Prayer Diary (January-March 2021)

PRAYER DIARY JAN-MAR 2021

www.maf-uk.org/pray

JESUS AT THE CENTRE OF IT ALL 2020 hasn’t quite turned out the way we'd imagined this time last year, has it? Who could have predicted that there would be an unprecedented global shutdown because of coronavirus?

The new year resolutions of 2021 may be more reserved, as the knock-on effects of prolonged lockdown, economic insecurity and personal loss take hold. It would be easy to feel fearful about what lies ahead. Praise God for the hope we have in Jesus!

King David knew this hope as he declared, ‘When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety’ (Psalm 61:2, TLB).

When we fix our eyes on Jesus and make Him centre of it all — our lives, our aspirations, our desires — we experience His peace, despite all that might be going on around us.

The more we look to God, read His Word and devote ourselves to Him, the more we find ourselves in awe of who is He is, how mighty and powerful He is, and how gentle and loving a King He is!

A melody of worship begins in your heart. Joy takes hold and hope ignites as the tangible presence of God carries us through the unknown under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91).

God’s promise to Jacob to be with him and watch over him wherever he went (Genesis 28:15) is our promise too. We may not know what 2021 will look like but we can give thanks that the One who knows the end from the beginning, who goes before us and protects us, is watching over us.

Like the last issue of MAF UK’s Prayer Diary, each page of the Winter 2021 diary is themed and continues with the pattern of prayer described below.

Thank you for persisting in prayer for MAF, our partners, and those we seek to serve throughout the developing world. Each one of you is very much appreciated.

May God bless you all

Victoria Fagg Prayer Communications Leader, MAF UK

Weekly pattern of prayer

Praise Sundays

Ask

Mondays

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Scripture Tuesdays

Be still

Wednesdays

www.maf-uk.org

Team

Thursdays

Faith Fridays

Action

Saturdays

PHOTO LEM MALABUYO

Lesotho Flying Pastors visit Tlhanyak to share the Gospel

PSALM 61:2 (TLB)

JANUARY

WHEN MY HEART IS FAINT AND OVERWHELMED, LEAD ME TO THE MIGHTY, TOWERING ROCK OF SAFETY FRIDAY 1 Praise God for a new year and new beginnings with Jesus. Although we enter this year with less assurance of what lies ahead, let’s fix our eyes on the One who knows what the future holds for each and every one of us, and put our faith and trust in Him. SATURDAY 2 In 2015, John Mark and Sarah McMillan wrote a song called King of My Heart. The lyrics paint the picture of someone hungry for God to be the centre of everything — ‘the mountain where I run, the fountain I drink from’ — and go on to declare that God is good and will never let us down. Let's pray that our 2021 resolution is to live this out each day, carrying the glory of God in the hope, faith and love that comes from centring our lives on Jesus.

ABOVE Children from the Tlhanyaku Valley praying (October 2019)

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PHOTO MARK HEWES

BELIEF

JANUARY

SUNDAY 3 Praise God that our belief in Him is credited to us ‘as righteousness’ (Genesis 15:6). Give thanks that MAF’s founders made a righteous commitment in 1945 to further the Gospel through aviation and technology.

MONDAY 4 In Mark 11:24, Jesus says, ‘Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’ Ask God for MAF national staff around the world to receive peace, protection and provision, safe in the knowledge that God will grant your request.

MAIN At the Agape School for the Deaf in Dili, Timor-Leste, teachers and children believe sign language is God’s gift (February 2020) BELOW James Marawili flies with MAF to preach at the remote Garrthalala church in Arnhem Land (April 2019)

TUESDAY 5 When violence, injustice and wickedness feel overwhelming, remember God’s answer to Habakkuk’s cry for help. ‘Look at the nations and watch — and be utterly amazed.

For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told’ (Habakkuk 1:5, NIV).

WEDNESDAY 6 Today, as you sit in quiet contemplation of our Lord, recall the spiritual contentment that life has brought you simply because of your belief in the Prince of Peace. Ask that this may be the same for those MAF serves throughout the world.

