Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Indian Ocean met with Malagasy President Hery to discuss reconciliation in the country this week. 
The photo was taken during their visit to the presidential Palace Iavoloha.
All posts by Sue Babbs
Ash Wednesday 2018 at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Back to School! Half Term Report from Derek and Jane Waller
Dear friends,
We are half way through our three month language course in Antsirabe which is in the beautiful, cool and rainy highlands of Madagascar. This seemed a good time to give you a brief report – though we won’t tell you what our teacher, Mamia, makes of us!
Mamia has told us to our surprise that she has now taught us 90% of the grammar we need. This comes as a relief because we’re not sure we could have coped with more actives, passives, relatives, imperatives, passive imperatives….. At times our brains have felt in overload with the volume and complexity of Malagasy grammar and vocabulary. For example, the subject comes at the end of the sentence and by the time we have worked out the rest of the sentence we have often forgotten to add it!
Thankfully, we are now concentrating on listening and speaking. Slowly we’re gaining confidence in communicating in this strange tongue. Malagasy is a fascinating and beautiful language with many fun words. So a butterfly is a “lulu” and words are often doubled but in a different way to English: so “fotsy” is white, while “fotsifotsy ” is off white.
We know that we have a long way to go and the weeks ahead will continue to stretch us but the prize of both being able to share more deeply in the lives of the delightful Malagasy people and to share God’s love in Christ is a great spur. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for God’s gift of grace.
The peace of the Lord,
Derek and Jane
Consecration of Assistant Bishop Samitiana
Thanks be to God for the consecration of Bishop Samitiana Jhonson Razafindralambo on February 25th, 2018! He will be serving God in the Diocese of Toliara, as Assistant Bishop.
And the Diocese celebrates by singing its song:
Team Illinois on their way to Madagascar
Please hold the landscaping team from Illinois in your prayers for the next two weeks. They are (left to right) Eric from St David’s in Glenview, Irma from St Mark’s, Glen Ellyn and Betsy & Glen from St James the Less in Northfield. Please pray for:
- safe and straightforward travel & for their luggage to arrive with them
- for their health and safety during the trip
- for good team relationships
- for ease of communication with four different main languages (English and Spanish for the team, and then Malagasy and French in country)
- for wisdom in relation to what work to do when they arrive – inevitably, there is more landscaping to be done at the Cathedral Complex than can be achieved in the time-frame
Women of Madagascar: Love ~ Hope ~ Joy
Jacky Lowe writes: 
Join us in a journey of hope, to empower the women and children of Madagascar to overcome poverty through education and the love of Jesus Christ.
The journey began in November 2007 , when Rev. Patsy McGregor spoke at the Diocesan Convention in S. E. FLorida, and I was inspired to go to Madagascar. Three short term mission trips were completed in 2009, 2010 and 2015 but I wanted to do more.
Mark 1:17-18 Jesus said to them, “Come with me and I will make you fishers of men” and at once they left their nets and followed him.”
In January 2016, Rev. Patsy asked me to work at the women’s center. I will be there for 3 years. Raising funds for my support began in July 2016 and I hope to depart in March 2018.
I will teach the women in Madagascar to develop workplace skills to provide for their families, but I need your help with prayer and financial support.
Click on Support Jacky to make ONLINE donations; or
mail checks to: SAMS USA, PO Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003
Checks should be payable to: SAMS USA; memo: Jacky/women
Please join us on this journey of hope.
First Pilgrimage to the Diocese of Toliara, July 12th -26th, 2018
Regretfully we are postponing this pilgrimage to another year. Contact Sue Babbs suebabbs385@gmail.com if you would be interested in coming on it another time.
We invite you to join us on the first ever Pilgrimage to the Diocese of Toliara, Madagascar with Bishop Todd and Rev. Patsy McGregor.
Come explore the beauties of God’s creation in one of the world’s loveliest but poorest countries. See fascinating rocks and minerals, beautiful woodcarvings, weaving and embroidery, and wildlife, trees and plants unique to Madagascar, such as lemurs, chameleons, baobabs, the spiny forest and more!
Find out why the Malagasy are drawn to Jesus and what their faith means to them. Learn about the joy in their lives despite the challenges they face.
Simon and Sue Babbs (who are on the board of People Reaching People and visited the Diocese of Toliara in 2014, 2015 and 2016) will be facilitating this pilgrimage from Antananarivo to Toliara in the last two weeks of July 2018.
From the evening of July 14th onwards, Bishop Todd or Rev Patsy McGregor will be with the tour each day, providing spiritual guidance and insights into the lives of the Malagasy.
Please contact Sue Babbs suebabbs385@gmail.com with any questions.
More information and details of the itinerary can be found here: Pilgrimage 2018 Brochure
(The pdf of the brochure can be printed as a booklet on letter paper, if you wish).
Work is progressing well on the Guest Hostel
Bishop Todd reports that good progress is being made on the first Guest Hostel to be built at the Cathedral Complex in Toliara, and says “We are still short $12,500, but I’m trusting in the Lord that He will provide.”
Laying of the Cornerstone of the first Guest Hostel
Thanks be to God for the laying of the Cornerstone of the first Guest Hostel at the Cathedral Complex at Andranomena, Toliara. The Diocese hopes to build two of these this year. One for CMS missionaries Derek and Jane Waller to live in and one for the Assistant Bishop and his family. They will each have three or four bedrooms, a common living area, kitchen and two bathrooms. $25,000 is needed for their construction.
Derek and Jane Waller’s Newsletter from Toliara
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