Day 1

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Download PDF version Read today's story

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

Uganda is MAF’s busiest programme in Africa, with more than 2,800 hours of flying every year.

There are lots of very dangerous roads in Uganda, which makes it difficult to travel and reach people in need. Many of MAF’s flights help refugees living in huge camps, where thousands of people live in tents or shacks because they were forced to leave home because of famine or war. MAF helps fly organisations which work with the refugees, enabling them to rebuild their lives and recover from the stress and fear of moving to a new country.

View pictures Watch video

A little more about Uganda...

Location

Uganda is a landlocked nation in Africa – one of the 11 countries in the world through which the equator runs.

View map

Time

3:23pm, 11th November 2025

UTC +3

Fascinating Fact

Uganda has many special dishes, with pan fried grasshoppers being considered a delicacy. Everyday dishes include ‘matooke’ (made with unripe bananas) or meat stew, which may contain tongue, stomach and liver.

Weather

It’s currently the start of the dry season in Uganda. Although it’s unlikely to rain, it’s still possible for it to do so up to three times this month. The temperature can be as high as 29°C.

A beautiful sunrise in Uganda. Photo by Stefan Hug.

Flying up high! Aren’t the clouds beautiful? Photo by Ping Domtta and Rembrand Rodenburg.

The first landing at Amudat after a long time away due to COVID-19. Lots of villagers came to see the aircraft and the pilot. Photo by Dave Forney.

Two Ugandan children who came to see the aircraft. Photo by Dave Forney.

A beautiful green landscape in Uganda. Photo by Jill Vine.

The traditional way of making matooke - see fascinating fact for more information!

Christmas treats, including film and cake!

Jesus Film Ministries shows Christian films in local languages in some of Uganda’s remotest areas.

Sam is a smiley evangelist who always uses MAF to travel. He shows movies like the Jesus film which, according to the book of Guinness World Records is the ‘Most translated film in history’ (It’s been translated into more than 1,800 languages!)

People particularly like to come when Sam’s team shows the films outdoors on huge screens made of white sheets, and many are excited to hear about Jesus.

When Sam first visited the area 18 years ago, there were only 20 people in 1 church. Today, there are 25 churches in the area, with about 1,500 members!

Sam couldn’t do his work without MAF because flying in Uganda is expensive. Fortunately, MAF planes enable him to fly to remote places, saving a very long and tiring journey by road.

Sam calls the aircraft ‘The Lord’s Dove’ because MAF looks after him and helps him to bring the Good News to as many people as possible.

Thanks to MAF, he was able to hold a socially distanced Christmas celebration last year on the remote island of Bukasa.

Of the 84 Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria, Bukasa is the only one with an airstrip.

The lake is so big that reaching the mainland by boat is dangerous and can take up to eight hours. By air, it only takes 20 minutes!

Life for the islanders is hard. Most of their food comes from the mainland, which makes it more expensive to buy. Laws on illegal fishing have caused many of the local fishermen to go out of business.

Their little churches have very few people, so a party bringing everyone together to celebrate and rejoice is important for the believers. They enjoyed seeing people from different churches, sharing food and cutting a birthday cake for Jesus.

Sam also showed the Jesus film, prayed for everyone, and ensured that they all got home safely. Sam and his team are doing all they can to help and encourage them at a difficult time.

Watch video

Evangelist

An evangelist is a person who teaches others about the Christian faith.

Translated

Translation is the process of translating words or text from one language into another.

Illegal fishing

Fishing without permission.

Read

Luke 2:7

She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Pray

Dear God, we thank You that it’s possible for so many people to watch the Jesus film in their own language, bringing them great joy. We pray that many more people will watch this movie and will want to know You better. Amen.

Today's Challenge

Why not host a movie marathon with plenty of snacks, and ask your friends to donate to MAF as their ‘ticket’?

Did you complete yesterday'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.

Downloads

MAF Advent Adventure Story

Christmas activities

We help vulnerable people in hard-to-reach places, but we couldn’t do it without you

Give to MAF today Back to calendar