Reflections on Christmas in Madagascar

Last December, we drove for more than two hours to the Christmas tree farm in Oregon, Illinois. We trudged through the snow and dug through the flakes to find the trunk of our “real” chosen tree so that we could chop it down. We drank hot chocolate by the fire before venturing out into the blizzard. We tied the tree to the roof of our car with gloved-hands before driving or rather sliding through blizzard-like conditions back to our home. We decorated the tree with the decorations we have collected in two years of marriage and hung our store-bought stockings in the living room.

This year, Christmas looks a little different. We haggled for our fake, three-foot tall Christmas tree in the famous Analakely market here in Tana. We even bargained for our decorations. I think we may have spent a grand total of $3. Instead of a winter storm, we wove our way, carrying our tree through crowds of sellers and buyers, often walking down the middle of the street, to find our way back to the taxi-be stop. We squeezed into the bus, and Daniel tucked the tree in the seat beside him. Good thing fake trees don’t lose needles! By the time we arrived home, we were dripping with sweat, and not just from exertion. The sun is incredibly hot here! Later, I sewed two red stockings to “hang” (you can’t pound nails in cement!) by our fireplace. They don’t sell stockings here. I never realized stockings are an American tradition. Apparently so are candy canes. Chocolate escargot is preferred by the French (that is, based on the imports we see in the grocery store).

This week we went to the post office in town to collect our Christmas packages from America. We spent more than two hours traveling to the city (it’s only 8 miles away!) and tested our knowledge of the bus system. We waited for buses at three different bus stops before finally catching one that took us about half-way. At this time of year, most of the buses just stop running all the way into town as there is so much traffic. Judging by the crowds, they can probably make just as much money only running half of their usual route. Eventually we got a bus to take us into town where we joined the throngs of people doing their Christmas shopping. I thought Christmas shopping in America was crazy! Add the sweltering heat, haggling in a foreign tongue, pickpockets galore, sellers everywhere you try to step, dirty streets, and complete disorganization; then you’ve caught a glimpse of shopping in Antananarivo.

Did I mention I had to go to two post offices to collect our packages? I walked down the main street (dodging potential pickpockets and the innumerable vanilla sellers that just don’t understand that I live here and already have plenty!) and climbed the steep stairs that are filled with child musicians, beggars, rubber stamp makers (stamps are extremely important in this country!), and that’s not to mention all the sellers of nearly everything imaginable and then some! At the “upper” post office, I had to present slips of paper to the postal worker and sign a book so that I could receive the necessary slips of paper to collect my packages from the “lower” post office. You guessed it! This means a trip back down the steep stone stairs through the hordes of people yelling, “Madame! Madame! Vanille! Vanille!” on the main street. After turning the corner, I wove my way through the most crowded street I’ve ever seen! The sidewalk is full of wares for sale and children playing and sleeping. Meanwhile, the street is almost always congested with traffic. That leaves a narrow pathway between parked cars and slightly moving cars to make one’s way to the post office.

At the “lower” post office, the procedure is very Malagasy. First, you present your slips to the postal worker in the middle who directs you to either end or both depending on what your little slip of paper tells him (it’s in French so doesn’t tell me much!). Sometimes he also has you sign his book; I’m not sure why. This time I got to go to both ends which resulted in language practice with all of the postal workers! One man received my slip then handed it to the woman next to him who collected my money (yes, we have to pay a small tax) while he made up the receipt. Then another woman went to fetch my package. I took the package back to the first man and explained that I would like to first collect my other package at the other end before returning to have them examined. He agreed so I went to the other end of the post office where I gave them the second slip of paper. They also had me sign in their book. Then I paid the cashier and received my package. Then I returned to the first man, who happens to be my favorite. He always asks me, “Inona ity?” or “What is this?” My answer is always the same: candy, food, books in English, papers in English, etc. Really, I only vary slightly depending on what is actually in the package. He really gets a kick out of my saying “in the English language” so many times so has started completing my sentences for me. He also likes to say, “From America!” with a big smile! He’s never given me a hard time about anything yet so I think he’s just curious to know what it is that we foreigners receive all the way from our home countries. He probably thinks we eat a lot of candy, too.

