by Emily Nell Lagerquist

On March 7 2020,   I left Miami for Madagascar with a team from Saint Andrew’s School Boca Raton, Florida.
I was the representative from the congregation of the Chapel of Saint Andrew, which is located on the school grounds.  

We were on a short-term mission trip to visit the children in the village of Manamby, too small to find on a map.  We flew into Morondava, on the west coast, from the capital, Antananarivo, and then drove to Manamby.  This visit was part of a larger plan to someday build a school for the children there.

The team was to return to Miami via South Africa and I would continue on to Toliara for a six-week visit with the Rev Patsy and Bishop Todd McGregor and the people in the Diocese of Toliara compound.

On March 17, Mme Holy (the wife of Bishop Samitiana) and I left the capital Antananarivo on the two-day overland trip to Toliara.  Little did I know at the time that my planned 6-week mission trip in Toliara would extend to 9 months and that I would return to Miami on December 15, 2020.

While in Toliara I stayed on the Diocesan Compound in the guest room in the Women’s Center.  

The second day I arrived, I was asked to quarantine for two weeks because there was a concern that Neny Holy and I had been exposed to Covid-19 on the trip to Toliara.  During that time of quarantine, my only interaction with anyone was through the window to the outside. I loved this opportunity!

I have always wanted to visit a cloister and here I was. It was a wonderfully quiet time for reflection and rest.  Plus, it was so hot that for the first few weeks I mostly slept. I later learned that the average annual rainfall in the spiney desert of Toliara is 16 inches. This was not a challenge for me. I grew up in the Central Valley of California where the average annual rainfall was 13 inches. However, I later learned from Google sources that the dewpoint of Toliara ranged between muggy, oppressive and miserable. When I arrived in March, it was definitely “miserable” 24/7.

By April, it became clear that I would be in Madagascar indefinitely.  A few days after my arrival in Toliara, the Madagascar borders had been closed due to Covid-19.  International flights had been suspended and interior travel was curtailed to commercial transportation of food and life-giving items.

I soon settled into a routine.  Each day started with my morning wakeup call by the roosters crowing around 5 a.m.  

Due to Covid-19 there were restrictions on the number of people who could gather in a single location.  So instead of regular corporate prayer which was the normal practice on the diocesan compound, a schedule was set up so that two households would meet for daily evening prayer.  During my visit, I joined different households in prayer depending on the rotation schedule.

About a week after my quarantine time, I was able to access internet and I started to communicate with my family and church community. The typical American question arose, “what do you do all day?” So, I would say that during my time there I developed relationships, by spending time with people.  I really came to experience the saying, “God uses us just as we are and wherever we are.”

With regard to the “doing aspects” :

• I participated in the regular schedule of corporate prayer such as the monthly days of diocesan prayer and fasting and the intermittent Sunday services.  These were special spirit-filled times that deepened my understanding and experience of prayer.

• I offered to tutor English, teach the basic Order of Saint Luke program of Christ’s Healing Miracles to the students of the Bible College, and introduce and teach the concept of Blessing Prayer developed by Roy Godwin, Russ Parker and others.

• I helped to write a grant proposal to continue the Rooted in Jesus program and other spiritual and leadership development programs in the diocese. We learned on Thanksgiving Day that the proposal was funded for the next two years!  What jubilations!!
  
• It became clear to me that I needed to suggest projects that required a minimum of sustained attention, so I encouraged xeriscaping  —  let’s support God by growing local plants that will survive without water or much attention. 
  
  I encouraged the cleaning up of the land in the compound – clearing areas around the cactus rather than pulling out the cactus.  I kept saying “let’s support the way God plants this area”.  And indeed once the grass and vines had been cleared, the cactus really popped out  and they were in blossom.  So it was very effective. 

I paid Seliny 5000 Ariary to cut grass for 3 hours as my contribution to help maintain the compound.  She took the grass home to feed her zebu.

I wanted to clean up the area outside of Holy’s office.  And, as a result a bench was put out there so she could sit outside.  I do not think they would have even thought to put one there till the grass and vegetation had been cleared to show off the trees and the cactus.

• and, I met with Rev Patsy McGregor on a regular basis, acting as her sounding board and editor as she created several devotionals, some of which incorporate reflections on life during this worldwide pandemic.

