His Work Newsletter - February 2010

�Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God;� 2 Corinthians 3:5 (KJV)

For the past few months the men of the Ambohimarina congregation met together on Wednesday or Friday mornings to discuss the fact that Christ needs to be the center of our lives. We talked about putting everything except for Christ aside and only �living Christ� in everything we do. We talked about how we can bring about the necessary change that will allow Christ to be central in our daily lives on a physical plane and more importantly on a spiritual plane. We saw how our lives need to change and we also saw what needs to be done in order to change our lives.

In one aspect everything seems very simple. We just need to get out of the drivers seat and let Christ take control of our lives. �For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:� Colossians 2:9-11 (KJV). We studied how the worldly cares of this world need to be left behind so that we can be firmly rooted in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Being �complete in him�, means that we do not need to struggle or search any further. We do not need to worry about the physical requirements that are forced upon us by the extended family or the traditions of men. Christ is in us and has filled us to overflowing. There is no more need for the Malagasy family unit or the ancestors. Christ is SUFFICIENT!

In another aspect everything seems so difficult. The Malagasy people are so willing to hold on to the relationships, and familiar items that are around them in their daily lives. These relationships and items are the very things that, many times, cause them to stumble and fall in their relationship with the Son. This is so easy to see in Madagascar. The whole family existence is built around conforming to the known Malagasy ways. Those ways are the ancestral ways that continue to impede spiritual growth and the new relationships that the Malagasy Christians are supposed to be forming with Christ. Centuries and centuries of tradition need to be cast aside in order to allow Christ to become their new family.

In the Malagasy mindset, the only relationship that is allowed is the relationship that furthers the worship of their ancestors. I mentioned in the past the Malagasy saying, �Alive in one house, buried in one tomb�. The Malagasy people are always looking for the ancestral ties that will allow them to gain favor and receive blessings from their ancestors who have passed on before them in this earthly life. It is very important for a Malagasy person to remain faithful to the physical living family so that they can be assured that when their time for death comes they will be joined with the Malagasy spiritual family that has passed on before them. This is why we struggle to teach the Malagasy people about Christ. It is not that the Malagasy people are not a spiritual people. Rather they are very spiritual. They are spiritual to the extent of throwing over everything else as long as they can keep the family and ancestral ties strong both physically and spiritually.

Beginning with their birth the Malagasy customs are engrained or driven into the Malagasy infants. Even the little children who are just starting to talk are forced to greet people both physically via a hand shake and verbally once they can formulate the proper Malagasy words. Often I can see the unwillingness of the children to conform to their parents desire. However, the parents always force the issue. This regime continues throughout life. A Malagasy person is expected to contribute to the family group in many different ways. If a Malagasy person happens to be �lucky� in life, and have a good job that provides a good income, that person is expected to contribute and to support the Malagasy extended family in their endeavors.

Whenever there is a wedding all are expected to attend and contribute in some way to make the wedding a success. Whenever there is a death of a family member it is unheard of to not attend the funeral. And it is very important to make sure that the family member is placed in the correct family tomb so that he/she can take their rightful place among the ancestors. It does not matter how much it costs for the marriage or the burial.

It does not matter how far the family member that died is away from the family tomb. I have heard of stories of Malagasy people traveling two days by bus and then walking for several hours with the casket on their shoulders in order to reach the family tomb when the bus can go no further. The recently dead must be returned to the correct family tomb regardless of the hardship necessary or the cost of the endeavor.

We all have our shortcomings. We all struggle with different things that keep us from conforming to the will of Christ that is so necessary in our lives. We often times feel that we can do everything on our own and that we are sufficient in ourselves. Often we are no different from the Malagasy people even though we might be hesitant to admit our adherence to our own customs or traditions.