After collecting our packages, I met up with Daniel who had just finished his shopping. We returned to the bus stop at a little before 2 in the afternoon (very early) but there were no buses to be found. After watching people fight their way onto the first buses that arrived, literally jumping in through the windows and shoving each other out of the way, we became a little concerned but decided we’d just have to make a run for it. So the next bus that arrived, we ran up beside it, Daniel pushing me in front of him and me stretching out my arms to block the way of those who might try to slip by. We clambered into the back seat, laughing about the advantage of having much longer appendages than the average Malagasy.

So that’s just a little story of what it’s like to live in Madagascar at Christmastime. What I don’t understand is why the Malagasy are so crazy about shopping! Only the children receive gifts for Christmas, usually just a little candy. The adults give gifts on New Year’s Day which is when they have their family gatherings. Christmas is the day they attend church (mostly because it’s tradition and a chance to get all dressed up) and many of the children go to a Christmas party following the service. But there isn’t nearly the material hubbub that we have in America. For instance, a common Christmas gift is a live chicken because for most families it’s a treat to be able to eat chicken. Christmas doesn’t start in October here either. Rumor has it, gifts and decorations will continue to arrive through January, as they are a little behind and it takes a while to import things to this island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. In a lot of ways, it’s nice to see Christmas being a day celebrated in church though we definitely miss the American tradition of family togetherness. The question is not whether or not Jesus is remembered at this time of year but how? How many Malagasy truly understand the Gospel? Do they see Jesus as a traditional story or as a living Savior who came to earth to save us from our sins? Let’s pray that more hearts will be opened to the Savior.

Total Helicopters in Mada = 2

Today we were talking with our team leaders. They nonchalantly made a comment about there being two helicopters in Madagascar--one belonging to the president & one belonging to Helimission. That's when I burst out laughing! I find it hard to believe that I live in a country where there are only two helicopters.

There are also only 2 CAT-scan machines in Mada but only one is accessible to the public. As you can imagine, the line to get a scan is exceptionally long & the cost expensive. There are also few reliable blood tests here. Rumor has it, almost every test you take will tell you that you have malaria or typhoid when perhaps neither one is the case.

That's when it hits you that you really & truly live in a third world country.

Team Conference Photos

Here are some photos from our conference with our AIM team. The first is of a bunch of the single women missionaries & myself. We have some amazing women who have been in Mada for a long time! I think the longest is 15 years...and they are single to boot! The second one is of our entire AIM team with the addition of a couple of Malagasy guys that watched the kids & the exception of our Dutch teammate, Gerla. Carel & Annetjie, our team leaders, are pictured near the top with us. This happens to be taken at the center of Madagascar which was really close to where we had our conference. We went for a picnic there (also pictured). The last one is of Daniel & Canadian missionary, Kevin, introducing our guest speaker, Jannie, from South Africa to true Malagasy coffee.

Greetings from rainy Antananarivo!

Greetings from rainy Antananarivo! There is a cyclone just north of Madagascar which is causing some early rain showers--what a blessing after months of dryness! However, it is unusual to have cyclones at this time of year, so we are praying that it will not hit the island but remain off the coast. Surely, there will be more cyclones to come during the usual season beginning in January.

On Sunday, we will go to Ampefy, a town about three hours west of Tana, for a weeklong conference (October 26-31) with our AIM Team here in Madagascar. Please pray for our safety in travel as well as for our discussions & fellowship. This is the annual time of decision-making so please pray that we will have a fruitful, uplifting time together.

Our October prayer letter is attached. We are so grateful for your prayers! There are many stressful days as well as fun ones; we couldn’t do it without you!