THURSDAY 7 Please pray for the leadership teams of the many churches planted by MAF partners, that we've supported over the years, and those they continue to serve. Remember to keep our far-flung brothers and sisters in your heart.

FRIDAY 8 ‘The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind’ (James 1:6, NIV). Pray that our international staff will never doubt the work to which God has called them — no matter what hardships they face.

SATURDAY 9 Our first action as Christians is ‘to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us’ (1 John 3:23, NIV). Ask God for grace and good opportunities to share His great love. Pray too that every member of the MAF family will experience God’s favour to love others extravagantly.

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‘My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.’

Edward Mote, pastor and hymn writer

PHOTO JENNY DAVIES

TRUTH

JANUARY

SUNDAY 10 Praise God who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

MAF provides a way where there is none, brings the truth of God to those who don’t know Him, and gives life through physical and spiritual transformation.

MONDAY 11 Ask God for truth to prevail in our contact with governmental departments in the countries in which we work.

Pray for permissions to be granted, aircraft parts to reach their destinations, and visas to be approved whenever needed.

TUESDAY 12 ‘The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth’ (Psalm 145:18, NIV). Thank God that He hears the cry of all people, regardless of their location, status or the depth of their relationship with Him.

MAIN Simbi Buladina supports MAF's South Sudan team to obtain visas and import permits from the Government ABOVE Administration Officer Leah Wilson processes government paperwork and visa applications for our PNG programme BELOW 40 students at a remote school in Western Province, PNG, became proud owners of their own Bible. The MAF Bible Box is often people's only access to God's Word

WEDNESDAY 13 Some claim that we are living in a post-truth society. Meditate on the implications of this for us as believers, for the Church and for MAF staff and programmes. Let He who is the truth (John 14:6) guide your prayers.

THURSDAY 14 God calls us to work together as a team and Paul illustrates this with the image of the body in 1 Corinthians 12.

Pray for MAF’s overseas teams, using the map on the back page of this diary. Pray for true unity of purpose, direction and belief.

FRIDAY 15 Jesus said, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:31-32, NIV). Pray in faith that those who receive Bibles or hear testimonies from MAF staff will be set free by God’s truth.

SATURDAY 16 Like Pilate, many today are asking, ‘What is truth?’

Reflect on what truth means to you. Don’t settle for easy answers but go deeper and jot down what you discover. How might this have a positive impact on your daily walk with God?

‘All the world starts changing When the Church starts praying Strongholds start to break Oh, when we pray.’

Tauren Wells, worship leader

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ADVERSITY

JANUARY

SUNDAY 17 Praise God that, despite the suffering around the world and disruption to MAF’s operations caused by coronavirus, our lives are in God’s hands and we can have confidence in Him who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and whose ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30).

MONDAY 18 MAF has served in southern Sudan since 1950. Give thanks for the witness of MAF partners and churches, asking God to comfort those grieving the loss of loved ones through illness and the acts of violence that have plagued South Sudan since its formation in 2013.

BELOW The beautiful mountains and valleys of Dili, Timor-Leste BOTTOM UN camp for IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) just outside Juba, taken in 2016. The 2020 figures estimate that there are still 1.67 million IDPs in South Sudan

TUESDAY 19 We can’t prevent bad things from happening to us, but we do have power over the way we respond. Pray that Matthew 6:34, ‘Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself’ is a reality in the lives of those served by MAF who are suffering from hardship and adversity.

WEDNESDAY 20 Talking about adversity, President Nixon once said, ‘The greatness comes when you are really tested… Because only if you’ve been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.’ Today, be still and, if you’re in the depths, ask God to cause you to stand on the heights (Psalm 18:33).

THURSDAY 21 We may not have been infected by coronavirus, but has fear infected our minds instead? Thank God for the good things He has given you and trust Him for the future. Pray this be true too of the MAF team worldwide.

FRIDAY 22 Christian writer CS Lewis wrote, ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.’ Pray in faith that, in the 26 countries MAF serves, those who cry out to the Lord in their trouble will, in the words of Psalm 107, be delivered from their distress.