Please pray that Malagasy people can see that Christ is all sufficient. Pray that they are no longer burdened by the traditional requirements that so strongly bind them to their ancestors. �Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.� Galatians 5:1 (KJV)

. . . that Antananarivo ranks fifth on a list of the dirtiest cities in the world. You can click on the following link to go to the site that lists the top thirty dirtiest cities in the world. http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2010/01/13/baku-nyc/ (January 13, 2010)

�NYC Partnership Consulting company has published the list of the dirtiest cities of the planet. APA reports that the experts of the company compared 245 large cities and capitals and made rating of 30 dirtiest cities. The rating is based on the level of air pollution, level of usefulness of drinkable water, level of usage of wastes and waste processing, the quality of medical service, infectious diseases.� http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=113845 (January 13, 2010)

At the bottom of the list you will also see some of the cleanest cities in the world. They are, �Calgary (Canada), Helsinki (Finland), Copenhagen (Denmark), Honolulu (USA), Zurich (Switzerland), Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Ottawa (Canada) , Geneva (Switzerland), Osaka (Japan).� http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2010/01/13/baku-nyc/ (January 13, 2010)

We do not hear much from Kit these days. We did receive some tax information and we will be working on the necessary FAFSA information so that we can continue to receive the Pell Grand and the Missionary Child Award from Faulkner University. We do know that Kit is having a hard time finding part time work while he is studying at Faulkner. Please pray that he can find some work to help with his expenses and daily every day life needs while he is enrolled at Faulkner. Pray that Kit can remain directed and continue his studies during this time of world wide financial upheaval.

As Madagascar continues in this political upheaval we are seeing that items that are usually in the country are becoming non-existent. For quite some time now we have not been able to purchase sugar in a 50 kilogram sack. Now we are finding that baked goods are becoming scarce. Bakeries are complaining about the lack of a good supply of flour and the ever increasing price for that flour. Stove gas recently increased in price by 15 percent.

As the foreign countries continue to restrict their financial help to Madagascar we are also experiencing a short supply of foreign currencies around the country. Many of the foreign exchange businesses say that there are no more Euros or Dollars as well as other major foreign currencies. This is largely due to a drastic drop in tourism of over 90 percent.

Workers of private companies are being released in droves. Those that are hired by the government are constantly not being paid on time due to the lack of money available to the government. The 2010 financial budget for Madagascar has been drastically reduced from what it was in 2009. The Ministry of Health received 250,000,000,000 Malagasy Ariary (117,924,528 U.S. Dollars) in 2009, and in 2010 they will only be receiving 100,000,000,000 Malagasy Ariary (47,169,811 U.S. Dollars).

In a country where medical care is never good even in the best of times one can imagine what it is going to be like in 2010. However, this drastic cut in funding to the Ministry of Health is not stopping the government paid doctors and dentists from demanding more pay. The doctors and dentists continue to be on strike and are only taking care of emergency situations.

Time is sure passing by quickly. In a little over one year we will be heading to the United Sates to report to churches, friends, family, and acquaintances about the ongoing work in Madagascar. We will be sending out a tentative schedule and trying to get to all of you in one way or another during our time stateside. This time around I may have to spend some time traveling in Europe. John and Esther usually report to the churches that are located in Europe that help some of the Lambs at Betikara. However, since John�s passing this will no longer be possible. Planning is still in its infancy, so we have some time to decide what would be best. Right now there are two options. First, report in Europe and then go on to report in the United States. Second, make the reporting in Europe a separate trip that is accomplished at a different time.

The Ambohimarina congregation will soon be receiving a donated public address system for their place of meeting. The system will have four speakers and both wired and wireless microphones. The auditorium is rather large (approximately 16 meters or 52.5 feet by 32 meters or 105 feet), and the Malagasy people seem to be having problems with making themselves heard. So, a public address system will be welcomed by all concerned. Those who speak will not have to try and yell, and those who hear will not have to strain so much. :-)

EXPENDITURES JANUARY
Diesel	$358.24
Vehicle maintenance	108.94
Rent and Utilities	885.28
Office	507.65
Travel	0.00
Misc.	2.94

Total expenses	$ 1,863.05