Flying for Life March 2013
The quarterly magazine of MAF
2 South Africa 8 Kenya
Community outreach
The plane chain arrives
SOUTH AFRICA: flying for life
Serving remote communities
Maddy Jull reports on how we’re meeting needs in Limpopo, a particularly poor and disadvantaged part of South Africa Photos Matthew Du Bois, Keith Wilson, Sharon Waugh
Limpopo Province
AMB MOZ
Shandukani
IQUE
Johannesburg
SOUTH AFRICA LESOTHO
SWAZILAND
100 miles
Main Sharing out the crayons and other supplies Top right SANSSA Bibles delivered Centre right Preschool building in Limpopo Lower right Inspecting broken water pump
F ‘
lying for Life’ are words widely used by the MAF family, but they aren’t just a tagline. In South Africa’s northernmost province of Limpopo, Flying for Life is the name of a community programme which serves the widespread needs in that area. In the isolated villages of Limpopo’s arid landscape nothing grows. There are pockets where a number of plantations produce a vast supply of the country’s fruit, but in places like Mukomawabani village, agriculture is virtually non-existent. There is no green grass for the cattle to graze on and hardly any water for them to quench their thirst. It is in areas like these that the local population is benefitting from our weekly flights carrying partners, personnel, supplies, Bibles, classroom materials and toys. MAF South Africa Country Director Leon Prinsloo met with government officials. After successful discussions and a tour with African Medical and Research Foundation, permission was granted for our Flying for Life initiative to commence in Limpopo.
2 Flying for Life March 2013 www.maf-uk.org
Dilapidated Of the 1,354 children under the age of 5 in the Venda district in Limpopo, only 40 attend preschool. ‘We are desperately trying to change this,’ says Matthew du Bois, MAF South Africa’s Marketing Assistant. In Venda, the Shandukani crèche was in a dilapidated state. During the day, the children had to sit on a filthy rug. Whenever it rained, the building leaked. With no toilet facilities, the children have no choice but to use the back of the building. When a flight was cancelled due to bad weather, three MAF volunteers drove for eight hours from Johannesburg. They worked through the night to plaster the crèche walls, fix the roof and paint the whole building inside and out. It’s a good start, and they are planning to return to build some toilets.
Flying in Bibles Our flights also serve churches like Abundant Life in rural Limpopo, where we flew in Bibles and Sunday School materials from South
• In South Africa, tens of thousands of people live isolated from economic development in areas where the infrastructure is deteriorating. There is no or extremely limited access to primary, secondary or specialised healthcare. • Child poverty: 68% of children in South Africa live in households with a per capita income below £25.
African National Sunday School Association (SANSSA). Penn MacBridge, SANSSA’s President, joined the flight to deliver the Bibles and met Abundant Life’s pastor to discuss plans for developing the church. These include starting a crèche and day-care service. SANSSA exists to support educators, build community and develop learning.
Clean water On one flight back to the Venda region, we delivered educational toys to a local preschool, along with a consignment of e’Pap, a highly concentrated and nutritious precooked food fortified with nutrients. We also looked at how we could repair some of the community’s broken water pumps. In an area where water is scarce, one of the pumps urgently needed to be mended. Fortunately, we were able to fly someone in with the skills to repair it. The water pump works like a children’s roundabout – as the roundabout rotates, the movement draws the water up the borehole from depths of up to 100 metres. With the pump now working, a very grateful village can once again enjoy clean water.
Overwhelming The Flying for Life programme is thriving, with more than a dozen partners joining the weekly flights or distributing supplies to the various communities. The needs of rural Limpopo are overwhelming, but by partnering with a number of ministries and organisations, we are able to serve people who might otherwise have to go without basic supplies and resources.
