The people told the story of the Magi visiting Herod and the need for the Holy Family to flee from Herod.
Worship at Santa Patrika Cathedral, Toliara, on 30th December 2018.
All posts by Sue Babbs
An exciting day at the Days for Girls Enterprise in Toliara, Madagascar!
A team from Roman Catholic High School, Carmel College, in New Zealand stopped at the Women’s Center to make a donation and deliver 40 Days for Girls kits which their school friends had sewn. They are travelling round Madagascar with World Challenge and had heard about the Enterprise via Days for Girls International. 
A Message of Thanksgiving.
To those of you have supported our ministry for many years, we offer our deepest thanks! The work on the ground in the mission field would not be accomplished without your dedicated prayer and financial support.
To those of you who are only now or recently learning of the McGregors and the work we do in the name of Christ, we hope the stories you will read in our newsletter will move you to make a commitment to this ministry. Thank you.
In 2006, the Holy Spirit sent me, along with my wife Rev. Patsy, to Toliara to serve as Bishop for this southwestern area of Madagascar. At the time there were only a handful of churches and a few followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the faithful and generous support you have provided to our ministry, we have seen the Diocese of Toliara grow to more than 90 churches with a complement of church leaders who have been raised up from among the people. All of this requires a great deal of hard work: planting churches and training followers to become leaders. It also requires a good deal of financial resources to make it happen. Where the Diocese of Toliara is today, with its many churches, clergy and lay leaders, a beautiful cathedral recently dedicated (dedication of cathedral video), and more and more Malagasy deciding to follow Jesus each day, would never have happened without the prayerful support of each of you – in your personal devotions, naming us in the Prayers of the People during weekly worship services in so many parishes around the world, and especially through your generous financial support of Patsy’s and my ministry here in the Diocese of Toliara.
Our biggest challenge for tomorrow is to Secure the Future by raising up leaders:
• through intentional Discipleship Programs,
• through Theological Education, including collegiate degrees for all clergy, continuing education and training for clergy, and diplomas in evangelism for the evangelists.
Because the Diocese has taken the initiative to support theological higher education, what we see today is…
- Evangelist Antsa, Evangelist Gaston, Catechist Zafy and three others who are studying in preparation for ordination.
- The Ven. Hery and The Rev. Victor who are enrolled in non-residential college programs for Bachelors and PhD diplomas in theology.
- Seventeen students in the Evangelism Training program.
Altogether, we have 26 students enrolled in theological education. Six of these are to become ordained priests – which will double the current number of parish priests!
At the same time the Diocese has many programs to aid the people of this area of Madagascar. Especially notable is the education the diocese is providing for children, the Days for Girls program which has transformed the lives of so many women and girls, and other programs. You can learn more about this dynamic program in our newsletter. https://dioceseoftoliara.org/
Patsy and I thank you for your dedicated giving in support of our ministry. Through the abundance of God’s gifts in your life, we ask that you renew your commitment to this ministry – and perhaps even consider increasing your gift for 2019.
If you are just now becoming acquainted with the McGregor ministry and all the exciting developments in the Diocese of Toliara, we pray the Holy Spirit will touch your heart with a desire to enable more good works. Please consider making a financial commitment to support this ministry and bring more Malagasy to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Serving Christ Together
To make a gift in support of the ministry of the McGregors, please use the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS) secure website: https://give.sams-usa.org/missionary/todd-and-patsy-mcgregor. Use https://give.sams-usa.org/project/diocese-of-toliara to make a gift in support of the education programs, Days for Girls, or other programs. Or call 724.266.0669 to make your gift.
Walk by faith, not by sight
A team from the Chapel of Saint Andrew, Boca Raton, Florida travelled to Madagascar in November to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ministry and partnership with our brother and sisters at The Chapel of Saint Andrew in Mahabo, Diocese of Toliara. The team consisted of Archdeacon Faye Somers, Marcy Allen and 2 college students, Lauren Mueller and Remington Fiore.
