Women’s Bible Classes and Meetings
          As the new year starts, the church in Ambohimarina is asking, “How we can better work together, and serve others throughout the year?”  We have many ideas concerning these two items.  Many of the ideas come from seeing what happened in the past year, both good and bad.  For instance, the women of the Ambohimarina congregation met together often on Saturdays, and always had a good time of Bible study and fellowship.  These monthly Saturday meetings will continue in 2005.  Also, the women meet together for Bible class twice a month on Sundays.  We are hoping to make these Bible classes a weekly occurrence to further increase the fellowship that is already present among the women, and encourage them to take an active part in teaching the women’s classes on a rotating basis.

Men’s Bible Classes and Meetings
          The men on the other hand, started out well with their desire to meet together, but part of the way through the year they seemed too busy to sit down and study.  We want that to change during 2005.  One of the reasons some of the men were to busy is the work that continues on for Phase II of the Betikara project.  Last year the men worked eight hours a day six days a week.  This year they will only be working eight hours a day, five days a week.  We pray that this will give them enough free time to come and study the word of God.  We are already encouraged!  This year the men will be meeting every Saturday morning, starting at 9:00 for two hours.  We plan on using half of the time for discussion, and the other half for Bible teaching.  We want to emphasis the need for the men to get more involved in the congregation and the worship service.  We will be encouraging each man that attends on a regular basis to prepare a Bible lesson that they can give before the group of men.  So, you might say that we will be starting a leadership training class on Saturday mornings.

Church Visitation Meetings
          While we have the men together, each Saturday, we want to start visiting the homes of the Ambohimarina Christians.  Each Saturday, when the time of discussion and teaching is over for the men, we will go and visit the home of at least one church family.  As the year progresses, this will be expanded to visiting the extended families and friends of the Ambohimarina Christians that want to encourage others to worship Him.  For the most part, Malagasy people are reserved.  However, since we started talking about this idea last year, we have several that are willing for us to enter their homes and teach on a regular basis.  We take this as an encouraging sign, and look forward to meeting with, and strengthening the Ambohimarina Christians during 2005.

Church Evangelization
          In the past, the youth of the town churches have planned times to canvas their neighborhoods.  They prepare by making some short teaching papers that they can pass out.  Then on a Saturday, they get together and go from door to door talking with the families they meet and encouraging them to study the word of God.  When they enter a home they have one person ready to give a short Bible lesson, one person to lead a song, and a third person to open and close the time of visiting with prayer.
          We at Ambohimarina want to use this example in the small villages and countryside that surrounds the Ambohimarina place of worship.  In fact, one Saturday morning last year, the women of the Ambohimarina congregation already tried this type of evangelization on a small scale.  Out of three local women that were visited, two are presently members of the Ambohimarina congregation!

In Conclusion
          We look forward to this year with great anticipation.  We know the Lord is able to do everything that we ask and much more.  He will strengthen, uplift us and make us ready to serve in the four above mentioned efforts. 
          It is our prayer that we can make the above four efforts, ongoing efforts, that will produce spiritual fruit for His kingdom in Madagascar.  In order for this to happen, we need your help.  With your fervent prayer lifting up these four areas to the Father throughout the year, we can work together to build a strong congregation for our Lord and Savior.  Please remember these four efforts daily as you petition Him on our behalf.  You can look at the “What Can You Do?  You Can Pray!” section of this months newsletter to find out how to start praying specifically.
 

Heartfelt thanks
Several churches have already contacted us announcing their continuing support of the work for Christ here in Madagascar, both the church work and the orphanage work.  We would like to say our humble heartfelt thanks once again.  You have shown so much confidence and trust in us that we are touched to the very bottom of our hearts, and we pray that we can do all that He expects us to do in this new year of 2005.  We pray for you and your work there, and we ask Him to pour blessings upon you as you have blessed us. 

Rice Update
Many of you have asked since our last newsletter about the rice situation here in Madagascar.  Nothing much has changed.   Today, we passed three very long rice lines.  Supply and prices remain unchanged.  We will run out of the orphans supply yet again in about two weeks and at present we have no new sources.  USAID has still not come through with rice they promised way back before Christmas.  The Malagasy are concerned and they are very on edge.  I’m guessing that hunger and desperation are the cause.  This whole country is rather like a pot brewing and just about ready to boil over.  Last weekend, the father of one of the students at school (an Indian man) was abducted on his way home from work by seven young Malagasy with guns.  He was held for twenty four hours, beaten several times, and then released when his very wealthy family paid quite a large ransom.  We remain on high alert, not letting Havilah out of our sight, and moving carefully from place to place in town, and we are sending up many prayers, asking God to take control of this situation and asking Him to restore Madagascar to peace and safety.
 

• Pray that the Christian women at Ambohimarina can be an encouragement to their other sisters in Christ, as well as a good example to their husbands and children throughout the year.  Pray also, that they can study well and have a desire to help teach their families and friends about Him.  Several of the women attend worship without their husbands.
• Pray that the Christian men can dedicate themselves to studying His word and becoming teachers, preachers, and workers that will help strengthen the congregation.  Pray that they can commit themselves to attending the weekly Saturday Bible discussion and teaching times that we are planning.