• Approximately 20% of all children in South Africa are orphans. About 38% of these lost their parents through AIDS – leaving children with enormous uncertainty and emotional turmoil. • Some 148,000 children live in 79,000 child-only households across South Africa. Only 8% of these are due to AIDS. • Child hunger: 1 in 10 children in South Africa suffers from severe malnutrition. (Source: South African Child Gauge 2008/2009)
Limpopo flooding In January 2013, severe flooding struck parts of Mozambique and northern South Africa, claiming lives, displacing thousands and destroying homes, livelihoods and infrastructure. In Limpopo Province, road access became severely limited. MAF has been involved in relief efforts, flying essential supplies – including meals, drinking water and blankets – to help those affected.
March 2013 Flying for Life 3
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: bringing the Gospel
Into the light Stephanie Gidney hears first hand the difference MAF has made in Mougulu, Papua New Guinea (PNG) Photos Kamma Puggaard, Tom and Salome Hoey
‘Some of these people wouldn’t be here now if the Gospel hadn’t come – that’s a bit of a transformation from cannibal to Christ, don’t you think?’ Main Tom and Salome Hoey Main right MAF pilot Philipp Sutter unloading cargo at Mougulu Top right Tom learning the language and culture
4 Flying for Life March 2013 www.maf-uk.org
S
itting in the home of Tom and Salome Hoey in Mougulu, PNG, I look out across a blanket of dark green forest stretching towards the distant volcanoes of Bosavi and Sisa on the misty horizon. This stunning view has not however always been enjoyed by the people here. In the past, fear dominated Bedamuni society – a hallmark of their way of life. Taboos dictated activity or imposed restrictions. Everyday things were shrouded in superstition. It was believed that, if people looked towards Mount Bosavi, they would break out in terrible sores and die. So they kept their heads down. People were also forbidden to grow coconuts as it was believed the ground would open up and consume them. Added to such beliefs was the practice of cannibalism. Notorious for their fierceness and their treachery, striking terror among neighbouring peoples, the Bedamuni had almost decimated adjacent communities. But cannibalism was not just a potential
end for strangers – victims within the community were common, too. Innocent men and women accused of sorcery, seen as the cause for illness and death, were attacked, disembowelled, carved up and distributed to members of the raiding party’s family. At the heart of the culture were the ‘singing spirits’. The spirit mediums communicated with dead ancestors for guidance on hunting, raiding, the universe, and identifying individuals who were responsible for sorcery. Initiation ceremonies instilled the urge to kill – perpetuated by the older men to avenge deaths from the past.
Called to serve It was to the Bedamuni, the largest unreached tribe in PNG, that Tom and Salome heard God’s clear call to serve, believing in His promise to Abraham that ‘all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’ (Genesis 12:3). They left Australia with their five children to bring the Gospel to these isolated people. Arriving in 1968, there was no road or
river access. Leaving Salome and the children at a mission station on Nomad River, Tom began patrolling on foot to locate a suitable site for an airstrip. A challenging task in the dense rainforest, and a tense one. Tense because cannibalism was still practised and had come to the attention of the UN. Tense too because the Bedamuni had never seen white people. Unsure whether Tom was a ghost or a sorcerer, they would flee into the bush. Tom shares how ‘MAF has been with us in the work from the start, and right through it.’ Using radio, we assisted Tom in searching for suitable sites from the air.
Hard labour Progress was hindered by the fact that none of the Bedamuni spoke any of the neighbouring tribal languages, reflecting their isolation and lack of contact with the outside world. Nor was their language spoken by anyone from the outside world. Tom’s patrols were vital in his learning their language, reducing it into writing, and translating the whole Bible into Bedamuni. The breakthrough came when he learnt Bedamuni for ‘What is that?’ After two years, a suitable site was found at Mougulu, the first of five airstrips to be built in the area. Having flown a tractor and fuel in by plane and then helicopter, many months of hard labour followed. In dry weather, Salome would drive the tractor through the day, then Tom would drive through the night, moving 40,000 cubic yards of earth to construct the airstrip.
