December 6, 2006

We returned from visiting the USA in mid-August, quickly rented a house in the capital city, our boys started in a new school, and by Sept. 7, I was driving north to Diego for a 3 week journey packed with work, re-connecting with friends and colleagues, and many moments of both inspiration and challenge.

One highlight comes from a little fishing village called IRONONA. As I visited with our evangelist there he asked for help in establishing a church, the first ever in that village. But the story began earlier in the beginning of 2006. That's when Bruno, one of our Shalom evangelists, began visiting this village weekly. The 18 kilometer walk didn't stop him nor did the fact that almost 100% of its inhabitants are people of another faith - the focus of Project Shalom. A few others are strictly animists, focused on idols, spirit possession, and worship of their ancestors. Soon Bruno began discipling one such family who live at the entrance to the village. Earlier this year they asked to be baptized in the name of Christ. Their baptism itself was a huge event for the non- Christian community. But then, as a concrete mark of their repentance and new life in Christ, they carried their idols, charms and traditional "holy" clothes used in worship to a Shalom health clinic (18 kilometers away) and burned them. Traditionally, pieces of wood, candles, small baskets with "sacred" paper or charms, and all sorts of "things" become idols, which people believe help satisfy the ancestors and guard against being cursed by them. The local people believed wholeheartedly that burning these artifacts would mean that this family would be cursed and grow sick and die.

In fact, after this they still struggled against spirits which they perceived to be troubling and possessing them. Bruno brought them to the Toby in Diego (a Christian camp for spiritual healing) to be spiritually cleansed. Their neighbors in IRONONA were now sure that this family would be killed or driven insane by the spirits (called "TROMBA") that they were rejecting. Just over a month later all 6 returned to IRONONA healthy, free of the TROMBA, and overflowing with enthusiasm about their new life in Christ. They live on the main path into the village. Now as people in the village come and go, many stop to hear their amazing story.

Meanwhile the people in IRONONA had already been asking Bruno to help them build a house of prayer. He offered to help them build a church, to worship the one true God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Now with the witness of this family, Bruno and a donation from one family in the USA, the village is actively cutting wood and building the first church ever in their village. We invite you to pray for the people of IRONONA along with these new believers. Please pray too for the evangelist, Bruno, and his wife and children. God is moving in people's hearts in IRONONA. Yet, pray for wisdom and spiritual protection so that this isolated Christian community can effectively share its faith and grow in Christ, in spite of opposition. Please pray for the community of people from another faith, that many may discover the truth in Christ and find new life and freedom from all that binds them spiritually.

Another highlight is the free mosquito net program just recently begun in Shalom health clinics around Diego. Women who give birth in the health clinics and children who get the 5 recommended vaccinations before age 1 are entitled to a free mosquito net! This is thanks to a large money gift from one US congregation. The program helps fight malaria, promote vaccinations, and assist in educating and caring for pregnant mothers and their babies. Before the program began, an average of 5 - 6 women a month gave birth in each country clinic. In the first month of the program each clinic had over 20! In addition to the obvious medical advantages to this, there is also a spiritual value. Contact with the clinics means contact with the love of Christ…through the healing ministry of our Christian medical staff and direct exposure to Bibles, worship services, Christian posters, etc., Shalom clinics become local centers for engagement with Christians who are ready to gently and lovingly share their hope in Christ.

In addition to these two highlights there are many others: adding a new evangelist to our staff, opening a new clinic, adopting one primary school into Shalom and establishing another, children of another faith being led to Christ through the witness of teachers and Christian "grandmother" figures…and the list goes on.

Thank you for your prayers…we are seeing the answer to many prayers in Northern Madagascar. One of the hopes now is to help begin this type of ministry in the capital city as well. That is the request of the Malagasy Lutheran Church and generally my (Doug) new job description. We are already seeing indications that God has been preparing the way for this for a long time. We'll have to share more about the work in Antananarivo in another edition of "Footprints".

One last note that Manna for Madagascar sent 50 Bazaar Kits available for churches to sell to support the producers in Madagascar. There are still a few left. Please consider whether your church could order one or more kits to sell before and after services or at a special event where these items could also be sold. To order a kit contact Lea Mulqueen at: 410-294-2986 or lea.mannausa@yahoo.com . To learn more about the ministry of Manna and the Bazaar Kits, visit www.mannamadagascar.org .

Prayer Requests:
• For many in IRONONA to put their faith in Christ and discover new life in Christ.
• For wisdom for all of us witnessing to people of another faith here in Madagascar.
• For Manna for Madagascar to grow in its impact on the 200+ women currently benefiting from its ministry as well as growing more independent of missionaries.