[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 92 (Friday, May 15, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  HONORING MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSS FULCHER

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 15, 2020

  Mr. FULCHER. Madam Speaker, as a man of faith, I have seen the 
spiritual strength of our nation tested during these challenging times. 
As a ray of hope, I run proud to showcase the work of Mission Aviation 
Fellowship, headquartered in Nampa Idaho, on their 75th anniversary. 
Founded shortly after World War II, a few veteran pilots who served our 
country found a way to extend the gospel of Christ to those in 
desperate need of aid, supplies, and medicine. On May 20, 1945, a non-
profit organization was formed, and on February 23, 1946, Mission 
Aviation Fellowship chartered their first flight from La Habra, 
California to Tuxpan, Mexico. A founding board member, Betty Greene, 
served as MAF's first pilot, and after that first flight into Mexico 
she became the first woman to fly over the Andes mountain in South 
America, and the first female pilot in Sudan, as she traveled the world 
on behalf of MAF. She is a recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal as a 
Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) for her wartime service. Over the 
years, and through earthquakes, war, and genocides, Mission Aviation 
Fellowship sent brave men and women into uncharted areas to help those 
so desperately needing aid. Today, Mission Aviation Fellowship operates 
a fleet of 47 light aircraft, with 13 of those planes being Kodiaks, 
which are manufactured in Sandpoint, Idaho. In the 13 countries it 
serves, Mission Aviation Fellowship is that light at the end of the 
tunnel for many seeking aid when all else seems dark. Last year, I had 
the pleasure of meeting the staff of Mission Aviation Fellowship at 
their headquarters in Nampa, and the faith, courage, and dedication to 
their divinely inspired ``mission'' gives me great hope for our future. 
But as we learned on May 12, it comes at a cost. MAF pilot Joyce Lin 
took off from the Sentani, Papua, Indonesia airport, on her way to a 
village in the Papua highlands, delivering supplies for a school and 
COVID-19 rapid test kits for the local clinic. A few minutes later, 
over Sentani Lake, she declared an emergency. Joyce did not survive the 
ensuing accident. She loved her Lord and she loved serving other people 
who were in need. The MAF family is grieving the loss of this dedicated 
pilot. As Jesus Christ, our savior once said, ``Truly, I say to you, as 
you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to 
me.'' May Mission Aviation Fellowship's leadership be an example for 
all of us during these difficult times.

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