maf news december 2009 - feburary 2010

8/3/2019 MAF News December 2009 - Feburary 2010

1/9 AMBASSADORS FOR PEACEpages 4-5 ALWAYS HAPPY page 13

December 2009 - February 2010

The magazine of Mission Aviation Fellowship

Lasting value in

Madagascar pages 8-11


2/9

What is MAF?

Mission Aviation FellowshipCastle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent UK CT20 2TN

Telephone: 0845 850 9505Email: [email protected]

Registered charity number, England and Wales: 1064598

Scottish O fce

Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0ADTelephone: 0845 850 9505Email: scottish.o [email protected]

Registered charity number, Scotland: SC039107

Website: www.ma-uk.org

Chie Executive, MAF UK: Ruth Whitaker

MAF News teamEditor: Andy Prescott

Research: Stephanie Gidney, Shaun OliverWriters: Stephanie Gidney, David Hall, Emma Stewart

Photographers: Jonathan Binnie, Geo Craw ord,Alan Duncan, Richard Hanson,

Pierrot Men, Yasmine RichardsonDesign: Positiv Design

Purchasing: Mark StantonArt Direction: Richard Bellamy

Printed by The Website, LeedsBible re erences are taken rom the New International Version

unless otherwise stated MAF UK December 2009 February 2010 mzrr9

MAF News December 2009 February 2010

Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christianorganisation whose mission is to y lightcra t in developing countries so that peopleemote areas can receive the help they need.ce 1946, our planes have been speeding theead o the Good News o the Lord Jesusrist by word and deed, in places o deepestman need. Isolated places where ying isa luxury, but a li eline.Every three minutes, an MAF plane ising o or landing somewhere in the world.ese ights enable crucial work by manyvelopment and aid agencies, missions, localurches and other national groups. Medicale, adequate ood, clean water and Christianpe are reaching countless thousands o men,men and children.Normally, passengers contribute a highly-sidised are towards the true cost. Theance that makes ights possible comes ass rom people concerned that others should

ve a better li e spiritually and physically.In the UK, MAF is a registered charityded by voluntary gi ts which help fnance

AFs operational work and support services.Please use the enclosed response orm and

velope or your donation to this ministry.MAFs work is vital. Lives depend on it.

Chie Executives COMMENT

Crucial, though only tiny,cargo is aboard his aircra tin landlocked Lesotho. South

A rican pilot Justin Honakerexplains its importance

Its just a small brown envelope marked with its destination Bobete. I stu edit into the right seat-back pocket. Bobeteis my nal stop be ore I make my way home.

I wonder whats or dinner. I give a quick thought to Amanda. It is Thursday, so shehas probably nished her Bible study with ariend at the hangar.

One last glance at the checklist con rms we are set up or landing. Bobete is a newerairstrip or me. I am receiving a ull fight

checkout into 20 o our most requently used airstrips. Today, however, Im solo.

Envelope deliveredWatch or the down dra t on short nal, Ican hear the words o my fight instructorecho. Sure enough, there it is. A little powerand then the plane touches down smoothly.I want to do a quick turnaround to get back home on time.

When you are new, everything takeslonger than you think it should. I o foadedalmost all o my cargo at my rst stop, sounloading at Bobete is a breeze, and I getthree passengers boarded in record time.

Any mail or us today? asks the Bobeteclinic nurse. Oh yes. I a lmost orgot, Ireply, handing her the brown enveloperom the right seat-back pocket. Then itdawns on me what is in it.

Eligibility testedYesterday, another o our aircra t picked upa similar envelope here that one markedor the laboratory at our hangar. Inside it

were blood samples. The lab tested thosesamples or CD4 count. Essentially, CD4counts tell how healthy patients are and

whether or not they are eligible or HIV treatment. Today, I few back the results.

I a patient agrees to be tested or HIV at the clinic, the results are immediate.Next, a blood sample is taken. But this testneeds laboratory analysis, which is whereMAF comes in. Almost daily, we fy thesesamples and results rom and to rural areas.

My heart breaks as I taxi out at Bobete,knowing that each name in the envelope Ibrought is HIV positive, and knowing theimpact that these test results will have oneach li e.

