Prayers from Mayfield - Toliara update
WOW!!!! is all I can say after catching up with my leaders. God has answered some of our prayers in amazing ways and I have to share them so we can praise Him together.
Sarandrano and Hoda:
Hoda is a relative of a prominent family in the fishing village of Sarandrano, where I spent my first week in Toliara on homestay. Their family (non-Christians) and the village has a special place in my heart because they were the first people to take me in and help me with language. I developed a passion for the people in Sarandrano as well and prayed that God would grow His church there. Over the months it proved to be hard for me to get back to this remote village. Just before Christmas, Hoda drank himself into a coma. When I returned from Christmas in Tana I learned that the family had asked Pete to come pray for Hoda who was now in the hospital just 5 minutes from me. Even in the sadness of the situation it was good to be with the family that I hadn't seen in such a long time and to pray for Hoda. Slowly we say God perform a miracle in Hoda. He went from limp and lifeless, to opening his eyes, to eating on his own in a few weeks. My prayer was that the family would see God's hand through this all and have a desire for Him. I received this report from Kara today, "Hoda who was in a coma over Christmas is going great now - back to being able to do everything, except for diving, but he goes fishing and gets about normally again...They totally know it was God who healed him - big open door for giving their lives to Jesus and not following ancestors...The whole village knows the story [of Hoda's healing]...Pete showed the Jesus film in Sarodrano - they loved it!" Praise God for His work in Sarandrano.
Beltisaky - The fishing village:
You may remember my prayer requests for Belitsaky. In the past we have seen a Satanic hold on the village. As Pete has been faithful to spend time there God has enlarged our prayers for this special village. Recently, one of our main prayers was for a Malagasy pastor. Just a few weeks ago, I heard a pastor just showed up in Belitsaky to hold church services on Fridays. I got this report form Kara last week,
Pete [has] gone out to Belitsaky today to do more stories. Seems more people are keen to come to the Friday church service, just have to do a walk through the village beforehand and announce when it is starting. The pastor's sermons have been really good. I'm getting stuff together to do Sunday School-type lessons with the kids who are always at the cabin on the weekends. Got lots of pics and will try do some coloring in pictures to go with it.
Thank you God for your great plan and for answered prayers. We pray now for the children of Beltisaky as Kara works with the President of the village to share the good news with them as well.
The new Bible study group at the local University:
I don't think I have even had the chance to tell you about this new Bible study group. Just before I left for ABO in January, one of the young adults asked me to visit a University just beyond my house. I shared a verse and song with them, but it was actually a tough lesson because the students, who have been trained to question and argue, made it really hard on me. I was admittedly nervous to go back, but God gave me the opportunity to visit again about a month after returning from ABO. I set up a time to meet again for Bible study, but I continued to be nervous about leading this group; until God gave the realization that the nervousness was due to a spiritual darkness at the University. You see, many of the students have come from the north of Madagascar where Islam has begun to take root. Having come here to study they have brought their Islamic beliefs with them. As I set to pray for this Bible Study God took me out of the picture. I was meant to go with Kara to teach the Bible study, but through a serious of events didn't end of going. So, now Kara has been leading this group for the past 5 weeks as I continue to pray. She reports the following...
Uni group is awesome - they are so on fire to learn more and follow Jesus! I gave them 3 things for homework and will see if they follow through, especially telling the story to others. Had great discussion about Cain and Abel last week and original sin and choices to sin or to honor God. Kids are going good, though school still a challenge.
Sakama Market:
It has been my prayer since I spent time with the women in the market next to my host home that we would do Storying together. The thing that has held me back is that, I feel, it would be best if I had another female to help me. Please continue to pray for the right person to help me, the right place to have the Bible study and the women's hearts would be stirred to want to learn more about God.
Please continue to pray for Toliara. God is doing great things in the hearts of the people there
Sarandrano and Hoda:
Hoda is a relative of a prominent family in the fishing village of Sarandrano, where I spent my first week in Toliara on homestay. Their family (non-Christians) and the village has a special place in my heart because they were the first people to take me in and help me with language. I developed a passion for the people in Sarandrano as well and prayed that God would grow His church there. Over the months it proved to be hard for me to get back to this remote village. Just before Christmas, Hoda drank himself into a coma. When I returned from Christmas in Tana I learned that the family had asked Pete to come pray for Hoda who was now in the hospital just 5 minutes from me. Even in the sadness of the situation it was good to be with the family that I hadn't seen in such a long time and to pray for Hoda. Slowly we say God perform a miracle in Hoda. He went from limp and lifeless, to opening his eyes, to eating on his own in a few weeks. My prayer was that the family would see God's hand through this all and have a desire for Him. I received this report from Kara today, "Hoda who was in a coma over Christmas is going great now - back to being able to do everything, except for diving, but he goes fishing and gets about normally again...They totally know it was God who healed him - big open door for giving their lives to Jesus and not following ancestors...The whole village knows the story [of Hoda's healing]...Pete showed the Jesus film in Sarodrano - they loved it!" Praise God for His work in Sarandrano.
Beltisaky - The fishing village:
You may remember my prayer requests for Belitsaky. In the past we have seen a Satanic hold on the village. As Pete has been faithful to spend time there God has enlarged our prayers for this special village. Recently, one of our main prayers was for a Malagasy pastor. Just a few weeks ago, I heard a pastor just showed up in Belitsaky to hold church services on Fridays. I got this report form Kara last week,
Pete [has] gone out to Belitsaky today to do more stories. Seems more people are keen to come to the Friday church service, just have to do a walk through the village beforehand and announce when it is starting. The pastor's sermons have been really good. I'm getting stuff together to do Sunday School-type lessons with the kids who are always at the cabin on the weekends. Got lots of pics and will try do some coloring in pictures to go with it.
Thank you God for your great plan and for answered prayers. We pray now for the children of Beltisaky as Kara works with the President of the village to share the good news with them as well.
The new Bible study group at the local University:
I don't think I have even had the chance to tell you about this new Bible study group. Just before I left for ABO in January, one of the young adults asked me to visit a University just beyond my house. I shared a verse and song with them, but it was actually a tough lesson because the students, who have been trained to question and argue, made it really hard on me. I was admittedly nervous to go back, but God gave me the opportunity to visit again about a month after returning from ABO. I set up a time to meet again for Bible study, but I continued to be nervous about leading this group; until God gave the realization that the nervousness was due to a spiritual darkness at the University. You see, many of the students have come from the north of Madagascar where Islam has begun to take root. Having come here to study they have brought their Islamic beliefs with them. As I set to pray for this Bible Study God took me out of the picture. I was meant to go with Kara to teach the Bible study, but through a serious of events didn't end of going. So, now Kara has been leading this group for the past 5 weeks as I continue to pray. She reports the following...
Uni group is awesome - they are so on fire to learn more and follow Jesus! I gave them 3 things for homework and will see if they follow through, especially telling the story to others. Had great discussion about Cain and Abel last week and original sin and choices to sin or to honor God. Kids are going good, though school still a challenge.
Sakama Market:
It has been my prayer since I spent time with the women in the market next to my host home that we would do Storying together. The thing that has held me back is that, I feel, it would be best if I had another female to help me. Please continue to pray for the right person to help me, the right place to have the Bible study and the women's hearts would be stirred to want to learn more about God.
Please continue to pray for Toliara. God is doing great things in the hearts of the people there
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