News for Prayer Issue 495
6 March 2014
A friend in need
Working among people who live along the riverbanks in Bangladesh, Friendship’s three floating hospitals provide medical care to remote, vulnerable and marginalised communities. Because road travel is difficult, tiring and slow, MAF’s amphibious aircraft serves Friendship by regularly flying doctors and supplies to their floating hospitals. As the international doctors working in these hospitals perform surgery, local doctors assist to increase their knowledge and experience. Sabrina Nizam, Friendship’s Communications Officer, shares, ‘The benefit MAF is providing is boundless. It’s a huge hassle to go by road, rickshaw and then walk. The international doctors who work with us are volunteers. Their time is valuable.’ Give thanks for Friendship’s ministry and pray for 14-year-old Taniya, who was recently admitted to one of the hospitals. An accident involving an electric cable at the age of four left her seriously burned and unable to straighten her neck, blink her eyelids, or eat properly. Reconstructive surgery has lessened the pain, which means Taniya can now move her head, eat and blink with greater ease. But she will still need ongoing treatment, and would greatly value our prayers.
Friends reunited What they thought would be a straightforward training flight changed dramatically when, shortly before take-off, MAF Pilots Daniel Loewen-Rudgers and Christiaan Haak were asked to make an urgent medevac. Landing at Kisii in western Kenya, they waited anxiously for the ambulance bringing the patients. ‘When it did,’ Daniel recalls, ‘I was shocked to see that my good friend Naphtaly was on board. He had been a passenger in a car accident and we were there to evacuate him and the driver. They were in bad shape, so we quickly flew them to Nairobi.’ Three days later, both patients were discharged from hospital and were keen to return to Mfangano Island where Naphtaly, long-time friend and partner of MAF, runs Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre (GGCC), a Christian boarding school for HIV/AIDS orphans. In December 2012, the orphans were delighted to receive Christmas messages on paper planes from MAF UK supporters. Daniel says, ‘When we arrived at Mfangano the flight was met by hundreds of people, including children from GGCC dressed in school uniform. During the homecoming ceremony, Combining lively worship and sermons, I made a speech on behalf of MAF, which was translated to Swahili.’ Pray for Naphtaly, who is still suffering from fainting fits, chest pain and breathlessness. Despite this, he remains determined to glorify God through his suffering.
‘Since returning,’ he shares, ‘we have had teams from various churches come to worship with us and over 50 people have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! Thank God for MAF and all those who support this great ministry.’
whose name comes from the Latin ‘Libertas’, which means ‘freedom’, will experience the true freedom that comes from Jesus Christ.
Exciting new programme
20-year-old Yvette Alphonsine has suffered many losses. Her first attempt at becoming a mother ended in tragedy when her baby died six months into the pregnancy. Yvette, who comes from Bemana, a rural part of underdeveloped Madagascar, eventually found the confidence to try again. Tragically, Yvette’s baby failed to reach full-term. After a traumatic 72 hours of unsuccessful attempts to deliver the stillborn child, her own life was in danger. Yvette’s only hope was to reach the hospital at Antananarivo, 200 miles away. Unfortunately, the overland journey from Bemana involves hours of travel along dangerous dirt roads carved through dense jungle and around mountains. Her survival seemed unlikely. Fortunately, our plane was able to airlift Yvette and her father, bringing them to the capital in less than 90 minutes. Thanks to MAF, an ambulance was waiting at Antananarivo Airport, which saved crucial minutes. With Yvette safely in the hands of hospital staff, our team praise God for using them to bring hope to a situation where all hope seemed lost. Give thanks for another successful medevac, and pray that God will deeply comfort Yvette as she grieves the tragic loss of a second child.
Praise God for Interim Programme Manager Max Gove, who says we’ve made good progress in setting up our new Liberia programme (NfP 484). We have now received our Business Registration and have started work on staff housing, which we hope to complete by the end of July. A Cessna 206 aircraft is being despatched from our Uganda programme and we are exploring the options for a hangar in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. Emil and Margrit Kündig, who have served MAF for over 28 years in many nations, have agreed to move from Bangladesh to Liberia. Emil will be Chief Pilot/Programme Manager and Margrit will be Finance Manager. Another MAF Pilot, Arjan Paas, has left Arnhem Land with his wife Aartje to begin training in Uganda. Uphold both families as they prepare for their exciting new roles in Liberia in August. Since our 2011 survey, we’ve identified over 80 NGOs and mission groups who could greatly benefit from our flights. The programme will make a huge difference to many of Liberia’s geographically isolated and disadvantaged people. Pray for wisdom and favour as we finalise plans, recruit personnel, and wait for final permissions to be granted. We pray that many in Liberia, a country
Averting tragedy
Prayer points • DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) West DRC Programme Manager Garth Pederson, who’s responsible for 10 international and 31 local staff, asks us to pray for the speedy granting of an Air Operating Certificate, which is urgent for flying to continue. • KALIMANTAN Several MAF families are suffering from flu. Pray for a quick recovery and that minimal flights are cancelled because of illness. • PAPUA Give thanks for a recent successful medevac from Kepi, and pray for our busy team who have many flight requests in that area. • PAPUA NEW GUINEA (PNG) Last year, our Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship sold 3,000 Bibles and Christian resources. It is so encouraging that demand continues to grow, so pray we will quickly meet people’s needs. • SOUTH AFRICA Praise God our new feeding programme has been running for over a month. MAF feeds 2,000 children at 47 childcare centres.
• TANZANIA Our pilots are facing challenging weather conditions. Pray for safety and endurance. Pray too for our national staff as the programme considers significant restructuring. • TIMOR-LESTE We have made a large number of medical emergency flights recently. Pray that the patients and their families will experience God’s love and receive healing through our ministry. • Give thanks that Jonathan and Angela Lowe have returned to Timor-Leste after time in Australia. Pray as Jonathan settles back into his responsibilities as Programme Manager. • UGANDA MAF’s partner Every Village builds wells, broadcasts Christian radio programmes and helps local leaders plant churches and minister to believers. Pray that plans to resume their vital ministry in Nasir, South Sudan will soon be possible.
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