Flying for Life Summer 2014
The quarterly magazine of MAF
4 Mongolia
Determination, hope and love
8 Madagascar
Another life miraculously saved
SOUTH SUDAN: a country in crisis
Remembering forgotten people Following recent conflict in South Sudan, Stephanie Gidney reflects on a previous visit she made to now devastated Bor Photos LuAnne Cadd and Stephen Kempsell
Above Rev James Main Tabitha at the Episcopal Church compound in 2011 Top left Mass burial where Archbishop Justin Welby joined the community in prayers Top right Dr Mabior Nyuong Bior Middle right Martha and Mary
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n 31 January 2014, MAF flew Archbishop Justin Welby to join South Sudanese clergy in Bor after the violence that erupted in midDecember. Reading his report, I learnt of the pastors, lay readers and women’s workers who had been murdered at a church compound where they had taken refuge. Right there in the Folkestone office, I broke down at my desk. I visited Bor three years ago. From the air, the flat landscape stretches into the distance. For people fleeing violence, there are few natural places to hide.
2 Flying for Life Summer 2014 www.maf-uk.org
At the hospital, I met doctors Mabior and Samuel who, like all South Sudanese people, had already endured so much. From a refugee camp in Ethiopia, they were sent to Cuba and Canada, where they gained skills in preparation for rebuilding their home country after years of conflict. They returned to Bor in 2008. ‘When we decided to come back, people were surprised,’ Mabior shared. ‘“Why are you returning to a country where people are dying, where there’s no food, no clean water?” “We want to go back,” we said. “This is our country and we will do something for it to go forward.”’
Praying for peace The need is great. Mabior shared how electricity ends at 11pm. After that time, emergencies have to be handled by torchlight, including complicated childbirths. The doctors lack medicine, medical equipment and key hospital staff. I asked them what they prayed for. Samuel replied, ‘I pray for peace for my country, and that God will give me more strength so I can do things better. I hope that my country, one day, will be better.’ Mabior said he prays, ‘For the security of my country. Without security, children cannot go to school and doctors cannot operate freely. There are tribal clashes every day. So I pray to God to help us, and pray for this hospital – I even pray with the patients.’ What about the personal cost? Both would like to marry, but bride prices were between 30 and 80 cattle, which was out of their reach. I sensed their anguish. We prayed together, for them personally and for the work they were leading with limited resources.
Massacred Last December, reports of a massacre in Bor included the murder of all 127 of this hospital’s patients. I thought of Samuel, Mabior and their patients – some of them so thin, weak and vulnerable. I cried. From the hospital, I bumped along dirt roads to the Episcopal Church compound. Here I met Canon Samuel, Rev James, Pastor John and women’s workers Mary, Tabitha and Martha. I was struck by their love for the community. They worked not only ‘to proclaim the Word of God’, but also to support development through children’s education, health and agricultural
initiatives – helping people become selfsufficient. But they lacked the funds to make significant progress. ‘The pastors have no salary, working as volunteers,’ Canon Samuel said. He explained that similar financial strain applies to teachers. ‘We barely have any education in the diocese,’ he said. Sadly, the Bible school was closed due to lack of funds.
Teaching others Mary, Tabitha and Martha shared about poor health and people’s difficulty in obtaining medicine. Countless young women miscarry or are barren, while many others, like Tabitha, have become blind. The joy of these women over us visiting and listening was clearly evident. As Martha shared, ‘I thank God because we are gathering here. He created all the nations. There are different colours but one heart.’ The three were keen to have a manual sewing machine so older women could teach the younger ones, enabling them to earn a small income.
A source of hope Bor was retaken by the government in midJanuary, having endured a month of fighting. Reflecting on his recent visit, Archbishop Welby shared, ‘This is a town in a condition of devastation and absolute horror.’ I can’t help fearing that those I met were among the dead. I will probably never know, but I wanted you to meet them here. To see their faces and know their names. To hear their story is to know that, in this devastated nation, there is hope. If these dear people have not survived, there will be others who share the same heart for their community and country. Today, let us think of those whose names have not been written, and have endured great suffering in South Sudan.
