JAN–MAR 2024
www.maf-uk.org/pray
LOVE IS… We love because He first loved us — 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
I
love ‘love’. I’m not talking about a ‘couple whose eyes met across a crowded room and then lived happily ever after’ type of love – although that is good, too. Instead, I mean the other-centred, self-giving, sacrificial love portrayed by Jesus. The older I get, the more this type of love captivates, motivates and releases me. I’m talking about a love that doesn’t react ‘like for like’ when faced with aggression or fear, but a love that finds a reason to ‘hold on’ in the midst of the messy situations which life brings. Love that sits quietly beside those whose questions have become too big for answers. Love that congratulates, encourages and champions the smallest of wins. Love that lays down personal wants for the greater good. Love that restores, refines, heals and holds. Love that forgives and redeems. Love is not a man-made endeavour. It isn’t defined by red hearts and Cupid’s arrow. Love isn’t conditional or bargainable. It doesn’t come with a price tag waiting for the highest bidder. Love is neither jealous nor selfish. It doesn’t bully or control. Love isn’t insecure or threatened. It doesn’t keep score or gossip. Love isn’t a choice, it’s a response. We love because He first loved us. So, let’s love well this year. Let me finish with a prayer from the apostle Paul: ‘I pray that you and all God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep. I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is’ (Ephesians 3:18-19, CEV). God bless you.
Rev Victoria Fagg Prayer Communications Leader, MAF UK
COVER Emergency exercises in Papua New Guinea
Michael Duncalfe
ABOVE The MAF Papua team celebrates Laura Beth's first solo flight 2 Prayer Diary JAN-MAR 2024
www.maf-uk.org
Debbie Klynstra
LOVE IS HOPEFUL
JANUARY
Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do — 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (CEV) MONDAY 1 Give thanks for a New Year and new opportunities to share the hope we have in Jesus with our friends, colleagues, neighbours and families. With every new day, let’s pray that we’ll receive prompts and nudges from the Holy Spirit, and will respond accordingly. TUESDAY 2 Nomad Mougulu High School in the remote Western Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) can only be reached on foot or by plane. The school, built with MAF’s support, is a beacon of hope to local inhabitants and is now ranked third out of the 12 schools in the province. Please pray for the 25 students currently studying in Nomad Mougulu’s equivalent of the sixth form. WEDNESDAY 3 Maika Yabua, a science teacher at Nomad Mougulu High School, is the first and only person from Dodomona in Western Province, PNG, to graduate from university with a degree. Maika originally wanted to be an MAF pilot but realised God was calling him to help those who don’t have access to education. Give thanks for this hero of hope, praying that Maika will be a positive influence for many years to come.
Mandy Glass
THURSDAY 4 Maika Yabua chose to study and teach science in a bid to change harmful cultural behaviours within remote, rural communities. He hopes that a proper understanding of biology, chemistry and physics will eventually break widely held superstitions, sorcery, gender violence and tribal conflict in PNG. Pray that revelation through education will be a powerful step towards freedom for PNG’s people. FRIDAY 5 Director of Strickland Bosavi Foundation Sally Lloyd believes Maika has paved the way for the next generation of homegrown teachers. She says she’d ‘love to see homegrown teachers like Maika return to serve their own people and really make a difference in their communities.’ Pray that every student will carry the hope and potential to make a difference. SATURDAY 6 Half of MAF flights in Arnhem Land support education, with our aircraft reducing a 6-hour drive to 40 minutes for students of Dawurr Boarding School in Nhulunbuy. Give thanks for every flight that brings help, hope and healing to remote and isolated people.
Landen Kelly
Landen Kelly
TOP Mougulu High School teacher Maika Yabua in his science class MIDDLE & BOTTOM In 2022, MAF was invited to attend the graduation of the first ever 10th grade class from Nomad Mougulu High School JAN-MAR 2024 | Prayer Diary 3
Dominic Villeneuve
SUNDAY 7 Praise God that Francis, who heard the Gospel while working to clear an airstrip in Kenya, has been ordained. Pray that his faithfulness will bring many more people to Jesus. May his wife and their six children continue to grow in their faith as they support Francis’ ministry.
