Update!

Hard to believe we haven't posted since July! Hopefully you've received our October newsletter via e-mail. If not, drop us a line, & we'll send it your way (I haven't figured out how to post them on here just yet!)

It was a busy summer and now fall is almost over as well! So just in case you're wondering what we've been up to...

In the past two months, we've been in Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, New York, Michigan, and of course, Illinois. That's about as many states as there are weeks!! Most of our traveling was due to support raising. We've enjoyed sharing our ministry plans at a number of churches & have met with a positive response from individuals & churches. We're so thankful for the way we've seen the people of God come together to join us in ministry to the Malagasy. But we've also been blessed to get away a couple of times to rest & relax. Just this past weekend, we were in Michigan celebrating our first anniversary! The Lord has been faithful & really blessed us during the past year.

Financially, we're at about 30% of our monthly goal & at nearly 60% of our outgoing amount. That's incredible! Thank you so much to those that have joined our team. We couldn't do it without you! If you're interested in contributing financially to our ministry or would like to be added to our e-mail list so that you have a better idea of how to pray for us, please see the information posted below.

How to Join Us in Our Ministry

We welcome your prayers & encouragement as well as your financial support. For more information on our specific needs, please contact us directly. If you would like to be added to our e-mail list, please drop us an e-mail (dszagami@aimint.net). To pledge your financial or prayer support, please click on the link below, fill out the form, & return it to us by e-mail or at the address below.

http://www.aimoutbound.com/images/stories/documents/finance/pledgecardFillIn.doc

To enroll in AIM's Automatic Contribution Program, please click on the link below, complete the form and return it to us. Through this program, you can have your donation automatically debited from your bank account or a credit card each month.

http://www.aimint.org/images/usa_images/usa_files/achform.doc

You can also pledge financial support on AIM's website by clicking on the following link:

https://www.aimint.org/usa/online_giving.html

Daniel & Sarah Zagami
1240 S Lorraine Rd, #1A
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

English Training in Madagascar

In an April 2007 constitutional referendum, Madagascar made English one of the three national languages. There will be a big push for quality English training programs throughout the country. Several churches have already expressed interest in hosting classes.

A church-based ESL program provides an excellent opportunity to meet the physical needs of the community and bring those who might not otherwise attend, into the church. In addition to providing a linguistic service, the intention of these programs is to share the love of Christ with the Malagasy in a safe environment.

I will be developing relationships with Malagasy churches and seeking to implement English programs with them. During the first year, I will be in intensive language study while developing relationships with Malagasy churches who are

interested in hosting English programs. In addition to teaching some classes, I will be training church leaders to take over these programs.

My hope is to bring people into the church by providing quality English programs. When a church expresses interest in an English program, we will begin to implement a class. Much like a Pauline church model, leaders from the church will be trained and the programs will be turned over to them in 1 - 2 years. From there, my relationship with these programs would be one of guidance and mentoring. I hope to see a multiplication of high-level, church-based English classes that will translate not only into quality literacy education, but also new believers and church members.

Madagascar Christian Academy (MCA)

MCA is a small interdenominational, evangelical Christian school located 10 km north of the city center of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. MCA was formed in 2001 by the missionary community of Madagascar with the primary aim of meeting the educational needs of missonary kids. MCA is staffed predominantly by trained teachers from the missionary community who are committed to encouraging each child to become a devoted follower of Jesus Christ through example, prayer and teaching.

School Building
The school has six classrooms, a well-stocked library and a redecorated multi-purpose room for all-school events and activities. Two computers for student-use were recently acquired and hopefully a permanent internet connection will be installed soon. For staff, there is an office with computer access and a kitchen/staffroom. The Parents' Task Group has spent time, effort and money making improvements to the school building.

Staff
There are eleven people on staff at MCA, of which five are full-time teachers. As well as teachers, there is also a learning support assistant for special needs students. Seven of the teaching staff, including myself, are missionaries of various nationalities and work at the school on a voluntary basis through missionary organizations such as AIM. The school also employs local Malagasy teachers.

