maf news september -november 2008

The magazine of Mission Aviation Fellowship

BIG SCREEN – BIG CHALLENGE page 4 RESTORATION IN DRC pages 6-9

September - November 2008

Mission possible in Tanzania page 12

Andrew Boyd has a passion for the best.As Quality Manager in Nairobi, he

ensures MAF does everything to the highest possible standard – whether in the air, on the ground, in training or in maintenance. And that all we do conforms to Kenya Civil Aviation regulations.

‘I am a member of the Safety Action Group and the Occupational Health and Safety Committee. Where we fail to comply, I am involved in creating a Corrective Action Requirement plan and ensuring it gets completed.’

Earlier, Andrew had served for five years as Operations Manager in Dodoma, Tanzania. Moving in July 2006 from the close-knit community there to Nairobi’s sprawling city life was a real challenge for Andrew, his wife Jean and their sons Andrew J, Fraser and Iain.

All the boys enjoy their new school and opportunities for activities including sports. Jean works among ladies of very different backgrounds, from those living in the slum

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 OfficeChallenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD

Telephone: 0845 850 9505Email: [email protected]

Registered Charity Number, Scotland: SC039107

Website: www.maf-uk.org

Chief Executive, MAF UK: Ruth Whitaker

MAF News teamEditor: Andy Prescott

Acting Editor: David LongleyResearch: Shaun Oliver

Writer: David HallPhotographers:

Geoff Crawford, Alan Duncan, Richard Hanson, Alex Hooper Design: Adamart

Purchasing: Mark Stanton Art Direction: Richard Bellamy

Printed by John Blackburn Ltd

Bible references are taken from the New International Version unless otherwise stated

© MAF UK September – November 2008 mzrh9

2 MAF News September – November 2008

Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian organisation whose mission is to fly light

aircraft in developing countries so that people in remote areas can receive the help they need. Since 1946, our planes have been speeding the spread of the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ by word and deed, in places of deepest human need. Isolated places where flying is not a luxury, but a lifeline.

Every three minutes, an MAF plane is taking off or landing somewhere in the world. These flights enable crucial work by many development and aid agencies, missions, local churches and other national groups. Medical care, adequate food, clean water and Christian hope are reaching countless thousands of men, women and children.

Normally, passengers contribute a highly-subsidised fare towards the true cost. The balance that makes flights possible comes as gifts from people concerned that others should have a better life spiritually and physically.

In the UK, MAF is a registered charity funded by voluntary gifts which help finance MAF’s operational work and support services.

Please use the enclosed response form and envelope for your donation to this ministry.

MAF’s work is vital. Lives depend on it.

areas to affluent Kenyan women involved in diplomatic service.

That contrast was evident when, follow-ing a day with the Kipepeo card-making project helping some of the poorest women, Jean spent the evening at a charity concert listening to a brilliant pianist.

ImaginativeKipepeo is an imaginative Christian self-help group. It enables 18 women to make paper from recycled waste and then use it to create greetings cards which they sell for income. Thankfully, this ministry is now back in action. Its rented building in the Kibera slums was destroyed during the unrest following elections last December.

During that fraught time, many of the MAF staff were confined to the hangar or to home as violence flared. Sadly, several Kenyan staff members had their property burned down.

All the family attends Karen Vineyard Church – a large congregation in which Andrew and Jean have been leaders of a house group. ‘People are hungry to hear about Jesus,’ Jean emphasises. ‘But they need help to incorporate Jesus and Christian living into their everyday lives.’

As well as the demands of being mother to three lively boys, Jean is studying for a Diploma in Theology through the UK Open Theological College.

When he isn’t working, Andrew relaxes by sailing with the family at Naivasha Yacht Club. He enjoys manning rescue boats and instructing youngsters.

FulfillingFor Andrew – originally from Northern Ireland and a former air traffic controller at Inverness – life is complex but fulfilling. He visited Madagascar, Mongolia and Uganda

as external flight operations auditor.Now he is coming to terms with yet

another new role, that of MAF Security Officer in Kenya. On top of everything else, he provides help with the flight booking and planning software that plays a key part in our daily operations.

‘It’s great to know that I am working with others who have Jesus as their focus,’ Andrew declares. ‘And in helping our aircraft and staff become more efficient and effective, there is great satisfaction in knowing that I have been able to serve God in this way.’