Laura Beth Moses
JANUARY
GOD IS LOVE See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are — 1 John 3:1 (ESV) 4 Prayer Diary JAN-MAR 2024
www.maf-uk.org
MONDAY 8 Give thanks that our support for NET Foundation helps provide theological training for pastors in Amudat, Uganda. Two of its biggest achievements so far are the increasing numbers of men in church, and women now being able to take up leadership positions. Pray that those who’ve graduated from this course will bring hope and joy to their communities as they share God’s Word. TUESDAY 9 Pray for the development of our programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last year, Pilot Dominic Villeneuve travelled for two weeks with a mission team. They visited several villages and developed strategies to reach other communities. Praise Jesus that an old airstrip was reopened, making access to these villages much easier. WEDNESDAY 10 The Old Testament was translated into Ketengban last year, so we’re helping to deliver 4,000 Ketengban Bibles to villages in Papua, Indonesia. Pray that everyone who’s received a copy in their own language will encounter God’s love.
THURSDAY 11 Pray for aspiring church leaders and those who feel called to minister to others. We recently flew 27 women involved with church ministry to complete training in PNG’s Highlands. Pray that what they learnt will transform their work and that good Christian resources will always be available to those called to church leadership. FRIDAY 12 Pilot Jaco Loenen and his wife Corrina work to develop the faith of Yolŋu Christians and encourage church leadership in Arnhem Land. ‘Yolŋu people are very spiritual,’ says Jaco. ‘Bible stories resonate with them, where the western Church struggles sometimes to believe that miracles happen.’ Pray that Christians in the West will experience this same trust in God’s power, and will recognise His miracles in their everyday lives. SATURDAY 13 With MAF’s help, staff from GlobeWorks International Ministries spent four weeks teaching oral storytelling to pastors in preliterate South Sudanese communities. Pray for their continued learning and that their Bible stories will bring people closer to God. SUNDAY 14 Praise God that 90 new pastors were ordained in PNG last year. We flew Dr David Graves to Dusin, where he ordained six people. The streets were lined with villagers celebrating! Pray for the pastors in the years to come as they seek to bring God’s love to Dusin’s people.
Mandy Glass
MONDAY 15 Pray for our partner Real Mission Movement. Its staff share Jesus' message throughout Madagascar and encourage churches in preaching the Gospel. May people respond well as they learn about Jesus. TUESDAY 16 Give thanks for the Bible translators dedicated to making Scripture available for all. Last year, some 4,000 people attended the dedication of the Budu Nita language New Testament and the book of Genesis. Three other New Testament translations have also been dedicated in areas where MAF operates in the DRC, with translators soon beginning work on the rest of the Budu Nita Old Testament. Pray for success in sharing God’s love in their own language. WEDNESDAY 17 Lift up MAF partners Eddy and Amanda Simmons, who provide medical care, Bible teaching and clean water to the Samburu people in Kenya. They also encourage members of the community to lead one another in worship. Pray that the veteran missionaries will continue loving the Samburu for many years to come.
