God's Grand Adventure

Our time in Madagascar this year was different from our previous trips.  Due to a number of factors, not the least of which was the ongoing Air Madagascar strike, we were compelled to essentially discard our plans and let God guide us day by day.

I suppose our natural tendency when heading into foreign territory is to try to control our environment.  We want to know what each day will entail, what hazards lie ahead, where we will lay our head at night.  We feel safer minimizing the unknowns.

On previous trips to Madagascar, we'd been able to minimize the unknowns to a certain extent.  We knew what days would involve travel, where we would stay, where we would eat, which days we could rest.  This trip was nothing like that.  And we were blessed beyond measure!

Visiting Madagascar is always an adventure, but the adventure takes on new dimensions when the Creator of the Universe becomes your guide.  This is not to say that we did not rely on God during our previous trips.  However, this time we were forced to depend on Him in a new way.  Once we relinquished control, we discovered new freedom, new joys and God-appointed encounters.

Many of our favorite moments of the trip occurred in this way -- connecting with leaders and students at the YWAM base in Antananarivo, marveling at the beauty of central Madagascar for the first time, ministering in the south of Madagascar without the assistance of non-Malagasy interpreters, hearing (and recording) three little girls in a pousse-pousse (Malagasy taxi) singing a beautiful song that turned out to have been written by our host, Rev. Patsy McGregor.

We were stretched.  We were challenged.  And in a strange way, it seemed easier to take the unexpected turns in stride, knowing they were part of God's plan.  While we always hope to be a blessing to those we encounter on our trips, perhaps it is the way we are changed by these encounters that is the real blessing.  I only hope that I can apply these lessons to my everyday life back here in New York.  After all, we don't have to be in a place like Madagascar to have a grand adventure with God!

-Shay

Setting the Captives Free!

[This update was actually written three days ago, but I could not post until today due to poor internet connection.]

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:2)

My last few days in Toliara were largely spent teaching, preaching and praying for the sick -- which is what I love to do!  On Thursday I joined Rev. Noeli at a small local church in the Toliara area to preach and pray. I was able to pray for quite a few people there, and many said they received healing. We prayed for quite a while, and the church, which had no electricity, was dark before we were finished. Praying for someone you can't see is quite a challenge! 

An amazing thing happened to an eldlerly man for whom we prayed. He was blind in one eye and had extremely poor vision in the other. He said he could only see my face as a blur. I quietly prayed one of those 'help me Jesus' prayers, and then prayed for his eyes to be healed. After praying, he no longer saw a blur, but was able to see the actual features of my face. I was thrilled! So we prayed again. After praying again, the man was not only able to see the features of my face, but he was able to see them in clear detail. He said - 'Ah, you have a long nose!' I thought this observation was quite amusing, but praise be to God! 

As an aside, I must confess that sometimes I struggle when praying for the Malagasy. The first issue is that I can't speak their language, so it is sometimes difficult to know exactly what their prayer need might be. Often they just point to their head or stomach or some other part of their body. There have been so many times when I have just had to say to God - "You know what the condition is, so I trust that you will heal whatever it may be." But there is also the obvious fact that at least some of what they are suffering from is linked to their continual state of malnourishment and dehydration. Most are not able to go to a doctor or buy medicine, so they are desperate for God's healing touch. Thankfully, God is always ready to heal! But my heart is increasingly burdened with a desire to find a way to provide them also, somehow, with at least some basic medical care. My dream would be to have teams of prayer ministers working side by side with health workers, so we could bless people in the fullest possible way. So...are there any doctors or nurses out there who might be willing to come to Madagascar with us? 

On Friday, I had an opportunity to teach 20 or so people who were preparing to be confirmed. I tought on the Holy Spirit and healing - but also about who God has called them and equipped them to be as part of the body of Christ. It has been my experience in the USA and abroad that far too few Christians truly understand who God has created them to be. This stems from a lack of understanding of who they are as God's beloved children - truly loved by the Father, and who they are as heirs and co-heirs of the Father's kingdom. Part of this lack of understanding comes from a lack of Scriptural knowledge, but it also comes from a failure on the part of the church to teach about these truths. We often teach people to be 'good Christians' (ie. 'religious) but not how to be sons and daughters of the Father. To be  completely honest, I am still in the process of leaning this for myself.

