Prayer News

Prayer News August 2007 / Overview of Ministries in Mandritsara

Why pray?

• Because we believe in an almighty God: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” (Eph 3:20 NKJV)
• Because we believe in a loving God who delights to hear the prayers of His children and answer them: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (Jer 29:11-12 NKJV)
• Because Jesus taught his disciples to do so: “Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly [is] plentiful, but the laborers [are] few. "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."” (Matt 9:37-38 NKJV)
• Because Jesus taught that prayer is effective: “"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive [them], and you will have [them].” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
• Because Jesus stressed the importance of persevering in prayer: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1 NIV)

Madagascar General

• Praise the Lord for the present peace and political stability.
• Pray for President Marc Ravalomanana.
• Praise the Lord that repairs to the bridge on the main road to Mandritsara were completed in time for the arrival of a container of goods for HVM from Belgium in July, containing heavy woodworking machinery.
• Praise the Lord for good rains and rice crops in many places around Mandritsara this year.
• Pray for people in other areas which were badly damaged by the cyclones.

Hospital Personnel

All the senior personnel are committed Christians, all assistant nurses etc would profess to be Christians - some are stronger than others.

Dr Adrien - wisdom and courage in leadership of the hospital. Help in orienting new doctors. Setting the tone of evangelism in the hospital

Dr Jeannine – we thank God that she was able to get appropriate treatment in Antananarivo (Institut Pasteur) after her dogbite. Pray for strength for being the only anaesthetist until we return. She plans to retire from anaesthetic duties as from late 2008.

Dr Solondraibe – new doctor – just started – adapting, learning

Dr Warren Cooper – surgeon from USA covering for David's absence until 21 August

Olivier - Administrator – carrying the burden of financial decisions. He holds early morning Bible studies with hospital maintenance workers and others who are "seekers". Chairman of local "Gideons" group – distributing scriptures in schools/hotels etc.

Fianarana – in charge of our Antananarivo office – dealing with visas, persons arriving and departing from Madagascar, liaising with government departments, purchasing supplies, receiving items sent by air or sea, doing the banking (there is no bank in Mandritsara) etc etc

Fianarana and Olivier attended a "Medical Ministry Consultation" organised by SIM in Benin from 1-7 July. This looked at the questions of Financial Management and Sustainability, Personnel management and strategic planning as related to mission hospitals. Pray for the implementation of what they learnt.

Jaclin - invoice clerk

Rija – has just arrived to be accounts clerk, with particular responsibility for the Community Health project (funds from TEAR Fund)

Vololoniony (wife of Theophile) – head nurse

Hilde Vlaminckx – Belgian nurse in charge of the ward. She will be returning to Belgium in September. Pray for guidance as to her future – we will be happy if the Lord leads her back to Mandritsara again.

Mirjam Roost – Swiss nurse who arrived in Mandritsara in July 2007 for one year's service. Pray for her settling in and adapting.

Jimmy – building supervisor, overall head of maintenance department.

Sarindra - maintenance supervisor

Thιophile - Xray technician and runs pharmacy and Bible bookstall with Colette

Debbie Simpson – from Northern Ireland with SIM – in charge of the laboratory – on furlough until next May

Jean Pierre and Bako - Lab technicians

Zoky Solo – Senior hospital evangelist. Solo and Nivo have two adopted boys, the second of which (aged two) has Cerebral Palsy and congenital kidney problems. This has necessitated repeated hospital visits in Antananarivo and so the family has spent a lot of time apart in recent months. Nivo and the children are planning to spend the whole of the next school year in Tana, with Solo up and down to Mandritsara – please pray for wisdom for them as to what would be best.

Radesana – Hospital evangelist

Maintenance men – most of the maintenance men are not believers. There is a special Bible study/teaching session for all of them each Monday morning at the start of work led by Robert and Jimmy.

Eye department

• Christoffel Blinden Mission (Christian Blind Mission) subsidises this work. In order to maintain this support we need to do 500 cataract operations per year. The first half of the year is difficult – difficult to get to Mandritsara because of the rain; relatives busy with rice cultivation; funds low until the rice is harvested. We are well below the target of 500 so far in 2007. Please pray for patients to come.
• Dr Hanitra is the surgeon.Rachel Robinson is the optometrist – short-term missionary until October 2007.

Dental department

• Anja, wife of Dr Solondraibe, is a dentist and has just arrived at Mandritsara. She qualified at the end of 2006. Sadly this month she has delivered a premature baby which did not survive. She has returned to her parents in Antananarivo for a month. Pray for her adapting to HVM and for the opening of this ministry. We need equipment and supplies. It would be good if we could find a more experienced dentist willing to come and help her get started (eg from UK).

