Greetings,
For the update this week we have a report from Cliff Veal on his Madagascar and Rwanda visits:
On the 24th of July I set out from London’s Heathrow Airport on a trip to Madagascar and then Rwanda, which was to change my perspective on the world we live in. Madagascar is a very large island off the southeast coast of the African continent and technically, of course, is not part of Africa — but in so many ways they are similar.
The natural beauty of Madagascar and also Rwanda is at times breathtaking. Both countries are vibrant, pulsating, and alive with people. The street markets that one sees, especially in Madagascar, offer a colourful, interesting and, of course, also necessary palette of goods. The innovative spirit of people living in areas where not many goods are brought in from outside of the country, is evident everywhere. In Great Britain one hears the phrase “reduce, reuse and recycle”. I believe that the Malagasy peoples and the peoples of Rwanda are masters at this! There are parts and items, which we in the Western world would long ago have consigned to the rubbish tip, which in these regions would be used and reused repeatedly.
As with so many first-time travellers to the African region, I was quite shocked at the poverty, which is evident in so many ways. When one sees women washing clothes in a stream of water, which upstream is covered in garbage, one doesn’t need to wonder why some waterborne and insect borne diseases are still extant.
But of course the crowning jewels of both Madagascar and Rwanda are God’s people living there. These are people who, in many ways, go through the very same things that we do in everyday life. They have problems with their children in school, problems with their employers, problems with family members — in short, lives not dissimilar to those that we lead. I am always amazed and encouraged to find God’s Spirit at work among His people, in what for us seem like far-flung lands. (Of course for them it is simply “home”.) The working of God’s Holy Spirit gives us all a commonality and the love for one another which is not possible in any other way.
I spent 10 days in Madagascar, which included two Sabbaths and a week in between which was filled with counselling and interaction with the brethren. On the Sabbaths the sermon, which I gave in French was translated into Malagasy by our deaconess, Madame Evelyne.
I was able to take with me funds, in the form of cash, which I left in Madagascar to support the brethren for the Feast of Tabernacles. In my interaction with the brethren during that week a few situations came to light where it was obvious that a relatively small amount of money could be of tremendous financial help to some of the families. (Let me mention here that no one in Madagascar or Rwanda came to me asking for money.) As a representative of God’s Church and as their new pastor, I was able to help them out in some small ways also on the financial side.
In Rwanda at the beginning of my three-day stay, I came upon a very interesting situation. There is a member there who had requested a visit and said that there were three others meeting with him on the Sabbath who would like to be baptized. Two of them are family members — a sister-in-law and a nephew — and one is a close friend of his nephew. After counselling with each of them individually I proceeded with the baptisms that afternoon. You can’t imagine the joy and the satisfaction of that new sister and those two new brothers in the faith! They are all such gentle and kind people who simply want to commit themselves to go God’s way. I found it humbling and extremely encouraging to be able to be a part of that. They will all four be keeping the feast together in Rwanda. (We will be supplying them with sermons, which can be translated by our older member into the local language, Kinyarwanda, which is the one language that they all understand.)
This trip brought home to me personally in a very dramatic way that there is a whole world of people out there who are suffering under the influence of human governments. It’s not that I did not know that, academically, before — I just had not seen it firsthand. After experiencing the things that I did on this trip, I can pray more fervently than ever, “Thy kingdom come”.
As I wrote recently, I find it wonderful, exciting and thought-provoking that God, in this time so close to the end of this age, is allowing us to play a part in the spiritual well being of our brethren there.
It is interesting to think about just what it is that God is doing with us. We would do well to stay close to the Father and ask for His continued guidance.
Cliff Veal
Literature Rewrite
Plans are underway to rewrite some of our older doctrinal material into a more up-to-date style. We have asked Don Day to coordinate this project so as to avoid duplication of effort. If anyone is working on an article please communicate that to Don. It would also be good to check with him first before beginning a project. He also has a list of suggested subjects. donday1@live.com
Services this Sabbath will originate from South Dakota.
Warm Regards,
Brian Orchard