THURSDAY 18 Continue to pray for the conflict in Sudan and the resulting refugee crisis in South Sudan. Give thanks for our partner Every Home for Christ as their personnel minister to refugees in Renk. May fellowship with other Christians bring comfort and God’s love to those living in difficult and dangerous conditions. FRIDAY 19 Pray for the work MAF does to assist in making the Bible accessible to all. As well as the translation of God’s Word, people in Mokndoma, Papua, now have a variety of Bible teaching materials. Remember those who teach others about Scripture, and pray for those who study it. SATURDAY 20 Pray for all those who’ve heard about Jesus but whose hearts are not yet ready to receive Him. On one occasion, our staff in Lesotho spoke with a man who, although he was originally unsure of the message, has now asked if he can join them in church! Pray that many more hearts and minds will be open to receiving God’s love and mercy. MAIN A village in eastern DRC INSET On 10 July 2023, we flew 28 boxes of Ketengban Bibles destined for villages in Papua ABOVE The people of Dusin, PNG, celebrating with palm leaves JAN-MAR 2024 | Prayer Diary 5
LOVE IS A CHOICE
JANUARY
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love — 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) SUNDAY 21 Praise God for those who have gone before us, like MAF missionary Nate Saint who chose to take the news of God’s saving love to unreached people in Ecuador. It’s amazing how many of our new recruits cite Jungle Pilot, the book that tells the story of Nate's martyrdom in 1956, as a significant step in their desire to serve with MAF. Pray that these stories continue to be shared with a new generation, especially through our legacy events.
Paula Alderblad
MONDAY 22 Pray for those who choose to respond to God’s call. People like Fraser and Tracy Norbury who, with their two children, left the New Forest to serve with MAF in PNG. Pray for their work as Head of Finance and Training Officer respectively, and for the families, friends and churches back home who support them. TUESDAY 23 Towards the end of last year, MAF launched a new twice-weekly shuttle service to south-western Uganda, operating on Tuesdays and Fridays. Please pray that the partners who choose to use the flights demonstrate God’s love, especially to those living in Mbarara, Kihihi and Kasese. WEDNESDAY 24 Pray that MAF staff working overseas can still focus on sharing God’s Word when distractions arise that could easily knock them off course. May the words of Joshua 24:15, ‘Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,’ be an encouragement to them today. THURSDAY 25 Please uphold Steffen and Heidi Engedal from MAF Denmark who’ve recently moved to PNG. Thank God that they chose to follow His call there.
Ping Domtta Annelie Edsmyr
FRIDAY 26 Give thanks for the skill of the MAF aircraft maintenance engineers who keep us flying in Tanzania. There can sometimes be ongoing issues with our aircraft, so praise God for their knowledge and experience. Pray for good choices when repairing our planes and improving general maintenance processes. SATURDAY 27 Please continue to pray for the leaders of South Sudan in the country’s protracted transitional period. Pray each month that they will choose to co-operate and will peacefully achieve the nation’s first democratic election in December this year.
TOP Engineers play a vital role in ensuring that our planes can continue to serve remote communities, such as Lesirwai, Tanzania MIDDLE MAF aircraft at Kasese airfield, Uganda BOTTOM Fraser and Tracy Norbury 6 Prayer Diary JAN-MAR 2024
www.maf-uk.org
Angie Hamstra
JANUARY / FEBRUARY
LOVE IS GENEROUS Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength — Mark 12:30 (NIV)
Stephen Hale
Paula Alderblad
MAIN Members of the Dem tribe of Bina, Papua TOP Western DRC Programme Director Stephen Hale (right) ABOVE MAF South Sudan Country Director Ben Klassen
SUNDAY 28 Praise God for our successful networking events last summer. Pray that many more people will hear about our work this year and be inspired to support MAF's ministry through their advocacy, prayers and financial giving. MONDAY 29 The Dem tribe in Papua, Indonesia, heard the Gospel about two years ago. Thank God for the new believer who trusted enough in His love and power to stop an MAF pilot and ask him to pray for a patient while he was preparing his plane for a medevac. TUESDAY 30 Although we couldn’t do anything without the generous financial gifts of our supporters, we also need those gifted in financial administration and management for our operations overseas. Please pray that MAF International will be fully staffed in all its finance roles across all our programmes and support offices. WEDNESDAY 31 In Matthew 25:40 we read, ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”’ Pray that MAF will continue to demonstrate this kind of love through its ministry.
