Mission Madagascar

Preparing for Re-Entry

2010-06-09T18:09:00.000+03:00

As we prepare to leave Madagascar this week for a six-month “home assignment,” I’m filled with mixed emotions. I’m really looking forward to spending time with family and friends “back home,” but I also see that this island has become a part of us. Honestly, it’s going to be hard to re-enter American society after two years away. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten how to do so many technological things, but what’s worse, I’m afraid people will have forgotten us. Even though we’ve kept in touch through email and Skype, it’s not the same as regular phone conversations and visits. When you leave a place it stays imprinted in your mind in a certain way so it’s always shocking to return to find people you knew have changed or even moved on. And that’s only with the people!

Do you know I’ve never even set foot in the USA since Obama became president? This morning I was trying to remember what “American” milk tastes like. I’m used to shopping in an open-air, dirty market and paying for everything in cash. I think I’ve signed my name on official documents less than 10 times in the past two years. So if I look overwhelmed when I walk into a crowded mall or hesitate before signing a credit card receipt, you’ll know why.

But in all this transition, there is much to be thankful for. God has blessed us with “home” in two places, halfway around the world from each other. And whether we’re here or there, He remains that constant, never-changing presence in our lives.

Bevohoka aho!

2010-06-09T18:06:00.001+03:00

This phrase, in Malagasy, means, "My womb is full!" Or more simply put: "I'm pregnant!” But I think I’ve only said it a couple of times in my five months of pregnancy. In this country, it’s not considered appropriate to announce your pregnancy to any and everyone. The traditional Malagasy worry about witches cursing their unborn children. So you just wait until it “shows” for the word to spread. For me, that’s only been in the last couple of weeks! And still no one asks if I’m pregnant. Instead, they comment on my growing stomach or congratulate us on the “vahiny” (visitor) that is coming. In a culture where children are greatly prized and complete strangers ask how many children you have and are shocked if you say you don’t have any, there is such joy in pregnancy yet it’s somehow commonplace. No doubt when walking down the street here, you’ll meet at least five pregnant women in walking just a couple of kilometers.

I’ve enjoyed hearing the Malagasy perspective on pregnancy and childbirth. For example, sour things are to be eaten to help with morning sickness. You shouldn’t wear pants when pregnant as it can hurt the baby. After giving birth, you must keep warm, wearing as many clothes as you can, even if it is nearly 100 degrees! In order for the breast milk to come in, you should boil a certain kind of tiny little fish (called patsa) and drink the water. They say it’s filled with calcium and vitamins.

I’m sure I’ll gain even more insight from the Malagasy when we return with the baby in January. While I don’t believe all of these “words of wisdom,” I must admit they are doing something right! With the number of children, babies, and pregnant women around…this is the perfect testing ground for any new theory in child development!

The Paint Truck

2010-02-28T16:12:00.003+03:00

Yesterday while driving into the city we were caught in heavy traffic on a narrow, crowded road. Suddenly, we noticed people along the street in front of us stopping and turning to gape at something happening to a car up ahead. We thought maybe there had been an accident though this seemed unlikely considering we were already barely moving. Then the truck in front of us turned off, revealing a small white pick-up truck with some white unknown substance streaming off it's back bumper and onto the street. Daniel moved over to avoid driving through this white, sticky substance now lining the highway in even lines. Then we realized that this truck was hauling paint and one of the containers had overturned. The truck continued to draw a crowd of onlookers, all trying to figure out what was going on. For the next few kilometers, we watched as two men climbed out of the cab of the truck came around to the back, climbed on the bumper and began sorting through buckets and bags in the back, looking for the source of the paint leak. Finally, they found a big clear plastic bag filled that had "overturned." They put the bag in another container and set it off to the side. Then they ran back up to the cab. All the while the truck and our Land Rover were still moving slowly down the road! And the paint continued to stream unto the road...until we finally turned off.

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Rija Rasolondraibe

2010-01-05T08:38:00.003+03:00

I went to a concert of a famous Malagasy evangelical Christian singer on December 30. I started liking his music when I heard it on the bus countless times in July. I got the songs stuck in my head and started singing them to Malagasy friends until someone could tell me his name--Rija Rasolondraibe. Try saying that three times fast--let alone remembering it in the market! BUt if you remember that his last name means "grandfather's replacement" it's a wee bit easier!

Daniel finally found one of his CDs for me for Christmas. Then I found out a group from our church was going to his concert. I left home at 2 in the afternoon, finally got on the bus about 3 (some of the people I had to meet were late). We waited outside the auditorium (it’s indoors, a bit like Vets in Des Moines) for everyone and the woman who had our tickets for quite awhile. We got inside, found our seats in the last row (the place isn’t as big as Vets so not as far away, still pretty good seats) and waited and waited. The concert was supposed to start at 5 but didn’t start until 6, which was when most everyone had finally arrived. It was so hot and stuffy in there, no AC, no windows!

But it was great! Rija had a whole entourage with him of backup singers and a group of 6 gals that did a pretty good job of dancing. There were smoke machines, flames bursting from the front of the stage along with the beat, not to mention the flashing lights and big screen video and a screen just for the lyrics. A pretty impressive show for Madagascar—he even changed suits at intermission! ; )

The only technical glitch was that their projector got a little faulty, getting blurry and going on and off, in the second half. But all in all, it was a good show! He really sings from his heart and has had a big impact on many people here. He grew up as a “Christian,” going to church, but when he went abroad to study, he had a real conversion experience. His songs are beautiful and authentic. There’s one asking the Holy Spirit to come and fill you, another inviting Jesus to fill the place, and still another about the importance of prayer. There’s one he wrote too about heaven and how there won’t be any more politics there but just rejoicing together in unity (clearly Madagascar was on his mind when he wrote that one).

All in all it was a great experience of worshiping with friends. I'm thankful to God for this man who, though he lives abroad, is committed to writing worship songs in his mother tongue and coming home to Madagascar to perform each year.

2009-12-29T23:00:00.002+03:00

In Mada they are in the midst of the rice harvest here and since there is quite a bit of space around our house (and we're just up the hill from the rice paddies ) they are busy beating the rice, gathering kernels, and piling up the chaff to be given to the cattle as feed. I went out to talk with the people to learn more about the process this morning. I took some pictures as well which I told them I would send to America to show how rice is harvested here.They were very excited that I wanted to learn about the process and even more excited that others would get to see what they do. So Enjoy

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The Case of the Mistaken Consonant

2009-12-29T11:25:00.000+03:00

As any of you who have learned a language have experienced, it’s a challenge to remember the right word at the right moment especially when there is just one sound that differentiates one word from another. When we first moved into our house here in the outskirts of Tana, Daniel had such an experience.

I was visiting some friends that live down the street but Daniel didn’t know that. It was starting to get dark so he decided to go out looking for me. As he started up the street, he ran into our guard who was on his way to our house. He said, “Mitady ny vadiko aho.” That means, I’m looking for my wife.
But our guard thought he said, “Mitady ny vary aho,” which means, I’m looking for the rice. So he asked, “Which would you like, brown or white?”

Daniel, thinking he had understood that he was looking for HIS wife, was shocked. Brown or white? What? Surely, he must be joking! I’m happy with the wife I have.
But he actually didn’t understand. Vady is the word for spouse while vary is the word for rice. Since the r in vary is a rolled, hard r, if you’re not precise, it can sound like a d! Later they both had a good laugh about it but since then we’re more careful when looking for one another! : )

Vita Sinoa (Chinese Made) vs. Vita Malagasy (Malagasy Made)

2009-12-29T11:23:00.000+03:00

For Christmas this year, I bought Daniel miniature cooking pots with mini metal spoons. We plan to put salt in one and pepper in the other and put them on our table. They are a miniature version of the real cooking pots that are found in most Malagasy households. Actually, that’s one reason we wanted them as they have the “name-brand” Cocotte written on the lids.

When our Malagasy friend saw them, she began talking about the one her six-year-old granddaughter has and how she enjoys cooking rice (probably only about two tablespoons of rice will fit) in it. I commented on how much stronger and realistic the Malagasy ones are compared to the plastic Chinese-made ones that are also sold on the streets here. Our friend didn’t miss a beat but replied, “Yes, the Malagasy ones are so much better! My granddaughter would melt the other one right away cooking over the fire!”

