Please Continue Praying for Our Partners in Madagascar

Updates from our friends and partners in Madagascar continue to be disturbing:

"Since our last message, the situation in Madagascar has deteriorated to the extent that the international community is seriously worried... The political instability is putting everyone under enormous stress… nerves are jangled...  Distribution of food has been hugely reduced; basic foodstuffs are difficult to find and are expensive; the country is on a go-slow and the capital (4 million inhabitants) has demonstrations on a daily basis.

"Worse still, we have 2 governments: the one official, and the other, instated by the insurgent mayor."

It is also inspiring to see this missionary team sustain their focus:

"We are truly sad about the goings on in the country, but we have peace and are trying to get our friends to understand that our mission is to proclaim the Gospel that changes lives and on a larger scale, the nation. We’re keeping our focus!"

As  result, the work of church planting continues and they are excited about the progress being made by the new church planting teams in the bush.

Here is a remarkable story from one of these teams:

"In one of the villages, a woman had organized a traditional ceremony called “tromba”, which is very common in the region. It involves calling up spirits to come into her. It lasts the whole night and is accompanied by heavy drinking of an 80% alcoholic beverage made from sugar cane and offerings made to the spirits. On top of their usual 3 hours of daily intercession, the group prayed for the whole night. The tromba didn’t work, the spirits did not manifest themselves (apparently this never happens, from what we have heard)… the person concerned has decided to give it all up and is searching at the moment to find out who Jesus is."

Remarkable to see God at work in these desperate times in Madagascar.  Please continue to pray with us for the stability of this country and for our partners there.

Posted via email from rogerthoman's posterous