Most of all during this time, I developed friendships that will last a lifetime.

Emily

Donna and I have been looking forward to this mission for the past 6 years or more. When we once again met Bishop Todd and Rev. Patsy at a New Wineskin’s Conference, and then they visited our church and came to talk about their mission initiative, we knew we were being called for a visit to Madagascar.  We are amazed about how the Lord has worked in our lives to make this possible from the beginning.  When one tries too hard to make a mission trip come together, one knows it is not of the Lord.  Looking back we know that this mission trip was orchestrated by Him for us.

There were several obstacles that were thrown in our way before we left, including a bout of Atrial Fibrillation that I (Kevin) experienced and had to be electrically cardioverted a week before leaving. Yet again the Lord took care of this and I left JFK in normal rhythm. Then when we did arrive in Madagascar the island was hit with the biggest Cyclone in 13 + years and we spent two days in the capital at a guest house before we could travel to Toliara (also known as Tulear).  Dr. Zoe, who is the Malagasy doctor who would join in the clinics with us, was traveling to Toliara with her family by car from the capital.  They also experienced some trials as her car broke down twice on the way, in the middle of nowhere.  They had to hire military to stay with their car through the night and they walked to a safe place.  Thankfully they were safe and the car was repaired, but they too were delayed in their arrival to Toliara.

Psalm 121 expressed comfort for us in the midst of this. From verse 7-8, “The Lord will keep you from evil; he will keep your life.  The Lord will keep your going out and coming in from this time forth and forevermore”.  We both knew we were in for a life changing experience that even the evil one could not stop.  This brings to mind my Rollo (talk) for Cursillo about ‘Obstacles to Grace’ years ago when the Lord first put mission on my heart.

On the long flight to Madagascar I sat and read another book that Rev. Patsy McGregor wrote entitled, “A Guest in God’s World”.  The book is an excellent account of Rev. Patsy’s and Bp. Todd’s life in the mission field and the sacrifices they had to endure and the hardships of being in Madagascar.
In her book, Patsy points out several great thoughts:

• Spend time listening to God
• Allow God to take us places we might not otherwise consider
• Trust God to call forth from us that which we do not yet realize is within us
• Seek experiences rather than answers
• Live eternal life as a present reality

These are all wonderful thoughts for living life with Christ especially on the Mission field when one must continually ask, “How can I serve the Lord, and what does He want me to do?”

When we arrived in the Capital, Antananarivo (“Tana”) and got off the plane, we walked across the tarmac and the smells and warmth were all too familiar even though we have never been to Madagascar (“Mada”) before.  This felt similar to other countries we have visited.  The same poverty, garbage strewn streets, blank faces and stares at each street corner.  The same hustle and bustle in the streets with the chatter of foreign language in the background and poor filthy children at the car windows begging, some with babies on their hips.  Within minutes as you look through the dirty car window you see the true reality of the starving world right in front of you, the same as if we were in Sudan, Haiti or any other third world country.

The same feelings well up inside me bringing me close to tears as in times past, asking the Lord, “How can I help these people?  What can I offer in order to help this mass of poverty and illness that is before me?”  I know the Lord has appointed people and objectives for this journey, and they will play out as the next few weeks unfold.  I need to stop thinking and doing on “my time” and realize that we gave this time to Him and that is why we are here.  Psalm 41 reminds us, “Blessed is the one who considers the poor!  In the day of trouble the Lord will deliver him, the Lord protects him and keeps him alive.”  It is reassuring that we can give this up to the Lord and it will all work out just as the fruit in planning of this trip revealed, in the first place.  It also occurred to us that Lent was the perfect time to be serving others and perhaps be stretched a little past our comfort zone.

Finally after 48 hours of torrential rain and high winds, and praying that the tin roof didn’t blow off, we were able to fly to Toliara and were met by Bishop Todd’s joyful face.  Toliara is the 5th largest city in the country but has limited industry, and the poverty is starkly apparent, even more than it was in the Capital.  Bp Todd and Patsy started with 3 churches in 2006 when they arrived and their goal was to plant 20 new churches in 10 years.  They have established 80 churches in 10 years in a diocese that is the size of Florida. It takes 6 days to travel through the diocese.  Unfortunately, the ratio is only one priest for 10 churches and transportation is mostly by foot or bicycle.  The Diocese of Toliara has 1.5 million people who are “Food Insecure.”  This means they do not know where their next meal is coming from, which became very apparent when examining the children and the elderly in the medical clinics.