Of course, I just smiled. I couldn’t help thinking how in America, we would never dream of letting our small children cook over a real fire alone so the plastic pots would just be used for “pretend” play. But here in Madagascar, not only do children play by cooking rice but many of them actually cook meals for their families and take care of their baby brothers and sisters!

Ms. Sarah, Did You Know?

2009-12-29T11:20:00.000+03:00

One day I was working on writing an English exam in the computer room at school. The bell rang, signaling the start of recess. A second grade Nigerian girl came bursting into the room, out of breath.

“Ms. Sarah, Ms. Sarah,” she exclaimed, “we just learned about your presidents in Social Studies.”

“Oh really, which presidents?” I asked.

“George Washington. Did you know his birthday is February 12? And the other one, Abraham Lincoln. His birthday is also in February. Why do you only have two presidents?”

“Well, we actually have had more than that, a lot more, but those are two of the most important,” I responded with a smile. Then I asked, “Who is the president of Nigeria?”

She thought for awhile and said, “I’m not sure. But Obama is my president.”

“Really? Barack Obama?” I asked, genuinely surprised, “I thought he was my president.”

“No, he couldn’t be your president. He’s mine because I’m African,” the little girl stated matter-of-factly.

At this point, I was laughing but managed to tell her that while Obama is African-American, he is the president of the United States. But that it’s really neat for us to have a black president so it’s understandable that so many people respect him.

I changed the subject by saying, “Why don’t you go outside and play? It’s such a beautiful, sunny day.”

“OK, but I don’t like the sun. It made me black!”

Again, I stifled a laugh and said, “That’s not possible. I LOVE the sun and spend a lot of time in it but I’m still white!”

2009: The Year in Review

2009-12-29T09:58:00.000+03:00

January
Sarah started teaching/training at MCA and Daniel started an English Club for children as well as an after-school homework help program for some of the kids at MCA. And we continued our language study two days a week.

Rallies and protests against the elected president began led by the mayor of Tana followed by Black Tuesday, January 27, the looting and burning of many shops and buildings, especially those of the president’s dairy business. School was closed for a week because of this!

February
Political unrest continued with a shooting on February 7 at the palace which killed about 30 people and heightened the problems. Ice cream and other dairy products became scarce. Our AIM team met often to pray and to plan in the event that we would have to evacuate the country. We also received a visit from the AIM Crisis Consultant who in the end recommended we stay in place as we were not in any danger, really just inconvenienced. We were glad to stay and continue to work with and encourage our Malagasy friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

March
We enjoyed a conference on Transformational Development by Lois Ooms. During that same week, Karin took over as Unit Leader for AIM Madagascar and March 17 we experienced our first coup as the mayor of Tana overthrew the president of Mada and the political rest continued.

Later that same week, we went to Johannesburg, South Africa for a leadership conference and interpersonal skills training with AIM.

April
We returned from South Africa to continued political unrest but despite continued protests, life began to take on a sense of normalcy again.

We celebrated our first Easter in Madagascar.

Daniel started the Talatamaty Language Center with an English class for adults in addition to the English Club for children.

May
We enjoyed a visit from Terry & Robbie Mason (Daniel’s team leaders when he did TIMO) when they came to Mada for his work as AIM’s Personnel Director.
Sarah organized and ordered the curriculum for the next school year.

June
The school year finished with plays from Aesop’s Fables, written by Daniel. We celebrated our first Malagasy Independence Day, June 26.

We praised God for how far we’d come since leaving the USA one year before.

July
The curriculum began to arrive and Sarah made many trips to the post office in the center of town to pick it up.

We went on vacation to south central Fianarantsoa and took the train to the east coast. We were involved in a horrible train accident on the return trip in which many people were killed and injured. We praised God that we were unscathed.

And we celebrated one year of life and ministry in Madagascar!

August
We traveled with Dudley and CAPRO missionaries, Diti & Sam, to survey the port cities of Mahajanga, Diego/Antsiranana, and Toliara. Time was also spent here in Tana. In all places, we met with pastors and Christian leaders to challenge them to pray about reaching out and doing missions in other parts of Mada and beyond. It was a rich time of partnership building as well as seeing how the Lord is already working in the Malagasy church in this way.

Sarah led a week of training (August 17-21) for the MCA teachers and prepared for another school year.

We traveled to a nearby island where Daniel received training to become a language facilitator for the LAMP (Language Acquisition Made Practical) course and became the language coordinator for the Madagascar unit as well. Sarah took care of the kids from the new TIMO team who were receiving the training for the first time.

September
School began again. In addition to teaching classes in creative writing, Sarah met regularly with the new teachers to help them prepare their lesson plans. She also observed all of the English classes at the school and made suggestions to the teachers on improvements that could be made.
Another term of the Talatamaty Language Center started with two classes and increased enrollment. A new Malagasy teacher was hired to teach one of the classes.

Daniel also led his first course in language acquisition using the LAMP method for some other missionaries.

October
We were blessed to be able to spend a week in France reconnecting with Daniel’s parents. We enjoyed seeing the sights, eating French food, but most of all doing it all TOGETHER!
We also did a lot of planning and preparing for the AIM Annual Team Conference held October 25-30.

November
On November 4, we celebrated 3 years of marriage!

Sarah traveled to the Short Term Forum in Uganda November 9-15. She learned a lot and officially took over her role as ST Coordinator for AIM in Mada.

November 18-19 Sarah took part in an American Embassy event to promote English education in Madagascar. It went really well and she even got her picture in the newspaper! : )

After a long search, we finally purchased a car, a 1993 Land Rover which has had many faithful years of service within the AIM family here in Mada.

December
Sarah welcomed her first Short Termer as the ST Coordinator, a gal from South Korea who will teach music for a year at a music school run by AIM missionaries.

Daniel introduced a new conversation class to the Talatamaty Language Center which will continue in the next term, along with another level of English for a total of 3 English classes!

Photo Album Link

2009-11-18T20:30:00.004+03:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041523&id=187702068&l=6571d7a8d4

Click on this to check out my "Life in Madagascar" photo album from Facebook.

One of these days I'll get around to updating our blog. If you're not receiving our prayer letters, you're probably wondering what's going on with us! You can always email us for more info though.

Our Vacation the End of July

2009-08-11T18:33:00.003+03:00

We were gone 9 days-we spent the first day traveling south to Fianarantsoa which is one of the bigger cities in Mada, a regional hub. The trip takes 9-10 hours by bus, not including the time on this end waiting for the bus! I think we left home at 5:30 a.m. and arrived in the city at about 5 p.m. We stayed at a great hotel there which has a wide range of rooms. We stayed in the cheapest withcommunal bathrooms but since there are still few tourists, we didn't really have to share the bathroom!
The food was excellent-chicken (without bones!?) and lots of ymmy fresh veggies! The
next morning we took the train to the coastal town of Manakara. That trip took about 8-9 hours. We spent the night near the city center & the next morning we went by bus to Mananjary (another coastal town, 4 hours by road to the north). There wasn't much to see there though we did enjoy a walk on the beach & a perusal of their markets. The following day we returned to Manakara & spent an extra daythere. Then we took the train back. We had planned to get off before the end of the line because we wanted to visit the tea plantation in a town about an hour from Fianarantsoa. And just before the station our train wrecked! Daniel was standing in the doorway when it happened, to ask the train worker if this was indeed the right stop. So he was one of the first off the train! We had all our stuff together as we were ready to get off anyway and we first made a run for the hotel (which thankfully was within a few minutes' walk) before all the other tourists could get there & book rooms. It was already about 5:30 in the evening so we didn't think our chances of getting transport on to the larger city were so good. Plus, there was fuel leaking from the train so we thought there could be an explosion! Once we had secured a room & gained our bearings a bit, we ran back to see if we could help. There was nothing we could do but watch as the train workers & other passengers & local volunteers helped people out of the wreckage. It was really horrible! The nextmorning we went back to see what was happening. They were still waiting for the train officials to arrive but had already taken the dead & injured to the hospital (also in the larger city, about an hour away) the night before. Some of the passengers were still waiting for the train (the engine & the first few cars were able to complete the journey) to return to pick them up-poor people! After we toured the tea plantation, we caught a bus to the city. The next day we went to another nearby town, Ambalavao, where they make famous Malagasy paper from the leaves of a certain plant that grows only here in Mada. It's in a beautiful valley so we also just enjoyed the view & spent time relaxing. We then returned to Fianarantsoa & explored the old part of the city, visited the market & visited with some of our fellow AIM missionaries who happened to be in town. We finally took the bus back to Tana!! It wasn't a very restful trip as we did a lot of traveling but we were able to see a lot & enjoyed some nice meals. I think my favorite part was the first train ride as we stopped in villages along the way where we could buy snacks & chat with the people. I also enjoyed the market in Manakara as we were able to buy lots of spices because it's on the "spice route." We stayed at a nice hotel there one night right on the coast. There was a beautiful fir tree-lined path along the beach. It was remarkably clean & peaceful.

