His Work
Among the Malagasy People of Madagascar

Go ... and make disciples of all nations

                                                                                                  Matthew 28:19
Volume 16, Number 4 April 2002
The Barry Rosie family have worked on the mission field in Africa for more than 17 years under the oversight of the:
Fraley’s Chapel 
Church of Christ
c/o Phillip Young
140 C.R. 170
Corinth, MS 38834
Elders
Don Farris - 601-287-2548
Eugene Holland - 601-287-1721
Leroy Reed - 601-287-2556
“Fiovan’ Fotoana” (“Changing Times”)
          Times are changing drastically here in Madagascar these days.  Presently, as I write, the two presidents of Madagascar are not even in the country.  They are both attending an all-African conference that is being hosted in Dakar, Senegal.  During this conference there are special talks that are being held to try and work out the differences between the two presidents of Madagascar, and hopefully come to some meaningful conclusion to the stalemate that has devastated Madagascar since the December 16, 2001 elections.  While the two presidents are in Senegal, the election results from the December 16th election here in Madagascar are now declared unconstitutional, and there is a recount of votes underway.  However, the news states that they do not believe all of the ballots will be found to make the recount valid.
          Even with the absence of Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana from Madagascar, the fighting continues in several of Madagascar’s cities.  The supporters of Ravalomanana have holed up the governor for the Fianarantsoa province, who is loyal to Ratsiraka, in his home.  Just yesterday another bridge was destroyed near Antsirabe and one general on the side of Ratsiraka was killed.  This general was assassinated while in a hospital at Fianarantsoa receiving treatment for wounds that he sustained while fighting.  It is reported that three hooded men entered the hospital and shot the general seven times at point blank range.
          No one knows what the outcome of all of this instability will finally bring.  However, we are seeing that the changing times here in Madagascar are in no way good for the body of Christ that meets at the Ambohijatovo and Ankadivato congregations.  With diesel fuel for all practical purposes non-existent, unless you want to pay about $25.00 per gallon, it is either very expensive or impossible for the Malagasy Christians to find a means of transport into town for worship every Sunday.
          We are just about to run out of our small reserve of cheap fuel that was purchased before the prices increased drastically.  In the beginning of this crisis we stopped going into town on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Kit and Havilah’s piano lessons.  Then we stopped going into the Ankadivato center on Saturday afternoons for Bible and English classes.  We have now stopped going to the center at Ankadivato every Wednesday afternoon.  Soon we may have to stop going to Ankadivato on Sundays.  We have enough diesel for about another eight or ten trips to town.  Then our vehicle will have to sit and wait for the return of cheap fuel.
          It is not uncommon to hear the Christians say, “I am sorry, but I just can’t afford to come into town for worship any longer”.  We understand how they feel and we deeply feel for them.  These changing times are making life hardest for the Malagasy people who just wanted a change of president.  I am sure that they did not anticipate such a long drawn out battle over the leadership of this small island nation.
          We are spending a lot of time trying to decide what will be best for the body of Christ here in Madagascar.  We realize that the Christians are struggling and cannot come to worship any longer.  We are deeply concerned for their spiritual well being.  The Malagasy have a hard enough struggle against family when they are able to come and refresh themselves in Christian fellowship and the study of God’s word on a weekly basis.  Now that they are “trapped” with their physical families and separated from their spiritual families, we feel that the struggle may be too much for some of them to handle.  We constantly pray for their well being during this time of change for the Malagasy people.
          When the time comes that we will no longer be able to attend worship at Ankadivato, we will continue to worship at home.  Lord willing we will be able to meet regularly on Sundays and other times with those Christians that live in our area.  I continue to meet with our small bible study group at Ivato every Sunday afternoon.  (However, quite a while ago, I had to stop going to meet with Eric, Elisa and their family on Sunday afternoons in Itaosy.)  We pray that in the near future, we will be able to encourage the Christians from Ivato and Ambohijanahary where we are living to meet together with us for fellowship and worship each Sunday.  Stacy recently suggested that we try to gather together our Malagasy neighbors for a weekly time of prayer for the island nation of Madagascar.
          Several of the Malagasy people, Christians and non-Christians, who pass by our home, are concerned about the situation here in Madagascar.  For all practical purposes, the clothing industry has come to a stand still.  Christians, who used to work for the clothing factories, will have to find new jobs when this present time of change is over.  The clothing factories are leaving Madagascar in search of new areas that are more stable and profitable for their companies.  Several factories are leaving the country, not paying their workers for the past few months of work, making the economic situation in Madagascar worse than ever.
          We have heard several individuals say that the Malagasy need to change.   They realize that they cannot continue to live in the past.  They will have to make new lives for themselves and their families.  We pray that they will realize how much they need to turn to God and leave the traditional ways that have chained them for so long.  However, for the most part the Malagasy are not concerned about the spiritual aspect of their lives.  They are struggling to find work and keep their families fed.
          Times are changing, but presently the change is not for the good.  Tempers are short and many are starting to steal in order to make ends meet.  Please pray with us that the Malagasy people can become a changed nation that puts their trust in God and not in a presidential candidate.  We continue to reach out and try to encourage our Malagasy friends on a daily basis.  Many of the Malagasy, like Rivo, are trying to support the extended family with what used to be just barely enough for one person or one family.
          We look forward to another change of time, Lord willing, in the near future.  A time when the Malagasy people can once again live in peace and work together in harmony.  We are anxious for the end of this present turmoil, and pray for God’s quick intervention and guiding hand. Please pray with us to that end.
Did You Know. . .
. . . that the political situation here in Madagascar is making it harder for the Malagasy to travel.  This has especially hurt our Sunday morning worship attendance at Ankadivato.  Many are complaining about the cost of transportation to come into town.  For now we are continuing to worship at Ankadivato, but soon we may start meeting in house churches around the town.
this and that
Post Office update
We are happy to announce that as of April 5, 2002 the post office in Madagascar reopened.  We have received two packages so far from the post office.  I was told that there are still many packages to be sorted through up stairs in the post office.  We are not however, telling you to go ahead and send any packages that you may be holding for our family or Betikara.  Please DO NOT send packages at this time.  The political situation continues to worsen and the post office may close again at any time.  Also, the only mail that we will be receiving (letters or packages) is airmail, since Ratsiraka controls the port city of Tamatave where all of the surface mail for Madagascar enters the country by ship.

