JUST A GLIMPSE

 THIS IS JUST SIX OF THE 20+ MOSQUES IN AND AROUND DIEGO SUAREZ.

 WE FACE MANY CHALLENGES HERE, BUT FALSE RELIGIONS AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS A DAILY BATTLE THAT WE WAGE IN DIEGO SUAREZ.

 OUR HEARTS CRY IS: THAT YOU WILL CRY OUT TO JESUS WITH US, AND THAT THE CHAINS OF  DEATH THAT ARE LOCKED AROUND THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN MADAGASCAR WOULD BE REMOVED AND THE NAME OF JESUS WOULD REIGN.

 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING WITH US FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN MADAGASCAR.

Blessed To Bless

 WE WERE BLESSED WITH A GIFT FROM THE YOUTH OF MILL SWAMP BAPTIST CHURCH, THAT WE USED TO BLESS THE YOUTH OF THE DEAF SCHOOL OF DIEGO SUAREZ. WE WENT TO THE MARKET AND WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE 400 LBS OF RICE, BEANS, AND COOKING OIL. WE ALSO INCLUDED TWO BAGS OF HARD CANDY AND FOUR MALAGASY BIBLES. 




THE KIDS AT THE SCHOOL WERE SO HAPPY TO RECEIVE US AND THE GIFTS, AND WE WERE SO BLESSED BY OUR VISIT. 

 THERE ARE 32 STUDENTS THAT LIVE AT THE SCHOOL ALONG WITH THEIR DIRECTOR, DIAMONDRA. THEY HAVE A BIBLE LESSON EVERYDAY AT 8:00 AND HAVE ASK US TO RETURN AND TEACH THEM ONE DAY. THE DIRECTOR AND THE STUDENTS ALSO WANT TO SEND THEIR GREETINGS AND GRATITUDE FOR THIS ENORMOUS BLESSING TO THE YOUTH AT MILL SWAMP BAPTIST CHURCH. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

Still Learning

 After 5 months of official Malagasy language school, we have now been studying the Sakalava dialect of Malagasy for the last 3 months. We study in our house with our teacher whom we affectionately refer to as T-Bone. 

 T-Bone is a great teacher and friend, and I'm sure you will be hearing more stories about him in the future. We have learned alot and will hopefully be able to start preaching and teaching soon. 

 The Sakalava dialect is about 60% different from the official, although alot of people understand the official. But by far, the biggest change is the need to also learn some French in order to conduct business in town.

 Over the course of all of this language study, I have started to build my own dictionary that I update almost daily and use all of the time. We would ask that you would please continue to pray for our ability to learn this dialect and that the people of Northern Madagascar would come to know the ONE that has sent us here to share the good news with them. Thank you all so much. 

Matsaborimanga

Sunrise over Mahamasina

Our adventure to the village of Matsaborimanga was a two day trip, starting with a 2 hour drive to the village of Mahamasina where we spent the night.

Mine and Michael's accommodations were quite nice, this was our hut for the evening, and it was all inclusive. We did not have to go looking for anything, everything was there from bees to grasshoppers to mosquitoes, but it was really quite nice            

We left for Matsaborimanga early the next morning, because we knew that the trail there was going to be very difficult, and we weren't disappointed, it was a long, slow, very rough ride. However, we have been blessed with a strong truck that was able to cross the rivers, go over the big rocks, and through the bushes that the rabbits can't go.

We arrived at Matsaborimanga (Matsabori=Lake manga=mango) and about 25 adults and 25 children gathered to hear the Word of God proclaimed.  Michael shared the story of creation to Christ and at the end offered an invitation to receive the free gift of salvation. Derao ny Tompo!! (Praise the Lord!!) 11 of the people prayed to receive Jesus and have asked for more teaching.

The rainy season will soon be starting and the village will be impossible to reach, so we pray that we will be able to get some Bible study material into their hands before the rains come and that they would be faithful to continue to gather and study His word together until we can return.

Fiangonana Batista (Baptist Church)

Greetings from the big red island of Madagascar. Time has really flown by for us since we arrived here eight months ago. Our first seven months were spent in the Central Madagascar town of Antsirabe, studying the Malagasy language and culture. In July, we moved north to our official place of residence and service, Diego Suarez (Antsiranana). We live very near the northern tip of the island, on the Indian Ocean, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will attempt to reach and share the truth of the gospel of Jesus with the millions of lost souls here.

Our first assignment however is to continue in our Malagasy language learning endeavors, because the dialect here is a bit different, and we really need and want to be able to speak the words of salvation clearly to our people.

We have a very good tutor and the advantage of a small Baptist church in our town where we can go and learn and practice what we are learning.

My desire is that by the end of this year, we will be able to start going into unreached areas of Northern Madagascar and share the Good News of life in Jesus. Please be in prayer for our family, our language learning, and most importantly the salvation of the people in Northern Madagascar that God has sent us to serve

Fianakaviana

We, as a family, have a bad habit. We seem to have an indescribable love for the people that God puts in our lives. Such is the case of our current daytime guard/gardener/helper, Rina.

Rina is 21 years old and has been married for one year and has become Walker's best friend and a virtual part of our family. Last week as Rina was going home for the evening, he was attacked by two men who hit him in the face with a large rock, and stole his bicycle. He was left on the side of the road, unconscious and bleeding until some men came along and assisted him. We have been going back and forth to the Dr. and the hospital, caring for our "son" as best we can since then. He has had surgery to repair his fractured chin and broken and missing teeth, and is starting the healing process. Due to the fact that Rina lives about 10KM away and needs to see the Dr. nearly everyday, and because his mouth is wired almost shut, he will be staying with us so that he can get the care that he needs and the soft food he needs. Praise God that he wasn't hurt worse or even killed, and Praise God that we have this opportunity to be His hands and feet for Rina. Please pray for his healing and that we would be able to give him whatever he needs as he recovers here at the Berry Baptist hospital of Madagascar. Pray that God would be glorified in this situation and in everything we do in His name here in Madagascar.

Servant, Slave, and Soldier

This past weekend,we had the wonderful opportunity of flying up to visit our soon to be home in Diego Suarez, Madagascar. We were reminded a few times on this trip exactly what we have been called to do, and that is DIE, just like the airport code says for Diego. We have been called by God to die to ourselves, to take up our cross and follow Him. We have been called to Diego Suarez to be servants to our Boss, slaves to our Master, and soldiers to our Commander. It is not enough to be one or the other, we are called to be all three. While we were there, we got to see the town and some of the surrounding countryside, as well as the magnificent Indian Ocean. The contrast here is very stark, this is most likely the most unreached and spiritually darkest part of the island, with over one million lost souls here and around 60% of them professing Islam and yet when you drive around you realize that this is one of the most beautiful, breathtaking places in the world. We have been blessed to have been placed here with Michael and Michelle Allen and can't wait to see how God will use our team to impact the Malagasy people of Northern Madagascar for His kingdom. It is our prayer that our team will be salt and light to these people, that God would be glorified by everything that we say and do, and that we will never forget that we have been called to be servants, slaves, and soldiers for Him. Will you pray with us? Thank you and God bless.