Amazing things about Madagascar

There are many things about Madagascar I've wanted to share....many of the things you just don't see in America.

--The Malagasy people are friendly and mostly very hard working. They are amazingly resourceful and use every part of a thing without wasting. Every part of the cow is used, including the horns, out of which they make beautiful things. We have visited a place that makes jewelry, salt and pepper shakers, spoons, games, etc. out of the horns. Their process is very interesting: they boil them and use wax and molds. Then, when they polish it, they use an old washing machine motor and put cut up jeans on it as a polisher. Also, there are people who use cut up cans to make toy bicycles and pousse pousses. They use out of date IV tubing for the tires.


--Many of the men pull pousse-pousses (rickshaw type things that may be used to carry people, furniture, motorcycles, or even dead pigs) all day with bare feet running on hot concrete, rocks, and through mud holes. They must have built in leather on their feet from years of doing this.

--It is more common to see multiple people on bikes than singles, I think. Many times one person steers and sits on the middle bar behind the handle bars and the other one pedals. Adam and I tried riding together (once) and gained even more respect for them as it is super difficult...and painful...and hilariously funny. We have seen three people on a bike before and Emma spotted 5 people on a motorcycle the other day (3 kids and 2 adults). How do they do it? It's not very safe, but in most cases, they are doing what they have to to get by and get where they need to go. It is amazing that we have only seen one accident with a motorcycle.

--Many people live in the mountains and come down to the city to work, which is miles away.

The ladies carry large loads of clothes, sticks, baskets of food on their heads...while climbing up or down a mountain! Amazing! We have even seen kids carrying pretty large loads balanced on their heads.

--Sometimes we even see kids run through the neighborhood playing without supervision many times, even little 3-year-olds with their brothers and sisters. I hate to see this, but they usually seem to manage quite well.

--Did you know that it is perfectly normal to have a whole herd of omby (the cows here that usually have humps on their backs) going down a main street in the middle of traffic?

--The bathrooms here at some places are outhouses with a hole in the ground...usually with no toilet paper. We carry tissues and try to go before we leave the house. This is quite an adjustment. Yes, we do have a regular toilet and so many other places do as well.

--Most Malagasy people eat rice 3 meals a day (if they are able to afford 3 meals)

--We do see chameleons pretty frequently here. We have had 3 different ones in our yard. The first was a small, colorful guy. The girls and I put him in a box, then I read that they can eat 18-20 bugs a day and knew he would be better off in the yard; he disappeared that day, never to be seen again. We had another one that hung around awhile and we watched him a lot. The girls named him Paschal. He was a slow mover, always easy to find. He died. We are sure he died peacefully. We currently have another one, but haven't seen him in about a week. They blend in so well. They are so cute and their eyes can go two different ways at the same time. One will look up and one will look down. Their little feet have only two little parts like pinchers. We love to watch them climb and walk.. Sometimes they have meat and vegetables in sauce to go with it called loaka.

--There are places everywhere that sell meat. Chickens, cows (again, every part of it), pigs (also, every part) either hanging on hooks or laid out on the counter in the open air all day long. We go buy it in the morning usually and haven't gotten sick, praise the Lord.

--Adam just got to ride in his first taxi-be here...a small station wagon. There was a middle seat built for three and they insisted that it was a five person seat. There were 4 adults already crammed together, but those running the show asked them to make room for one more. Adam and the other men said there was no room, but they made them get out and showed them how to stagger by a few sitting toward the back of the seat and a couple on the front edge of the seat. So, yes, five adults in a middle seat is possible, but terribly painful.

swimming in a language

"So, how did we do?" That was one of a number of questions we asked our language teachers after this morning's visit to a local school. The answer, "Milomano ianareo (You guys are swimming)." This answer provided great encouragement following the plunge we had just taken into the deeper waters of the Malagasy language.