Seeking excellence first and last, Andrew gets down to work in the big city

Simply the best

September – November 2008 MAF News 3

Chief Executive’s COMMENTMAF’s vision is to see isolated people’s lives transformed. Our moti-vation is to share God’s love through the use of

aviation and technology. But sometimes we face practical challenges in fulfilling that vision.

In the last MAF News, Bernard in Kenya told of his personal experiences during the disturbing times of violence following the elections. At a similar time, our team in Chad had needed to evacuate at very short notice.

It is good therefore to report this time that lives are slowly being re-established across Kenya, as the new power-sharing government has resulted in more stability.

We thank the Lord for His protection through these events. On one particular day recently, all the seven aircraft in our Kenya fleet were in the air, with eight pilots flying in three different countries – Kenya, Sudan and Somalia.

And our Chad team has now returned to the base and their homes in N’Djaména.

In Luke 8, we read the story of Jesus and His disciples going across the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus said, ‘Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.’ When a storm arose, He didn’t seem concerned. He hadn’t just said, ‘Let’s get in the boat’ – He had confidence in His Father’s protection.

We know that there are storms in our lives, personally and organisationally. Let me encourage you, no matter what you are going through right now and no matter how you are feeling, to keep trusting in God and in His protection.

Currently, MAF is experiencing some ‘stormy’ impact in both fuel supply and price increases around the world.

At these times, we too need to put our confidence and trust in God for protection and provision to continue supporting and serving those living in inaccessible and remote places – and to keep working towards realising our vision!

Once afraid of travelling on water, Sam Tsapwe affirms, ‘I can now sit in a boat and forget that the water

is there.’ That’s fortunate, for part of his mission field is the 84-island archipelago of the Ssese Islands with neighbouring islands in north-western Lake Victoria.

What’s more, those Sam tries to reach are fishermen families who battle the stormy waters daily in colourful wooden boats, catching tilapia and huge Nile perch. Indigenous Bassese islanders have been joined by people from across East Africa seeking a living.

Witchcraft has a long-standing hold on island culture. And hard-earned wages disappear on drink and gambling. But the islands are a largely-ignored mission area because people are so afraid of crossing the turbulent water to reach them.

Over the waterBased in Kampala, capital of Uganda, former full-time MAF worker Sam now devotes himself to Jesus Film Ministries. The two-hour docudrama based on the Gospel of Luke has been produced in more than 1,000 languages since 1979.

Sam still has his office at the MAF centre, and his wife Sarah works in our operations department.

And Sam has a firm principle. He will not show the film where there is no church. He says it’s essential that someone should nurture new Christians.

The team of keen evangelists often makes the journey to the islands in MAF’s Cessna 206, flying from Kajjansi airfield outside Kampala. The only alternative is driving to a ferry for a crossing of up to five hours. Not only are ferries cancelled if the water is too rough, but often they are over-loaded – and have sometimes capsized.

Projector, sound equipment, tents and sleeping bags – all travel in the Cessna with Sam and his mission team.

Scar of courageOne flight landed on Bulago Island – one of the few with an airstrip – and then team and gear went by local boat on a 45-minute journey to Kisigala. That is a village of brown wooden homes nestled together haphazardly

on an equally brown dirt clearing a few feet above the water.

The pastor of Kisigala Church – Joseph Akua – moved to the islands from Koboko in the north of Uganda in 2000 to fish. Three years later, he became a Christian in the

church he now leads. But his conversion came at a price to him – a scar under his collarbone reveals where former friends with murderous intent stabbed him in anger.

‘That scar reminds me of what Jesus has done for me and gives me courage,’ Joseph testifies.

Within minutes of the team’s arrival at

4 MAF News September – November 2008

Fishing for men and women where most people fish for a living excites the man with a silver-screen mission

Joseph Akua

Big screen – big challenge

Sam Tsapwe

Kisigala, African praise music attracted a crowd of youngsters who danced and sang. Next there was a church service. Then, under a full moon, Sam showed a film to the 200-strong crowd.

Coming to JesusThe following day, the party returned to Bulago by boat, rejoining the MAF aircraft for the journey to Bukasa Island – one of the largest.

Another hour-long boat ride took them to Kisaba village, home to around 4,000 people. The local bar shows films – often violent or sexually explicit – so a film arriving is not such a novelty as it is in the more remote villages.

But three men became Christians after seeing the Jesus film, adding to the young-sters and three teenagers who had responded the previous evening.

‘It is a beautiful thing to witness someone coming to Jesus, moving from one world to another,’ enthuses Sam.

