MAF SA Newspaper Vol. 3 No.1 2020

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1 2020

PROGRESS FROM THE PAST, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE Over the last 75 years, MAF has progressed and grown. An extract from the Missionary Aviation Progress Report 1959 allows us to compare the growth of the past to the growth of today, with much hope for the future.

Page | 04 BRINGING HOPE, THEN AND NOW Hope for the future is as important as hope from the past. Therefore, we celebrate where MAF has come from as well as where we are going.

An extract from the Missionary Aviation Progress Report 1959 shares a story of a child’s life being saved in an emergency.

Page | 09 CLOSE TO HOME Not only have many lives been saved in the past 75 years of MAF, but our brave and sacrificial missionaries continue to do so today. In a vital medevac situation, Brad Venter carefully transported a mother and her precious child.

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“It is as we look back that we can see how the Lord has enabled us. Vision has become reality: faith has become fact.”

Stuart King, Co-founder of MAF.

CURRENT VACANCIES EXPERIENCED MISSION PILOTS South Sudan Don’t miss out this opportunity, contact us today.

Visit www.mafsa.co.za

NEWSPAPER OF MAF SOUTH AFRICA

REACHING THE ISOLATED

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COMMUNITY NEWS SA

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

VOL.3 NO.1 2020

MAF is an international Christian organisation whose mission is to fly light aircraft, and to use other technologies to bring help, hope and healing to people in some of the world’s poorest communities. Every four minutes an MAF plane is taking off or landing somewhere in the world to assist missions, churches, aid and development agencies, and other local groups to transform lives and share the love of God.

FROM THE CEO

IES

In addition, we need you to continue to be a servant of missions. Your service enables us to make sure that no community, big or small, no matter how isolated, is forgotten.

A new year brings new hope and hope in abundance on our 75th anniversary.

With so much to celebrate and praise God for over these years, there are so many reasons to continue to obediently serve the isolated communities that MAF reaches, either with your time and skills or through prayer and donations.

Without this help, we would not be able to spread the gospel and share hope with those who need it most.

In our most recent edition, we take time to look back and reflect on everything that God has done through MAF in the last 75 years and to praise Him and thank Him for His provision. We look at extracts from the Missionary Aviation Progress Report 1959 and compare where we have come from to where we are today.

You will also read about how Gordan Marshall – the main subject of A Bush Pilot’s Logbook – comes to save the life of a child in that same year of 1959. Finally, you will read a recent story of how Brad Venter saved the life of a mother and child in a medevac situation, allowing us to celebrate what God has done and what He continues to do today.

Our 75th year is a year to remember and we look forward to the plans that God has for us. We praise Him in advance for His faithfulness and providence. Look out for our celebrations throughout the year and join us at events like, Hike for Flight, where you can leave a legacy.

Thank you for the part that you have played, making it possible for us to reach isolated communities, seeing them transformed by Jesus and the hope that He brings. Thank you for keeping the love going.

Let’s start this year strong and remember to praise God every step along the way as He continues the work that we know He will finish.

Maxine Holman CEO of MAF SA

SOME OF OUR MOST RECENT STATISTICS

131 AIRCRAFT WORLDWIDE

26 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

8 MILLION+ NAUTICAL MILES FLOWN

157 000+ PASSENGERS

I WANT TO KEEP MAF PLANES FLYING TO TRANSFORM LIVES By enrolling in our frequent flyer programmes, you can have monthly gifts automatically deducted from your account, saving MAF administrative costs, and sending more of your donation to where it can make the most difference!

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maf@mafsa.co.za www.mafsa.co.za PO Box 1288, Lanseria, 1748

MAF SOUTH AFRICA Block 816/3 Hammets Crossing Office Park, 2 Selbourne Road, Fourways PO Box 1288, Lanseria, 1748 T 011 659 2880 | E maf@mafsa.co.za NPO 006-942

BANKING DETAILS Mission Aviation Fellowship Standard Bank Greenstone Branch code: 016342 Account No: 020044615 Reference: SurnameV3N1

VOL. 3, NO. 1, 2020.

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP Editor: Amber Thomson Designer: Gabriella Szabo Printer: Insights Publishing Mission Aviation Fellowship is the official newspaper of MAF SA Articles may be printed with acknowledgment.

If you no longer wish to receive MAF news, please advise us at maf@mafsa.co.za Front cover: Courtesy Grant Strugnell.