But it's good to be home! Not for long though...as next week (Aug 4-8) we go to the north of the country with Dudley (our leader from South Africa) and some Nigerian men who are leader in an African mission that AIM partners with. They're coming to see what the opportunities are for sending missionaries to the north of the country & we get to be their guides. we'll be helping to translate as they don't speak Malagasy & helping them find their way around. We're also interested in seeing what opportunities exist there. The one city is particularly Muslim and has a real Arabic influence. We'll only be gone 4 days this time!

Our winter was cold but seems to be warming up now. We were surprised when we were on the coast how cold it was! Not uncomfortable but not hot like you expect when you're at the ocean. We couldn't swim there anyway because of the current & risk of sharks but I had thought it would be much warmer!

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Here we are on the beach in Manakara with the Indian Ocean behind us.

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A flat tire!?! Amazingly, this was our first in all of our travels by taxi-brousse. The spare tire was also bald. We thought this was especially funny since we once had a language lesson about bald tires and the police. When I asked if there were any police in the area, our driver thought I was really in tune with Malagasy culture as the French man on board was asking if they didn't have another tire while I was more concerned that we didn't get in trouble!

2009-08-08T23:12:00.001+03:00

While we were waiting for the tire to be changed, I snapped a photo of this Betsileo (one of the Malagasy tribes) man in his blanket.

Another hurdle in our travels...such is traveling in the Third World

2009-08-08T23:11:00.001+03:00

Yes, they meant to cut this tree down. Why they were cutting it so close to the road, I don't know! Instead of moving the tree, they just took the baggage off of the roof to get us through. One of our missionaries passed by later in the day though & they had cleared the road.

Along the Indian Ocean in Manakara

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Doesn't the Ideal Hotel sign make it look Ideal?!?

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"Brrr! This water is cold!" says Sarah. It's even winter at the coast!

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Here are some pictures of our enjoyable moments on the train!! It realy was a great trip!! other than the ending.

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Some more pictures of our train trip! I realy loved the sellers that would come up to the train selling everything from pepper to vanilla to home made snacks!! The one of me with the "1st Class" sign which is what we were aiming at is funny, and check the tiny woman walking past me!! I am the giant of Mada, for sure.

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Here are some photos that were taken right after the train wrecked...Before we relized the extent of things !! Our train car is the one still on the tracks, two from the one overturned. Looking at these pictures again reminds me of how amazing it is that we wern't hurt at all, God's hand of protection was certainly with us.

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These pictures were taken the next morning. You can see a huge crowd was gathering. people walked from all around to see what had happened. And some of these people are passengers of the train waiting to be picked up and taken to the city. Poor People!!

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Pizza...to Go!

2009-07-31T11:15:00.000+03:00

This week I ordered pizza on the phone for the first time. While I’m fairly comfortable speaking Malagasy when I’m face-to-face with someone, I’m still working on talking on the phone. When I was preparing what I had to say, I was struck but how different it is ordering pizza here compared to the U.S. The last time I ordered pizza in Chicago, they already had my name and address because of some computerized system that recognizes the phone number when you call in. Not so, here. Even though we have a “street address,” we rarely use it. No one would be able to find your house by a street address alone. Instead, you have to go into a lengthy description of the route. I’ll include my dialog here just so you get the idea (it’ll also give you a flavor of the Malagasy language).

“Te hikomandy pizza izahay fa mantitra ati an-trano ve ianareo? Mipetraka eto Ambohinambo izahay. Mandalo ny fiangonana FJKM. Dia manohy dia mivily ankavanana dia misy sampanana. Mivily ankavia miaraka amin’ ny lalana “parve.” Rehefa tapatra ny “parve” dia mbola manohy amin’ ny lalantany. Dia misy tany malalaka amin’ ny ankavanana dia mivily amin’ ny ankavanana rehefa avy mandalo ny tany malalaka dia misy trano misy tafo maitso sy vavahady maitso io amin’ ny ankavia. Dia ao.”

And all this before I even said what kind of pizza I wanted!

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

2009-07-16T23:12:00.004+03:00

I'm showing off the gifts Daniel gave me for my birthday, a stocking cap with the Malagasy flag & the abbreviated name--Mada--and a cool t-shirt which reads "Gasy K' Tsara " (that means more or less , if it's Malagasy, it's got to be good! ). Daniel thinks it's funny because in English it looks a bit like "Gasy Sarah." Really, isn't that a loving gift!!?? :)

2009-07-16T23:03:00.004+03:00

Sarah in front of the American Cookie Shop in the city. It's run by a Malagasy woman who studied in Washington D.C. She lived there for 10 years so not only does she speak English well but makes a decent selection of American Cuisine---bagel sandwichs (BLT & Chicken Melt to name just two!) , American-sized mugs of hot drinks, a Chicago Hot Dog, milkshakes, smoothies, & more! So that was my birthday lunch--well not all those things.

2009-07-16T22:52:00.003+03:00

Here I am on my birthday (July 9). We didn't bother to put candles on the cake as the power was out when we got home from celebrating in the city. We have a great video of Daniel singing happy birthday to me. At the end, he asks me to make a wish & blow out the candle. I say, " But then we'll be in the dark! " It's funny but I'm afraid our internet isn't strong enough for sending such delightful tidbits!

English Club Helicopter Outing

2009-07-16T22:36:00.006+03:00

This day we took 19 kids to visit the hangar at the airport. One of the missionaries with Helimission (a Swiss man whose son & daughter attend the English Club) agreed to show the kids the helicopters & tell them a little about how they fly. As you can imagine, the kids were so excited!!

Afterwards, we went to their house to look at pictures, talk more about helicopters, and of course, drink pop & eat cookies!!

My Walk to School

2009-07-01T14:14:00.004+03:00

When I was a child, I always wanted to walk to school, but living nearly three miles from school in another town, this wasn’t feasible. Here in Madagascar, we live a 20 minute walk from the school where I teach. So my dream of walking to school has become a reality but it’s nothing like I pictured when I was a child.

Just outside of our gate, I trudge through reddish brown dirt on a narrow footpath through a weedy lot until I reach the road in our neighborhood of Ambohinambo. Sometimes the zebu cattle are already grazing, tied to an invisible point, with their owners nowhere in sight. I pass children, in their blue smock uniforms, also on their way to school. They smile shyly at me or call out “Bonjour!” to which I reply with the traditional Malagasy greeting, “Manahoana!” As the road turns to cobblestone from dirt, I reach the nearest shop, a small cement building, with a table laden with vegetables next to it. Our vegetable seller and her oldest daughter will be manning the table. “Handeha hampianatra ve? Are you going to teach?” they ask. I nod the affirmative, comment on the weather, and maybe pause to place an order for corn or beans which I will pick up on my return home. “Mazoto!” they wish me as I continue on my way (literally this means, diligent, but it’s meant as well-wishing like the English, “Have a good day!”).

“Manahoana, tompoko!” I call to the bread seller. “Manahoana! Salama tsara!—I am well!” she replies. The traffic increases as I near the marketplace and the main intersection of our suburb, Talatamaty. Dodging a wooden cart drawn by two zebu cattle harnessed together, I call out “Manahoana!” to the men perched on top of the load. At the corner, I weave my way through the crowd gathered around the newspaper stand, catching up on the daily news. Turning left, I move into the main street, as the narrow sidewalk is too congested to walk on. Carefully, I make my way between the throngs of people moving on my left and the stopped traffic on my right. I pass the gendarme or police officers directing traffic and ask, “Inona no vaovao—what’s the news?” They typically reply, “Tsy misy—there isn’t any,” even though there is always something happening! As the sidewalk widens at the bus stop, I gradually make my way off the road, careful not to get in the way of any of the sellers who have arrived on the bus, heavy loads of rice or vegetables balanced on their heads. The bus driver honks his horn and his helper calls out, “Miakatra,” as the two gather passengers for their trip into Antananarivo.

