The city has been without electricity for three days now and a majority of the lines are down all over the city. Most likely power will continue to be off for several days.  Good thing the Malagasy are still used to cooking with charcoal! Water came back after 48 hours. 

We are sending this from a friend's hotel (the Hyppocamp) as Anita has invited us over for dinner to share news, exchange stories and help put an American guest at ease. We prepared this group email before hand and then sent it at her place as she has a generator. We are still able to check individual emails at this point so please understand if we have not gotten back to you.  Please pass this on to others as we are depending upon you all to pass the word.

We drove around parts of the town which were passable yesterday and today and have seen a lot of damage and a great deal of flooding. The dike broke and the north side of the town is underwater from the stadium. That explains why our Ambohitsabo church is under water. The priest was checking it early yesterday morning when he heard someone running, and blowing a whistle, telling everybody to run, for the dike broke and water was coming. Thinking he had a few more minutes, he continued checking the church, only to realize that it was coming much faster than he realized. Grabbing his bicycle in one hand, Rev. Noely helped a woman with her young baby with the other, forming a chain to get to safety, watching his shoes float away. 

The same priest was leading a baptismal service today in  Andranomena, on the south side of town and six miles from this church. During the service someone came running to say the water which broke the dike was now coming into one of the parishioner's homes. Several people left the church service to help assist the newly baptized church member evacuate her things which she had just put into her father's house yesterday because her house had gone down in the cyclone. 

The president of Ankilifaly church has water up to his chest in his home because of the same incident of the dike breaking.  We have not yet heard from our Administrator, but she lives on that part of the city and we are concerned that her home has undergone a lot of damage as well. These are only some of the stories of what is happening here in Toliara.

We are still trying to schedule a flight for Patsy to Mauritius. We are hoping she is able to go on Tuesday and will keep you posted.

Thank you for keeping all of us in your prayers. If you know of any relief agencies which might able to give assistance and aide, please contact them on our behalf.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd A. McGregor

Assistant bishop of Antananarivo 

Area bishop of Toliara