Week 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4
WEEK 1: Staff Focus – GARRETT & KATIE MUNYARD
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen” – Philippians 4:19-20 (NIV)
Garrett and Katie Munyard (p.15) are now settling into their new home in the town of Balimo in Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Western Province.
Garrett continues to be focused on his flying orientation, working to get up to operational status towards flying on his own. This is still a long process. Flying in PNG is an involved undertaking and MAF as an organisation wants our pilots to be well trained and as safe as possible. Garrett still needs to undergo more supervised flying as he becomes confident in his understanding of flying around the bush airstrips of PNG, as well as navigating tricky weather and the mountainous regions of the country.
Katie was heavily involved in the packing and shopping needed for their move to remote Balimo base. Learning how to shop for three month’s worth of food was a massive undertaking. Now in Balimo, Katie is connecting with the local hospital and investigating how she may be able to help.
They are settling in well and meeting people in the community. Balimo town has a small mission-run hospital, a few churches, a market, a school and a number of stores.
Check out the video from an update from Garrett and Katie – it’s lovely to see them and where they are living.
WEEK 1: OCTOBER 1-8 PRAYER POINTS – Munyards and PNG
- Please pray for rain in PNG. The country has been in drought for a number of months now and it is affecting people heavily. People rely on rainwater for drinking water and for their gardens to produce food.
- Pray for the Munyards during this time of settling into Balimo. Pray for good connections with neighbours and in getting to know the community.
- Pray for Garrett and Katie in this busy season. For Garrett’s flight training, that he will have the energy needed to absorb the new information about the surrounding airstrips and weather patterns, and that he can progress smoothly to flying-in-command and solo in the new few months.
- Pray for wisdom and guidance for Katie as she explores options with the Balimo Hospital. Pray as she juggles work responsibilities with settling into a new place.
- Praise God for the many people sending through encouragement and prayers for the Munyards.
- Pray for the MAF program in PNG that is in great need of pilots. Pray for God’s provision and for wisdom for the leadership, as they make decisions about the program with the limited staff numbers.
Week 2: education
“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” – John 1:12-13 (NIV)
MAF serves many remote communities around the world, where the only reason schools in those communities are able to continue, is because MAF provides a link to larger centres.
This link means that teachers who might not otherwise choose to teach in these isolated places, can rely on a quick MAF flight to town. It also means that school supplies, such as paper, books, and even pens and pencils, are able to be flown in when needed. MAF flies in building materials for maintaining the schools, chairs, desks, and stocks small shops with supplies. MAF is often the mail carrier for when exam papers need to be sent to education offices in larger centres for marking.
Without the opportunity for getting an education in their remote home communities, children are sometimes sent away to attend school in town.
By providing this vital link for communities, MAF is not only helping children receive an education but also ensuring that these remote villages continue to exist and thrive.
WEEK 2: OCTOBER 9-15 PRAYER POINTS – Education
- Pray for MAF Arnhem Land as they support the Homelands Education initiative, flying teachers out to the homelands so that the children are able to live on country and still attend school. Pray for safety for the flights, pray for wisdom for the teachers, pray that the kids are able to enjoy learning and that they can thrive in their communities.
- Pray for the schools serving refugee children in Uganda. Pray for the kids living in refugee camps, who continue to strive to learn and grow in devastating circumstances. Praise God that MAF is able to support these schools, and that we can continue flying supplies and teachers, so that the kids can complete their education.
- Pray for the 66 students in Papua, Indonesia, who travelled for an entire week in a boat from their remote community to the island of Java, because their villages didn’t have high schools. Praise God that MAF staff were able to welcome them when they arrived. Pray for safety for the students as they settle into a new city far from family.
- Pray for MAF Technologies in PNG. They run education classes in Computer Technology, as well as Solar and HF Radio Installations. These sessions equip healthcare workers, pastors and teachers who work in isolated communities, to be able to communicate effectively with larger centres and enhance their skills and knowledge in regard to digital technology.