St Paul wrote to theCorinthians that, i hehad gi ts o eloquence,prophecy and knowl-edge and yet was

lacking love, all the other gi ts went ornothing. I believe he was not exaggerating.

The Bible says that God is love. So tolive a li e actively loving others not only pleases God, but reveals Him to those

whom we meet. It is His love that makesthe ministry o MAF possible.

Love or people everywhere regardlesso colour, creed or culture is what drivesour sta to reach out to those in needand those who have not heard the GoodNews o Jesus Christ.

We sometimes sing, Freely, reely youhave received; reely, reely give. Go inmy name, and because you believe, others

will know that I live. I would like to thank you or your support which enables MAFto go in His Name so that others may know that He lives!

I hope you enjoy reading o lives that,together, we have been able to help as

we tell and share Gods love in word andaction. From right where you are, you arepart o this outreach with the love o Jesus.

And my prayer or you is that the L ord will meet you and your need right where you are.

Soon it will be Christmas, when weare reminded o the precious gi t o love Gods only Son. May I wish you a peace-lled Christmas and every blessing orthe New Year.

Heartbreaking but helpfulEssential aircra tPushing the throttle right orward and theneasing the plane o the ground, I get onelast look at the clinic. At once, I need tobank le t and alter course by 45 to avoidrising terrain.

A ew minutes a ter li t-o , we are atcruising altitude with all o the appropriatechecklists completed. Only a ew miles away rom Bobete, but already outside walkingdistance to the clinic, especially or someone

who is sick.I will probably never meet the people

whose results I few in today, but I get tosee rst-hand how essential the plane is inLesotho. You may never see the impact theaircra t has. Yet you continue to believe in

what the Lord is doing through MAF.Sincerest thanks to each one who makes

our ministry possible.

Around 32% o the population o Lesotho isin ected with HIV/AIDS. Around 100,000

AIDS orphans live in mountain villages withlittle or no access to medical services. MAF

ights enable the vital work o 38 partner agencies and reach 12 rural mountain health posts.

December 2009 February 2010MAF News 3

Amanda and Justin Honaker Stretch of villages near Bobete


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Bishops and agency staff arrive at Wau

Assurance providedThen we visit the ormer site o the ECSchurch and school both destroyed last

year. A crowd has gathered. Theres singingand drumming. Banners welcome the

Archbishop.Gazing around, I hold back tears. The

Archbishop stands. He assures the crowd o the Churchs support be ore inviting themto stand with him to pray or the uture.The people surround the site, o eringpleas to God.

That night, were sitting outside. Stars aretwinkling, bishops are joking and laughing.

Its a privilege to share their lives, hear theirstories and witness their love or their people.Bishop Francis turns sombre. This town

has been neglected surely. Im eeling orthese people.

I chat with Archbishop Daniel about theday. Hes unsure how the Church will ndmoney to rebuild the school. Like many inSudan, he believes education is key to theuture.

He wants so much to help his people.People want hope. The hope I am givingthem is the hope o the Word o God. Imhere to encourage them. It is rare or peopleto come and visit.

Drinking o the NileNext morning, we stop at a church in Agok.Everywhere in Sudan, youre met withexcited aces, children shouting Khawaja white person. But here, we nd theres an

emptiness. No shouting, ew smiles, littlereaction. And that haunts me.

On our fight back to Juba, I rememberan Arab proverb: Drink o the Nile and

youll always come back to it again. Forme, there is just something about Sudan.It draws me in a way no other country hasever done. I know that in the midst o thedevastation, there is hope.

Its what the Archbishop talked o . Itsin God.

location a ew miles rom some o Sudansmost lucrative oil elds means it is a sourceo much confict.

Last year, heavy ghting drove most o the population out o town, threatening tore-ignite civil war. The oreign o ce advisesagainst all travel here. Tensions remain high.

Following visits to Wau and Aweil, we fy to Agok to make our way to Abyei. Thereare ood supplies piled beside the road.Tomorrow on our return, well see crowdso people waiting or ood. Across Sudan,thousands still rely on ood distribution.Many still die rom hunger. I nd it heart-breaking.

Abyei devastatedIts an hours drive to Abyei. Like most roadjourneys in Sudan, it eels like being on arollercoaster. I arrive wondering i all my teeth are still intact. Approaching Abyei townis like a scene rom an old western. Theresnot a soul in sight. Its empty. Deserted.

