The Beginning of the End

A new month is here already again! I can't believe it's already the middle of August and I only have a month left in Madagascar. There has been a lot going on the past few weeks. English classes have continued Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We've started a new English class on Mondays and Thursdays during the day at a local school. These classes have been very fun to teach because the kids are really great.

I've still been doing Malagasy lessons Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings but I have my last lesson on Friday! I'm happy with the progress I made in language, but I still wish I could've gone a bit further with it. The boys and I have still been doing English schooling when they are done with their French classes. When we aren't doing school things, we've been doing lots of fun activities like going to the beach, making crafts and visiting Maxi the lemur (he used to live in their yard, but now he's about to be released into the wild!)

I've been really lucky to have Josianne as a good Malagasy friend in Toliara. A few weeks ago we went to a soccer game together. She's been so generous. She is always willing to practice Malagasy with me or take me around town or to meet her family. She is going on a vacation very soon after her exams, but I'm hoping to see her in Tana one more time before I leave.

Last Saturday I was also given the opportunity to "preach" at the English service at the Anglican Church. I attended the English service quite a few times because many English students attend and it was nice to talk with them. Their tradition is to have someone, from those who attend, lead or preach each week. I tried to avoid preaching as much as possible because I am really not good at it. God did not gift me with skills necessary to preach. I'm not just one of those people who says that and is actually really good at it... I'm really not good at it... I'm really really bad at it. However, I eventually gave in... mainly because they put my name on the schedule before I could say no. It actually went fairly well, I think. God helped me through that one.

Here's the sad news... Josianne took pictures for me while I was preaching so I could post them on here, but I got slightly trigger happy with my delete button and I accidentally trashed them.... 

...on both my computer and my camera. 

oops.

Currently I can still see the pictures in my trash folder, but it won't let me restore them. So... hopefully soon I can inquire a computer genius and he or she can get the pictures back for me.

Here's what the next month looks like:

On Monday I leave for Tana. I will have one week there meeting and preparing with the children's program team before retreat. We'll all leave on Sunday, the 25th, for Mahajanga. We'll have one week of retreat in Mahajanga. The Schafflers and I will high tale it back to Toliara and I'll have about a week and a half here. On the 10th of September I'll go back to Tana on a taxibus, where I will be reunited with my Brazilian family! Then, on the 14th of September I'll get on a big 'ole plane and head back to America. It still doesn't seem possible that I'll be home in a month. I have mixed feelings about it. 

Prayer request 1: Pray that God would use us to help the kids have fun and learn about Him on retreat. Pray that it would be a relaxing and re-energizing time for all the missionaries.

Prayer request 2: Pray for safe travel for all the random ways we'll be moving around Madagascar this next month.

:)

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29