Not frightened Why such a huge investment in time and effort? To enable MAF to deliver supplies directly. The alternative was an arduous 25-mile trek to collect supplies and then carry them back. ‘MAF has been a vital part of the work here,’ Tom shares. ‘Every single bit of machinery, building materials – nuts, bolts, nails – everything was brought in by MAF. It’s great team work. It made the other side of the work, the spiritual side, possible.’
‘Everything was brought in by MAF. It’s great team work. It made the other side of the work, the spiritual side, possible’
Saved by MAF Menogame Hali, Yode Saso and Obiagimi Midiba (below) have all benefited from our flights. ‘MAF has helped in such a wonderful way with medical emergencies,’ explains Yode. ‘At one time,’ says Tom Hoey, ‘the women would try and hide the fact they had twins. They would even kill one of them because the men thought they’d been unfaithful if they had two babies. ‘Menogame was one of the first women to have twins and there have been more twins since.’
Salome adds, ‘We wouldn’t have had the strength to do our work if we hadn’t been able to fly in some of our food.’ The Bedamuni gradually learnt not to be frightened of Tom and Salome. It helped that they had children. As Salome explains, ‘The Lord knew we needed a family to have a bigger influence in the area. The Bedamuni really love kids and I think the children helped to endear the whole family to them.’ There were many disappointments. The Gospel was initially met with disinterest, anger, coarse joking and obscenity. As the baseness of the culture,
March 2013 Flying for Life 5
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: bringing the Gospel
Below Tom, who preached the Gospel to Badiaba for 42 years, saw him come to Christ just before he died Others The early years of Tom’s and Salome’s work
the Bedamuni’s contempt for life and even for the spiritual realm became more evident, Tom and Salome wondered how a church could ever be established.
Lost forever? But with growing fluency in the language, and probing deeper into the culture, the Hoeys were excited to see how God had prepared the people to receive His message. The Bedamuni believed that eternal life, a gift of inestimable value, had been lost forever; that there had been a tree of life and a tree of death – the fruit of the latter being offered and eaten, leading only to death. Bridging the gap, Tom and Salome shared that eternal life is made possible through Jesus.
On the run
Inspired by MAF Salome Hoey thanks MAF for supplying them with fresh vegetables and provisions: ‘Whatever’s here that didn’t grow here came with MAF. All the material for teaching, the Bibles people have, had to come in with MAF.’ We also provided a mail service, enabling teachers to get paid, and the Hoeys to hear from their children in later years at boarding school. ‘I don’t know if I could have stuck it out if I couldn’t have heard from or seen the kids,’ says Salome. Tom and Salome’s two sons, Roy and Robert, served as MAF pilots in PNG and Central Australia. After serving MAF for 19 years, the mountains of PNG claimed Roy’s life when the aircraft he was piloting crashed in bad weather. Robert’s service was cut short when his youngest daughter was born with severe heart problems. He’s now a captain with an Australian airline and periodically flies helpers to Mougulu where they’re constructing a hospital.
An early convert was a man called Isilowa who had been on the run from the government because he’d killed and eaten two men. Having become a Christian, in time he became a leader in the Bedamuni church. Even when he was dying in 1988, he was a powerful witness to family and friends. ‘You shouldn’t be crying for me,’ he told them, ‘I should be crying for you because I’m going to a much better place.’ Itobo Bano, who is a slightly built man, remembers their dark past and compares it to the present. ‘Blessing has come – missionaries to help us, God’s Word, and in many other ways, like building the
school, education where we can learn more about life; the hospital to help sick people, and spiritual blessing. ‘Now we are living in the light because of God’s Word. Before Tom and Salome came, we were living in the darkness. We didn’t know the Lord Jesus. ‘There was killing and eating in Bedamuni – there were cannibals. And then one day, Tom came and shared the Good News. I came for Christian study and training at Mougulu. I turned away from my behaviour, bad things, and knew Jesus as my Saviour.’