THURSDAY 1 Last autumn, a new Cessna Caravan joined our planes in western DRC. Please pray that the generosity of all those involved will be rewarded by the aircraft being available for many fruitful years of service. Pray too for Programme Director Stephen Hale and his team of 34 staff members. FRIDAY 2 Thank God for a successful Volunteer Conference held by MAF UK at the end of September last year. Pray that all our volunteers will continue to feel encouraged as they give generously of their time and skills. Pray too that many new volunteers will join us and help tell the story of MAF to faithful supporters and new groups alike. SATURDAY 3 South Sudan is never far from the news, with frequent mentions throughout our Prayer Diary. Pray today that Country Director Ben Klassen, who leads and cares for more than 47 staff in Juba, will have the strength he needs to do the work to which he’s been called in this often challenging nation.
JAN-MAR 2024 | Prayer Diary 7
SUNDAY 4 Praise God for the many medevac flights that help save lives on Atauro Island, Timor-Leste. One of these enabled a 34-year-old mother needing emergency medical treatment to reach hospital safely. Another MAF flight enabled a maxillofacial surgeon to provide 76 people with dental care on the isolated island. MONDAY 5 Pray for the MAF staff in South Sudan who’ve been working hard in response to the violence in neighbouring Sudan. Give thanks for the therapeutic food and medicine we flew to the refugees in Renk, and for those we’ve been able to evacuate to Juba and Malakal. Pray that everyone who has been forced to flee the conflict will experience God’s love and healing. TUESDAY 6 Give thanks for the MAF flights to Enairebuk, Kenya, which bring medical and veterinary assistance to the remote Maasai community and enable western doctors to provide medical training. Pray the things they share will be helpful and that the time will come when Kenyan medics no longer need assistance from the West. Tricia Matheson
8 Prayer Diary JAN-MAR 2024
WEDNESDAY 7 Pray for peace and security for the 1,300 MAF personnel serving overseas. May God’s hand guide, protect and provide healing to those who need it. Love compels our staff to serve in countries where challenges, sights and situations might potentially disturb their peace. THURSDAY 8 Praise God for MAF’s People Care team which supports the wellbeing of our staff, their spouses and their families. Pray that God will encourage and equip them as they ensure the physical, spiritual and mental health of the MAF staff sharing their lives with the people in need of our services. FRIDAY 9 Uphold the CURE medical team serving in Bura and Malindi, the staff of Christ is the Answer Ministries and the personnel from The Fred Hollows Foundation in Marsabit County as they conduct medical clinics and eye health safaris in Kenya. Pray too for the health patrol teams carrying out immunisation campaigns in Madang Province, PNG, and the medical and evangelistic teams we fly in various countries. May the work they do not only save lives but also help people find Christ. SATURDAY 10 Give thanks for our Timor-Leste team which conducted more than 80 medevacs in the first half of 2023. Since we started operating there, over 2,000 medevac flights have taken place. Pray that everyone who needs medical treatment will experience God's presence and His physical and spiritual healing.
www.maf-uk.org
SUNDAY 11 Praise God for the medevac we carried out for a boy suffering from convulsions, and uphold the many other victims of drought, famine and hunger in Madagascar. Pray too for MAF partner Global Health Ministries. The NGO builds wells that provide the only sustainable access to clean water in times of drought in Madagascar. MONDAY 12 Pray for healing in Haiti, a country beset by chaos, carnage and confusion. Uphold the newly created MAF US working groups that are preparing for MAF personnel to return to Haiti, praying for wise decision making and for the psychological health of those who have been temporarily relocated to Nampa. TUESDAY 13 Thanks to your support, MAF performs scores of medical emergency flights in PNG every year. One of the medevacs helped save the life of 12-year-old Ruth, who was shot during tribal fighting. Please ask our merciful Father for an end to tribal and domestic violence in PNG. WEDNESDAY 14 Pray for peace and reconciliation in Tlhanyaku, Lesotho, after the shooting of a believer. The village is one where staff from MAF partner Lesotho Flying Pastors provide a loving witness. Please pray that broken hearts will find healing.