SATURDAY 23 One of the problems with adversity is that we have no idea when it will end. Write down the things that have caused distress, recall how God sustained or delivered you, then trust Him to help you through your current trials.

‘When the world comes crashing in And chaos rules my mind, I turn my heart to you, Lord, And pure, sweet peace I find.’

Joanna Fuchs, Christian poet

PHOTO DAVE FORNEY

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PHOTO LUANNE CADD

Students from the Maridi School of Nursing and Midwifery, South Sudan, obtain hands-on experience at Maridi Hospital’s paediatrics ward (2017)

RESTORATION

JANUARY

SUNDAY 24 The Lord restores. Hallelujah! Praise God for the work of Tutapona. MAF pilots fly resources and staff to Ugandan refugee camps where traumatised children are being restored by learning to forgive and being taught to have hope.

MONDAY 25 Ask God for a complete restoration of flying hours across our programmes, following the impact of coronavirus. In fact, please pray for us to accomplish even more work!

TUESDAY 26 Many of the partners we fly have been unable to travel to the communities they originally served. Let us pray that, as God promised through the prophet Joel, the Lord ‘will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten’ (Joel 2:25, ESV).

WEDNESDAY 27 Matthew, Mark and Luke all recount the time when Jesus healed a man’s hand on the Sabbath. When the man stretched out his hand, it was ‘restored’. The man had to stretch it out first. Meditate on this. What is God asking you to ‘stretch out’?

‘At the blessèd hour of prayer, trusting Him, we believe that the blessing we’re needing we’ll surely receive.’

Fanny Crosby, hymn writer

THURSDAY 28 Pray for God to send people to join our Liberia programme. Due to current vacancies, the ‘workers are few’. Ask God to restore the team to full capacity as they prepare to serve as a western Africa hub.

FRIDAY 29 Let’s pray with faith today for the indigenous communities of Australia’s Northern Territory. May God restore and heal broken relationships between cultures due to their past treatment by white settlers. Ask God to use MAF as a means of His grace, healing and hope.

SATURDAY 30 We look forward to the restoration of all creation when Jesus returns. In the meantime, we are all called to be restorers in the present. What one act can you commit to that will restore something or someone today?

TOP NGO Tutapona works with traumatised children in South Sudan, bringing them peace and restoration (February 2020) ABOVE MAF Arnhem Land Pilots Marijn and Anton flew students from Nhulunbuy Christian College to Gäwa, to learn from Yolŋu elders

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PHOTO GLENDA GILES

Aerial view of Oksapmin School in remote Tekin, Papua New Guinea

EDUCATION

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

SUNDAY 31 Praise God that, following months out of class due to coronavirus, most schools around the world have reopened.

Pray for wisdom as teachers navigate new ways of learning in the safest way possible to prevent further spikes. Remember MAF’s Jo Crotty in your prayers. She provides education and support to the children of MAF staff in our Asia-Pacific programmes.

MONDAY 1 According to MAF partner UNICEF, 132 million girls globally don’t go to school. For these young women, education is an unaffordable luxury or a privilege preserved for boys.

Instead of studying, they’re forced into servitude or marriage.

Ask God for this to end!

‘I shall know why, when time is over, And I have ceased to wonder why; Christ will explain each separate anguish In the fair schoolroom of the sky.’

Emily Dickinson, American poet

TUESDAY 2 The Bible says that education and discipline are priceless: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it’ (Proverbs 22:6, KJB). Pray for the MAF Youth team as they endeavour to model Kingdom values to all the young people they engage with.

WEDNESDAY 3 Reflect on their parents’ sacrifices and challenges to get their children to school and to provide them with the gift of education. Pray that free education will no longer be taken for granted in the UK, and that it will become more widely available in low-income countries.

THURSDAY 4 Pray for MAF pilots who transport necessary resources to Oksapmin School in Tekin — a remote area of Papua New Guinea (PNG) that’s only accessible by air. Described as one of the country's best performing schools, let’s pray for its continued success and give thanks for its precious 13-year partnership with MAF. FRIDAY 5 In the wake of the pandemic, have faith that God is at work and uses all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Don’t fret about any missed education last year, instead give thanks that God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)!

