MAF celebrates 70 years

Yesterday marked 70 years of service for Mission Aviation Fellowship. We count it such a blessing to be a part of this organization. It is awesome to see how MAF has been able to reach the most isolated people over that time and is striving hard toward the future.

Here is a video to commemorate the 70th anniversary.

Responding in Nepal

 MAF is currently working in Nepal following the earthquakes in the last few weeks. We would like to share with you a great story of how MAF has been serving there, and coordinating relief efforts with other organizations. 

Last week, before MAF began coordinating the highly-subsidized flights for the earthquake relief in Nepal, two men trekked for five days into a region northwest of Kathmandu where one of their villages is located deep in the mountains.

“It was an area hard hit but a little overlooked. For three days we didn’t see one single house that was standing,” they described. “We were absolutely stunned by the devastation. I couldn’t imagine. Nothing left, simply nothing. No rations whatever. The loss of life has not been too bad - hundreds, but if it had been night, I can’t even think what would have happened. No relief items had arrived to that area.”

The two-person team walked from village to village in a long loop, crossing dangerously damaged cable bridges over canyons and rivers, walking on ridges split with deep cracks from the earthquake, visiting a village of less than 100 inhabitants where 37 people died, and another village where the ground had cracked above and below the village, like bookends of warning. When the monsoons begin in mid-June, what will happen?

In one village named Thale with up to 200 people, they said, not only was every house destroyed, the whole slope of the mountain is sliding down. The villagers fled to a grazing ground for their animals on the top of the mountain at about 2500 meters. As of yesterday, they had been there for 19 days. They had one tarp and no supplies. Yesterday that changed - the MAF-coordinated helicopters flew for Himalayan Life to this small, displaced community, bringing desperately needed provisions.

The second flight landed near Yangry, a village of about 600 people and 80 homes that Himalayan Life plans to ‘adopt’. No buildings were left intact following the first earthquake.

“People couldn’t believe that we were actually back. We promised we would come back, and we came bringing relief items. It has meant an unbelievable lot to them."

Here is a short, but very impactful video of how MAF has been a game changer reaching very isolated communities there in Nepal.

 

We are so thankful for MAF's service, and ability to provide logistics and pilots when disasters arise globally. Please pray that there will be no further quakes and that in the coming weeks people can start to rebuild their shattered homes and lives. The frequent aftershocks are really traumatizing for those who have lost so much, and many people are too afraid to sleep inside their damaged homes and are choosing to sleep outside even during heavy rainstorms.

We will try to post more updates on Nepal as we are able to share them.

Oceans

"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." 

This quote has been on my mind lately as I think about some big steps ahead for our family as we prepare to move overseas. It is sometimes scary to think of the family and comforts we will be leaving behind, yet our desire is to follow where the Lord is calling us. In order to do that we have to leave what we know, and go into the unknown. We can't see the whole picture of what God has in store for us in Indonesia, but we know that we have to keep taking steps of faith to see how God is going to work in our lives. Someone once told us, "God can't steer a parked ship" and how that has proven true in our lives.

Psalms 139:9-10 says, "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."This verse is such an encouragement that no matter where we are God is with us, and keeps us in his hands.

This all probably explains why Hillsongs Oceans song has spoken so much to my heart the past several months. The lyrics beautifully paint a picture of surrender and trust.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Is there something you feel God is calling you to step out in faith in and lose sight of the shore? 

While we have been traveling around during the support raising process our family was able to go to Cannon Beach in Oregon for the day. The boys had a wonderful time chasing the waves, and splashing in the water. Here are some pictures from the day.