- Pray for school students in remote villages in PNG who struggle to overcome the barrier of isolation in order to attend school. Many kids walk for hours each day to larger communities for school, or must leave family to attend school in distant towns. Pray for safety.
WEEK 3: MAF AUSTRALIA OFFICE STAFf
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
We are so grateful for your prayers, upholding our staff both in Australia and overseas. Prayer is incredibly important for strength, wisdom and protection in all the situations we find ourselves in.
For our program staff who face living in different environments, often away from family and familiarity, prayer is what sustains and enables ministry to continue day after day. Thank you for your faithful prayers.
WEEK 3: OCTOBER 16-23 PRAYER POINTS – MAF AUSTRALIA FIELD STAFF
- Pray for Karlos and Caitlin Wilkinson-Sarunic, as they look forward to moving to Bougainville. Praise God that they have completed their security training and cultural integration. Please pray for more partners to come alongside Karlos and Caitlin, to pray for and financially sponsor them.
- Pray for our staff who are preparing for home assignment over the summer months. Pray that they can connect well with supporters and churches, as well as enjoy time with family and friends, who they may not have seen for two years or more.
- Please pray for the new Safety Manager, Troy, who was to start in Mareeba last month. Unfortunately, as the family was making their way up north, Troy’s parents became very ill and they had to return back to care for them. Currently we do not know when he will be starting.
- Please pray for the Quality & Safety Team in Mareeba, as they continue to balance the additional workload. Praise God that Kevin, our Tech Ops Quality Manager, can come over to provide some support this month.
- Pray for the Painter family (p.9). Matt has a number of overseas trips planned for this second part of the year. Pray for safety in travel and for the rest of the family remaining in Cairns. Praise God that trips to PNG and Bougainville have been encouraging, and that Matt has been able to speak to a number of people about the work of MAF in these programs.
- Pray for Melanie Barclay (p.6) as she supports the families in Arnhem Land, as well as filling a number of other support roles within the MAF Arnhem Land program. Pray for safety and protection, both physically and spiritually, in her daily ministry.
- Pray for the Newth family (p.11) as they serve with MAF in the Mareeba Maintenance Team. Pray for physical safety for Jake in his role as engineer, and for Liz and their two children, Clara and Harry, as the family serve together with MAF.
- Pray for Peter and Fleur Boal (p.15) serving as Residential Hostel Managers for school children attending Ukarumpa boarding school in PNG. Pray for wisdom as they provide support and care to the children of missionaries serving in different parts of the country.
WEEK 4: Autonomous Region of Bougainville
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) is an isolated collection of islands and atolls between the Papua New Guinea mainland and the Solomon Islands. Bougainville’s dense mountains and remote islands have long isolated communities from essential services.
From 1965-1975, MAF provided much needed air services to remote outlying communities in Bougainville, serving churches, missions, hospitals and schools.
In April 2025, MAF proudly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) to once again bring essential services to the isolated communities in Bougainville.
MAF Technologies has already begun providing services throughout the region in solar power, HF radio solutions and computer training services for churches, schools, clinics and hospitals. The aviation arm of MAF commenced providing air services on 14th September 2026.
WEEK 4: OCTOBER 24-31 PRAYER POINTS – BOUGAINVILLE
- Praise God that MAF commenced air services on 14th September and have been flying between a number of the different communities.
- Pray for the communities who are working to get their airstrips in shape so that MAF planes can land and take off safely. Pray that the work can get done in good time.
- Pray for the overwhelming needs of people who live in the isolated communities across the region. Bougainville is a collection of islands and boat travel can be precarious and lengthy.
- Pray for Tracy and Fraser Norbury from the UK, who have been working tirelessly to get the flight program up and running. Pray for wisdom as there are still many decisions that need to be made, pray that they will make the right decisions that will bring honour to God, and bring help, hope and healing to the people of Bougainville.
- Pray for unity in their team. This is an exciting time of change, from working towards launching operations, to actually launching. There are many challenges still facing MAF staff and the operation in this new location.
- Pray for perseverance. There are still negotiations to be made and decisions and actions that need to get over the line, so that MAF can provide flights for as many communities as possible.
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