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.