1 Peter 3:21 “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us . . . the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

          The date was May 20, 2007. The day was overcast and cold with a breeze blowing off the lake down at the bottom of the Betikara land. We all filed down to the shore for a once in a lifetime event that will be remembered for a lifetime. Four souls had decided that they needed to put on Christ in Baptism. Two of the people were women, both over sixty years old and grandparents. The two other people (one boy and one girl) that were being baptized that day were teenagers in the prime of their lives. Their ages differed greatly, but all four of them had one thing in common. They all had a thirst for the Savior! They all wanted to be counted among the number in His heavenly fold, and to call Him Friend and Counselor.
          It was such a joy to see four people that were united in physical life, become united in the spiritual life of God our Father. You see, the two women that were baptized on May 20, 2007 are the grandmothers of the two teenagers that were baptized that day. RAZANADRAVAO Marie Louise is the grandmother of RAZAFINDRABE Andriatiana, and RAZANADRAFARA Bertine is the grandmother of RAZANADRAFARA Hanitriniaina Vivian.
          Other family members were present that Sunday to witness the spiritual rebirth of their loved ones even though they do not worship at the Ambohimarina congregation on a regular basis. The father of Andriatiana came for the first time to the Ambohimarina congregation. While we were still walking back up the hill to get ready for worship, Tiana talked with Andriatiana’s father as they walked side by side. Tiana said, “Your son has done a good thing and taken on a great responsibility by being baptized. You need to come to worship with your son and his grandmother now, and set a good example for them as they walk with the Savior.” 
          Let it be our prayer that we all be the good examples that we need to be in His Kingdom. Please pray that these new children of God can grow to be strong and faithful workers in His kingdom in the coming days, weeks, months and years. May we always strive to serve Him and be good examples.
 

RAZANADRAVAO Marie Louise	RAZAFINDRABE Andriatiana
RAZANADRAFARA Bertine	RAZANADRAFARA Hanitriniaina Vivian

          As the time draws closer for the Upton family to arrive in Madagascar, we are finding that there is less and less time to do everything that is needed to prepare the Upton’s for Madagascar. It seems that more and more items keep popping up that need our and their attention. The Upton family is interested in seeing what items are available in Madagascar so that they can decide what items, if any, they will need to bring with them if they come to live in Madagascar next year.
         We are going to be busy going to banks, stores, housing agencies, car dealers, and government offices among other places so that they can get a feel for Madagascar and the Malagasy lifestyle. The many things we will be doing together, will in a way be helpful to us as we prepare to head stateside. We still have a lot of loose ends to tie up, as the expression goes, before we can get on the plane. I will need to pay many items in advance (telephone, electric, vehicle insurance, house rent, Internet fees, etc.) so that they will be taken care of until I return to Antananarivo at the end of this year. So, by the time I am done getting the Rosie family ready to get on the plane, the Upton’s will be acquainted with many of the ins and outs of Madagascar.

Sending Packages to Madagascar
          In a previous newsletter we wrote and asked that you do not send packages to Madagascar for a while. The reason at that time was due to the amount of customs that the post office is starting to charge for us to receive items for our family and the Betikara Orphanage. This is still the case. There is no set rule for charging customs duty. The amount charged is at the discretion of the person behind the counter on the day that we go to pick up mail. Sometimes we do not have to pay anything. Other times we have to pay a lot for certain items.
          Now there is another reason for not sending packages to us or Betikara. We will not be in Madagascar to receive the items that you send. I am in the process of writing an official letter that will let one of the Christian men receive our mail and the Betikara mail. However, he will still need to get any packages that arrive for Betikara out to the Betikara land which is about 15 miles from the post office in town. So, we are asking once again for you to curtail the amount of packages that you send to Betikara. For the time being, please only send letters or cards to the Lambs that you sponsor.
 

• Pray for the four Malagasy people that were baptized on May 20, 2007. Pray for them to commit their lives to their Savior and to trust Him to guide their lives.
• Pray for our continued furlough plans as we try to make it possible for us to get Kit into university, and for Barry to be able to make the rounds and visit all of our many supporting congregations and brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Pray for the Upton family as they are in Madagascar. Pray that they can make the right decisions for their family and for the work in Madagascar. Pray that God will lead them to see just where they can serve in His kingdom in Madagascar and worldwide.