Spread the word about Bor’s plight – watch and share our video at www.maf-uk.org/bor
Pray, support, remember The South Sudanese Church has an important part to play. From advising government, to working with the local communities, to sharing the Gospel, the only solution is to bring the forgiveness, healing, reconciliation and unity of our Lord Jesus Christ. But they need our support. We have a crucial part to play by standing with them in prayer and funding at this particularly fragile time.
Summer 2014 Flying for Life 3
MONGOLIA: living in isolation
Vast empty spaces LuAnne Cadd reports on her first visit to MAF’s Mongolia programme; an encounter of true determination, hope and love Photos LuAnne Cadd
S Main Blue Sky Aviation (MAF) flies over Mongolia from the far west to Ulaanbaatar Above Ulaanbaatar, the huge Soviet-era city
omeone once said that beyond the edge of the world, there’s a space where emptiness and substance neatly overlap. Circling over Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s dense and smoky capital, this concept suddenly becomes reality. Mongolia is the 19th largest country in the world – 600,000sq miles of vast, empty space. The approach to the capital is like arriving at a foreign land after being at sea for days. Around 45% of the entire population have come to live here, many of them traditional nomads forced from the desolate countryside by crippling winters, which have killed 16 million livestock in recent years. The freezing grasslands that sprawl from the edge of the city are becoming ever more deserted. By contrast, Ulaanbaatar is a strange and crowded place. Fingerprints of Soviet oppression are scattered across soaring, concrete apartment blocks and gigantic, elevated pipelines. So many people have
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moved here, it has become the most polluted capital in the world. Despite this, the country averages 257 cloudless days a year, and has become known as ‘the land of eternal blue sky’.
Following the call The collapse of the Mongolian economy after Soviet withdrawal in the early 1990s triggered widespread poverty and unemployment. Many agencies arrived to carry out development work, but the already poor internal aviation service rendered transport almost impossible to the remote regions. There was a clear call for MAF to begin a programme here. After extensive surveys, MAF launched a joint venture with a local Christian partner under the name Blue Sky Aviation (BSA), and began flying in 2001. With a three-room office in the heart of Ulaanbaatar, BSA operates as a one pilot/one plane charter service to missionaries, churches and commercial customers. ‘Seeing people crippled because they can’t
get to treatment in Ulaanbaatar due to lack of transportation or high costs just breaks my heart,’ says MAF Pilot Ryan Van Geest.
Determination Ryan has helped initiate pivotal relationships with important companies to make flying for Mongolia’s poorest people possible. He is one of the most determined and optimistic men out there; an expert networker who wears a permanent smile. His passion to transform lives through BSA impacts everyone he meets, and there is always something extraordinary that can be achieved through his nine seats and pair of wings. One day, two injured men staggered desperately towards the plane as we were preparing to take off. Did we have any extra space? They were bruised, scratched and clearly in great pain. Sadly, there was only one spare seat. Ryan’s face was a picture of frustration and resolve as he watched one broken man turn and limp away. ‘Wait!’ he shouted. ‘Come back!’ Ryan would not be defeated. He proceeded to rearrange the seats and passengers so that one extra person could travel, rather awkwardly, on a portable stretcher. Safely, we took off with both injured men and one passenger strapped down horizontally. That passenger was me. ‘This is what it’s all about,’ I thought as I travelled on my side for three hours in an uncomfortable position. Ryan’s determination to help Mongolia’s broken people had become infectious. It was a joy to be part of MAF’s vital work in such an extraordinary area of the world, and to give up my seat for someone in need.
Hope Another heart-warming trip with Ryan was to Govi-Altai, an isolated western province set in rocky, hostile terrain. Out here in the wilderness, people travel with incredible difficulty. The roads are so bad that vehicles break down five or six times a journey, while public transport typically offers three seats to five people, a goat and a few chickens.
