Victor and Duncan Need you to Pray for Them

November will be a very busy month for Victor and Duncan ,starting off with a mission around Toliara and youth leadership seminars and sunday school teachers workshops in Morondava.

Victor outlined some of the things that He would like us to pray for.

He says that we pray that the Lord:

• grants them favor with the weather because they are getting to a rainy season now.
• draws people to Himself in the mission,
• grants them safe journey mercies to Morondava which is around 2-3 day journey by road.
• works in the hearts of the youth leaders who will attend the seminar that their desire will be to become leaders of integrity.
  
• prepares the teachers who will be trained that they may become instruments and that He will use them to transform the lives of the children.

The Andaromena Mission

The Andaromena Mission started in the 5th Of November.Duncan and Victor have engaged in teaching the Christians everyday at 3pm.
They confess that in the missions they have organised in the three past months this has been the best and the most successful and most exiting.They even have a vision of building a Cathedral in that place some time soon.
They are all very happy to share some of the photos they took during their mission.





The people listen to the word









Duncan and some of the Christans in Andaromena

Duncan Shares His Experience in Mission Work

I have now been in Madagascar for one year and six months since I left Kenya.
In the month of October I organized an evangelistic mission from the 8th to 11th in a place called Betaola. This is a remote place about an hour from where I am based in Toliara.Twenty One missioners were there too, basically youth. I had a chance of preaching twice in the open airs and the first time the response was poor but the second time the response was very good as many people lifted their hands as a sign they wanted to accept Christ. Around here making altar-calls is rare so I am pioneering in that area.

We also went from house-to-house evangelism every morning and people were recieving Christ. The challenge of evangelism in Madagascar is discipleship and follow up, hence the fruits of the missions tend to be low in terms of the new converts who start regularly going to Church.

We also showed the Jesus film every evening.Christians in Tanambao , a village five minutes away from Betaola, subjected us to great pressure to show the Jesus Film there, but we could only tell them that we could do it some other time.

There were no bathrooms in Betaola ,so we had to use public natural pools, that all the villagers were, using for our hygiene.In tell you missions can really challenge the cormfot and conviniences that one is used to,but we have to preach the gospel.

I am now organizing yet another mission in a place known as Andaromena.This will take place from 5th to 8th of November and there after from the 9th to the 14th November from 3:00pm to 4:30pm we will be taeching the new converts on the basics of the christian faith.We will do the teachings in response to the need for discipleship.

Please continue to pray for what God is doing in Madagascar.

people give their lives to christ in Anketraka

Duncan preaches in Anketraka

Duncan preaches to a congregation on the 25th of September in Anketraka



















Shares the message of Christ with people in the community

Blind fold fun

More Conference photos

The team.



Time to worship.



Rev. Apela during a session.

Photo Compilation

Rev Capt. Apela with Bishop Todd

YOUTH CONFERENCE REPORT 2009

Preamble:
“My life will never be the same again”. “Now I understand what prayer is and why I need to pray.” “How much will the next camp cost?” These are just some of the comments made by the participants of the very first youth conference to be organized in the South – West of Madagascar, Toliara by the Anglican Church.

Notre Dame College was the venue that hosted the conference which was one of its kinds. Apparently it was the very first time of the majority of the youth to attend a youth conference and so, high standards had to be set to raise the expectation for the next camp.On arrival, many were not so sure what to expect or how it would be. It was those of let us wait and see. But by the end of the meeting some for sure did not feel like going home….

The camp was attended by around 85 young people from Toliara. There were members both from the Anglican Church and other churches as well.

The program:
The program was carefully designed to meet the needs of young people and the issues facing the society at large. Some of the topics handled included preparation for marriage, relationships, academics and spiritual warfare. It is about letting our value systems and viewpoints shaped by God’s word.

We had well seasoned speakers who tackled different topics among them the very first guest priest, from Kenya Rev. Apela to visit the first Anglican missionaries from Kenya serving in Toliara.

The theme of the conference was drawn from Ephesians 5.15 “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.” This was basically to help the young people be able to make wise decisions from an informed position biblically. That will in effect help in avoiding unnecessary blame and regret and that everyone becomes fully responsible of every decision that they make.