‘God has changed our lives’ Itobo is just one of over 6,000 Bedamuni who have put their trust in Jesus and been baptised over the past 4 decades. The transformation of their society has been dramatic. The law in PNG bans cannibalism, but the Gospel changes people and has a lasting impact. Sasobe Haye became a believer in 1993. He smiles, ‘I am really happy. When the Word of God came to our place we had a big shock, but God has changed our lives.’ He works as a schoolteacher and also serves as a radio programmer and announcer for Radio Bedamuni, which broadcasts programmes in the local language. ‘We broadcast God’s message, some other important information, and also the plane programme – we inform passengers when to come for flights. It’s a new thing for our community – they
Itobo Bano (left) with other members of his community
6 Flying for Life March 2013 www.maf-uk.org
really like our radio.’ Sasobe also worked on translating and recording the Jesus film into Bedamuni. ‘The people were interested to watch the video. Normally they see things in English, but this time they saw it in our language. People are thankful for this and it was really challenging for them.’ Now, Sasobe says, he is ‘looking forward to the children coming after us – they will be changed. We are trying our best to teach the Good News to the little ones. It will be a big help to them in their future.’
Sasobe Haye in the radio broadcasting studio at Mougulu
Freedom from fear Today, fear has gone. In its place is peace. Small in stature, with a touch of shyness, these gentle people are now in no way intimidating or aggressive. They have a newfound freedom. Tom concludes, ‘We are encouraged when we look over at the womenfolk sitting along their side of the church, knowing some of them wouldn’t be here now if the Gospel hadn’t come – that’s a bit of a transformation from cannibal to Christ, don’t you think?’
Airstrip development
Menogame Hali and Bobo Wanibi, with their twin daughters Edna and Isna
Twin Otter aircraft taking off from Mougulu
Today, fear has gone, in its place is peace March 2013 Flying for Life 7
Kenya: serving orphans
A
t 8am, our pilot for the day Daniel Loewen-Rudgers loads a large suitcase full of more than 6,000 messages of hope from UK Supporters on to a small Cessna 206 aircraft. Our flight from the MAF base at Wilson Airport, Nairobi, to Mfangano Island on Lake Victoria takes 90 minutes. As we cross the shoreline, we see a short airstrip on the side of the island. It really doesn’t look very long as we come in to land. When we come to a stop, a sea of young faces starts running towards us.
Vital link Knowing just some of the story of how Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre (GGCC) was founded makes me realise I am meeting some remarkable and special people. And MAF has played an important part in what Naphtaly and Nereah Mattah, its founders, have achieved. As Naphtaly introduces us to the school staff, he explains how, right from
the start, MAF has provided that vital link in bringing people and equipment to the island. We then meet the children who are gathered in a large assembly room. First, Naphtaly reminds them of when the airstrip was built in 1976. When smallpox hit the island, the only way desperately needed medical help could reach the people was by plane. Later, MAF used the airstrip to bring supplies and specialists to GGCC. And now the plane has brought messages of hope from MAF Supporters in the UK which the orphaned children can make into a plane chain. I had already threaded a large number of cut-out planes on to a ball of string. The youngest children rush forward, the first taking the ball of string and starting to feed out the twine. A teacher leads him outside while other orphans each take a plane and feed the string through the hole in the top of the cut-out plane.
The plane chain is growing and growing.
Running out of string Soon, a long line of children heads towards the MAF aircraft on the runway, the string stretching out as more and more youngsters take their plane and walk it along. But the string isn’t long enough for all the children and all the planes. So, to avoid disappointment, the plane chain continues to grow as children and now young people join the line, each holding their plane. At one point, there is a bit of a scramble as some of the older children try to grasp more and more planes, but order is soon restored and the plane chain heads out to the airstrip. It is an amazing and humbling sight to see the long line of children, each holding their plane, surrounding the MAF aircraft, singing songs and cheering. It is also a real joy to hear first hand how MAF has played its part in changing so many lives.
