It's Hard to Say Goodbye - Matt

     You know that feeling you get when you realize that a great thing is about to come to an end…well you can multiply that by 10 and that’s what my team and I are feeling as of right now. We came in with low expectations having no real understanding of what God would do, but as time went by we established family-like relationships with the people here. Many have walked us home from their house even if it was a few kilometers away, many have sat with us in silence and enjoyed it (obviously we have lessened the silence by our language skills. Haha), we have endured hardship alongside them, we have experienced great joy with them, and that’s only the short of it. Madagascar is a place in desperate need of God, but don’t ever think that he hasn’t been working nonstop to let His truth be ever present in their lives. We have witnessed many with loving hearts cherish every blessing from God and give selflessly to their fellow man. The community we have been surrounded with has been more than a blessing and I cannot fully express that through a single post.

       I will only speak for myself in this, as I don’t think I would be able to properly convey everyone’s gamut of emotions. I will start with our translator Mika. He has the BIGGEST HEART I know. He has a great desire to help out every man that comes in contact with him and always contemplates how he can express Christ to another. He loves to laugh with us and he has definitely cried with us too. He does not shrink back from the discouraging arrows of life that have pelted us, but has boldly stood his ground and in love has conquered many situations. His drive for Christ has been unmatched in my eyes and I cannot wait to one day talk with him in heaven and ask him about his experiences with God. I have full confidence that God has given him a drive to express Christ to the many that may sometimes go overlooked. I have no doubt that God will drastically change Manakara if not Madagascar with him. Oh… and I would love for him to come visit us in America one day!!!!! Just a tid bit if we can make that possible for him and his family. J

       Next comes Fanza. What once started out as simple ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ occurrences has since flourished into an amazing new friendship with so much potential for growth and glory for God. When we first spotted Om Snack, the team and I quickly asked each other, “Is that a restaurant or what?” We could not fully see into the building as the lighting was poor and we never really noticed people going in there. Eventually Kai and I were the first to venture into the building and that’s when we met Fanza. Her English was not as good as it has become now, but it was refreshing to hear English when I was frustrated with my inability to catch their language at the time. From that day on, we made it a regular meal spot and I would go there weekly to talk to her and eventually share Christ with her. Her willingness to listen and her catch phrase of ‘why not’ always made for a humorous conversation. Since knowing Christ, I have seen continuous growth in her life. She has been very faithful in attending church with us and intently listens to the message every week. She even asks and answers questions during services now. She has used her talents (singing and basketball haha) a few times in the church and has jumped right in with them as well as trying to read her bible. She has truly become like an older sister to me and this Sunday she made me a whole meal and handed me presents for my birthday. It was overwhelming and I could not express my gratitude at the time, but it was more than wonderful. She has a genuine heart for Christ and continues to be malleable in his hands. I look forward to seeing how God works with her as she gets more involved in the church and as the women of the church help her understand what walking with Christ looks like.

      
     And finally, I would like to speak on my soccer team. They have become my brothers over the past 3 months. I did not come expecting to play the sport I love, but with the help of my good friend, Nida, I was able to enter into the Foktany League of Madagascar. Now the first few weeks of practice were really interesting as I just watched all the things they did (my language skills were more than lacking….I think they may have been nonexistent at the time….lol) And even though I could not always speak with them or understand them, they accepted me as part of their family. I don’t say the word ‘family’ lightly either. My team has demonstrated the most comradely love and friendship that I think I’ve ever experienced on any team. On the field we are extremely competitive, tempers get high, celebrations sometimes are too lengthy (haha), and the determination to win is relentless. Off the field they are compassionate, sympathize with a player when they have a loss (2 of our players lost family members), make sure everyone has their needs met, spend countless hours just laughing with each other, go through new experiences together (such as the Somanay event that we were in), and what has stuck out most for me is their protection of all. They have stuck by my side in many scenarios where circumstances were not as easy as they should have been and they have given everything in their power to make sure I was okay. I have been able to witness with them and many are seeking the truth. Bibles have been placed in their hands, God has been molding and shaping their hearts, the truth has started to take root, and God will do the rest as he has done all of it thus far. I will ask that you pray for them as a whole because I cannot guarantee that all have a relationship with Christ and I would love to see that happen one day. The harvest is great, the workers are few, but the abundance of potential believers should push us to increase the workers and reap the fields at all costs. They have become my family away from home and I hope to one day call them family for eternity. Continue in prayer for Eric, Farida, Angelo, Rada, Rindra, Fiadanana, Aristide, Urbin, Julien, Stanislas, Nida, Tatabe, Tata, Frederick, Severien, Andry, Felicien, Tahiry, Sebastion, Ando, Nickolas, Jones, Tena, and Samuel. You will not go unanswered!!!! That’s for sure.

       Soon this trip will come to its end, but life will not. Manakara will continue to move about in order to meet the daily needs of its people. They search for water and some sort of food every day in order to just remain. We have a water that will cause them to never thirst again and food that will forever satisfy their hunger. I am truly truly going to miss this place and the many that I have come in contact with. But the relationships do not have to stop now. Never cease to pray for the many here, for the many near you, and for the many yet to come. God is constantly moving and constantly listening to his people. I look forward to God’s amazing work that HE WILL do. Always continue towards the prize and never forget all that he has done for us already. I cannot wait to see my friend’s in heaven one day. Be excited, jump for joy, and praise God in whom all things grow!!!!! 

His word WILL NEVER come back void

In him,

Matt