They had a day in the capital, Antananarivo, visiting a lemur park, the Queen’s palace and shopping at the market before travelling to Mahabo, where they conducted children’s ministry, Days for Girls distribution, men’s group testimony and a church meeting.
What a transformational time they had!!!! God really blessed their intense schedule. Remington said it was the best experience he has had in his life. Lauren reflected on all the poverty. Faye was amazed that children don’t go to school because there are no schools. Faye said how organized Victor and his committee was.
Rev Victor (priest at Mahabo) reported: “Everyone had a chance to minister and serve the Lord in different ways. Their coming was such a blessing to all of us for we met each other for the very first time and others for the second time. We are very thankful that the team was able to come. It is our desire that we can also come and visit you some time.”
Water tanks for Ambovombe
Water storage tanks have been given to the Diocese and arrived in Ambovombe. Each tank will hold 1,000 liters of water. This will allow continual water supply (as long as there is rain) for the families surrounding the tank.
Bases will be constructed for each water tank to sit on, so that they don’t sink into the sand once they are filled with water.
Toothbrushes for Mahabo!
Over the summer, the Church of the Annunciation of our Lady in Gurnee, Illinois collected toothbrushes, toothpastes and dental floss for the people of the Diocese of Toliara. A team from the Diocese of Florida carried them out this month. Here are some being distributed in Mahabo. Rev Victor made sure the children knew how to use these dental supplies.
Severe Food Insecurity in the Diocese of Toliara
Please pray for the people in the Diocese of Toliara who are severely food insecure. The Diocese includes the entire area shown in the inset box in this photo.
More can be read on:
https://reliefweb.int/report/madagascar/madagascar-humanitarian-snapshot-august-november-2018
Banner for St Philip’s
Earlier this year, Bishop Todd held a competition for the local churches; the prize for which was a specially commissioned banner made by Sue Babbs.
Santa Filipo in Ambohitsabo (just off the road from Toliara to Ifaty) won the competition. The banner was designed to be the same size as their other three banners and depict the encounter between St Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts chapter 8 – the start of Christianity in Africa.
It was presented to the Church on Sunday November 18th.
This photo also shows the new tiled floor in the church building. The members of the church raised all the funds for this themselves.
Midwife in Training
Congratulations to Tantely who started her three year midwifery training course today in Toliara. May God go with her as she follows her calling.
Missionaries Derek & Jane Waller’s latest newsletter
Two Into Three Goes – Just!
Dear Friends,
We had set off at 6.30 a.m. and finally arrived in Morombe at 7.45 p.m. It was only 180 miles but the road was non-existent in places. We were shown our room and the single three foot bed for us to share for the next five nights. We could hardly complain as Hanitra, a delightful young trainee evangelist, had given up her room for us and was now sleeping on a concrete floor with four others. We survived and even slept a little.
We had gone to lead the second of nine conferences around the parishes of our large diocese. The aim of these conferences is to train leaders of disciple-making groups. These groups will use the Rooted in Jesus course.
The training is intensive lasting from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. for three days but we are lifted by the enthusiasm of the participants and the joyous Malagasy singing. We were thrilled to have Derek’s new assistant, Evangelist Florent, with us for the first time.
Since then we have completed a third course and a fourth starts on November 22nd in Betioky, another long drive.
For these conferences Jane does much of the organizing and Derek the teaching, though Florent will increasingly share the teaching.
Please pray that those who have been trained will start discipleship groups in their local churches.
Between conferences Jane has started teaching English. She is much in demand. It seems that everyone here wants to learn English. With the backing of Bishop Todd, she has chosen to focus on particular groups. The first priority is the Diocesan staff working on the Cathedral compound – six in all, of widely varying ability – which makes teaching a challenge. They all come to her classes with big smiles and lots of enthusiasm.
Please pray for wisdom and skill for Jane.
As we approach our first anniversary in Toliara, we thank God for his grace and that we have made significant steps forward in our roles. Our prayer is that God will be glorified in who we are and what he calls us to do.
The peace of the Lord,
Derek and Jane