Our House "Tenants"

At the beginning of this month, we moved into a house near our language teacher, the marketplace, and many of our AIM teammates. We initially thought the house would be too big and empty but have discovered some previous tenants—cockroaches, ants, geckos, spiders, and mice! We even acquired a dog along with the house (she previously belonged to one of our teammates). Fotsifotsy (her English name is Whitey) has a fierce bark which discourages anyone from entering our yard unwelcome but she’s really pretty easy-going. Unfortunately, she keeps trying to invite more tenants—fleas! In all seriousness, we do love our house. It is helping us to connect with the neighborhood as there is a soccer field next door (below) where tournaments are held every Saturday and Sunday. Much of our time has been spent studying the Malagasy language. On page 1 of our newsletter, we are pictured with our language teacher, Chantal, who teaches us four mornings each week. We feel good about the progress we are making and can converse easily in every day situations but not quite well enough to have deep, spiritual conversations yet.

We've Moved!

Photos Above: 1) view from our house; 2) our neighborhood 3) the soccer field next to our house; 4) our neighborhood omby [cow]; 5) our house which we have lovingly named "Cockroach Hotel" (all are welcome to visit our B & B!)

We've moved into our new home! We are getting settled with our own furniture and setting up house. We are really enjoying being closer to the market and our language teacher. Unfortunately, we don't have any internet in our new home as of yet so that means we may be a little slow in replying to emails but we hope to get it set up soon. Oh yeah, and our mailing address is still the same..
Daniel & Sarah Zagami
C/O Africa Inland Mission
BP 714
Antananarivo 101
MADAGASCAR

"Salt from the Heavens!"

I wish I were referring to a revival, but I'm just talking about the weather. The calendar says it's the end of September, but it's spring here in Madagascar. The rainy season of summer will officially begin at the end of October, but we had a taste of it earlier this week. We were in uptown (no one says downtown but us!) Tana late Monday afternoon when the sky started to get dark and cloudy. So we made a dash to the bus station to catch a taxi-be home. No sooner had we crowded into the aisle seats of the taxi-be than the rain began to fall. When we were about halfway into our commute, it started to hail. The windows at the front of the bus wouldn't close so the teenage girls sitting next to the driver began to shriek! They were getting drenched and pummeled by hail. Then some men began yelling for the driver to pull over so that the helper (the man who rides at the back of the bus to take the money) could close the window. After some maneuvering and more screaming, he managed to get the window to close most of the way. We got back on the road but had to pull over again a little while later to get some gas. It was then that the driver decided to close his window, for which the drenched passengers in the seat behind him appeared to be quite grateful. But his window wouldn't close so he tied a piece of cloth across it. Then we set out again. The hail continued to fall. The men in the seat behind me began to gasp and point to the sides of the road. There were big piles of pebble-sized hail, which they were calling "salt from the heavens." Truly amazing for a place that rarely sees the freezing point on the thermometer. Yet at that moment, I was more interested in the streams of water coursing down the walls from the window tracks, for once very happy to be in the makeshift seat in the aisle rather than next to the window. Along the road, rivers had formed, gushing with red soil-tinted rainwater. Unfortunate pedestrians still trying to make their way through the storm were sloshing along up to their ankles in water and muck. When we reached our stop, the rain stopped long enough for us to get home. Many tree branches had fallen and some flowering fruit trees were damaged, but the rice crop seems to have escaped unscathed. If it were any later in the season, it would be detrimental. We were without power for a several hours as the storm ensued on into the night. Overall the storm wasn't that bad but I can't help but wonder what the actual rainy season will be like. I'm just thankful this city built on hills doesn't see snow or ice. That would really be an adventure!

Sell, Sell, Sell!

Recently, during one of our language lessons, I was thinking about how many words the Malagasy have that are related to selling. They have names for different shopping locales, the marketplace (tsena) or the small shops along the street (mangazay). But they also have names for the various sellers according to what they sell. There is the fish seller (mpivaro-trondro), the bread seller (mpivaro-mofo), the meat seller (mpivaro-hena), the fruit seller (mpivaro-voankazo), and on and on it goes. Thankfully, most of these words have the same root which makes learning the language a little easier.

This morning, as we walked home from our language lesson, I was marveling once again at everything one can buy on the street. I'm beginning to become more accustomed to the sight but every once in awhile, I can't help but say, "Daniel, look! There's a blender! And there's a hair straightener!" You can buy extension cords and super glue, sunglasses and hats, jeans and shirts. They don't have a shopping mall in Tana, but I guess that's because you can buy anything you need along the street!

