14th July – Virgin Atlantic reaches rescue agreement
17th July – British Airways retires entire 747 fleet
5th May – Reaching the isolated while we isolate.
In spite of the first two and many other similar headlines from major airlines the reality of life in countries around the world served by Mission Aviation Fellowship throughout this time of pandemic has been the third headline which I read on their website half way through our time of lockdown.
Indeed the services provided by MAF’s huge fleet of small aircraft have often been needed even more than before. MAF aeroplanes have been grounded in places where the virus has flared yet the MAF web pages are full of testimony to the unstinting service of MAF personnel the moment permission to fly has been granted.
One pilot in the far North of Chad was allowed to land only to be told by the authorities that he would not be able to stay in the town as the it was currently still Covid free and wished to remain so. Eager to oblige he happily opted to comply by sleeping out under the desert
sky.
Some of you know that the eldest son of one of Margaret’s cousins in the Netherlands is a pilot working with MAF. He is based at Wilson Airport in Nairobi and while we have been living through our lock-down here in the UK we heard that his wife and children have been repatriated to the Netherlands. He has remained on standby providing a lifeline whenever called on to serve the isolated and inaccessible peoples around Kenya.
In Bangladesh where MAF operate with amphibious Cessna caravan float planes (pictured above) there was a recent article I commend to you that shows this state of readiness – you can read it HERE
Please continue to include in your prayers the army of MAF missionaries around the world putting their lives on the line for the sake of others.