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10 September 2001
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Madagascar! As they say here, "Manao ahoana?
Salama tsara izahay." (How are you? We are well.) It’s
hard to believe that we have been back in Madagascar for seven
months. The children are re-learning Malagasy and having fun with
their friends. Robert is enjoying his French kindergarten and
loves to build Leggo creations. Frances loves to read, cook, and
follow her brother.
We loved our time in the States, visiting with family and sharing
with many of you about the wonderful work that the Church of Jesus
Christ in Madagascar (FJKM) is doing in Madagascar. We are happy
to be back in Madagascar living and working with our colleagues
in the FJKM. It’s good to be reminded that we are indeed
part of one family in God as we worship again with our Malagasy
brothers and sisters in Christ. Coming back we have been struck
anew by the poverty and hardship that so many face on this island
and the amazing joy, faith, and dedication of the Christians here.
We realize that we still have much to learn from our Malagasy
brothers and sisters in Christ.
Here are some highlights since our return:
- A visit from Elizabeth’s parents and a chance to see more
of the PC(USA)-FJKM partnership in evangelism
- Two visits from members of supporting churches, which allowed
us to see communities that have been changed by PC(USA) and FJKM’s
partnership in development work. In Ambohimangakely, the FJKM
community health partnership has brought in health education and
various disease prevention programs. The people in Ambohimagakely
have had no cases of cholera even though the communities around
them have.
- An exciting environmental education program with 27 schools in
the heavily deforested Tsiroanomandidy area
- The introduction of blueberries into the country, planted
at two FJKM development sites
- The continued work of bringing safe drinking water to rural communities.
(It is estimated that only 26 percent of the people have access
to safe drinking water.)
- The movement towards creating a churchwide program to combat AIDS.
The AIDS level is very low in Madagascar. FJKM has over 4000 churches
spread throughout the island and wants to play a major role in
combating AIDS.
- House under construction. Instead of paying rent, PC(USA) has
agreed to use rent money to build a house into which we will probably
move in January 2002. This will permit us to stay on the grounds
of the FJKM seminary at Ivato, near the international airport.
We are grateful to PC(USA) and glad that we will be able to continue
living in community with the seminary students, professors, and
development personnel.
Prayer requests
An AIDS planning conference is scheduled for 8-12 October. The
conference will bring together the FJKM AIDS team, other church
leaders, and AIDS planners from other organizations. The purpose
is to help FJKM develop a strategy for its AIDS campaign. Please
pray for God’s guidance for the conference and the planning
process.
The FJKM development program is currently undergoing an evaluation
that hopefully will result in renewed financial commitment from
some of its major supporters. Please pray for the leaders of the
development department and all of the development department personnel,
that they might truly feel God’s guidance in their lives
and work.
A presidential election in Madagascar is scheduled for December
16, 2001. The pre-election period is often a time of increased
crime and savannah fires. The lay vice-president of the FJKM church,
Marc Ravalomanana, is one of the candidates for president. The
FJKM church along with the Malagasy Lutheran church, the Anglican
church, and the Catholic church are working together to try to
ensure fraud-free elections. Please pray for the safety of the
candidates and the Malagasy people and for fair elections.
We continue to spend a lot of time on the road, visiting different
development sites around the country. Sometimes we travel as family,
and often Dan goes with colleagues. Please pray for road safety.
We thank you very much for your prayers, financial support, and
for all of your e-mails and letters.
In Christ,
Elizabeth, Dan, Robert, & Frances Turk
The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 42
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