{"id":10072,"date":"2016-10-07T07:00:08","date_gmt":"2016-10-07T14:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lightbearers.org\/?p=10072"},"modified":"2019-12-06T00:59:10","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T08:59:10","slug":"share-the-wealth-a-mission-update-from-madagascar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/share-the-wealth-a-mission-update-from-madagascar\/","title":{"rendered":"Share the Wealth: A Mission Update from Madagascar"},"content":{"rendered":"

The United Nations Development Programme\u2019s most recent data ranked Madagascar 154 out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index.1<\/sup> That\u2019s basically a sterile way of saying that, as a country, Madagascar doesn\u2019t seem to have much going for it. Rich in biodiversity and culture, but seemingly poor in just about every other area, Madagascar is a land of extremes\u2014extreme natural beauty juxtaposed with extreme poverty.2<\/sup> In a population of nearly 23 million people, a staggering 75% live below the international poverty line.3<\/sup> Children with haunting eyes and distended bellies wander the streets. Young girls hang around the local night clubs looking for a way to make some money in exchange for their innocence.4<\/sup> It all seems rather bleak.<\/p>\n

But through the horrifying misery the Malagasy people endure, they are open to the gospel. While the Western world has been anesthetized through materialism and excess, Madagascar is open to its true need\u2014Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

After visiting the country, Light Bearers Publishing Correspondent Meiring Pretorius described this time of religious receptivity as \u201ca golden opportunity to flood the Island with our message\u201d and believes that \u201cthe printed page will do extremely well here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2026Madagascar is a land of extremes\u2014extreme natural beauty juxtaposed with extreme poverty.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Since 2012, Light Bearers has sent two containers of literature to the church in Madagascar, and in the last four years the fruit has begun to show. Meiring writes about the church, \u201cThey are baptizing an average of 13,000 people per year. They feel that this number is largely the result of the literature from Light Bearers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some Malagasy pastors have been using the Bible studies in small groups, and are experiencing a very positive outcome. One pastor, Meiring wrote, \u201chas started dividing his churches into 4 groups. He has a total of 58 groups in his district. This resulted in 122 baptisms since they started. This also helps to strengthen the new members in the church. He uses the 24 Bibles lessons printed by Light Bearers.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the literature has been diffused throughout the island, God\u2019s love is making an impact. Meiring also shared how the church is using the tracts in a non-traditional way to influence their community:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe church in general is encouraging church members to start centers of influence. One such center was started by the Conference to teach people to speak English. During the classes they use the Bible lessons as a tool for study. This method has reached many hearts for Christ.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another pastor shared a testimony with Meiring about a Malagasy traditional healer \u201cwho came to his [the pastor\u2019s] meetings and studied the Bible lessons. God\u2019s Spirit convicted him and he wanted to get rid of the idols he was worshiping. They helped him in his faith and he abandoned all his practices.\u201d Please pray for this Malagasy man as he is considering baptism.<\/p>\n

They are baptizing an average of 13,000 people per year. They feel that this number is largely the result of the literature from Light Bearers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is undeniable that God is working in Madagascar. In a land so impoverished, His word is enriching even those living in the darkest pockets of this country.<\/p>\n

A layman named Mamy is proof of this. After spending time in prison and being converted, Mamy felt a strong call to take the gospel behind bars. He began his prison ministry in 2004 and now has access to all detention centers. He is seeing the Spirit move as he works with those who are in the same position he used to be, men who are held captive, not merely by walls of cement and barbed wire, but by walls of selfishness and pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow he is using the Light Bearers Bible lessons in the prisons with great success,\u201d Meiring reports. \u201cRecently 150 prisoners were baptized and 45 more are awaiting baptism.\u201d Liberty is being proclaimed and captives are being set free.<\/p>\n

For those prisoners who have recently been released, a church has been built outside one of the main prisons. Now the newly freed inmates can be part of a safe community as they transition back into normal life.<\/p>\n

Martin Luther once said, \u201cIf you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.\u201d As witnessed in Madagascar, it\u2019s absolutely stunning to see what God can do with just twenty-six letters written on small pieces of paper, each carrying the weight of God\u2019s glory. May we always be willing instruments in God\u2019s hands, ready to write, speak, print and share the wealth of God\u2019s love in even the poorest of places.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u201cMadagascar,\u201d United Nations Human Development Programme Human Development Reports, http:\/\/hdr.undp.org\/en\/countries\/profiles\/MDG<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. \u201cPopulation in multidimensional poverty, headcount (%),\u201d United Nations Human Development Programme Human Development Reports, http:\/\/hdr.undp.org\/en\/indicators\/38606<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  3. \u201cPopulation below poverty line,\u201d The World Factbook, 2010, https:\/\/www.cia.gov\/library\/publications\/the-world-factbook\/fields\/2046.html.<\/li>\n
  4. Aaron Ross, \u201cMadagascar, where child prostitution is common, cheap and \u2018trivial,\u2019\u201dMINNPOST, January 31, 2014, https:\/\/www.minnpost.com\/global-post\/2014\/01\/madagascar-where-child-prostitution-common-cheap-and-trivial<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The United Nations Development Programme\u2019s most recent data ranked Madagascar 154 out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index.1 That\u2019s basically…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7,144],"class_list":["post-10072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-report","tag-evangelism","tag-literature"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Share_the_Wealth.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paAh8r-2Cs","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10072"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13122,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10072\/revisions\/13122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lightbearers.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}