One notices the convergence of Asian and African cultures here in Madagascar.  Most travel by foot or ‘pousse-poussey’ which is similar to a rickshaw from the Asian culture, but more often powered by a bicycle.  The capital is far too hilly for this type of transportation.  The streets are absolutely filled with people moving about.  I liken it to some sort of video game with a multitude of moving disturbances one has to avoid while traveling along.

When asked what people do to make a living, we were told that each person does whatever they can in order to make enough money to purchase some food for each day.  All along the sides of the road are tiny shelters that contain those efforts.  Some however just spread material on the ground and show their offerings of fruits or vegetables.  Many foods are offered this way, as well as bicycle repair, used clothing and many other items for sale.  The poverty seems to effect the majority of the people and it is overwhelming to consider having some positive effect in this extreme poverty, from our small efforts.  But with God, all things are possible.

We traveled to five different locations for the clinics, the first being the most remote from the city called Ambohimahavelona.  The journey was long, traveling along twisting dirt paths with excessive potholes to avoid at all cost.  The remote village worked diligently to provide one small mud building with two rooms for the clinic.  The medical providers were in one room and the pharmacy / dispensary was in the other.  The prayer team was on the porch anointing and praying for those who would then continue inside to the doctor.  When we arrived, it appeared that there was a large group of people already gathered under the large tree for shade.  Instructions were given by Bishop Todd in his happy, light-hearted manner and the day began with community prayer.

Dr. Zoe, the Malagasy doctor was very knowledgeable and took time to explain different medical illnesses that we don’t see in the United States.  The medicines that we had with us were somewhat limited.  The Sisters gave out the medications and gave injections and did the blood tests.  There is a significant amount of hypertension, stroke and diabetes.  It was apparent that in many cases illnesses are treated with naturopathic medicine.  A leaf from a tree is used for hypertension and a seed extract is used to lower blood sugar in Type II Diabetics.  In the end, over 200 patients were seen here with the outcome that still many people had to be turned away.  We left much later than we had planned and had to maneuver the difficult roadway in darkness.

The successive clinics were held in locations around the city of Toliara including the Cathedral.  Many of the patients, both young and old had diseases that have progressed well past the available treatments.  Many needed diagnostics that just are not available in the local area and people cannot travel to the capital nor could they afford to, so they suffer.  We saw mothers with malnourished children with no social support systems to obtain food or formula for their babies, so they are fed a rice gruel that has minimal nutritional value.  We witnessed children who were 1-2 years old, not yet walking with flaccid extremities and could hardly keep their head up to nurse due to malnutrition.  Another child was seen who had a seizure disorder due to having parasites which had migrated to the brain.  The patient is treated for the seizures but the brain damage has been done and the condition only worsens.  Again it comes to one’s mind, “Lord what can I do for these people?”

We offer what medications we have and pray for the Almighty to heal them.  The Malagasy people, as a population are in the same situation across the diocese.  Their faith gives them hope for the future.  Perhaps God’s ultimate plan for us is a ministry of presence.  We walk alongside our brothers and sisters assuring them that their toil is remembered by us, we have not forgotten them; they remain on our hearts. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen,” (Hebrews11:1) so we remain hopeful.

There is a community of hope, set in the midst of deep darkness and despair, severe poverty and starvation.  This rather small community of deep faith and hope is referred to as “Miaraka Community”.  It is a community which has been planted by Bp. Todd and Rev. Patsy McGregor as they planted this new diocese of Toliara.

A beautiful Cathedral has been constructed within this compound which is called the “Gathering Place.”  Within the compound is also the Diocesan Office which has an area for meetings and the Bishop’s chapel.  Rev. Patsy has her office in another building which is shared with rooms for teaching Evangelists.  They have a two year program which they have developed to train Evangelists.  After the 2 years, they go out to support the churches with no Priest.  They live together in a dorm-like situation while in training.  Every morning at the break of day there are morning devotions held inside the Cathedral.  They begin with 10 minutes of singing, 10 minutes of Scripture reading, 10 minutes of intercessions and prayers.  That’s how each day began, centered in Christ and in community all bathed in prayer.