Students
Currently there are 15 full-time and 4 part-time pupils at MCA. They are divided up into grades (as used in the U.S.). There are children in grades K, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The majority of the pupils at MCA come from missionary homes. It is a multi-national school with pupils from Brazil, the United States, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia and South Korea.

Curriculum
MCA uses the American “A Beka Book” curriculum. This Christian curriculum is versatile and can be used for home schooling or in a school setting. It includes workbooks for the students, teacher’s manuals, detailed lesson plans, plus textbooks used by staff and students. The Beka system is used to teach the core subjects of English, math, and science in a Christian context. Additional subjects include French (taught to all students every day), Art, P.E., Geography, Computing, Bible and Music.

Extra-Curricular Activities
The students have just begun to compete against the local American school in sports such as soccer and baseball. They had a losing record this year in baseball so will appreciate Daniel's expertise in this area. There are also art lessons offered for those who are interested.

Glimpses of Antananarivo

This gives you an idea of where Madagascar is located. Antananarivo, the capital city, is just above the G in Madagascar on this map.
















The market or "Zoma" in Antananarivo (above) and a view of the city from the hills (below).

Mission Madagascar

Summer 2007

Dear Family & Friends,

Let the Journey Begin…
We’re excited to share with you how God has been working and leading in our lives! We’ve both felt a call to minister in overseas missions work for quite some time. Daniel served for two years in Lesotho while Sarah did a number of short-term trips throughout college. When God brought us together, we began to pray about what He might have in store for us as a couple. We looked into a variety of jobs here in the States as well as a number of Christian missions serving in Africa and Europe. Through this process, God continued to point us in the direction of Africa. Daniel worked with Africa Inland Mission in their TIMO program from 2002 – 2004. So we began the application process with AIM and soon discovered that they had two opportunities in Antananarivo, Madagascar which seemed to be a good fit for us. We then began to research Madagascar and as we learned more about the people, their culture and history, the more excited we became!

A New Phase of the Journey
A couple of weeks ago, we attended Candidate Week at AIM’s U.S. Headquarters in Pearl River, New York. There, we learned more about AIM and its vision as well as what to expect as missionaries living cross-culturally. We also met with a missions counselor who talked with us about our personalities, how we handle stress, and much more! Finally, we received our appointment to serve full-term in Madagascar beginning in June of 2008.

Our Work
Daniel will be the Director of English training for AIM in Madagascar. In April, a constitutional referendum was held, naming English as the third official language (along with Malagasy and French). So now the government is very supportive of English teachers and he will have many opportunities to develop church-based ESL programs, teach, and train teachers and leaders.

Sarah will be the head teacher at Madagascar Christian Academy (MCA), a small school for missionary children started by AIM missionaries in 2001. Currently, there are 19 students in grades K – 8. Since the AIM team in Antananarivo is quite international and because children of other missionaries also attend the school, the students come from a plethora of countries including Brazil, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, South Korea, and Madagascar. The hope is that the school might expand to include more national students as well as expatriates and become a tool for evangelism as well as discipleship. In addition to administrative tasks, Sarah will be teaching English and Bible.

Antananarivo, Madagascar
Madagascar has a population of about 17.5 million people with 1,300,000 of these people living in the capital city of Antananarivo. Malagasy (pronounced Mala-gash) is the word used to describe the national people as well as their language. All 18 tribes speak the same language though there are a number of dialects. Approximately half (47%) of the Malagasy practice indigenous beliefs that acknowledge the existence of a supreme being. The ancestors are believed to be intermediaries between the gods and the living. Zebu cattle are sacrificed and famadihana, a ceremony in which ancestors’ bones are exhumed and turned, is thought to be a necessary celebration to please the ancestors. The remaining population is 45% Christian and 7% Muslim. Even though missionaries have been working in Madagascar since the 1700s, there are still unreached people groups in Madagascar that have never heard the gospel!

Please pray!
Over the next year, we will be sharing with people about the Malagasy, what God is doing in their lives and how we hope to be a part of His work. We would love to have you join us! Please drop us a note, an e-mail, or give us a call. We’d be glad to answer any questions you might have!