Dear Family and Friends,

Avia, ry mino! Hifaly sy hihoby,
Avia, avia hankany Betlehem;
Teraka Jeso, Tompon’ny anjely;
Avia hitsaoka azy, avia hitsaoka azy, avia hitsaoka azy,
Izay Tomponao!

As a new year dawns, we greet you with the first verse of "Come, All Ye Faithful" from the Malagasy hymnbook. As we are writing this during the Christmas season, we are thrilled to be hearing this favorite hymn of Malagasy Christians sung time and again. We hope that you also have been able to feel the joy of the season where you are. It has been a full year for us, with new experiences continuing to come our way in the "Madagascar chapter" of our lives.

Travel

In February, we were blessed to take part in the Presbyterian Church’s All-Africa Mission Personnel Retreat at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and to spend about a week afterwards in Harare. A special highlight of that trip was a day at Chobe National Park across the border in Botswana, to see big game, during which we saw elephants, lions, hippos, giraffes, warthogs, and a variety of other wildlife, all in their own habitat. In July, we traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, where Mark delivered a paper at a conference and the family spent a wonderful couple of weeks seeing one of the world’s most beautiful cities and the Cape Peninsula. The picture of the children is from our day at Cape Point, and you can see the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet behind them if you look closely. Finally, in August Mark went to the U.S. for a conference of Lutheran teaching theologians, and he was able to spend time with both families as well, which was a real treat. Interspersed with these wonderful limes were various meanderings to national parks, the beach, and to visit friends here in Madagascar. We have been really graced with our travel experiences this year.

Growth

Secondly, it has been a year of growth, which is evident whenever we compare last year’s kid pictures with this year’s. Joseph is now 9 and continues to grow in his abilities in French, math, swimming, and piano-playing. He really likes his teacher this year, so much that he invited her to his Christmas piano recital, and she seems to like him as well. Paul turned 6 in October, and his birthday was followed closely by the loss of his first tooth. Paul started piano this fall and is thrilled to do something his older brother enjoys. He is beginning swimming this year, too. Paul loves to read and is getting great scores on reading tests at school, so his life continues to be happy. Ella, who will turn four this month, started in pre-school this year, where she towers over everyone else (including the five-year-olds) at her school. Those of you who remember her when she was a very petite baby will be surprised at her growth. She is learning French very quickly, and really enjoys being big enough to go to school. Ella loves being a girl, with pretty clothes, dressing up, and frilly accessories—she often tells us in great detail about her teacher’s ensemble over the lunch table. (We doubt whether the boys realize their teachers are wearing clothes, so it may be true that girls are really different than boys.)

Work

It has also been a year when our work has continued to grow and flourish—we are beginning to see the possibility of long-term impact of the seeds we have planted and continue to plant. We have had a number of opportunities to preach and lead worship (in Malagasy, and, rarely, in English) this year, and these opportunities increasingly come our way. Our teaching careers here continue to develop. Cynthia is teaching Christian education, English, and preaching. Mark’s classes in Synoptic Gospels and Pauline traditions have continued as well. Both of us feel more and more able to communicate with some ease and comfort in Malagasy, which is a gift. Cynthia’s work with the women’s committee has borne much fruit this year. The committee, which was formed to try to address domestic violence in student and community families, has sponsored a number of educational sessions on family ministry for the entire seminary community. We received a grant from the U.S. embassy for an income-producing project started by the committee through which student wives produce stuffed lemur plush toys. Since the project’s inception we have sold over 500 toys through churches, stores on the island, special sales, individuals, and a particularly large order for the ELCA’s Global Mission Events last summer, where all participants in the children’s program received a lemur. The committee has begun work with lawyers, judges, and law students in town to develop a two-pronged curriculum for (1) police, lawyers and judges and (2) women in churches and villages to raise awareness of Malagasy family law. It is a grace that there are good laws on the books to protect women and children, but the laws are rarely enforced, and most women don’t even know the laws exist. If this project takes off, we may be able to apply for funding again from the U.S. embassy for this project.

Mark continues to work with faculty committees on upgrading the library, starting a foundation for theological education on the island, and, because of a new initiative by the Norwegian Mission Society, he has been tapped to be very involved in a new push to accredit the seminary’s academic programs. Because the NMS is ready to provide funding for some major initiatives, this could become a really significant project here. Because of food losses after two cyclones that hit the island last year and the great generosity of various individuals and churches, we have been able to set up a food bank at the Lutheran seminary. Food is purchased in February, March, and April when prices are low, and sold back to those students at the purchase price in November, December and January when prices are high. As gift monies come in for the Reformed Theological College, we hope to set up a food bank there too. Mark has been front and center on this project this year, which is already reaping real benefits for our students.

When you receive this letter, it will be the year when we come home for our first HOME LEAVE! We are really looking forward to being home after 3 ½ years on the field. We will be serving as missionaries-in-residence at McCormick Theological Seminary and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in September through December 2001, after having spent some time with family during the summer months. We look forward to seeing many of you during this year; the welcome mat continues to be out for those wanting to visit our beautiful island home. We wish you and yours the very best for 2001; we continue to ask your prayers for the Malagasy people, and for missionaries the world over, who, like us, strive to serve with integrity and humility, following Christ’s example of servanthood.

In the Hope of Peace,

Cynthia Holder Rich and Mark Rich; Joseph, Paul, and Ella

The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 42