Fruit and vegetable peelings cover the ground as people prepare their stands to sell for the day. I step wherever I can find a place while the city workers, men in coveralls, sweep the sidewalk. In about an hour, the way will be clear again. The congestion increases again as I began the downhill descent to the school’s entrance. Backpack slung over my left shoulder, braced by the same arm, I am aware for possible pickpockets but also just trying to make myself smaller than my 5 feet, 11 inches as I bend below market umbrellas and twist and turn, trying to stay out of the way of those carrying loads much heavier than my own. If I don’t watch it, I’ll trip over a basket of French bread or accidently smash someone’s neat piles of oranges arranged for sale on a cloth on the ground. Finally, I reach the steep cobblestone driveway of the school, anxious to begin to teaching, but also looking forward to the afternoon when I will enter the Malagasy mayhem of buying and selling once again.

2009-06-14T22:10:00.000+03:00

Koba: A Favorite Malagasy Treat!

2009-06-14T22:07:00.004+03:00

2009-06-13T19:27:00.002+03:00

Just a few pictures of our market place that (Terry visitor from AIM Intl Office) took during their visit.

2009-06-13T19:23:00.001+03:00

2009-06-13T19:22:00.000+03:00

2009-06-13T19:19:00.001+03:00

2009-06-13T19:16:00.001+03:00

2009-06-13T19:14:00.000+03:00

2009-06-13T19:13:00.001+03:00

Pizza, Pizza!

2009-06-13T19:11:00.002+03:00

"Cheesing it up" at our favorite pizza place. When we left the States almost a year ago, we weren't sure when we would have pizza again, but it turns out we have four pizza places between our place and the airport!

Patisseries Galore: Thanks, France!

2009-06-13T19:09:00.001+03:00

Another advantage to living in the capital city is eating delicious French pastries. It's one of the few positive aspects of Madagascar being a former French colony.

Talatamaty

2009-06-13T19:05:00.002+03:00

This is the main intersection in our "suburb", Talatamaty. The big market is to the left. If you look closely, you can see Daniel bargaining for a taxi (he's in black on the curb to the right).

Cattle-Drawn Cart

2009-06-13T18:55:00.006+03:00

The Waiting Game

2009-05-28T21:40:00.001+03:00

The political situation seems to be at a stand-still. The former president would still like to return home to Madagascar and continues to try to rally support from the international community. Continued efforts have been made to try to resolve the situation with help from the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations (perhaps there are others involved as well), but as of yet, no dialogues have truly been successful. The new elections are currently set for October 2010 though the aforementioned groups are pushing for elections much sooner rather than later. Please pray that there would be successful and productive dialogues and that elections would be held as soon as possible so that the Malagasy people can have a voice in their government once again!

For the most part, life continues as normal for us here. There was a shortage on margarine for awhile as the former president’s company, Tiko (the only supplier of butter and margarine in the country!), was forced out of business by the transitional leader. We now have margarine imported from South Africa for almost half the original price of the Tiko products (go figure!). Yet this is a minor inconvenience compared with the rising price of oil and flour (the Malagasy don’t use that much margarine anyway!) and the declining foreign aid. Please pray for the poor who just keep getting poorer that there might be more jobs available and that the cost of living would not increase too much!

If you are interested in following the political situation more closely, I recommend checking the BBC website or searching for “Madagascar News” on Yahoo. Then you can get the most recent articles in English! If you are really into political hearsay or just want to hear the former president speak English (ha!), you might also check YouTube and search for Madagascar, Rajoelina, or Ravalomanana.

Sunday is Global Prayer Day and thousands of Malagasy will gather at the stadium in the center of the city to pray for their country and the world. They are thankful for your prayers as well!

Update on the Political Situation

2009-03-31T15:29:00.003+03:00

I apologize for the delay in updating you all on the situation. We are currently in South Africa attending some leadership training conferences with AIM. However, exactly two weeks ago, before we left Madagascar, President Ravalomanana stepped down from his office, handing power of the government over to his military commanders. He did this out of concern for the Malagasy people. Within a day the opposition leader had taken control of the situation and was sworn in by the high courts as president. This action has been called a coup by the UN, the U.S., the African Union, and most recently, the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It's understandable considering his move was undemocratic but will have great effects on the economy and even moreso, the poorest of the poor in Madagascar. Much non-humanitarian aid has been withdrawn from the country and sanctions have been placed against Madagascar. The actual elected president (Ravalomanana) has left the country but is trying to regain his rightful authority in Madagascar by rallying with the international community. Over 30,000 supporters of the president have held protests and rallies in the capital, mostly peaceful though resulting in some minor injuries. It seems the tables have been turned with the opposition leader (the new president) calling for dialog with the former president as he is now struggling to keep control. It's a bit ironic since he was unwilling to cooperate while the president was still in power. We will know more when we return to Tana but wanted to fill you in on the latest so that you will know how to pray for the leaders as well as the common people of Madagascar.

Please pray for wisdom & discernment for those in power to make decisions and for helpful direction and assistance from the international community which could lead to a peaceful end and solution to the ongoing unrest.

Pray for the Malagasy as prices rise and their spirits fall with the difficulties that result from this unrest in the government.

Pray for us and other missionaries that we can be an encouragement and a light to our Malagasy friends and co-workers during this difficult time.

And please pray for unity among Malagasy Christians and within the church.

Thank you!

The Terminal

2009-03-14T18:53:00.001+03:00

We recently watched the movie, The Terminal, which reminded us of the high security in U.S. airports. Here in Madagascar, the security is much lower. In fact, one of our favorite places to hang out on a day off is at the Ivato International Airport. It's just a 20 minute bus ride from the bus stop near our home. There is only one sit-down restaurant in the international departures and arrivals building but the view of the runway and the mountains is excellent. We like to sit there, order a big bottle of Classiko Cola (something like Coke made by the president's company), speak Malagasy with the waiters, and then watch the planes take off and land. These pictures were taken there recently. It's actually the only place in the airport where you are allowed to take pictures. Many of our co-workers find it amusing that we enjoy the airport so much, but a clear view of the runway is a thing of the past at most American airports. Even as a ticketed passenger, you often can't find a place to see clearly what is happening on the runway. But here in Madagascar, you can see it all! And, a trip to the airport is like a trip to another country. Depending on which flight is leaving that day, it might seem that you are in Europe or South Africa. The people we see in the airport are so different from the ones we see on the street and some of the foreigners are really intriguing. For example, when we went late in the evening to pick up a returning missionary, we encountered two American guys waiting for the flight to arrive. At first I was excited to hear them speaking English (we don't see many Americans) but before I had a chance to greet them, I realized they were a couple of hick southerners. One was drinking a huge bottle of Three Horses Beer (the national brew which is cheap and readily available, no laws managing the consumption of alcohol that I'm aware of) and the other had a can of Mountain Dew (which I later realized was not for drinking but for spitting because of the large wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth). They were walking around the arrivals corridor loudly joking in their southern drawl. It was one of those moments when you're not so proud to be an American! Yet it's another reason why hanging out at the airport is so fascinating!

2009-03-14T18:52:00.000+03:00

Andasibe National Park

2009-03-14T00:47:00.001+03:00

We recently took a weekend off to visit nearby Andasibe National Park. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Madagascar as it is only 3 hours from Tana and provides many opportunities to spot the famous Indri lemurs (There is a picture of one below). This is the off-season for tourism right now and because of the political situation it is even quieter than usual! It's unfortunate because their are so many Malagasy park guides without work. So they were thrilled to see us and happy to hear that we'd "survived" Tana. Some of the things they'd heard were just absurd! The other photo was taken from a small hotel restaurant in the village of Andasibe (about 3 km from the park). We spent some time in the village where we discovered delicious fried bananas and other fried cakes for a cheap breakfast on the run! Yeah, not so healthy but really tasty... In the photo, you'll notice the clothes hanging out to dry on the wooden fence. This seemed to be the trend around town so I had to capture a photo since it's not like that in the city. Here, they lay their clothes on grassy hillsides or rocks along the rivers or hang them on a clothesline.