Charred remains o huts stand like skel-etons, marking ormer homes o the townsinhabitants. Makeshi t tents with plastictarpaulin over sticks stand scattered acrossthe dry land. Burnt patches o earth stretchas ar as my eye can see. The aid agency compounds remain empty.

Its dusty and barren the rainy seasonhas yet to reach here. Abyei is like nothingIve ever seen. Its how you would illustratedevastation. I ask the driver to slow downso we can lm. He re uses continuing toour rst stop. The Archbishop wants tomeet the Deputy Chie Administrator toassure him that he and his people are notorgotten.

UDAN:S O M U C H S T I L L T O D O

by Emma StewartIts mid-morning as the plane touches downin Juba. Im about to spend a week travellingaround southern Sudan, visiting the work oour partners and seeing some o the mostchallenging places on earth. Even the very thought o being here makes my hair standon end and my eyes water with emotion


mma Stewart

Ambassadors for peace

rst visited Sudan three years ago. I wastold it would change my li e. Yet I neverreally imagined just how much. Sincen, Ive devoured all the literature I can, Ive taken up Arabic, Ive talked toeryone I meet about Sudan.Juba airport is abuzz with

ople. Im jostled by crowds as Ito get my passport and Sudanmit stamped. Theres no order. Iile to mysel : Im here!Collecting my bags, Imeted by John Tipper,Base Manager. A ck turnaround and

m ushered throughchaotic airportoin the MAFht. Its a pretty cial occasion.Were takingniel Dengl Yak, thechbishopTheiscopalurch

o Sudan (ECS), and a delegation o bishopsand sta o various agencies on a peace-building trip.

Archbishop DanielThe Archbishop recently appealed to theinternational community to increase

support or the delicate peace process.Southern Sudan still experiences pock-ets o insecurity. Unpredictable, o ten

violent, this threatens to destabilise thepeace process and prevents urther

development. With a presence in almost

every village, ArchbishopDaniel believes the Church, with its message o unity,

love and reconciliation,has an important role.

Vital to this peaceprocess is the towno Abyei on theborder, where many

people groups inter-link and southerners

and northerners livetogether. Its strategic


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UDAN:S O M U C H S T I L L T O D O

Aid Sudan was ounded in2000 in response to theneeds o the Lost Boys

The Lost Boys return

These boys were ar rom their homesherding cattle when soldiers raidedtheir villages in Sudan.Upon their return they ound nothing

but devastation, burnt-out huts and amily

members dead or gone. Le t with nothing,these orphaned boys, some as young as veor six, fed.

Thousands walked to Ethiopia. Then,orced to leave, they walked back to Sudanand on to Kenya. Those who survived thehorri c journey were placed in re ugeecamps. Years later, many were taken to theUSA to orge out a new li e.

Today, Aid Sudan is working with some

o these Lost Boys, equipping them toreturn to southern Sudan as missionaries.

Every yearLed by Maker Manyang and Jengmar Yat,both ormerly Lost Boys, Bible schools havebeen set up at Nasir and Nimule. Studentslearn Bible stories by heart to enable themto share Gods Word in a culture where oraltradition is a way o li e.

Each year, Aid Sudan also takes severalteams into Sudan, fying with MAF to reachremote destinations. Without MAF, wecouldnt do what we do, because Sudan is

logistically so di cult to get in and out o ,shares Kerry Henderson, Country Directoror Aid Sudan.

Alongside education, healthcare, wellrepair, and veterinary work, teams sharethe Gospel through chronological Biblestories. A veterinary team visited the cattlecamps at Nimule.

Nimule is now home to many displacedpeoples. During the war, thousands o Dinkapeople fed here, and most have remained.Tall, many with distinctive acial m arkings,the Dinka are one o Sudans largest peoplegroups. Makers amily resettled here a terbeing orced to leave their homes in Bor.

Its the rst time a team has come here.Maker remained in the USA but his amily

welcome the team with such warmth, givingup their homes or them. The team is very humbled by the hospitality and generosity.

Cattle campsCattle are central to Dinka culture. In theabsence o banks, they are used as a storeo wealth. They are used in the dowr y asthe bride price. Many children are nameda ter cows. On the cattle camps, culture ishanded down to the next generation.