PLEASE NOTE When donating to a missionary family, reference the missionary families’ surname as well as your name and surname. Please don’t post cash, the envelopes are often tampered with.

2 000+ ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTED

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VOL.3 NO.1 2020

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COMMUNITY NEWS SA

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

SERVE WITH US AND LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN

CRITICAL POSITIONS

CRITICAL POSITIONS

CRITICAL POSITIONS

Country Director Liberia

Experienced Mission Pilot South Sudan

This role requires an individual with excellent spoken and written English and team management experience. For this role, you will take the lead on developing partnerships with current and potential customers by providing a high standard of care to all, in order to provide an effective ministry.

This candidate must have at least 750-1000 flight hours experience. They must be able to ensure good stewardship of MAF resources and be willing to be trained for other roles in the programme. Essential: ICAO Commercial Pilots License with instrument rating.

Safety Manager PNG This position requires an individual passionate about safety. They will ensure that safety standards are met by the PNG programme by implementing the global safety initiatives, supporting the Safety Management System, and promoting and improving the overall safety culture.

VISIT WWW.MAFSA.CO.ZA OR CONTACT RECRUITMENT@MAFSA.CO.ZA TO ENQUIRE 2001

1972

1945

1956

MAF offices open their doors

The martyrdom of Nate Saint

MAFSA offices appoint their first full time officer

MAFSA receives its first caravan (Scotty) and sends the Liprinis on their first trip to Mozambique

2004 MAFSA and MAF UK work together

2010

2012

MAFSA places the Venters on their first trip to Papua New Guinea

MAFSA places the Combrinks on their first trip to Tanzania

2017 MAFSA places the Strugnells on their first trip to Lesotho

2020 Our 75th anniversary

1948

1960

1982

2003

2008

2011

2014

2018

Gemini survey of Africa

Expansion into Africa

MAFSA Edenvale offices officially open with Gordan Marshall at the lead

Lancasters donate aircraft ZSEST (Esther) and hangar at Lanseria airport to MAFSA

MAFSA training base opens

Training centre dissolved and MAFSA’s local initiative, Flying for Life, begins

MAFSA planes relocated across Africa and Maxine Holman takes over as MAFSA/ FFL CEO

MAFSA places Tobias on his first trip to South Sudan

QUESTION & ANSWER BOX What’s the difference between Flying for Life and Mission Aviation Fellowship SA? Mission Aviation Fellowship SA has always been an organisation with purpose. However, many of the projects on which we had focused in the past were outside of South Africa and there were no locally run initiatives or projects. This is when Flying for Life was born. While MAFSA has a more global outlook, Flying for Life is a local project that focuses solely on South African work. In this way, MAFSA and FFL are partners but have separate roles.

?

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EVANGELISM

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

VOL.3 NO.1 2020

“Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.”

Psalm 36:5

PROGRESS FROM THE PAST, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE STORY BY STUART KING AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MARSHALL FAMILY

This is an excerpt from the Missionary Aviation Progress Report 1959 written

by Stuart King on his return to England from Sudan.

VISION HAS BECOME REALITY: FAITH HAS landing could be dangerous. I well rememBECOME FACT ber after one flight, in the ‘rainy season’, when Steve and I got out of the plane we shook in A few days before we left Sudan, we attended our shoes from sheer nervous exhaustion. a missionary farewell gathering. One of the senior missionaries rose to his feet and said: We only had one ‘old type’ plane in those ‘Eleven years ago, two of you came to South days and if it went out of action for any reaSudan to survey the need. You came to see if son the missionary was again in isolation. Now an air service could be set up for us. We were we have two modern metal planes and one very interested, but it all sounded so vision- of them is fitted with floats. If one plane is ary and unreal. Today, praise God, it is now on overhaul, then the other is kept ready for an integral part of our work and we plan our immediate service. MAF can now respond work around it.’ more readily to emergency calls.

“

HANGAR AND HOUSES At one time there was no hangar for the aircraft and no workshop. The plane had to stand on the airstrip and bear the brunt of the tropical storms, and we had to service the plane out in the open in the burning heat of the sun.

We had no houses of our own for our pilots and their families. Now we have a fine hangar, a workshop, four houses and an office at the MAF base at Malakal, a further indication that the work has progressed over the years.

RADIO NETWORK

What this missionary said got us thinking because we so often forget the progress that has been made over the years. It is as we look back that we can see how the Lord has enabled us. Vision has become reality; faith has become fact. It is through His faithfulness and your prayers and support that MAF has been able to reach out and meet the need of missionaries.