2009-03-14T00:46:00.002+03:00

2009-03-14T00:46:00.001+03:00

Miandry Faty - Waiting on the Dead

2009-03-14T00:44:00.002+03:00

Over the last weekend, one of our elderly neighbors passed away (we’d never met him). The family is very poor and lives in a thatch-roofed hut just down the hill from us. People started arriving in the afternoon and stayed all night. They moved the body outside since the house is so small and began the miandry faty or “waiting on the dead." The ceremony stems from the idea that if you leave the dead body alone the witches will come and evoke bad spirits. Yet the families cannot afford to keep the corpse at a morgue.

A couple of the men came up to our house to ask a favor. I was afraid they would want to use our house to display the body, but thankfully they just asked to use our electricity (they have none) by running a long extension cord up to our house so that people would be able to see the corpse. The cord wasn’t wired correctly so after numerous tries our night guard eventually got it to work. He kept joking that they didn’t know anything about electricity though I must admit I found it pretty funny that they had purchased a light bulb and extension cord not having electricity themselves. They began singing sad, mourning songs around the corpse at about 9 p.m. and didn’t stop until almost 5 a.m. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep, but it was fascinating to hear some of their cultural funeral practice. To add to the excitement in the neighborhood, a drunken fight broke out near our house, interrupting the ceremony and keeping our guard entertained. In the morning, before we were up and about, they embalmed the body and placed it in a simple wooden coffin with red flowers decorating the top (pictures below). When we began watching again, they were waiting for the car to arrive to take the corpse to the countryside to be buried. Later we learned that we could have gone to visit, even though we’d never met the man, as it is common practice for neighbors to pay their respects. However, as foreigners, we weren’t sure what to do. They won’t take offense because we are foreigners but next time we will eagerly attend to learn more about the Malagasy practice of caring for the dead.

2009-03-14T00:43:00.000+03:00

2009-03-14T00:40:00.001+03:00

Q: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

2009-03-09T16:39:00.003+03:00

A: To get to the bus stop so he could board the taxi-be.

On Saturday we were riding the local taxi-be (bus). When we stopped at a bus stop, I got up to move seats. That's when I heard a loud squawk in the seat next me. I looked over and noticed a chicken nestled between the legs of his owner. There was a woman and a child seated next to the man but neither seemed to notice the chicken. Having poultry on the bus is just part of everyday life in Madagascar. Someone was going to have a nice dinner but first he had to carry him home. I wonder if there is bus fare for chickens...

The Political Saga Continues

2009-03-09T16:33:00.004+03:00

Today Madagascar still has two presidents: the real one and the "wanna-be." There are now two militaries as well. Yet it seems the majority of the people are still behind the elected-president, Marc Ravalomanana. However, the opposition leader and former-mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, refuses to end his battle to overthrow the president. So the gatherings continue as does the watching and waiting. Saturday the buses were not running into the city. On Sunday, we rode the bus and went to church in the city. Today, the buses are still running, a rally was held, and the looting has started again because some of the military, tired of accusations that they were "fighting the people" decided to stay at base camp. What will tomorrow hold? Only God knows. Is the end in sight? It's difficult to tell. So we watch and wait...and pray.

View from Ambohimanga

2009-02-14T23:57:00.002+03:00

This is the incredible view from the palace at Ambohimanga. The green patches through the middle of the photo are rice paddies, many of which have already been harvested this time of year though these look like they are still waiting to be harvested.

Ambohimanga: Historic and Sacred

2009-02-14T23:54:00.001+03:00

On Saturday, February 7th, we visited Ambohimanga. It's a little more than an hour drive from where we live in Tana but is actually much nearer to our home than it seems. There just isn't a road that goes directly there (such is life in Madagascar!) and walking through the rice paddies didn't seem feasible! Ambohimanga literally means "blue hill" and is a large hill which was home to King Andrianapoinimerina's palace (the first king in Madagascar). His palace (a very high one room house) is still there along with a later Queen's summer dwelling. Ambohimanga is also a sacred place for ancestral worship for the Malagasy. There is a large stone set aside specifically for the sacrificing of zebu cattle. Sacrifices still occur to this day. Near the place where I am sitting above, we were surprised to see blood stains and candle wax from a recent sacrifice. It's an incredible place of history (one of the few that remains mostly intact) for the Malagasy but also a place of great spiritual darkness. It reminded us that animism is still so present in this place and how badly the Malagasy need to hear the Gospel truth.

L to R, top to bottom: Sarah posing with a monument outside the main entrance of Ambohimanga; a typical Merina tomb in the countryside on our drive; Daniel standing in the "servant entrance" of the palace compound; Sarah on a cliff overlooking the countryside where some sacrifices take place; Daniel looking at a Malagasy man's "collection" of currency and trying to decide if he's supposed to be bargaining to take some home; and finally Daniel on the same cliff with the view!

Wait and See...and Pray!

2009-02-13T13:13:00.003+03:00

Thank you for your prayers! There is little new with the political situation here. The former mayor (he was fired by the president last week) still claims he is in control of the country. The actual president is standing strong and had a rally with thousands of supporters in attendance earlier this week. Yet the mayor is still installing his own ministers in a kind of parallel illegal government. He does not have the necessary papers to impeach the presidents and the courts have said they do not have the necessary grounds to impeach him. We heard that there were to be talks between the two parties, mediated by leaders from the four main church denominations here (Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Anglican). Most of the information we receive is purely conjecture and rumor. This is partly because the Malagasy thrive on rumors and hearsay; it's part of the culture. But it also because the newspapers, radio and TV stations are all owned and operated by an involved party. Thus, it's difficult to get an unbiased opinion! Yet, it seems to me (obviously my opinion is also biased) that the majority of the people I interact with long for normal life to return. For the most part, they seem to disagree with the way the former mayor has tried to obtain power even if they agree that the president has done wrong in some areas.

We are well and safe. Our school held classes all this week. So now we wait and see...and pray that peace will remain and the government will become stable once again without further violence or detriment to the economy of this already very poor nation!

Thank you, Grandpa!

2009-02-13T11:54:00.002+03:00

If you check our blog regularly, it may seem to be "under contruction" at times. This is because our blog is a collaboration of our efforts here (with limited internet access) as well as those of my Grandpa Harold Hedrick back in the USA. He posts photos that I email to him (for some reason the internet connection allows us to email photos but we cannot upload them to the blog). So after he posts the photos, I will add the captions. So a big thank you to my grandpa for keeping you "visually" connected with us here in Mada! : )

Our Garden

2009-02-03T02:08:00.002+03:00

This photo was taken on our front porch with our garden behind us. Daniel has been doing a lot more gardening lately with the help of our Malagasy gardener/guard, Tiana. You can grow almost anything in Madagascar! We now have papaya and coffee trees along with all sorts of flowers.

Akany Avoko

2009-02-03T02:06:00.002+03:00

Akany Avoko Children's Home is just a 15-20 minute bus ride from our home. There are 100 troubled and orphaned children who live here. They have their own school and a training program for teens which teaches them skills (sewing, handicrafts, etc) so that they can enter Malagasy society at age 18. It's a wonderful place to visit and they are eager to have volunteers. I (Sarah) and one of my Malagasy colleagues from school may start volunteering there soon. Right now there are 14 babies living here. Can you imagine? That's 14 cribs in one room. They are so adorable, but I'm glad I'm not on staff in that room during the night. For more information, you should check out www.akanyavoko.com.

Miantsena aho.

2009-02-02T20:42:00.003+03:00

As I've mentioned before, buying and selling is the way of life here in Madagascar. The subject of this post means, "I am going to market." Yes, there is actually a verb for going to the market in Malagasy. In this photo, I am standing on the steep stone steps overlooking Analakely, the largest marketplace in Madagascar. There are also sellers lining the stairs behind me with their wares. Even on the rural streets near our home, there are many vegetable sellers. It's hard to find a place in the city where there isn't someone selling something. I am wearing a Malagasy-made hat and carrying a Malagasy-made market bag. In this case, I was actually on my way to the post office to pick up a package but we do use these market bags for fruits and veggies, too!