Having visited our camps on the rst day,the team was ready to work at a camp wherethe chie herders were more receptive.

The camps are an hours drive up intothe hills on a bumpy, windy, narrow road.

Women walk it daily to get to town.Its early morning important to arrive

be ore the cattle are taken to graze and theheat becomes unbearable.

Piles o dung lie everywhere. Some areburning to prevent fies. Others just lie asan obstacle to bypass or trudge through.

Down to business A sea o cattle stretches endlessly into thedistance, each one tied to a little woodenstub. Its really noisy. The cows are thin asgrazing land is limited and dr y. Childrenroam around, many o them covered indung. Women are milking cows by hand. A ew tukuls are dotted around the camp.

A ter meeting the chie , its down tobusiness. Weaving in and out o hundredso animals, the camp chairman leads theteam. It appears random, but vet Johnny

Johnson is impressed: The chairman ispicking the cattle I would pick.

Cattle have to be restrained, bringing toli e the phrase taking the bull by the horns.Its best not to stand too close! Cows are

vaccinated, wormed and one bitten by acrocodile is given antibiotics.

Early resultsBy the end o day one, the team has treatedover 300 cows. Within three days, herderscan see results and with it the peoplesgrowing appreciation or the work.

The culmination o the teams visit came when they shared the last o the Biblestories with the men, women and children.The people listened intently to the accounto Christs cruci xion, but when it reachedthe resurrection, the camp began to clapand shout Hallelujah! It was a power ulmoment to see their hunger or Gods Word.The chie thanked the team or sharing thestories o God with the children so that they grow up to know God.

Team leader Andrew Brown writes, Godhad truly gone be ore us and blessed the

work o our hands. It was very clear that by treating the cows o the Dinka people, wehad touched their hearts at a deep leveland it had opened the doors to share Gods

Word with power and authority. We praiseGod or His work!

A month a ter the veterinary team le tNimule, Maker returned to continue tominister to the needs o his people.


Kerry Henderson Johnny Johnson Andrew Brown

aker Manyang Jengmar Yat

Emma with local children

Sharing Bible stories


5/9

had a good job as a design engineer. Butsince I became a Christian, Ive knownGod had something else or me othern just working or a living. He was goingend me somewhere. When I rst came

Madagascar, I realised I could directly apply everything Idlearnt to doing some-thing or God. I neverthought an engineercould do work or God.

Hes my Creator. Itsa massive eeling o ul lment knowing Imdoing something orthe One who made me.

You spent most o your time building andrepairing runways, Carl. One o yourbiggest projects was the upgrading o theMarolambo airstrip.

Yes, Marolambo was one o the rst placesMAF visited when the operation started in1988. The dirt runway is on a steep hillsidenear rain orest. When it rained, we couldntland it was too slipper y and dangerous.Every rainy season, it would get car ved upand eroded. Wed have to go and repair itjust so the plane could land.

We received unding in 2007 to upgradethe airstrip. So we decided to tarmac it abig job! We needed 15 tons o bitumen,

which took over a month to transport in4x4s along a dirt road.

Gravel was handmade by local people.Putting unds into the community gavepeople jobs and a trade they still have.Making raw materials took 18 months. Welaid over 1,000 tons o sand and gravel.

Now completed, the runway has an all- weather sur ace. We dont have to worry about rains, and its much sa er. It alsomeans the plane can take in almost a ull1,000kg payload much more cost-e ectiveor our partners.

Upgrading has opened the whole area. Were developing other runways in theregion. Without Marolambo, we couldntget equipment in and out.

Carl, tell us about the work involved indeveloping a new runway.

One airstrip we developed this year is at Ampasinambo. The people and districtauthorities were excited when we visited inMay 2008 to consider a runway or them.

The village held a blessing on the rstMonday local churches worked togetherand had a ser vice. It was really neat!

People cleared bush a couple o metreshigh be ore we arrived, so we could fy equipment in by helicopter rom Marolambo.Theyve been really enthusiastic, every day sending ten volunteers who worked really hard to help. Without their help, it wouldnthave been possible. It also means they getownership. I they keep the runway in goodcondition, they reap the bene ts.