But today, we are safely flying seven team members from Reaching the Light to offer physical, speech and education therapy to children living with crippling disabilities. No professional therapy exists outside the capital, and many of these children have never received specialist care. One girl I will never forget is Oyantoya, one of the 47 young people who waited with their parents in an endless queue for our arrival. The 23-year-old has battled severe cerebral palsy her entire life. Oyantoya had never received treatment, nor enjoyed the luxury of sitting upright in a chair. Her body is completely distorted – back arched, legs bent backwards, wrists angular. But this intelligent young woman has a rare, tenacious spirit. As Ryan bends and speaks to her in Mongolian, her eyes light up and a huge beaming smile spreads across her face. Hope is in our midst. Ryan, clearly touched by her terrible quality of life, has offered to fly Oyantoya and her mother to Ulaanbaatar for further treatment. ‘I didn’t believe my daughter could get
Top right MAF Pilot Ryan Van Geest Top left Reaching the Light therapists meet disabled children and their parents in Tseel Sum Centre above Ryan greets a mission team from Shalom Church who arrive back in Ulaanbaatar from the far west of Mongolia Bottom right Shalom Church youth prepare to leave for a month of missions outreach Summer 2014 Flying for Life 5
MONGOLIA: living in isolation
better, but now maybe there is some hope,’ her mother says. ‘I want her to eat by herself and sit down. That is my dream.’ This 55-year-old woman lost her husband 4 years ago, and her older children live far away. She bends down and awkwardly hauls her daughter into her arms, wrapping the girl’s legs around her for support. It’s another incredible example of boundless determination and love. These two women are all they have in the world, and we are privileged to touch them with a glimmer of hope.
Dignity
Main Oyantoya Above Four-year old Dagvadorj laughing with Dutch nurse Magda, and Baesanderj age six Top right Flying over Mongolia on the way to Altai from Ulaanbaatar Centre right Doljmaa earns income by making felt products. Edith Tellenbach, founder of ArtisAltaï
My trip was becoming marked by some truly inspirational women. In the remote town of Altai, Edith Tellenbach, a young Swiss lady with creativity and flair, felt God call her to inject investment and innovation into this isolated community in western Mongolia. When she first arrived here, Edith had no way of knowing she’d succeed. But the Mongolian women in Altai had no income, and no means to support their families. Many had reluctantly fled the only lives they’d ever known in the countryside, having lost everything in the extreme, harsh winters. ‘I was thinking of a place where people could come and learn something, work with their hands and improve their lives,’ Edith says. In 2008, she opened a workshop named ArtisAltaï and began teaching new felt-making techniques. Now ten Mongolians are employed
6 Flying for Life Summer Winter 2013 2014 www.maf-uk.org www.maf-uk.org
here, and I find them sitting around a table, stitching small wings onto felt angels, laughing and chatting happily. These ladies earn double the Mongolian minimum wage, and their unique felt products make reasonable money on foreign markets. Bayrjargal, one of the ten, has had an especially difficult life. In the winter of 2009, she lost not only her livestock, but also her husband. With no way for her to survive in the wilderness with her children, Bayrjargal came to Altai, desperate and alone. Finding work at ArtisAltaï not only provided a means to clothe and feed her family, but has placed Bayrjargal in a caring community with Mongolians who pray and support her. Her dignity is restored. ‘The first time she held a Bible in her hands really spoke to her,’ Edith explains. ‘Bayrjargal says that was the day she started to have a relationship with God. Her life has now completely changed.’ Ryan works hard to help people like Edith serve Mongolia’s desperate people. Every time BSA flies here, Ryan offers to bring materials for the project and food that can’t be bought outside Ulaanbaatar. ‘It may seem like a small thing,’ Edith smiles, ‘but it’s huge to us, living in such isolation.’
