Tag: mission

Newsletter October 2025
By Jurgen & Katja

Newsletter October 2025

Dear brothers, sisters, and friends,

Twiddling Thumbs or Working Overtime…

We loaded the car with all sorts of household items.

Work on Madagascar isn’t always predictable. Sometimes it feels like everything is moving at a snail’s pace, and you spend your time mostly waiting. Other times, it’s a rush, and overtime seems unavoidable.

October was a typical busy month. The second group of Malagasy Bible students wanted to spend a week in Maroamboka. This had been planned since August but kept being postponed—now it was finally going to happen.

In the same month, a new trip was planned to the far southeast of Madagascar: Vangaindrano, Midongy, and Befotaka. This journey followed on from our earlier mission trip to these areas in June 2025.

Two trips in one month may sound manageable, but on Madagascar, it’s quite a lot!

Preparations for Arrival

Issa was scheduled to travel with me to the village. We filled the car with household items, vegetables, and various supplies to make the group feel welcome. We also brought a large amount of translation work, but more on that later.

Getting the group to Maroamboka was a logistical challenge. Most of them—seven men—were travelling from the far south, a journey of several days by bus. Two young women were coming from the capital and would meet our friend Jonoro halfway. Finally, Thaddee joined us; he had been to the village before and lives relatively nearby.

Endrin’i Lika is always willing to help.

The two young ladies were mainly coming to see if mission work might be for them. I asked Endrin’i Lika beforehand if they could stay at her house. She didn’t hesitate and immediately showed me the bed. Very luxurious, considering we men had to sleep on a simple mat. Well, some distinctions have to be made, right?

The first day was all about picking everyone up. I explained exactly where they should get out and had ask locals at the meeting point to help welcome the group, in case I wasn’t there yet. Things didn’t go exactly as planned. I arrived at the meeting point but there was no one there.

What happened? The first group had got out ten kilometres away, and the second group reported they wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon. Only Thaddee got out at the designated location.

The drive from the meeting point to our village is 17 kilometres and takes about an hour and a half. All in all, I spent the whole morning on my new hobby: taxi driving!

Soon after arriving in Maroamboka, I got a message from the second group—they had arrived! So, back to the original meeting point and from there to the village, where they were waiting for me.

It was a very nice busyness in and around the house.

A Mix of Dialects

Our house in Maroamboka was filled with a cheerful cacophony of dialects. The group came from all corners of Madagascar, each with their own dialect: Mahafaly, Vezo, Merina, Tsimihetsy, Anosy, Antemoro, etc. The rest of the afternoon was spent learning the local dialect, Antanala.

The group used our translation work, especially the Bible stories, to practice. They frequently asked me the meanings of words and phrases, as well as how to pronounce them correctly.

The Group Gets to Work

The translated material was used to learn the dialect.

The next morning, the group split into smaller teams to visit surrounding villages. Thaddee returned with his group to the villages he had visited in June. I drove the other two groups to more remote villages. This was possible because the road was dry and solid—otherwise, it would have taken 2–3 hours on foot. With the car, it only took about one hour.

It was also a good opportunity to teach Issa how to drive on such roads.

He had wanted to learn for a long time, and now was the chance! He did very well. The extra 4×4 gears didn’t confuse him, and after a couple of trips, I could sit back and enjoy the view for a change.

Local Christians Lend a Hand

The groups were supported by local Christians in and around Maroamboka.

This is crucial as villagers are often very suspicious of strangers. Endrin’i Lika, endrin’i Leva, Sarobidy, Cilarisy, iaban’i Mainty, and iaban’i Bosila guided the teams and introduced them to the people.

It was encouraging to see that they did not hesitate when asked to help! Encouraging for us, but also for the local churches. They now see that the work we have done for so many years can also be done by themselves—without a pastor or missionary.

We had a very nice gathering on the last evening

Satan isn’t Idle

We have often shared the darker aspects of our area. Ancestor worship and spirit veneration are deeply ingrained in the culture. Witch-doctors aren’t just figments of Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter—around Maroamboka, there are at least 15 of them, some known for cursing people to death.

These scenes are reminiscent of Biblical stories, but they are very real today on Madagascar.