For video and more photos, please visit www.maf-uk.org/extrafeature
UGANDA Mfangano Island Lake Victoria
TANZANIA
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KENYA Nairobi
100 miles
Plane chain Richard Hubbard and Marcus Roberts from the UK office make a special delivery to children at an island orphanage in Kenya
Story Richard Hubbard Photos Marcus Roberts
Treasured messages
Helping orphans
Naphtaly later wrote: ‘My brother, it was such a big blessing to have you and Marcus with us last week! We give all glory, honour and praise to Jesus who enabled you to come to us. It was amazing to see the thousands of cards, written to each of our children by loving and caring Christians of all ages in the UK. ‘As I said, each card is greatly treasured by the children, who use the planes as bookmarks and keep referring to the messages written on them.’
GGCC, a school and orphanage founded by Naphtaly and Nereah Mattah, is located on remote Mfangano Island, Kenya. The 500 children at GGCC lost their parents due a devastating spread of AIDS in the 1980s, which left thousands without parents. The orphanage meets the children’s need for food and shelter. It also shares Jesus’ love, encourages them to follow Christ, and provides the orphans with a first-class education. MAF has supported this project with regular flights for several years, enabling teams and building materials to help transform the lives of the thousands of orphans. At Christmas, we wrote to Supporters and asked if they would send a message to the children on a cut-out MAF aircraft. Thanks to your prayers and practical support, the spiritual darkness that has shrouded the island is being replaced with light and hope. For more information, visit www.ggcckenya.com
Naphtaly, Nereah and Richard
March 2013 Flying for Life 9
EAST TIMOR: reconciliation, food, healthcare
Saving time At the end of 2012, the UN and Australian Army withdrew their peacekeeping forces from East Timor. For MAF, now operating the only fixed-wing aircraft in the country, the life-saving work continues Story Gary Clayton Photos LuAnne Cadd
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orking in partnership with the Ministry of Health, we provide a medical emergency service from East Timor’s outlying districts to the hospital in Dili, and transport medical personnel to remote communities. We also support education and development by flying a wide variety of Christian, government and non-government groups. Without our solitary GA8 Airvan, many of the organisations we partner wouldn’t be able to carry out their work.
Enabling healthcare St John of God Health Care provides analytical and confirmatory laboratory services in Dili and the surrounding districts by doing routine and specialist testing. Their work supports lab services across the country and helps develop healthcare. ‘The biggest problem,’ Country Manager Lionel Rudd says, ‘is currently an influx of patients with dengue fever. There are also
10 Flying for Life March 2013 www.maf-uk.org
problems with malaria, accidents due to poor roads, and people with burns. MAF makes a significant difference because reaching the various districts by car would be exorbitant in terms of man hours. MAF enabled us to reach all the referral hospitals in a matter of days so we could audit their status. ‘Then, when we had installed laboratory equipment, MAF flew our trainers and pathology scientists to the districts. After they’d done their work, MAF brought them back again. It was just brilliant in terms of using people’s time more effectively. MAF also transports delicate equipment, which helps us no end.’
Helping malnourished people Lionel’s enthusiasm for MAF is echoed by Steve Herbert, a World Vision food security specialist. The organisation is working to reduce malnutrition, help farmers grow better and more varied crops, and assist mothers in providing their children with a better balanced diet. Other projects include water, sanitation
Main Stephen Burrett, a specialist nurse with St John of God healthcare in Dili Far left St John of God healthcare work in the hospital in Dili Left GA8 Airvan at Maliana in the Bobonaro district Lower left Peace education workshop in Oecusse Above Jonathan Lowe Below World Vision Food Security Technical Specialist Steve Herbert discusses plans with MAF Country Director and pilot Jonathan Lowe Pulau Wetar
BANDA SEA
East Timor Pulau Alo
r
IT STRA BAI OM
Oecusse
INDONESIA
WETAR
Dili
STRAIT
EAST TIMOR Bobonaro
TIMOR SEA 50 miles
and hygiene. ‘One of the problems,’ Steve agrees, ‘is transport. The roads are bad and it takes five hours to drive from Bobonaro to Dili and another five to drive back – which wipes out two days.’ MAF aircraft take only 20 minutes. ‘Bridges go down,’ Steve continues, ‘and there are landslides, so the plane is ideal for us to get in and out quickly to monitor projects. And it saves the backs of old fellows like me, because the roads are so bumpy! MAF also transports supplies and sick people.’