Pockets of joy As I fly back to the city over endless mountain plains, I realise afresh what it means to live and work in utter isolation. BSA conducts the
To see more images from our programme in Mongolia, go to www.maf-uk.org/mongolia
longest flight legs of any MAF programme, and has endured flying temperatures as low as -54°C. It is certainly a harsh and testing environment. But the work that takes place here touches the very heart of what MAF is about, and has certainly touched mine. Through the eyes of Ryan and his team, I have witnessed an extraordinary side of Mongolia. I look down at the few tiny settlements that occasionally interrupt the bleak landscape below us, and I see a land where the love of Christ is reaching down and touching lives; springing up pockets of hope, dignity and joy in between the vast, empty spaces.
The programme in Mongolia is the coldest and most vast of all our MAF operations. Flight legs can last up to 5 hours, and flying temperatures have reached -54 °C
Please pray Since my trip to Mongolia last year, the Van Geest family has been going through a very tough time. Early in 2014, Ryan and his wife Amanda tragically lost their youngest baby daughter Claira, who passed away in her sleep on 25 January. This terrible loss has been a shock to many as she did not have a chronic illness. But through their family’s pain, Ryan and Amanda are continuing to trust God. Ryan and Amanda said, ‘There are no answers for why this situation happened and we won’t know until we get to heaven, but we do know God is with us. He is sheltering us under His wings. He is giving us the strength to continue and He will redeem this situation and will draw people to Himself. Therefore we can continue to thank God for His peace, comfort and hope despite our pain.’
Summer 2014 Flying for Life 7
MADAGASCAR: saving lives
Against all odds Pilot Josh Plett describes how a potential tragedy was averted by MAF Photos Patrick Keller
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Our prayer is that Dorothee’s amazing story proves to be a wonderful witness in this spiritually hungry region. 8 Flying for Life Summer 2014 www.maf-uk.org
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MOZAMBIQUE
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he call comes through for an urgent medevac to Beroroha, Madagascar. A pregnant lady is bleeding badly – her life in the balance. The news is not good. The unborn child, we are told, has tragically died and now Dorothee, the mother, is herself in trouble. As dawn breaks, we make the crucial 200-mile journey from the capital Antananarivo to Beroroha. On board are GP Dr Fernand and surgeon Dr Faustin, two local professionals who know MAF well and thankfully are available to help in this emergency. Although it would have taken at least two days over tough mountainous terrain, the flight is only 1½ hours in our Cessna Caravan. HoverAid, an MAF partner that serves Beroroha’s surrounding community of 17,000, is on the ground preparing for our landing, ensuring that everything is ready for us to airlift Dorothee to Antananarivo Hospital. As soon as the plane touches down, Dr Fernand checks the woman’s condition and, after a quick ultrasound, he delightedly discovers that the baby is still alive! Although Dorothee is now severely dehydrated, she walks onto the aircraft completely unaided. With Dorothee still bleeding badly, we set off for Antananarivo, unsure if she or the baby will make it. All we can do is put our trust in God, and pray that Dorothee and the precious little life that she carries will survive. Miraculously, both are still alive when we finally land. Our prayers are answered late the next day when news comes through that Dorothee has given birth to a beautiful daughter. She names the girl Faustine, after the surgeon who rescued her. We give thanks that Dorothee and Faustine are well and that God was glorified through this medevac.