SATURDAY 6 Set aside some time with a child in your family and explain to them how blessed they are to have a free education.

Explain how opportunities to learn can be harder in some of the countries MAF serves. Together, thank God for teachers, textbooks and technology, and anything else we may take for granted.

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TOP Oliver and Rosie Norbury will head to PNG with their parents Fraser and Tracy in 2021, where Fraser will serve as Finance Manager ABOVE Jo Crotty is MAF PNG's Home School Support Teacher and Educational Adviser, supporting MAF families with their schooling needs

‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’

Stuart King, co-founder of MAF, went to be with the Lord in August 2020

Minnie Louise Haskins, poet, missionary and sociologist

NO RETIREMENT IN THE KINGDOM

FEBRUARY

SUNDAY 7 Give thanks as we remember Stuart King, who helped establish MAF in 1945 and died on 29 August 2020. His joy in serving the Lord is an inspiration to us all.

MONDAY 8 Ask the Lord to bless those who are feeling weary, even when their hearts and minds are still striving to do His will. There are several countries, such as PNG and Arnhem Land, where the wisdom and knowledge of older generations is being used in Bible Translation teams, to help ensure that the Word of God is clear, and the language is engaging for all who read it.

TUESDAY 9 ‘Even to your old age and grey hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you’ (Isaiah 46:4, NIV). The Lord is with us all our days. Ponder the verses surrounding this passage — particularly verses 3-13 — then pray.

WEDNESDAY 10 Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a time for everything. A time to plant and a time to uproot. Ponder this truth and reflect on the recent closure of the MAF Mongolia programme.

Give thanks that God will continue to bless the seeds planted there by MAF and our partners.

THURSDAY 11 Pray that the different ages, experiences and abilities of our personnel in PNG will contribute to creating a strong, knowledgeable, unified team.

FRIDAY 12 It took nearly 40 years to translate the New Testament into the Rendille language but AIM missionary Nick Swanepoel and his colleagues had faith in their project. We supported the team and shared their joy at its completion in 2018. Pray that generations of Kenya’s Rendille people will benefit from having God’s Word in their own language.

SATURDAY 13 Today is World Radio Day. For generations, radio was the main source of encouragement, entertainment and community. In many remote areas it remains a vital form of communication — allowing MAF to reach those in need and to send Scripture and Bible teaching over the airwaves. Why not turn the TV off for a day and tune in to the radio instead? As you do, remember in prayer the MAF engineers who install and maintain essential radio equipment.

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PHOTO EMIL KÜNDIG A typical bumpy dirt track in Guinea

KINDNESS

FEBRUARY

SUNDAY 14 Praise God for His loving kindness to all the nations. The government in Guinea has approved the entry of aid workers into the country, and Emil and Margrit Kündig travelled there in 2020 to establish an MAF programme.

MONDAY 15 Give thanks that MAF planes in programmes, such as South Sudan, Timor-Leste and Arnhem Land have been able to resume normal flying operations in the wake of coronavirus. Ask God for many more flights and opportunities to reveal His loving kindness to the poor, the outcast and the vulnerable.

TUESDAY 16 Matthew 5:45 reminds us that our Father in heaven extends kindness to all by providing sun, rain, food and life. Pray that, through His great love, the offer of salvation will be accepted by many of the people we seek to serve in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

WEDNESDAY 17 Today, be still and ponder the exhortation, ‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ Ask God to show areas in your life where you have failed to do this, then seek to intentionally live out Micah 6:8.

THURSDAY 18 Our programme in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo ministers to internally displaced people in camps containing more than 15,000 refugees. Pray that God will use our team through the conversations, acts of kindness, counselling and sewing classes that they provide.

FRIDAY 19 The Baptist minister Alexander MacLaren once said, ‘Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.’ Lord, give us the faith to win the world through prayer and the loving kindness we show by sharing the Gospel with those who don’t know You. Pray for MAF’s many missionary partners as they reach the remote and isolated with the love of Jesus.