We are particularly intrigued by the street food for sale. You can buy a cup of coffee, thick with sweetened condensed milk, from a vendor strolling along the street. You can also buy a glass of fresh fruit juice. The only catch is that if you didn't bring your own glass or cup, you'll have to use one provided by the vendor, and the washing of dishes isn't a reality in such a mobile business.

Some of our favorite foods are the bonboncoco (the coconut cookie I am pictured with in a previous post) or mofo mangazo (manioc with ground peanuts rolled into it) which we buy from children in a little shop. They get a laugh out of our Malagasy and we enjoy delicious treats along with a chance to practice our language. The relational culture of the Malagasy which is so apparent in their constant buying and selling is an open door for us to engage in their lives. We really enjoy these interactions and look forward to being able to get to know them on a deeper level.

The 'Best' of Kenya

Here is a sampling of our time in Kenya for Africa-Based Orientation (ABO). The first is the view of Machakos (where ABO was held for three weeks) while on a hike with the ABO gang.
This is a snapshot of Scott Theological College (STC) which hosted us for ABO. We had a great time getting to know the students who come from all over Africa and observing them in various ministries. Scott was founded by AIM missionaries and named after the founder of AIM, Peter Cameron Scott. One of the first churches planted by AIM missionaries in the 1800s is right next door, Mumbuni Africa Inland Church. What a privilege to see the work of those who have gone before us, still thriving for Christ's glory after more than 100 years!
Finally, this is the AIM Guesthouse in Nairobi where we stayed just after arriving in Kenya and while we waited for our flights to Madagascar after ABO in Machakos. We met many AIMers coming and going across Africa. It was so much fun to hear their stories!

Green Chameleons

We have all sorts of chameleons in our garden, just outside! We saw one today that was really green. As long as they stay out of the house, I'm happy to have them as neighbors. Our gardener is afraid of them though. It's so funny! He runs away when he sees them. He's always barefoot though so I might run, too! :)

Sarah & Bonboncoco

Last Easter, I attempted to make a "sticky" coconut cookie called Bonboncoco; unfortunately, they didn't turn out to be too tasty. Luckily, they do make them here & they are delicious. Here's a photo of me with my first one. We buy them regularly on the street here. Notice my cool little lemur guy in the background! Our Malagasy friend bought him for me at the market.

Look for the Bridge

The sort of "bridge" you see across the water is the route we walk each day from our home in Mandriambero to go to our language lessons & to the market in Talatamaty.

Rice Paddies Near Home

When we walk out of our gate & turn left, we come to these rice paddies. Yes, it's common to see cows & children in the rice together! These paddies are the open green space in the previous post.

AIM Mandriambero

Our place is hidden in the trees in the middle of this photo "below" the water. The long white building to the right of the trees is a nearby hotel.

The photo in the previous post shows our building/house. Our team leaders have the top flat while the bottom flat at the back of this building is our place (it looks basically the same as the front with a door where we enter). The front part on the lower level is the AIM office.

August Prayer Update

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Antananarivo! We have been in Tana (the nickname for our city) for about 2 ½ weeks. Little by little we are settling into life here in Mandriambero, a suburb of Tana. Last weekend, we did a homestay with a Malagasy family. We really enjoyed the experience & learned a lot about the language & culture. We even enjoyed eating rice three times a day. Well, for the most part… Sarah is glad to be eating oatmeal for breakfast again. We call it “vary vazaha”—the foreigner’s rice.

We thank you for your prayers that have brought us this far & really look forward to hearing from you.

Praise the Lord…

…for our safe arrival & that of our belongings!
…for the AIM team here & all they are doing to help us with the adjustment to Malagasy life.
…for a furnished flat to stay in at the AIM office while we look for more permanent accommodations.
…for helping us find some affordable used furniture which will be great when we have our own home.

Please pray…
…for us to get into a routine so we can begin our Malagasy language study in earnest.
…for the right house in the right neighborhood, near those God wants us to serve!
…for a church family where we can belong.
…for the Malagasy we meet in the marketplace and on the street, that they might see God’s love in our interaction with them.