Maternity Unit

• The building is finished and we would like to open this as soon as possible, but we need more staff.

• Elke d'Hulst is a long term Belgian missionary midwife, due to arrive in late September. She will then spend 6 months in Malagasy language study in Antsirabe before coming to Mandritsara.

Community Health

• This ministry is funded largely by TEAR Fund UK.
• Dr Francis is in charge of the Community Health work and has 10 staff helping him.
• Praise the Lord for two excellent buildings that were opened last year to house the department.
• This month a TEAR Fund "Transform" team of 6 young people from the UK will be helping in the Community Health work.
• The vaccination programme for the villages is behind schedule because of the rains this year and particularly because the Helimission helicopter was damaged and unable to visit for a couple of months.
• There is currently very little AIDS in Madagascar and we have never seen a case in Mandritsara. This is not because the moral state is any better in Madagascar than in countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa, and it is very likely that it is only a matter of time before AIDS hits. The Community Health team are involved in running a very active work among young people and older school children called "Hope for the Future" teaching the Bible view of marriage faithfulness etc.
• Other projects include the provision of good water for villages (piped water from springs in nearby hills).
• Please pray for particular wisdom for Dr Francis in deciding where the Community Health team should invest their energies and resources (there is so much that needs to be done), and that the primary aim of spreading the gospel will not be lost sight of.

School of Nursing

• We praise the Lord that the first year has been completed (of the 3-year course). 11 students – 7 ladies and 4 men – make up the first group. 4 already worked at HVM. Six are members of the Bible Baptist church and all the others would make profession of faith, though some appear stronger than others. Not all are finding the course easy and some have had to repeat several of the exam modules.
• John and Mair Pugh and Estelle Ropp are the full time teachers and other staff have taught particular courses.
• We are grateful that we obtained official permission to open the school. Please pray that the school will be approved to award diplomas which will have the equivalent value as a diploma from a government school.
• We are thankful that funds were granted from the Dutch Evangelical Broadcasting Organisation that enabled us to build a classroom and practical room for the school. The school office has been using the rooms of the dental department, but with the arrival of a dentist, this has been vacated. We would like to be able to construct a second building for the school to include an office and student study rooms etc.

Good News School (Ecole Bonne Nouvelle)

• 200 children in 8 classes. All teaching is in French.
• All the teachers are committed Christians and Biblical teaching is given to the children.
• The school had the best exam results of all primary schools in Mandritsara in 2006 and again this year.
• Head teacher - Gisele (wife of Adrien)
• Teachers - Fara (sister of Adrien), Seheno (wife of Dr Francis), Claudia (wife of Sarindra), Clara, Haingo, Keren (wife of Jaclin).
• New teacher - wife of Diamondra, who is coming for the FVM radio, will start as teacher in September.
• Children: children of HVM staff, children of senior people in Mandritsara (chief of police, gendarmerie, government officials, GP's etc), children of Pakistani Muslim traders.
• Praise for purchase of the building which houses the youngest 3 classes. The other building is rented and we will need to find an alternative in the long term – we have a site for construction, but will need considerable funds.
• Support for running costs (only about half covered by fees). Annual running costs 2006 = £10,000
• We would like to open classes for the first 2 years of secondary school in 2007-8. We have permission for this and will need teachers and accommodation.

Mandritsara Bible Baptist Church

• Leadership - Pastor Julien (& his wife Clare). Dr Adrien (Elder), Jimmy (Elder).
• Pray for powerful gospel preaching and nourishing Biblical teaching, for clear conversions and growth.
• Around 100 baptised members.
• Witness in Mandritsara (12,000 inhabitants - about 300 to 400 come to the church including children)
• Youth meeting (Dr Francis leads).
• Younger teenagers meeting (Ado's pour la Bonne Nouvelle – ABN – Dr Adrien leads)
• Women's meeting (Claire leads).
• Baptismal class (almost 40 in the class this year)
• We praise the Lord for the large new building. Extensions to this are planned when funds permit.