Change of lifestyleOn a visit to Lwanabatya fishing village, the team travelled across the island aboard its only vehicle – an old tractor. They worked with a group of children and then showed the film to 150 people. One of them, who was a drunkard, gave his life to Jesus.

A tall, sensitive, quietly-spoken but very passionate man, Sam encourages and trains church leaders as well as showing various Christian films.

At one of his meetings in Kisigala, a young

man smelling of alcohol joined in the singing. He had become a Christian the previous weekend when Sam had made an advance visit with a medical team from Kampala. The man is an alcoholic, but he had returned with a friend whom he wanted to be led to Christ.

As he struggled with his addiction and his new faith, Sam offered encour-agement through the local Christians that could lead to a complete change of lifestyle – the sort of change that follows Sam regularly on his forays around the islands.

Without our aircraft, evangelistic work on the islands would be far more difficult. Sam well remem-bers his first flight to the islands nine years ago aboard the floatplane that MAF used to operate in the area.

While Sam and his enthusiastic team continue to expand their mission, we are looking to estab-lish further airstrips and have just got permission to do so on Buvu Island.

Pray for its completion.

‘We fly as many hours as we did before moving here from Uganda. But now, almost all are in the DRC itself,’ explains Joey. ‘We have many more opportunities for emergency flights that would not have been possible if we had to bring a plane from Kampala.

‘And we have been able to go as a family to show the Jesus film.’

Joey adds: ‘Also, we have found that simply existing here is a real ministry of encouragement as we struggle alongside our Congolese brothers and sisters to help rebuild this area.’

In a country struggling to live in peace, MAF is moving back its operations base

with a base at Bunia, flying time is more productive without lengthy ‘positioning’ flights.

Rescuing victimsWith more than 200 separate ethnic groups, fighting has ravaged the DRC for the past 12 years. Four million people have lost their lives.

Following elections in 2006, renewed efforts sought to convert a peace-pact into reality. But fighting has continued in the east.

Earlier, we had been forced to evacuate several times – leaving buildings and vital equipment to be ransacked. We rescued missionaries and as many endangered Congolese as possible in 2002 from an intertribal attack on Nyankunde where 1,200 people were killed.

Just nine months later, we shared in evacuating 2,000 people from Bunia in the midst of intense fighting.

Following ChristToday, Dave and Donna Jacobsson and Joey and Suzanne Lincoln serve at Bunia. Dave and Donna, assigned to the country since

Our return to base planes and staff in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) demonstrates strong

belief that God’s work is progressing in Africa’s third-largest country.

Bunia, capital of Ituri province in the north-east, lies 1,500 miles from the seat of government in Kinshasa. Our eastern DRC team has now moved a Cessna 206 from Uganda to be based at Bunia. And we are also expecting a Cessna Caravan there soon. Maintenance will continue to be undertaken in Uganda.

When security and risk assessment allow, we plan to rebuild our Nyankunde base.

Even while planes were flying into the DRC from Uganda, intensive use saw more than 2,800 flights in a single year. But now,

1988, evacuated from the DRC in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

Yet their sense of God’s call persists. The DRC is where their whole heart is, so they have come back ‘home’.

The courage of Congolese Christians like Dr Mike Upio, who moved his young family to re-establish Nyankunde hospital, helped Dave and Donna realise it was time for them to return too.

Dave emphasises: ‘As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to be faith-ful with the opportunities God gives today because we never know what tomorrow will hold. It’s a privilege to stand with our Congolese brothers and sisters.’

Encouraging believersBoth from missionary families, Joey and Suzanne have similar confidence. ‘It’s good to be part of the first wave of missions returning,’ Joey declares.

There are frustrations. Running out of water ten times in the first four months. Minimal electricity. ‘God has taught us to rely on Him and see what is important and truly necessary,’ they reflect.

DRC TIMELINE1960 Belgian government grants independence. New national government set up

in west in Kinshasa (formerly Leopoldville). President Joseph Kasavubu and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba govern for five days before army mutinies. Mineral-rich province of Katanga secedes

1961 Troops loyal to Colonel Joseph Mobutu begin long rebellion

1965 Mobutu seizes power, renaming country Zaïre

1970 Mobutu becomes President and syphons off much of Zaïre’s wealth

1994 Rwandan genocide prompts rebellion against Mobutu as refugees from Burundi and Rwanda flood across border. Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front Government troops invade

1997 Mobutu toppled by Laurent Kabila who becomes new President, renaming country Democratic Republic of Congo

1999 Ceasefire signed by government, rebel groups and other African nations, but proves insubstantial

2001 Kabila murdered. His son Joseph assumes power. Fighting continues to flare up

2006 President Kabila institutes power-sharing government with first democratic elections in more than 40 years, but fighting continues in east

Back home

improved. International companies are now returning. Yet still more than 1,000 people

die each and every day from the effects of violence – such as disease and malnutrition.

