Since the beginning of the Good News Hospital in Mandritsara, its priority has been that of Gospel outreach. Together with the local Baptist church, it began to support church planting in local villages. The first church plant was in the village of Ambodimadiro. Evangelism started in 1995 and a church was established in 1996.
At first, the church was well attended but as some key members moved to live in Mandritsara, the numbers dwindled until only one lady, Catherine was the sole Christian going to church. Yet, for 5 years she went on Sundays, opened the church, and sat reading her Bible and praying. Twice a month she travelled for an hour to the nearby village of Beangezoka to meet and have fellowship with the little group of believers there. In 2003 Christine, a member of Catherine’s extended family, came to live in Ambodimadiro. As a Christian too, Christine started attending the little church with Catherine. For years, they prayed for their husbands and children.
Until the start of this year 2023, there were still only 5 baptised members of the church – Catherine and her husband Edmond, Christine and her husband Rakotojaona and another lady Maman’i Christina. Early this year, the little church in Ambohimandroso, near the Good News Hospital was approached by a missionary and asked if they would consider sending a representative to preach in Ambodimadiro once a month. The church readily agreed and so, on the last Monday in March, a little band of 4 (Mr Sarindra, his wife Claudia, Bako and Debbie) set off on the wet and muddy road en route to Ambodimadiro.
Not long after they set off, they were stopped by an ox-cart which was going to Ambodimadiro. The driver agreed to taking Claudia and all their backpacks with him. Due to the state of the road, those in the ox-cart were not travelling any faster than those going on foot. So, as the rest of the team walked, they could hear Claudia, starting from creation, explaining the good news of the gospel to the driver of the ox-cart.
The following month, Catherine explained to the Ambohimandroso team that God had blessed Claudia’s witness and that the ox-cart driver’s wife, her daughter, and a friend had come to church the following Sunday and were still coming. Also, Maman’i Christina’s husband, Patrick, for whom we had been praying for many years, had also started to come to church during April. During the past 5 years, both Catherine and Christine have followed and now finished the T.E.E. (Theological Education by Extension) programme, started by a missionary several years ago. This year, there is a new intake and a further 4 from the church in Ambodimadiro have signed up. There is a hunger here to know God and His Word.
Full of enthusiasm and excited to be part of the Lord’s mission to Ambodimadiro, Sarindra and Claudia asked Catherine if they could together organise a Holiday Bible Club for children during the months of July and August.
Previously, every year until 2015, there was a Children’s Club held in a chosen village for 5 Saturdays in July and August while the children were on long school holidays. On more than one occasion, this Children’s Club, blessed by God, gave rise to a small church group in the village in which the club was held. Latterly, it had also been necessary during the Children’s Club, to also have sessions for the adults who attended. The Holiday Bible Club was no longer just for children but became known as the Club for Everyone. So, seeing the growth of the church in Ambodimadiro, and trusting that God would use their efforts, a Club for Everyone is now taking place in Ambodimadiro every Saturday from 15th July until 12th August.
Posters were put up in the neighbouring villages of Ambalamahogo and Ambalasatrana, teachers were meeting in preparation and prayer and they decided to use the Wordless Book as their method for introducing the children to the gospel message.
What a response! Expecting only a few children the first Saturday, the team were amazed to have over 100 children and adults arrive. Most of the children were from Ambodimadiro but several came from Ambalasatrana and even a handful travelled from Ambohimandroso! On the second Saturday, there was again a very large number, 107 who attended. The children are divided in to 3 groups: 6 years and under, led by Mme Radesana and Maman’i Julianna, 7 – 11 years led by Mr Theodore, 12 – 16 led by Claudia and over 16 years led by Mr Hary. Each Saturday, they start with games as the children arrive. Then they have a session all together, where they sing and hear a story about a boy called Madugu and a missionary, Mr Daniel. In the story, the missionary uses the Wordless Book to explain the gospel to Madugu. The children then break into their groups and their leader, using the Wordless Book teaches them the same thing that Mr Daniel in the story taught Madugu thus re-emphasizing that particular point of the message of salvation.
The prayers of the team are that the men, women and children who are attending the club will be challenged by what they hear. That seeds would be planted in their hearts and that they would come to know Jesus as their Saviour. It would be a great encouragement to the church in Ambodimadiro if, as a result of God blessing the Club, more men, women, and children started attending the church where they would receive more teaching and discipleship.
It is a huge encouragement for the church in Ambohimandroso to see results of their efforts. Travel to Ambodimadiro is not always easy, due to the state of the road. However, until now Mr Sarindra, Mr Hary and Mr Rija have each taken turns to go to Ambodimadiro and teach the church there. The children have also been taught by Claudia, Mme Radesana and Bako, who also take turns in going, eager to teach the children Bible stories and about God’s love for them.
Please pray for these two churches as one seeks to encourage the other. Pray for God to bless both churches so that more Tsimihety people might come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Pray for those leading the Holiday Bible Club, that the Lord might enable them to bring the message of the gospel with clarity and power and authority.
Pray for the children and young people attending the club, that they might hear the Lord calling them to trust and follow Him.
Pray for those from Ambodimadiro who are studying the Bible through T.E.E. – that they might grow in their faith and love for the Lord.
Pray that this link between the churches of Ambohimandroso and Ambodimadiro might result in growth for both churches.