Our mailing address is as follows:
Africa Inland Mission
BP 714
Antananarivo 101
MADAGASCAR

Don't take a taxi-be on a holiday!

(FYI- if you pronounce taxi-be correctly, it will rhyme with holiday!)

The taxi-be is the cheapest form of public transportation in Tana and also the most popular. It's also the way we get around town (other than walking!) at the moment. The taxi-be are large vans with small seats like a schoolbus down either side of the van. The people squeeze two to a seat and add another seat in the middle when it gets really full (which is most of the time!). In a luxurious taxi-be, this extra seat will be a seat that folds out from the permanent seat, but most of the time, it is just a board that is balanced between the two seats, across the aisle. Most of the taxi-be have doors that open in the back so that you can scramble inside at the brief bus stops along the route. At busy times of the day, climbing aboard is an artform consisting of flying elbows and knees. Being missionary vazaha, we have not yet mastered this art form nor are we sure we really should. For our large American build, the taxi-be are a bit uncomfortable but for the small-framed Malagasy, they are quite nice. Somehow they sit five across with no problems, but we cannot squeeze our long legs into the seats without some aches and pains. I wonder what the Malagasy really think about us hanging out into the aisle, but they are definitely too kind to say anything. They just squeeze in next to us or jump over our legs.

Yesterday was a public holiday celebrating Mary's ascension into heaven (yes, it's Catholic in origin, and no, we didn't celebrate nor do we or many of the Malagasy understand the purpose of such a holiday). Most of the businesses were still open so we took the taxi-be to a craft market. Unfortunately, when we tried to return home in the late afternoon, all of the taxi-be were full. Not having mastered that wonderful art form I mentioned previously, we waited patiently. Soon many of the taxi-be were not even stopping to pick up more passengers. The crowd of people needing a ride began to grow. So we decided to walk to the next stop. At the next stop, we found the same story. So we kept walking...and walking. In just over two hours, we arrived at the commune (or town) that neighbors ours. There, we were finally able to get a taxi-be for the last leg of the journey. We had heard rumors of this happening but to actually experience it was something else. I guess we will be more grateful for our seats, scrunched though they may be, on the next taxi-be.

The Language Learning Challenge

Nearly every day we walk to the nearby market to do our shopping. Along the way we stop at roadside shops to talk with the people and ask questions about their wares. "How is the bread? Is it soft? What is this? How much is that?" Our simple questions yield simple answers, but it's all part of the language learning process. Usually we learn a new word or two. Before we go, we practice a phrase we can use along the way. Then we look for opportunities to use it. We make note of the words and phrases we don't know, then look them up when we get home and ask our Malagasy language helpers.

Learning Malagasy is made more difficult by the French influence here. Being white vazaha (foreigners), it is almost always assumed we speak French. So the conversation often begins with a French greeting (Bonjour!), then we respond in Malagasy (Manahoana tompoko!), explaining that we want to learn their language. However, it's not that easy because it is commonplace to use French words and especially numbers interspersed with Malagasy. Take, for example, our question, "How much is it?" Sometimes we will be told first in French. Then we say, "Please, tell me in Malagasy." Once we interpret the amount, we have to determine which currency they are using. Most of the time, it is in ariary but sometimes in the market it is in francs. If this is the case, then it is five times the amount we will pay in ariary. I think it sounds more complicated than it actually is, but we wanted to give you an idea of what our typical day is like and the language and cultural learning experiences we are having!

The Great Red Island

Our first glimpse of Madagascar was a long stretch of beach stretching as far as the eye could see to the north and south. We flew in from the east after a few day layover on the neighboring island of Mauritius, arriving on July 29th. The afternoon we arrived was quite cloudy but we were still able to catch a glimpse of the varied terrain of this beautiful island. There were rice paddies, hills and mountains, all with red dirt roads winding this way and that.