We had some trials, with bad weather,machinery breakdowns and sickness allhampering our progress. A tropical cyclonepassed directly overhead, fooding hal therunway site and our camp. Our sta bothevacuated to higher ground minutes be orethe riverbanks broke! But they contractedmalaria as a consequence.

Once it dried, we drove to the village to

rotate work teams. A ter 250 miles to thecoast, the remaining 60 miles took 2 ulldays on little more than a walking track.

We made 2 trips in and out, almost 100hours o gruelling driving and trashing our

vehicle in the process. Our aircra t can dothe same two trips in less than our hours!

What impact will the runway have or thecommunity?

Flying in doctors, and even church groups,to set up dispensaries will really li t thepeoples wel are. Hope ully, m issionaries

will come, too. Weve already helped a sick man. Paul

Hisson Ramily had been ill or several days with a pain in his side, and rapid, shallow breathing. As the runway was still underdevelopment, a helicopter few Paul 30miles to Marolambo. We trans erred himinto the MAF plane and took him to thecapital and hospital.

It would take two days to walk rom Ampasinambo to reach a doctor thats i youre well!

When a plane ies into a runway or thefrst time, how does it make you eel?

Its great a real sense o achievement! Weve created something o lasting value.

Some people ask, Why bother? Withsuch widespread poverty, what impact can

you really make? Im doing what I can tomake that small di erence. I enough peopledecide they can make a small di erence, theend will be signi cant.

Its God whos really in control. Im justa servant, so Im going to do my best toserve His purposes.

The runway at Ampasinambo opened on 13 July 2009 at the minimum length o 450m. It was extended by 150m during August and September. For a short flm about this project, visit www.ma -uk.org/carlramsey

Building a runway is like providing anopen door or a community. People cancome in and go out. Across Madagascar, 98villages have asked MAF to develop runways.

Please pray or wisdom in deciding whereto extend our services.

our Special Projects Manager in Madagascar, Carlamsey spent most o the last fve years roughing it in thesh. Why was that, Carl?

Creating something of lasting value

arl Ramsey

MAF News December 2009 February 2010 December 2009 February 2010MAF News 9

MADAGASCAR:C O N F R O N T I N G N AT U R A L H A Z A R D S

Upgraded airstrip at Marolambo

Paul Hisson Ramily is helped aboard

Changing work teams at Ampasinambo

Preparing the ground


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New horizon

When the time o Gods call to a particu-lar role comes to an end, there is always

a mixture o sadness and excitement.Tim and Carol Derbyshire have now le tTanzania and moved to Australia, whereTim is working with the AustralianCentre or Mission Aviation as Chie Engineer a ter serving with MAF in

A rica or 14 years.Paul and Fiona Waugh have settled

quickly back into Newcastle-upon-Tyne with their two sons, a ter serving ornine years in our IT Department inKenya. Fiona is continuing her role withMAF rom there.

Jakob Adol has served with MAF or12 years in Madagascar, leading theteam or the last 6. That task has now been taken over by Bastiaan de Waalrom The Netherlands. Married toCorina, they have three sons.

We thank God or each o these whohave le t A rica, and or the impact they have had. Our prayer is that God willbless them abundantly as they settle intonew surroundings.

Currently, there are vacancies in vari-ous roles: pilots both minimum entry and experienced levels, an engineeringdirector, a chie engineer, experiencedaircra t maintenance engineers, avionics

engineers, an operations director, coun-try directors and nance managers. Allo these are based overseas.

I you eel called to serve with MAF,or know o anyone who you think wouldbe interested in working with us, orurther in ormation, the requirementsor each position and the recruitmentprocess, please contact me and I canadvise urther. Or you can visit our

website: www.ma -uk.org

Heather GardnerRecruitment Co-ordinatorMission Aviation FellowshipCastle Hill AvenueFOLKESTONECT20 2TN

Email: heather.gardner@ma -uk.orgTelephone: 0845 850 9505


aroantsetra. A tropical paradise on the north-easternast o Madagascar. Gentle waves lap upon palm-linedaches. A tourist destination to watch humpback whales,murs and other exotic wildli e. But the scene is deceptive

Side by side: paradise and poverty

MADAGASCAR:C O N F R O N T I N G N AT U R A L H A Z A R D S

Palm-lined beach at Maroantsetra

Andrew Shimmin with Matthew SlaubaughCanzee pump

Bridge over river at Maroantsetra

Washing pots in river

Cyclone damage

Working in rice paddy

Avrosaine

n Maroantsetra, tropical paradise liesside by side with the tough reality o li eor the majority o Malagasy people.

