Cyclone Chido was projected to hit Northern Madagascar yesterday and the islands today and then Mozambique tomorrow. If it doesn’t change course it will be devastating. We have not ever seen a cyclone come directly over Northern Madagascar. Pray for God’s mercy and help during and after the storm.

A prospective Malagasy missionary family is doing a site visit in a village on South Nosy Mitsio. Pray for them to make good contacts and to sense a clear calling to minister to the Antakarana people.

Two members of a house church on Nosy Mitsio have traveled to Nosy Be to attend a conference and training hosted by a local denomination. Pray for them to learn a lot and have boldness to share their faith with their families when they return home.

Pray for the village of Ampansoa. A family there has been listening to the audio books of Luke, Ephesians, Matthew, and Ruth. As you read passages in these books, pray that those listening to them in the Antakarana dialect will have their ears and hearts open to hear and believe.

Praise for a successful meeting and training of the Antakarana believers from Nosy Mitsio with the Churches in Ambilobe. Pray for continuing partnership in disciple making and ministry to the Antakarana people in the surrounding areas.

The end of July there will be a mobilization gathering and training in Ambilobe with the Malagasy missionaries working with the Antakarana and a couple from the Nosy Mitsio gathering who hope to attend as well. Pray for good fellowship and for strengthening of faith and future mobilization to the Antakarana among Malagasy churches.

Several of the younger married men have shared that they are happy their wives are able to come to the Bible study and worship every Sunday. The men have been invited as well but do not come. They are still interested in the audio Bible. Pray for them and their families and that an alternative can be found to Sunday to gather the men to learn the Bible stories and discuss the truth in them.

Pentecost is an important event here in Madagascar. The small group of believers on Nosy Mitsio will be hosting a goat roast with members of the local community invited. It will be an opportunity to share fellowship as well as the Gospel with many from different villages. Pray for many to hear the good news and be added to the number of believers just as in Acts Ch 2!

A bridge to the city of Ambilobe has washed out so transportation and supplies have become a struggle for many. The price of rice has gone up a lot too. Pray for peace and provision and that believers can use this opportunity to share Christ’s love.

Distribution of a partial audio Bible in the local dialect has started. SD memory cards are loaded with that and some Malagasy worship music and the Jesus film. Pray that those who received it will listen regularly and that true word of God will take hold in their hearts.

Recent surveys and feedback has shown that there are many areas around the city of Ambilobe that are open to hearing the Gospel. However there are not enough missionaries to go to these areas. The Harvest is plentiful. Pray for workers to go and bring the good news.

Pray for R. a young Antakarana man who has a heart to reach his own people. Pray for him and his discipleship, and for an upcoming training and mission trip he will be a part of in early January.

In Ambilobe there has been fruitful evangelism in rural villages by Malagasy Christians trying to reach the Antakarana. Pray for the Disciple Makers and the new believers that they will grow in faith.

Keep praying for the big ancestral worship event happening here this week. Practically it will be a burden to the local villages since so many will come and the wells barely have enough water to support the local community. Spiritually it will be an oppressive time. Pray for believers to be filled with the Spirit and protected from evil spirits.

There has been a large ‘spirit calling’ ceremony going on in our village for 2 days. Pray for protection for us and other believers and that we could share truth and that the ‘tromba’ would not come and that there would only be confusion and disappointment among the people participating.

Every 5 years there is a huge gathering to honor the spirits on Nosey Mitsio. Pray that new believers would hold to their faith and not partake in the many sacrifices.

During the school break a sports ministry through soccer has been going on, headed by Malagasy missionaries. Pray for good opportunities to witness and for openness for students to participate.

Praise more people are coming to the gathering on Sunday. Pray for the community to continue to be OK with this and for those that want to come to be brave and grow in faith.

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday and there will be a gathering of believers and seekers from both the South and the North of Nosy Mitsio. It is being organized by the Malagasy Missionaries and local believers. Pray for all the preparation going into it and for the Lord’s blessing and presence the day of.

We have received 100 gospels of Luke in the Antakarana dialect to distribute. Pray that these would bring 100 people to the knowledge of God and growth in Christ!

Praise: this last Sunday we had 3 new people worshipping with us. One was a woman who has wanted to come but was nervous her husband would be angry. So this is an answer to prayer and keep praying!

Recently several community members have shared that they want to learn more about the Bible and come to our Sunday gatherings but they are afraid of the spirits inside of them and that they will be angry and even kill them. Others are afraid of spouses not being OK with it. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move in a mighty way and that these barriers will be broken down. Pray many would come this Sunday!

