Stories from the Bush

Grant and Steve normally take biweekly trips out to the bush...if you wonder what their time looks like out there you can look here or here or check out this post. Occasionally, they may do other trips and sometimes less but usually it's 2 different times each month.  God is doing some incredible things in the lives of the believers that are living in Mahafaly Land.  I seem to ALWAYS remember to ask you to pray but it seems that I usually forget to tell you how it went and give glory to Him for what He is doing.  So, after seeing a post from my supervisor and friend Jodie, I decided to recommit to giving you updates from their trips out.  Below you will find an excerpt from Grant's journal from their first trip out in August.

"...I told them we understood their daily struggle with ancestral ways versus Christian ways but that Steve and I, our families, and our church partners pray specifically for them and this struggle.  During this discussion, Emanda said that one day when he was walking near another village, one of his friends asked him about what the white people were doing in Kilimary.  He told them that we had come to “mampivavaka” (literally translated make pray – a term used for pastors and missionaries).  His friend answered back that they too had missionaries that had come to make them pray and had brought food, clothes, shoes, water, and other materials.  He asked Emanda what we had brought.  Emanda said that we brought the truth of the gospel.  He told his friend that we had become friends and they didn’t need all those other things because the gospel was changing their lives. 

Emanda also said that he didn’t trust some pastors and church leaders.  He said that two different church leaders had borrowed $50 from him.  He was never repaid the money borrowed.  He went on to say that we were different because we practice what we preach.  We preach to only have one wife, and only have one wife.  We preach not to steal, and we don’t take money and leave town.  He said that they trust us, and listen and respect the things that we teach.  He told us that they do this because we had built a good relationship with them first and that meant a lot to them."

Also, if you'd like to keep up with everything that's going on ministry wise in SW Madagascar - be sure and check out our team blog.  You can even sign up to pray for a village and then have access to every update regarding that specific village.  We covet your prayers and are truly grateful for them.  If I forget to update you - ask!  Help me remember because I do not want to forsake glorifying my Father for what He is doing in SW Mada!