Dear Friends
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken, but endures for ever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and for evermore." Psalm 125:1-2
We had not intended to write again so soon, but last week Madagascar suffered a severe tropical cyclone and we would like to share the situation for your prayers. The worst of the storm was along the East Coast. Towns to the northeast of us (Antalaha and Maroantsetra) suffered severe wind and flood damage. Major donor organisations are involved in urgent relief work and our friends at MAF and Helimission are very busy indeed flying supplies in to these towns. Here in Mandritsara we had 250mm rain in 2 days and the main river that runs on the edge of town burst its banks for the first time since 1959. The main street in town was waist deep in water and six of our hospital workers had water flowing through their houses higher than their beds. It could have been much worse - in 24 hours it had already subsided again.
Of course the smaller river that separates our hospital from the main part of town flooded and cut us off completely for a while. We received an urgent phone call from our colleagues living in town last Thursday evening to say they had been called to the government hospital to see Vavizaka, a lady in labour, bleeding with a probable placenta praevia. There are no surgical facilities at the government hospital and she needed an urgent Caesarean section - but there was absolutely nothing any of us could do except pray. The next morning an enterprising man had already set up a ferry service - he had tied two thick planks of wood together, made a small paddle and was offering to carry people across the flood for 1000 Ariary (25p, but the equivalent of two hours wages for a labourer). He paddled while his passengers sitting on the planks, between one centimetre above and one centimetre below the water level! Vavizaka and her family were among his first passengers! By 8 am we had done the Caesarean section and she had a bouncing baby boy, to whom they gave the name "Tafitalakana" which means, "Crossed over in a little boat!"
During the time that the cyclone passed in the night, our night-watchman found an exhausted bird lying in the hospital courtyard. He had never seen such a bird before, and when we looked it up in Roberts "Birds of South Africa" it turned out to be a Sooty Tern, about which Roberts says "This species occurs normally only after cyclones blow from the east; on such occasions they are also blown inland." We were most impressed by the diagnosis!
After the storm had passed and the waters subsided, we woke up to the realisation that Mandritsara has been completely cut off. There is a very large metal bridge about 50 miles away on the main (and only) road from Mandritsara to anywhere. It crosses a very big river, the Sofia. Pont Sofia looks rather like the Sydney harbour bridge in Australia - though much smaller of course. When all the tributaries emptied their floodwaters into the Sofia, it flooded at this bridge and the access on both sides was washed away - 8 metres on one side and 4 on the other. Another smaller bridge along this road has also been completely washed away. So now it is impossible for vehicles to come to Mandritsara. So this has an enormous impact on supplies here - and in particular on fuel to run the generators in town (now only supplying electricity 2 hours a day) and our own generators and vehicles. There were 40 drums of diesel left at the supplier in town so we immediately bought 10 for the hospital. By cutting back electricity to 12 hours a day this will give us enough to last for a month or so, depending on emergencies. But with all the relief and repair work to be done in the country, there is no guarantee at all that the road will be open again within a month.
So we would be very grateful for your prayers. In this situation too, local prices have risen sharply for basic foodstuffs and there is likely to be a major shortage of many basic items. The weather is still hot and now we are unable to use fans at night. A bigger impact is on the "Voice of the Gospel" radio station, which can only broadcast when there is electricity. We are grateful too for your prayers for our night nurses who will have to do much of their work now by candlelight.
Please pray that in the midst of all these practical difficulties, we may not be distracted from proclaiming the Good News of Jesus and His love for sinners. Though most of our patients are only in hospital a few days, we do have some who are with us for longer and thus have time, with their relatives, to hear the gospel message presented and explained on many occasions. Brizia is a little girl of 5 who was knocked over by a motorbike and sustained terrible facial wounds, a badly broken jaw, and fractures of both femurs. Her mother was convinced she would die, but her facial wounds have now healed and her jaw too, even though it is a little crooked. She will be in traction for several more weeks for her leg fractures. Bina is a boy of 11, run over by an oxcart who arrived with a very infected open fracture of his lower leg. When it is time for the morning and evening ward services, he seems to be "all ears".
Warren Cooper, the replacement surgeon, has agreed to come here mid June to mid August so our tickets are booked for England. Jane is due to arrive May 12 and David June 16. We are booked to return to Madagascar on August 18. The London Mandritsara Prayer day is planned for Saturday June 30th at 2pm at Trinity Road Chapel, London SW17. (Buffet lunch from 12 noon). We look forward to seeing many there. We are also hoping to visit a number of supporting churches. "His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the 'whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay." This is our hope - we hope it is yours too!
Thank you for your continuing prayers and interest,
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.