SATURDAY 20 Ephesians 4:32 tells us, ‘Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.’ Consider what being ‘kind’ might look like to those around you, then jot down the names of anyone to whom you can show practical love. Then do so!

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www.maf-uk.org

‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!’

Joseph M Scriven, poet and hymn writer

PATIENCE ‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.’

Reinhold Niebuhr, Reformed theologian

TOP The Lailenpi airstrip is due for completion in 2021. (Photo taken in June 2020) MIDDLE Westminster Central Hall, London, where the MAF 75th event is scheduled to take place in 2021 BOTTOM The new MAF hangar is almost complete at Spriggs Payne Airport, Monrovia, Liberia

FEBRUARY

SUNDAY 21 Praise God that His timing is perfect! On 13 July, a boat carrying six adults departed from Wuvulu, PNG, bound for Wewak. When the boat didn’t arrive as expected, an alert was raised. Our pilots searched extensively, covering 1,300 nautical miles in 2 days while the MAF team prayed. Finally, on 19 July, we heard that the boat had drifted ashore at Jayapura, and everyone on board was safe. Hallelujah!

MONDAY 22 Today, ask the Lord for patience as we wait for God to bring restoration. Remember that the virus didn’t surprise God, and He only has plans to prosper and not harm us. Ask the Lord to open up new opportunities for MAF to serve those most in need.

TUESDAY 23 Ephesians 4:2 tells us, ‘Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.’ During this season, MAF UK staff have been working from home. Pray for an increase in grace and patience towards one another as we acknowledge the struggles some continue to face with the ‘new normal’.

WEDNESDAY 24 Still your soul, then write a list of prayers that you have been praying for a long time without receiving an answer — taking the time to lift them again to the Lord.

THURSDAY 25 Pray for anyone who is in the process of applying to serve with MAF or is raising support before their overseas service with MAF begins. Ask the Lord to strengthen their calling daily and surround them with encouragement and peace as they prepare to leave the UK. Pray too for John and Tracey Feil who have recently arrived in South Sudan, and for the Norbury family heading to PNG. FRIDAY 26 Pray in faith that 2021 is the year when the Lailenpi airstrip in Myanmar reaches completion. The project experienced some setbacks in 2020 due to coronavirus limiting the availability of much needed construction supplies before the onset of the monsoon season.

SATURDAY 27 MAF celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, and we were due to hold a celebration event in July 2020. This is now scheduled for 3 July 2021. Pray for the planning team, and that the one-year delay opens even greater opportunities.

To book tickets, visit www.maf-uk.org/75celebrationevent

PHOTO ANDREW MUMFORD

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PHOTO JILL VINE

MAF plane 5Y-EST flew back to Nairobi, Kenya, freshly painted and looking brand new in July 2020

EQUALITY

FEBRUARY/MARCH

SUNDAY 28 Praise God for the work of the Danish Refugee Council in Liberia. MAF takes the organisation’s staff to communities where they run programmes to empower adolescent girls.

These include workshops which educate men on the need to respect women.

MONDAY 1 Ask God to give wisdom to the leadership of MAF and our partners as we seek to utilise new technologies to reduce our carbon footprint.

TUESDAY 2 Galatians 3:28 tells us, ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (NIV). Reflect on this Scripture and pray that MAF will not just pay lip service to this truth, but live it out, representing Jesus wherever we go!

WEDNESDAY 3 Take a moment to consider the advantages you have in life compared to someone born in a refugee camp in Uganda, say, or an isolated Indigenous community in Australia.

Thank God for what you have, then lift up all those who are disadvantaged due to situations and circumstances beyond their control.

THURSDAY 4 The team of engineers in Uganda is made up of different nationalities, genders, ages, levels of experience and education. Together they re-sprayed and repaired Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft, 5Y-EST, for the Kenya programme. Give thanks for this example of professionalism and equality in diversity.

FRIDAY 5 In Matthew 7:12, Jesus tells us, ‘Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.’ If everyone followed this teaching, there would be no discrimination. Praise God for the work done in PNG to protect women accused of witchcraft. Let’s intercede for those who are still experiencing discrimination — believing in faith that it will end soon.