The exploration of the book of Ephesians by Bishop Todd was just marvelous. It was an eye-opener to the young people and gave them an opportunity to discuss key issues from scripture in their small bible study groups. The time for personal devotion was another learning experience and the Lord dealt with his people in an interesting way.

The campers were divided into four groups. That was done deliberately to help break barriers and enable interaction with the people to whom one is not used to. One of the expectations during the free time was to connect with new people and share each other’s experience.

Every morning physical exercises were done just to keep fit and later on in the evening we had creative games that also helped in bonding and building relationships.


Achievements:

• Many young people committed themselves to the Lordship of Christ

• A good base for networking with other churches was created

• Many young people were able to explore their talents and grew in their areas of gifting especially during the evening talent shows and fun time.
  

• Youths were able to connect well and learn from each other.

• Youths who were Christians already were strengthened in their walk of faith.
  

• Created an opportunity for the young people to open up and share their experiences which they would normally not share because most of them have limited or no access to their pastors and no one seems to be willing to give an ear.
  

• Bible information was given on various issues that young people struggle with like relationships, academics and the like.

Challenges:

• A good number did not have bibles, pens or notebooks.

• Unclear discipleship strategy for those who get saved.

• The location being too close it was easy for some guys to rush home unnecessarily.
  

• Inadequate games equipment.

• Most of the young people were unable to raise the amount to attend the conference and those from far could not come at all.
  

Recommendations:

• Develop a strategic youth discipleship program.

• Find a way of providing Bibles.

• Invest fully in the youth department in the areas of:

- Bible study materials and Christian literature.
- Games equipment.
- Stationery.

• Involve all our clergy and evangelists from the onset.

• Train more camp counselors.

• Develop a theme song for the camp.

• Develop income generating projects for the youth.

• Look for churches or dioceses to partner with the youth ministry in Toliara.

• Explore the possibility of having regional conferences.

Conclusion:
Generally, I think that for a first youth camp things went really well. I was especially impressed in the way that the event was embraced and fully supported by the organizing team and the youth in general under the leadership of Bishop Todd.

Madagascar being a nation with over 60% of the population comprising the
youth means that we cannot ignore the youth. They are the leaders of today and the future generation. Targeting and holding them clearly implies that we are not only impacting their spiritual lives but also influencing the nation in that we raise leaders of integrity.

And with that I am confident that our numbers for the next camp will double or even triple! We covet your prayers and continual support for the youth ministry as we transform the lives of the young people in Madagascar for Christ.

Report prepared by: Ev. Victor Osoro – Youth Ministry Coordinator, Toliara Diocese.

GLORY TO GOD

I have now been in Madagascar for one year and five months and my spiritual adventure continues. In the month of September the focus has been an evangelistic mission in a place known as Anketraka. This took place from 24th to 26th September. We had house to house evangelism in the mornings then mass evangelism in the evenings as well as showing the Jesus film. I was blessed to have organized that mission as well as preach on 25th September.

House to house was particularly successful and considering how uncommon it is to do evangelism here many youth were exposed for the first time to the experience of doing evangelism and they did a very good job. Glory to God.

Right now we are working on follow-up as well as evaluation.

The next mission is from 8th to 11th October in a place known as Betaola so pray that all goes well and many come to Christ. At the same time we hope to start on 9th October a house fellowship in Motombe with the expectation that it later becomes a full-fledged church. I am working on that with an evangelist who works near there so also pray for God's guidance on this.
A public-address system is increasingly becoming an issue since in my next mission I will not be able to use the P.A of the church but will have to hire one. Pray that God provides the evangelism department here with a good P.A.

I will also be preaching in the Sunday services of two of our churches here in October.
The work of the Lord continues.

Victor's Prayer update

• Safe journey mercies to Morondava
• Wonderful time with the youth at Morondava
• More financial supporters for our ministry in Madagascar.
• Continued good health
• Betaola and andranomena missions
• Toliara has been approved to be a diocese so pray for smooth electoral
process to elect a diocesan bishop.

THANKSGIVING

• Successful youth conference
• Safe journey mercies for Rev. Apela
• Duncan’s health is improving
• Many are giving their lives to Christ.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN NOVEMBER

• Morondava youth seminar.
• Andranomena outreach.