Bringing reconciliation Canossa Foundation provides peace education workshops – helping people avoid violent conflict when attempting to resolve issues. In Oecusse, a group of late teens and 20-yearolds has been split into 3 small groups to discuss potential solutions. Trainer and counsellor Erika Trojer says, ‘East Timor is a post-conflict society with many outbreaks of domestic violence. If there is conflict, it’s normal for families, friends and neighbours to beat each other. The youth group here wants peace, but they don’t know what to do to get it. We provide training and strategies so they can listen to each other, not just react.’ Erika says she’s grateful to MAF ‘because
there’s no access to the villages if there is heavy rain. We cannot rely on our car because it doesn’t have big wheels. Even if it did, we’d probably still get stuck, which is quite common in East Timor. ‘MAF helps us avoid the strain of a full day’s trip. We can leave in the morning, are there in the afternoon ready to start the training, and not be exhausted. It saves lots of time and energy. So I’m very thankful we’re able to use MAF. It avoids headaches.’
A nation in need For many people living in this comparatively new nation, ‘headaches’ are caused by a variety of problems. Malnutrition, an insecure food supply, alcohol abuse, violence, prostitution and people trafficking all mar the quality of people’s lives – lives made even harder due to poor infrastructure and a healthcare system that’s reliant on outside help. With the UN and Australian Army pulling out last year, East Timor needs MAF, our partners and our prayers more than ever.
• Population: 1.1 million • Religion: 95-97% Catholic (many, however, are nominal) • Highest level of malnutrition in south- eastern Asia • Suffered serious conflict after the UN-administered referendum in 1999, resulting in the destruction of its infrastructure • In 2002, with stability eventually restored, the country gained independence from Indonesia.
MAF in East Timor MAF has been in East Timor since 2007, serving partners like Caritas Australia, The Leprosy Mission International, Oxfam, Health Alliance International, PRADET, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Save the Children, Seeds of Life and WaterAid.
March 2013 Flying for Life 11
SOUTH SUDAN: providing communications
Transmitting God’s Word Pilot Simon Wunderli describes an action-packed week installing satellite dishes for Every Village (formerly Aid Sudan) in South Sudan Photos Geoff Crawford, Every Village, Simon Wunderli
M
eeting Kerry, Kerrie-Jean and Wayne at MAF’s base in Kajjansi, I loaded up 1,050kg of hardware, tools, foodstuffs and medicines and took off into the calm, morning skies.
Malualkon At Malualkon, we were met by Steve from Cush4Christ, and immediately began running electricity to the satellite dish and connecting the computer and receiver. Eventually, we received a good signal but couldn’t get the music streaming. We continued until summoned to a lively dinner, catching up with the Cush4Christ team and having a laugh with the kids who were so excited to have visitors. After dinner, we started cementing a pad for the dish – finishing at 10pm. The next day, we bolted the dish to the pad, reconfigured the settings, loaded the car and said goodbye to our wonderful hosts.
Tonj Every Village
After a quick lunch of goat stew and chapatti, we flew to Tonj where In Deed and Truth runs a
Every Village’s radio network broadcasts the Gospel, Bible teaching, health and hygiene training, as well as news and educational programming. Solar-powered, hand-held radios distributed in local communities enable a quarter of the population in South Sudan to be reached with broadcasts in their local languages.
