Dear Friends of Mission in Madagascar,
In this issue of Footprints:

"Is it January Already?"…..news about big changes coming our way Project Shalom Work Continues…..news about Doug's involvement with Project Shalom Mosquito Nets for Malaria Prevention…news about project to prevent malaria "Spring Packs" on Their Way….news about Manna products available for sale Sewing Machine and more…news about contributions helping Manna centers PACWA Center Gets a Great Start…news about a new Manna center in Diego Suarez

"Is it January Already?"

They say time flies when you're having fun, but we've been finding that time flies when you're trying to make decisions as well. In fact, we've been making so many decisions that time has pretty much escaped us. We're feeling ready for January any day now, and here it is March and Lent already! December was laden with so many major unanswered questions about our future that we decided to wait on a Christmas letter until we could at least report where we expected to be in 2006. By the time we finally knew what we would be doing, it seemed too late so we've given up on the whole idea of such a letter. So forgive us for not sending any Christmas greetings.

The recent soul-searching and decisions have focused around where we feel called to be doing ministry and where we feel is the best place for our children for the next few years. After much prayer and discussion, we finally decided that Ben needs to be in an English- speaking school. He has been in French schools ever since he was 4 and as a result is very fluent in French. That is an incredible gift for him. Yet to better prepare him for life in the English- speaking world, we feel he needs to start now to get an education in English. Thus, we asked for and received permission to move to the capital, where he can attend the American School of Antananarivo.

The next question was whether to go ahead with our home leave this year in the midst of the moving process. Again, much prayer and discussion finally led us to decide we will do that.

The result is a very hectic few months of packing for a move across the country and preparations for home leave. It is an exciting time, and we are looking forward to all the fun of being back in the USA and the excitement of settling in to a new routine in a new area of Madagascar when we return.

We are currently receiving requests from churches that would like us to visit during our two months of home assignment visitation, and are starting to try to schedule those churches' visits. If you have not received notice from us or Global Missions about this and would like us to visit, would you please contact us ASAP at dougmonica@projectshalom.org to get the request form. Given the situation with our full agenda right now, we also ask your patience if we're not as organized as we'd like with all these preparations.

Project Shalom work continues

The move to the capital will have an impact on Doug's work with Project Shalom, but he will continue to travel up to Diego several times a year in order to visit the Shalom sites in the countryside, teach, and maintain contact with other Project shalom staff, synod leadership, and those of another faith who are interested in learning about Christianity. To facilitate his colleague's continued work without Doug here, he is trying to buy a motorcycle with Level II donations. Thus, Pastor Rapetera (Doug's colleague) will be able to travel to the sites in between Doug's visits as well.

In addition to returning several times a year to Diego, Doug will continue work on tract and video production which he can do from home. He is also eager to get to know the many people of another faith in Antananarivo. We will be living in an area of town very close to the biggest place of worship for people of another faith in Madagascar, so Doug should have many opportunities for contact with people there.

Mosquito Nets for Malaria Prevention

Thanks to a generous gift from St. Paul's Lutheran, Durham, NC, two projects of mosquito net distribution for the prevention of malaria are underway. One project will provide 1,300+ families with mosquito nets over the next 12 months through rural health clinics which are a part of Project Shalom. The other project provided mosquito net cloth to women at the PACWA center who organized seamstresses to sew them into nets so they can earn a salary, and then sell them at an affordable price in the city of Diego Suarez.

Many thanks for the wonderful gift that will give hundreds of families hope of avoiding one of the major killers in Madagascar.

"Spring Packs" on Their Way

2006 has started out with so many orders for Manna for Madagascar products that we have been struggling to keep them all straight.

The women are so thankful and excited because they have not had any breaks so far in their work time. We hope this can continue so that they do not have to go for periods of time without income. The last order to be shipped was what we are calling Spring Packs.

We received requests from synods to have products to sell at synod assemblies so we have put together 20 Spring Packs with $400 of merchandise in each one. There is also a great deal of extra merchandise which can be ordered along with the basic kit. If you are interested in learning more or would like to order one or more kits, please contact Lea Mulqueen at lea_mulqueen@yahoo.com . These can be used for Synod Assemblies, Vacation Bible Schools, summer craft fairs, or church sales. There is a lot of new, fun merchandise!!

Sewing Machine and more

In other news, Manna purchased an industrial sewing machine for Section Raphia, who make raphia bags, placemats, etc. They were excited to get a machine that will be able to reinforce stitching they had done by hand before. This machine was purchased due to a gift from Emmanuel Lutheran in Bethesda, Maryland. Emmanuel also provided gift money that has been used to purchase two "snap machines" to attach snaps on clothing (for ILOFAV and Section Raphia) and kitchen equipment for the new center in Diego.

PACWA (Pan African Christian Women's Alliance) Center Gets a Great Start The Diego PACWA center is up and running with classes in sewing, accounting, cooking, and secretarial skills. Every student participates in Bible study, classes on AIDS, health, social virtues, and nutrition in addition to their regular classes. Madame Berthine, the director of the center, has commented that she has already seen amazing changes in the students as a result of the Biblical and social classes. She, along with the entire group of women who started the center pray constantly that these students would come to know Jesus and give up the lifestyles so many of them have. Another component of the center is production of merchandise for sale locally and through Manna. Women who have little opportunity for other income are able to receive orders and thus provide for their families. Manna has supplied fabric for the students, embroidery thread and fabric for production, in addition to the kitchen equipment.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We would appreciate prayers at this time for all the details associated with organizing home visits, packing for the move to Antananarivo, finding the right house to live in there, and that the ministries of Project Shalom and Manna for Madagascar could bear much fruit in the work of God's kingdom. THANKS!!