Door to Door Evangelism

Last week we had wonderful open air meetings, door to door evangelism and
the Jesus Film at one of our daughter churches in Anketraka and we had
several people won for the kingdom of God. Next week all roads will be leading
to Betaola which is about an hour and a half by road from Toliara. Betaola is
characterized by cattle rustling and early marriages. Actually as the name
suggests, Betaola literally means a place of many bones probably due to many
cattle and people who die during the ordeal and the carcass and bodies are not
well disposed of.

A TORNADO HITS TOLIARA

I cannot forget this day. It was a national holiday and everyone was in a jovial mood and excited about the celebration. All was well or so it seemed or so it seemed until evening came and all that changed in a split of a second. All the happiness was suddenly turned into gloom. I was in my house during that time and I heard a sound like an airplane hovering. So I wondered how come the plane does not but seems to go far. All over sudden there was a blackout! The roof of my house was shaking and there was a lot of noise outside. So I thought to myself mmh! Let me open the door and see what is happening. I wish I did not do that. I got the shock of my life. That door pushed me back forcefully and I got myself at the floor. Before I realized it, my window was flung open and there was dust all over. It cooled down after a couple of minutes. I was really shaken.
I later on went to see Duncan’s house just to find out how his situation was. He was fine in his house just wondering where all the dust is coming from in the night. So he picked his spotlight and we went out together to survey what had happened. Destruction, destruction, destruction. Trees had fallen on top of houses, roof tops and doors blown off, electricity poles displaced, some major roads blocked…it was terrible but thank God we were kept safe. Some people were injured and rushed to hospital but there were no any deaths reported. The gasy word for it is rambon’danitra which literally means the heaven’s tail. So it is wiping the earth.

YOUTH MUSIC CONCERT

The very first youth music concert began on a high note at Ankilifaly. A platform was created for different youth groups to praise the Lord and to display their talents and gifting musically. The congregation was thrilled by a one acapella group that did a super local mix with classical overtones. No one expected such a brilliant performance from them. This helped the young people in general to appreciate our different gifting in the body of Christ and praise God together in our uniqueness. It was evident that each group really did hard work to ensure that they offer God only the best. Everyone is looking forward to the next concert. We even had some of the people who attended the concert joining our English class.

CHURCH PLANT

The Fort- Dauphin church planting mission went really well with a new church established. As at now it has a membership of around 70 adults. Duncan and Rev. Donne spearheaded the team in doing the groundwork and a wonderful job was done. We joined them later on to boost the workforce in the areas of person to person and open air evangelism and many gave their lives to Christ.

Right now the church is considering buying a land and constructing a permanent church structure. They are meeting in a classroom for the time being.

Currently Duncan and I are back to our base in Toliara and Rev.Donne is in charge of the parish and being assisted by one of the local evangelists, Tomboasy to continue the work that began there. Glory be to God.

Other new fellowship groups are beginning in Motombe and Beravy areas which are not very far from Toliara which will culminate to fully fledged churches soon.

At the moment we are exploring the possibility of starting a new church in Morombe which is around 300km, North of Toliara. Pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit in that direction.

Progress Report on Church Planting ,Evangelism and the Upcoming Youth Confrence

September 4th

It has now been one year and four months since I left Kenya to come to Madagascar to serve as a missionary.

I am busy organizing a three-day crusade in a place called Anketraka from the 24th to 26th of this month and the plans are advancing well.


In July I preached on two different Sundays in one of our churches in Andaromena and due to that, plans are underway to launch a new church this year that is to be under the Andaromena church as well as to organize an evangelistic mission in Andaromena in November since a temporal church structure is presently being built there which should be ready by November.

I need your prayers because I intend to be very aggressive in church-planting and evangelism. The lack of a public address system is a challenge since where I need to do evangelism is far and thus I need to rent the P. A system

Lack of personnel is still a big problem. I was telling the Bishop here that I want to do at least two church- plants this year but he told me to only do one partly because we do not have people to take care of the new churches!

Last but not least Reverend Alfred Apela should be landing in the capital of Madagascar next Monday to later embark on a 900km journey by matatu to Toliara where he will be the guest speaker in a youth conference that Victor has organized. Pray for his safe journey and especially that God may use him to make an impact on the youth here. He will be a ground- breaker.

