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The
following account of Canadian MAF pilot Kalvin
Hildebrandt originally appeared in the March 2003 edition of Life Link.
N’DJAMENA,
Chad – At the edge of the Sahara Desert, violent thunderstorms can divert
pilots from their flight path.
Intense solar heat rising from
nine million square kilometers of barren land produces strong up currents
that affect weather patterns around the world, while triggering severe
storms along the desert’s southern border in Chad.
Kalvin
Hildebrandt of Abbotsford, BC, faces these storms as he pilots a
five-passenger C206 for Mission Aviation Fellowship.
His wife Dorilee has learned how
to handle flight following for MAF, closely tracking the position of
Kalvin’s plane via HF radio from the compound at N’Djaména – with a baby
on her lap and her two other young daughters playing close by.
MAF flights in Chad support
remotely located Bible translators, the evangelistic outreach of Chadian
pastors and essential humanitarian work, including medical clinics and
clean water projects.
Because of mission aviation,
field workers save many days of travel along unsafe or flooded roads, and
they can reach areas that have no roads.
“Southern Chad goes under water
for about five months every year,” says Dave Davis, who works with TEAM
(The Evangelical Alliance Mission) in providing leadership training to the
Chadian church.
“We regularly use MAF for speed
and ease in reaching places that are remote or cut off for several months
of the year.”
Among African nations, Chad has
the largest number of language groups not yet reached with the Gospel. Its
population of 7.5 million is about 50 percent Muslim, 30 percent Christian
and 20 percent animist.
Bible translation work is
underway in 17 languages, while 78 other Chadian languages have been
identified as needing translations. Christians celebrated the
completion of the Kera language New Testament last year following years of
dedicated work by Canadian translators with SIL (Wycliffe). Chadian
church officials credit Canadian missionaries in the 1920’s with being the
first to bring the Gospel to this nation.
Since that time, many
southerners who previously practiced animism have become strong Christians
and effective leaders.
Chad for
Christ
Now these Chadians, backed by
vibrant congregations, are reaching further north and east into Arabic
areas with a vision of winning their whole nation for Jesus Christ.
Ten years ago, they started a
nation-wide evangelism campaign known as Chad for Christ, involving most
of the major denominations in prayer, fasting, and two weeks of active
evangelism each December.
Through the years, MAF has
provided flights for the organizers and their supplies, as well as
air-to-ground radio support to help team leaders oversee the hundreds of
church volunteers who get involved in visits to new villages.
MAF has also supplied generators
to allow for multiple showings of the JESUS film. When the film was
shown in Chadian Arabic recently, 5,000 people heard the Christian message
for the first time in their lives.
As Chad for Christ volunteers
enter each new village, they clean litter from public areas, then hold
soccer games or horse races to attract the attention of young people and
civic leaders.
Perhaps the most significant
aspect of the campaign is that a Chadian pastor or missionary will stay to
live in the village for a year to minister to those who have made
commitments to follow Jesus Christ.
“Apart from prayer, the key is
to train people, the right people,” Rev. René Daidanso, associate general
secretary of the Association of Evangelicals for Africa, said in the early
years of Chad for Christ.
His thinking proved right.
Hundreds of thousands of Chadians today are living for Christ because of
this outreach.
Support
for ministries
MAF currently operates two C206s
in Chad and employs 20 Chadian workers who serve as administrators,
accountants, flight bookers, hangar assistants and guards.
“MAF Chad only has authorization
to fly for mission and church. If someone else requests us specifically,
we can apply for permission for an NGO (non-government organization)
flight,” explains Kalvin.
“Our main service is
to World Vision,
TEAM, AIM, WEC, CSI, the
Baptist Mid-Mission,
SIL (Wycliffe) and numerous
arms of the Evangelical Church of
Chad. It is very exciting and rewarding, flying so directly
for so many ministries.”
MAF also provides frequent
flights for medical teams. Kalvin regularly handles these special tournées
known as “medical safaris,” making stops at clinics in seven remote
villages over three days.
Health problems in Chad are
aggravated by insufficient food and clean water. With only three
physicians available per 100,000 persons, Chad ranks near the bottom of
nations in terms of health care provided to its people.
“Safaris begin Monday morning.
MAF pays for the flight to and from the hospital in Bebalem to pick up the
doctor, nurse and medical supplies,” says Kalvin.
Bible
message
Before Kalvin and the medical
team arrive, the pastor of the clinic provides a Bible message for perhaps
40 people awaiting treatment as daytime temperatures creep above 44
degrees Celsius.
While the doctor attends to
patients, Kalvin sits down with clinic staff, goes through the list of
medicines available, and counts out the required number of pills.
“I never thought I was going to
be a pharmacist coming to Chad!” he muses.
“Once this job is done, I go and
prepare the airplane and airstrip for departure to the next village. The
airstrips on these safaris are often rough and soft. Typically, there are
animals (usually goats) crossing during landing or takeoff.”
Please pray for the ongoing work
of MAF and other missions in Chad.
Chad has experienced political
instability since 1965. Today, insecurity continues in the northeast at
the Sudan border, while new border problems have arisen with the Central
African Republic in the south.
Please pray for the safety of
our pilots flying in challenging weather – and for faithful endurance for
their families living in isolated conditions in an unfamiliar culture.
Above all, pray that many more
Chadians will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
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a day in the life of... an
MAF pilot