On the first day of the group visits, a woman came to our house asking if anyone could help because several people were very sick. ‘Sick’ can mean many things, but in this case, it was demonic possession. Thaddee’s group had just returned from a long day, yet they didn’t hesitate.

A few went with the woman, including Issa and I. What we saw was shocking: a young woman in her twenties, who had been perfectly healthy three days earlier, now unable to do anything but growl. She was paralysed in the legs. During prayer, she started kicking, hitting, and contorting into gymnastic poses—even a trained gymnast could learn something!

But “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). After much prayer, the demons left. Within an hour, she was calm. She was then placed under the supervision of endrin’i Lika, who will teach her about the Lord Jesus, so she can follow Him instead of returning to ancestor worship. This is important because the Bible teaches that expelled spirits may attempt to return—if the person isn’t filled with God’s Spirit, the evil spirit may soon come back with his friends.

The next day, the group continued ministering to the other “sick” people, all of whom were freed in the same way! Praise the Lord!

Why Share This?

God’s word truly sets people free. This is Diana, she gave her life to Jesus a long time ago.

Why not just stick to lighter topics? Because it shows that we are witnessing a significant spiritual battle in and around Maroamboka. Each time we return, we hear stories of people turning from ancestor worship to follow Jesus. This brings great freedom—they no longer fear punishment from ancestors, need not give costly gifts to witch-doctors, and are no longer bound by restrictive taboos.

We see the liberating work of the Lord Jesus Christ! This is bad news for Satan and witch-doctors alike: the first sees people saved for eternity, and the second sees his lucrative business collapsing. There is no greater contrast than here: people are being freed from a life of fear and are learning that the freedom is only found in the Gospel. Jesus’ words become reality:

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Read more about the effects of breaking from ancestor worship:

https://www.jurgenenkatja.nl/en/waarom-zending-er-toe-doet/

Luke, Acts, and 41 Stories

Oliva enjoys using the translation work. He has wonderful plans to reach the area around their hometown with the Gospel.

Back to the car full of boxes. While driving to the village, Issa and I visited pastors. One, of who we had never met, lived in Irondro along the main road towards our village. People there know us because we have been passing this village for many years. Last time, I had already given out booklets and promised to bring more.

Upon arrival, people quickly gathered at the car—they hadn’t forgotten the promise. Instead of distributing them myself, I asked to be taken to the local pastor, Olivier Haja of the Rhema church. He was amazed when I handed him the boxes: 220 copies of Luke, 220 of Acts, and 220 storybooks—nine boxes in total.

He gratefully accepted them. “Free??” he asked. Yes, on the condition that they would be used wisely. He regularly goes into the remote areas surrounding Irondro to share the Gospel, where people understand little official Malagasy. These booklets will help him immensely.

The second pastor, Oliva, also serves near the main road and often goes into the remote areas. We have known Oliva for a longer time already, he used to serve as a pastor in our area. He and his wife knew we would come. Last year, while we were in the Netherlands, they received a daughter, and they were eager to show her to us.

It was wonderful to meet each other again and to hand over the nine boxes as well. Several church members were gathered to make an official handover. Oliva expressed his desire for assistance in evangelising the remote areas; later in the week, I brought Jonoro to him so they could plan together, and find out what we can do for him.

It’s wonderful to see the translation work gradually reaching people in unreached areas, with pastors like Oliva and Olivier Haja actively using it.

The books were received with singing

Vangaindrano, Midongy & Befotaka

In our June newsletter, We mentioned that Wouter van Holst and Jurgen explored the remote valleys of Midongy and Befotaka. The local Antaisaka and Bara tribes speak different dialects, yet we managed to share the Gospel. Several villages requested more teaching, and Bible teachers have since spent a month teaching there.

What a treat! Both Simeon and Dani were allowed to sit in the front during the flight.

Matthew 9:37-38 reminds us: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”

In October, Wouter planned another mission: partly to check on previous visits, partly to reach new villages. This time, the Helimission helicopter had extra seats, allowing Simeon and Dani to join. While we visited the villages, they played with Wouter and Sanne’s children.

The visits were awesome! I can now follow conversations in Bara and Antaisaka dialects more easily. Together with a young Bible student, Braco, I discussed the Gospel with adults while Wouter and his assistant Willy engaged the children.