Main Pilot Simon Wunderli Top Donkey carrying the equipment Middle Family listening to radio in Malualkon Lower Simon helps install a satellite dish
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hospital. We noticed a number of patients with bullet wounds – sadly common because of nearby cattle-rustling. The beds were full, so the doctors operated outside. We spent the next two days assembling the dish, bolting it to the base and trying to get the streamer to work – checking the site at 5am because of high winds.
Nasir At Nasir, we waited until two donkey carts arrived to carry our equipment. We worked at Every Village’s radio transmitter site, finishing by torchlight. Completely worn out, we walked back to camp for a cold dinner of beans and rice. I eventually fell asleep on a mattress that was sitting on 16 boxes. In the morning, we loaded the plane and flew back to Entebbe.
Eternity Thanks to our work, the radios will transmit God’s Word in the Nuer language. Local broadcasting is already happening at Malualkon, and eternity will tell how many lives have been changed through the work of Every Village.
HERE AND THERE: 20 years with MAF
All or nothing Relief pilot Bryan Pill reflects on 20 adventurous years of MAF service Photos Alan Duncan, Bryan Pill
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aves smack the floats as the plane dances on to the waters of the Brahmaputra River in a cloud of spray. Crowds gather by the thousand, their excitement tangible, as I drop anchor 20 metres offshore. There is absolutely nothing quite like being part of a team that stretches from the villages of England to the waters of Bangladesh bringing help, hope and healing. I’ve always loved adventure stories. As a new Christian, I read about true adventures of men and women of faith. One of them, Shadow of the Almighty, contains Jim Elliot’s remarkable quote, ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ I remember thinking ‘that’s what I want to do.’ Jim was to die alongside MAF pilot Nate Saint, whose story is told in Jungle Pilot. I was in my 30s when, along with my wife Tricia and our small children Victoria and Jonathan, we seized the day and started our MAF adventure. Over the next 20 years, our family, joined by daughter Beth, served in Tanzania, Uganda and Bangladesh. Now based in Guernsey, my work involves speaking in the UK and Channel Islands and relief flying assignments in Uganda, Chad and South Africa – carrying remarkable people doing amazing stuff into very remote places.
Memories The Rwanda genocide in 1994 and flight after flight to Ngara on the Tanzanian border. In Bangladesh – seeing an acid-burnt child wrapped in a banana leaf. Another child swimming ashore using one arm as he had the ‘Jesus’ book clutched in his other hand, held high like a submarine snorkel, as he tried to keep it dry. Praying with a dying nurse flown out of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Standing in the Sahara near the Libyan border listening to a mission partner tell his tale and hearing MAF’s part in it. Seeing the joy of hundreds of nurses and schoolchildren as we delivered five special guests to their hospital in Kalongo, northern Uganda. The question is, ‘What is God’s call on your life?’
The question is, ‘What is God’s call on your life?’
March 2013 Flying for Life 13
UK news
ABC
ABC
C O NN E C TING THE DOTS.
Rock UK
YO U ARE HERE
MAF Youth God is passionate about young people and so are we. Throughout the Bible, God sends young men and women on incredible missions and here at MAF, so do we. Our desire is to educate, inform and inspire a generation of young people about world mission through our work. By launching MAF Youth, we aim to do just that. MAF Youth will continue the excellent work Above and Beyond started by providing resources that encourage fundraising, prayer and discussion. We believe MAF can play a vital part in motivating young people
to love God and love lost people – our stories and experiences enabling us to connect the two. MAF Stories is an exciting new resource available to churches. MAF Stories takes a story of our work overseas and uses it to inform young people about our ministry. They also include a brief devotional element. The stories are told in four short films that can be downloaded from our website or shown by an MAF speaker booked to visit your group. For more information, or to get involved with the MAF Youth community, find us online.