There were very few airstrips in those early days, but now we have about twenty airstrips throughout South Sudan serving many mission stations. At other stations where the ground is too swampy to permit the building of airstrips, there are usually rivers or lakes and now with the new plane that is fitted with floats, these isolated places can be reached.

We praise God for this progress.

PAST AND PRESENT

FIVE TIMES AROUND THE WORLD IN A YEAR

In those early days when Steve Stevens and I were out in Sudan, we were struggling against great difficulties. We wondered how airstrips could be constructed. The very swamps that so isolated the mission stations made it difficult to locate sites for safe landing strips.

We knew only too well the perils of having to land on swampy ground with the ever-present danger of turning the plane on its back on touch down. After we had solved the difficulty of building airstrips, we still had to face the problem of drainage after heavy rains when

At first, we only flew 200 hours a year, covering 20 000 air miles. Now we fly 1 000 hours As we can tell, even in 1959, progress was a year, covering 130 000 air miles. strong, but what of the growth since then?

We praise God for His provision over the last More than five times around the world! Day 75 years and how He’s taken us from one after day the planes return to the base at degree of glory to the next. His Mighty hand Malakai from different trips, after flying some has been evident in everything we’ve done, sick missionary or African to hospital, or mis- from where we’ve come from to where we sionaries’ children to boarding school, or are now. some urgently needed medical supplies to a Top: Gordon and passengers in Sudan with lonely and isolated mission outpost.

Auster.

Some missionaries had to send runners 60 miles to the nearest telegraph office to send a telegram to summon the plane. It was therefore a great joy to know before we left Malakal that at last we are able to have a good radio link-up with all mission stations and to hear calls come in from isolated stations linking them up with the plane and base. God has been very good in allowing us to see all these things being fulfilled before we left Sudan for a new sphere of MAF work.

“

VOL.3 NO.1 2020

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

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FUELLED BY PRAYER MAF SOUTH AFRICA Autumn 2020

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VOL.3 NO.1 2020

PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONARIES Families from South Africa are working in third-world countries across the globe, to bring the love of Christ to the isolated.

GOD NEVER CHANGES

BRAD & MICHELLE VENTER | PNG | Pray for relationships and friendships to continue to grow as the Venters obediently follow God’s calling. Pray for the Venter’s new addition to the family for the baby’s health and for the adoption process and family bonding.

TOBIAS MEYER | SOUTH SUDAN Pray for strength for Tobias as he prepares for his conversion to the Caravan, that he will receive guidance and peace in all his operations. Pray for a constant reminder of the presence and joy that our Father has to offer and that Tobias will feel closer to the Holy Spirit each day.

GRANT & EMILY STRUGNELL | LESOTHO Praise God for blessings above and beyond His perfect gift as the Strugnells return from their holiday in the US. Pray that they have received rest and are ready for the year that lies ahead, excited for what He has planned.

MARK & LORRAINE LIPRINI | DISASTER RESPONSE The Liprinis are relocating to Uganda and are fundraising for their new missions. Pray for provision as they enter this new journey and for God to remind them of His constant presence no matter where they are. Pray that He will prepare the hearts of the Ugandans to receive the Grace and Love of Jesus.

KIRSTEIN & AMELIA COMBRINK | TANZANIA Pray for the Combrink family as they continue their work in Tanzania. Pray for comfort and support for Amelia as she looks after her loved children and for Kirstein for provision as he flies across the country.

Pray that Jesus will continue to use this family for His purposes and shine a bright light through them.

The Bible can come across as a bit repetitive at times, don’t you think? Roughly 90 different times in the Old Testament alone, we see God reminding the Israelites that He brought them out from slavery in Egypt: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.” (Leviticus 25:38).

“I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you’.” (Judges 2:1).

“There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt.” (1 Kings 8:21).

“Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery…” (Micah 6:4).

This is astonishing when you really think about the consistency of God’s reminders to His people of His gracious rescue of them from slavery. Perhaps one could understand such reminders immediately following the event, but this repetition persists – with fervent consistency – into the minor prophets, which were written approximately 500 years after the Israelites were freed from slavery. This begs the question, why does God insist on reminding His people of this same event? The answer is simple and yet unbelievably profound: God never changes. Notice how many of those references lead with “I AM the Lord your God”.