Lemurs

2009-02-02T20:36:00.002+03:00

At Christmastime, we visited the nearby Lemurs' Park and saw many of the various types of lemurs which live throughout the island. As you can see, they are quite tame in the park and very accustomed to visitors. While we don't see lemurs in the trees around our house, you can see them in some of the rural areas and in most of the national parks. We hope to visit as many of these parks as we can to enjoy all the unique creatures and scenery God placed on this island that are so unique from the rest of the world.

Happy Birthday, Daniel!

2009-02-02T20:29:00.004+03:00

Daniel celebrated his birthday with brownie pudding cake and Classiko Cola (better than Coke, in our opinion, and made by the President of Madagascar's company!). Unfortunately, I didn't let the cake cool long enough before putting the candle in it so we had some blue wax along with our cake--yum!

Update on the Political Situation

2009-02-01T19:05:00.001+03:00

The following is an excerpt from our January prayer letter, sent January 29, 2009:

We waited in line for four hours this week to gas up the car we are borrowing. Because
of the current political situation, the people are afraid there will be a shortage of fuel,
especially if the road to the port is cut off. As we waited, we realized how blessed we
are not to have experienced anything of this kind in the past. The price of cooking oil
has doubled this week to more than $8 per liter. The prices of rice, sugar, flour, and
other basic necessities will also rise. Dairy products are becoming scarce as the president’s
company is the main supplier of these items but is no longer producing due to
the turmoil. The Malagasy are very sad about what is happening so we try to empathize
with them but furthermore these experiences enable us to sympathize with those
in much worse circumstances around the world.

The mayor of Antananarivo and the president of Madagascar come from opposing political
parties. The mayor disagrees with some of the recent decisions the president has
made so has begun calling for his dismissal from office and replacement with an interim
government until the end of his term in 2011. The international community is calling
for the two to hold talks with an intermediary but so far the mayor has declined. Unfortunately,
some people have taken advantage of this situation by rioting and looting. However, we are quite safe where we live so please do not worry BUT PRAY! We will keep you informed.

Here is an update:
Yesterday (Saturday) at a rally in downtown Antananarivo, the mayor declared himself to be the president of Madagascar beginning on Monday. The president has called this ludicrous, stating that there are many mayors in the country but none has the right to declare himself president as he is an elected official. The mayor is calling for people to not go to work (especially government officials) until he has formally resumed his role as the new president. The president, on the other hand, has called the people to ignore this request and return to their normal routine, for the good of the country. There is a possibility for a protest or riot to emerge tomorrow (Monday) but as of right now, the country is completely at peace. We went to the city for church today and it appeared to be a typical Sunday, people quietly going to church, children playing soccer, some stores open, buses running. But we don't know what tomorrow will hold! Hopefully the mayor will agree to talk with the president about the disagreements and not continue with his ploy to overthrow the government. We will keep you posted. Please continue to pray.

Reflections on Christmas in Madagascar

2008-12-24T12:37:00.003+03:00

Last December, we drove for more than two hours to the Christmas tree farm in Oregon, Illinois. We trudged through the snow and dug through the flakes to find the trunk of our “real” chosen tree so that we could chop it down. We drank hot chocolate by the fire before venturing out into the blizzard. We tied the tree to the roof of our car with gloved-hands before driving or rather sliding through blizzard-like conditions back to our home. We decorated the tree with the decorations we have collected in two years of marriage and hung our store-bought stockings in the living room.

This year, Christmas looks a little different. We haggled for our fake, three-foot tall Christmas tree in the famous Analakely market here in Tana. We even bargained for our decorations. I think we may have spent a grand total of $3. Instead of a winter storm, we wove our way, carrying our tree through crowds of sellers and buyers, often walking down the middle of the street, to find our way back to the taxi-be stop. We squeezed into the bus, and Daniel tucked the tree in the seat beside him. Good thing fake trees don’t lose needles! By the time we arrived home, we were dripping with sweat, and not just from exertion. The sun is incredibly hot here! Later, I sewed two red stockings to “hang” (you can’t pound nails in cement!) by our fireplace. They don’t sell stockings here. I never realized stockings are an American tradition. Apparently so are candy canes. Chocolate escargot is preferred by the French (that is, based on the imports we see in the grocery store).

This week we went to the post office in town to collect our Christmas packages from America. We spent more than two hours traveling to the city (it’s only 8 miles away!) and tested our knowledge of the bus system. We waited for buses at three different bus stops before finally catching one that took us about half-way. At this time of year, most of the buses just stop running all the way into town as there is so much traffic. Judging by the crowds, they can probably make just as much money only running half of their usual route. Eventually we got a bus to take us into town where we joined the throngs of people doing their Christmas shopping. I thought Christmas shopping in America was crazy! Add the sweltering heat, haggling in a foreign tongue, pickpockets galore, sellers everywhere you try to step, dirty streets, and complete disorganization; then you’ve caught a glimpse of shopping in Antananarivo.

Did I mention I had to go to two post offices to collect our packages? I walked down the main street (dodging potential pickpockets and the innumerable vanilla sellers that just don’t understand that I live here and already have plenty!) and climbed the steep stairs that are filled with child musicians, beggars, rubber stamp makers (stamps are extremely important in this country!), and that’s not to mention all the sellers of nearly everything imaginable and then some! At the “upper” post office, I had to present slips of paper to the postal worker and sign a book so that I could receive the necessary slips of paper to collect my packages from the “lower” post office. You guessed it! This means a trip back down the steep stone stairs through the hordes of people yelling, “Madame! Madame! Vanille! Vanille!” on the main street. After turning the corner, I wove my way through the most crowded street I’ve ever seen! The sidewalk is full of wares for sale and children playing and sleeping. Meanwhile, the street is almost always congested with traffic. That leaves a narrow pathway between parked cars and slightly moving cars to make one’s way to the post office.

At the “lower” post office, the procedure is very Malagasy. First, you present your slips to the postal worker in the middle who directs you to either end or both depending on what your little slip of paper tells him (it’s in French so doesn’t tell me much!). Sometimes he also has you sign his book; I’m not sure why. This time I got to go to both ends which resulted in language practice with all of the postal workers! One man received my slip then handed it to the woman next to him who collected my money (yes, we have to pay a small tax) while he made up the receipt. Then another woman went to fetch my package. I took the package back to the first man and explained that I would like to first collect my other package at the other end before returning to have them examined. He agreed so I went to the other end of the post office where I gave them the second slip of paper. They also had me sign in their book. Then I paid the cashier and received my package. Then I returned to the first man, who happens to be my favorite. He always asks me, “Inona ity?” or “What is this?” My answer is always the same: candy, food, books in English, papers in English, etc. Really, I only vary slightly depending on what is actually in the package. He really gets a kick out of my saying “in the English language” so many times so has started completing my sentences for me. He also likes to say, “From America!” with a big smile! He’s never given me a hard time about anything yet so I think he’s just curious to know what it is that we foreigners receive all the way from our home countries. He probably thinks we eat a lot of candy, too.

After collecting our packages, I met up with Daniel who had just finished his shopping. We returned to the bus stop at a little before 2 in the afternoon (very early) but there were no buses to be found. After watching people fight their way onto the first buses that arrived, literally jumping in through the windows and shoving each other out of the way, we became a little concerned but decided we’d just have to make a run for it. So the next bus that arrived, we ran up beside it, Daniel pushing me in front of him and me stretching out my arms to block the way of those who might try to slip by. We clambered into the back seat, laughing about the advantage of having much longer appendages than the average Malagasy.