The Bible stories came to life when people saw the Jesus film.

We revisited a village where I had jokingly taught people how to greet in Antanala—they hadn’t forgotten! Young girls called out: “Akory lahaly iaban’i Vanya!” (Good morning, father of Vanya). We stayed overnight, and Nick, the pilot, brought a projector to show the Jesus Film—the reactions were incredible, and the Bible stories became clear to many.

Please pray for our new brothers and sisters in these valleys. Following Jesus is not easy when families fear ancestral punishment, and sorcerers are not happy about more Christians.

Other Matters

As we approach the new year, exams for Issa are fast approaching. We hope to travel to the Netherlands in April for him to take them. Abbey will also take two exams in English and Maths next year, keeping Katja busy helping them study. Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

We are also still translating Genesis. The language is very different from the New Testament, making it slow work. Chapters 1–6 are digitised and ready for a second review. We hope to make more progress in the next village visit.

Finally, we are considering a trip to Ikongo, the heart of the Antanala region, 90 km from the main road. Reports suggest this journey would take 8 hours by 4×4—just over 11 km/h! Local contacts have expressed interest in receiving the booklets.

Dear Friends

After reading this letter, we hope, like us, you look forward to what the future holds. We can make plans, but one thing is certain: “Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the Lord’s purpose prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

We feel privileged to have such support in our work. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support! Together, we will continue to trust in the Lord, for God is good, always, and forever.

We wish you God’s blessing!

Katja & Jurgen

Issa, Abbey, Dani, and Simeon Hofmann (and Vanya from the Netherlands)

We are thankful for:

  • Serving a great and mighty God;
  • local Christians enthusiastically helping with evangelism in and around Maroamboka;
  • reaching villages in Midongy and Befotaka;
  • pastors Oliva and Olivier Haja using the translation work for their ministry.

Please pray for:

  • Our financial needs to be met;
  • the translation work and distribution;
  • the Genesis translation;
  • plans to possibly visit Ikongo;
  • Issa and Abbey’s exam preparations;
  • that Katja finds rest amidst her teaching responsibilities.

Photos from the group in Maroamboka

Photos from the trip to Vangaindrano, Midongy and Befotaka

Newsletter June 2025
By Jurgen & Katja

Newsletter June 2025

Het i

Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

It is only recently that we sent out our last newsletter. Still, there are some very nice things to tell again.

Vangaindrano, Midongy & Befotaka

Frontseats: Nick Däpp and Jurgen
Backseats: Willy and Lucile
Three names of districts in Madagascar's far southeast. Vangaindrano is 270 kilometres (by car) south of our village, Midongy and Befotaka are even further. Wouter and Sanne van Holst set up the 'Hosanna' project in Vangaindrano. We know each other well and I had already hinted that I would like to come and have a look. For encouragement, but also to discover whether our translation work would be understood this far south.

The opportunity came! Wouter occasionally undertakes mission trips in the very remote Midongy and Befotaka areas. There are no roads leading there so the collaboration with the Swiss helicopter organisation, Helimission, is a godsend. We flew with Nick Däpp, the pilot we have known for years, to Vangaindrano. On the way, we landed briefly in our village to say a quick hello 😎

From the 'Hosanna' mission post, we flew to the two districts daily. We visited five villages a day. The villagers had never seen white people and a helicopter before. Some knew it only from the movies.

fltr: Wouter, Willy, Lucile, Jurgen.
But I didn't come there to twiddle thumbs. Wouter had asked me and a Malagasy employee, Lucile, to share the Gospel during the trips. That way, I could check out the differences in dialect right away 🤔

Click here to see a short video.

Well, I soon found out that my usual Antanala dialect did not match those of the people overthere. The ethnic groups are the Bara and Antaisaka, each with their own dialect. Lucile and another staff member, Willy, both Antaisaka, occasionally had to laugh heartily at my dialect. Some Antanala words have very different meanings in Bara or Antaisaka.

For instance, the way I said that God does not want us to commit adultery is interpreted by the Bara as picnic. Until I got hold of the right pronunciation and words, I first translated it with some humour. So I then explained the seventh commandment as, "you may picnic, but not secretly with your neighbour's wife." Willy and Lucile helped me tremendously in learning the correct pronunciation and words.

