Ben and Anne Sibthorpe

Ben and Anne serve in Mareeba, Australia. Ben is Maintenance Support Specialist, ensuring our planes are safe to fly. His work also takes him to our programmes across Asia and Africa.

Background

Ben has a passion for planes. It has grown over the years and, having qualified in aeronautical engineering at Brunel University, he has had a unique opportunity to use his skills on a wide variety of aircraft.

He was born into a large Christian family. It was as a result of childish pranks, when his brothers were about to throw him into a lake, that Ben recognised his need of God and committed his life to Him.

Ben also has a heart for mission, and he met Anne while on a mission trip to Macedonia. Anne had given her life to God during a work experience trip to Australia. Being away from home life, friends and church made her realise that she had nothing without God.

Our MAF journey

“As our relationship grew, culminating in our marriage, so did our desire to use our skills to serve God overseas.”

By this time, Anne had qualified as a teacher and had already spent time working in an orphanage in Indonesia. Independently, we had both heard about MAF – Ben by reading its quarterly magazine, and Anne when a member of her church left to serve with MAF as an aircraft maintenance engineer.

The Sibthorpes were accepted by MAF and were first based in Tanzania where Ben’s engineering skills were vital in keeping planes in the air for a wide variety of ministry, and Anne’s skills and experience were also very much utilitised.They moved to Chad in 2005 and then to Mareeba, Australia in 2010. Ben was Chief Engineer in Mareeba before becoming Maintenance Support Specialist, based in Mareeba.

They have five children: Alice, Jack, Olivia, Estella and Edith.

Join the Sibthorpes’ support team

Ben and Anne rely on a team of partners who agree to pray for them and to provide the financial support which enables them to serve with MAF.

Would you prayerfully consider joining their support team?