Adventures In Madagascar

Tribes of Madagascar

     In Madagascar there are 18 major tribes of peoples each with their own version of the national language, Malagasy. A century and a half ago the Central Plateau people, the Merina, made up the majority of the population of the island. Under the rule of a
conquering king the coastal peoples were 'united' with the Merina to form one nation.  The French 'rolled' in at about the turn of the 20th century to "stabilize" it and haven't left yet. Madagascar 'won' it's independence from France in 1960 but as one of my friends called it, "It's a false independence."

     Madagascar currently is one of the poorest nations on the planet, I believe 4th poorest according to the UN.  The  average  Malagasy  makes  less  than  the equivalent  of  $1  USD  per  day.    In   Northern Madagascar, the land of the Antakarana where most people are  subsistence  farmers  or  fishermen,  the wages are far less.  Tiny  villages  spot  the  jagged mountainous landscape as the people scrape out a living from the iron oxide and aluminum rich soil. In
the North there are only two seasons: wet and dry. Wet is from January to March, and dry is the rest of the year. (Dry translates to no rain what-so-ever.)

     To most village people a doctor is the man, usually, that lives outside of town in the sticks and hands out pouches of seeds, leaves, twigs and bark to hang around the neck of the sick person. If that doesn't work then the sick person must have offended the ancestors and goes to the medium. The medium, usually a woman, falls into a trance and is possessed by a "tromba spirit" said to be a dead member of the royal family. She then gives advice to the sick person. The healing comes in many forms: some people eventually get better, healed; some die, healed; some go mad, not healed.

God's Peace, Deborah

Tidbits from EBONY

In the Heart of the Middle East


A Middle Eastern Girl

     What a month!! Around here things are picking up the pace! I am only through Module Five, but Father has already plopped into my lap my first opportunity to be a doula. I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed about it, but I’m continually encouraged and regain focus after talking with my coaches—Susan and Kristin! I am so thankful for this mentoring system Charis has set up!!

     The city I live in, although in the heart of the Middle East, is actually one of the most affluent areas of the world. With that affluence comes some pretty decent health care—at least, by US standards. So, many of our overseas workers around the world will travel here to have their health needs met, rather than traveling all the way home to the States.
     Because we have so many pregnant couples come through to birth their babies, the support company I work for rents a “Pregnancy Apartment” that is used to house these families. When our most recent couple were on their way, I shared with them that I am studying to become a doula and would be glad to help in any way possible. They eagerly accepted my offer. They are 27 years old and are about to have their first baby with no moms or aunties or really any other support around. We are quickly bonding and learning about the whole process together. Please pr. for them and for me!! She is due around November 16th, but, as Kristin say, she’ll be having her baby on his birthday no matter what! :-)

     Recently, the month of fasting ended here, but before it did, I had an interesting opportunity that made me think about some important things. Here is what I wrote about it in my journal. I hope it is encouraging to you!

     “Ramadan Kareem”—what is said around here in greeting to someone else. It is kind of like the equivalent of “Happy Ramadan.”

     Kareem means generous. When someone says it, you are supposed to reply, "God is the most generous."
Well, I got to use this word today and impress a group of ladies, but man it was work! :-)
     My car had been broken for about two weeks and is just now useable this week. I took it out to get some groceries and, on my way back, came across a group of ladies struggling through the soft, hot sand to carry a huge bag of who knows what to their home. It was about noon, the hottest time of day and they had huge drops of sweat pouring out from under the black veils that covered their hairline.
     I pulled over and asked if they needed or wanted my help (sometimes locals won’t accept help, especially from an American).
     They agreed and all piled into my car like clowns at the circus. Sweating now myself, I went to start the car and it wouldn’t crank to save my life. What followed was a rather harrowing ordeal.
My boss brought another car to me and I drove the ladies home, was kissed squarely on the mouth by one of them and then I said, "Ramadan Kareem" after which they all oooed and aaahed at my spectacular Arabic! Ha! I drove back to my boss who was waiting with my car and groceries. He greeted me with, "What...did you go in their house for tea or cookies or something?!" I think he had gotten a bit hot out in the Middle Eastern sun.
     We then had ANOTHER car come by and tried to hook it up to jump off my car. We had a few moments of fireworks extravaganza as the batteries sparked and spewed. Come to find out the red and black, positive/negative markings on the battery in my car were WRONG and opposite of what they were marked as. Super.
     So, we finally cranked up and came home and it was only after putting my groceries away that I was able to think more about those ladies and "Ramadan Kareem." I hoped they would see generosity not just in the ride home that they got, but in the heart of Father that, only by His grace, lives in me. I hoped they would praise my Father in heaven and not their faith in Cousinism for their good fortune today.
     I wondered, if I had known ahead of time what would ensue after stopping to pick them up, would I do it over it again? I just think about how often I am generous only when it is easy for me. Do I really work to be generous? And the Word says I am to be especially generous, and especially hospitable, to those of the household of the faith. For me it is easier to be generous to non-believers, but there we go again with my own hidden (or not so much hidden) agenda. Lord, purify my motives and glorify yourself by working in me to seek out or create opportunities to show generosity, for your glory and praise!

--Elizabeth Carmichael