The Smythes @ MAF

After commercial jets were able to get through, MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) has halted its emergency relief and assessment flights to Indonesia’s city of Padang, which was devastated by a massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake. “Once the large Boeings were able to come in to Padang airport, MAF emergency services were no longer needed,” said John Woodberry, MAF disaster response/security manager.

The quake hit Sept. 30, destroying hundreds of buildings and homes, triggering landslides, knocking out power and cutting off roads into the city of approximately 900,000 people. An estimated 700 people have been declared dead so far, with hundreds more still missing. Responding to the emergency, MAF provided flights for Operation Blessing International from nearby Pekan Baru to Padang, close to the epicenter.

MAF, which has worked with OBI since the 2004 tsunami, flew OBI medical teams into Padang, where OBI set up a base camp for relief workers in the center of town. Woodberry said MAF was extremely grateful for the prayers and generous financial gifts from supporters that enabled it to respond quickly to disaster relief work. MAF has worked in Indonesia since 1954. It has two aircraft in Sumatra – a Cessna 206 and a Cessna Caravan – that are based in Aceh, which is well north of the earthquake zone. The Caravan, according to Woodberry, has returned to northern Aceh province and resumed its regular program flying.

via www.maf-uk.org

The 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck at 5:16pm local time off the west coast of Sumatra, 29 miles north-west of Padang. Dozens of aftershocks followed, two of a 6.0 magnitude.

The death toll is predicted to be in the thousands.

To give to the MAF rescue work in Padang,  click here.

MAF in Sumatra

MAF began flying in Sumatra in response to the 2004 tsunami that devastated the Aceh area of northern Sumatra. MAF was one of the first to respond to the disaster, initially sending aircraft and personnel from their programme in Kalimantan. MAF also provided communications services to support the relief efforts.

MAF have served in Indonesia since 1954. Government officials have invited MAF to extend its operations indefinitely in the province of Aceh, Sumatra.

The programme operates a Cessna 206 and a Cessna Caravan from their base in Medan.

(via maf-uk.org)

An Africa Inland Mission (AIM) team accused of ‘stealing the rain’ was rapidly evacuated by MAF from Napep, Sudan, following threat of death.

The Training In Ministry Outreach team (TIMO) returned from holiday to learn that it had not rained in the area near MurKuzhen, ‘Tall Mountain’, since they had left – a total of 19 days. The community east of the mountain decided that the white people had put the rain on a plane and flown it back to America.

The TIMO team were first alerted to the judgement at the end of one of their clinics. Singing and horns resounded in the air as fifty to a hundred people entered the compound singing and waving leaves. David, the team leader, was called out to talk to them.   The rest of the team prayed for grace and wisdom while David and two team members were forced to go to the elders for a trial.

At the trial, the elders of the villages accused:

“You took the rain on a plane . This is your fault. We will decide what to do with you.”

David received the verdict: bring two bulls the next day for sacrifice. If not he would die. The elder’s decision was final, despite David advising he did not own one bull, let alone two.

The team had no choice. In the middle of the night, leaving most of their possessions behind, they began a 6.5 hour trek to the airstrip (a walk that usually takes about 3.5 hours). They didn’t dare to use torches in case it alerted people to their sudden exit. MAF rearranged the flight schedule in order to collect the team and fly them to safety.

We don’t know what the spiritual battle will bring next, although we know that the community has threatened to curse us, amongst other things. We also know that it will take a miracle for us to be able to return, but we know that God is bigger than all of it.Deborah, one of the TIMO team

Late June, Phil Byler, AIM country director, flew back to Napep to speak to the elders about the incident. Ironically, it rained very heavily- so heavily it took three attempts for the pilot to land the plane. The meeting went fairly well, though its anticipated that more meetings will be required before the team returns.

Africa Inland Mission seek to spread the word of God in unreached areas. Their work includes: youth ministry, medical care, community development, community health, leadership development, aviation and support services.

AIM founded the two year TIMO programme in the mid 1980s. Its purpose is to train future missionaries in areas of cross cultural ministry. Their ultimate goal is to develop a working and ministering church. Twenty two-year teams have been trained so far. They operate in over thirteen areas in six African countries.