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How MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) is coping with Covid

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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.

In a phased return to work the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store is now ready to accept your donations

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After four months of lockdown the Leeds and Moortown Furniture which since 1986 has been collecting donated furniture and then through a raft of statutory and voluntary referral agencies passing it on to people in need will reopen its telephone lines on Monday July 27th. 

The Store’s manager, John Gamson, says that whilst he and his team were able to open their trading arm – LMFS Trading – a couple of weeks ago the move towards a phased return for the charity has been a very complicated process. “Visiting people’s homes and picking up their donated furniture is no easy task when you take into account all the health and safety protocols our crews have to follow.”
 
“Already,” adds John, “we are seeing signs that as restrictions ease the need for our services is going to be greater than ever so I would urge anyone who has any furniture that they no longer need: beds, sofas, tables, chairs, wardrobes etc to call us on 0113 2739727 or email info@leedsandmoortown.org.uk
 
To begin with the charity will be operating its collection and delivery service mornings only with a view to resuming a full service by the middle of August. “That way” says John, “we will have extra time to focus on sorting and sifting new donations, and not only making sure our clients’ needs are met as quickly and as safely as possible but steering still serviceable furniture away from landfill or incineration.” 
 
One thing John is particularly keen to emphasise is that no one should drop anything off at the Store without first speaking with them, and that until we’re told otherwise there should be no unauthorised visits.   

Teaching a 3-year-old to ride a bike…and other reflections! Today Nathan’s blog looks at pathways and how they all lead us home

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The weeks go by and the wheels keep turning. Alarmingly, my knee is starting to creak more as I run, leaning to one side, in order to be close enough to Daisy to catch her if she is about to fall – but far away enough so that she feels confident and like she is in control.

We have been on so many rides. So many routes. Roads. Paths. Where Daddy thought the paths should be… and even the occasional let’s-make-our-own-path paths! And I have come to realise this – the route doesn’t really matter at all.

Let me clarify that – we’re not heading for the inner ring road or the M606 – but for the most part, whether we turn left or right doesn’t matter a great deal.

And why is that?

Because from the moment we leave the house, we are heading home!

I know the roads, routes and geography well enough… so Daisy can choose if she wants to go left or right. She can tell me she has lots of energy or wants to go home. If she chops and changes her mind the entire journey (and she frequently does), it doesn’t matter at all because I know the way home… and as I said, from the moment we set off, we are heading home!

My Father-in-law loves a song by Jim Reeves that we used to sing at our previous church – This World is not my home! The lyrics go:

This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

Jim Reeves gets it – we are all heading home. From the moment we are born, we’re heading to an eternal home. As Christians, this is a journey alongside our heavenly Dad – and we can choose all sorts of lefts and rights. We can pick paths that look obvious or we can explore new places. We can go fast or slow – full of energy or shattered. Take turns that bring us nearer, or ones that take us further away. We can wobble, maybe even fall – but for those of us that know Jesus, the truth (simple and yet profound) is that through it all, we are heading home.

God is happy for us to pick our route – we will learn stuff and see stuff as we go, and he is with us no matter what. But we are ultimately heading home. Not to our bricks and mortar – but to him. We might be at the start of our journey, or nearing its end. We may know exactly where we are, or may have taken so many wrong turns we wonder if He is even still alongside us.

Here is the truth… again. When we know Jesus, every day is a day we are heading home. He is alongside us. He knows how to bring us to our final stop point… but LOVES journeying with us. He loves our conversation, our wide-eyed awe. He loves our dependence and encourages our freedom.

The ultimate Father, steps out with us on the ultimate adventure!

Daisy loves the bike rides – even when she has no idea where we are or where we are headed…  because she trusts that I am with her and, no matter what, will guide her home. Because I love her more than she knows. Because she is my child and I am her dad.

Proverbs 3:5-6

 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.

