The Story

Growing up in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, Mark always planned to become a missionary. After 9 years in the Australian Army, Mark re-trained as a Baptist Minister, serving in two churches in country Victoria before re-joining the Army as a Chaplain and serving for a further 9 years.

For Jodie, it was a different journey, she met Mark while they were studying at the Australian Defence Force Academy and had never considered being a missionary, so it has been an amazing journey over the last thirty years.

Over the last seven years Mark and Jodie have served with MAF in South Sudan, Kenya and Arnhem Land in various management positions and are now serving in Cairns, Australia.

Aviation operations in developing countries can be extremely complex and requires MAF to balance the needs of those in isolated places with the safety of those involved in the operations.

As part of the MAF Support Office team, Mark’s role as International Safety Manager is to oversee MAF’s global Safety Management System. This includes, conducting operational safety audits to ensure compliance, investigating safety incidents and reporting safety trends to MAF’s Directors and Board Safety Committee. In addition, Mark provides support and training to MAF’s safety managers working in countries from West Africa to the Pacific, where MAF International are working alongside isolated people.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. – Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)