Rosie family visas
There is still no change in the status of new visas for the Rosie family.  We are now without even a visa extension.  Our most recent extension expired on February 28, 2002.  We continue to wait for any new government that will be able to issue new visas.  Presently the country of Madagascar could care less that there are people living in Madagascar without the proper paperwork.  They are to busy with there own internal problems to check on the state of foreign citizens.

Madagascar Update
          More and more roadblocks are showing up around the city.  The people that are manning these roadblocks are very determined that nothing is going to get past them unchecked.  They are also making life difficult for the increasing number of people that are having to resort to two wheeled transportation instead of four wheeled transportation.
          Since diesel fuel is non existent in the capitol city I have started riding a bike everywhere.  In the past the people at the roadblocks used to just wave and let me pass through without a problem.  Then, there was a time that they would stop me and ask for some form of identification.  Now days, they ask for the identification, and then forcing me to carry my bicycle over all of the obstacles that they have placed on the roads to stop the passing of unwanted vehicles.  They are not even courteous enough to move the barriers out of the way so that myself or other individuals can ride past on bicycles.
          I suppose that this is happening because of the daily increased tension here in Madagascar.  The roadblocks that were put in place by Ratsiraka to stop supplies reaching the capitol of Antananarivo are still in place.  Several of the bridges on the main arteries were also destroyed by Ratsiraka to prevent moving of supplies.  Fighting between the followers of Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana is escalating in the larger cities around Madagascar.
          Just this last week a Canadian citizen was killed in Fianarantsoa.  This has resulted in the American Embassy upgrading their security level for the island of Madagascar.  In the past the embassy suggested that non-essential embassy workers and family members should leave Madagascar.  This last Thursday we received a notice from the U.S. Embassy stating that it is now mandatory for all non-essential embassy workers to leave Madagascar.

 
EXPENDITURES

MARCH
Diesel
 $ 1.60
Vehicle maintenance
 161.60
Rent and Utilities
 512.20
Office
 242.33
Travel
 0.00
Miscellaneous
 0.00
______________________________ __________
Total expenses
 $ 918.03

 
What can you do?
You can pray!
  • Pray without ceasing for the problems that daily plague the island of Madagascar.
  • Pray for a peaceful solution to the stalemate between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana.
  • Pray for the safety and spiritual well being of the Christians here in Madagascar.
  • Pray for the Rosie family as we try to be of some encouragement to the Malagasy people that see a need for change, but are helpless to bring about that needed change.
  • Pray for the Millions of Malagasy people in the Antananarivo area that struggle from day to day to find enough food and money to survive due to the blockades that are set up outside of Antananarivo.
Miniature Missionaries
          The miniature missionaries are increasingly concerned about the welfare of the Malagasy people and especially their close Malagasy friends.  Havilah often verbalizes her concerns.  Just this morning Havilah asked, “why do Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana have to make the Malagasy people suffer?”
          Much of this school year for the Malagasy children was wasted due to the political situation.  The Malagasy children just recently returned to school after over three months of the schools being closed.  Now we hear from Kit and Havilah, via their Malagasy friends, that the next school year, due to start in September, may not come to pass.  It seems that since most businesses are closing down due to lack of supplies, there may be no schoolbooks printed and ready for the opening day of school.  Those children that are fortunate enough to be able to go to school are required to purchase their needed books from the local book stores before the opening day of school.  With no books to be purchased the schools will not be able to operate.
          Please say a special prayer for the Malagasy children and the problems that they are facing.  Many of the children like Claude and Hery, Kit and Havilah’s friends, want to study and are at the top of their class.  However, without the proper books and materials, the 2002 - 2003 school year here in Madagascar will be wasted.
Barry, Stacy, Kit and Havilah Rosie
B.P. 7554
Antananarivo 101
Madagascar

Tel. 011-261-32-02-081-14

 brosie@dts.mg

http:\\www.madagascar-mission.org

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rWe welcome you to join us in this work for Him . . .

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