I hope many others from Kenya will come to minister here in Toliara in future.

Shalom.
Duncan

One year and Three months long and still going strong.

19th August

It is now one year and three months since I came to Madagascar. I am presently organizing a crusade in an area known as Anketraka.
We have a church there but it has few members and my hope is that this crusade will enable the church to grow numerically. So pray the planning goes well.

The crusade is scheduled for 24-26 September. Two weeks after that I am preparing to go to a place called Betaola. We have a church there. Indeed it is the only church in the area. Most men of the area do not go to church but engage in social vices and crime such as cattle rustling and murder. The evangelist in charge of that area wants a crusade to reach these men and this is scheduled to take place from 8-11 October.

I am still looking for a public address system to hire so pray that the Lord provides. My bishop here went to Fort Dauphin two weeks ago. This is the place I went in April/May for five weeks and a church was planted there. He reported that 125 people attended the Sunday service and he baptized around 50 people! It is proving to be an extremely successful church-plant.
Pray that we will be able to start many churches in the province of Toliara.

The problem is we do not have personnel to handle new churches so if the Lord is calling you here you are welcome since the work is vast but the workers are few. Lastly, I am very excited because we are expecting Reverend Alfred Apela here in Toliara, Madagascar to be the key-note speaker in a youth conference from 7-11 September. Victor is the main organizer of this conference.

Pray that the ministry of Reverend Apela may have a great impact among the youth here.

Duncan.

Victor’s Prayer Update.

August 11th

Greetings

We are fine in the Lord and covet your prayer for the work going on in Madagascar.
Pray for:
• The upcoming first youth conference in September that the Lord may minister in the lives of the young people in Toliara.
• Safe journey mercies for the conference speakers including Capt. Apela from Kenya.
• Duncan's health - he has been having a problem at his nape.
• Madagascar's political direction that the reached agreement may be kept.
• Thank God that Toliara recently became a new diocese and hence the electoral process is in place so pray that it may go well.


Thanks for standing in the gap.
Victor.

Youth Conference Update.

August 4th

I hope this finds you well.
The youth conference planning is now at an advanced stage now that we only have 5weeks to go and we are waiting to receive Capt. Apela as well. So far we have 80 youths who have registered and we are hoping the number to shoot by 15th August 2009 which is the deadline of registration. We are expecting to have at least 200 young people from Toliara.
I am afraid we may just have to lock out other people.

Victor.

Independence Day in style!

June 23rd

Hello, I trust that the Lord has kept you safe and his mercies are falling afresh upon your life. The Lord has been good to me and I rejoice in the greatness of his grace and his unfailing love.

June 26 is a national holiday here in Madagascar-Commemoration of the departure of the French from this land as colonialists. It seems it is a day that is taken very seriously by the majority of the citizens. People are painting their houses nicely and doing big time purchases both in clothing and foodstuff. For businessmen it is a big money making time.

On the eve of the Independence Day there are normally fireworks displays and dances throughout the night at the beach and many people gather there for the shows.

"Vorotsiloza" the turkey's meat is one of the best meals to cook during a festivity like this. So everyone is trying their best to have one and at worst if a turkey seems hard to come-by then a chicken will do. People travel from far just to be with their families for the celebration.

Once again, thanks for your continual support and prayer.

Have a great week.
Victor.

Adventerous Church Planting Mission.

15th June Update

I do believe that the Lord is giving you new energy even as you begin this new week with its challenges, setbacks and of course victories!
I am well kept of the Lord and continue to abide in his love and faithfulness that are new every morning.
To describe our church planting mission at Fort Dauphin in one word I would say it was adventurous! This is because from the start to the end of the mission the devil has been fighting and opposing the work but we saw the Lord winning every battle. That describes who He is - mighty in battle. Well, our journey that was scheduled for Friday was postponed to Saturday because they had few passengers traveling on that day (and this being only a few hours before departure time!) During the journey we had 6-breakdowns! We had four tyre bursts, one around 100km from Toliara and on one occasion we ran out of fuel in the middle of the jungle. Normally the journey takes 2-3 days due to the deplorable state of the road. During rainy seasons it takes up to a week or 2 on the way! And so in most cases there are no vehicles traveling to Fort Dauphin at that time.
On arrival we were well received and we set for work. It was indeed a busy week of door to door, open air preaching and films. The message was well received and we had people making commitments to walk with Jesus. It was evident that Duncan and Rev Donne who worked on the ground work did a wonderful job. As at now there is a church at Fort Dauphin with around 40 congregants, most of who were Anglicans who had 'no church.' the town is growing fast mostly because there are a lot of South Africans and Canadians due to the big mining company that is there.

