love Madagascar

I've been dreaming up plans for ministry this morning. As I sat down at my computer, I drew up a list of things I wanted to do. Exciting ways the Lord is moving here in Madagascar! The dreams I pray will come to fruition among His work here. I realized that I needed a statement or purpose to hinge these dreams on. So, I began my search. The word "gentle" kept coming to me, so I did a word search on my YouVersion app. It led me to many verses, but a specific Psalm leapt right out of my phone. Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Not an uncommon verse to read. We often times like to read this single verse to help us feel better after we have sinned in some way. To make our sin seem less. Like it isn't a big deal. I read this and almost passed it up and chocked it up to being "too cliche". But, I felt prompted to read the Psalm in its entirety. Psalm 103 My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is wi...

Hermes. I first met Hermes in 2013 during my Hands On semester. He became really close with Kai and the two of them did a lot together! I didn't really know Hermes a great deal back then. What I knew, I of course loved! He was always willing to teach about Malagasy culture and how to make coffee. And I knew he loved guitar! Hermes then and Hermes now are like 2 different people. When I moved to Madagascar, I was very excited to see him! I didn't know what our friendship had in store, but I was excited to build on what was there from before. As before, Hermes has always been willing to help. Even though he is much younger than me, I have appreciated his willingness and desire to help. Whether it is helping me know the best way to speak to someone or being the brother that makes sure no one messes with me or calling me out, in love, when I start walking in my own ways instead of the Lord's, he is always ready. It has been a joy to watch him in ministry too. I cannot tel...

When I first met Mondy in 2013, she was quiet and reserved. The language barrier proved to be difficult. How much language can you really learn in 2 weeks of class? The answer? Not much. But even in that short time, I came to love Mondy! She was always a joy to be around and was never lacking in the fun department! I came on a short trip in 2015 and was blown away by her and her enthusiasm for ministry. I saw how assisting Ancil and the team in ministry had begun to define and shape her. She had learned so much and it was exciting to see how she had grown! Fast forward to 2017. I was most excited to be reunited with this sweet friend! I didn't know when I arrived that she would have grown even more than what I had seen 2 years prior. And even now, I am still seeing ways she is growing in her faith and in ministry. She is a businesswoman and leader in the community. She loves her family fiercely and her God even more so. She loves to sing and dance! She is a go-getter and does...

My life these days is a constant state of awe and wonder. There have been more days that I have been just brought to tears because God has been so good to me. He allows me to be part of His plan and see things come to be that I never thought were possible. He has answered prayer after prayer. Secret prayers from the depths of my heart. Prayers that I had started to wonder if they would ever be answered. He gave me sweet friends. Friends that even though we don't share the same blood, we are family. My skin is just a little (or a lot) lighter than theirs. He's given me a family that not only teaches me culture, but reminds me of spiritual truths. They carry the load with me. They protect me from unwanted marriage possibilities. They laugh when my feet are as dirty as theirs are. They ask me to sing songs in English. They tease me and joke with me. They open scripture with me. They know the things that break my heart and when I need encouragement. So, to honor these peop...

In preparation for life overseas, we were prepped with all the tools necessary. We were warned of the pitfalls that happen to many workers on the field. I left with a hefty tool bag and an idealized picture of mission work. All these tools are helpful, but there have been many times that I have thought, "man, I wasn't prepared for THIS." So, in order to somehow help people that come after me, I've created a short list of things that I've learned in my short (though it felt long) 2 years on the field. 1. People are sinners. Now, I know you're thinking that this is a given. And I even know that you probably think I'm crazy for putting it at the number 1 spot. But let me tell you that people are sinners to their very core. Nothing about us is good. The only good thing about me is the Jesus I serve. Nothing else is good. People will, forever, disappoint you. God, however, will NEVER disappoint. This helps in dealing with people that have never heard of Jes...

About 35 kilometers north of Manakara is a place called Asasaina. About 3 years ago, Ancil met a man who then invited him to his home on the side of the road. For 2 1/2 years they met under a mango tree. The man stopped coming, but the group began to grow in number. About 6 months ago, 4 leading men from the village started attending. Ever the skeptics, they sat and asked hard questions. Ancil could tell they were strong men who would eventually be strong leaders in the church, if this group ever became one. Many faithful children, women, and young people continued to come and learn. One woman even left to follow Islam for awhile but realized the truth is Jesus and returned. The men sat and asked many, many questions. Searching to find truth. A few months ago, Ancil's family came from Miami and did a vision clinic. This clinic was to strengthen existing churches and help show compassion to outsiders. These clinics were wildly successful! The gospel was shared at each p...

