"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!