Exit rom the dreamy tourist resort andverty is right outside; there is no veneer.d the tranquillity o the lapping sea andaxing beach can be shattered by another,ogether unwanted visitor. Maroantsetranot just a location on the tourist trail itlso on the path o deadly cyclones.

mergency responseery year, cyclones hit Madagascar. Itsnorth-eastern coastlands that are most

nerable. Medair, an emergency relie d rehabilitation NGO, began work in theion in response to the many resultingergency situations.In 2007, cyclone Indlala , then cyclonea 19 days later, tore through the region.e inhabitants o low-lying areas fed romir homes as water rose as high as 16 eet.ole villages were submerged.Flooding o this nature leaves peoplehout access to clean water a problemjust during the fooding itsel , but also

erwards because dirty foodwater fowso wells and contaminates them.

ective partnershipdairs rst priority was to distributeter, sanitation and health kits. With upour fights each day, we few inusands o buckets, jerry cans,tles o water-treatment

emicals and other materialsdistribution by Medairowing Indlala and Jaya.Simple, but li e-saving.

thin three days o theclones, help was reachingse in need.Medairs Andrew mmin shares, This area isisolated, even in normal, non-clone conditions. There wouldve been no way to launchs project without thetnership o MAF.We would not have

en able to bringential help to these

ople.

llage li ehours drive romroantsetra town and

e is deep in rural li e.e rich colours o thed are stunning, as i

recently washed and sparkling clean.Huddles o wooden, ramshackle homes

stand on short stilts, surrounded by vibrantgreen blankets o rice paddies.

Small groups o people men, womenand children work in the rice paddies ormeander along the red dirt path to the

village. Some carry hoe-like tools, somerewood, others large clumps o harvestedrice. One young boy heads home with a

small bunch o ripe bananas dangling romthe stick he carries over his shoulder.

There is no hurry.

Ongoing developmentBetween cyclone seasons, Medairs activity ocuses on longer-term rehabilitation:

water, sanitation and hygiene projects, or which our aircra t have also provided vitalsupport. Working in partnership with the

village communities, Medair installs waterpoints and latrines.

In Tsarahonenana, using equipmentspecially adapted or inaccessible areas, ateam has drilled a borehole down below the clay to a layer o water protected romcontamination, and installed a Canzeehand pump which is easy tomaintain in such a place.

Today, Avrosaine states,I can really eel thedi erence. Avrosaine

and her

amily use the pump water or cooking anddrinking, acknowledging that it is moredrinkable than the water rom the stream.

Flown up by MAF, the Canzee pump isnow providing clean water to 20 amilies.In one year, Medair installs more than 100o these pumps.

Its another example where partnershipbetween MAF and Medair has helped makea crucial di erence in the lives o peoplesubsisting in paradise.


7/9

ouse-hunting was not ary easy introduction tonzania or Robert and

vonne Slocombe

deal house and rewarding work


I like the challenge o hard mathematicsand science combined with some hardphysical work, Gladys explains, so Ichose aeronautical engineering.

Its really unusual or women in Kenyato train as engineers. When the coursestarted, there were just three women butthe other two dropped out. So there I was,the only woman with all those men. Butthey accepted me, so it was ne.

Studying at Kenyan Polytechnic rom2000 to 2003, Gladys needed to nd some-

where or her student placement in 2002.Thats how she came to work with MAF inNairobi.

And it was that work experience whichled her to join the MAF sta the ollowing

year when she had gained her Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering. Then workingalongside quali ed aircra t maintenanceengineers, Gladys continued her trainingon the job, and secured approvals ratingsand general licences.

Asked to move to Tanzania or a short

while, Gladys arrived at our Dodoma basein 2006. But her assignment was extended and now she is a regular member o ourengineering team there.

