The day started with us finding a small hut nearby with some locally made donut-like fried pastries.
We then went to the market to shop for what we needed for our next meals. The market was vibrant with colors and sounds, and a very friendly atmosphere. After finding all we needed including powder syrup to be used for Sunday communion, we went back to Mahatsara where the team started cooking while I had a working meeting. I was impressed and so delightfully surprised by the meal they prepared with mash potato, shrimp cakes, and tomatoes.
We left right after lunch and the car got stuck quickly after…We worked at it for an hour and finally got it out of the mud.
We though decided to leave the car there and continue on foot. 1h30min later we reached Tananan’i Lemanana after crossing a river on a canoe.
The killer part of the move was the 150-feet uphill climb to get to the church as the final part of the 90 minutes’ walk. Let’s say everyone smiled at our exhausted faces once reaching the top.
The worship service started soon after our arrival with around 230 people in attendance. The conference was opened up by the local pastor and I then taught from Colossians 2, reminding them of the price Christ paid so we could be His followers. In the meantime, the 3 youths taught the kids songs and lessons from the life of John the Baptist and the story of the good Samaritan.
The walk back went well after a very brief trial using bicycles. When we got home, the day was not over for us as we still needed to draw water from the well to cook and to shower. We then prepared dinner and washed the dishes before each crashing on our bed. Joeny exemplified servant-heartedness as she still gave the 3 of us a foot massage! She might kill me for mentioning this but she is incredible… and she is still single guys!
We tried to rest as we knew we had to go at it again tomorrow, leaving at 6 and teaching all day once there. What a privilege to be spent for Him! And how humbling it is to know that what we experience is nothing compared to what the local pastors go through on a daily basis and to what missionaries of old had to endure.
Madagascar 3M 
Nice to see how your time at Master’s has prepared you to be the bondservant of the LORD.
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Thanks Mrs. B, still learning to submit fully to His will.
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