Gospel Power

 The deaf school in Diego Suarez is a place that Christina just loves to visit. Last week we were asked to come and teach a Bible lesson to the students. The fact that we are here and that we were asked to teach the Bible at a school for deaf children is just more proof of the power of the gospel, because we are not yet fluent in the language ( although we had to be pretty accurate for the teacher to be able to correctly sign what we were saying), and the fact that you do not need to be able to hear in order "to hear".

 Christina shared the story of the good Samaritan and how we all need to love each other just as God loves us. After that, I shared the gospel with the students and teachers and opened up a time for questions.  

 Before we left, we made sure that everyone received a Malagasy gospel tract and we prayed for them and the school. The director said that she would like us to return in the future and teach the students again. It is so amazing to be able to watch God work in these kids.

JESUS FILM IN MAHAMASINA

 ON MARCH 2ND MICHAEL, MICHELLE, PASTOR ELYSE (FROM THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN DIEGO SUAREZ) AND MYSELF TRAVELED DOWN TO THE VILLAGE OF MAHAMASINA, WHERE MUCH EVANGELISM AND TEACHING HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE, IN ORDER TO SHOW THE JESUS FILM.

THERE HAS BEEN ALOT OF WORK AND PLANNING FOR THIS EVENT, AND WE WERE AMAZED AT THE RESPONSE ON FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN OVER 175 PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO WATCH THE FILM. THE NORTHERN DIALECT OF THE MALAGASY LANGUAGE IS SAKALAVA AND WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE A COPY OF THE JESUS FILM IN SAKALAVA MALAGASY. FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE, THIS WAS THEIR FIRST FILM, AND FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE, THIS WAS THE FIRST FILM THAT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN IN THEIR HEART LANGUAGE. IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO BE A PART OF THIS EVENT.

GOD BLESSED US AND THIS EVENT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. THE VENUE FOR THE EVENT WAS A SMALL LOCAL RESTAURANT THAT THE OWNER HAS GRACIOUSLY GIVEN US PERMISSION TO USE, AND THE FILM EQUIPMENT WAS A GIFT FROM OUR PARTNERS AT MT. PISGAH BAPTIST CHURCH, RINGGOLD GEORGIA. PRAISE GOD FOR FRIENDS AND MINISTRY PARTNERS.

 THE SECOND NIGHT OF THE FILM IT RAINED, BUT WE HAD A DRY PLACE TO MOVE TO. AFTER THAT, THE DVD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING AND THE DVD WAS NOW STUCK IN THE MACHINE. HOWEVER, WE HAD BROUGHT A BACK-UP DVD PLAYER AND AN EXTRA COPY OF THE MOVIE. GOD IS GOOD!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!! MANY PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION AFTER THE FILM, AND ON SUNDAY MORNING WE HELD A CHURCH SERVICE FOR THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN STARTING THEIR OWN CHURCH IN MAHAMASINA. THE PREACHING AND TEACHING WILL CONTINUE EVERY TUESDAY AT 2P.M. AND OUR PRAYER IS THAT THIS GROUP OF NEW BELIEVERS WILL CONTINUE LEARNING THE WORD OF GOD AND WILL SOON BECOME THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF MAHAMASINA. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY WITH US THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN.                                             TO BE CONTINUED...

JUST A GLIMPSE

 THIS IS JUST SIX OF THE 20+ MOSQUES IN AND AROUND DIEGO SUAREZ.

 WE FACE MANY CHALLENGES HERE, BUT FALSE RELIGIONS AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS A DAILY BATTLE THAT WE WAGE IN DIEGO SUAREZ.

 OUR HEARTS CRY IS: THAT YOU WILL CRY OUT TO JESUS WITH US, AND THAT THE CHAINS OF  DEATH THAT ARE LOCKED AROUND THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN MADAGASCAR WOULD BE REMOVED AND THE NAME OF JESUS WOULD REIGN.

 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING WITH US FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN MADAGASCAR.