Like frost on a rose/Winter comes for us all/Oh how nature acquaints us/With the nature of patience/Like a seed in the snow I've been buried to grow/For your promise is loyal from seed to sequoia  Hillsong wrote a beautiful song called Seasons. I'll be honest and tell you that it wasn't immediately the top song I listen to. I'll also tell you it was because I didn't really know the words. It wasn't until a friend gently told me I was crazy for not liking the song...and told me the actual words of the song. If there is something I've become more aware of, its seasons. There is hot season, and rainy season, and my personal favorite, mango and litchi season. That last season, I wish every season were like that, but unfortunately, mangoes and litchi do not grow year round. Each season has a purpose. And the purpose is to bring the fruit. There has to be a dry season for all the dead to fall away and make way for growth. There has to be a rainy season be...

The first invasion was noticed upon my return from a 2 week training. I was very tired. Excited to be in my own house, sleeping in my own bed, taking a shower in my own shower. So, you can imagine the shock (and horror) of finding poop scattered all over the floor of my shower when I arrived home. After many google searches, I determined it was, in fact, a rat. *I would like to give a disclaimer and say that up until now, there has been no rat presence around my home. A bottle of bleach and half a bottle of VIM (comet type cleaner) later, I had a clean shower, a clearer head and slept semi-peacefully. Until, I woke up the next morning to that dumb rodent had used the toilet in my CLEAN shower AGAIN! So, a friend sent me the instructions to a trap they had made and used with success. So, I made said trap, and CAUGHT THE RODENT! I was so proud and excited that life could get back to normal. So, I took the trap out of my shower, put it on the back porch, and cleaned my shower (with 2 ...

Two weeks ago, it rained for 2 days straight. If you need to know anything about Madagascar, its that most of the roads here are NOT paved. This means there usually isn't a road that isn't full of potholes, crevices deep enough to hide soldiers in in the event of war, and red clay that just makes everything worse when wet. This particular time, I had been traveling to a different city and didn't know that it had rained. This is problematic only on 1 road that I travel weekly. My national partner and I gear up and head for the village. On the way, I realize that the road was still very wet from the rain. This road has 2 main problem areas. The first being a small hill that is completely slick (meaning no rocks or crevices) red clay. Got up that hill. Thank goodness for 4wd! The second problem area, not as exciting. This is a picture of this specific hill when it's dry This hill is high. It has two main crevices and what isn't in the crevice are rocks. There i...

A typical week can be an emotional roller-coaster. Just ask anyone on the field and they will probably tell you about how the power got cut and they forgot about their wet laundry in the washing machine and how it frustrated them. Then they will tell you about the hard day that they had and cried their eyes out for most of it. And then (as if that wasn't enough), they will share their joy with you about the 1 person that accepted Jesus, because sometimes you can share and share and share and only 1 person sees their need for a Savior. Sometimes its just too much. Need after need is brought to you, expecting to be fulfilled. Anywhere from "foreigner, my house is falling apart, fix it" to "yes! Tell us about Jesus because the people need to know hope that will change their lives." There is not enough you to fulfill all the needs. There is not enough money or time or words. I love what the Lord has called me to. I love that I live where the people are friendly ...

Madagascar. If you have heard of Madagascar, you have probably only heard of it from the movies Madagascar. Other things you may find interesting are that 90% of the flora and fauna found in Madagascar, is found no where else in the world. Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world! Can you believe it? And you thought it was a tiny island off the coast of mainland Africa...well think again. The population of Madagascar is around 25 million. The Antemoro people make up about 1.5 million of that and live on the southeastern coast. Did you know that Madagascar, on some lists, ranks in the top 5 poorest nations in the world? I see poverty every day. And lest you think it is only in the village, poverty is everywhere. I see poverty monetarily and poverty spiritually. Can you remember a time where you saw both types of poverty in one person? Can you remember a time when you saw it every day? I'm not saying it doesn't happen in the United States, because it does. But the ...

I have been visiting a specific area to the west of Manakara for about 4-5 months now. I have made some good contacts in this area and enjoy the honest answers I get to questions I ask about Malagasy culture.  There is one specific village I have been visiting every week for the past 4 weeks now. The first time I entered this village, I met with the mpanjaka, or king, of the village. He was very warm and inviting and kind. I was instantly drawn to him and knew he would be a good soil to sow seed. The next few visits, there was a funeral and he was not there. However, his wife was each time. We visited with her that week and weeks following. You could instantly see the walls that had been built up around her heart. Walls that were built with culture and decorated with animism. Fast forward to this week. We went, armed with stories from scripture, because we knew those are the only things that can extinguish the walls the enemy has built in this couple's hearts. We arrived, and t...