Search ‘MAF Youth’ W maf-youth.org E youth@maf-uk.org
What a fantastic time the MAF team had launching our new ‘Spotlight’ session at Rock UK, Wellingborough! Rock UK uses outdoor activities to bring adventure into learning, bringing challenge and development for young people. The ‘Above and Beyond’ activity, which includes an assault course, tunnel and stepping stones, was devised by Rock UK after MAF gave an ex-service plane to their site in February 2012. It’s proved a great success. Already Redwell Junior School has raised £145 for MAF from its harvest appeal charity following their time at the centre. We hope to inspire many more schools and youth groups with our work through this exciting partnership.
Cathy Burton Cathy Burton Prominent Christian worship leader and singer-songwriter Cathy Burton is performing a series of free concerts throughout May and June on behalf of MAF. Cathy will be playing her trademark heartfelt and emotional songs, and will be accompanied by guest musicians. For more information please visit our website www.maf-uk.org/cathyburton or contact our Supporter Relations team on 0845 850 9505.
This is MAF is an international Christian aviation organisation serving around 30 developing countries to reach people living in some of the world’s most isolated communities. Operating more than 135 light aircraft, MAF flies into 2,500 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)
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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 March 2013 fflq
Amazing grace
It never ceases to amaze me that whatever we need can be found in Jesus. He truly is our allsufficient One. Psalm 138 says the Lord takes care of all that concerns us; what wonderful assurance this Scripture brings. Whatever we are going through, whatever situation we find ourselves in – the Lord takes care of us. And so it is in MAF. I marvel at the diversity of the blessings that are flown into isolated communities, and at the wide variety of partner organisations we fly. From medicines to education materials, emergency patients to food supplies, communication tools to Bible translators – the Lord is caring for His people and revealing His love. Every day, MAF has the privilege of transporting people and supplies which bring help and hope to those who would otherwise remain in poverty and despair. Yet the Lord also longs to bless His people and reach those who have yet to hear the Gospel. And so the vision to reach those in need remains paramount. Thank you for your continuing support which travels miles, enabling the right help to reach the right people in some of the world’s most challenging places. Together, we are helping others to be able to say, ‘I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me’ (Psalm 13:6, NKJV).
Ruth Whitaker Chief Executive, MAF UK
A faithful prayer Having lived in Zimbabwe between 1944 and 1955 with her husband Bob, Betty Sindle started supporting MAF when her daughter Jean and son-inlaw Roland moved to Tanzania in 1977 where Roland was an aircraft maintenance engineer. Jean says Betty ‘stood behind us in all we did, as she had a very strong faith and commitment to our work in Africa.’ After Bob died in 1994, Betty made a number of visits to see Jean and Roland in Kenya, and saw for herself the benefits MAF brings. When they returned to the UK in 2000, Betty was keen to continue supporting MAF, even though Jean and Roland were no longer serving overseas with MAF.
She continued praying for us using News for Prayer, and remained faithful to MAF and a number of other Christian missions and charities. Betty also enjoyed attending local meetings at which MAF Representatives spoke. A quiet and self-effacing woman, Betty is described by Jean as someone good at ‘getting on with praying and giving quietly in the background.’ By generously remembering MAF in her Will, Betty is able to continue supporting the work as she had done for decades.
To learn more about supporting MAF in this way, contact Legacy Co-ordinator Miriam Wheeler on 0845 850 9505, or email miriam.wheeler@maf-uk.org
Visit our website www.maf-uk.org
For our latest news and to give a gift, please visit www.maf-uk.org/flyingforlife or call our Supporter Relations team on 0845 850 9505
March 2013 Flying for Life 15
Bake Off to Take Off Featuring mouth-watering recipes from Supporters and staff, our Bake Off to Take Off fundraising pack also includes some handy tips on how to host a great coffee morning on behalf of MAF.
For your free fundraising pack, please contact us at bake@maf-uk.org or phone 0845 850 9505 Packs will be dispatched from April