You see, Israel went through some unexplainable periods of suffering, whether it be 40 years of wandering in the wilderness or their exile in Babylon.

God’s comforting word to them consistently reminded them: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the Land of Egypt”. He is saying that He is the same loving God who saw them in their pain and graciously provided a leader for them, He is the same God who powerfully defeated their enemies, He is the same God who triumphantly rescued and delivered them from slavery to freedom, from striving into rest and from abuse into unconditional love.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.”

And the encouragement is that God is still that loving, gracious, powerful and kind God today, nearly 4 000 years later. If you find yourself suffering, or in pain – be assured that the same God who rescued His people from Egypt is reigning over our lives today. He will deliver you; He will comfort you; He is with you and if He is for you, nothing can be against you. God is faithful, no matter how many years pass, He remains the same. And 75 years later, we at MAF know that nothing has changed since day one. God is faithful and He will continue to be.

Psalm 139:1-3

Devotion courtesy of Mitchell Thomson

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PRAY FOR OUR PROGRAMMES MAF serves in several countries around the world with the vision of taking Christ’s love into the most remote places on earth.

LIBERIA

CHAD

Pray for the construction of the new hangar at Monrovia. Praise God for the leadership placed there.

Praise God for the partnerships that have been built around the wells, dedicated to songs, prayers and testimonies.

TIMOR-LESTE

KENYA

ARNHEM LAND

MADAGASCAR

It has been a busy season of medevacs.

Pray that every patient has felt God’s love in their time of need.

Pray for provision of people and partnerships in the area that would grow MAF Kenya to where God has called them.

Pray for the newly appointed team members for strength, courage and reassurance on this new journey.

Praise God for the protection He gave during the recent situation in Madagascar. Pray for peace and restoration.

MOZAMBIQUE

RAC

PNG

MISSIONARIES

Pray for the safety and maintenance of the aircraft. Pray for God’s will to be done in the operations taking place there.

Pray for our missionaries, that they feel rested and restored to continue the work that has been set out for them.

Pray for greater impact and influence in the area as the team continues with their work. Thank God for His strength.

Pray for open doors and fellowship as the RAC programmes* continue to obey God’s calling despite restrictions there.

SOUTH SUDAN

Pray that God will continue to pour out His grace and love over the people of South Sudan.

UGANDA

Pray for the health of the team in the new year as they continue to work where God has called them.

LESOTHO

AUSTRALIA

DRC

SOUTH AFRICA

Pray for the newly formed communities of Faith in the area as the fruit of the missions become evident there.

Pray for the safety of those affected by the wildfires and for more rain to pour down on the area to subdue the fire.

Praise God for continuous provision and support in the face of difficulties that have been occurring in the area.

Pray for the year ahead to be one of much providence and blessing. Praise God for many answered prayers.

*Restricted Access Countries

PRAYER NOTES

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MEDEVACS

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Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

Job 22:21 NIV

BRINGING HOPE, THEN AND NOW. STORY BY STUART KING AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MARSHALL FAMILY

An extract from the Missionary Aviation Progress Report 1959 written by Stuart King. A story of how Gordan Marshall brought relief in an emergency situation.

“Hardships have been greatly relieved. Some

hospital, leaving an anxious mother who had time ago a call came through from the Sudan to remain at home because of the birth of a United Mission in the Nubba mountain area second child just three days before. of South Sudan saying that a missionary couple were in trouble.

After a flight of two hours the plane landed at Khartoum and the child was rushed to Their little girl had been playing with some hospital. In the Lord’s providence a specialist African children and they had been eating from England was visiting the hospital at peanuts. One of the peanuts become stuck Khartoum at that very time and was due to leave the next day. The operation was in the little girl’s windpipe. successfully performed, and the following At first no one thought it was very serious, afternoon Loraine was flown home again. but the mission nurse found that it could not be removed. Something had to be done but how could they get her to hospital that was This was a miracle indeed. No 300 miles away? Could MAF help? A message was sent to our base at Malakai and at dawn wonder we say, ‘THY MERCY, the next morning the Cessna sped on its way, landing near the isolated mission station an O LORD IS IN THE HEAVENS’. hour later. Accompanied by her father, twoyear-old Loraine was immediately flown to

This is what He has done and what your prayers and support have wrought. Without the plane, that child might have died.

