Posts made in October, 2013

a call to prayer for a heartbroken mother

Posted on Oct 28, 2013 | 0 comments

a call to prayer for a heartbroken mother

  We have been heartbroken over the news we recently received.  This is Liva (pictured above) and she is already intricately involved in our family of 5.  A recent missionary family left the field whom Liva worked  for and because of their departure she was going to be out of work.  Even though we are not on the field yet, we learned of Liva’s situation and hired her so that we could support her and welcome her as a part of our family when we get there.  A large part of my trip there in June was to organize those type of arrangements.  Liva will help us with our day to day survival in Madagascar.  She is a faithful christian with a servants heart, and will be helping us with everything from navigating the shopping in the markets to loving on our kids.  She is great with kids as she raised three boys of her own. Liva has entered into an incredibly difficult time as a mother.  About 9 days ago, one of her sons (22 yrs old) went fishing in the deep ocean on a small outrigger canoe with 6 other guys.  There was report of a storm that approached around that time.  The unfathomable reality of which any mother fears to accept is the loss of a child.  But each day with no word or sign of any of those men begins to tear at that fleeting hope.  Our hearts break with Liva as she struggles to bear the overwhelming emotions and grief. As her worries and concerns for this son grew, another son became increasingly ill.  After examination with a doctor, the boy was diagnosed with appendicitis.  A potentially life threatning complication if the appendix is not surgically removed as soon as possible.  Reality is that in Madagascar, any treatment (surgery) needs to be paid in full before they will treat any patient.  Liva was at a complete loss, as most malagasy cannot afford the unexpected cost of a surgery (especially with little to no insurance plans there).  We can’t imagine the burdens she been facing these last two weeks. We Praise God that she did get the money to have the surgery for her son!  The surgery went well and he is now recuperating.  But there is still no word about her other son.  I spoke with her a little the other day and we are still waiting for more updates.  Please join us in praying for Liva and her family.  We are burdened to cover her in prayer as she walks this incredibly hard road.  It is difficult for us not to be there to console, comfort, or hug her during this time.  But we trust our God can give her more peace and support than anything we can physically do as He is the only one who can truly meet her where she is. May we embrace her in prayer.    ...

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Through Hands and Dirt…

Posted on Oct 9, 2013 | 0 comments

Through Hands and Dirt…

In Madagascar this past June I was able to be apart of a truly incredible moment.  The “Hands in Dirt” nursery has done amazing work since it opened, planting over 50 species of hard-wood trees and starting one of the first successful reforesting sites in the dry-dicidious forest.  But the moment I was able to share with the workers at the nursery was just a glimpse at the amazing things God is doing through their work. The team has worked hard at collecting seeds from all over Madagascar to restore what once was. More than a year ago the team went to a national forest (area not deforested) to collect seeds and asked to partner with the forest administration for the common goal of restoring Madagascar’s forest’s.  Their response to such a partnership was a swift no, as they could not associate with such a small start up nursery run by the poor, uneducated malagasy youth (but they could collect some rotten seeds this time). Madagascar is commonly known for the “Baobab” tree.  People say “God uprooted the tree and stuck it in the ground upside down.”  Six of the Eight Baobab species are endemic (only found there) in Madagascar.  Unfortunetly because of the vast deforestation, some of these Baobabs are on the brink of extinction.  One of the endangered species of Baobab’s (Adansonia Madagascariensis Boensis) was in this nearby  National forest the team collected seeds from.  This specific Baobab trio (pictured below) is the last known fruiting (seed bearing) Baobabs of this species in the world.  Some believe that the tree has become endangered because whatever lemur or bat that would eat it’s fruit and “propagate” the tree, has probably become extinct. The team collected as many pods (which looked to be all rotted) as they could.  They took the seeds back to the nursery, planted them, watered them, and waited, but nothing grew.  A season went by and the faithful nursery crew continued to tend to those pods and watered them by the bucket full, pulled by hand, from a 40ft well. And when I went to visit… They had sprouted!!!!!! Around 40 seeds sprouted and became mature seedlings.  The humble “Hands in Dirt” nursery probably  has a percentage of the population of the most rare baobabs in the world.  As soon as word got out to the National forest that the little nursery had some of these seedlings, they quickly called to partner (as nobody has ever been able to propagate this tree). My great joy was to see this awesome crew replant the very first Baobab seedling in the Sarobidy Maternity Center’s Garden. God has truly blessed their work. And may He continue to show them the fruit of their labor as their lives and land are reconciled back to...

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