I'm not about to sit here and tell you life is peachy on this side of the world. Truth is, life is not always "peachy", no matter where you live. Distance doesn't really change the fact that trials will come and try to rob your joy. It's in those trials that you must dig deep and find the joy that sustains you. Life in a country like Madagascar is not easy. The days are hot and LONG. Boy are they long. It seems that the hotter the day, the longer each one is. I don't know how that works exactly, but that is a fact of life here. With hot days come sun that will burn your skin within moments of stepping outside...unless you're the type of person that doesn't burn. In which case, you can keep that tidbit to yourself, because it might make me give you a very large and exaggerated eye roll. Culture wears on you. Things are done slowly. Never the "good" way of doing them...aka the American way. There is no way to blend in. I will always stand o...

"People are dying every day with the only knowledge of God that will send them to hell."  David Platt Death in Madagascar happens every day, just like it does in America. Madagascar's population is estimated to be a little over 25 million. According to a UN estimate, every day, about 88 people in Madagascar die. That is about 32,000 each year, according to their estimate. There are so many rituals when it comes to death here. So many times, when I hear of a death in a village I've visited, I wonder how much time was spent preparing that person for the judgement that came upon their death. There are many rituals that are done to ensure the safety and survival of the people still alive here on Earth. Appeasing the ancestors is a huge part of life, and in many cases, these rituals are done daily. Makes John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'", constantly reside in m...

When you go into a village, as a foreigner, it is important to follow the rules of culture. Many times, being a foreigner in a place so far outside of the norm, can get you into trouble. I won't go into the deep details of why Malagasy people in the village are hesitant towards white foreigners...but let your imagination take you to Pocahontas and you have a similar idea. Most villages are so far out, it is hard to get to them. This is the exact reason much of Madagascar remains untouched by the Gospel. The villages are hard to get to and a lot of learning is still to be done once you arrive at these far off places. A village is just a bundle of a few modest Malagasy homes within a small area. Sometimes, though, villages can stretch from the main group of homes to one outlying home that can be kilometers away. Visiting these outlying homes requires lots of travel by foot...something I am not well adept at doing. Through bushes, sand, rocks, and sometimes water, the people on ...

Well, I think it's about time I updated you on our trip to visit the very rural village of AKZ. This village is located near the rain forest and is about a 1 hour hike through streams and mountains. I was stretched...both physically and mentally...but loved every minute (even loved it through my tears of pain). We arrived to the entry of the hiking trail around mid morning. I don't know what I had prepared myself for, but it wasn't what I saw or expected. The first mountain was downhill...easy peasy? NO. It was downhill, on dry clay. There were quite a few times I think I saw my life flash before my eyes. I do need to mention that, I had prepared a rather large pack. It was full of belongings that I needed to survive a week in the village. Upon our arrival, the sweetest Malagasy family showed up to accompany us. The eldest daughter, who was petite, about 25 years old, and not wearing shoes, insisted on carrying my pack. Before leaving, I weighed my pack at 26lbs. ...

Madagascar is a beautiful country. Her people and landscape are beyond compare. I think I love this culture so much because they like to laugh as much as I do…which is a lot. They have holidays for whichever way the wind blows…which allows for long weekends off of language. This particular weekend, many people celebrated Ascension…our language teacher had some errands that needed to be done, so we got a 4 DAY WEEKEND!!! Please, do not underestimate the excitement in those 3 words. We had been longing to get out of Tana for a little R&R, and when this long weekend presented itself, we QUICKLY (and I do mean quickly…like 20 minutes after we were told) jumped on a plan to visit friends in another city. We traveled right after class on Thursday to make the 3-4 hour journey south. We stayed the night in that city and ate GREAT food…then continued straight (there is one road in Madagascar…and it only goes straight…) for 5-6 more hours to Fianarantsoa. There is a large universi...

In every person’s life, they have a list of people that have helped them on their way. Outside of the Lord, these are people that have helped shape me into the person I am today. After taking some time to remember each person’s defining moment in my life, I thought it would be best to honor them in a blog. It’s the absolute least I can do…but you need to know these people. And my hope is, that you will find people just like them, to challenge and stir you on to love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24 ) Without a doubt, first up is my parents. I seriously have the best. We went on our first trip as a family to Wales. It was fun…and a VERY long time ago. My parents have always been the type of people to teach us that everyone is equal. My dad can tell you countless stories of living in the South and how that has shaped him. In a way, it shaped me as well. My parents have taught me that there is no one too far from grace and it doesn’t matter your skin color, accent, or home country...