Launch the Mission: Flying for Hope

When the Sunshine Coast’s Tali Grace first stepped onto the dusty airstrips of Papua New Guinea as a child, something stirred deep in her spirit.

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“I absolutely fell in love with flying,” she told Salt 106.5’s Steve D.

“My dad said it was the worst flight he’d ever been on, but I thought it was epic.” What began as an adventure became a calling that now stretches across continents.

Together with her husband and two young children, Tali is preparing to serve with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), an organisation using small aircraft to reach some of the world’s most isolated communities. But before their journey takes off, they’re inviting all of us to join them for a special Wings of Faith fundraising concert on Saturday, November 22 at Flame Tree Church.

“When I walked on the ground in Myanmar, I felt this bizarre sense of belonging… It was something I couldn’t quite describe, but I knew God had put it in my heart.”

A heart for hard-to-reach places

For Tali, this calling was born out of faith and compassion. “I grew up on the Sunshine Coast,” she said. “My family has always been passionate about culture and missions.”

Her early mission trips to places like Myanmar left a lasting impression. “When I walked on the ground in Myanmar, I felt this bizarre sense of belonging,” she explained. “It was something I couldn’t quite describe, but I knew God had put it in my heart.”

That same heart now beats for communities struggling with isolation, poverty, and lack of access to basic needs. “We’ve personally lost friends and family members because they just couldn’t get to medical aid in time,” Tali shared. “Education and healthcare are out of reach for so many. I’d love to see that country transformed, just by meeting those simple, basic needs.”

Wings of Faith fundraising concert is on Saturday, November 22 at Flame Tree Church.

Faith that flies

Although Myanmar’s unrest means the MAF program there isn’t currently operating, Tali and her husband are pressing forward with faith. “At the moment, we’re in the application process to join MAF,” she said. “We’re excited to serve wherever we’re needed, whether that’s flight instruction or another mission field.”

MAF currently operates in some of the world’s most remote regions, from the jungles of Papua New Guinea to the deserts of Africa and the heart of Central Australia. “It’s an incredible organisation,” said Tali. “MAF holds the record for the most airstrips of any airline. They go where others can’t.”

The Wings of Faith concert

As anyone involved in aviation knows, training and equipment come at a cost. “Aviation is very expensive,” Tali admitted. “The next phases of my training will cost around $61,000—$34,000 for my instrument rating and another $27,000 for flight instructor training.”

To help make that dream possible, the Grace family is hosting the Wings of Faith fundraising concert. “There’ll be delicious food, merchandise, and a love offering,” said Tali. “It’s more than a fundraiser, it’s an invitation for people to join our journey.”

The evening promises live music, dance, and heartfelt community spirit. “We’ve got Tanya Marie and her brother performing, some dance groups, Kelly Murphy, and Lily Burch. My husband will even sing in Burmese!”

The Wings of Faith is “more than a fundraiser, it’s an invitation for people to join our journey.”

Faith the size of a mustard seed

The event’s title comes from a verse that has become Tali’s anchor, Matthew 17:20: ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move, and it will move.’

“It doesn’t matter how small your faith is,” she said. “It just matters that you have it. We’re trusting God to move mountains, for the finances, for the logistics, for taking our young family into the unknown. Without wings, a plane can’t fly, and without faith, we can’t live as God calls us to.”

To meet Tali and the Grace family, and to be part of their Wings of Faith night, head to Flame Tree Church on November 22 at 5:00pm.

Bookings can be made via Humanitix, with all details available through the Community Noticeboard at salt1065.com.

To follow their journey, updates and prayer requests are shared regularly through the Airborne Grace Facebook page.

“Faith is the fuel that keeps us flying,” said Tali. “This is just the beginning, and we’d love people to come alongside and soar with us.”

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

This article was prepared with AI assistance and carefully reviewed by our Digital team.

Feature image: Supplied (Tali Grace)