Madagascar

So, before I begin I need to apologize for a couple of things. First, sorry I haven't posted in forever! School started and I have been pretty behind on life. Second, sorry I'm kind of changing the subject from Uganda for a while; I promise I'll come back to it and finish off the trip! The best days are yet to come, still! Hang in there!

I just started school at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (but everyone calls it SWBTS...pronounced 'swibits'). I am doing the BA Humanities program with a missions concentration to prepare me for a life overseas sharing God's good news. This school is seriously so amazing! I love almost everything about it -- hey, everywhere has its downfalls, right?

Anyways, the reason I picked this school is because of how mission-minded they are. They believe that all people should hear the gospel, whether they are in Fort Worth, or America, or a small tribe in an African island! And right now, the Antandroy are just that tribe!

My school is sending missionaries to Madagascar right now to reach out to a people of about 800,000 who have never heard the name of Jesus before! They live in the southern region of Madagascar, which is an island off the eastern coast of Africa. But, they are just one of many people groups in Madagascar who have never heard the good news that Jesus has for them! There are 19 major tribes in Madagascar and the many of them are unreached; in fact, there are only around 13 missionary families on the whole island of Madagascar (by the way, the island is roughly the size of Texas)!

The Antandroy are the dark blue region on the bottom of this map.

I am seriously considering going to this island, as I have to go on a mission trip in order to graduate (rough, I know), and this people group just wont leave my heart. So, I went to a meeting to learn more about them on Friday and I wanted to share some of the nation's prayer requests with you so you could join me in prayer for them.

1. Pray for the political crisis in Madagascar. They haven't had a stable government in many years, and their current corrupt government has been in power for the past four years. They are trying to have an election soon, so pray that God's hand will be on it.

2. Pray for the shallow Christianity that does exist on the island. Catholicism is the main Christian branch on the island and unfortunately it has morphed with the local ancestor-worshiping customs into a religion that is not even close to God honoring. Pray that God would start a cultural and spiritual revival to bring people to know who He truly is and the kind of worship which He truly desires.

3. Offer thanks for the receptivity that is happening. Christianity is a hard fit for the culture of Madagascar, because it goes in such stark contrast with the practices of the people there. Praise God for the people who are coming to know the Lord and letting Him transform every dimension of their lives!

4. Offer thanks and prayers for religious freedom. The religious freedom in Madagascar is such a blessing, but it is also allowing for Christians to become lazy. Pray that God would move in the hearts of the Christians in Madagascar to move out of complacency and apathy.

5. Pray for the other religions that are proliferating on the island because of the same religious freedom. Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, etc. are growing at alarming rates. Pray that the people on the island would come to know the one, true God!

6. Pray for support and encouragement for the 13 missionary families who are serving in Madagascar. It is a lonely place to be a missionary.

7. Pray for revival for Christians!