News for Prayer 21 August 2014
Issue 507
New airstrip
Give thanks for the reopening of the beach runway on Atauro Island, Timor-Leste, which allows us to resume our lifeline flights to the forgotten people living on this tropical island, north of Dili, the capital. A few hours after it reopened, the airstrip enabled our aircraft to carry out an emergency medevac. Thanks to the renovated landing strip, our pastor-pilots flew an 18-year-old woman suffering from a stroke and severe anaemia to Dili, where she received urgent medical attention. The 14-minute MAF flight spared the patient a lengthy boat trip to the mainland – a two-hour journey that only occurs once a week, weather permitting! This disused airstrip was last used in the 1970s and Barry Hinton, the local businessman who lobbied for its reopening, says having MAF to carry out medical emergency airlifts for the isolated community in Atauro is essential. Not so long ago, a pregnant woman died in labour because, he says, ‘there were no medevac capabilities at the time. She needed a Caesarean, and you couldn’t do that here.’ Although Barry Hinton puts the strip’s timely restoration down to ‘good timing’ – give thanks that, in God’s providence, the reopened runway enabled us to make our first life-saving medevac on Atauro for decades.
This newly refurbished airstrip is already saving lives
Timely grounding MAF Pilot Chris Ball spent an instructive first week flying with Training Captain Ryan Unger, before starting to fly for our lifeline service in South Sudan. Their first trip was for Christian Mission Aid (CMA), carrying barbed wire, farm tools, seeds and mosquito nets to remote Jaibor. Unfortunately, the aircraft experienced an unforeseen problem in Jaibor and wasn’t able to depart for its next destination. After reporting the issue and securing the plane overnight, Chris and Ryan were invited to stay in a traditional mud hut in the CMA compound. The next day, while waiting for the aircraft to be repaired, the two pilots were privileged to see some of the work of CMA – the only healthcare providers in the area. Visiting the clinic, they learned that every month CMA staff enable ten pregnant mothers to give birth in their delivery ward, as well as providing treatment for villagers suffering from malnutrition and malaria. CMA also carry out a vaccination programme and train members of the local community to work as lab technicians, midwives and administrators. Chris says he spent an inspiring time with CMA, and praises God that he was able to see their work and gain a better understanding of how MAF planes enable our partners to work in hard-to-reach places. Pray for God’s blessing on CMA’s ministry and
uphold the 100 other organisations we help to provide healthcare, assist refugees, share the Gospel, and provide education and essential supplies in war-torn South Sudan.
New translation Praise God for New Tribes Mission (NTM), a key MAF partner in Wewak, Papua New Guinea (PNG), that works to share Jesus with remote communities. The Christian NGO recently booked flights for four trainee missionaries who wanted to experience life in PNG where some of them will be serving after completing their training. The four men visited three missionary families who are currently learning the language and culture of the Amdu people. One of the men, Jason Cizdziel, says, ‘We weighed all our stuff and watched as Pilot Mathias Glass checked the plane. He gave us a safety briefing, then prayed we’d have a profitable visit. ‘The flight to Munbil took about 90 minutes and gave us a bird’s-eye view of the mysterious word of unreached people groups. It’s an exciting and humbling task taking the Gospel to these people.’ Three days later, MAF Pilot Sean DeKelver flew the team to Sinow, where NTM staff were checking their translation of the New Testament before sending it to print. Jason, who is ‘grateful to MAF for serving missionaries committed to seeing churches planted
in remote locations,’ concludes, ‘It was an honour to meet and work with these missionary pilots.’ Give thanks for NTM’s work and pray for God’s blessing as MAF continues going the exta miles to help their workers and transform the lives of tribal people in PNG’s remote jungles. Pray too that the New Testament translation in the local language will bless many.
Swahili Sunday School Uphold Pilot and Programme Manager Nick Frey and his wife Jocelyn, who lead our western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) team of 10 international families and 32 local staff, operating two Caravans and three piston aircraft from our bases in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Nick and his team give thanks that 270 children recently attended a Swahili-language Sunday School class. Pray for more teachers who speak Swahili, and that the children who attended will choose to follow Jesus. Our team praises God for good relationships with key government officials and like-minded partners, and asks us to pray for wisdom as to how they can best impact the DRC through MAF’s aviation and IT ministries. Pray too for eastern DRC Programme Manager Jon Cadd and his wife Cher, responsible for 20 local staff and 7 expatriate families, operating 3 aircraft out of Nyankunde and Bunia.
Prayer points • ARNHEM LAND Three MAF staff and two Yolŋu men recently shared
• PNG Two MAF pilots flew participants and took part in a Bible dedication
the Good News in Yilpara. They also gave an Android tablet to a man who showed interest in following God. Pray that he and his family will find Jesus as they access Gospel materials on the tablet. • BANGLADESH Give thanks to God that Aircraft Mechanic Raju Mondal’s daughter Lorna has recovered from typhoid (NfP 505). • LIBERIA Although the outbreak of Ebola has delayed their departure for the time being, pray that Programme Manager Emil Kündig and his wife Margrit will soon be able to leave Switzerland for Liberia (NfP 506). • PAPUA Give thanks for the work of Yasumat, a church-based organisation delivering basic education to remote villages. We recently flew school books to six villages and enabled personnel to carry out a ten-day teacher training programme in Owitlep.
at Yimnalum – the result of 30 years’ work by Pioneer Bible Translators. Give thanks that, by supporting remote communities, we help make projects like these possible. • SOUTH SUDAN Renewed fighting has broken out in the north. Pray for peace and that MAF’s service and the partners we fly will promote peace, healing and reconciliation (NfP 501). • TANZANIA Uphold our team as they finish their work in Dodoma and move operations to Arusha. Pray that staff leaving due to the restructure will cope well with the next phase of their lives, either within MAF or elsewhere (NfP 504). • WEST AFRICA Pray for countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, for those suffering from the virus and for those working to treat patients who are infected.
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