We are Ide and Sabine Gooden and together with our three daughters; Amber (2014), Jools (2016) and Femme (2018) we're living in Uganda. Ide is working there as a pilot for MAF where he flies the cessna 208b to all corners of the country as well as across the border into for example neighbouring South Sudan. We're doing this work because of our Christian faith and our desire to help people who live remotely. Many people in remote areas have never heard the gospel.  MAF reaches out to these people and helps them with practical needs.

Ide's passion for aviation was sparked at a young age. As soon as he could see out of a cockpit he flew, sitting on a big pile of cushions, along with his dad in a sailplane. When he turned 15 he flew his first solo flight in a sailplane. After that he studied mechanical engineering, but his interest in MAF was really sparked when, after he married to Sabine in 2012 they drove their 1970's VW Beetle through Southern Africa for 18.500km. During tis trip Ide and Sabine saw the poverty and the big difference in living circumstances compared to our westerly life. From that moment on we started thinking if we could help people in need in any way.

After 7 years of preparing in which Ide did all flight training and got the required licenses next to his job as a mechanical engineer, in the beginning of 2012 we moved to Uganda. After roughly a year we will move on towards South Sudan, where people are in a even more desperate need because of the civil war which has raged on for years.