In our short time here, we have been welcomed by many members of the AIM team. We have also learned a few basic phrases of Malagasy and are looking forward to more serious study soon. Today we had a Malagasy experience trying to clear our cargo luggage through customs. We spent nearly seven hours going up and down the stairs, out to the warehouse, in and out of offices, trying to get all the right stamps to complete our paperwork so that they would release our bags to us. Thankfully, the Lord provided a Malagasy guide to help us through the process. And he even spoke some English which made the experience a little less frustrating! : )

Tomorrow we will drive with our team leaders about 10 hours north to the coastal town of Mahajanga. There we will attend a graduation ceremony for national missionaries who have completed a missionary training program. On the way, we will get to see more of this beautiful country. In the near future, we hope to post some photos of our time at ABO as well as of Madagascar, but that will have to wait until time and internet allow!

Visa Update

I just realized we failed to give an update on our visa situation since leaving Nairobi. We had to reapply for new visas with the Malagasy Consulate in Nairobi. Unfortunately, when we received them here in Machakos earlier this week, they were incorrect. So we sent them back to Nairobi and have received word from our friend there that they have now been issued correctly. It seems this was an honest mistake for which we are grateful as sometimes people are issued the wrong visa to make the process of entering the country more difficult. The Malagasy Consulate, however, has been very agreeable and helpful. He agreed to correct the error at no extra charge. Nevertheless, we can’t wait to actually see our passports to make sure it is actually the correct visa! We are reminded of the luxury we have of being able to enter so many countries with ease due to our American citizenship. We are also thankful that the Malagasy are so welcoming and helpful. Recently we heard of a Malagasy woman who has been waiting more than a year for a visa to enter the U.S. It’s hard to understand why these things happen the way they do, but we are trusting that God will continue to make a way so that we can leave Kenya and enter Madagascar as scheduled. Thank you for your prayers!

Survival of the Fittest?

Today we were eating lunch outside the Scott Theological College dining hall. Daniel and I were sitting on a stone wall with our plates on our laps. I felt a shadow come over me but thought it was just someone walking behind me. Suddenly, there was a brush of something in my hair, and then pressure on my plate. When I looked up I saw the back of a very large hawk flying away. Then I realized that my chicken was gone. He had swooped in, quite accurately, and taken my chicken! My fruit and rice were nearly untouched other than a trail of rice where his wing had brushed the plate. I was so startled that all I could do was cry, “My chicken! My chicken!” Once I regained my composure, I asked a veteran missionary sitting nearby if she had ever seen such a thing. She assured me that never, in over 30 years in Africa, had she seen a hawk steal chicken off a plate! From now on, I’ll be sitting under a tree to ward off the hawks.

A Berry 'Fruity' Birthday for Sarah

I had a wonderful birthday with some very interesting gifts--mangoes, passion fruits, pineapple, a necklace and lots of candy & chocolate, too! Daniel "borrowed" some birthday candles and "surprised" me by putting them into a couple of rice krispie bars that we had brought with us from the US. Then later on the evening, the whole AIM group had a surprise party for me with brownies, spice cake, & ice cream.

Jambo!

We arrived safely in Nairobi, Kenya last night. Our luggage made the journey successfully as well. It was a very long day of travel but was rather uneventful for which we are very grateful. We are adjusting to the new time zone (7 hours ahead of New York, 8 hours ahead of the Midwest). Sleeping in mosquito nets again will also take some getting used to, but the mosquitoes really aren't that bad. This morning we worshipped at Nairobi Baptist Church which is right next to Mayfield Guesthouse (where we are staying until our departure for orientation in Machakos on Tuesday). The service was in English but we did sing one song in Swahili. A more "African experience" would have been fun but it was nice to be able to worship in our own language, especially as we're not sure how many more opportunities we will have to do so. I enjoyed seeing the brightly colored wraps and clothing the women wore which really makes me excited to go out to the village on Tuesday because we will likely see more and more traditional-type dress. This afternoon, we went to the Masaai Market and tried our hand at haggling. We had a great time weaving in and out of the wares. When we told the vendors we were from the U.S., they were eager to know if we supported Obama. When we said yes, we were told we'd get "a very good price." Yet when we said no, they quickly admitted they liked McCain. Despite this discrepancy, there is no doubt Obama is the beloved son of Kenya. One man even told me he had met him personally when he came to visit. At times it is downright comical to see how far the Kenyans will go to please and get their price. Tomorrow we hope to go to the Madagascar Embassy here in Nairobi to try to get another visa. Hopefully it will be the RIGHT one this time!