Antananarivo
Beroroha 200 miles
UGANDA: enhancing our operation
Extra hands make light work A group of amazing, self-funded volunteers spend three weeks assisting our team in Uganda Story Gary Clayton and Jill Vine Photos Jill Vine
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hen Paul Dodde (top right), Tim Whitmore and Frank Balassa decided to take time off work to offer their electrical and engineering skills, the three Brass Tacks volunteers found themselves working alongside the busy MAF team at our hangar in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. MAF Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Mark Newnham had heard about Brass Tacks some years ago, but ‘this,’ Paul explains, ‘is the first time Brass Tacks has helped MAF.’ Paul has been a missionary for most of his life, and now works full-time for Brass Tacks, travelling from one project to another to lend a hand. Since January 2013, he has helped build a hospital and centre for disabled children in rural Zambia, and has plastered an old theological college in Belgium. ‘Paul’s life is certainly interesting,’ says MAF Uganda Information Officer Jill Vine, ‘moving adventurously from place to place with the benefits of knowing that his life is making a difference to many, while enjoying using his
skills and working together with many other likeminded individuals.’ Tim and Frank, new to Brass Tacks, enjoyed working in our giant hangar with Paul. ‘The Brass Tacks team,’ says Paul, ‘was able to add new lighting, put sockets in and thoroughly check the entire electrical system.’ They also oversaw the installation of nine solar panels on the roof. While the volunteers worked on the hangar’s electrics, our team continued the vital tasks of checking and maintaining the MAF fleet – working hard to keep our five aircraft in the air. With new friendships forged, the team invited Paul, Frank and Tim over for meals – the small gesture of gratitude cementing the relationship between MAF and Brass Tacks. ‘The volunteers,’ Jill concludes, ‘did way beyond what was expected of them. Their professionalism and enthusiasm were a great encouragement to our engineering staff who are busy working on planes all day long. They were so grateful for the fine-tuning of all the electrical equipment in the hangar.’
Getting down to brass tacks Since 1986, the UK charity Brass Tacks has enabled skilled volunteers to provide practical support for over 150 Christian building projects and general missionary work in Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
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ARNHEM LAND: cutting edge service
New technology to share the Gospel MAF is pioneering exciting new ways to bring the Good News to isolated people in Arnhem Land Story Paul Beck Photos Peter Higham and LuAnne Cadd
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Main The Gospel message in the Aboriginal people’s heart language is being presented on mobile phones Top right MAF Technology Services and Communications Officer Peter Higham
he Gospel message doesn’t change with the times, but the means of sharing it does! To make the Good News available to countless lives in the developing world, MAF’s early pioneers used some of the most up-to-date technology available – light aircraft. However, the Industrial Age that heralded such machines remains in the rear-view mirror and the Information Age is now in the ascendancy. In the early days of MAF, pilots relied upon geographical landmarks to guide them. Today, our pilots have a dazzling array of electronic
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navigational aids in front of them. Similar developments are also currently revolutionising the tools missionaries use to make disciples, as MAF’s Technology Services team in Australia can testify.
Drastic measures Yes, Australia. The land of sun, sport and barbecues is also home to remote communities bearing more resemblance to their neighbours in Papua New Guinea than the western lifestyles seen in Australian soap operas. Inhabited by the Yolŋu Aboriginal people, Arnhem Land is a forgotten corner of this vast
country’s Northern Territory. As close to Sydney as London is to Baghdad, the region has numerous ancient Aboriginal homelands which are each family group’s traditional land, and are very important to the sense of identity and wellbeing of many Aboriginal people. These areas are closed to the general public and require a permit to visit. These drastic measures have been put in place to combat the rise of violence, drugs, alcoholism and abuse that has arisen through contact with western civilisation – leaving Arnhem Land desperately short of the lifechanging hope that is found in the Gospel. The barriers to sharing the Good News are considerable. Many Aboriginal people are illiterate, and Bible translation in the local languages is incomplete. ‘However, even those who can’t read now have a chance to hear and see the Word of God in their own mother tongue,’ explains MAF Technology Services and Communications Officer Peter Higham.
‘The one that I want’ Peter’s job is to use modern tools to bring God’s love to Arnhem Land. Thanks to the need for MAF flights in an area that is five times the size of Wales, we are one of the very few mission organisations that isn’t subject to entry restrictions. Among the projects Peter has been involved in is the Manymak Dhäwu (Good News) DVD. Although the original audio-cassette recording in the Gumatj language was accompanied by a 40-page colour booklet, Peter and his colleagues added hundreds more pictures to reflect the story better, then made it available on DVD and eventually mobile phones.
Other initiatives include making CDs of Yolŋu worship songs – which are stocked at MAF’s Christian bookshop at our Gove Airport base. ‘This is the one I need, as it has all the resources inside to help me,’ says Dipilinga, a Yolŋu believer choosing an NIV Study Bible from the selection on offer.