I had almost forgotten the feelings that arrive in waves shortly before teaching or preaching the Bible. Nervous energy, excitement, a heightened sense of unworthiness, a moment of utter helplessness, the queasiness of an upset stomach that is magnified by the terrible fear that there might not be a good toilet (and even if there is a good one, there is no guarantee of toilet paper), followed by a renewed resolve and strength to fulfill God's call for the moment. Only this time it took place in a different country with a different culture in a different language. The variables may change, but the one constant is a faithful God who sends out His sowers and produces the results of their sowing.

This morning we went to a school to teach the Bible to Malagasy students. We have been in language school for only a little over three months now, so it felt like we who are still doggie-paddling in the language were being thrown into the ocean. My class consisted of about forty 12-14 year-olds (we call them Jr. Highers in America). What an interesting time it turned out to be! I prepared a lesson based on Romans 5:1, in which Paul states, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." With notes and a Malagasy Bible in hand, I taught on this verse and other supplementary verses for about 20 minutes. After this, I prayed and then asked the question I dreaded most of all: "Misy fanontiana? (Are there any questions?)" You see, after three months of language school, I feel pretty confident in my ability to say what I need/want to say, but my understanding when others speak remains a point of frustration. My ears still can't hear as fast as they can talk.

Thankfully, one of our language teachers was with me during this time, because, surprise of all surprises, there was a Muslim student in the class who had A LOT of questions. I knew I was going there to teach the Bible; I didn't know I was going there to argue for the deity of Jesus with a 13 year-old Muslim. His biggest question concerned how Jesus could be both the Son of God and God at the same time. My goodness, I'm still in language floaties and I'm having to do apologetics in Malagasy. But the Holy Spirit is faithful and good. After praying silently yet fervently, I asked the young man who he thought made the universe. As expected, his answer was God. So I read Colossians 1:15-17 and John 1:1-4 to show him that the Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus Himself was actively involved in the act of creation, which, as he stated, was a work of God alone. As is the case with most Malagasy Muslims, he left the conversation unconvinced, but I was thankful for the opportunity to share the truth of Scripture nonetheless.

However, there was encouragement even in what was overall a frustrating conversation. I found out later that this young man is from Diego (the city we will relocate to in April) and he was speaking in the northern dialect, which partly explains why I could understand so little of what he said. This morning the Lord was giving me but a small taste of what we will be dealing with when we move in a couple of months. My heart breaks for the people of northern Madagascar, many of whom claim Islam as their faith, even though it gets diluted in the traditional religions of Madagascar. Muslim or not, there remains a stubbornness and hard-heartedness in the people of northern Madagascar through which only the Lord can break.

Lord, take their hearts of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Write Your laws on their hearts, and cause them to walk in Your ways. You be their God, and make them Your people.

I'm not sure the magnitude of this morning has hit me yet, probably because my brain was melting in the aftermath, but upon a quick reflection, I see that the Lord gave me the opportunity to teach His Word halfway around the world in a language not yet my own; that is pretty awesome, and overwhelming. We're in the deep, and whether it be by doggie-paddle or breaststroke, we're swimming.

The Latest from Mada

Life on the Red Island keeps us plenty busy during the day and leaves us plenty tired by the end of the day. Thanks to all of you who pray for us as we seek to shed the light of the gospel here in Madagascar. We apologize that we haven't stayed in better contact with updates over the past couple of months, so here we are attempting to make things right with you by giving a brief review of 2011's end and 2012's beginning.

About Our Neighbors

Many of you have prayed for and asked about the family with whom we spent a lot of time in our first couple of months here. As you know, we had just started discipling Lantu in December when, without notice, she and her family left Antsirabe. We did find out that her two oldest sons, Zaka and Yasina, stayed behind to watch over their home until the family was able to return. We were happy to hear that they would return at some point, but that was around the week before Christmas, and now with one full month of 2012 behind us, they still have yet to return. We don't know exactly what the situation is, but we are taking this to mean their residence in Tana is permanent.