MAIN MAF flew representatives of Global Health Ministries to Antanimora, Madagascar LEFT Tending to the livestock at Enairebuk, Kenya RIGHT A group of Lesotho Flying Pastors in the Tlhanyaku Valley.
Irina Randriamandrato
THURSDAY 15 The need for psychological restoration can be just as great as the need for physical healing. Please pray for those living in the refugee camps near Bunia in the DRC. Among other things, our staff are working to restore the refugees’ dignity by teaching language, literacy and sewing. FRIDAY 16 For more than 50 years, MAF has brought God’s healing touch to isolated communities in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Pray we maintain our good relationship with the Ministry of Health as we continue partnering with them. Pray too that patients and their families will experience Christ’s love at our guesthouse near the regional hospital. SATURDAY 17 Continue to pray for those affected by unrest in Sudan, where sporadic fighting between the two factions has caused civilians to be caught up in the conflict. Last year, we flew one of the victims — a woman who’d been caught in the crossfire while fleeing Khartoum — to hospital. Pray for her complete recovery and for the healing of all those suffering when violence breaks out. Lem Malabuyo
FEBRUARY
LOVE HEALS Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends — John 15:13 (NIV) JAN-MAR 2024 | Prayer Diary 9
Mandy Glass
The prayer points on this page relate to a story featured in Flying for Life, page 4.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
(We hope this will help inform your prayers for MAF and those we serve.)
FEBRUARY
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you — John 15:12 (NLT) SUNDAY 18 Praise God for the ministries of Harriëtte Knigge and Helen Symmonds, who are married to pilots in our PNG programme. Their commitment to the women of Boram Correctional Institution continues to bring the Gospel to those living at their lowest ebb. MONDAY 19 ‘The ladies give me so much love. It’s so rewarding,’ says Harriëtte Knigge. Please pray for her as she seeks to ‘bring light into a very dark place’, showing female prisoners that they are ‘loved and are daughters of the almighty God.’ TUESDAY 20 ‘Visiting these women,’ says Helen Symmonds, ‘has been a great joy to me.’ Pray for her as she offers fellowship to ‘women who’ve made mistakes but are hungry to hear God’s Word and want to grow in their relationship with God.’ WEDNESDAY 21 Take a moment to reflect on the emotional commitment made by MAF families working in our programmes. While Pilots Wilfred Knigge and Andy Symmonds use their exceptional skills to serve PNG’s people through the power of flight, they must also trust that the Lord is keeping their wives safe in a potentially dangerous environment. Please pray for the security of our PNG staff.
Mandy Glass
Mandy Glass
THURSDAY 22 Give thanks that, in many countries, MAF’s mission extends beyond the work of our pilots and planes to reach people such as those serving prison sentences. Pray for the continued success of the pen pal project supported by Christians in the Netherlands which is helping women who are currently unable to read or write properly. FRIDAY 23 Please stand with the female prisoners in prayer – they miss their children and are desperate for the best possible outcomes from their imminent court cases. SATURDAY 24 Pray for God’s blessing on MAF PNG. Our programme is expanding rapidly to help meet the vast need in this amazing country. The prayers and gifts made by our supporters towards MAF’s Future Footprint project have the potential to build a nation in His image. 10 Prayer Diary JAN-MAR 2024
www.maf-uk.org
MAIN Joy written on the side of a Bible in Boram Correctional Institution, Wewak TOP Harriëtte Knigge (left) and Helen Symmonds ABOVE Reading a Tok Pisin Bible
Rachel Gwole
LOVE IS SERVING Annelie Simeon Edsmyr Tom
FEBRUARY / MARCH
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is truly in our hearts — 1 John 4:12 (CEV) SUNDAY 25 Praise God for our Talent Acquisition team which works tirelessly, connecting with potential staff to serve in the UK and overseas. It’s a big job and they do it with great enthusiasm.