Snapped up! Nowhere is MAF’s Technology Services’ innovative ability to proclaim the Gospel better demonstrated than through mobile phones. Many Yolŋu own one and the MAF team is literally tapping into the network, sending out Bible verses twice a week by SMS in English and the local Matha language. Last year, an ongoing vision to make videos with local believers to explain the Christmas story became a reality. The completed files were uploaded to Micro SD cards. Along with the Jesus film and an audio Bible, over 140 of these resources were snapped up by Yolŋu believers and non-believers alike. This was a great encouragement to our staff. Public screenings of the films attracted young and old. Homelands were given a free copy of the Micro SD card, and others who wanted their own were able to purchase copies at a heavily subsidised price. The demand was so great for this resource that work is now underway to produce a second edition. ‘MAF is putting biblical truths in the Aboriginal people’s heart language onto their mobile phones, which can easily be shared around,’ Peter concludes. Thanks to MAF’s work in Arnhem Land, Scripture’s timeless truths are now being shared in the most contemporary of ways, and we pray for deep spiritual transformation.
To find out more information about MAF’s Technology Services, please visit www.maf-techservices.org
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MAF STAFF: Arnhem Land
Open to the call MAF Pilot Tim Vallance-Webb and his wife Georgie reflect on their journey from English cottages to the humid homelands Story Jo Lamb Photos Andy Laferme
Gove
Yirrkala Yilpara
Arafura Sea
Arnhem Land Australia 100 miles
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t was cold and raining when I met the Vallance-Webb family. They have flown over 8,500 miles to be here, on home assignment from MAF Arnhem Land. The climate, culture and lifestyle of southern England are in stark contrast to their scorching, remote and quiet missionary home in northern Australia. The kids are fun and lively, playing and laughing as we chat about how God faithfully leads us through the unexpected turns of life. It’s almost 4½ years since Tim and Georgie left behind busy law careers, a beautiful cottage in rural Surrey and a vibrant church and family life to pursue a life of mission. Back in December 2011, God brought together Tim’s passion to ‘fly for God’ and Georgie’s willingness to follow His call. They joined MAF. ‘I used to sit behind a desk under a flight path to Heathrow,’ reflects Tim, ‘and I didn’t know why I was there, listening to planes overhead and not flying to tell people the Good News of Jesus myself. I started praying that God would use me for His glory.’ When Tim was made redundant during the recession, he began investigating jobs with MAF. Holding onto the challenging words of Matthew 6, this young family knew their call was to surrender wealth on earth and pursue the treasures of heaven. Now, words used to describe life in Arnhem
Hear more of Tim and Georgie’s story, visit www.maf-uk.org/vallancewebb 12 Flying for Life Summer 2014 www.maf-uk.org
Land include ‘trust’, ‘flexibility’, ‘challenging’, ‘peaceful’ and ‘sweat’. ‘Arnhem Land is a spiritually dark place,’ says Georgie. ‘People worship the land, the animals, the stars – it’s sometimes quite oppressive. We often hear the sound of idol worship, which has certainly been challenging. But it’s also peaceful. There’s no traffic noise, just birds tweeting and the sound of waves.’ They consider it a privilege to live in an Aboriginal community and spend time finding butterflies, cooking on open fires and walking home from the beach with freshly-caught fish.
‘We love seeing the tangible difference we make to the lives of people we serve. MAF really is a lifeline for the basic supplies, food and resources we deliver to the remote homelands. Wherever MAF flies, we do so in Jesus’ name.’ God has certainly transformed the lives of Tim, Georgie, Joshua and Abigail– taking them on an adventure of a lifetime to a mysterious and exotic corner of the world where they are desperately needed. Their story is unusual but not unique. God has called people from many stages and walks of life to serve Him through MAF. The question is, are we open to His call?
UK news
f o e t s A ta the skies MAF Youth Co-ordinator Alison Morrison follows the journey of one brave prize winner I didn’t know what to expect when I contacted Kiri. We had met six weeks earlier, and since then she may well have connected with a whole host of other great causes, new people, and started back at college. She might not remember MAF – she might not even like flying! Thankfully, I couldn’t be more wrong. When we met at Stapleford Airfield, her excitement was obvious.