Christmas in Mada

As you can imagine, Christmas-time is a good bit different here than in America. We enjoyed our little Christmas tree and the few decorations that were available to us (thanks Michael and Michelle). This much can be said without reservation, listening to Christmas music is a lot more enjoyable when it's not forced on you 24 hours a day like every radio station in America. While we did our best to maintain some of our home culture's holiday practices, we could not simulate typical American Christmas-time weather. (By far this was the warmest Christmas we have experienced; Adam even got his first ever December sunburn.) We had a Christmas party with our workers (i.e. night guards and nanny) and their families. That was great fun as we had about 30 guests in our house. And guess what? Even Malagasy people like to play Twister. On Christmas day we opened gifts, went to church, then joined the other missionary families here in Antsirabe for lunch, games, and presents. Quite a day!

Language School Fun

We have been in language school for a little over 3 months now, and the difference between when we began and now is amazing. We are learning a lot, but even as we do that, we realize there is so much more to learn. We are still doing 16 hours of school a week with additional study and practice time outside of that. One of the challenges/joys of school is that we have reached the point where we are now taking weekly "field trips" for language practice. Of course, this is challenging because in a lot of cases we are put on the spot by having to talk about ourselves, what we are doing, and then answer all sorts of other questions. But there is great joy in this as well; we have visited a school for the blind two times, an orphanage, and a couple of weeks ago we visited a school for the deaf and mute. Witnessing a blind child read braille or a deaf child accurately read lips is truly a wonder to behold and a beautiful testimony to God's grace. This past week we went to a school and taught from the Bible for the first time in Malagasy (we have separate blog posts describing that experience, go check them out). All that to say, it is a privilege to learn a new language for the purpose of sharing the gospel in another's heart language. It's not easy, but worth it.

Friday Bible Club

In a place like this it doesn't take long for the

neighborhood kids to find the foreigners. About a month ago, some children started hanging out near our house, at first just to see if we would talk to them or not. Not long after that, April invited a few of these children into our front yard to play. Word travels fast when access is gained to the front yard, and soon more and more kids were showing up almost daily, yelling for Emma to come out and play. Those of you who know April are well acquainted with her gracious hospitality, so what was becoming a little overwhelming, that is, having persistent boys and girls stand outside our gate while letting us know clearly that they want in, has become a "Friday Bible Club." Now the kids know that every Friday at 3pm our gate is open for about two hours. We have snacks, crafts, sports (sort of), and a Bible story; this past Friday we had 16 Malagasy children in our front yard. It is amazing to see how content and happy they are with a piece of paper and crayons, especially since most of them don't attend school.

The kids range from 3-12 years old and most of them are extremely dirty, so we make sure they get washed up in our backyard sink while they are here. We have given some of them clothes, but they usually wear the same dirty ones every day and save their new clothes for a "special occasion" even though they would be basic play clothes to us. Of the adults present in their lives, we have only met one grandmother so far. It is very different since they have no adults in sight taking care of them. We sent them home with Malagasy tracts and we pray that they will understand Jesus' sacrifice for them.

Emma and Corinne

Emma is doing much better in homeschooling, although we still have some really challenging days of her missing "a real class" with other students her age. We have greatly enjoyed reading and discussing books together; we read Little House on the Prairie just recently. Emma usually does really well playing with the Malagasy children. Sometimes, though, she gets tired and would rather her play-time be with Corinne only. We are excited because she has learned quite a bit of Malagasy vocabulary. Also, God is really working in Emma's heart (we've had several long conversations about repentance, faith, and following Jesus), but she's not quite ready to give her life to Him. Please pray for Emma to understand God's love more fully, and not to lean on her own understanding.

Corinne is adapting much better now. She's had some hard days of being angry about living in Madagascar, but last night she told us she was getting used to it and that "tomorrow, I think I'll like it." She plays with the Malagasy children some, but at other times she doesn't really want to. Her imagination is growing like crazy. She does great playing with dolls on her own when April is teaching Emma. She and Emma love playing together most of the time and we believe our time here has brought them closer.

Well, that about does it. Two months of life wrapped up in a few short paragraphs. Again, we thank you so much for you prayers. Hopefully we will do a better job in the future of keeping you updated.

--Adam and April