Saying our Goodbyes (for now)

As we are preparing to leave Madagascar today, I am finding myself grieving a bit. My heart yearns right now to be in the villages, to be with the people who are so desperately in need of God's boundless love and mercy. A part of me belongs here now, sitting in the sand and dirt, praying for the sick, playing with the children, and sharing the love of Jesus. I have never felt so alive in my life as I have here. The same was true last year, but this year has confirmed it. This feeling has come despite the fact -- or because of the fact -- that here I have continually been stretched beyond myself. We have been faced with the impossible, stepped into the impossible, and then seen God do the impossible. The great extent to which I have had to trust and rely upon God has been incredibly stretching and truly life-giving.  

The needs here are so vast and overwhelming. There is no way one person, or one family, can solve all the problems. In a sense, our family's time here has been like a tiny atom of water, not even a whole drop, falling onto a great dusty landscape. I suppose this could be cause for hopelessness, but instead we are confidently resting in the knowledge that we have a God whose Kingdom Jesus described as being like a mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19). The smallest seed becomes the greatest tree in the garden! So we are praying that the 'little' we accomplished here will be multiplied by God for the glory of His Kingdom. But even if we had been sent by God so just one child could have his hand healed, or one man be delivered from demons (we didn't have time to write about this one), or one family could be brought into the Kingdom, or one baby could receive healing ointment for its severe burns, then that would have been enough. Jesus taught in his parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) that the shepherd is willing to leave his flock to go rescue the one sheep that is lost. So great is the love of God, our Shepherd.

We are already beginning to make plans for our return visit next year. It is our hope and prayer that we will be able to bring a small team back to Madagascar with us. What a joy it would be to have a team to minister here together!  We are praying that God will, even now, be placing a call on people's hearts to share the hope and love of Jesus with the people of southern Madagascar. Perhaps God might be calling you?  

To all who have been reading our blog, we pray that God has blessed you with a glimpse into who He is. He is a truly loving Father who is able to do more that we can ever ask for or imagine. His love is so great that He chose to save the world through his own son Jesus, who gave up His own life so we might forever be with the Father who loves us. This is the Good News. It means freedom for the captives, healing for the sick, relief for the poor and oppressed, and forgiveness of sins. It also means a new life as children of God, filled with true love and power through the Holy Spirit, and called to live and love as Jesus did. And God can use you (in fact has chosen you) to love the world into the fullness of His kingdom. To God be the Glory! 

A final photo with friends. 

A farewell photo with Bishop Todd.