Prayer Request in Betioky

Steve's here blogging for us today!!

...Here is a little update from Grant and my bush trip this past week with a cool story and something that definitely needs prayer.

We went to Michel's (CEIM pastor in Betioky) house on Tuesday night to hang out with him some.  We were catching up on how things had been going there in Betioky and talking about a leadership training we are planning with him in September.  The topic of cattle thieves came up as it does in most conversations in the bush right now and he began to tell us this story.

He told us that he was now meeting regularly with a cattle thief to do a Bible study.  This came about because the cattle thief had a sore on his right leg from his ankle to his knee.  The cattle thief had gone to the local hospital and they gave him medicine but it did not help.   So, he then turned to traditional medicine and spent all of his money on charms and going to the witch doctor to heal his leg, but this did nothing but leave him broke.  I guess out of desperation, he turned to a pastor to pray for him that his leg would be healed.  He came to Michel to pray for his leg and Michel did but he also preached the Gospel to him.  I wish I could say his leg was healed but it is still not, however he has since become a believer and is meeting regularly with Michel.  They are currently making plans to go and preach the Gospel to the other cattle thieves that he knows.  He was apparently a big guy among the cattle thieves and has been doing it for a while now.  Michel told us that his new friend was good friends with a notorious cattle thieve that was caught in Betioky in 2001.

Pray for Pastor Michel and this new endeavor he has set out on because it will be very dangerous.  Cattle thieves are a real and ever growing danger here in the Southern part of Madagascar.  We covet your prayers for not only his safety but for all the missionaries going out to the bush in the South.