Priorities:

1. Rosie family health needs
2. Getting Kit acculturated into American life and settled into university life (This child has never lived in the States.)
3. Reporting to supporting churches and individuals
4. Reporting to Betikara sponsors
5. Touching base with family after seven years of absence

          Lord willing we plan on arriving in the United States as a family around July 16, 2007.  This date will be as soon as we can get a flight from Kenya, once high school graduation (July 14, 2007) from Rift Valley Academy for Kit is finished.  We still do not know where we will be arriving in the United States.  We are in the process of checking on flights and planning our schedule at the present time.  However, there is one item that has definitely made us stop and think about our upcoming furlough.  We are finding that the cost of coming to the states is going to be between $12,000.00 to $15,000.00.  We are not seeking help from you for this cost.  We have planned and saved over the last seven years and have enough money in the Madagascar account to cover this expense.  We are just “shell shocked” at the money that is required to fly home for the upcoming trip.
          We are wondering at the present time if it would even be good stewardship for Stacy and Havilah to travel all the way to the States.  They will only have a total of two and a half weeks with our families before they need to return to school in Madagascar.  However, there is a great need for Stacy to get to a doctor for a complete women’s checkup.  Stacy’s last complete checkup was in 2000, seven years ago.  It is just that the cost of over $3,000.00 per person for a little over two weeks seems exorbitant.
          I (Barry) will also need a complete checkup.  I will need to see a doctor concerning my seizure medication that has not been altered in dose since 2000.  Also, I have not received a second opinion on my back problem that caused me to spend over two months flat on my back (and several months walking with a cane and therapy) at the end of 2003 and the beginning of 2004.  Presently I am not having any problems, but I would like to know exactly what went wrong (if possible) and what I can possibly do to prevent it from happening again.  So, Stacy and I will both need to schedule several appointments to see doctors, and then decide what further medical testing we need after the preliminary reports are given.  Stacy may have to postpone hers’ and Havilah’s return to Madagascar depending on the results of her preliminary testing.  Right now Stacy and Havilah need to return to Madagascar no later than August 8, 2007 in order to be prepared sufficiently for the first day of classes at the American School of Antananarivo.
          Since Stacy and Havilah will be returning to Madagascar and Kit will be entering university, that leaves me to make the rounds and visit all of you who have been so faithful over the years.  This furlough will be the first in Rosie family history (over 21 years) that we will not be together as a family to report.  Many of you are waiting for the arrival of our family so you can visit with Stacy, but that will not happen this year.  As the expression goes, “you will have to make do with me (Barry), or nothing.” :-)
          Then, there is the “Kit” factor to figure into everything.  If Kit is going to enroll in university we will need exact dates for his arrival at Faulkner University.  I have written two messages and have yet to receive a reply.  I am thinking about using the computer and Skype to call the university sometime this week.  Even if we know the dates for Kits’ admittance into university it will be almost impossible to plan 
anything in advance as far as visiting churches and individual supporters.  We assume that the date will be sometime in August 2007, but that is just an educated guess at this time.
          Therefore, we are asking you to understand that our needs as a family come first this furlough.  Even with putting our needs first, Stacy and Havilah will only have less than two weeks with Stacy’s family after seven years of absence.  We do want to report to all of you about the Madagascar work.  But, we are asking that you be understanding and let us plan the reporting of the Madagascar church and the Betikara Orphanage around our family needs.  In order to do this we will not be able to send out a set schedule for visiting the churches, months in advance, as we have in the past.  I will be contacting you to set up dates for my visit, but the notification you receive about my visit may only be a couple of weeks in advance.  I am looking at a window for visiting churches from the beginning of September through November of 2007.
          Seven years is a long time for missionaries to be away from their families and supporting churches.  Many missionary families return regularly to the States every one and one half years or two years.  A lot of progress has been made and a lot of good things have happened for His church since we last visited face to face with each other.  Still, we are concerned about the “care of all the churches” in Madagascar, as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:28.  This forthcoming time away from the church at Ambohimarina is weighing heavily upon us.  Please pray. 
 

Thank you
          We do not have an itemized list of those that have contributed to help the Rosie family over the many years that we have served in Kenya and Madagascar.  We do not even have an itemized list of those who have contributed to help us in “His Work” in Madagascar in 2006, or the last couple of months and especially during the Christmas season.  We do, however, see that several deposits were registered in our bank account that we cannot account for as regular monthly donations to the work and our family.
          We thank all of you so much for your monetary support and gifts, but more importantly we thank you for all you do in His kingdom, and in prayer for the Madagascar work, His church, and the Betikara Orphanage.  Without your caring hearts and continued prayer we would not be able to carry on the work before us.

Singing in Two Languages
          During the Christmas break from school, Havilah and Jasmin, one of Havilah’s friends from the American School of Antananarivo,  spent several days out at the Betikara land.  They quickly became a big hit, as the Betikara Lambs were enthused with being able to both sing Christian songs in English, and learn some sign language that goes along with each of the songs.  Since the beginning the children have learned several songs and preformed them for the Ambohimarina congregation and the Ankadivato congregation in town.
          Havilah and Jasmin are busy getting new songs ready.  It is so uplifting  to see individuals, no mater what age, that are dedicated and excited about praising Him with heart, voice, and hand.  We are encouraging them, and we pray that this will help strengthen the youth of the Ambohimarina congregation as well as spread His word to other people.
 

• Pray for the Rosie family as we prepare for the last half of 2007.  Pray that we can work out a schedule that will allow us to get everything done, both for our family and towards reporting on the work in Madagascar.
• Pray for Kit as he finishes up his last year at Rift Valley Academy.  Pray for Kit and the preparations that are being made for him to enter university.  Pray that we can get the needed scholarships to help with his educational expenses.
• Pray for the youth in the church that are eager to reach out and teach others about Christ.  Pray that their enthusiasm will not only continue, but grow over the years so they can encourage His church in Madagascar.