Village outreach

• Ambodilengo (the football church – it traces its origin to evangelism at "half-time" during a match between a building team from Belgium and a team from Ambodilengo a few years ago!) 8km NE - Mr & Mrs Radesana have laboured to plant this church. The leader is now Leonce. There are now 10 baptised members and the church has been admitted as an independent church to the Bible Baptist Association.
• Kalandy 25km NW - Dr Adrien and team visit monthly
• Ambodimadiro 8km N - Mr & Mrs Radesana, Hilde and Debbie visit monthly. Several other villages near Ambodimadiro now have small groups which meet.
• Antsarika, Maroaboaly, Antsomika, Ambalakirajy 65km W – Mahefa, who trained at Antsirabe Bible School each year for 1-2 months over 6 years, now oversees the work in these villages.
• Antanjano 10km E. Once a month Zoky Solo has been spending a long weekend in this village and the Lord has saved many from a background of witchcraft and idol worship. Several folk have publicly declared their faith in the Lord Jesus by burning their fetishes (or throwing them in the river). About 10 from there are currently preparing for baptism.
• Altogether there are 25 or more villages with groups of believers and interested folk meeting. Pastor Julien does his best to visit as many of these as possible, helped by Rakoto and Hiary.
• Each year the group leaders come to Mandritsara for 2 weeks of intensive Bible teaching (most recently from Julien, David and Solo).

Sunday School

• Jane - lesson preparation in Malagasy aimed at providing consecutive biblical foundation from which teachers can prepare their own lessons for age group of their class. Two series are being produced, one for teachers of 3-6 year olds, one for 7 year olds to adults.
• Dr Francis and Jane have overall responsibility for running of Sunday School, programme planning and weekly preparation with the 20 teachers plus the several who are in training.
• Present structure of Sunday School: 20 classes, 6 catering for 3-6 year olds, 14 catering for 7 year olds to adults.
• Weekly attendance: 300 to 400 in Mandritsara.
• Village outreach and ministry further afield:
  • An increasing number of villages in the Mandritsara district are visited monthly by teams which include those bringing Bible teaching for the children.
  • Requests for Sunday School materials come in from churches in other parts of Madagascar – 2 in the capital and one in the North and others. Jane is working towards preparing a CD of consecutive teaching plus visual aids as a resource for elsewhere. This requires the Malagasy to be adapted for different dialects!
  • Annual Holiday Bible Club – this is held in a different village each year. This year, on Saturdays in July and August, it is in Andilana, 6 km from Mandritsara. 200 children have been attending each week. Jaclin and Theophile are leading it with a team of helpers.
  • Praise for hunger and thirst shown, especially amongst large number of young people in Mandritsara, also in an increasing number of villages.
  • Pray for more who are able and willing to take the Word regularly to these far and needy groups.
  • Pray for the Word sown to bear much fruit both in Mandritsara and further afield.

Personnel needs

• Doctors – anaesthetist or doctor to train as anaesthetist, surgeons, doctor with Obstetric training to supervise maternity unit, doctors for general medical/paediatric work
• Nurses and midwives - urgently needed
• Physiotherapist - to launch the department and serve the many disabled people in the community
• Pharmacist – responsible for ordering and controlling drugs and medical supplies and advising the doctors
• Bible teacher for the follow up of new Christians, planning future outreach etc. - the needs are great.

Those preparing for or considering service in Mandritsara

• Dr Philippe – Christian Malagasy doctor, trained in surgery in Serbia – he has just returned to Madagascar after 10 years or more in Serbia. We are waiting for him to contact us about possibly joining our team.
• Mat and Katy Linley – about to go to Bible school. Mat is a water engineer and Katy a doctor and they already spent a year in Mandritsara.
• Ted and Rachel Watts – both doctors – Ted training in surgery – thinking of coming initially for 1 year in Aug 2008
• Matt and Sarah Sherratt – Matt is doctor, Sarah a teacher/children's worker. Matt starts a 2 year training post in anaesthesia in the Midlands this month. They are seeking God's will for the long term future.
• Liz and Doda – due to return to Madagascar in September after 5 years training at the London Theological Seminary. Doda will be pastor of the Bible Baptist church in Antsirabe. This is not directly connected to Mandritsara but we look forward to fellowhip and links.

Short term helpers

• Michel Degraeve – Belgian carpenter – currently in Mandritsara for a few weeks to train the carpentry team and make windows and doors for Oasis
• Noel and Monique – Belgian nurses – spending July and August in Mandritsara
• New Zealand team – Dave Burrows and 2 others are coming for September to help with Oasis

Needs - projects

• Hospital running costs. Whilst seeking to provide good medical care for people who are largely poor subsistence farmers, we are unable to cover the costs without significant help from outside. Currently we are needing about £7,000 extra per month (above local income) to cover costs. Please pray for help as we seek to reduce the difference between local income and expenditure.
• Oasis Guest House. Robert & Christine Blondeel from Belgium will run this. Robert is also working as hospital electrician / telephone engineer and doing many other maintenance jobs as well as preaching in church from time to time. Christine already looks after visitors and new arrivals. The building has the roof on – the internal walls are nearly all plastered. Plumbing, electrical installation, windows and doors, floor, painting etc remain to be done.
• New Land Rover. About £25,000 is needed to purchase and ship this vehicle to replace the Land Rover that Manns took to Madagascar in 1993. The vehicle is last year's model (less dependent on electronics than the new model) and is already sitting at Unimatco in Gerards Cross. We hope to ship it from the UK in August.
• Second building for Nursing School
• Tower for radio antenna
• Design and construction of Good News School

