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).
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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!
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!
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