In the evening, one may find the evangelists outside cooking their own meals over charcoal and then singing or just enjoying being together.  They have what they need right there on the compound as they grow in faith and in community.

The Bishop requires Seminary education for his Priests, so if any of them discern the call to the Priesthood, they need to go away to the Capital in the North, or to Kenya for Seminary Schooling.  Other dioceses are sending people to them for their evangelist program.  They are setting a wonderful example of how living in community and growing faith can be accomplished.  A group of evangelists will graduate in May, so we can hold them in prayer to accomplish all that the Lord has in store for them.  Many of them arrive with not more than an 8th grade education and with little hope.  Things are changing in a positive way for them!  Some of them are learning English as well, and have found solid direction for their lives in Christ’s service.

Rev. Patsy works with the women in developing ministries with them.  Many are so impoverished they feel hopeless and feel that they have nothing to offer.  Patsy has taught them how to make paper rolled beads, which are made into several different items: small purses, necklaces, earrings and key chains, among others.  Nothing is wasted, yogurt cups and tops are transformed into items made by the women.  They make hand-made cards, crochet small bags for phones, and the Days for Girls items as well (Feminine products).

This has given the women in the area a sense of purpose.  They are learning to sew and use their creative minds and can now help others.  Some have been accredited so that they can actually go out to train others.  Rev. Patsy is beginning to take some of the items to tourist areas where the products can be sold.

In the midst of all of this, they are fellowshiping and growing as a community of faith providing hope where there had been only despair.  One woman in the community is hoping to one day be a nurse midwife.  One day she accidentally cut her finger nearly severing the tip off.  Kevin needed to suture her wound.  Rev. Patsy whispered in her ear in Malagasy to be courageous and that this is perhaps part of her training to be a mid-wife!  She did beautifully and we pray her finger heals well and that she will one day fulfill the dream to become a nurse mid-wife in this community.

It’s beautiful to see how lives can be changed by offering some hope, and by providing some training in even seemingly small ways.  Part of this is simply a ministry of presence, they know that someone cares enough to walk alongside them and will continue to do so in a Christ-like manner.  We will continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Tulear and support them, especially Bishop Todd and Rev. Patsy as their Shepherds.

We also pray for the Lord to create a way to provide better health care to such a needy population by raising up community health care workers and perhaps future medical clinics to better serve the health needs of our Christian family in Southern Madagascar.  We praise God, for His word never returns empty and His work is never done in vain.
In His Service,

Kevin & Rev. Donna Steckline – Christ Episcopal Church, Gilbertsville NY

Episcopal Diocese of Albany New York

  

Please continue to keep the McGregor family and their ministry in your prayers as Patsy and Todd are now back in Madagascar once again serving among the Malagasy people.

Here are a few special updates: 

This summer, Andrew Somers, an Elon University student and member of the Chapel of St. Andrew’s in Florida, is joining Patsy and Todd in Madagascar as Todd’s assistant.  He will be shadowing Todd to gain experience working with the priests and evangelists, overseeing projects and programs in the new diocese, and helping to define and update the ministry vision and mission.  He will be assisting with the two agricultural co-op projects in Betaola and Sakaraha and assisting with plans for the Miaraka Resort and Spa as well as the new school planned for the area.

My Summer Plans–by Andrew Somers

http://andrewpssomers.blogspot.com/   Be sure to follow Andrew on his blog!!

               This up-coming summer, I have the most unique, fitting, and incredible opportunity to work alongside Bishop Todd McGregor in Madagascar and do interning research related to economic development in developing countries. I have had so many amazing experiences in my life already, many due in part to this scholarship fund, from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to building relationships in Honduras. However, I feel confident in saying that this opportunity has more than enough potential to be my most memorable experience yet. I am so blessed to have such a distinct opportunity this summer, when my original plans were to simply stay home and eventually figure out if I were going to work or not. It is amazing where God is pushing me sometimes.