Bridget Ingham
MONDAY 26 Please join us in praying for licenced aircraft maintenance engineers who are always in high demand and short supply. The lack of engineers is often a limiting factor for MAF's programmes and the service they provide. TUESDAY 27 Pray for the team at All Nations Christian College as it prepares to accept a new cohort of people preparing to serve overseas. This includes several MAF families.
Erwin Jungen
MAIN MAF Liberia Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Bjørnar Skjørestad TOP Highlands Christian Grammar School in Mount Hagen, PNG MIDDLE To land at more challenging airstrips such as Owena in PNG, our pilots have to undertake additional training BOTTOM Celebrating Ronald Bridge's first solo training flight
WEDNESDAY 28 Pray for our UK Communications team which skilfully creates video, print and social media content that advertises our need for overseas staff. Pray that the Lord will bless them and use the work they do to call many people to service. THURSDAY 29 The education of our personnel’s children often causes our staff to return home from overseas service, or is a factor in why people don’t go. Pray for more Christian teachers to go and serve in PNG and South Sudan. FRIDAY 1 We have several low-hours pilots progressing through our training schemes, but we also need experienced pilots who can mentor them and who can handle more difficult flying environments. Please pray for more experienced pilots! SATURDAY 2 We are heading into another busy year of events, so please uphold the HR and Events teams. Pray for fruitful, effective planning, and for plenty of divine appointments. JAN-MAR 2024 | Prayer Diary 11
LOVE IS COURAGEOUS
MARCH
A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows we have not really learned to love — 1 John 4:18 (CEV) SUNDAY 3 Today, on World Wildlife Day, let’s praise God for His amazing creativity. The incredible creatures He created help sustain life for us all and give our overseas staff much pleasure and enjoyment. MONDAY 4 Please pray for the MAF teams serving in restricted access nations — areas of the world where Christianity can’t be talked about openly. In places like these, our personnel can only show God’s love through their actions. TUESDAY 5 In Timor-Leste, we’ve started a project called Closing the Loop which ensures that the brave patients we fly can receive a return flight home as soon as they are able to leave hospital. Please pray for these flights and rejoice with us as we see people joyfully reunited with their communities. WEDNESDAY 6 Please pray for safe flights today. Our pilots show skill, quick reactions and courageous love as they fly in and out of some of the world’s roughest, steepest and most challenging airstrips. THURSDAY 7 Please uphold the work of Angelika Wohlenberg, who’s been serving the people of Tanzania for 40 years. She bravely obeyed the Lord’s call on her life, even sleeping in her car for three days while waiting for fuel to arrive at a petrol station in Tanzania. Since then, she’s established mobile medical clinics and an orphanage which cares for 32 children. We’ve been assisting her ministry since the 1990s.
Lobitos Alves
MAIN A storm rolls in over N’Djaména, Chad ABOVE Estela Noronha (right), an assistant co-ordinator for Closing the Loop in Timor-Leste BELOW Virgilio Magno was flown from Maliana to Dili, TimorLeste, after fracturing his leg
FRIDAY 8 Pray for MAF’s team in Chad. Dust storms can roll in very quickly and are dangerous because they can affect our aircraft's engines and can drastically reduce visibility. Thankfully, Pilot Becki Dillingham managed to beat a sudden dust storm, returning safely to our base in N’Djaména. SATURDAY 9 The Bible shows that courageous love comes in many forms, whether it’s the good Samaritan helping the man attacked by robbers, or the poor widow who ‘put in all she had to live on.’ As you go about your day today, why not sow an act of love? You won’t necessarily know it, but your act of kindness could be a real help to someone.