Thanks so much for your prayers and continual support.

Blessings,
Victor.

May Flashback

Duncan – June 6th Update

May was a fantastic monthly since first and foremost I celebrated my first anniversary of serving as a missionary in Madagascar; this was on 1st May. At that time I was in Fort dauphin doing church-planting from19th April to 25th May.

Generally, the first two weeks of May, Rev Donne and I were looking for church-land almost daily but the pieces of land that we saw were too small and so up to this moment the search continues and I request for prayers for land. We were also looking for a house for over 10 evangelists that we were to host for a week from 19th May as well as trying to furnish it.

We were advertising almost every week in a local radio station about the new church as well as the evangelism week slated for 19th to 23rd May. On the Sundays of 2nd, 9th and 16th May we had 24, 22 and 31 adults respectively attending the new church. The church had an international angle with me as a Kenyan there and I befriended an American who also came, one of those Sundays. I preached on Sunday 16th May on why the Church evangelizes to prepare the Christians for the week of evangelism that was to begin on 19th May. We managed in those two or so weeks to get a house for the evangelists as well as bedding and utensils.

We got authorization from the local government to preach and show the Jesus film every evening from 19th to 23rd May and also secured a public address system. The evangelists arrived on Monday 18th May having traveled 619km from Toliara where I live and a Christian fetched them from the bus station and drove them to their residence.

From 19th to 23rd we did house to house evangelism in the mornings and ministered and showed the Jesus film in the evenings. I preached on the 19th which was the first day of the evening program and it went well. Many people came to listen to this fazaha from Kenya. Fazaha is the word here for a foreigner. Many people prayed the prayer of salvation.

I deliberately preached on that first day because many of the evangelists who were there had never done mass evangelism before and needed to learn how to do it. It was not easy for me and Victor during this mission because the Bishop entrusted the mission funds to us yet there were three Reverends with us but the evangelism week went well. On Sunday 24th, 49 people were in the Sunday service which was a big disappointment to me since many people were gathering daily for the evening program and there was lunch provided by one of the Christians for all who came for the service.

So pray for that new church that it may grow in every way.

I am still developing an evangelism program for the year and continue to ask for prayer. I am now back in Toliara and reveling in what God did in fort dauphin. We have an evangelist in charge of that new church temporarily, since we have only four priests and they are tied-up. The evangelists are also few. The evangelist that was sent there serves in another church. We need new evangelists and missionaries to come here. Is God calling you?

Celebrating one year in Madagascar amidst spiritual battles

It is now one year since I came to Madagascar and the past one month was an eventful one. During the first two weeks of April I was in Toliara where I’m based. In the first week I preached in the Saturday English service while in the second I led the service.

During April a challenge emerged in the church when satanic manifestations developed. Two ladies from the church become demonically possessed in a span of three days. Prayers were made and one of them gradually recovered, but later on she relapsed while the other’s case has been deteriorating. So please pray for the two ladies recovery.

On April 17th I traveled to Fort Dauphin along with a clergy called Rev.Donne to plant the new church. We will be staying in Fort Daulphin for one month. Last Sunday we started the church with 17 adults and 9 children. Please pray for the growth of new church and also for:

PRAYER REQUESTS

· Thank God for our good health and pray it continues.
· Thank God as we celebrate one year in the mission field.
· Pray for safe journeys to Fort Dauphin.
· Pray for Duncan to get an affordable place for us to stay in Fort Daulphin.
· Pray for a successful church plant in May.
· Thank God that our deacon was unharmed and pray that the Lord will give him and his family peace now that he is going to Fort Dauphin.
· Pray for security in Sakaraha.
· Pray that justice and righteousness may prevail in the land of Madagascar.
· Pray for the men’s discipleship groups and the English centre Bible Study that Lord may work uniquely in the lives of his people.
. A site for mass evangelism.
. Availability of a good public address system as well as musical instruments and players.