               What I intend to get out of this summer is, besides general experiences of living in Africa for over a month, to gain a better knowledge of how economic development can improve in developing countries. Once out of school, one of my long-term goals is to help open up the global business market. From research that I have already done about the issue, it seems that most developing countries do have a need for business – if done the right way. Although many people think that they have nothing to spare, many of the people in those countries just do not have opportunities to either buy or sell anything, and therefore I want to help give people that opportunity. The research we will be doing in Madagascar, I am sure will give me more than enough information to figure out the exact direction of my career.

               I know none of these experiences are simply given to me and for that I am so extremely grateful towards the JCW Fund for allowing me to, essentially, build my career. It should seem impossible for someone of my economic status to be able to do the things that I have done. I am certainly not poor, but I am certainly not wealthy either and it is this realization that only leads me to thank God for everything that I am able to do.

Andrew Somers – JCW Travel Fund Scholarship – 2010

Please pray with us for Board Members, Syd and Laura Verinder, who will be traveling in  August to Madagascar.  They will be focusing on

• Helping McGregors move the diocese offices to their new location;
• Review progress of two women-managed agricultural cooperatives; evaluate the experience of the past growing season and needs for moving ahead; discuss any Charter revisions for the coops; review ways to make the businesses better, meet training needs; encourage the women of Betaola for their next crop; and talk about steps to prepare for starting savings groups
• Establish another cooperative and conduct a Christian business principles training course; formalize a Charter for the new business (funding pending)
• Being in community with English language classes and church services
• Participate in final phases of planning for construction of the new Soalara secondary school
• Explore possibilities/needs for starting a bakery business and other small business ideas in Toliara and possibly Fort Dauphin
• Explore possibilities of starting a savings group as the initial step towards a microcredit program at St. Luke’s Church, Toliara

Have you ever felt a calling to go to the “ends of the earth” to work for the spread of God’s kingdom?  The Verinders are open to the possibility of leading a small mission team for all or part of their journey.  Contact Syd at sverinder@hotmail.com for more information.

In addition, with great thanks, we welcome Rev. Howard and Peggy Hess from Church of the Ascension in Knoxville, TN, who will also be traveling to Madagascar in late July and early August.  They will be a great encouragement to Patsy and Todd as they work alongside them in the upcoming weeks.  Additional teams from  St. Mark’s, Geneva, IL and  Ursinus College will visit this summer as well as a team from SE Florida will be with the McGregor’s from 9/18-9/30.  For additional information on the SE Florida mission team trip, please visit http://onesteppublishing.com/madagascar. Praise be to God for these wonderful short-term missionaries and their love of the Malagasy people!!

The Gathering Place construction continues to go well with the outside shell and 2nd floor now complete as well as the foundation now laid for a 3-room building to house student evangelist and clergy trainees.  The roof work began the week of March 26th and now is near to completion (end of May).  Patsy and Todd held Easter service inside, with a confirmation ceremony and two churches coming to worship together.  Prayers and praise also for the groundbreaking on March 27th for the Ft. Daulphin church plant, called St. Gregory’s.  The first service consisted of 25 baptisms and confirmations, with many families coming to Christ together.  Pray for the construction over the next 8 months. Photos are included in our photo gallery.  To God be the Glory!

Please continue to keep the new Diocese in your prayers as meetings, approvals and paperwork processes continue to unfold in the coming weeks. 

Here’s a link for a u-tube video of Todd preaching regarding ChurchArmyAfrica, as they prepare to bring two missionaries from Africa to work in Madagascar.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_aLm2GeqAU

Pauline’s Travels (by Patsy) March 27, 2010

Somebody recently has given me great advice for the next 3 months of travelling – to think of myself as Pauline spreading the gospel everywhere I went. So on this trip to Ft. Dauphin my travels began. On the plane the lady next to me asked me to pray for her as her sister just died and she was going to the funeral. As we held hands and prayed, I remembered the advice I was given. She must have had the clue that we were Christians from the big cross around my husband’s neck.

And also yesterday, when the car broke down for the 5th time and therefore we walked into a rural village with only a few bamboo huts and were greeted by singing Christians who normally walk over 10 miles to church. They were estatic as this time we came to greet them in their village. In that village, there was a child, under 1 year old, suffering from what must have been water on the brain or something like that. She had a head the size of a helium baloon and her eyes went back into the back of her head and all that I could see was the white of her eyes. It was so sad. I thought of Corbi and the papers she has been writing for health class. We prayed for her and asked God to meet their needs even when a situation seems hopeless. 