Blessed To Bless

 WE WERE BLESSED WITH A GIFT FROM THE YOUTH OF MILL SWAMP BAPTIST CHURCH, THAT WE USED TO BLESS THE YOUTH OF THE DEAF SCHOOL OF DIEGO SUAREZ. WE WENT TO THE MARKET AND WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE 400 LBS OF RICE, BEANS, AND COOKING OIL. WE ALSO INCLUDED TWO BAGS OF HARD CANDY AND FOUR MALAGASY BIBLES. 




THE KIDS AT THE SCHOOL WERE SO HAPPY TO RECEIVE US AND THE GIFTS, AND WE WERE SO BLESSED BY OUR VISIT. 

 THERE ARE 32 STUDENTS THAT LIVE AT THE SCHOOL ALONG WITH THEIR DIRECTOR, DIAMONDRA. THEY HAVE A BIBLE LESSON EVERYDAY AT 8:00 AND HAVE ASK US TO RETURN AND TEACH THEM ONE DAY. THE DIRECTOR AND THE STUDENTS ALSO WANT TO SEND THEIR GREETINGS AND GRATITUDE FOR THIS ENORMOUS BLESSING TO THE YOUTH AT MILL SWAMP BAPTIST CHURCH. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

Still Learning

 After 5 months of official Malagasy language school, we have now been studying the Sakalava dialect of Malagasy for the last 3 months. We study in our house with our teacher whom we affectionately refer to as T-Bone. 

 T-Bone is a great teacher and friend, and I'm sure you will be hearing more stories about him in the future. We have learned alot and will hopefully be able to start preaching and teaching soon. 

 The Sakalava dialect is about 60% different from the official, although alot of people understand the official. But by far, the biggest change is the need to also learn some French in order to conduct business in town.

 Over the course of all of this language study, I have started to build my own dictionary that I update almost daily and use all of the time. We would ask that you would please continue to pray for our ability to learn this dialect and that the people of Northern Madagascar would come to know the ONE that has sent us here to share the good news with them. Thank you all so much. 

Matsaborimanga

Sunrise over Mahamasina

Our adventure to the village of Matsaborimanga was a two day trip, starting with a 2 hour drive to the village of Mahamasina where we spent the night.

Mine and Michael's accommodations were quite nice, this was our hut for the evening, and it was all inclusive. We did not have to go looking for anything, everything was there from bees to grasshoppers to mosquitoes, but it was really quite nice            

We left for Matsaborimanga early the next morning, because we knew that the trail there was going to be very difficult, and we weren't disappointed, it was a long, slow, very rough ride. However, we have been blessed with a strong truck that was able to cross the rivers, go over the big rocks, and through the bushes that the rabbits can't go.

We arrived at Matsaborimanga (Matsabori=Lake manga=mango) and about 25 adults and 25 children gathered to hear the Word of God proclaimed.  Michael shared the story of creation to Christ and at the end offered an invitation to receive the free gift of salvation. Derao ny Tompo!! (Praise the Lord!!) 11 of the people prayed to receive Jesus and have asked for more teaching.

The rainy season will soon be starting and the village will be impossible to reach, so we pray that we will be able to get some Bible study material into their hands before the rains come and that they would be faithful to continue to gather and study His word together until we can return.

Fiangonana Batista (Baptist Church)

Greetings from the big red island of Madagascar. Time has really flown by for us since we arrived here eight months ago. Our first seven months were spent in the Central Madagascar town of Antsirabe, studying the Malagasy language and culture. In July, we moved north to our official place of residence and service, Diego Suarez (Antsiranana). We live very near the northern tip of the island, on the Indian Ocean, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will attempt to reach and share the truth of the gospel of Jesus with the millions of lost souls here.

Our first assignment however is to continue in our Malagasy language learning endeavors, because the dialect here is a bit different, and we really need and want to be able to speak the words of salvation clearly to our people.

We have a very good tutor and the advantage of a small Baptist church in our town where we can go and learn and practice what we are learning.

My desire is that by the end of this year, we will be able to start going into unreached areas of Northern Madagascar and share the Good News of life in Jesus. Please be in prayer for our family, our language learning, and most importantly the salvation of the people in Northern Madagascar that God has sent us to serve