Weekly prayer updates are available
here.
The last extended prayer letter follows:
Dear Friends
"See, I have placed before you an open door that no-one can shut." (Rev. 3:8 NIV)
It was a chilly Saturday morning, thirty-nine years ago today, that we stood together in Trinity Road Chapel in London and made promises to God and to one another. How thankful we are to the Lord for bringing us together, and for watching over us all these years - and thankful to so many who have prayed for and supported and encouraged us every step of the way.
That first day of our marriage was in many ways a miniature preparation for the challenges and adventures that the Lord has taken us through since then: First, the train taking us on honeymoon broke down near Rugby and we sat for an hour waiting to know what would happen. How many times in our lives there have been long periods of just "waiting"! Eventually a new engine was hitched on, but by the time we reached Shrewsbury we had missed the last train to Porthmadog. We were redirected and put on a train to Chester and from there to Bangor. We have had a number of unexpected "redirections" in our lives since then!
British Rail had organised a taxi for us from Bangor - but when we reached the village of Nantmor it was 11.15 at night and everyone in the little Welsh village was fast asleep! We only had the name of the holiday cottage - how in the world to find it? "Guidance" - the Lord has always been faithful to us in showing the way ahead even when it did not seem at all clear at first. The taxi man drove around the village and eventually saw a light at a house - and found the one Englishman in the village, who was not yet sleeping, and knew where the cottage was!
The final challenge was how to get in to the cottage. The owners had not told us where to get the key, and at 11.30 at night it was very dark and very locked up! The taxi man (from Liverpool!) was undaunted. He had a torch, went round to the back, found a toilet window ajar, and managed to climb in and open the front door for us! How often the Lord has sent just the right person to help us at just the right time. Was he an angel in disguise?! And "the opening of doors" - this has been our experience over all these years. "Open doors" to service for Him!
The work on converting the big old house in town that we all used to live in (Maison Tsiranana) is nearly complete and the last two weeks have seen the big move. The school will start the new term on Tuesday (Jan 5) in these new premises. Please continue to pray for the influence of the Bonne Nouvelle (the Good News) on the lives of these (around 300) young lives.
10 of the 11 graduates from the first group of students are now working at the hospital. It has been a learning experience for us all as we find that knowledge is not the same as experience, and they still have some way to go before they are efficient nurses. There are now 8 new students (7 girls, one fellow) in the group who started their 3-year training in October. David is happy to have been given a Bible course to teach, rather than something clinical! Please pray for Dr Jeannine who is the Director of Studies and for Dr Lalie who is the school director but is not permanently living here.
The radio station has been in the new studio, formerly the garage of Maison Tsiranana, for a couple of months now with the new team of Diamondra (director), Stella (presenter - formerly the hospital receptionist), and Rija (technician - brother of Dr Francis and previously working in the Community Health department). With the much increased height of the aerial (on a new mast built by the New Zealand team in September), the range of possible reception has increased markedly. The new "whip" aerial that the New Zealanders brought was not quite right and they took it back to New Zealand to be adjusted. It is now back in Madagascar and will come up here on the next MAF flight (18 January)
We continue to be grateful for the Lord's blessing on the work of the Sunday School and the opportunity it gives to lay a good Biblical foundation in the hearts and lives of the very many folk who attend (around 300-400 tots to adults, divided into 20 classes). Please pray for a real work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of each one to bring new life where it is needed and spiritual growth in those who come to faith.
There is a faithful and committed core of teachers and others being trained up to take on a class when they are ready. Please pray that each one serving in Sunday School would be growing in knowledge and love of the Lord and of His Word, faithful in prayer and relying wholly on Him in making make known the Words of life.
Dr. Francis and Jane work together to lead the team of teachers, plan the over-all programme and oversee the weekly running of Sunday School.
With the paucity of resources in Malagasy Jane has from the beginning had the responsibility of writing the lesson material as well as planning and preparing the visual aids. This has been and still is more than a full-time job. Also with no full-time language teacher/adviser here it has been something of a struggle, so Jane is hugely grateful now for Bako, who as the missionary team's language teacher/helper has both the time and the vision not only to correct the many grammatical mistakes but also to help in getting just the right nuance in a Malagasy phrase to convey a particular truth. The fruit of this during the last year was the completion of a CD of Old Testament lessons for older age groups plus a series of lessons for tots. Jane and Bako are now working on lessons from the Life of Christ as well as correcting an old series in Acts. The present challenge is to complete all the New Testament lessons needed between now and the end of the academic year in late July before we make our trip to the UK in April/May. This is a tall order, so please pray!