So that’s just a little story of what it’s like to live in Madagascar at Christmastime. What I don’t understand is why the Malagasy are so crazy about shopping! Only the children receive gifts for Christmas, usually just a little candy. The adults give gifts on New Year’s Day which is when they have their family gatherings. Christmas is the day they attend church (mostly because it’s tradition and a chance to get all dressed up) and many of the children go to a Christmas party following the service. But there isn’t nearly the material hubbub that we have in America. For instance, a common Christmas gift is a live chicken because for most families it’s a treat to be able to eat chicken. Christmas doesn’t start in October here either. Rumor has it, gifts and decorations will continue to arrive through January, as they are a little behind and it takes a while to import things to this island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. In a lot of ways, it’s nice to see Christmas being a day celebrated in church though we definitely miss the American tradition of family togetherness. The question is not whether or not Jesus is remembered at this time of year but how? How many Malagasy truly understand the Gospel? Do they see Jesus as a traditional story or as a living Savior who came to earth to save us from our sins? Let’s pray that more hearts will be opened to the Savior.

Total Helicopters in Mada = 2

2008-11-26T17:32:00.002+03:00

Today we were talking with our team leaders. They nonchalantly made a comment about there being two helicopters in Madagascar--one belonging to the president & one belonging to Helimission. That's when I burst out laughing! I find it hard to believe that I live in a country where there are only two helicopters.

There are also only 2 CAT-scan machines in Mada but only one is accessible to the public. As you can imagine, the line to get a scan is exceptionally long & the cost expensive. There are also few reliable blood tests here. Rumor has it, almost every test you take will tell you that you have malaria or typhoid when perhaps neither one is the case.

That's when it hits you that you really & truly live in a third world country.

Team Conference Photos

2008-11-17T17:58:00.006+03:00

Here are some photos from our conference with our AIM team. The first is of a bunch of the single women missionaries & myself. We have some amazing women who have been in Mada for a long time! I think the longest is 15 years...and they are single to boot! The second one is of our entire AIM team with the addition of a couple of Malagasy guys that watched the kids & the exception of our Dutch teammate, Gerla. Carel & Annetjie, our team leaders, are pictured near the top with us. This happens to be taken at the center of Madagascar which was really close to where we had our conference. We went for a picnic there (also pictured). The last one is of Daniel & Canadian missionary, Kevin, introducing our guest speaker, Jannie, from South Africa to true Malagasy coffee.

Greetings from rainy Antananarivo!

2008-11-17T17:31:00.005+03:00

Greetings from rainy Antananarivo! There is a cyclone just north of Madagascar which is causing some early rain showers--what a blessing after months of dryness! However, it is unusual to have cyclones at this time of year, so we are praying that it will not hit the island but remain off the coast. Surely, there will be more cyclones to come during the usual season beginning in January.

On Sunday, we will go to Ampefy, a town about three hours west of Tana, for a weeklong conference (October 26-31) with our AIM Team here in Madagascar. Please pray for our safety in travel as well as for our discussions & fellowship. This is the annual time of decision-making so please pray that we will have a fruitful, uplifting time together.

Our October prayer letter is attached. We are so grateful for your prayers! There are many stressful days as well as fun ones; we couldn’t do it without you!

Our House "Tenants"

2008-11-10T17:52:00.000+03:00

At the beginning of this month, we moved into a house near our language teacher, the marketplace, and many of our AIM teammates. We initially thought the house would be too big and empty but have discovered some previous tenants—cockroaches, ants, geckos, spiders, and mice! We even acquired a dog along with the house (she previously belonged to one of our teammates). Fotsifotsy (her English name is Whitey) has a fierce bark which discourages anyone from entering our yard unwelcome but she’s really pretty easy-going. Unfortunately, she keeps trying to invite more tenants—fleas! In all seriousness, we do love our house. It is helping us to connect with the neighborhood as there is a soccer field next door (below) where tournaments are held every Saturday and Sunday. Much of our time has been spent studying the Malagasy language. On page 1 of our newsletter, we are pictured with our language teacher, Chantal, who teaches us four mornings each week. We feel good about the progress we are making and can converse easily in every day situations but not quite well enough to have deep, spiritual conversations yet.

We've Moved!

2008-10-08T13:46:00.004+03:00

Photos Above: 1) view from our house; 2) our neighborhood 3) the soccer field next to our house; 4) our neighborhood omby [cow]; 5) our house which we have lovingly named "Cockroach Hotel" (all are welcome to visit our B & B!)

We've moved into our new home! We are getting settled with our own furniture and setting up house. We are really enjoying being closer to the market and our language teacher. Unfortunately, we don't have any internet in our new home as of yet so that means we may be a little slow in replying to emails but we hope to get it set up soon. Oh yeah, and our mailing address is still the same..
Daniel & Sarah Zagami
C/O Africa Inland Mission
BP 714
Antananarivo 101
MADAGASCAR

"Salt from the Heavens!"

2008-09-24T20:23:00.002+03:00

I wish I were referring to a revival, but I'm just talking about the weather. The calendar says it's the end of September, but it's spring here in Madagascar. The rainy season of summer will officially begin at the end of October, but we had a taste of it earlier this week. We were in uptown (no one says downtown but us!) Tana late Monday afternoon when the sky started to get dark and cloudy. So we made a dash to the bus station to catch a taxi-be home. No sooner had we crowded into the aisle seats of the taxi-be than the rain began to fall. When we were about halfway into our commute, it started to hail. The windows at the front of the bus wouldn't close so the teenage girls sitting next to the driver began to shriek! They were getting drenched and pummeled by hail. Then some men began yelling for the driver to pull over so that the helper (the man who rides at the back of the bus to take the money) could close the window. After some maneuvering and more screaming, he managed to get the window to close most of the way. We got back on the road but had to pull over again a little while later to get some gas. It was then that the driver decided to close his window, for which the drenched passengers in the seat behind him appeared to be quite grateful. But his window wouldn't close so he tied a piece of cloth across it. Then we set out again. The hail continued to fall. The men in the seat behind me began to gasp and point to the sides of the road. There were big piles of pebble-sized hail, which they were calling "salt from the heavens." Truly amazing for a place that rarely sees the freezing point on the thermometer. Yet at that moment, I was more interested in the streams of water coursing down the walls from the window tracks, for once very happy to be in the makeshift seat in the aisle rather than next to the window. Along the road, rivers had formed, gushing with red soil-tinted rainwater. Unfortunate pedestrians still trying to make their way through the storm were sloshing along up to their ankles in water and muck. When we reached our stop, the rain stopped long enough for us to get home. Many tree branches had fallen and some flowering fruit trees were damaged, but the rice crop seems to have escaped unscathed. If it were any later in the season, it would be detrimental. We were without power for a several hours as the storm ensued on into the night. Overall the storm wasn't that bad but I can't help but wonder what the actual rainy season will be like. I'm just thankful this city built on hills doesn't see snow or ice. That would really be an adventure!

Sell, Sell, Sell!

2008-09-11T12:49:00.003+03:00

Recently, during one of our language lessons, I was thinking about how many words the Malagasy have that are related to selling. They have names for different shopping locales, the marketplace (tsena) or the small shops along the street (mangazay). But they also have names for the various sellers according to what they sell. There is the fish seller (mpivaro-trondro), the bread seller (mpivaro-mofo), the meat seller (mpivaro-hena), the fruit seller (mpivaro-voankazo), and on and on it goes. Thankfully, most of these words have the same root which makes learning the language a little easier.

This morning, as we walked home from our language lesson, I was marveling once again at everything one can buy on the street. I'm beginning to become more accustomed to the sight but every once in awhile, I can't help but say, "Daniel, look! There's a blender! And there's a hair straightener!" You can buy extension cords and super glue, sunglasses and hats, jeans and shirts. They don't have a shopping mall in Tana, but I guess that's because you can buy anything you need along the street!

We are particularly intrigued by the street food for sale. You can buy a cup of coffee, thick with sweetened condensed milk, from a vendor strolling along the street. You can also buy a glass of fresh fruit juice. The only catch is that if you didn't bring your own glass or cup, you'll have to use one provided by the vendor, and the washing of dishes isn't a reality in such a mobile business.

Some of our favorite foods are the bonboncoco (the coconut cookie I am pictured with in a previous post) or mofo mangazo (manioc with ground peanuts rolled into it) which we buy from children in a little shop. They get a laugh out of our Malagasy and we enjoy delicious treats along with a chance to practice our language. The relational culture of the Malagasy which is so apparent in their constant buying and selling is an open door for us to engage in their lives. We really enjoy these interactions and look forward to being able to get to know them on a deeper level.