Most people had no knowledge of the Gospel. One village had never even heard of the name Jesus! Yes, they did know that God the Creator exists — duh! How else would everything came into being! But they wondered who His Son was and where He lived. I said the Lord Jesus now lived in heaven. "Oooh, so He is dead," they said. Great surprise when I explained to them that He had been dead, but had come alive again on the third day! What an experience! What an openness! And what a privilege!

Meanwhile, Wouter and Sanne received some feedback from the villagers and the reports are very promising. Several villages have indicated that they would like to hear more about Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. People are hungry for the Gospel.

Matthew 9:37-38
The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Malagasy Bible students

We know Thaddee, the second man from the left, since 2016.
Once back home with Katja and the children, I didn't have much time because just over a week later, the first group of Malagasy Bible students came to Maroamboka. Together with Dani, I travelled to our village three days in advance to get everything in order. On Monday morning, 19th of May, the students arrived.

On the first day, we introduced the students to our friends, Sylvestre and Fanja and the fathers of Boto, Mainty and Bosila.

On the second day, they walked in two groups to more remote villages. The fathers of Mainty and Boto went with one group to Masoabe. The village is a 2.5-hour walk away. People knew who we were, and the group was warmly welcomed. The other group went to Dongosabe with Bosila's father.

Both villages were very open to the Gospel and the visit encouraged the Christians present to become more active evangelisers themselves. This, of course, is something we love to see happen: Christians starting to tell their own fellow villagers about Jesus. Normally, many Christians here think this is mainly the job of pastors. But then again, if no pastor lives near, not much happens

The three men in the middle are the fathers of Boto, Bosila and mainty.
On the third day, we visited the father of Velotia in Beono—the king who became Christian. He shared his testimony to the group. It was a huge encouragement to both parties.

Klik hier om zijn getuigenis te horen.

On the last day, the entire group went to visit Tsararano. The people there had often asked us to explain the Gospel to them too.

I have not yet been able to get much feedback from our friends in Maroamboka. But the little we have heard is promising. People are genuinely curious about more of the Bible, and many local Christians have already indicated that they would like to participate in Evangelism next time.

Once Home Again

Twelve days later, Dani and I were back home. On the way, Dani had caught the flu so we came back just in time. Whilst back home we started coughing and feeling lousy one by one. Dani took the lead, and over the weekend he got even sicker with tremors and chills. Katja decided to test him on Malaria, which turned out positive. So on top of the flu, Malaria as well. We always have medicine in the house so we could tackle that right away. But oh dear! The medication did not work thus we decided to take him to the hospital of a befriended German midwife, Tanja Hock. There he was put on a drip right away.

Fortunately, we were in time and saw that the medicine through the IV was doing its job. During that week Katja stayed at his bedside during the day and I relieved her for the night. After five days, we were happily informed that we could take him home again.

Now, Dani is the most fit and healthy person in the family. The rest, including me, have coughs due to a bad flu. Bother! We had momentarily forgotten what that felt like 🤒

A Blessing in Disguise

Officially, I already had to travel back to our village this week. The second group of students was supposed to arrive on the 15th of June. But they unexpectedly cancelled. That's a shame! But given the situation in the family, maybe not so bad at all.

It also benefits the peace for a while. All those weeks I've been away, Katja has had to do everything on her own. Fortunately, the children help her a lot, but with certain things it is more convenient if we are together. Homeschooling, shoppings, household. All things in which Katja has a fine routine. But if one of the children comes with me, she has to plan that child's schoolwork differently.

Katja is also very busy planning the next month(s). After all, in July, as a family, we hope to go on holiday to our village. And the next month, in August, Vanya hopes to leave for the Netherlands to start university in Groningen. Katja will travel with her to help her set up her home, and things like insurance and whatnot. Those weeks I get to homeschool the children 😵‍💫 So Katja is already preparing that schedule as well.

So in that respect, it is a stroke of luck that the group cannot come. We may also see the Lord's hand in this.

1 Corinthians 10:13
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

This was it for now

We hope that after reading this letter, you, like us, are also looking forward to what the future holds. We can make plans but one thing we know for sure is that “what the Lord intends, happens.” (Proverbs 19:21)

We feel privileged to receive so much support in our work. Thank you for your prayers, compassion, and support!