On Saturday, Avery and I had quite an adventure. We joined Rev. Noeli and drove 4 long hours into the bush to teach and pray at a 3 year-old church plant in Betioky. We left at 6am and drove on what could only loosely be called a road. At one point we drove into a valley that our driver said was very dangerous at night because of robbers. We then passsed through the 'robber's' town. I have never really worried about our safety here, and I didn't then either, but it did make me think about the risk that is inherently involved with mission trips such as this. Things can definitely go wrong, but so far God has protected us - and we are incredibly grateful. 

Since we had to return before sunset, we could only spend about 4 hours in Betioky. The church in Betioky has no building yet, so we gathered outside under the sun (and a few flapping tarps). After about an hour of singing plus my teaching, we spent the remaining three hours praying for as many people as we could. As it turned out, we prayed for many who were struggling with serious demonic oppression. It is quite hard to describe what this was like but, suffice it to say, we saw many people powerfully set free! How marvelous it is that God is Lord over all things in heaven and on earth -- and that there is such incredible power in the Name of Jesus. Our ministry in Betioky was quite exhausting but well worth the time effort it took to get there. Someday I hope we can return. 

On a final note, we are currently driving back up to Antananarivo so we can catch our flight on Tuesday. As I look around at this beautiful country, I am realizing how much I am falling in love with this place. It is starting to feel 'normal' to be here. The poverty is grinding, the needs are staggering, but there is so much opportunity to share the love of Jesus. We are excited to see how God will use us here in the years ahead. 

Avery and some of the beautiful children from Betioky.

Bruce with Rev. Noeli (to my right) and the Betioky church leaders.

We prayed for this little girl who was suffering from a badly bloated stomach. She may have had a tumor or it may have simply been a situation of malnutrition. I was moved to tears as I prayed for her, and I am continuing to pray that God will heal her and set her free!

This woman fell to the ground as we began to pray for her. It was clear that she was oppressed by demons. We prayed for her to be delivered and God quickly set her free. A few minutes after this photo was taken, she was standing and in her right mind.

One of the many bridges we crossed on the way to and from Betioky. Because it is the dry season, most of the bridges crossed dry ground. 

Some of the beautiful baobabs we saw on the way to Betioky (there are many in the south of Madagascar).

The Little Things

    The balcony of Bishop Todd and Patsy's house is one of my favorite places to enjoy the fresh air and the smell of the salty sea. As the sun goes down each night, the sky turns a mix of blue, orange, and yellow. It is simply beautiful. Today as we were standing out there, one of my favorite animals, a butterfly, floated by the vividly purple flowers growing on the balcony. It's methodically beating wings were so steady despite the cool breeze blowing. Seeing it reminded me of the little things. It is so important to take time to enjoy what's around you. Doing this is an easy way to find God. I would say that I am the person in my family who takes a little more time to adjust to change. The first time we came to Madagascar, I was astounded by the extreme poverty of the people here. I learned to focus on each day and the little things in it. Sometimes it was the smile of a little girl's face or a colorful flower on the side of the road. I could see God through those things and it reminded me that he is always there. 

    We are now in our last few days in Madagascar, but we intend to make the most of them. Tomorrow my Dad and Avery are heading out at 5:00 in the morning to a small village four hours aways. My dad is going to teach on healing and then they are going to pray for people. I pray that they will be able to bless those around them and that God's light will shine through them. Also, the Air Madagascar strike has finally ended, but we can't get a guarantee that our flight will actually take off on Monday. We will probably have to make our way back by car, and drive back up North on Sunday morning. I really enjoyed the beatiful scenery as we drove down South, and I am looking forward to experiencing it again! 

-Abbie

God Heals In Sakaraha!

On Tuesday, we headed back to the Anglican church in the town of Sakaraha to lead what turned out to be a full day of teaching on healing and praying for the sick. In the morning, I taught for an hour and a half on the person and power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the teaching we invited everyone to come up so Shay and I could lay hands on them and pray for a baptism and/or greater release of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit fell heavily upon people, and it was amazing to watch them receive 'more'. Many tears were shed. One woman fell to the ground and it quickly became clear that she was oppressed by evil spirits. We calmly commanded them to leave in the name of Jesus and she quickly grew calm and was completly set free - and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Praise Jesus! (It is actually quite common to encounter people who are oppressed by evil spirits due to people's involvement with the local witch doctors and shamanistic religion.) 