There’s still time to buy a stylish face mask and give a helping hand to a local children’s hospice

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Karen Ross has been in touch to say that Yunhee Kim is making washable, reversible cotton masks for adults and children. And looking at these pictures you have to admit that they look fabulous. 

However, alongside the masks Yunhee is making matching wipeable pouches which are just large enough to hold a small bottle of antibacterial gel, gloves and the mask itself. 

You can see a larger selection of masks and pouches by looking at Yunhee’s Instagram page: FRAMESOFHAPPINESS.

Since the start of the lockdown Martin House Children’s Hospice at Boston Spa has, like so many other wonderful charities missed out on thousands of pounds in much needed donations. That’s why to help, all be it in a small way for each mask and pouch sold the hospice will receive £1.If you are interested in helping Yunhee and Martin House please contact Karen on either 0113 2933574 or 07954391303.

Still on the subject of masks, here’s a picture that John Kavanagh sent us of one of a number of vending machines in and around Leeds railway station which have been adapted to stock hand sanitiser and disposable face masks. Clever eh! 

Church Meeting told that to get back to anything like this we need to sign up now!

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At our recent Church Meeting Ian Richardson explained just a few of the raft of things we need to have done before we can re-open our church building. He also asked for anyone who was prepared to volunteer (as and when we reach that stage) to let him or anyone else on the Leadership Team have their contact details. However, Ian was most keen to emphasise that whilst certain lockdown restrictions are being eased when it comes to us holding any mass gatherings there will be no quick fix.  

To get some idea of what is required of us Ian referred people to three documents, one from the government and two from the Baptist Union that are currently on the MBC webside and which deal specifically with the re-opening of church buildings. You can read these documents by clicking HERE – they are the top three links. 

Ian also appealed for volunteers to help with Church at Home, our regular Sunday Service: hosts, preachers, prayers, singers/musicians, readers, IT specialists and just about anyone else are all needed to ensure our online worship continues. Again if you would like to help out with Church at Home please email Ian on moortownbaptistchurchtreasurer@gmail.com or contact any other member of the Leadership Team.   

Family at Moortown – Oasis – Moortots: some facts, some stats and some prayer for the future

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Since MBC went into lockdown lots of things have gone online, and three of these are Family at Moortown (our child and family centred Sunday morning session) Oasis and Moortots. 

As we now move into what would traditionally be MBC’s summer programme ie lots of all age services we asked Shelley Dring, our Children and Families Lead to talk us through the last sixteen weeks. Here’s what she said.  

  • This week we reached our 33rd Moortots live on Facebook and YouTube and our 8th Family at Moortown Session, again on YouTube. 
  • In total we have done 49 video uploads on Family at Moortown and all these can all be watched at anytime.
  • These include 6 bible stories read out by friends of MBC as well as 3 creative videos made by Sarah Meyer and her children.
  • We have shown collaborative videos on various themes including movement and treasures.
  • Between 19 June and 16th July the Moortots Facebook page had 1003 engagements, which is up 28 per cent.
  • We have 120 page likes, up 3 in the last week.
  • Stats on their own aren’t always helpful but I picked these ones out because they show how people are actually engaging with what we are doing.
  • Next week is our Silly Summer Special at 11am on Thursday 23rd July and our Facebook event invite has had a reach of 133 so far. Do join us!
  • We also have family WhatsApp groups so if you have children and would like to be part of one of them do get in touch with me
  • Next week we’ll update you with a few summer plans. 

In order to help Shelley plan her summer 2020 programme she would like to ask you a specific question…  what helps you pray?  Do you have a special place, a song you sing, a dance, do you paint or write or do exercise at the same time? Do you read out a favourite prayer or say a prayer at bedtime? And have you discovered something new about your prayer life during lockdown?

If any of you have or could take or make a picture or video showing building on this Shelley would love to use it to help encourage others ahead of next Sunday’s church…(all ages included, do pass it onto people!) 