Afterward we went to a park and saw many sifaka and brown lemurs and fed them out of our hands with guava we picked off the tree. It was cool.

Today was a very busy day. Beginning at 8:00 am going to lay the cornerstone for the 1st Anglican church in Ft. Dauphin. From there we went to have a baptismal service for about 20 newly baptised chirstians, finally finishing morning services at 1:00 pm. During the service I was amazed to think that whole families are coming to know Christ. Father and sons, mothers and daughters were being baptised together. Serving Christ and seeing His work in people’s lives is such a priviledge. 

Then we went over for rice and chicken with cucumber and carrots marinating in vinegar at the priests house and enough time to take my shoes off and lay down on the bunk bed and sleep for 20 min before the ecumenical memorial day service at 3:00 pm. I am glad I was the bishop’s wife and not the bishop as I could come back to the house and rest and shower. My husband on the otherhand had to listen to two more hours of confessions before tomorrows confirmation service!

So that is an update on the Pauline travels thus far.  We serve an awesome God!

 Our Visit to Morondava (2/3/10)

Just this week we are in Morandava where our experiences have been a true adventure.  This past weekend, Todd baptized 88 persons and confirmed another 59 and performed a beautiful wedding ceremony.  Patsy stood for hours as she held the Bishop’s staff, helped preach, assisted with communion and prayed over the children.  Between those services, we were the two key speakers for a women’s conference, teaching on Faithful Women in the Home, Faithful Women in the Church, Women in Evangelism and How to Respect Your Husbands. 

We have seen lots of friends who have walked over 18 miles to get here. Todd has met with clergy, church leaders and evangelists and had a 3-hour interview with Malagasy elders for his Doctoral research thesis.  We have endured a tropical depression, had to make a bridge through the water to get to church, worked around 3 car breakdowns, eaten lots of rice and loaka in rooms full of flies and been hosted by a loving Malagasy family.  It’s amazing how much the Bishop can pack into 72 hours!

 

 

 

The Anglican Church Arrives in Ft. Dauphin  by Rev. Patsy McGregor

God is causing revival to spark in Madagascar!!

In April, 2009, one evangelist and one deacon traveled 3 days by truck to Ft. Dauphin to scout out the possibilities of planting a church.  A month later, they were followed by a team of 12 clergy and evangelists for an evangelistic mission.  Much like the biblical accounts of Joshua and Caleb, they came back with the reports of a promised land.  After an announcement on the radio, the first Sunday began with 17 adults and eight children and from that moment the church began to grow.  The second Sunday gathered 25 adults and several more children.  By the time the evangelistic mission team came back to Toliara two weeks later, 50 were gathering for worship and were promised a visit in August from Bishop Todd, Rev. Patsy and a visiting priest, The Rev. William Roberts and his wife, Ingrid, from St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Deerfield, IL.

Upon our arrival in August, over 100 people had gathered at the airport to meet us–carrying two large banners with the logo of the Anglican Communion and announcing the beginning of the Anglican Church in Ft. Dauphin.  They brought us into the VIP lounge where we gave thanks to God for gathering us together, and from the airport we went to the local primary school classroom where they currently worship and with the large group, had a short time of greetings and prayer with the congregation.  After lunch we looked at various pieces of land to build a church, finding a large piece overlooking the mountains.  The combination of ocean and mountains causes the landscape in Ft. Dauphin to be quite beautiful.

The Sunday service was lovely.  Almost 200 people were in attendance, approximately 25 of them being visitors.  53 of these people were baptized, small babies, young people and elderly men and women, all surrendering their lives to Christ.  The mayor and his wife were in attendance and Patsy sang a beautiful song in Malagasy and English before Todd preached.  Unannounced and unknown to us, Anglicans have been waiting for several years for a church to built in Ft. Dauphin.  One man has literally been carrying around The Book of Common Prayer in his pocket for 15 years, waiting for the day he could worship with other Anglicans in Ft. Dauphin.  He had tears in his eyes when he expressed his gratefulness for this new church plant.  The Anglican Church continues to grow, prosper and be blessed by our Lord.