HAPPINESS IN CHRIST

This is the most recent picture of Victor relaxing after a team of evangelists payed them a visit

A SERVANT LEADER

You call me teacher and Lord and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor his messenger greater than one who sent him. Now that you know this things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17)

REFLECTIONS FROM CAPT.MACHARIA

It is now one year since I arrived here in Madagascar from Kenya to work as a missionary. I love this country despite the chaos that currently rocks it.
The month of March was especially good since my health improved tremendously. Since January I stayed in the house most of the time with a big gaping wound at the rear of my head that looked horrible after my surgery! Not to mention that whenever I went out I had to constantly wear a hat to repel the attention I was drawing from people. Since March, however, I’ve been operating without wearing a hat and the wound is now healed! Thank you for your prayers.
I am now developing an evangelistic strategy for South Madagascar and I request for prayers that God may give me guidance on this.
I started the month of March on a high note after I preached the gospel in an English institute to mostly university students and virtually everyone there accepted Christ. The challenge here in Madagascar is the discipleship of new converts. People here seem to accept Christ so as not to embarrass the evangelist but when you try to follow-up they are not interested! So pray for people here to be convicted by the Holy Spirit to make genuine decisions for Christ!

A MYSTERIOUS SICKNESS

The year 2009 began in style in Toliara with the New Year’s message shared by Captain Macharia. All went well until the 10th of January when things took an opposite direction. Duncan had an infection at the back of his head that required a minor operation to be done. It did not seem anything to be alarmed about until I took him to a local hospital. I still can remember that day when the doctor said, “Thanks for coming with him, so could you please wait for him out there?” I did as was requested, but I got a bit nervous when it took longer than I expected. While still there, I saw Duncan brought out on a stretcher! He looked tired and had to rest for around thirty or so before he could gain some strength. Surprisingly he was unable to walk! The operation left a wound at his nape that took a long time to heal. Then, in early February I also got attacked by a mysterious sickness -- a stomach illness they said, which was probably caused by water or food that was not well cooked. By then Duncan had not yet recovered and I got also sick. This was a very hard time for us, but by the grace and mercy of God we have recovered. We thank God for giving us good health once again as we continue to serve him in Madagascar.

THE LAND OF GEMS

Sakaraha is a small town that is approximately 2-hours drive from Toliara. It is a land that is known for its precious stones. It is also identified for its potential to produce quality peanuts, but on the other hand, dreaded for its high insecurity and crime. Actually our deacon who is stationed there has been attacked and robbed on several occasions.
I was there recently and worked with the youth for a few days in the areas of music and bible study. We had a wonderful picnic together and shared in creative games and bible lessons. It was then that I preached in pure Malagasy for the second time in my life.
- Capt. Victor Osoro

A VOYAGE

Toliara is mainly a land of the Masikoro who are mainly farmers and the Vezo who are primarily fishermen. So we had this journey to a place known as Soalary which is predominantly Vezo. To get to Vezo we had to go by a dug-out canoe over the Indian Ocean for 2 hours! That was my first time to travel for that long in water.
On our way to Vezo the journey was quite well since the water was fairly calm. But when we were returning home from Vezo the trip was not enjoyable because we were battling our way through the strong waves. The experience was so horrifying, that I had a cold chill down my spine, wondering when we are going to get to the land.
In the water the big fish seemed like they were singing hallelujah and praising God for the waves because that is their best time to play in the water and celebrate the beauty of God! But that reminded me that sometimes we trust so much on the Lord of the land and forget that he is also the Lord of the sea and air as well, and that the very way he protects us on land is the very way he will protect us in the sea.
For the first time I understood the kind of a situation the disciples were in when they were in the middle of a storm battling with the waves and Jesus was sleeping.