Feon'ny Vaovao Mahafaly – FVM (Voice of the Gospel) 92mHz FM

• The Lord wonderfully provided the equipment to start this station which broadcasts each day to Mandritsara and nearby villages.
• Currently Robinson, a Malagasy man working in the Community Health team, runs the station, but Diamondra, who has been through Bible training at the Baptist Bible school in Antsirabe, has been doing further radio training in Antananarivo and is about to move to Mandritsara to assume responsibility for the station.
• Pray for an assistant for him, and pray for wisdom in developing the broadcasting schedule and making programmes that will bring the Gospel and Bible teaching to many who would not otherwise be reached, as well as helping those who live in more remote villages.
• We would like to build a tower for the antenna so that we can reach more distant places. This would not only enable us to bring the gospel to remote villages, but also help in bringing Bible teaching to the leaders of the small groups of Christians in remote villages.

Prison Ministry

A team, including Dr Adrien, Olivier and others from the church, visit the prison once a month on Sunday morning to bring a gospel message to the inmates.

Literature

• Bible correspondence course – Zoky Solo is responsible. First course is free and is evangelistic. Further courses give basic Bible overview, basic doctrine, and then study individual Bible books
• Tracts – we have copied (with permission) the former SGM tracts "Four things you should know" and printed 40,000 copies so far. We have also written our own tracts in Malagasy: "Better" – for patients when they go home. "Is it serious Doctor?" – for patients with cancer or who will probably die from their illness. "Your New Baby", for new mothers. "I want an Abortion" – for those who have already procured or attempted an abortion or are thinking of doing so (widely practised but actually illegal in Madagascar). "The one you love is dead" – for relatives when someone dies. "Sir I want to see" – for the eye patients. "Dear Boys and Girls" – for children. We have lots of other ideas and need time to put them into action!
• Bookstall. We have good stocks of the Bible in Malagasy - it costs a labourer 2 or 3 days wages. We also have the hymn book and Pilgrim's Progress, but very little else is available in Malagasy. We have some French Christian books which we subsidise to make them more affordable, but not many folk can read them. There is a huge need to produce appropriate Christian books in Malagasy.

Maintirano

We have been considering for some time whether we should extend our work and start another hospital in a different part of Madagascar. Maintirano has been on our hearts, and following a visit there we believe this is the place we should seek to start a new work. It is a very remote town, some 400 miles south-west of Mandritsara on the west coast. Road access is very difficult and only possible for 2 or 3 months a year. It is the centre of a large area (size of Belgium) with a population about 250,000. Medical services are very poor. Spiritually it is very dark indeed. The people are mostly spirit/ancestor worshippers, but there are quite a lot of Muslims including those of Comorian origin. Please pray that the Lord might guide us clearly. We need:

• a team truly called by God for this difficult task
• a plan
• funding

Mission Aviation Fellowship

• Jakob & Tina Adolf (German) - director & pilot
• Matthew Slaubagh and Joshua Plett – Canadian pilots
• 10 seater Cessna caravan plane
• They fly to Mandritsara about once a month and more frequently when needed. Pray for safety and protection in flying. Their support will be critical for the Maintirano project

Helimission

• Markus and Esther Lehmann (German) – currently in Germany
• Gerd Hock – German pilot
• They come a number of times each year particularly in the rainy season to fly the Community Health team to the villages fo vaccination campaigns etc. They have 2 helicopters. One was severely damaged by hail earlier this year – and has only just been repaired

Friends of Mandritsara Trust

• The website is run by Caroline Bunting. Please pray for her in managing this and keeping it up to date. Please tell her if you have any suggestions. mandritsara@mandritsara.org.uk
• The trust is managed by Bryan Lumb who has just relocated to Worthing – please do not send anything to his old address – new address is "The Potters House", 7 Hythe Road, WORTHING, West Sussex BN11 5DA. email: lumb@thepottershouse.co.uk

Gifts for the project should be sent to Bryan Lumb, "The Potters House", 7 Hythe Road, WORTHING, West Sussex BN11 5DA. email: lumb@thepottershouse.co.uk

Please make out cheques to "Friends of Mandritsara Trust" (F.O.M.T.) Gift Aid forms are available.

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