The best way to get these to Shelley is either by WhatsApping her or by emailing them to shelley.dring.mbc@btconnect.com

Sewing in the sunshine

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With husband Michael standing by with full visor, gloves and sanitiser Karen Ross’ ladies craft group met up yesterday (Thursday) in her garden for the first time since March.

The sun shone and as you would expect the conversation flowed as the ladies all shared how they had coped!

Masks were a big topic; how long they would be worn they mused, and whilst most were very reluctant to go anywhere how and when will we ever be able to go “normal” shopping again?

Can’t see much craft being done but never mind, let’s hope that this was just the first of many such socially distanced sessions. 

Teaching a 3-year-old to ride a bike… and other reflections! After a week off Nathan returns to share more Daisy driven truths. Today, giving her spinning stabilisers some traction

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Building a little on from my last blog, this reflection also links into the fact that Daisy has stabilisers on her bike. Whilst this can be very helpful, I have noticed on more than one occasion that due to an uneven surface on the pavement Daisy can find herself in a position where the stabilisers are touching the ground but the back wheel isn’t. Daisy may very well be pedalling furiously, putting in lots of effort but the fact is, she is going nowhere! And this often leads to frustration, unless she ‘allows’ me to give her a little nudge, so she can gain traction and get going again.

As I pondered this scenario it again struck me that this is something I can so often find myself doing. I can put effort into spinning wheels – but not actually get anywhere. Lots of bluster, trying, planning, plotting… all in my own strength and even feeling a little indignant at the idea that I would need God to help!

When I first started my business 2.5 years ago, I can remember being in a moment of panic that the cash flow wasn’t what I needed. I was away at a Christian conference at the time, and spent the first 20 minutes of the evening celebration frantically scanning through my invoicing system on my phone to see where the money was, when it would come in and how I could figure it out. I was doing this as the other 2,500 were singing their hearts out in praise and worship. Thankfully I was there with good friends… the kind that call me out on stuff. As we left the tent a friend took me to one side and asked my ‘what I was playing at.’ I was a bit shocked, so he rephrased, adding more subtlety; “What kind of idiot stops worshipping in order to check their invoices. If your business need help that help is going to come from God…not you checking your phone.”

Pretty stark. Very honest… and absolutely true. And to add to it, he wouldn’t let me take my phone into any of the meetings after that in case I was tempted to do the same again.

In other words, he had observed my wheels spinning, no matter how much I huffed and puffed, and reminded me that I needed to ask God for a nudge, rather than sweat it out!

I have noticed in the world of COVID that in many of the organisations I work with their focus has been to keep the wheels turning. Often this means maintaining as many of the ‘old world ways’ as possible by simply recreating them in a new format.

I know I tried to do the same at first… keep everything the same, maintain all the habits… only now on a screen. But then, over the weeks I became more aware of the opportunities I have; the opportunity to stop just spinning and spinning my wheels with frantic energy and effort and instead say to God, ‘can I have a nudge?’ In essence, can He please set me off in the right direction, a new direction, to get me moving, not just spinning!

I think that even in our church life many Christians have asked (during COVID) ‘how can we do the same in a virtual way?’ – whereas perhaps the question needs to be, ‘what does God want to do now?’ The first question will keep us busy and our wheels turning, but maybe the second question is where we get the ‘God nudge’ to move us on. The challenge (and thing that needs prayer) is the discernment in our lives… what is spinning wheels and what is moving us on in God and advancing the Kingdom.

I love that Paul wrote, ‘Fight the good fight.’ He didn’t say ‘Dodge the fight’ because he knows we are in a battle. He simply told us to fight the good fight. Put the effort in to the right places. Don’t waste energy and effort on the things that don’t deepen our faith or grow the kingdom of God.

So, here’s the question to ponder this week: where are our wheels simply spinning, and where do we need a nudge from our heavenly Dad so we can get on the go again!

1 Timothy 6:12

12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

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