Becki Dillingham 12 Prayer Diary JAN-MAR 2024
www.maf-uk.org
Lobitos Alves
Tajs Jespersen
MARCH
LOVE IS PATIENT Tajs Jespersen
SUNDAY 10 Praise God this Mothering Sunday — a chance to give thanks for our mothers or the people who have shown us mother-like qualities, encouraging and inspiring us. MONDAY 11 Ed and Kathy Burrows have waited patiently to serve the Lord with MAF. Ed flew helicopters in the RAF and Kathy has taken part in various short-term mission trips. Together, they have spent the last seven years training and preparing for MAF. Please pray for them as they head to Liberia later this year. TUESDAY 12 Please pray for any of our overseas staff who are currently missing family members. Ask the Lord to give them patience as they continue serving Him in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, even when their next home assignment seems a very long way away.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love — Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)
WEDNESDAY 13 Patience is something that our overseas teams need in abundance. The remote locations they serve and the different cultures they experience often work to very different rhythms and timetables from those they’re used to. Please pray for anyone waiting for parts, people or a change in the weather. THURSDAY 14 Today, please uphold Paul Kaia (above) in your prayers. Paul oversees our fuel in PNG, ensuring that it’s readily available for our aircraft. Paul, who's also part of a prison ministry, points out that, ‘In our community, once someone is known as a criminal, people start to ignore them. But for me it’s different. I like to work with them. I like to sit with them, talk to them and share with them.’ Pray for this valuable ministry which requires much patience. FRIDAY 15 Pray for trainee aircraft maintenance engineers William, Matthew, Nathanael and Tim. Pray too for trainee MAF pilots Luke, James and Josh as they continue their preparations to serve overseas. We can already see their gifts and abilities but must be patient until they attain all the qualifications they need. SATURDAY 16 Remember the MAF Technologies PNG team, praying for patience as they serve the communities around them. The team helps install radios and solar panels, trains people to use computers and shows them how to access the Bible on MP3 players.
LuAnne Cadd
Kowara Bell
MAIN & INSET Paul Kaia, MAF PNG TOP A training workshop being run by MAF Technologies PNG ABOVE The MAF Technologies team JAN-MAR 2024 | Prayer Diary 13
Jacqueline Mwende
KENYA
MARCH
But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you — Matthew 5:44 (GNT) SUNDAY 17 Praise God for our partnership with Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM) and the MAF flights that take teams of doctors, dentists, vets and missionaries to the most isolated people in Kenya. These medical outreaches are bearing spiritual fruit, with hundreds of souls turning to Jesus. MONDAY 18 Pray for the 26 members of MAF Kenya’s team and the many different roles that enable our aircraft to remain operational. It’s thanks to them that land journeys which would normally take 10 or more hours are reduced to around 100 minutes — saving time, energy and precious lives. TUESDAY 19 Dr Peterson Karimi says, ‘Whenever I witness the transformation of individuals from a state of illness to one of wellness, it warms my heart and underscores that divine intervention has played a role in their recovery.’ Please pray that these warm feelings will 14 Prayer Diary JAN-MAR 2024
grow and grow. They are tangible proof that God is doing wondrous new things in parts of the world that, were it not for our planes, would otherwise remain isolated. WEDNESDAY 20 It’s a joyful privilege for all of us in the MAF family to be part of salvation in remote communities! During showings of the Jesus film, more than 1,500 people in Olturot watched enthralled as His life unfolded on the screen. Pray for all those eager villagers, including the 150 who became Christians after CITAM missionaries shared their faith. THURSDAY 21 Give thanks for an MAF-enabled, actionpacked safari to Enairebuk which combined veterinary camps with Gospel proclamation. As a result, more than 300 Maasai herdsmen heard the Word of God, experienced the transformative power of Christ and received spiritual support each morning before tending their animals.
www.maf-uk.org
Tricia Matheson
FRIDAY 22 Please uphold Bishop Emeritus Boniface Adoyo who reports that, through CITAM’s MAF-aided mission, many lives among the Elmolo, Turkana and Samburu people have been touched by the Gospel, and God glorified as a result. SATURDAY 23 Pray for God’s blessing on MAF Kenya. The programme was established 65 years ago. It has played a crucial role in making disciples, and is a magnificent example of how the love of our steadfast supporters has helped us build Kenya’s Church over the decades. MAIN Gathered around the MAF plane at Enairebuk, Kenya ABOVE Tending to the livestock at Enairebuk
The prayer points on this page relate to a story featured in Flying for Life, pages 12-13. (We hope this will help inform your prayers for MAF and those we serve.)
