Madagascar. One of the biggest islands in the world. 4828km of coastline. Marine fisheries provide revenue and sustenance for all the country. Traditional, artisanal, recreational, and industrial fisheries are all performed.
Traditional fishing, undertaken on foot or canoe, represents nearly 68% of total fish production, largely focusing on exportable products, including crustaceans, holothurians and cephalopods, with men making up 97% of the workforce. It is the livelihood of thousands of families in the city of Mahajanga on the West Coast of Madagascar.
Petite Plage is replete with hotels, restaurants and other beachfront attractions. It is also one of fishermen village. Hundreds of fishing boats launch from and return to that beach daily, bringing back their catch which is then sold on the local markets and eateries. The beach is also occupied at times by locals holding to traditional beliefs to practice rituals to connect with ancestors and plead for their help to prosper their livelihood.
Pasteur Andry planted a church a few years ago in Petite Plage and has always had the vision to reach out to this community of fishermen. He has shared the Gospel with many of them and has personally invested in the fishing business to be part of that crowd. He has over the years been able to observe that the best way to relate to them is to be involved in what they do. This facilitates the daily conversations, and the life-on-life imparting of the Gospel.
Therismos has decided to come alongside Pastor Andry’s efforts and is going to invest in fishing boats and gear to drive his vision forward. In line with our motto, “fueling the Lord’s harvest”, this project will generate income for those involved in it but will also, and mainly, come alongside Petite Plage Biblical Baptist Church’s outreach endeavors.
By the nature of the activity, fishing requires a few things from those involved in it:
- It requires physical and mental dedication
- It requires courage, patience and resilience
- It requires skill and knowledge of one’s environment
- It is still is subject to divine providence
All of these are also required of those God calls to be His disciple-makers.
The Lord Jesus Christ chose 4 fishermen as part of his group of 12 disciples. He saw in these men character traits shaped by their line of work, which could be applied and developed for evangelism.
The Lord told them in Matthew 4:19 “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (LSB)
This mandate has been extended to us in Matthew 28:19-20 as we are called to become disciples of Christ making disciples of all nations.
Please pray with us for this new venture. Please pray that the Lord will use and bless this project to bring many to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. May many turn away from their idolatrous practices and bow their knees to the only mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). May this project flourish and bring an income for many fishermen in the region. And may they in turn be fishers of their fellow fishermen.
Madagascar 3M 