Meet the pilot whose heart for mission has taken him from flying planes to producing stories and videos for MAF supporters.
As a former mission pilot flying to isolated communities in Papua New Guinea and Arnhem Land, Matt Painter knows that MAF has a powerful story to tell.
“At the end of a day's flying, you get a call from the mission doctor from the bush hospital on the other side of the airstrip, a little radio goes off and she says, ‘Hey, thanks for your help today, Matt, with that medevac. We've saved two lives today.’ Nothing beats that,” he says.
He had a childhood interest in aviation that solidified when he was a teenager growing up in PNG, where his parents were missionaries. After high school finished, Matt enrolled in a mission aviation course at Bible College of Victoria in Australia and has served with MAF since 2005.
Matt, who now works as MAF’s Asia Pacific Regional Communications Manager, is passionate about planes and flying, but he points out that the “aviation” in the MAF name is sandwiched between mission and fellowship.
Exciting things are happening, and it's important for us to report back to donors and prayer partners
“It's not just about aviation,” Matt says. “And it's not just about humanitarian aid, although that's an expression of what we do to share the love of Christ with people.
“I don't class us as an airline; I think we're very different, and I think that through comms, we can tell that story.”
Besides serving as a pilot, Matt has worked in a range of countries and support roles in MAF, including country director, operations support coordinator, deputy operations manager and interim training centre manager.
Matt says although his present job is “far from the aviation gasoline fumes” he is enthusiastic about the role of storytelling in keeping the frontlines connected with MAF supporters.
“We need to hear about the health safari that we just did in Madagascar, for example, or the medevac that just happened in Papua New Guinea, because that helps us to know that it’s all part of the bigger picture,” he says.
“And we need external communications so that people out there know what we're doing and, importantly, what God is doing through us."
“It's more than just human activity. Exciting things are happening, and it's important for us to report back to donors and prayer partners.”
That reporting by MAF’s team of communications officers includes stories and pictures that are read in magazines and websites around the world. Matt is also thrilled to see the team produce bright and engaging videos that help a new generation to follow MAF’s work on social media.
“I think it's important to tell the story of what God is doing through MAF,” he adds. “We are a fellowship, and I'm really keen to encourage one another with the stories of what God's doing. I believe that God will use the things that we produce, and He can plant seeds in people's hearts if they want to give or pray or serve with MAF.”
View the video below to hear more of Matt's thoughts on the significance of communications.