After a terrific lunch provided by the local church, we held a healing service. Shay taught on the account of the woman at the well in John 4, and then we invited people up for prayer. We had two prayer teams - Shay prayed with Avery and Olivia (Rev. Hery's wife) and I prayed with Abigail and Rev. Hery. God moved powerfully during this time of healing and we saw many people healed. One older man with arthritic and stiff arms received healing and regained nearly full range of motion. I was particularly moved by a woman who came to recieve prayer who had been unable to have a child for many years. She felt deep inadequacy and shame, but as we prayed God poured out his love upon her. Another young woman came up to seek prayer for a sharp pain in her stomach. She had been in pain for many months and it was causing her much fear and worry. I sensed in my spirit that she needed to forgive someone who had hurt her. She agreed, and said that someone had, indeed, hurt her -- and that she had not forgiven them. So we led her through prayers of forgiveness. She chose to forgive the person who harmed her, asked God to forgive her for holding unforgiveness in her heart, and forgave herself for holding on to the unforgiveness. Once she forgave and was forgiven, she was completely healed of her physical pain!  It continually astounds me how harmful unforgiveness is - and how incredibly powerful and healing it is when we choose to forgive. If we hold on to unforgiveness, it can become a root of bitterness that can 'metastasize' in our lives and cause us much pain. Forgiveness is a choice - but it is always the right one. Just as we have been forgiven by God, so we are called to forgive others. Forgiveness equals freedom!

At the end of our afternoon of prayer ministry, we heard testimonies from several people. A woman got up to testify that God had healed her completely from pain in her head and hands. Everyone was was amazed at the healing, but also because the woman was normally very shy and would never have spoken in front of people. There was much rejoicing! 

How incredible it is that ours is a God who is willing to stretch out his hand to heal us. And what a blessing it is to be used by God to bring His healing to people's lives. God, I pray that your church will be filled with more and more of your Holy Spirit so that we can powerfully proclaim the Kingdom and share your healing love with our deeply hurting and broken world. 

Shay and I praying for a man to be filled with more of the Holy Spirit.

Shay teaching on the account of the woman at the well (John 4:1-26).

This is the elderly man who regained nearly full range of motion in his arms.

Here is the shy woman who was healed completely of pain in her head and hands. 

Photos from Isalo National Park

Here we are at the entrance to the trail to the Blue and Black Pools.

Along the trail.

A little snake handling.

We saw lots of lemurs. Here's a sifaka.

And here are some ringtails.

A Madagascar Pachypodium plant.

Swimming at the (freezing cold) Black Pool. 

This pic is not actually from the hike. It was taken at our hotel in Isalo.

ONE -- A poem by Shay

A single tree stands on the plain

Alone
Shaped by the wind
Isolated
But not forlorn
It feels the rhythm of the earth
Belonging to creation
One

A Sakaraha Sunday

On Sunday morning, Avery and I (Bruce) travelled with Simon, Sue and Jackie to the southern Madagascar village of Sakaraha to visit the local Anglican Church. Shay stayed at the hotel with Abigail who was not feeling well. This was actually the third time Avery and I had visited the Church in Sakaraha. Originally there was supposed to have been confirmations during the morning service, but due to Bishop Todd's ill health, they had to be postponed. 

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by Rev. Hery and his congregation -- a welcome that included many handshakes. I was blessed to serve on the altar with Rev. Hery, and had the joy of being able to lay hands on all the children in the congregation and bless them. Oh how I enjoy praying for children! It always amazes me how much the Malagasy children love to recieve prayer. Some of their faces became so serious as I laid hands on them, and you could see the presence of God come upon them. If only we adults could always be as receptive to God's touch!

At the end of the service, we were entertained by some of the women of the church who performed some special dances for us. We were then given some locally made hats as gifts (you can see mine in the photo below of me and Rev. Hery). After a brief receiption in the new church office building, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Isalo, which has been our 'home' for three nights. Isalo, a Malagasy national park, is a stunningly beautiful place and is one of our favorite places on earth. We'll post some photos from Isalo in a separate blog post.

Tomorrow (Tues.) we head back again to the church in Sakaraha. Shay and I will be leading a day of teaching about the Holy Spirit and healing, concluding with a healing service. We are praying that God will pour out His healing love in abundance and that many will be healed. We can't wait to see what God will do. In HIm, ALL things are possible, and His love conquers all. 

 

-Bruce

Beautiful Madagascar!