But as the DRC strives to regain its footing, MAF aircraft and staff on the ground are easing the burden of many working to encourage that progress.

Dave and Donna Jacobsson

R E S T O R AT I O N I N T H E DEMOCRAT IC REPUBL IC OF CONGO

Joseph Kabila

Easing burdens Despite potential to be among Africa’s most affluent countries, life expectancy is just 54 years. One child in 12 dies at birth. Only half the people have access to clean water. Natural resources such as diamonds, gold, copper, crude oil, coffee and timber have never been fully exploited for the good of the people. And deforestation has savaged the countryside.

True, across the country much has

Joey LincolnIt takes hard labour to extract copper

6 MAF News September – November 2008 September – November 2008 MAF News 7

When we flew a new missionary couple, Bernd and Anni Lutz, to Nebobongo in 1998, they expected

to stay for some years. But that very year, war erupted and they were evacuated by plane. Four years later, the young family returned to Nebobongo with our flight support.

‘MAF is our only contact with the outside world. Without MAF, it would be nearly impossible to work here – we are completely isolated,’ they stress.

Indeed, a condition laid down by their German funding agency for their continued service was that we were operating fully in the region.

Bernd and Anni are among a string of mission workers who are very grateful for

As MAF bases aircraft once again in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mission workers rejoice in what our planes mean for their ministry

MAF’s long-term commitment to eastern DRC, which is evidenced by the establish-ment of an interim base at Bunia.

Three weeks by roadNebobongo, deep in Ituri Rainforest, is home to 7,000 people. The 40-mile road journey from Isiro takes 4 hours in the dry season, but a whole day in the wet season – if possible at all.

The main focal point of Nebobongo is its hospital, part of WEC International’s medical network. In February, it hosted the mission’s annual conference to create strategies for the year ahead. While we flew five people to the conference, others travelled there the hard way. Some even cycled 300 miles.

Hospital Administrator Jean-Maria Abwau explains why our service is invaluable. ‘The nearest large centre for medicine supplies is 300 miles away. That could take three weeks by road. Without MAF, we would face massive problems – and a real lack of crucial medication.’

Flight to safetyAnd Dr Paul Omelebati, who attended the conference from Isiro’s Gamba Hospital, points out that without aircraft, its work

could not continue: ‘We would not be able to bring in our

students from rural areas to be trained. All of our activities would either be a major problem or impossible without MAF.’

Also at the conference, Philip Wood and his wife, both doctors, revealed they had stopped counting their MAF flights when they passed the 100 mark. The couple came to the DRC in 1973, joining the medical work in Nyankunde.

They flew almost every week taking medical help to remote areas. Today, with many more trained Congolese doctors and nurses, planes primarily carry medicines and supplies.

When shooting started in Nyankunde in 2002, Dr Philip sheltered at home with 14 other people for

24 hours. Three men armed with rocket-propelled grenades demanded money. As they got more menacing, he prayed a long, drawn-out prayer, and they left without harming anyone.

Next morning, MAF planes flew six missionaries and their children along with endangered Congolese to safety. From long experience, the doctor insists, ‘MAF is a lifeline in and out. It provides us with what we need in order to work and live – and also vital support in life-threatening situations.’

Nearly impossibleWEC missionary Maud Kells agrees. She has been in the DRC most years since 1968.

A nurse and midwife, she began working with the church and building up the Health Centre in Wamba before moving north-west

to Nebobongo. There she served as theatre nurse and midwife, making surgical safaris along with Congolese nurse-surgeons that were only possible with MAF aircraft.

Moving to even more remote Mulita in 1986, Maud taught in the Bible

school and developed medical work.When war broke out in 1996, Mulita

was pillaged, and Maud was evacuated to safety by MAF. She returned briefly during the following two years, but was evacuated again in 1998 when violence resumed.

After periods in Sudan and Nebobongo, in 2004 we flew Maud ‘home’ to Mulita where most church and hospital buildings had been burned or stripped bare.

Maud is adamant. ‘Without MAF, I could not continue the work in Mulita. The aircraft bring in church personnel, supplies and cement and tin roofing for rebuilding.’

