Our women’s class in the Ambohimarina church just finished a lesson on women’s work in the church.  Several women were questioning why they couldn’t preach, having seen just such a thing in the large recognized churches of Madagascar.  When the last lesson was finished, I took a deep breath of relief.  Not because I was addressing a difficult issue, the Word is pretty clear on that issue and the Malagasy women accepted it with surprise (that they had never seen it actually written in God’s Word) and grace, but because the older I get the more I am convinced that the less I know, and that I am really unable and unworthy to try to teach others about Him.  Trying to do just that with my growing reservations and in the Malagasy language is double doubt.  
          The series of lessons went on for several weeks.  I first taught those scriptures that say directly that women should be quiet in the assembly and that women cannot lead men.  From there, we moved to examples in the scripture of those who wanted to lead for an improper motivation and those who lead with a proper motivation (service).  We discussed all the different works that comprise the work of the church.  Over the weeks, our class constructed and refined a list of things that women are permitted to do in the church, always using the Word as our guide.  I waited until the last week to delve into Proverbs 31:10-31, pointing out that a woman is praised for doing with her hands (vs. 13) and for leaving the honor of leading publicly (vs. 23) to the men.   Throughout the class I chided myself for not being well enough prepared, for not knowing enough about God’s Word, for not being able to express myself well enough in the Malagasy language.  
          I use the women’s eyes and foreheads as my guide.  If I ask them if they understand, they will always say yes and compliment me on my Malagasy, but I never seem to want to trust them.  When a circle of women are facing me with eyes  squinched up and rows of wrinkles across their foreheads, I am just sure that they are only being polite and that I am as far from the mark as usual.  Oh, when will I ever learn to trust that He works in me and that none of my own abilities or disabilites are important in working for and serving the Savior?  
          The last class on women’s work in the church ended.  Everyone seemed happy.  I was once more convinced that I had not gotten through and that maybe I didn’t even know myself what I was talking about or teaching about.  It wasn’t until a week later that the Father showed me once again that He is near, that He is working through us, that He can make it happen even if I can’t.  
          I don’t even know her real name.  She’s just started coming to worship recently.  The women all call her Bebe (Grandmother), so I do too.  She walked into the building and pulled me over to a corner whispering something in my ear and shoving a plastic grocery bag into my arms.  I had to grab her to stop her and ask her to explain once again.  She was embarrassed, not knowing if she was doing the right thing.   She slowly pulled two hand woven baskets out of the sack and asked me if she could give them to the church for using during the collection time.  She had noticed (much to my embarrassment) that the men were using a hat to collect the offering.  I was astounded.
          “Did you make these?” I asked in a loud voice. 
          She shushed me up quickly saying, “Yes, but they aren’t very good.  Maybe they aren’t good enough for the church.  I was just trying to do what we learned in the women’s class, serve the Lord by working with my hands.”
          “Of course, these are good enough!  They are more than good enough,” I continued in a louder voice as I crushed her in my arms.  “These are wonderful and you are a wonderful example to each woman in our group,” still in my very loud voice.  I drug her to the front of the room and continued to praise her service to Christ loudly as I placed her handmade baskets front and center on the Lord’s table.  The entire adult class was grinning from ear to ear.  I was grinning from ear to ear.  Bebe was convinced that she had done well, but I don’t think she will ever realize just how much she has done for me.

          Last Sunday, she asked for a special Bible study.  She wants to understand how to give herself totally to the Father and His Son.  Please pray for her as Barry and Rivo study with her.  I just know she will be a blessed child of the King.
 

Power Point coming soon
          We will just apologize beforehand for crowding you cyber mailbox because the Rosie family is about to finish and send out a Power Point presentation to bring you all up to date on the work here in Madagascar.  We thought it might help inform you since we are unable to make it home for a furlough and a round of reporting in person.  We appreciate your understanding and we hope all will be clearer to you once you view the presentation.  We thank you for your involvement in this work and we recognize that without you, we could not be here working for Him.  AND! We invite you to visit if you are able.  We are only four kilometers from the airport here and can catch you off the plane anytime.  We have your room all ready and we would love the opportunity for you to see His Work in action.  Just let us know when your plane arrives.
 
That old car
          Your remember it, our old Daihatsu Rocky, purchased in May 1991, 14+ years old, driven over 170,000 miles not one single mile of which was good road.  It needed to be officially inspected so we took it in to have the engine oil seals changed yet again.  Our front yard was beginning to look like we had struck oil.  We’ve had those seals changed half a dozen times but they keep on leaking.  By the time the garage took care of everything, it cost us $1500.00 smackeroos.  One week later the left rear axle broke.  That cost yet another $400.00.  Barry loves that car.  I can’t even drive it anymore and don’t much care for it, but it keeps on going just like the Energizer bunny.  It has to keep on going.  We need that car.  Please pray that we won’t have another big repair bill any too soon.  Thanks.

It’s great to get a “thumbs up”!
          I was on the main street in city center.  It runs down the side of a hill as do all streets in Antananarivo.  I was stopped in the line of traffic waiting for the policeman to let us move.  Two children came up to the side of the car.  They were incredibly filthy.  One was about six years old and he carried a child of less than a year.  Both had their hands out to me begging.  I didn’t even hesitate.  I reached behind my seat and pulled out two boxes of milk that you donate so generously.  I handed them out my window with a smile.  Their smiles could have lit up the city.  Still waiting.  Two more children, again incredibly dirty, the older one a five year old girl and carrying a toddler, hands out begging.  Two more boxes of milk passed through the window and two more smiles lit up the city.  I diverted my attention to the traffic cop who was waving me on.  The car inched down the hill slowly and when I reached the bottom I saw four little tykes sitting lined up on the little cement traffic island right smack dab in the middle of all that city traffic each sucking milk through a straw, the two older children on the outside edges with the two little ones tucked safely between them.  The two older ones grinning at me, each giving me a thumbs up as I headed through the intersection.  
          Often times, folks back home give with expectations, and we struggle on this end to meet those expectations.  Often times, we give on this end, and watch those expectations fly to the wind like smoke from a fire.  We watch helplessly as what you intend and what we intend gets twisted or used in the wrong way.  No so with Milk for Malagasy Children.   None of the milk you give is sold to buy alcohol, none of it is used in a way unintended by both you and us, all of it as far as we can see, goes from you and from us directly to Malagasy children who plop down immediately and drink down a cup of pure and much needed nourishment.  Our only regret is that you don’t get to see how much it is needed and how much it is appreciated.  That fun is a special blessing for us!
 

• Pray for our family as we continue to enjoy each other.  Kit is with us until the end of August, when he returns to school in Kenya.  Pray that our children can be good examples to their friends as they continue to grow in the Savior.
• Pray for God to bless the lives of women like our dear sister who made the baskets for collecting the weekly contribution.  Pray that they may continue to serve Him and be good examples to other Christians in the Ambohimarina congregation.
• Pray that we can reach out to some of the children that live daily on the streets of the capital city.  Pray that they will become a part of the local congregations and learn to serve our Savior.