A MASSIVE CYCLONE-In Toliara

January – March is normally a period of long rains here in Madagascar but in the beginning of this year, things were different. It was scorching hot when we heard news about a cyclone coming in the following week. The news said ‘Make sure that you have an IC radio and enough food stock in your house because a major cyclone is going to hit Toliara!” That meant that there would be neither power nor supply of foodstuff until further notice. So, the necessary purchases were done and we waited for the cyclone. Surprisingly from the time of that announcement it rained cats and dogs, But I realized that people here longed for the rains so much that when it came they were happy. All the major roads were flooded due to heavy rainfall and one could not avoid wading through the stagnant water. Children were seen playing in the rain and the flooded roads. Rolling and splashing water on each other, others literally bathed in excitement. Thanks be to God that the cyclone that hit some parts of Toliara (our area excluded) was not of the magnitude that was earlier predicted. We were safe but there were some parts of Toliara where strong winds had blown away the roof tops of houses. According to the meteorological department, our town would have been severely hit by the cyclone but fortunately the Mozambique Channel managed to counter the situation.

EVANGELISATION-Church Plant in Fort Dauphin

Fort-Daulphin is a very small town in the South West of Madagascar. It is a three day journey by bus from Toliara and its nearest church is hundreds of kilometers away. Capt. Duncan Macharia is currently working to establish a base for evangelism and a centre for believers to gather and worship in Fort-Daulphin. He is spearheading an effort to establish a permanent church there alongside Rev. Donne. Their goal is to develop a vibrant church where new believers can grow in their faith while reaching out to many more who have never had the opportunity to receive Christ. Duncan will be traveling to Fort-Daulphin at the end of April, and Victor will join him for evangelistic outreaches during the month of May. The main challenge they are facing is a place to stay, shortage of resources and they are looking for a suitable place to start building the Church.

THE MEN'S RETREAT

The men’s retreat at the end of February was a time that was long awaited for by many of the young men at the church in Toliara. They were eagerly looking forward to a time of fellowship, bonding, and spiritual growth. The retreat was a 2-day event focused on becoming men of substance by exploring examples of faithful men in the Bible. The retreat helped men to understand their place in the community and their special roles as priests, protectors and providers.

By the end of the event, all of us had a smile, and wanted to know when the next event would be held. New small discipleship groups began to emerge as a result of the retreat and continue to meet regularly.

Easter In Madagascar

We had one of the most interesting Easter seasons this year. We went through the 10 Stations of the Cross every Friday evening during Lent. Then on Maundy Thursday we had a special session of renewal of vows for the evangelists, deacons and priests in the morning and then feet washing in the evening. We took turns to wash each others’ feet as Jesus did to his disciples’ and told them to do the same to others (John 13:14-15). It was a moment to remind us of the nature of our calling which is
servant hood; it was indeed a refreshing moment.

The Good Friday service caught me off guard. I knew that I was going for a mass that would take 3-hrs, from 12pm to 3pm but when I got into the church I realized that the altar was designed in a way that suggested there was someone who has died and his corpse is right there in the coffin! So I wondered who could have died, and why is the funeral service being done on Good Friday? Then it hit me, we are actually commemorating the death of Jesus! I laughed at myself. Later that evening we were invited to share God’s word at the military chapel. And that was the third place where I preached my message purely in Malagasy.

The Trials and Tornados of January.

Dear Friends,

This year started really well for me but on January the tenth my enthusiasm was dampened!

Four years ago i got an infection after i went for a haircut in Nairobi. I tried different medications but the infection turned out really hard to get rid of and continued to spread all over my head until my Bishop last year told me to do something about it.

So I went to the mail government hospital in Toliara and a doctor prescribed me with some medication that I needed to purchase and he then told me to go back on January 10th for some treatment

So I went for the treatment and the doctor put me under anesthetic on my head and then subjected me for radiation. I have made a slow recovery since then but it is not fully healed as is taking a lot of time. So please pray for me that god would comfort me and help me to get a full recovery.

As well as dealing with that situation, the meteorologists issued an alert that there was a cyclone building up on the Mozambique channel and they predicted that it would hit the western side of Madagascar too.

I currently live in Toliara which is a coastal town on the south west of Madagascar.

God was gracious and even though Toliara was hit by the cyclone it only prolonged heavy rainfall for some days. However, Morondava, which is a coastal town to the north of Toliara and a place which i went for successful missions last year, bore the brunt of the cyclone. Buildings were destroyed, the roof of the house that i stayed in was blown off. It was devastating.