Mulita is a two-hour flight from Bunia. It used to be one whole week by road when the roads were passable. But today, the road trip is nearly impossible.

Making it happenAt Nebobongo, Bernd and Anni Lutz have three sons with them. Anni teaches at the nursing school and leads a Bible study group for teenage girls.

Bernd works with the hospital and local church, organising building projects and training constructors. He supervised the building of the operating theatre, and he identifies realistic plans to improve or add

to town structures.Our aircraft deliver building materials,

correspondence, solar panels, sugar, milk, flour, and even petrol to Nebobongo. While most of these necessities can be obtained sometimes at Isiro, there is no guarantee they will be there when needed.

In a vast area with virtually no transport infrastructure, most mission service would not simply be more difficult, it would be completely impossible without MAF planes.

And thousands of people in a desperately needy country would lack both medical and spiritual help.

Solving mission problems

Maud Kells

Dr Philip Wood

Bernd and Anni Lutz

R E S T O R AT I O N I N T H E DEMOCRAT IC REPUBL IC OF CONGO


• Avionics Engineers Kenya (2 posts) One line-experienced engineer. The

other position involves bench work and does not need an avionics licence – individuals experienced in consumer electronics or surface-mount technol-ogy will be considered.

• Engineering Director based in Kenya Responsible for provision of centrally

co-ordinated aviation engineering services in several countries. Experience in leadership in an aviation environment required.

• IT Manager Tanzania Requires a good working knowledge

of LANs, servers and office software as well as experience of supervising a small team.

• Minimum Entry Pilot Tanzania

• Experienced Pilot in each of Chad, Kenya, South Africa

and Sudan ICAO-based commercial pilot licence

with appropriate aviation medical certificate is the minimum licensing requirement for pilot positions. Experienced pilots need a minimum of 1,000 flying hours; minimum entry pilots 500 hours. We are also inter-ested to hear from enquirers who do not yet meet these standards.

• Teachers A variety of positions on behalf of

several schools in Tanzania and Uganda. See our website for details.

Please visit www.maf-uk.org for up-to-date information and further details on all these vacancies.

If you believe God may be calling you to one of these roles, or perhaps a simi-lar role in years to come, please contact our Personnel team at the address below. We hold regular Enquirers Days that will help you to learn more about serving with MAF overseas and answer your questions.

Personnel TeamMission Aviation FellowshipCastle Hill AvenueFOLKESTONECT20 2TN

Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0845 850 9505

Vacancies overseasBusy and delighted

Twice Derek Moores retired. Each time he returned to the cockpit. His first retirement followed 17 years with

the RAF. The second came after working another 17 years as a captain with British Airways flying Boeing 757s and 767s.

However, it is his third spell of flying that Derek admits is the most taxing. And yet it is the one he finds most rewarding. Today, he follows a familiar route for his Cessna Grand Caravan, from Nairobi into southern Sudan via Lokichoggio. His flights serve organisations such as World Relief, Tearfund and World Vision.

Ruth Moores has not moved to Kenya to take it easy either! She is serving as our Communications Co-ordinator there. Her tasks include keeping MAF worldwide supplied with regular news of people our flights benefit, and producing a monthly newsletter for aircraft seat pockets as well as one for local MAF staff.

PassengersThe couple went to Kenya in July last year, embarking on an extremely busy life and experiencing something of the country’s troubles this year following elections.

Derek usually leaves home at 6am to make maximum use of daylight flying hours. He carries 12 passengers and valuable cargo of medical or other essential items, and can land at up to 6 destinations each day.

Occasionally, Derek has to spend the night in Sudan at places such as Rumbek or Juba, stopping en route for more passengers or cargo.

Ruth is a former lecturer in business studies. Following that, she worked as an adviser at Beaconsfield Advisory Centre and served as a churchwarden. Her day takes her to our Nairobi operations centre to gather details of the flights our pilots are making.

Also, she gets in contact with the various organisations for which we fly, discovering how MAF enables their work, and learning about the many people that they in turn are serving.

PatientsFor Derek, after years of flying in multi-crew aircraft, the most difficult parts of moving to Africa were the necessity to gain a single-pilot instrument rating with two exams, and being the loader, refueller and passenger handler as well as the pilot.

But for both of them, Ruth explains, ‘Settling in was made easier by the staff

already here.’ And while driving ‘seemed terrifying’, she was soon facing the roads calmly ‘even though roundabouts still call for bravery.’