Kiri Baldwin had been one of the lucky ones to win her Twister game and be picked for our flight prize at Soul Survivor last year. Her pilot for the afternoon was MAF Regional Co-ordinator Alan Goldring, who had generously donated the prize, and was set to fly her out across the Kentish coast. With near perfect conditions, Kiri got her first taste of the skies.
‘Today has been amazing, the views up there were incredible and it was really fun flying the plane too!’ she said excitedly once they landed. How encouraging to know that MAF’s work is inspiring young Christians across the UK.
For more information, visit www.maf-youth.org
Big Picture 2014
The
Out and about Well we’ve certainly been busy recently – clocking up the miles and attending lots of different events. As well as a full programme of Cathy Burton concerts, we were also at Spring Harvest in Minehead for three weeks. And we haven’t finished yet! Still to come are the Big Church Day Out, New Wine and Soul Survivor – so if you’re planning on attending any of these events do come and say hello. MAF’s events team would love to see you, as they really enjoy meeting both new and
familiar faces, while spreading the word about our work. Our newly refurbished trailer is an especially great tool for telling people about what we do. Events Manager Sam Oliver says, ‘It’s amazing how many people come aboard the trailer not knowing a thing about MAF. But then they watch a DVD, chat with our team and, by the time they leave, they’re completely hooked. They then go out and tell all their friends and family about us, which is just fantastic!’
To keep up to date with our events, please visit our website www.maf-uk.org/events
With the Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow this summer, MAF is embracing the opportunity to showcase the work we do in many Commonwealth countries. On Saturday 7 June, we will be holding a day of fun and celebration at Hamilton College in Glasgow – and we hope to set a new World Record! A thousand brave volunteers will travel across a zip slide to create a ‘Big Picture’ about MAF – and Ruth Whitaker, MAF UK’s Chief Executive, will be one of those taking part. To find out more about this event, or even to take part, please visit www.mafbigpicture.org or, to sponsor Ruth, visit www.maf-uk.org/ruth
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2013 MAF UK Chief Executive Ruth Whitaker reports on a blessed and fruitful year in our faith-based mission’s life
What a year of amazing faith-stories Thanks to MAF’s faithful supporters, we enabled transformational support to be delivered to over a million of the world’s most remote and isolated people. Our faith has been stretched and our hearts encouraged throughout 2013. Here are just a few faith-adventures, from our incredible personnel around the world.
To see more, visit www.maf-uk.org/faith
FAITH THAT BRINGS BLESSING
FAITH THAT SAVES LIVES
Summer 2013 has memories of a very special aircraft, which toured the UK meeting MAF friends. After receiving the final touches to her mechanics in the Netherlands, our brand new Cessna 182 touched down at Entebbe airport, Uganda, on 31 January 2014. We pray this little plane will be a huge blessing to everyone who uses her in South Sudan.
When Tulkan, a missionary in Mongolia, suffered a severe seizure in remote Khovd, we flew her to Ulaanbaatar for urgent medical treatment. Pilot Ryan Van Geest was delighted when she received the all clear from the hospital, and enjoyed hearing about Tulkan’s faithful service with Christian and Missionary Alliance on the return flight home.
FAITHFUL SERVICE The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury:
‘I had no idea of the scale or effectiveness of what you do. I am very struck by the extremely clear spirituality of it.’ Kerry Henderson, Every Village’s South Sudan Country Director says,
‘MAF helps us get the Gospel to people by transporting mission teams and assisting our radio ministry. MAF flies technicians in to help fix things and your pilots give us a hand. We would be hard pressed to do this work without them!’