“

What was true then, is also true now. With God’s mercy and help, MAF has been able to provide aid, emergency assistance and spread the Gospel to the most isolated communities in the world. We celebrate what He has done in and through us in the last 75 years.

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LIFE IN A PROGRAMME

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

CLOSE TO HOME

VOL.3 NO.1 2020 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;” Psalm 139: 13-14

STORY BY BRAD VENTER AND PHOTOS BY PAUL WOODINGTON, LUANNE CADD AND BRAD VENTER

On Friday 15 November, there was quite a long programme planned for the Gorokabased aircraft P2-MAK piloted by Brad Venter.

They had fetched a missionary from Owena, with several other flights planned and a few airstrip surveys.

Afterward, they loaded the stretcher into the aircraft and were able to use the harness to safely secure the stretcher and the women.

Brad states: “The challenge was that the baby was still attached to the mother by the umbilical cord and so it was not possible to move the baby from the position it was in. I On arrival at the base, they had heard of a was worried that if the stretcher moved on woman with a retained placenta in need take-off and the baby’s face was covered then of urgent care who had to be taken to the it would not be able to breathe. I arranged hospital. They planned to fetch the woman, with the missionary that he would sit in drop her off and still conduct surveys among the seat behind the stretcher and monitor the situation with the baby and rectify it if all the busyness. necessary. The woman’s guardian was in the They dropped off a few patients, conducted seat next to the patient.” two surveys and were on their way. On landing, the people in the village brought By God’s grace and with His protection, takethe woman to the aircraft on a well-made off went well. The team was able to securely bamboo stretcher. While Brad loaded her into monitor the patient and her child for the full the aircraft, another airstrip survey was done. 40 minutes of flight. The situation was under Brad then found out that the woman was constant observation so that the team could unable to sit up in her condition, which would do something in case there was a problem. have caused massive issues. Fortunately, he Luckily, nothing went wrong. Brad navigated had brought the stretcher with him. They his altitudes to ensure the baby had enough transferred her to the stretcher and made her oxygen. comfortable in the shade under the wing of the aircraft. During all of this, Brad was also On arrival in Goroka, the team was able to able to load up some bags of coffee to help give the woman a medevac pack that had been prepared by the MAF ladies. Soon cover the cost of the flight. afterward, the base staff drove her to the

hospital while the flight team continued with the remaining flight programme for the day.

Such a challenging situation resulted in a beautiful ending. Brad continues, “The baby appeared to be healthy and we are trusting that we will soon be able to fly them back to their village.”

All glory and honour to God for giving Brad and the team the strength, wisdom and guidance needed to complete this busy day of flying. We are so grateful to know that, despite all the challenges, everything went better than expected. Looking at the bigger picture, it is clear that over the years God has continually given everything that MAF has needed in completing His plan for us. Where He has helped us in saving lives in the past, He has helped us today. We give all glory and honour and praise to Him who never leaves nor abandons us.

• • • •

Top: The PNG team praying for the new fleet by Paul Woodington Top Left: Brad Venter by LuAnne Cadd Top Right: The medevacked baby by Brad Venter Right: C208 by Paul Woodington

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MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

LIFE IN A PROGRAMME

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MEET THE TEAM

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP

VOL.3 NO.1 2020

OUR 2020 TEAM MEET THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE TAKING US INTO THE NEW YEAR!

MAXINE HOLMAN MAF/FFL CEO

MAGGIE MUMBA FINANCE OFFICER

SAMANTHA SOMDLE FLYING FOR LIFE PROJECTS MANAGER

THE MAF HIKE FOR FLIGHT DRAKENSBERG

CHÉ COETZEE FUNDRAISING OFFICER

AMBER THOMSON MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

JAMES HOLMES HR AND MISSIONARY CARE OFFICER

REGINAH KATO OFFICE ASSISTANT

You’re invited!

Join our brave MAF hikers on the fourth annual MAF Hike for Flight, where you’re walking so that isolated people in medical emergencies don’t have to. Every kilometre you conquer will raise funds for a life-saving flight!

HFF 2020

9 - 13 APRIL 2020

DRAKENSBERG

R2000 REGISTRATION R2000 FUNDRAISING TARGET

Your financial support allows our MAFSA team to continue to do the work to which God has called us.

We thank you so much for your consistent donations. We look forward to a year of growth and progress as we continue to partner with you to reach isolated communities with the Hope and Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your help makes all the difference!

GET INVOLVED! YOU WON’T REGRET IT!