When he is in Sudan, Derek is always impressed to see the work done by those he ferries to isolated outposts.

On one trip, he delivered a wheelchair, mattress and medical supplies along with an expert going to set up a clinic in Marial Bai for Christian Blind Mission. There he was thrilled to learn that, at a preliminary clinic session, an eye surgeon had seen 977 people and operated on 244 patients in just 10 days.

PlansSometimes, plans must be changed right on the spot. Once, Derek was on the ground at Pagak, collecting a team of 12 that had been supporting an educational project. He calculated that the 700-metre airstrip was too short for take-off with the team and all its baggage. So he shuttled groups of them to nearby Maiwut.

Next he flew on to Malakal, planning to refuel there with two drums of fuel. But he found only one drum! Fortunately with good weather forecast, he was able to make his remaining flights and return to Lokichoggio.

One big difference from life in the UK is that all water for consumption must be filtered. But Derek and Ruth have a useful parade of shops nearby with a butcher, baker and supermarket.

Outside their home, a roadside stall sells fruit and vegetables – but all of these have to be soaked in sterilising solution for 20 minutes before eating.

While Ruth finds frustrations with the Internet – ‘It seems I spend lots of time waiting either to upload or download emails’ – it provides a welcome link with their two adult children in England.

And she adds, ‘Here, it is never possible to be inconspicuous.’

PartnershipIt still seems unusual to Derek to work with people he sees regularly. With the size of British Airways, he had rarely met his colleagues before a flight. But now he knows that he is a crucial facilitator for humanitar-ian work and the spread of God’s Word in a very remote part of the world.

Ruth sees herself as an intermediary between the men, women and children who have a better life through the ministry of agencies we serve and the MAF Supporters who pray and give generously to allow the work to continue. She maintains: ‘It is encouraging for Supporters to know what is being achieved through their partnership.’

Both are delighted to be in the country to which they feel called, and doing jobs that they rate as vital for the work of God.


Whether flying or using a flair for communication, Derek and Ruth Moores soak up the challenges Kenya brings them

Mission possibleAn evangelist is seeing changes on monthly visits to remote village people

Each month, our regular ‘safari’ flights in Tanzania take medical teams, often accompanied by evangelists, to several

destinations.It is these flights which multiply the

ministry of Ruth Kambenga from Dodoma.Ruth has a husband and three children

to care for. But she also has a heart for evangelism.

That’s what has taken her to many villages over 14 years, often involving travel on difficult roads.

Last year, she extended her ministry by joining our Kilimatinde Safari and flying to Mahaka. ‘Otherwise, six hours each way over difficult roads would mean a long time

away from home to make the expedition worthwhile,’ Ruth explains. ‘With the plane, I can spend a whole day each month at Mahaka without neglecting my family.

‘I know that God has called me to tell the Good News in Mahaka. It has made a huge difference in the community there,’ discloses Ruth. ‘And the day trip has also encouraged others from Dodoma churches to come with me.’

Listening willinglyThere are few Christians around Mahaka, which is home to two people groups. The Wasukuma are nomadic herders, while the Wagogo farm and fish.

As our plane landed in April, a teenage boy played a drum, leading children to an enormous tree that provided shade for 70 youngsters and 60 adults. Wasukuma men sat to the left in a line, quietly talking

among themselves. Though they are not comfortable at church, they willingly listen to the evangelists.

Today, while others preach to adults, Ruth takes the children across a field. After games, she explains the story of Jesus. It’s an interactive dialogue.

‘How did Yesu die?’‘On a cross.’‘Why did Yesu die?’‘He loved us.’Older children kneel at the back, all of

them soaking up the story.

Seeking GodWhen Ruth first visited Mahaka, three very small churches totalled 30 members. Now there are more than 200 Christians in the community.

Wasukuma people asked Ruth to pray for rain during a dry spell. She told them: ‘You

can pray to God.’ After listening to news about Jesus and the grace of God, they prayed for rain and that God would heal their sick cows. Next day it rained – and the cows began to regain strength.

Growing faith‘The next time we visited Mahaka, they told us, “We are starting to believe in this God,”’ reports Ruth. ‘But the following time, the rains had disappeared. One man had gone to a witchdoctor to pray for rain. We explained that you cannot have two gods. They then replied: “Yes, the God you told us about is a God of forgiveness. We must ask for forgive-ness for seeking other gods and for not believing that He would take care of us.”

‘Next day it rained again. We rejoiced with the Wasukuma.’