SATURDAY 6 Have you at any time — or maybe you still do — experienced unfair treatment, or been made to feel of less worth than others? Share your experience with someone close to you. Ask them to pray with you. Healing and education can come through sharing our stories.

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‘Intensive prayer is intensive care.’

Geoffrey Hill, poet and professor emeritus of English literature and religion

BELOW Danish Refugee Council faciliates workshops to educate men in Liberia about respecting women BOTTOM A paralegal from MAF partner Friendship in Bangladesh fights for a 12-year-old girl to stay in school. The alternative for many girls is being married off at a young age

PHOTO GRANT STRUGNELL

AWAY FROM THE MULTITUDE

MARCH

SUNDAY 7 Praise the Lord that He promises to never leave us. Whether active or still, in company or alone, His presence is available to all. Give thanks that MAF Technology Services is helping remote people experience the presence of God for themselves, through Wi-Fi and solar-powered Bibles.

MONDAY 8 Sadly, for many, the ongoing impact of coronavirus has caused intense feelings of loneliness and isolation. Some MAF staff weren’t able to return to their serving country for many months, missing friends and colleagues, while some had to cancel planned furlough. Ask God to draw near and comfort those who are struggling.

TUESDAY 9 In Matthew 14:23, after feeding the 5,000, Jesus sent the multitudes away and ‘went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray… alone’. The ‘multitudes’ in our life include anxieties, distractions and worries. If you’re experiencing any of these, ‘send them away’ — recalling 1 Peter 5:7: ‘Give all your worries and cares to God’ (NLT).

WEDNESDAY 10 Although the work continues, the pace of life for MAF staff has changed, with many working from home since the coronavirus outbreak began. Give thanks for this opportunity to reflect, be still and experience the peace and presence of the Lord. Pray that God will remain close, directing our steps throughout 2021.

‘Our prayers break on God like waves, and He an endless shore, and when the seas evaporate and oceans are no more and cries are carried in the wind God hears and answers every sound as He has done before.’

Luci Shaw, Christian writer

THURSDAY 11 It’s so important, when we give out to others, that we then draw back and spend time with the Lord. Take a moment to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit. Then ask the Lord to revive the team of MAF missionaries serving overseas.

FRIDAY 12 MAF Arnhem Land Pilot Anton Zhang has coped with this challenging season by getting creative. For Anton, solitude is different from isolation. ‘Solitude is when we choose to be alone for certain purposes. As I’ve journeyed with God, I’ve gradually come to see solitude as a spiritual discipline.’ Pray in faith as you ponder Anton’s words.

SATURDAY 13 If you can access the internet, listen to Be Still by Hillsong. The second verse says, ‘Be still and trust what the Lord has said is done. Find rest, don’t strive, watch as faith and grace align.’ Thank Him for this remarkable truth.

MAIN MAF aircraft lands at the remote airstrip of Kuebunyane, Lesotho, nestled in the mountains ABOVE Self-portrait by MAF Pilot Anton Zhang in Arnhem Land, Australia, reflecting on his times of solitude

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PHOTO MARK HEWES

MAF MUMS

MARCH

SUNDAY 14 Praise God for all our mothers today, on this Mothering Sunday. Whether you have a great relationship with your mum, have lost touch, or are dealing with grief, let's thank them today for bringing us into this world and for God’s work in our lives.

MONDAY 15 Ask the Lord to strengthen any MAF mothers who are struggling right now. Parenting difficulties come in many different forms, but pray, knowing that the Lord knows what mothers need.

TUESDAY 16 Isaiah 66:13 reminds us of God’s tender love towards us. Pray for all the families that have been separated by war in South Sudan, fleeing to refugee camps on the border of Uganda. Ask God to bless MAF as we continue to be a vehicle of God’s love to mothers and children in both countries.

‘There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting, There’s a place that is wondrously fair.

For it glows with the light of His presence, ’Tis that beautiful garden of prayer.’