Here are some photos we took during our 2-day drive south from Antananarivo. The countryside is absolutely stunning!

Youth With a Mission -- Malagasy Style!

Before leaving Antananarivo to head to the south of Madagascar, we were blessed to be able to spend an afternoon with Discipleship Training School students at the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) base in the capital.  Were were asked to pray for each of these amazing young people.  It seemed like a simple  task, but God showed up in a BIG way.  Without knowing any of these students ahead of time, God gave us some remarkable words for each of them.  As we began to pray, it was clear that our words were hitting the mark as many of the students began to laugh or cry and thank God for confirming things already spoken over them.  What a blessing to see how God is going to use these terrific kids to make a difference in the world.  We so enjoyed meeting everyone at YWAM, especially base leaders Fiona and Narilanto, and look forward to working with them in the future!

God's Big Wiggly Family

What would it be like to have a special needs child that you love with all your heart but have no means to care for?  What if you were a poor father of five children whose wife died shortly after giving birth?  How does a fifteen-year-old girl care for a newborn when her family already lives in abject poverty?  Can you imagine being a street child taken in by a rich family only to become a slave, living with constant physical abuse?  What if you were an elderly grandmother suddenly left with the responsibility of providing for your ten grandchildren?

These are just some of the scenarios we encountered while working with Iris Ministries in Antananarivo during the past two days.  We have been absolutely astounded by the way that Iris meets needs such as these.  Iris is primarily a children's home as there are many orphans and abandoned children in a country that is so impoverished, but we soon discovered it is no mere "orphanage".

We began our time at Iris by assisting with a weekly milk program.  This program allows the poorest of the poor to bring their babies to see a health worker, be weighed and receive a week's supply of formula.  Next, we enjoyed a lunch of rice and beans with the children who live and attend school at Iris and then helped with a community lunch program in which neighborhood children, whose families can't afford to pay for both education and food, receive a nourishing meal.  The afternoon involved a community outreach program that assists families with microenterprise projects while meeting their immediate needs in the form of rice and lentil distribution as well as meeting with a social worker.  

Throughout the day, the campus was continually abuzz with activity as children attended classes, did  chores, played basketball or foosball or just asked for hugs.  It is hard to comprehend the pain that most of these beautiful, vibrant children have endured in their short lives.  Some had been discarded in garbage bins.  Others had been so severely beaten that they had been left with permanent disabilities. Others were simply handed over because their families could not afford one more child.  And yet, because of the amazing ministry of Iris staff and volunteers, these children know that they are loved.

We ended our time at Iris with a raucous two hour worship service in which all of the children, staff and volunteers came together in a crowded, dusty and dimly lit classroom to praise God as one family -- a big, beautiful, wiggly, loud family.  What a privilege to have been welcomed into this special family of God, if only for a couple days.  

-Shay

A safe arrival in Madagascar - and an unexpected twist

We are a bit late in starting our blog posting due to a broken internet connection at our hotel in Antananarivo, but better late than never! 

We arrived in Antananarivo on Monday after spending several days enjoying the beautiful island of Mauritius. It has been two years since our last trip to Madagascar and we have been very eager to return. We were picked up at the airport by Misa, a lovely woman who runs the Manga Guest House, which is our hotel in Antananarivo. Our plans have been a bit upended since our arrival due to the ongoing Air Madagascar strike. All flights have been cancelled and the airline is now teetering on bankruptcy. We had been scheduled to fly down to Toliara on Friday, but have been forced to come up with a plan B, which is to hire a car to take us down. The good news is that we will be driving down with Bishop Todd and Patsy McGregor. Due to the strike, they haven't been able to get down to Toliara either. We actually see this twist as an unexpected blessing that will allow us to see more of Madagascar and to spend additional time with the McGregors. Depending on whether or not the Air Madagascar strike ends, we may have to drive back up from Toliara as well. Spending what will amount to 5 days in a car will cut down on our actual ministry time, but we are trusting that God will maximize what time we do have. If there is one thing we have learned from our mission trips, flexibility is key! And, of course, God is always faithful. 

Our schedule in Antananarivo has turned out to be quite full, as we have spent two amazing days at the Iris Ministries base and will also be visiting the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) base. We'll share about our experiences at Iris and YWAM in our next blog post. Stay tuned!

This amazing rainbow was visible outside our airplane window during our flight from Mauritius to Madagascar.