Together with you, we want to keep trusting in the Lord! Because God is good, always! And always God i s good!

We sincerely wish you God's blessing!

Katja & Jurgen
Vanya, Issa, Abbey, Dani en Simeon Hofmann.

Things to Pray for

We are thankful because:
  1. we serve a great and mighty God;

  2. God is adding to the Church daily;

  3. the fantastic time in Vangaindrano and our own village;

  4. the Malagasy students were received so warmly;
Pray that/for:
  1. our financial standing will return to normal;

  2. our health;

  3. Katja's planning in terms of education;

  4. the last months in Madagascar for Vanya;

  5. the new planning regarding the students who could not come.
Newsletter April 2025
By Jurgen & Katja

Newsletter April 2025

Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

The last newsletter was an extensive report on everything that happens here. This newsletter we hope to keep a little shorter, but certainly no less interesting.

The trip to Maroamboka last January

Actually, that was more or less wishful thinking. Sometimes the rains come later in the season. This time, just about all the cyclones arrived in January. Those rains that come along are great for the farmers, but less fortunate for the roads. Our friends in Maroamboka advised us not to come. Since there were no pressing matters to attend to, we called off the trip. It’s always a tough decision because you know it can only be done again two months later. On the other hand: When it rains that hard, there is not much you can do anyway. The paths become dangerously slippery and most people are poorly accessible as a result.

New Planning

The materials are ready to be used
The materials are ready to be used
The new trip has already been prepared. I (Jurgen), together with Abbey and Siemen, hope to return to the village on Monday 14th of April. We have a lot to do! I hope to renew all the water pipes. Repairs need to be made to the concrete foundation, and things need to be cleaned.

During this trip, I hope to make some further arrangements with the leaders of the churches in Maroamboka. These arrangements are about mentoring Bible students.

Bible-students

Hey! Did I mention something about Bible students just now? Yes indeed, a wish we have had for a long time seems to be happening now. During the previous visit, Jonoro had come with us. Jonoro is a Malagasy pastor, and he has an awful lot of contacts. Jonoro raised the topic here and there, and that ball started rolling. We are now actively working with two groups.

The first group comes from Vohipeno. This town is relatively close to our village. It is Thadee’s group. We have known Thadee for a long time. Eight years ago, Thadee and his wife Haja were stationed as missionaries in Ikongo—the centre of the Antanala region. He now teaches young Malagasy Christians himself. As part of this teaching—and his wish to strengthen our ministry—he hopes to come to Maroamboka for a week sometime soon. This group is unlikely to have much trouble with the language as they live relatively close by (still 4 hours away by car).

The other group is from Tulear. That is much further away! Their trip will take about two days. These students mainly speak the Vezo-Malagasy language, and most have no experience with areas elsewhere on Madagascar, let alone in such a remote place as Maroamboka. For this group, it will be a bit of a shock when dealing with different customs and a different language. Jonoro has also trained these students and hopes—and we with him—that he can come along himself.

But … Sponsorship …

Yes, now, of course, we come to finances. These students (not all) had the opportunity to study because there was a budget for their daily needs. Other students had to study mainly in the evenings so they could work during the day.

Travel and accommodation in Maroamboka is not in their budget. Of course, students are allowed to stay in our house for free. The cooking utensils, mats to sleep on, and all other adaptations are a great use of our own time and money as far as we are concerned.

But the journey, and food whilst travelling, is very expensive by Malagasy standards. Also, some students will also not be able to work during that week. In preparation, they went to several churches to raise sponsorship. As it turns out, getting that done is not so easy. Having money, and giving money away is a very sensitive issue on Madagascar. We are dealing with one of the poorest countries in the world. Yet, we felt it was important for students to try to raise some money. After all, the great commission of our Lord Jesus is telling churches to send missionaries and evangelists into the world. Secretly you hope the churches are eager … Surely that will take some more time here.

The Bible-students from Tulear with Jonoro and his wife left on the foreground.
The Bible-students from Tulear with Jonoro and his wife left on the foreground.

May we Appeal to you?

Initially, I suggested that the students might be able to set up a GoFundMe campaign. That was one of my less bright ideas. Such a campaign is effective in the West, but here each potential sponsor has to be asked individually.

