Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers for us and for Toliara Diocese and for your words of encouragement.  We received so many responses to our last message that we apologise for not being able to respond individually.  We hope that you understand.  We are keeping well, as are all our friends here.

We are writing on Holy Saturday as it is called here, the pause between the crucifixion and the resurrection, a day of waiting and wondering.

Here in the city of Toliara the first two cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed.  Will the authorities be able to control this outbreak?  Are there already others who have not been tested?  We wait.  We wait and we take precautions.  We wait and we pray.  We wait and we worry – we feel the anxiety of facing the unknown.  But we also act.  We are supporting Bishop Todd and Bishop Samitiana in educating the Diocese about this new disease.  Many are ignorant and some deny that it even exists.

Derek and Neny Holy, the wife of Bishop Samitiana, have met the Diocesan staff and visited each home on our compound (seven in all) to speak about Coronavirus.  Our demonstrations and visual aids help adults and children alike.  We’ve given them 10 rules for keeping safe, around the twin principles of physical distancing and good hygiene.  We give the children black and white copies of the hands for them to colour themselves.  Neny Holy is now putting these rules onto the Diocesan Facebook page in short videos.  We’re also joining in developing resources for prayer in people’s homes as churches remain closed.

 

 

In our waiting and acting we are spurred on by the love of Jesus poured out for the world on the cross.  How we long that the people here are kept safe!  And we wait for Easter Sunday when we will shout out, “Christ is Risen!  Alleluia!”  We suspect that this acclamation will take on new depth tomorrow.  May we all be filled with living hope in the one who has defeated death and whose Kingdom will come!

With our love,