Update on the Political Situation

The following is an excerpt from our January prayer letter, sent January 29, 2009:

We waited in line for four hours this week to gas up the car we are borrowing. Because
of the current political situation, the people are afraid there will be a shortage of fuel,
especially if the road to the port is cut off. As we waited, we realized how blessed we
are not to have experienced anything of this kind in the past. The price of cooking oil
has doubled this week to more than $8 per liter. The prices of rice, sugar, flour, and
other basic necessities will also rise. Dairy products are becoming scarce as the president’s
company is the main supplier of these items but is no longer producing due to
the turmoil. The Malagasy are very sad about what is happening so we try to empathize
with them but furthermore these experiences enable us to sympathize with those
in much worse circumstances around the world.

The mayor of Antananarivo and the president of Madagascar come from opposing political
parties. The mayor disagrees with some of the recent decisions the president has
made so has begun calling for his dismissal from office and replacement with an interim
government until the end of his term in 2011. The international community is calling
for the two to hold talks with an intermediary but so far the mayor has declined. Unfortunately,
some people have taken advantage of this situation by rioting and looting. However, we are quite safe where we live so please do not worry BUT PRAY! We will keep you informed.

Here is an update:
Yesterday (Saturday) at a rally in downtown Antananarivo, the mayor declared himself to be the president of Madagascar beginning on Monday. The president has called this ludicrous, stating that there are many mayors in the country but none has the right to declare himself president as he is an elected official. The mayor is calling for people to not go to work (especially government officials) until he has formally resumed his role as the new president. The president, on the other hand, has called the people to ignore this request and return to their normal routine, for the good of the country. There is a possibility for a protest or riot to emerge tomorrow (Monday) but as of right now, the country is completely at peace. We went to the city for church today and it appeared to be a typical Sunday, people quietly going to church, children playing soccer, some stores open, buses running. But we don't know what tomorrow will hold! Hopefully the mayor will agree to talk with the president about the disagreements and not continue with his ploy to overthrow the government. We will keep you posted. Please continue to pray.