This is MAF is an international Christian aviation organisation serving around 25 developing countries to reach people living in some of the world’s most isolated communities. Operating more than 130 light aircraft, MAF flies into 1,800 remote destinations, transporting essential medical care, food and water supplies, relief teams and church workers enabling physical and spiritual care to reach countless thousands of people cut off due to formidable geographical barriers, natural disasters and political unrest. Each flight carries help and hope to men, women and children for whom flying is not a luxury but a lifeline. Transforming lives through enabling access, MAF is flying for life.
Mission Aviation Fellowship UK Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone CT20 2TN 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD FREEPOST ADM4164, PORTRUSH BT56 8ZY Dept AA1818, PO Box 4214, FREEPOST Dublin 2 Telephone: 0845 850 9505 Email: supporter.relations@maf-uk.org Website: www.maf-uk.org Registered charity in England and Wales (1064598) and in Scotland (SC039107)
14 Flying for Life Summer 2014 www.maf-uk.org
Flying for Life Editor: Richard Hubbard Email: editor@maf-uk.org Printer: Headley Brothers Ltd Ashford, Kent Printed on sustainable paper produced from a managed forest © MAF UK Summer 2014 fflx It cost us no more than 65p to send you this magazine and prayer diary
25 countries served Over 1,500 partners flown 7716.18 tons of aid and materials delivered 32 skilled and dedicated UK families serving overseas The addition of five GA8 Airvans, one 208 Caravan and one 182 SMA aircraft to our fleet Registered as a legal entity in Liberia 1,273 packs sent out to churches who supported MAF’s 2013 Day of Prayer Vital accommodation in Juba, South Sudan, completed and furnished
FAITH THAT ENCOURAGES
FAITH THAT BRINGS JOY
FAITH THAT FLIES SAFELY
In Papua New Guinea, MAF staff had the joy of building believers’ faith by providing remote communities with print and audio Bibles in English and Tok Pisin. ‘Everywhere we went,’ recalls Pilot Michael Duncalfe, ‘we were told to bring more! The enthusiasm for Bibles is absolutely amazing!’ How encouraging to see such a hunger for the Gospel.
In Kotido, Uganda, Pilot Achim Appel shared the Gospel when an unexpected downpour caused three MAF staff and some Karamajong men carrying out repairs on an airstrip to take shelter in our plane. Imagine Achim’s joy when several Karamajong came to faith! We pray that God’s love will continue to bring joy in this region.
In northern Kenya, relief organisations face notoriously dangerous roads and gladly use MAF. Alexander helps coordinate education, food and medical services and says, ‘A colleague was shot while travelling from Nairobi and has bullet holes in his car to prove it. It was very frightening - this explains why we use MAF!’
2013 FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Income £12,050,000 Individuals 54.2% Legacies 19.7% Churches 7.6% Governments 5.2% Trusts 10.9% Companies 0.5% Other 0.8% Investment income 1.1%
Applied £12,050,000 Charitable activities 77.1% Publicity and fundraising costs 15.2% Marketing and profile raising 3.5% Governance 0.2% Retained for future projects 4%
The purpose of this summary is to present simply and concisely the sources and uses of funds during the year. The charts are based on information contained in the MAF UK 2013 accounts, ended 31 December 2013 and approved by the Board of Trustees on 2 April 2014. If this summary does not contain sufficient detail, copies of the full accounts are available from the registered office of MAF UK, or on our website.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees Roger Mitty, Chairman MAF UK
We are so grateful to all those who have chosen to support MAF through a gift in their Will.
Visit our website www.maf-uk.org
A legacy can be large or small. Each one can make an eternal difference in people’s lives. To learn more about supporting MAF in this way, please phone Legacy Co-ordinator Miriam Wheeler on 0845 850 9505, or email miriam.wheeler@maf-uk.org
For our latest news and to give a gift, please visit our website: www.maf-uk.org/ flyingforlife or call our Supporter Relations team on 0845 850 9505 15
MAF Day of Prayer Sunday 19 October
Will your church join us in prayer? To request your pack, please phone 0845 850 9505 or visit www.maf-uk.org/pray The pack will include a prayer leaflet, DVD, children’s activities and promotional poster. Packs will be dispatched mid-September.