Adventures In Madagascar
 

David, Deborah, MarLee and Liam Hamilton

Pray for the Hamilton's and their ministry in Madagascar. Deborah is often unable to  communicate with  the  outside world due to storms  causing telephones and  the  internet   inaccessible.  

We  send  our  love  and prayers  to  the Hamilton family!

The world’s fourth largest island, Madagascar.  This image was taken by the  Terra satellite   on  September 10, 2003.
The  central   highlands  are  primarily  covered  with  rice fields.   The narrow strip of green along the east coast of the island is a rain forest.  The west coast is lined with baobabs, a desert tree with a fat trunk, and thorny forest.

A Painting entitled "Madagascar" by Pascal Maitre

Missions Trip to Madagascar Reminder

Since the  Hamiltons  will  be  traveling back to the US this fall and winter,  we  have  changed our trip  date to July of 2008.   We  are  going  first  and  foremost  to  be  a blessing to  the Hamiltons.   While there,  we  hope  to  put on one or more "workshops" for the midwives     and    other    medical professionals  in  and around Diego.   In addition,  we would like to  bless  the  medical  professionals with a gift that will help   them   in   their   practice.    Please   pray   for  David, Deborah,  and  Kristin  as  they  seek  God's direction for the specific topics to address in the  workshop(s).   Also  pray  to see  whether or  not  God  would  have  you  join  us  on  this adventure.   It will, no doubt,  change your life as you go to serve  the  Hamiltons  and  the  Malagasy  people.    We will have the official  "sign-up"  at the beginning of 2008.   More details to come.

Tidbits from EBONY

Auntie Maimie’s Pearl

Dear Charis Family,

Hello,  from  California. Since I wrote you last, I  have been traveling through Alabama,  Georgia,  Hawaii,  Las  Vegas and now I am in Northern California.   Whew!   It  has been crazy,  but  very,  very  good.   The  Father  has really been building up my network of church and individual partners and He is really turning people’s hearts toward the need for women’s  health  ministry  in  Ebony.   I’m so thankful that I’m not alone as I move there!

One  of  the  stories  that I keep sharing over and over again at  various  churches  is  about  how  we  share  the  story of Christ in Ebony  to  a  people  who  are,   for  the  most  part, illiterate or  semi-literate  and  who  have only  received an Islamic form of education. They have never been exposed to the truth about Christ.   They  do  not  even  have a Biblical theological  frame-work through which they can view Him and understand why He came to the world.

So,  the  story  I  share is about my time in Ebony two years ago when  I  spent  the  summer teaching English there.   In one of our classes  we  used  a  boring  “English  as  a  Second Language”  text   book.    The   students   HATED   the   book! Finally, they  said,   “We can’t take studying from this book anymore.   Can we  change the curriculum? Could you just tell us stories and allow us  to learn that way?   You can tell us the stories and  then we will learn them and re-tell them to   you.     Then,    we   could   practice   our   grammar  and vocabulary as well as listening and speaking skills.”  My co-teacher  and  I  were  thrilled with this option.   We began to engage the students in a  form of Bible teaching that is used often overseas,   especially among people who have no Bible in their language.   We began to tell them the Bible in story form.

We started at the creation of the world and told a new story every day. One  of their favorite stories before reaching the New  Testament was the story of Moses lifting up the bronze snake so that the people  might be saved from the snakes on the ground  that  were  biting  them.   This  is  such  a  clear image  of  how  Christ  became sin for us on the cross so that we might become the righteousness of God  (see Colossians). What  a  blessing  when  God  started  opening  their  eyes to really SEE this reality.

By  the  time  we  shared  about  Jesus  and His resurrection with them,  they were enthralled with the character of God and the fact that  He  would send a sacrifice to pay the price of sin for us — all so that He would get the glory He deserves and so that we would have  a relationship with Him!   They did not  choose  to follow Christ at that time,   but one of my students  said  to  me,   “I didn’t understand why you would follow  Jesus  or  say  He  is  the  only way to God,   but now I understand  why  you  believe  what  you believe.”   What a powerful moment!

That   is   really   why   I   do  what  I  do.   The  challenges  of teaching  Truth  or  even  teaching  about  childbirth  in an illiterate  society  are  great.   But,   God  is  faithful  to  give people the  understanding  they  need.   And  it  is  all  about meeting  their   spiritual   need   for   Him  as  well  as   their physical  needs.   Thank  you  for  being  a  part of that with me!!

Recently,   I  was  able  to  visit my brother in Maui and my niece   who  was  born  with  a  serious  liver  disease.   I  was inspired to write  a  little  children’s  story  about  her,   so  I have included that with a picture here.   It’s not completely finished  yet,   but  I wanted to share.   The story is about an eccentric   “Auntie Maimie”   who  travels   the   world   and comes back to visit her little  niece  named  “Pearl.”   I hope you enjoy it.

Auntie Maimie’s Pearl

I am a little girl.
I live on a little island.
There is a great big world all around my little island.

My Auntie Maimie is a great big lady.
She likes to hold me and squeeze me in her great big arms.

My Auntie Maimie says I am her Pearl.
Pearls are made from sand, and sand is EVERYWHERE.
Auntie Maimie knows because
she has been to Everywhere!

Auntie Maimie lives far away from my little island.
Auntie Maimie goes away to help little girls—
girls that are far away from any island.

Some little girls have no big Auntie
to hold them in her big arms.
So, my Auntie Maimie holds them.
She kisses them too.

I live on an island.
People all over the world live on islands.
Many people do not live on islands at all.

Some people live only with their families.
Other people live with their family
AND everyone else’s family too!

Some people in the world do not know
where their family stops and another family begins.

I think I might like to feel like everybody is my family.
Nana would have to make a lot of buns at Thanksgiving!

I am a little girl.
I live on a little island.
There is a great big world all around my little island.

Auntie Maimie tells stories about all the people
in the great big world.

She tells me about the little girls.

She holds me in her great, big arms...

As we sit together on my little island...

She says,
“There are many grains of sand,
but you are my only Pearl.”

Much Love,
Elizabeth Carmichael