The highlight of our ministry year is when Southbridge Fellowship, our home church comes out for a visit! Over the past 6 years, Southbridge has sent teams to join us in our work among the Mahafaly. This year’s team included all returning veterans that have well established relationships both in Toliara and in the bush. JD led the team of 4 and was accompanied by John Wyatt (vocalist and guitarist) and Nathan and Tessa Baker (returning for their second consecutive year after finishing their journeymen terms here).
The first week was spent encouraging and challenging local national partners in Toliara to get on mission with God. The team prepared 4 stories from the Word of God with the central theme of “The Power of God” as their focus. The four stories were woven together through the telling of the big story (Creation to Christ). The other 3 stories were Elijah and the Prophets of Baal, Gideon, and Simeon the Magician. The students were challenged to not only listen to the story, but also to repeat it during the training times and share it in the afternoon was the session ended. About fifty men, women, and young adults came each day and participated in the training event.
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| The villagers call John "Star" |
The second week focused on Mahafaly bush ministry. 11 national partners from several different churches joined Grant, Ben, and the Southbridge team on a five day trek down south. The plan for Southbridge was to go to Kilimary, Besatra, and Andremba and share the stories and encourage the churches meeting in these villages. The national partners were divided into 2 teams – one which was to stay in Itomboina and encourage the leader of the small group of Christians there through the retelling of the stories, and the other was to stay in Ampotake and share the stories they had learned there in hopes that men and women would come to faith in Christ and a church would be planted there.
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| JD |
God had other plans… The first day we arrived the bottom fell out – it hasn’t rained in southwest Madagascar before December in the past 6 years! It made traveling adventurous to say the least. It also put a damper on the plans of man. Those who were in Ampotake were able to share Creation to Christ with a small group before the rains came and disrupted their time while the team in Itomboina was able to share Creation to Christ with about 140 from 4 different villages before the rains cancelled the afternoon/evening story times!
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| The team receives a gift from Besatra |
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| JD teaching in Besatra |
After hearing “The Big Story,” representatives from 3 neighboring villages asked members of the church from Itomboina and our team to come and share more stories about God’s power in their villages in subsequent days! There are no churches in any of these villages and we did not have a previous relationship with them!
Over the next several days the team from Itomboina continuing stories about God’s power in Itomboina, Behalitany, Anjamatavy, and Marinitsoa. Overall 360 people heard the gospel, 36 made confessions of faith, and 8 were baptized!
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| Baptism in Andremba |
In Ampotake, several men (4), and an eight year old girl made confessions of faith! Two of the men were baptized with the little girl!
Due to the scarcity of water in both Itomboina and Ampotake we were unable to baptize in their man-made lakes. Once I get news of people wanting to be baptized I started praying for wisdom. Our final stop with the Southbridge team was Andremba. On our way into Andremba I saw that their lake was full and asked permission from the church there to do a joint baptismal service with new converts from Ampotake, Itomboina, and Andremba. Emasike didn’t hesitate and joyfully invited us to come and use the water there while also saying that several (2) new Christians there needed to be baptized as well! Me and Ben drove and collected our teams and folks who needed to baptized from their respective villages and met the church from Andremba at the baptismal spot. It was a great time of fellowship and worship! Jonoro led us in a short devotion on the meeting of baptism.
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| At the Baptism in Andremba |
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| Grant and Efalaraza in Besatra |
In all, 450 people heard the gospel. 41 made confessions of faith in Jesus Christ. 13 were baptized in obedience with the Lord’s command. 11 national partners saw missions through a whole new lens through their experiences during the 4 days in the bush. 3 churches were encouraged and challenged directly by the Southbridge team. 3 new villages were engaged with the gospel by the church plant in Itomboina and the village of Ampotake now has the potential to become a healthy church!
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| The Team and Jodie upon arriving back in the US |
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