After a spell in Arnhem Land, Matt Kaye is helping the next generation of pilots before making his next move to Papua New Guinea.
Under visual flight rules, a pilot must be able to see the horizon and obstacles ahead, but Matt Kaye from Melbourne has grown to trust in God’s guidance when navigating his calling in mission.
Matt recently swapped his Arnhem Land line pilot’s cap for an instructor’s briefcase at the MAF Training Centre in Mareeba, while he prepares to move to Papua New Guinea in 2025.
“Amusingly, the first position I applied for with MAF was this one that I'm in now, a flight instructor,” said Matt. “However, God had different plans, and MAF asked whether I could go to Arnhem Land instead.
“I'm grateful I did. Through serving 19 months in Arnhem Land, I gained over 1000 hours of operational flying, and I can draw on that experience as I teach.”
Matt arrived in Arnhem Land in November 2022, and he quickly became familiar with the region in his roles as pilot and Airstrip Manager and in living in his local indigenous community.
During Matt’s time in Arnhem Land, God answered prayers and doubled the number of mission pilots in the programme from when he first started.
At the end of the day, it's about serving people and taking a step of faith …
“Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zone, and I would say Arnhem Land had become my comfort zone,” Matt said. “Early 2024, God was knocking on the door and asking if I was willing to go and work in other programmes where there's a great need for more experienced mission pilots. This decision also made room for newer pilots to join the Arnhem Land team.”
As he sharpens his instructing skills and works towards obtaining his PNG pilot’s licence, Matt reflects on his time in Arnhem Land and the opportunity he had to do life alongside the Yolŋu people.
“One of the things that I appreciate from my time in East Arnhem Land was the beauty of discovering more about what cross-cultural faith looks like,” Matt said.
“There were many times where God revealed more of himself through the worship and preaching of Yolŋu. Sometimes it felt as if I had been blessed more by Yolŋu teaching and worship, than I was a blessing back to them.”
Flying with MAF in Papua New Guinea will be a new experience and challenge for Matt, but he’s looking forward to it.
“I'm excited,” said Matt. “There's an experienced team over there, and I will learn lots. I also look forward to doing life alongside Papuan New Guineans.
“At the end of the day, it's about serving people and taking a step of faith, and God calls us as Christians to do this, whether here in our Australian communities or abroad. I know from experience that it’s beautiful to look back in a few years’ time, and see the way that God's continues to work, through our decision to simply say ‘Yes.’"