Pray for Antakarana believers known and unknown as they navigate Ramadan in their communities. May they be winsome and wise in their interactions.

Praise the Lord the book of Ruth is almost complete in the very close dialect on Nosy Be. Pray it will be widely read and the message of a kinsman redeemer would intrigue many!
Pray for the team as they plan what book to do next and as they also work on Psalms.

Pray for an Antakarana man “J” who is coming to study the Bible. He also invited a friend recently. Pray for this core of people to grow and their boldness studying the Bible to inspire other seekers to come as well.

Pray for Bible translation efforts that have started in the Northern dialect. It will be a multi year project done in Nosy Be. The goal is to have the entire Bible in audio format in the dialect. Pray for the team of 6 Malagasy translators and their facilitator Laura B.

Pray for upcoming outreach training for Malagasy missionaries coming to reach the villages on Nosy Mitsio. Pray for lodging preparation, for the hearts of the learners, and those in the villages who will see and hear the good news proclaimed. Pray for a fruitful outreach.

We have been praying for a long time that the spiritual bondage on the Island of Nosy Mitsio would be broken. Last month every week a different person came asking about the Bible and God’s word. There is interest! but it comes with fear that the elders in the area will be against worshiping Jesus. Pray for courage and pray that the stronghold would be broken down and pushed back like the rising sun brings light to a new day.

Pray that the Lord would soften the hearts’ of the village leaders to let the children come and learn. The kids have a desire to learn about the Bible.

Praise the Lord that the few believers on Nosy Mitsio were able to have fellowship on Easter Sunday, and plan to gather again on Pentecost (June 5). Pray that this will be a time of great encouragement, exhortation and a witness to the lost in their community. Pray also for missionaries whose boat was stolen: ask for recovery of their property, for grace and justice to prevail, and for the Lord to use this situation to show his power and love.

The Believers on Nosy Mitsio had a good Easter celebration and are looking to plan a service for Pentecost. A new family joined them for Easter. Please pray for Petera, Francine, Shilo and his family and Edmond and his family.

Petera, a Malagasy teammate, and his team praise the Lord that the many cyclones this season have not effected the rice harvest. Pray for them as they engage with the community during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Pray for the Holy Spirit to change hearts as people seek God in a special way during the month.

I have heard from Petera, (Malagasy team mates), and he said they praise the Lord that the many cyclones this season have not effected the rice harvest. He asked for prayer as they engage with the community during ramadan. Pray for the Holy Spirit to change hearts as people seek God during the upcoming month.

Pray for the local Antakarana believer on Nosy Mitsio and his family. He is a teacher at the school. He is bold in his faith and some are very critical of this. Pray for spiritual protection and strength for him and his family. Pray many will listen to the message he shares and believe.

This past week Manoa and I met with church leaders in Diego with whom Esther Park has been working to train Malagasy church planters. We were so encouraged to see the openness of these leaders and their desire to partner with us in this work of reaching the Antakarana. Please pray for future communication and planning and opportunity to partner more in this ministry. Ask the Lord for fruitful ministry together that many Antakarana might be saved.

The yearly spiritual washing took place this month. Many go to ask blessing for health and the harvest. Pray that this year many Antakarana will put their trust in the True God and not their ancestral traditions.

Praise that the Harvest team went well, the two men were fully a part of ministry and had a good impact on the young men in the community.
Pray for the school ministry. The Malagasy missionaries teaching Bible stories in the school were told they were no longer allowed to go. Pray for wisdom as the team tries to find out what the issues are from the community elders.

An Antakarana believer walked 4 hours to attend a fellowship group in a far-off village. Pray for wisdom as plans are being made to visit this man’s village to see about gathering the few believers there for fellowship. Ask for God’s wisdom to bring unity through their common ties to Christ. Pray against the attacks of the enemy, which are in full swing in this Muslim community: the village headman is now forbidding the teaching of Bible stories (previously permitted). Pray that this situation would give further opportunity to share the gospel, and that the Lord would keep the door for witness and discipleship open on this Little Island. Please also lift up P & F, Malagasy missionaries working amongst the Antakarana: they receive little support which isn’t enough to meet their personal needs, so pray for abundant provision from Jehovah Jireh.

There are three teachers at the local school and one is a believer. They teach about 100 kids from the surrounding villages. Pray for this Christian teacher’s spiritual protection, provision for his family and success as he teaches the students and shares his faith. He is also Antakarana and a former muslim. This is very rare for this community.

Praise God that the 2 months of focused outreach/ministry on Nosy Mitsio was a blessing to the Antakarana. Pray that seeds planted would grow, bloom and multiply. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work on hearts that have heard the truth.