The 'Best' of Kenya

2008-09-03T07:41:00.004+03:00

Here is a sampling of our time in Kenya for Africa-Based Orientation (ABO). The first is the view of Machakos (where ABO was held for three weeks) while on a hike with the ABO gang.
This is a snapshot of Scott Theological College (STC) which hosted us for ABO. We had a great time getting to know the students who come from all over Africa and observing them in various ministries. Scott was founded by AIM missionaries and named after the founder of AIM, Peter Cameron Scott. One of the first churches planted by AIM missionaries in the 1800s is right next door, Mumbuni Africa Inland Church. What a privilege to see the work of those who have gone before us, still thriving for Christ's glory after more than 100 years!
Finally, this is the AIM Guesthouse in Nairobi where we stayed just after arriving in Kenya and while we waited for our flights to Madagascar after ABO in Machakos. We met many AIMers coming and going across Africa. It was so much fun to hear their stories!

Green Chameleons

2008-08-27T00:40:00.002+03:00

We have all sorts of chameleons in our garden, just outside! We saw one today that was really green. As long as they stay out of the house, I'm happy to have them as neighbors. Our gardener is afraid of them though. It's so funny! He runs away when he sees them. He's always barefoot though so I might run, too! :)

Sarah & Bonboncoco

2008-08-27T00:37:00.003+03:00

Last Easter, I attempted to make a "sticky" coconut cookie called Bonboncoco; unfortunately, they didn't turn out to be too tasty. Luckily, they do make them here & they are delicious. Here's a photo of me with my first one. We buy them regularly on the street here. Notice my cool little lemur guy in the background! Our Malagasy friend bought him for me at the market.

Look for the Bridge

2008-08-27T00:35:00.002+03:00

The sort of "bridge" you see across the water is the route we walk each day from our home in Mandriambero to go to our language lessons & to the market in Talatamaty.

Rice Paddies Near Home

2008-08-27T00:34:00.003+03:00

When we walk out of our gate & turn left, we come to these rice paddies. Yes, it's common to see cows & children in the rice together! These paddies are the open green space in the previous post.

AIM Mandriambero

2008-08-27T00:30:00.002+03:00

Our place is hidden in the trees in the middle of this photo "below" the water. The long white building to the right of the trees is a nearby hotel.

The photo in the previous post shows our building/house. Our team leaders have the top flat while the bottom flat at the back of this building is our place (it looks basically the same as the front with a door where we enter). The front part on the lower level is the AIM office.

August Prayer Update

2008-08-27T00:22:00.003+03:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Antananarivo! We have been in Tana (the nickname for our city) for about 2 ½ weeks. Little by little we are settling into life here in Mandriambero, a suburb of Tana. Last weekend, we did a homestay with a Malagasy family. We really enjoyed the experience & learned a lot about the language & culture. We even enjoyed eating rice three times a day. Well, for the most part… Sarah is glad to be eating oatmeal for breakfast again. We call it “vary vazaha”—the foreigner’s rice.

We thank you for your prayers that have brought us this far & really look forward to hearing from you.

Praise the Lord…

…for our safe arrival & that of our belongings!
…for the AIM team here & all they are doing to help us with the adjustment to Malagasy life.
…for a furnished flat to stay in at the AIM office while we look for more permanent accommodations.
…for helping us find some affordable used furniture which will be great when we have our own home.

Please pray…
…for us to get into a routine so we can begin our Malagasy language study in earnest.
…for the right house in the right neighborhood, near those God wants us to serve!
…for a church family where we can belong.
…for the Malagasy we meet in the marketplace and on the street, that they might see God’s love in our interaction with them.

Our mailing address is as follows:
Africa Inland Mission
BP 714
Antananarivo 101
MADAGASCAR

Don't take a taxi-be on a holiday!

2008-08-16T09:19:00.004+03:00

(FYI- if you pronounce taxi-be correctly, it will rhyme with holiday!)

The taxi-be is the cheapest form of public transportation in Tana and also the most popular. It's also the way we get around town (other than walking!) at the moment. The taxi-be are large vans with small seats like a schoolbus down either side of the van. The people squeeze two to a seat and add another seat in the middle when it gets really full (which is most of the time!). In a luxurious taxi-be, this extra seat will be a seat that folds out from the permanent seat, but most of the time, it is just a board that is balanced between the two seats, across the aisle. Most of the taxi-be have doors that open in the back so that you can scramble inside at the brief bus stops along the route. At busy times of the day, climbing aboard is an artform consisting of flying elbows and knees. Being missionary vazaha, we have not yet mastered this art form nor are we sure we really should. For our large American build, the taxi-be are a bit uncomfortable but for the small-framed Malagasy, they are quite nice. Somehow they sit five across with no problems, but we cannot squeeze our long legs into the seats without some aches and pains. I wonder what the Malagasy really think about us hanging out into the aisle, but they are definitely too kind to say anything. They just squeeze in next to us or jump over our legs.

Yesterday was a public holiday celebrating Mary's ascension into heaven (yes, it's Catholic in origin, and no, we didn't celebrate nor do we or many of the Malagasy understand the purpose of such a holiday). Most of the businesses were still open so we took the taxi-be to a craft market. Unfortunately, when we tried to return home in the late afternoon, all of the taxi-be were full. Not having mastered that wonderful art form I mentioned previously, we waited patiently. Soon many of the taxi-be were not even stopping to pick up more passengers. The crowd of people needing a ride began to grow. So we decided to walk to the next stop. At the next stop, we found the same story. So we kept walking...and walking. In just over two hours, we arrived at the commune (or town) that neighbors ours. There, we were finally able to get a taxi-be for the last leg of the journey. We had heard rumors of this happening but to actually experience it was something else. I guess we will be more grateful for our seats, scrunched though they may be, on the next taxi-be.

The Language Learning Challenge

2008-08-11T16:28:00.004+03:00

Nearly every day we walk to the nearby market to do our shopping. Along the way we stop at roadside shops to talk with the people and ask questions about their wares. "How is the bread? Is it soft? What is this? How much is that?" Our simple questions yield simple answers, but it's all part of the language learning process. Usually we learn a new word or two. Before we go, we practice a phrase we can use along the way. Then we look for opportunities to use it. We make note of the words and phrases we don't know, then look them up when we get home and ask our Malagasy language helpers.

Learning Malagasy is made more difficult by the French influence here. Being white vazaha (foreigners), it is almost always assumed we speak French. So the conversation often begins with a French greeting (Bonjour!), then we respond in Malagasy (Manahoana tompoko!), explaining that we want to learn their language. However, it's not that easy because it is commonplace to use French words and especially numbers interspersed with Malagasy. Take, for example, our question, "How much is it?" Sometimes we will be told first in French. Then we say, "Please, tell me in Malagasy." Once we interpret the amount, we have to determine which currency they are using. Most of the time, it is in ariary but sometimes in the market it is in francs. If this is the case, then it is five times the amount we will pay in ariary. I think it sounds more complicated than it actually is, but we wanted to give you an idea of what our typical day is like and the language and cultural learning experiences we are having!

The Great Red Island

2008-07-31T21:24:00.003+03:00

Our first glimpse of Madagascar was a long stretch of beach stretching as far as the eye could see to the north and south. We flew in from the east after a few day layover on the neighboring island of Mauritius, arriving on July 29th. The afternoon we arrived was quite cloudy but we were still able to catch a glimpse of the varied terrain of this beautiful island. There were rice paddies, hills and mountains, all with red dirt roads winding this way and that.

In our short time here, we have been welcomed by many members of the AIM team. We have also learned a few basic phrases of Malagasy and are looking forward to more serious study soon. Today we had a Malagasy experience trying to clear our cargo luggage through customs. We spent nearly seven hours going up and down the stairs, out to the warehouse, in and out of offices, trying to get all the right stamps to complete our paperwork so that they would release our bags to us. Thankfully, the Lord provided a Malagasy guide to help us through the process. And he even spoke some English which made the experience a little less frustrating! : )

Tomorrow we will drive with our team leaders about 10 hours north to the coastal town of Mahajanga. There we will attend a graduation ceremony for national missionaries who have completed a missionary training program. On the way, we will get to see more of this beautiful country. In the near future, we hope to post some photos of our time at ABO as well as of Madagascar, but that will have to wait until time and internet allow!