SCOTTISH SPECIAL APR-JUN 2021
Born again to a living hope ‘What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have Him, this Father of our Master Jesus. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven — and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all — life healed and whole.’ This translation of 1 Peter 1:3-5, by Eugene Peterson in The Message, fills me with such excitement and great expectation. Hope is powerful and gives rise to profound and desired anticipation. Wherever MAF flies, hope is found — evangelical, medical, educational; new chances and new beginnings. The first missionaries to take the Gospel to people in Holuwan, Papua tragically lost their lives trying to share the love and hope of Jesus. The villagers, who were renowned warriors, massacred them. As the Prayer Diary reminds us, 50 years later the villagers live in peace — dancing excitedly as the MAF plane brings them the Bible in their own language. Hope is alive and death has been defeated! Together for the Kingdom Heather Malloch Head of MAF in Scotland
Looking back, looking forward Story Chris Macrae
Photo Ryan Unger
In the years to come, when people look back on this time, their thoughts will be drawn immediately to the impact that coronavirus had throughout the world. For MAF, our mission is to help those living in isolation know the love of Jesus. And yet, here at home, so many of us experienced isolation, too. Many of our events to celebrate MAF’s 75th anniversary were cancelled last year. Today, our prayer is that we’ll soon be able to see you face to face. We’ll update our website and social media once we know when and where you’ll be able to see us this year — so keep a look out. As I write, I’m reminded of what John said when he was writing to his friend Gaius. At the end of his letter he says, ‘I have much to write to you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face’ (3 John 1:13-14, NIV). How appropriate!
www.maf-uk.org/scotland
We have you covered! From the highlands to the islands, and the lowlands to your homeland — we are there In Scotland, MAF is blessed to have such a dedicated and capable team of volunteer speakers. Even if you don’t see one local to you, you can be assured that we do have you covered! As life begins to resemble some aspect of normality, this is an open invitation to you, your church, group or community gathering, to have MAF come along. Our representatives will inspire and encourage you with incredible stories, stunning images and videos that will transport you directly to the mission fields of the developing world. Please contact your local representative directly, or email andy.martin@maf-uk.org and together we’ll bring wonderful light to those living in darkness. 1 DUMFRIES + GALLOWAY Brian McBride brian.mcbride@maf-uk.org
2 AYRSHIRE Andrew and Julia Austin julia.austin@maf-uk.org David Shaw david.shaw@maf-uk.org Graeme Last graeme.last@maf-uk.org
3 RENFREWSHIRE Alan Morris alan.morris@maf-uk.org Paulina Gacek paulina.gacek@maf-uk.org 4 GLASGOW + THE WEST George MacRitchie george.macritchie@maf-uk.org Stan Paliwoda stan.paliwoda@maf-uk.org May Barr may.barr@maf-uk.org Eric and Olive Graham eric.graham@maf-uk.org
5 LANARKSHIRE + CENTRAL Iain Neilson iain.neilson@maf-uk.org David Wilson david.wilson@maf-uk.org
6 OBAN + ARGYLL Andrew and Denise Macdonald andrew.macdonald@maf-uk.org
7 SKYE + DISTRICT Peter Prall peter.prall@maf-uk.org
8 WESTERN ISLES Alex Chalmers alex.chalmers@maf-uk.org
9 INVERNESS-SHIRE Rod Mackay rod.mackay@maf-uk.org
10 ORKNEY Muriel Drever muriel.drever@maf-uk.org
11 ABERDEENSHIRE Robert and Maureen Esson robert.esson@maf-uk.org Gordon and Liz Cowie gordon.cowie@maf-uk.org 12 DUNDEE + ANGUS Calum Ellis calum.ellis@maf-uk.org 13 PERTH + KINROSS Alasdair Stewart alasdair.stewart@maf-uk.org 14 FIFE Martyn Segar martyn.segar@maf-uk.org Paul Greer paul.greer@maf-uk.org 15 WEST LOTHIAN Eddie and Rosemary Watt eddie.watt@maf-uk.org 16 EDINBURGH + LOTHIANS Peggy Gibson peggy.gibson@maf-uk.org Heather Tweedie heather.tweedie@maf-uk.org
(Our apologies that the Shetland Islands cannot be shown due to lack of space.)
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Where our hearts want to be Story Jill Vine
Photos Dave Forney
MAF Uganda has a long relationship with Sam Tsapwe of Jesus Film Ministries, an organisation providing outreach to the remote communities of Uganda’s Ssese Islands, and in South Sudan. Over the years, the MAF Uganda team have loved watching how this man personifies Jesus with his passion to reach the lost with the Gospel. There’s nowhere too difficult to reach that Sam isn’t prepared to go, and MAF is able to help him and his team get to hard-to-reach places quicker and more comfortably. Recently, Godfrey, Benjamin and Pastor Clement — who are all from different church partnerships — flew with Sam on a return trip to Mbarara in western Uganda (pictured). This flight was to a small village in the Rukiagiri district where Sam has been a regular visitor for 18 years. Originally, a doctor introduced Sam to the villagers when there were only 20 people in 1 church. Since then, that church has planted 25 other churches with 1,500 members!
Pastor Clement started this work in Rukiagiri and continues to send evangelistic groups to reach more people. He had been unwell, undergoing several operations which would have made the journey impossible were it not for MAF. Sam was quick to give his reasons for wanting to fly with MAF. ‘Firstly, flying itself is expensive and this MAF flight is subsidised. Secondly, a commercial flight wouldn’t fly to this airstrip in Mbarara — MAF flies us to very remote places that other planes don’t. ‘Thirdly, if we came by road we’d be so exhausted once we arrived up in the mountains — the flight here takes 50 minutes instead of most of a day’s drive. Because MAF is available to us, we’re able to go where our hearts want to be — evangelising people that are hard to reach.’ MAF planes fly daily to remote areas, seeing first-hand how partners like Jesus Film Ministries enable the Gospel to touch hearts in communities that are the most difficult to reach.
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