Eleanor Allen Schroll, hymn writer

WEDNESDAY 17 Take a few moments to pray quietly for all the mothers around the world who receive maternity care thanks to medical teams flown in by MAF. Pray too for medical emergency flights for those suffering pregnancy complications.

THURSDAY 18 MAF Timor-Leste Administration Officer Imelda Pereira [pictured right] helps assemble ‘mama medevac packs’.

These contain a blanket and babygrow for newborns, snacks and toiletries for the mums, and some Christian booklets. Pray that the kits prove a real blessing to everyone who receives them.

FRIDAY 19 Pray for all the mothers and grandmothers who have family members serving with MAF. They may not be able to see them that regularly, so pray that, through the technology available, they can stay in touch and uphold them faithfully.

SATURDAY 20 Love is an action word! Although not every woman may become a physical mother, give thanks for the women who invest their time and encouragement as spiritual mothers to those around them.

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www.maf-uk.org

MAIN MAF flew a team from SHARE, led by Yuu Yoshimori. The Japanese NGO works with the local health centre in Atauro, Timor-Leste (February 2020)

COMMUNITY

MARCH

SUNDAY 21 Praise God for His wonderful creation! It’s now spring in the UK, with God’s creation bursting into life around us again. May this also be true spiritually, both in the UK and across the nations that MAF serves.

MONDAY 22 Ask the Lord to bless the Yolŋu community in Arnhem Land. Pray for health and safety, and that young and old will support and uphold one another.

TUESDAY 23 Read 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 and consider what it means to warn, encourage, help and do good to those that God places around us. Pray that the presence of MAF operations around the world will act as salt and light in the communities they serve.

WEDNESDAY 24 Please spend a few minutes listening and praying for your community and the communities served by MAF around the world; thinking both of the things that are good and the things that could be improved. Be still, listen to what you can hear going on around you, then pray.

THURSDAY 25 Give thanks for the team that works with the Rural Airstrip Agency in PNG to maintain airstrips so remote communities can be accessed by MAF flights.

FRIDAY 26 Pray in faith for new pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers to serve with MAF in remote communities. To view all current vacancies, visit www.maf-uk.org/jobs SATURDAY 27 Is there someone in your community that you haven’t seen for a while? Why not give them a call, send them a message, or knock on their door and say ‘Hi’?

SUNDAY 28 Today is Palm Sunday. Praise God for His love for us, for His Word to us, and the guidance He gives us as we seek to serve our local community. Pray for MAF programmes around the world as they prepare to celebrate Easter. May this be a fantastic opportunity to witness to the communities they serve.

MONDAY 29 Ask God for health and strength as MAF’s team serves the people near our base in Dhaka and throughout Bangladesh.

TUESDAY 30 ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’ (Proverbs 27:17, NIV). Pray that, as we hold each other accountable in Christian love — whether in our family, community, church or MAF programme — we will improve each other, just as iron sharpens iron.

WEDNESDAY 31 Today, be still and think about all the emotions Jesus must have gone through in the last few days before His sacrifice on the cross. Then respond in joyful thanksgiving.

‘I'm not just hoping I'm not just wishing I know I'm praying To a God who listens I know He hears me I know He's living Yes, I am praying To a God who listens.’

Chris Tomlin, Christian songwriter

PHOTO DAVE FORNEY MAF Canada's engineer apprentice, Annamarie van der Meijden, gains valuable maintenance experience working on Cessna Caravan wheels and brakes in the MAF Uganda hangar JAN-MAR 2021 | Prayer Diary 15

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18 1

7

20

25

26

15 14

16

12

MAF OPERATIONS WORLDWIDE AMERICAS

AFRICA

ASIA-PACIFIC

To find out more, visit www.maf-uk.org/ howwehelp

Information correct at the time of going to press. *These countries are served

by MAF affiliate organisations

MAF UK Castle House, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2TQ Scotland Office Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD T 01303 852819 E supporter.relations@maf-uk.org

www.maf-uk.org MAF UK

@MAFUK

MAFUK

@flying4life

MAFUKFILM

Registered charity in England and Wales (1064598) and in Scotland (SC039107) ® Registered trademark 3026860, 3026908, 3026915