Sunday in the Village

The hike into the jungle to visit Bemanondrohely, the village where some of the new believers live, was just as hot and long as we remembered. The familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the fruit trees, rice fields, creeks, chickens, and passers-by brought a smile to our faces… this has become “tanananay,” our place, and everyone that we pass greets us with, “Oh! You have arrived again! How long have you been back? How was it there (in America)?” It takes us longer than usual to make the hike, as we must stop and greet everyone along the way. It is much more important to spend time greeting one another than arriving at a scheduled time.

We were making our way to the Sunday morning gathering in Bemanondrohely, a time where the new believers come together to sing, pray, hear the word preached, and fellowship together. Herdiny, our friend and teammate from Hellville, preached from Acts 8. He is also part of the translation team with Rosina, and they are close to finishing a first draft of the book of Acts in Sakalava. We enjoyed our time of worship and fellowship with our friends there, and even had a chance to visit with the village patriarch, who is 93 years old.

 

Sunday evening we went to visit the other gathering of believers in Ambatozavavy, our village. The message was the same, but we were treated to a few new songs that the band has created in our absence. We are so thankful to God for the growth we have seen in both places during our time in the states. Rosina, Herdiny, the Band, and all of the new believers have continued to meet together and grow in their knowledge of the gospel. Our family is excited to join them in ministry…

Peace,

Bryan