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.