Ruth and her team have created an envi-ronment where everyone feels comfortable


listening to the Word. That helped 25-year-old Damas. Once he worshipped stones and trees, as well as offering sacrifices on his grandfather’s grave.

‘I told him about worshipping a God who keeps us safe and looks after all our affairs, who has power over diseases, hunger and war, and who brings peace to our hearts,’ Ruth remembers. ‘Now he is a Christian with growing faith.’

Young Samuel frequently ran away from home because he heard a voice telling him to leave. As evangelists talked with him, they discovered his mother was a witchdoctor. They prayed with Samuel – and now he is at school.

That’s the sort of change Ruth is working to see in the lives of many more villagers in Mahaka.

So much more is happening because our plane goes there monthly.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Chad returnPraise the Lord that we have resumed flying in Chad following troubles there earlier this year. The first flight took Dr Ray Brown, two other medical staff and 600kg of medicines to Ati. Next, our aircraft went to Moundou with a Christian Blind Mission team and its portable operating equipment.Busy dayIn East Timor, Brad Sinclair received an emergency call from Oecussi Island. A two-week-old girl and her mother needed urgent hospital care in the capital Dili. Brad flew to collect the patients – and found an extra passenger! The Minister of Justice, visiting Oecussi just then, had also become unwell. So she joined the flight.Missionary attackedA night-time attack with a panga in Wajir in north-eastern Kenya left a Kenyan missionary with severe inju-ries needing treatment in Nairobi. That would involve a very lengthy and harsh road journey, but we were able to fly him to medical care in just two hours. Pray for full healing for this man who bears Christian testimony in a difficult area where he and his wife have lived for ten years.New lifeIn mountainous jungles of Kalimantan, Indonesia, pilot Dave Forney was preparing to depart when a pregnant woman with complications arrived. Taking her on board, Dave was ready to take off, but screams from the back of the plane meant she was about to give birth. Within five minutes, she delivered a boy under the shade of the wing. Dave sped them both to Tarakan Hospital, reporting, ‘When I asked the baby’s name, I was shocked to discover they had named him Dave Forney!’Valuable workWe fly in Kenya for Chrisco New Life Church, which has been supporting building Mercy Primary School in Laisamis. Pastor Isaac believes this is very effective evangelism as, when children are taught about Christ, they pass on the message to their parents. We flew engineers to assess construc-tion of a borehole to provide water for the school and community. As well as people’s need for clean water, lack of water was hindering building work as it had to be brought in by tanker.

A strong sense persistedThere’s something new in Banbury!

But its beginnings were 50 years ago in Hayes, Middlesex. Then, John and Sheila Paul were stimulated by MAF’s ministry as Steve Stevens visited their church’s young people’s group.

John began his career in aeronautical research and development, and he obtained his private pilot’s licence. Later, when John became an MAF Regional Representative, he and Sheila formed a new MAF Prayer Group. That was number one.

Then, starting retirement in Devon, they participated together with Leonard Mason to begin a second Prayer Group – this time in the Newton Abbot area.

In 1999 they moved to Banbury. With help from local Area Representative Paul Gateley, a third Prayer Group was born.

Despite much publicity, the first meet-ings in 2007 were poorly attended. Yet the

Making a personal contributionWe are wishing to expand the Board of Trustees of MAF UK and are seeking some additional Trustees to be involved in the strategic direction and guidance of the organisation to help MAF reach needy and isolated people round the world.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians that Jesus uses each and every one of us, with all our diverse talents, to contribute our part in building up His Church. So it is in MAF. We may not all be called to be pilots, or even to serve overseas, but we do need a wide range of skills to work effectively in achieving God’s mission.

We are seeking individuals who have experience and expertise in fundraising, public relations or human resources.

The opportunity exists right now. So if you have any of these skills and eight days a year to give, we would encourage you to consider prayerfully if God is calling you to serve Him in this way.

For more information, please contact Rachel Phipps at our Folkestone office. Telephone: 0845 850 9505. Email: [email protected]

Two men came into our Dhaka office to plead for a relative’s baby in Chittagong, born late the previous evening. Because the mother suffered from diabetes, doctors there feared that the baby girl would die without hospital attention.

Pilot Marco Koffeman was waiting in Kushitia all day for passengers for their return journey. He flew back to Dhaka at once. As soon as he landed, the aircraft was refuelled, medically equipped, and took off for Chittagong with Marco and Rajul. Baby Farzana was quickly aboard for her life-saving flight.

