The Holy Spirit prompted a Christian pilot to speedup his flight departure just before Indonesian Quake Hit

September 28, 2018 – Indonesia tasted a worst disaster with powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake followed by 20-foot tsunami that swept through palu and other coastal areas. Atleast 1400 people  perished and because the communication is very poor in the affected area, number may increase dramatically.

On the same day, The Holy Spirit prompted a christian pilot for early departure of his Batik Air flight from Palu having 140 passengers. Captain Icoze Mafella recounted at a Jakarta church, Duta Injil BIP, on Sunday September 30th.

“If I had taken off three minutes later, I would not have been able to save the 140 passengers, because the asphalt on the landing strip was moving up and down like a curtain blowing in the wind.” -Captain Icoze Mafella

On Friday, captain Mafella felt unsettled and he didn’t know why, so he began to sing loudly worship songs on his flight from Ujung Pandang to Palu. “Usually, I used to hum, but that day I wanted to Praise the LORD as best I could,” he said.

His muslim co-pilot joked at him saying, “I think you should make a CD of worship songs”.

And they were about to land, the wind was very unusual and strong and Mafella heard a voice in his heart to circle one more time before landing. As the Palu airport squeezed between two mountains, pilots refers this kind of airports as “valley of death”. Mafella prompted to be extra careful during landing and started singing Psalm 23:

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me, Your shepherd’s rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

After they landed, The Holy Spirit prompted him once again that he have to move quick from that place. He instructed his crew for a short break of around 20mins and he did not leave the cockpit and requested permission from the control tower for 3 minutes early departure.

As he received approval from Air Controller Anthonius Agung, Captain Mafella broke with standard flight procedures and took co-pilot’s responsibilities to speedup the departure.

“I don’t know why but my hand kept pushing the lever causing the plane to speed up as it took off,” he said.

As they sped down the Airstrip, a huge earthquake struck Palu and they felt the plane is swaying both sides. The co-pilot looked at Mafella with a look of fear in his eyes.

He testified, “If I had taken off three minutes later, I would not have been able to save the 140 passengers, because the asphalt on the landing strip was moving up and down like a curtain blowing in the wind.”

After few minutes of their takeoff he tried to communicate with the control tower but there is no response. Later came to know that Air control building was badly damaged and the Controller died.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoRttnsn5po/?taken-by=icoze_ricochet

After we arrived at Ujung Pandang, we were told about massive earthquake followed by tsunami.

Anthonius Agung, age 21, Air controller at palu airport, made sure that the flight taken off safely and then he jumped out from 3-storey height control tower. People around him asked him to come out of the tower but he denied to come out until he made sure the flight safely taken off.

When he jumped out of the building, his legs, arms and ribs were badly damaged and he died while he was on his way to hospital.

Captain Mafella said, “In this difficult time, during the split seconds of decisions, he waited for me until I was safe before he jumped. That’s why I call him my guardian angel.” He sacrificed his life to save 140 people and became a hero.

He concluded saying, “It is important that we have to hear the voice of God, And whatever happens we must be calm, not in a panic, so that we can clearly hear the voice of God coming to us by the Holy Spirit.”