Since my last post . . . :)

It has been shamefully long since my last blog post. No excuses . . . let’s just move on and I’ll try to catch us up! :) Watch out, this might be a long one!

The Lord was incredibly faithful during and after the cyclone to help us recover and help as we could. Continue to pray for the many villages who lost much of their harvests, and for wisdom for our team.

We had a meeting in Tana, and this was a great time of fellowship, but was also bittersweet in starting to say some goodbyes. Part of our team moved to their place of ministry when we got back--so exciting to see the Lord expanding His work through them!

My last trip to the forest was a huge blessing. I had a lot to do when I went up—about 10 stories I needed to revise with the storytellers, and I was also hoping to let the group leaders lead a session with the group, as this is how they will be able to continue to create new stories on their own. I knew I would be staying in the village on my own for a few days, and then I would be joined by Tom, who works with me from South Africa, and who would help me finalize some of the stories. I was praying constantly that God would open the doors for us to finish, and would keep my heart focused on His goals, not my own.

God truly blessed. I was able to meet with the storytellers daily, and we revised all the stories. The group met on their own, and the leaders did a wonderful job leading them in working through a new story. Also, I was able to spend special times with the believers’ families, which was a precious gift from the Lord as I prepared to leave Madagascar.

When I returned to Tulear, we had a celebration with all the storying groups in Tulear. Each group prepared several stories to tell, and we listened to stories, sang praise songs, prayed for one another, and praised God for all that He has accomplished in the storying project and in our lives in the last few years!

For the next few weeks, the groups and I met often to try to wrap things up. We revised, re-recorded, and then other friends helped me check, transcribe and type the stories in dialect. One friend from my church, Ando, spent hours, even days, with me over several weeks typing out all the stories, and helping me check them. My team went all over the place finding people to make final recordings, going back and forth to the print shop, compiling binders, loading recordings onto our solar-powered audio machines, and even helping me pack and get rid of things! Basically that last six weeks was a blur of activity and effort finishing the stories, as well as getting myself ready to leave, and everyone worked tirelessly to help me! I felt incredibly loved and supported.

We also had a volunteer team who led a Bible study weekend with the youth from many of our churches. This was a precious time of watching God’s Word work in the lives of Malagasy people, and the team were a great encouragement to us as well! I was able to travel with that group down to the southern villages, and say my goodbyes there. I’m thankful for the relationships the Lord gave me in the southern villages. Though I was only able to visit them a few times over the last few years, their growth has been precious to watch, and I’m glad to have names and faces to pray for.

My goodbyes in Tulear were bittersweet. The Malagasy Independence Day was a couple of days before I left, so I was able to go to watch the fireworks with the youth from our church, and then to fellowship with them into the night. 

I was able to say goodbye to each of the groups by giving them their stories on an audio player, and it was incredibly rewarding to see their joy in how God had used them to created such a special resource! I also had a sweet visit with Pastor Jonoro and his family, as well as several of the older women in his church, who have become incredible precious to me over the last few years. God has truly used these relationships to change my life.

The day before I left, our team went to the beach, and then had dinner together and played games. This group of people have truly become family over the last few years, and I’m so thankful for each of them—for the precious memories, faithful friendship, and all that the Lord has taught me through each of them—love you guys!!

I spent a couple of days in Tana on my way out. I was blessed to be able to reconnect with my church there, have lunch with a pastor’s family who I became close to, and spend a few days with Malagasy friends and my supervisor’s family.

My sweet friend Tahina, as well as Matt, my supervisor in Tana, saw me off at the airport in Tana, and about 35 hours later, my family met me at the Jacksonville airport. I knew that leaving would be a lot to process . . . still working on that :) But I was, and am, so very thankful for all the Lord did, and all the ways He blessed me, in Madagascar, and I was, and am, hoping in His presence into the future, and trying to be faithful in trusting that alone.