Phil Henderson
LOVE NEVER FAILS
MARCH
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them — 1 John 4:16 (NLT)
Phil Henderson
SUNDAY 24 Praise God that, even when we feel tempted to give up, love never fails. Uphold anyone facing discouragement in MAF, whether they need to retake important exams, are facing stress due to natural disaster or political unrest, or are struggling to obtain visas, aircraft parts, flight clearances or fuel. MONDAY 25 It takes time to plant a church or see earthbound souls find salvation and take flight. Today, let’s pray for those who don’t always see the fruit of their labours. Pray that our partners will keep serving faithfully, won’t give up, and will eventually reap a rich harvest for God’s Kingdom. TUESDAY 26 Today, let’s uphold those who unfailingly maintain our airstrips, remembering Miagoni who checks the airstrip at Bere in Chad for debris. He sends weather reports and keeps children and goats from crossing the runway when our plane is about to land. WEDNESDAY 27 Give thanks for the MAF flights taking students to school. One Year 12 student in Arnhem Land, who dreams of becoming a pilot, really enjoyed a trial flight with an MAF flying instructor. Pray that those who dream big dreams for God will trust Him to turn them into reality. THURSDAY 28 Pray that we will never fail the countries and communities we seek to serve. This year sees our 25th year of service in Mozambique, 35th in Angola, 55th in Guatemala and Kalimantan, and our 65th anniversary in Kenya. Give thanks for these important milestones and pray that we’ll go from strength to strength. FRIDAY 29 Today is Good Friday — a day when we can reflect on how, without the cross, people would be without hope and without God. Why not jot down some of the blessings brought about by Jesus’ obedience, giving thanks for MAF and the other Christian organisations that seek to make the world a better place? SATURDAY 30 Thank God for our staff currently preparing to serve overseas and raising ministry support. Pray that God will meet all their needs, as well as those of the international resourcing groups seeking to raise funds to renew our fleet. SUNDAY 31 Praise God that Jesus’ love never fails! It took Him willingly to the cross — the Creator killed by His creation. As we reflect on this, let’s ask Him what His unfailing love requires of us.
MAIN MAF's Grand Caravan at a previously disused airstrip in Chad INSET MAF pilots regularly measure and inspect airstrips to note any changes or hazards JAN-MAR 2024 | Prayer Diary 15
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Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Matthew 28:19 (ESV)
MAF OPERATIONS WORLDWIDE AMERICAS
AFRICA
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Brazil* Ecuador Guatemala* Haiti Mexico* Suriname
ASIA-PACIFIC
Angola Chad Democratic Republic of Congo Guinea Kenya Lesotho
13 14 15 16 17 18
Liberia Madagascar Mozambique South Sudan Tanzania Uganda
19 Arnhem Land 20 Kalimantan 21 Papua 22 Papua New Guinea 23 Timor-Leste
SUPPORT OFFICES 24 MAF Canada Support Office and Training Centre 25 MAF International Support Office and Training Centre 26 MAF US Support Office and Training Centre
To find out more visit www.maf-uk.org/how-maf-helps MAF works in some countries where Christian religious expression is severely limited. We do not want our overtly Christian mission to jeopardize our humanitarian work in these areas or put local people, staff and like-minded workers at risk. We refer to these places as restricted access nations. Information correct at the time of going to press. *These countries are served by MAF affiliate organisations
MAF UK Castle House, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2TQ Scotland Office Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD T 01303 852819 E supporter.relations@maf-uk.org
www.maf-uk.org MAF UK
@MAFUK
MAFUK
@flying4life
MAFUKFILM
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