Pray therefore for us missionaries here in Madagascar, for god to keep us safe and that we would be able to cope with any natural disasters that occur each year.

Then as if these set backs were not enough, on January the 25th a political crises erupted in Madagascar that has led to several strikes, looting, property being vandalized and people being killed and this is still going on. The aim has been to remove the president here. It has all been very shocking and disturbing.

Pray for the restoration of peace here in Madagascar so that we can continue to minister unimpeded.

I would also like to thank you all for your prayers and continued support. Please keep praying and also give thanks to God for what He is doing in my life, using me for His good works and for changing me during my time here all for His glory.

God bless

Duncan

Cyclone Alert

At the moment here it is raining heavily and it is clear that a lot of people are really enjoying it probably because it is a long time since there was rain here. Some are showering in the rain and kids swimming in the flooded roads. Interestingly it is not cold either! Recently a cyclone alert was given. It may hit any time but begins in the North and later moves here to the South. The speed is approximated to be around 80km/hr. So now is the time to make early food purchases and make sure you have an AC radio just to keep in touch with what is happenning because there is going to be a black out and all businesses will be closed.

So pray with us.

Blessings,

Victor.

Getting ready for ministry for 2009.

Christian greetings, I hope your year has began on a high note. I am very well here in Madagascar in this brand new year of 2009. I must confess that the Lord has been so gracious to our ministry here in Madagascar and we are not taking anything for granted. Since our arrival here neither Duncan nor I has had any serious sickness and that is not something to take lightly. So praise God with us for his faithfulness. This year seems to have a lot of things ahead both in the evangelism and youth departments in the entire southern part of our diocese which covers 1000km of coastline. Next week I will be involved in a youth leaders workshop for a day. We are focusing on training the emerging leaders. In actual sense they are the people who are taking over leadership. The St.Luke's Church here in Ankilifaly where we are based is predominantly youth and so most of our energies are directed towards them but on the other hand we are not forgetting the elderly as well and so there are special programmes that go on especially in the area of Bible study and discipleship. We have a task to make sure that the word of God is made simple and clear and that it is understood the way it should be and our pastor has been so helpful especially in the area of language. Our pastor here Rev.Stephan will be moving to another parish which is 1500km away by February. His wife has been sick for some time now so please pray for him and his family as they start a new work in their new ministry base. In the beginning of February as well I will be involved in teaching the new student evangelists at the Bible School in Ankilifaly. Continue praying that the Lord's hand may be upon us and all the work that we are doing here. Thank you so much for all your prayers and financial support. Have yourselves an exciting 2009! God Bless Victor

A New Year - A Time for Teaching and Trusting

Dear Friends,

I like to wish you all a very happy New Year. I crossed into the New Year at church and indeed gave my first sermon of 2009 right after entering the New Year at midnight. I spoke on “Your failures will become successes in 2009”. This was based on Luke Chapter One where Zechariah and Elizabeth were blessed with a son, John the Baptist, at a time when it was not physically possible for them to be gifted with a child. I pray therefore that whatever you have attempted but has not worked out in the past, will work out in 2009 and that you trust in God in all things.

The Saturday morning that followed I preached in the English service and the responses both times were great. I believe this year that there will be great success in my ministry here in Madagascar.

I hope to do evangelism campaigns in Ankilifaly, Anketraka, Andaromena, Sakaraha, Morondava and Fort Dolphin among other places and so please pray for me while I do this.
I am trusting God for resources to facilitate these evangelistic campaigns for example a public address system, generator, lighting system, digital projector, finances, etc. So I continue to be in need of prayer.

There is a small informal bible school that was instituted by the bishop because where I am serving there is a big shortage of clergy, yet the churches are many and more are being planted. He has already instructed me next week to teach on the gospels and this year I will be teaching a lot in the bible school so remember me in your prayers. Pray that I would teach the truth and that God would help me to understand His word when doing my preparation.

Therefore there is a great need for me to advance in my theological studies and so I am trusting God for the resources necessary for me to start doing a course through the internet as soon as possible.

I hope we will continue to walk together in this exciting journey of faith in Madagascar.

Be blessed in 2009.

Yours in Christ

Duncan

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