David was on duty, yesterday, New Year's Day, and although it was not a normal working day, the patients who came illustrated our daily life and the opportunity to bring the love of Christ and the message of the gospel to those in need.
The first case, in the early hours, was a child with malaria. Overall the number of malaria cases has been falling - more people are using mosquito nets (we have one on each bed in the hospital now too!) and the current treatment regime is very effective. However malaria still poses a significant threat to life and health here, particularly to babies and little children.
The next "before breakfast case" was a young lady of 20 (her name is Bienvenue, meaning Welcome!) referred from the government midwife for obstructed labour - a large baby trying to go through a small pelvis. Caesarean Sections are by far our most common major surgical emergency. Thankfully this one ended with a lustily crying baby! Our second Caesarean of the day was not such a happy event. Florine, in her early 30's, lives in a village far to the south of Mandritsara. She has two previous children, but this one was not lying straight in the uterus and when she went into labour the baby's arm prolapsed outside. So a team of porters set off carrying her, in a chair tied to 2 long bamboo poles. They left the village at 7pm, walked all night and by 10am reached the tar road where they were able to find a car to bring her the last few miles. Sadly her baby was already dead, but we are thankful to have been able to save Florine's life.
Then there were 2 other abdominal operations. One was on Georges, a man of 37 who had been travelling one day and two nights to get here. When he arrived he appeared unconscious - but it was hysterical and later he started to talk. He had stabbed himself in the abdomen in a suicide attempt. In the operating theatre, before putting him to sleep, David asked him "What is the real problem - is it your wife?" "No", "Your children?" (he has 5) "No", "A money problem?" "No", "Problem with your cattle?" "No", "Problem with your brother?" At that point there was a pause, then Georges started crying like a baby "I don't know why my brother is behaving like this." he blubbed.
Here are three patients with very different situations and needs. They will each be with us for a number of days and have opportunity to hear the gospel - in the twice-daily ward services, through a personal word from one of our staff, or a visit from one of our two full-time evangelists. In the evening ward service yesterday, David spoke (for the New Year) on "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come" (2Cor.5:17). Please pray for Florine, Georges, Bienvenue and many like them, that God might use this time in their lives to bring them to new life in Him.
The Hospital board meeting, which should have taken place late last year, was postponed for various logistical reasons, and will now take place in Tana around 19 January. David and Olivier (hospital administrator) are due to attend, the others being members from the FFBBM (Association of Bible Baptist Churches of Madagascar). Key issues to be discussed include a revision of the Hospital Statutes, and a renewal of the agreement between Friends of Mandritsara and FFBBM. This will include discussion of the position of other missionary societies sending workers to the project. We would appreciate your prayers for wisdom in all this.
We are booked to be in England from 1 May to 18 June and hope to arrange a Mandritsara Prayer Day some time in May - and visits to a number of other churches. We will send another email when these are organised.
One reason for our visit is to attend the wedding of Rachel to Kip. Kip is a delightful young man from Kenya whom Rachel met when he was a theology student at Oak Hill College in London. He currently works for the Good Book Company and is seeking the Lord's guidance for their future. We also look forward to seeing the other members of our family including our newest grandson, Henry Peter Mann, born safely this week to Reuben and Hannah in Basingstoke!
When we are absent it is always a challenge to find a replacement surgeon and anaesthetist to help Dr Adrien and Dr Jeannine. We will appreciate your prayers in this search.
Thank you so much for your continuing prayers and support,
With our love,
David and Jane
Gifts for the project should be sent to:
Mr Derek Alcock
Friends of Mandritsara Trust
244 Obelisk Rise
Northampton
NN2 8TW
email: derek@mandritsara.org.uk
Please make out cheques to "Friends of Mandritsara Trust" (F.O.M.T.) Gift Aid forms are available.