News to Share News for editors of church magazines
October 2013
510 words
Pilots, pastors, preachers, providers
MAF serves around 25 developing countries, operates more than 135 light aircraft, flies into 1,800 remote destinations and assists nearly 1,500 partners worldwide. But MAF personnel aren’t just responsible for scheduling flights, flying planes and maintaining aircraft, they also share the Gospel, preach, teach, mentor believers, assist pastors and encourage isolated communities in countries such as South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Uganda.
A great opportunity When three MAF staff flew to Kotido, in northern Uganda, to carry out repairs on the airstrip there, they spent the day hacking away at long grass and digging out and filling in termite mounds in temperatures near 40C. By late afternoon, however, an unexpected downpour forced the team, together with some Karamajong men (an ethnic group of agro-pastoral herders) to take shelter in MAF’s plane (see photo). When pilot Achim Appel took the opportunity to share the Gospel, several Karamajong responded and gave their lives to the Lord.
No fear! MAF worker Nikolai Ballin, based in Kawito, a remote village in Papua New Guinea, often hears stories of witchcraft, spirits or supernatural encounters when talking with local women. So when Nikolai and her colleague Mif Little were asked to preach at a local Women’s Convention in Aba, another remote village, she was delighted. The theme was ‘Do Not Fear’. When Mif and Nikolai arrived at the temporary shelter that served as a convention centre, they found it filled with 200 women, singing.
Mif then spoke about why Christians ‘Do not fear death’. In a culture where even a natural death can be viewed as an act of revenge, witchcraft or sorcery, Christians in PNG sometimes find it hard to grasp Ecclesiastes 3:1-2: ‘There is a time for everything… a time to be born and a time to die’. Then, after a time of praise and worship, Nikolai shared why Christians ‘Do not fear spirits of the dead’. During both talks, the 200 women nodded in agreement and responded positively to the two messages.
Toys R Us Another MAF team recently delivered a large number of educational toys to Gondeni Crèche in a remote village in South Africa. The village exists to serve a local business that is running at a loss, and will probably close. MAF staff are working hard to help the villagers in their efforts at sustainable farming. When MAF’s team arrived, they found the children playing on the jungle gyms they had erected during their last visit. To help combat malnutrition and ill-health in this desperately poor rural area, MAF personnel also distributed e’Pap – a fortified maize product that has the nutritional content of a ten-course meal. Gondeni is the second preschool MAF has adopted in South Africa. Last year, we helped a crèche in a neighbouring village. The 23 children there played in a dark and derelict building with holes in the roof and cracked plaster. Visiting MAF personnel repaired the building, provided educational resources and shared Jesus with the children.
To find out more about MAF’s work and the people we serve in remote, hard-to-reach or isolated countries, visit www.maf-uk.org Terms of use 1 Text should be reproduced as above. Any rewording desired should be checked with PR Department, MAF UK. 2 A copy of any magazine using this article should be sent to PR, MAF UK at the Folkestone address below, or if in Scotland, to Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD.
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