Many of our Dhaka team co-operated for Farzana’s sake.

Annie did the paperwork, Salim got official permission for the extra flight, Pinto and Rajib ensured turnaround time and refuelling were as quick as possible, Joseph advised the passengers in Kushitia that we would still collect them on time, and Showkat drove the child and her family to hospital on arrival.

Such teamwork is regularly needed.

Saidpur in the north-west is more than nine hours by road from Dhaka, but just an hour’s flight. We were called there for a man in a very critical condition following a brain haemorrhage. Back in Dhaka, the MAF ambulance rushed him to intensive care.

Please help!

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

Registered charity in England and Wales (1064598) and in Scotland (SC039107)

I want to help bring God’s compassion to needy people

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

FSF mzrh2

Please tell me how I can best give to MAF on a regular basis

strong sense persisted that it was right to continue, but with changed venue and timing. MAF Supporters and also personal contacts were alerted by letter, and during this year a total of 18 people have come to bring needs of MAF’s ministry to God in united prayer.

Key factors in starting a Prayer Group, according to John and Sheila, include:

• Prayer! • Patience – waiting for God’s leading

and timing• Discovering particular aspects of

interest locally in MAF’s work• Using MAF’s Volunteer network• Keeping in constant contact with

those interested.If you have a sense that starting a Prayer

Group could be for you, please contact Allyson Edwards in our Supporter Relations team on 0845 850 9505, or you can email her at [email protected]


Close to our hearts by Ron and Jill BourikeWe were inspired to support the work of MAF through a visit of Dennis Swains to the Chesham church we attended in about 1980. Receiving MAF News, we have always been moved upon reading accounts of tremendous difficulties that the aircraft overcome.

Jill – whose grandfather walked the Yorkshire moors as a Baptist lay preacher – loves to share stories of MAF’s work when she speaks at women’s meetings.

Tales of a nurse whose journeys could take days but which were accomplished in

just a couple of hours. A young mother nearly dying but for the plane. Wonderful news of ministry the aircraft in Mongolia is supporting.

MAF is close to our hearts and we felt, among a few other legacies, it must be included. While we support the work in a small way financially each month, we felt it right to arrange a final gift.

Did you know that one flight in six is only made possible by gifts in Wills? We are so grateful to all who choose to remember MAF in this special way, which provided £450,858 in the second quarter of 2008. By mentioning MAF in your Will, you can continue to help reach people in isolated places with God’s love in years ahead. Your gift, large or small, can help transform and save lives. If you would like to find out more about remembering MAF in your Will, please call Miriam Wheeler, our Legacy Co-ordinator, on 0845 850 9505 or email her at [email protected]

Medical emergencies are all part of a day’s work in Bangladesh

Lifeline beyond your lifetime

Father and son Sekandar and Ali were both airlifted on stretchers in the back of our amphibious plane to United Hospital, Dhaka, after being seriously injured in a car crash near Chittagong. The crash had killed Sekandar’s wife instantly.

A woman partially paralysed when shot in the back 15 years ago delivered twins at only 29 weeks. All three were in a very serious condition, with the mother suffering a brain haemorrhage. Our plane was nearby and sped to Barisal Airport to rush the family to Dhaka, where it received priority clearance to land. By the grace of God, we were so close that day and available to respond immediately.

When five-year-old Salamaye needed to reach Dhaka from an orphanage on Bhola Island, we were on call for her.

Two years previously, Salamaye had broken a leg and, when it was reset, the bone became infected and later rotted. At the hospital in Dhaka, surgeons removed the bad segments of

the bone and implanted pins to knit the bone sections

together correctly.

Because of the Lord at work and willing teamwork, all these patients were flown in time for successful treatment.

BIG SCREEN – BIG CHALLENGE page 4 RESTORATION IN DRC pages 6-9

Mum went tooFrighteningly, eight-year-old Ibrahim

started vomiting blood. Medical staff at

Marsabit Hospital in northern Kenya wanted scans – but there

were no local facilities. Their call to MAF came when a Grand

Caravan aircraft was booked to fly from Marsabit to Nairobi. We

managed to get Ibrahim on board with his mother Adoyo. While

Ibrahim had essential surgery, his out-of-work father looked

after six other children in their poor family. Ibrahim would not

have coped well had his journey taken two days on rough roads.

We flew him home two months later with Adoyo, who then said,

‘Every blessing for all of MAF.’

maf news september -november 2008

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