
To Arnhem Land far away.’

The friends were only too happy to help,
And the drums were soon on the plane.
Then heading west towards Arnhem Land,
They knew they’d see their friends again.

These fuel drums are just one of the things
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 7

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Day 7

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

G is for glass eyes – they can’t help you see,
But they might help you feel more content
If you unfortunately lost your own eye
Through an illness or accident.

The next stop was Madagascar,
On the runway below was a fox.
It was their old friend Foxtrot,
In whose paws they saw a box.

Foxtrot handed over the cargo,
A big box filled with glass eyes.
They were needed in a faraway hospital,
To give a patient a nice surprise.

Foxtrot climbed into the aircraft,
And the friends were soon in the air,
Heading off to the remote village hospital,
To deliver the cargo there.

These glass eyes are just one of the things
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 8

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Day 8

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

H is for healthcare workers
Who use their special skills
To help people far from a hospital,
And take care of all their ills.

Next stop for the friends was Angola,
The home of Dr Tim.
He looks after people who aren’t very well,
So they were pleased they could help him.

‘Hello friends,’ said the doctor,
As Mike carefully landed his plane.
‘I’m needed in a hard-to-reach village,
Do you think you could help me again?

‘I help people when they’re feeling sick,
I tell them about Jesus too,
But the village is a very long way away,
So I can’t get there without you.’

‘Climb on board,’ shouted Alpha.
‘We’ll soon get you there,’ said Mike.
Foxtrot said, as he loaded the plane,
‘We’re glad we can save you a hike.’

Healthcare staff are just some of the passengers
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 9

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Day 9

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

I is for injured people,
Who need urgent medical care.
If they can’t get to hospital by car or bus,
MAF carries them in the air.

As Mike and his friends headed west,
An urgent call came through:
‘Could you hurry to the island of Timor-Leste?
We’ve an urgent job for you.

‘A villager was hurt on his bike,
When it started veering madly.
Please take the patient in your plane,
He needs a crutch quite badly.’

The friends were only too happy to help,
And they sped to the man in their plane.
They soon had him safe with the doctors
Who helped him feel better again.

Injured people are just some of the passengers
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 10

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Day 10

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

J is for the Jesus film,
With a powerful story to tell
Of what Jesus did in His time on earth,
And His power to change lives as well.

The next stop for the friends was Uganda,
To catch up with their old mate Sam,
Who works hard as an evangelist,
Which is why he’s a busy man.

Sam was below on the airstrip
As Mike brought his plane in to land.
‘Could you take me to the Ssese Islands?
I’ve something exciting planned.

‘The people who live in the islands
Have had a difficult year.
I’m going to show them the Jesus film;
They need some Christmas cheer!’

In no time at all, they were on their way
To the isolated location,
Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ
At the islanders’ celebration.

The Jesus film is just one of the things
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Day 11

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Day 11

‘MAF aircraft fly all sorts of things
To help people out,’ Mike said.
‘This Advent, let’s build a list of them
All the way from A to Z.’

K is for the Kündigs,
A couple from Switzerland.
They’ve been with MAF for many years,
And love to lend a hand.

Our friends flew to see them in Guinea,
Which is where Emil and Margrit live.
They are travelling around the country
To see what help MAF can give.

The roads in Guinea are not very good,
With some washed away by the rain.
It’s certainly easier to travel there
If you’re flying in Mike’s little plane.

It would be such a joy for the people
If there was an MAF base.
The Kündigs are working to set one up,
Which would be a great help for the place.

Alpha was very excited
To hear all the news of their mission.
He decided he’d stay and help them there;
He’d be a most useful addition.

The Kündigs are just some of the passengers
That MAF flies through the skies.
Join us tomorrow for the next letter,
And another exciting surprise.

Look around

In Timor-Leste, MAF aircraft work a bit like an air ambulance.

Last year, 346 of our passengers were emergency patients – that’s nearly 1 for every day of the year! There are hardly any hospitals in Timor-Leste, which is why MAF flies so many ill and injured people. Without MAF, it can take days to travel overland to see a doctor. Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in Asia, and one in three people don’t have clean water to drink. This means that many families catch diseases like typhoid and hepatitis from dirty water. MAF enables charities like WaterAid to set up clean water systems and teach people how to wash their hands, so diseases don’t spread.

View pictures Watch video

A little more about Timor-Leste...

Location

Timor-Leste occupies half of the island of Timor and is close to the northern coast of Australia. The country shares borders with West Timor, which is part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara – the southernmost province of Indonesia.

View map

Time

9:44pm, 11th November 2025

UTC +9

Fascinating Fact

In the 1960s, a fascinating archaeological find was made! In a large cave called Lena Hara, people discovered fishhooks made from shells and beads which were dated as being more than 30,000 years old.

Weather

Although the weather can be a warm and tropical 30°C, it’s the rainy season. During December there can be as many as 25 days of rain – although most people don’t splash around in wellies!

A photo from the aerial survey carried out to assess the damage from the flooding earlier this year. Photo by Lungpinglak Domtta.

A delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and other medical supplies. Photo by Varghese Philip.

Flying above the clouds in Timor-Leste! Photo by Lungpinglak Domtta.

The rugged mountainous terrain of Timor-Leste makes overland travel very difficult. Photo by Lungpinglak Domtta.

The flying ambulance

A medical emergency can happen anywhere to anyone at any time, but when it happens in remote Timor-Leste, you’ll need MAF’s help!

In April this year, MAF received a call to pick up a man who’d been injured in a bike accident. He had broken his leg, hurt his back and suffered a serious head injury.

Because Timor-Leste was in a state of emergency due to COVID-19, only medical evacuation flights were allowed to fly without permission.

So, without any delay, MAF’s team flew to Los Palos and brought the patient back to Dili, where he could receive the treatment he needed.

‘It was a great experience for me to be part of this flight, learning how to work with medevac patients, and moving them from the aircraft to the hospital ambulance,’ says MAF Pilot Ping, who accompanied Pilot Jonathan on this flight.

They had just moved the aircraft into the hangar after returning from their first medevac, when they received a call for another one!

A boy in a place called Suai had been playing with a coin and had somehow managed to swallow it. It was another emergency because the coin had stuck in the boy’s throat and he was having trouble breathing. Help, however, would take hours by road.

Fortunately, MAF Pilot Jonathan was able to fly to Suai, pick up the little boy and his family and take them to Dili, where they reached the hospital safely.

The boy’s parents were grateful for the flying ambulance because it saved the youngster’s life! Without flights like these, ill or injured people in Timor-Leste wouldn’t be able to get the treatment they need.

Medevac

A medevac is the shorter word for a medical evacuation. This means taking someone from one place (often very remote) in an aeroplane to a hospital far away. Medevac flights are often people’s only choice in order to survive.

Hangar

A hangar is the large buildings used to store aeroplanes when they are not being used, or when they are grounded for maintenance.

Read

Luke 2:6-7

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

Pray

Dear God, we thank You that it doesn’t take many hours to get to hospital in the UK. Thank You that, because of MAF’s planes, people in remote locations in Timor-Leste can get medical help fast and avoid long journeys by road when they’re in pain. Amen.

Today's Challenge

Design a handmade ‘Get Well Soon’ card, and either send it to someone you know who is ill or save it for when you next need one.

Did you complete yesterday's challenge?

Drop off a Christmas hamper of goodies (sweets, biscuits, toiletries etc) either for staff on a ward in a hospital, or for your local doctors surgery.

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MAF Advent Adventure Story

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