Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Friday June 8: I demonstrated, making oatmeal raisin cookies to the women, with an emphasis on hygiene and hand washing. Zafy was my interpreter and the women asked lots of questions. There is a lot of sickness here and handwashing is important. I gave out small bars of soap to the women to use at home. Soap is a luxury for them. The oven in the kitchen has no temperature control, so Josianne & I practiced the cookies before the demonstration & discovered that the oven was very hot and we burnt the cookies but the people who live in the compound still enjoyed them. So on Friday I put the oven on low and watched cookies bake so as not to burn them and praise the Lord it worked.
I asked Nolavy to speak to the women while the cookies were baking. Nolavy is the wife of Rev. Victor and they live in Morondavo. They are both here in Toliara to teach the student Evangelists. Nolavy was mentored by Rev. Patsy as a teenager and has studied Theology in Kenya. In March 2018 she attended the United Nations conference in New York and talked about the difficulties of women here in Madagascar. The women were very attentive of the information she gave them, she is an inspiration to all the women in Madagascar.
There is an active Mothers’ Union here and the women made jewelry for Mother’s Day and sold tickets for 5,000 Ariary each (about $1.50). Those who bought the tickets received a gift for Mother’s Day. The money raised is to purchase T-shirts for each women for the annual Mothers Union Conference here in September. The women had a lot of fun making the gifts for the small bags you see them holding in the photo.
On Pentecost Sunday we had three baptisms at the Cathedral. Bishop Samitiana was the officiant and the service was wonderful, many people were wearing red outfits, and you could feel the Holy Spirit in the church. The three boys who were baptized were very cute and they stood by the font for their baptism and Bishop spoke to each one of them.
People are very creative with transportation here, nothing is impossible. I have seen a teenager riding a bicycle with 3 small passengers, 1 on the back, 1 on the front and 1 on the cross bar. I saw a Father riding a motorbike with his 3 sons and the most creative was the whole family on a motorbike, Mum, Dad and 3 children the young girl at the back was holding her Mother very tightly. I bought a chair for my room and last Tuesday went to collect it, in a pousse pousse. I checked the chair and then Bruno the pousse driver brought the chair home for me. Bruno is Meza’s husband and she attends the women’s center. Josianne & I then went to the market to do the weekly shopping.
It has been a busy month and life has a Malagasy routine, July will be busy as Sue & Simon Babbs will be visiting from Chicago. They have visited Toliara several times. Simon helps with Quickbooks and Sue with crafts & Days for girls. Days for Girls teaches health & hygiene and they make sanitary napkins from fabric for the women and girls.
Please pray for Venerable Hery and his family and all the people in Sakaraha, also Rev. Victor and his family in Morondavo. There are people there who are terrorizing the local people to steal money, and people are being killed.
Psalm 56:3 whenever I am afraid I will trust you.
This verse has been my mantra this past month and it works.
Please support these women and their children with prayers and financial donations.