Still learning, Gladys ampli es, I amnow going through all o the exams orlicences or each aircra t type. I have theair rame basic part, and I am waiting orthe nal part o the basic licence.

It should take me another year to do allthe type training. But it does depend onavailability o examiners very ew peoplehere are able to be examiners.

Li e is demanding. A ter working all day,I study in my own time. And a ter a longday in the hangar, I am o ten very tired.But by Gods grace, I have my own homeon the compound next to the base, so thatmakes it easy to get to work!

Always happy, Gladys is glad that, on topo work and study, she can get back hometo Kenya two or three times each year to

visit her amily.In the uture, I would love to be a pilot-

engineer with my very own aircra t to fy missionaries in remote rural areas, Gladysenthuses. That would be great.

Questioned what she especially likesabout working with MAF, Gladys had a ready answer. I love the prayers in the morningand the teamwork.

I like the way we put everything in Godshands each day.

Always happy Gladys Katuku was aced

with a major choice. Sheprogressed well at school inKenya, and had to decide

which subject she wouldstudy at university

Yvonne gives a physics lesson

Robert at his desk

They wanted a home close to Canon Andrea Mwaka School where Yvonne was to teach.Their ideal house was already occupied.t next morning, Robert received a calluesting removal o an MAF-suppliedernet connection rom a home, as theants were leaving. It was that idealuse! And so the couple moved in juste week later.Previously, they had served in Burundi,bert as Deputy Country Director orr und, and Yvonne teaching in a missionool.

Switching rom the shadow o recentil war was a massive change or Robert,onne and their seven-year-old daughtersha. Today, Robert is MAFs Deputy ector o Operations in Tanzania, whileonnes work is very di erent rom teach-orphaned children in Burundi.

A baptism o re aced Robert. New vil Aviation Authority regulations had toin orce in a matter o weeks, capacity uction ollowing the return o a loanedcra t to South A rica, and then work mits and residence visas or several

gineers re used though happily laterowed.The Operations Department is the hubight activities, explains Robert. Flightsplanned, aircra t and crew allocated,sengers and reight booked, and thegress o each fight monitored by radio

con rm that each destination is reachedely.With his experience in Royal Air Force

ansport Command, fying in Beverley andrcules aircra t, Robert has ound that,pite MAFs much smaller planes, the

problems o supplying hard-to-reach areas are not

dissimilar.

Respondingrapidly to get a sick orinjured

person sa ely to medical acilities is very rewarding, he a rms.

Working as a team is the key. Operationsmust work well with engineering, nance,acilities and air eld development, and also

with external bodies such as customs, theCivil Aviation Authority, immigration, the

Airports Authority, churches, missions andaid agencies.

There are lighter moments. A re tenderbecame bogged down in grass a ter dealing

with a re on the air eld perimeter. Robertchuckles, The name Dodoma actually means it sank re erring to an elephant

which stuck in the grass a long time ago.The couples roles becamelinked when Yvonnes school

class took part in the2008 MAF Day o Prayer and later visitedthe hangar, talking with engineers andalso a pilot.

In act, the per ectpartnership.


8/9


Dancing for joy But Pastor James, Baptist Director o

Youth Ministries, and other leaders becameconcerned when they realised some o theattendees were armed with guns and knives claiming they needed them or sel -de ence.

On Boxing Day, an MAF team showedthe lm The End o the Spear . This depictsthe deaths o MAF pilot Nate Saint andour other missionaries killed by Waorani(Aucas) in Ecuador in 1956, and showshow Gods love has led to reconciliationbetween warring groups. The story reso-nates very power ully in PNG culture.

Kambowa Kukyuwa o MAF reports how Gods Spirit moved among those at the

youth con erence. Guns and knives disap-peared. Opposing groups began talking witheach other. Later, Pastor James was invitedto Yenkisa to help begin peace negotiationsand encourage reconciliation.

In April, it was possible or our fights tobegin again to Yenkisa, and by then essentialrepair work at Iropena was also complete.

As pilot Michael Duncal e made the rstlanding at Yenkisa, villagers danced or joy and waved leaves as a sign o celebration.At last, we have access to the outside

world again, they rejoiced. At Iropena, community leaders declared

their delight in having their aircra t back.Michael responded by saying how pleasedMAF was to return to restore links vital orhealth, education and church-based activities.