Attack of the Black Flies!

Last week we went on a camping trip to Indian Lake in the Adirondacks in upstate NY. Our campsite was rustic and beautiful, situated right on the lake. On Monday afternoon, we decided to hike Snowy Mountain, an ascent of just over 3800 feet. For a Midwestern gal such as myself, I knew this was going to be quite the climb! It was a steep trek, but I was feeling strong. The bugs were annoying, buzzing around my ears, but the bug repellant was working well. That is, until Daniel and I reached the sheer rock face. Suddenly, a swarm of black flies descended on us. They began to bite my neck and ankles, not little stinging pricks like a mosquito bite but literally taking a piece of my flesh with every bite. Soon the back of my neck with soaked with blood. I cried out, "They're like maggots crawling all over my body!" It was awful. My orange tank top was covered with little black spots. But we had to keep climbing. We couldn't just stop on the rocks or they would devour us. Just then, Michael came down from the summit. He gave me a poncho, which suffocated the flies on my shoulders and arms and was supposed to protect me from further bites. We thought the top was much nearer than it actually was. Perhaps if we had known how much farther we had to go, we would have turned around. But I was determined to get to the top, to see the view, and prove to myself that I could do it. After all, the damage had been done so I might as well complete the climb. We also thought that the flies would disperse as we reached the summit. Unfortunately, we were wrong. They followed us all the way to the top, making it nearly impossible to really enjoy the view (note the little black flies on our shirts and my face in this photo to the right). Then it began to thunder so we had to begin our descent. On the way down, all I could think about was sitting down and sleeping. Daniel kept asking me to tell stories so that I wouldn't think about the pain of my bites. In retropsect, I was probably going into shock from the dozens of bites, which covered my neck from just beneath the hairline down to my shoulder blades and encompassed my ankles and ran up my legs a ways. By the next day, my ankles and neck were enflamed and itching. It nearly made me crazy not to scratch. I have never itched so badly in my life! When we returned to Stormville, the swelling was so bad that we decided I needed to see a doctor. He prescribed prednisone for the swelling and an antibiotic for the infection. The people in the doctor's office and at the pharmacy were amazed by my bites, they had never seen such an allergic reaction before. I was not nearly so impressed. Now, a week later, I'm almost completely healed though some of the red marks still remain. On Friday, we will fly to Kenya where we will be taking malaria prophylaxis and sleeping in a mosquito net. Yet, somehow, I don't imagine that the bugs or their bites can be anything nearly as bad as what I experienced in the Adirondacks of NY. Perhaps this experience is God's way of putting things into perspective for us, making us more cautious, but also grateful for the good health we are blessed with so much of the time.

Leaving on a jet plane...

We've reached 93% of our monthly target! Praise the Lord for His provision & thank you for your generous giving & prayers! Since we have passed 90%, our plane tickets will soon be purchased.

We're almost there!

Our financial support is almost complete. We have 84% of our monthly pledged support and just need approximately $600 more pledged per month. Every gift makes a difference, no matter the size. So if you feel God leading you to join our team, please see the post entitled, "How to Join Our Ministry." Thank you for your support!

Thank you for your prayers!

The Lord continues to provide. We're past the halfway mark in financial support and never cease to be amazed at how God uses people from all parts of the U.S. and even other countries, to bless our lives and enable the work He has for us to do. I can't tell you how often I have heard people say, "We're praying for you." It's indescribable how meaningful those words are when you often find yourself fighting back fears of the unknown. Because we're "full-time missionaries" our photo is plastered on fridges all over the country in hopes that they remember to pray for us and for the Malagasy. What an incredible privilege and honor we have! I can't help but wonder what a difference it would make for marriages and families around the world if everyone had a "prayer magnet" and remembered to pray for friends, family, and even strangers on a regular basis!