Two weeks a ter the rst landing, ormalcelebrations marking the reopening were heldat Yenkisa with more dancing and speeches.

We few Francis Mendeki to Yenkisa tostay or a week to help develop the churchsprayer ministry the rst time such work has been possible or ve years.

Wide-eyed children (and some equally excited adults!) sat in the cockpit, as MAFpilots took a ew moments to explain theinstrumentation and demonstrate the controls.

The planes per ormance attributes,interesting design eatures, and the type o fying it has been designed to undertakealso generated a lot o interest. The vastmajority o visitors also commented on how attractively designed the aeroplane is!

This Kodiak 100 will join our operationserving in Kalimantan.

Far-reaching consequences We would like to send you your own choiceo one, two or three items ree o charge.Resources that can help you continue tobring essentials o li e to people in remotecorners o the earth in years ahead.

Instead o fowers A practical pack allow-ing you to express your wish that riendsgive donations to MAF in your memory rather than fowers, together with a supply o simple cards to enable that to happen.

Li eline beyond your li etime In this vividsix-minute lm on DVD, ellow Supportersand overseas sta show you how legaciesare making a vital di erence in reaching

Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Rev, Dr, Christian name and surname

Address

Postcode

I enclose my gift of for use where most needed

MY RESPONSE

PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS

Registeredcharityin EnglandandWales(1064598)andinScotland(SC039107)

I want to help bring Godscompassion to needy people

Mission Aviation FellowshipCastle Hill Avenue FOLKESTONE CT20 2TN29 Canal Street GLASGOW G4 0AD

FSF mzrr2

Please tell me how I can give to MAF on aregular basis


Kodiak fies inIn October, our second Kodiak 100 aircra t

was on display in the UK or the rst timeat Dux ord Airshow.

A wide variety o people were keen to view this brand new plane, ranging romaviation enthusiasts through to amilies with

very young children. A number o MAFSupporters also visited, some o whom hadbought their ticket to the airshow purely tosee the new missionary mule!

isolated people with Gods love. Something Really Worth While A valua-ble guide to making or changing your Will,explaining legal jargon and providing use ulorms. It clearly shows how to trans ormsome o your possessions into a pricelessgi t o li e and hope.

In order to receive as many o thesethree resources as you would like, simply telephone our Supporter Relations team on0845 850 9505 or you can email yourrequest to supporter.relations@ma -uk.org

Thank you.One in six MAF fights is made possible

through such oresight by Supporters.

Garys abseilVery enjoyable, but quite scary on the edgeat the top. Thats how our new Head o Human Resources Gary Colvin describesabseiling down the 100 t Riverside House,

Vauxhall. Joining 60 others, Gary raised 1,040, which was split between InterHealthand MAF. InterHealth provides medicalscreening or our sta .

Exuberant villagers were marking thereopening o the airstrip at isolatedYenkisa, Papua New Guinea (PNG),years a ter it was closed when ghtingde landing unsa e.A community leader had been murdered,rking a local confict that also meant thesure o neighbouring airstrips at Iropena

d Yambaitok.Eventually, Yambaitok reopened or ourhts, provided that a radio report couldn rm there was no ghting nearby at thee. And then in December 2008, Baptistion o Papua New Guinea organised its

nual Enga Province youth con erence atmbaitok.We few in a ew o those attending, butst o the young people walked thereoss extremely rugged terrain, some o m taking several days.

Francis Mendeki and Michael Duncalfe

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range owers made colour ul garlands adorning womenrcling the MAF aircra t and dancing in celebration atched by dozens o men


9/9

Tribute to Nicki Just 60 minutes a ter receiving anemergency call, pilot Michael Duncal e

landed on the short airstrip at remote

Koinambe, Papua New Guinea. He

ound Peggy had been in labour or 24

hours. Michael few her, together with

a community nurse, to Mount Hagen,

where Peggy was rushed to hospital

and delivered a little girl. Michaels wi e Nicki helped provide ood

during the hospital stay and arranged accommodation when mother

and daughter were discharged. As Michael few them back to Koinambe

days later, he learnt that the baby had been named Nicki Peggys way

o thanking the MAF couple or their help.

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maf news december 2009 - feburary 2010

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