To make things a little easier for the students, we have agreed with AIM-Netherlands to set up a separate fund for this. We hope to raise about 1,000 euros for these two groups. May we appeal to you?

It will be a great learning moment for these enthusiastic students. But even better than that! These students have a heart for their own people.

The situation reminded me strongly of the collection Paul did in Corinth. The apostle Paul asked for money from the churches to support those in need, especially the impoverished church in Jerusalem. He encouraged the Corinthians to contribute generously and reminded them of their own blessings and the importance of helping others.

Scan the code to support! (DUTCH ACCOUNTS ONLY - see for other option below)
Scan the code to support! dutch accounts only – see for other option below)

De studenten komen uit arme kerken, maar ondanks de armoe willen hun volksgenoten bereiken met de boodschap van hoop en redding! Wat een voorrecht dat we hier getuigen van mogen zijn én aan mogen bijdragen!

Those of you with a dutch bank-account can make contributions via the link below.

Donation towards the student (DUTCH ACCOUNTS ONLY)

For those among you who have their bank accounts outside the Netherlands, you can use one of the following options:

Donate towards the students via Paypal   Donate towards the students via Paypal

Donate towards the students via Stripe   Donate towards the students via Stripe

Please mention that the gift is given for the bible-students!

Short News

Just one last update regarding translation work. We met a young lady who grew up in Ikongo (the centre of the Antanala area). Delia is her name, and she is temporarily living in the capital. We have found Delia willing to record the Gospel of Luke. We hope to get the whole book finished before she goes back to Ikongo.

Every chapter is a blessing! For many people, audiobooks are a godsend because they cannot read or write. Please join us in prayer, that we will finish as many chapters as possible!

A big thank you for your prayers for Katja who had broken her collarbone. Meanwhile, the bone seems to have healed well without the need for medical intervention. Katja says she still suffers from the muscle in her neck—it is a bit stiff so to speak. Fortunately, she has not compromised on mobility.

This was it for now

We hope that after reading this letter, you, like us, are also looking forward to what the future holds. We can make plans but one thing we know for sure is that “what the Lord intends, happens.” (Proverbs 19:21)

We feel privileged to receive so much support in our work. Thank you for your prayers, compassion, and support!

Together with you, we want to keep trusting in the Lord! Because God is good, always! And always God i s good!

We sincerely wish you God’s blessing!

Katja & Jurgen
Vanya, Issa, Abbey, Dani en Simeon Hofmann.

Things to pray for

We are thankful because:

  1. we serve a great and mighty God;
  2. God adds daily to His Church;
  3. we see more and more Malagasy with a heart for mission;

  4. Jonoro helps us so much;
  5. Delia wants to record Luke’s gospel;
  6. Katja’s collarbone has healed well.

Pray that/for:

  1. our financial standing will return to normal;
  2. the next trip to our village;
  3. we may find enough sponsorship for the students;
  4. the audio recordings with Delia;
  5. the plans to bring students to the village.
Why Mission Matters
By Jurgen & Katja

Why Mission Matters

Seen From a Secular Viewpoint 1

Introduction
A commonly heard statement against missionary work is to leave people alone: do not spoil their culture and belief systems. One should not bother people groups with alien belief systems.

This argument is understandable because many appreciate the diversity of cultures around the world. Rightly so, it is one of the many beautiful aspects of human beings. Humans around the world have developed their own style of music, dance, and other traditions.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned objection is not as obvious as it seems. This paper will accommodate the given objection with the necessary comments. Note that most of this paper’s focus will be on rural African situations. Yet, this does not mean that the discussed ideas are restricted to this setting alone.

World-view
Before we move on to the actual objection it will be valuable to be familiarised with the concept of ‘world-views’. Cultural diversities make a big difference in people’s understanding of the world around them—how one interprets diseases, prosperity, natural events, etcetera, depends strongly on one’s belief system. To illustrate how one’s world-view can differ from others we will take a look at a paragraph from Burnett’s book ‘Clash of Worlds’:

Jean La Fontaine tells the interesting incident of an anthropologist having a discussion on the Yap islands with a group of islanders who believed that the cause of conception is not sexual intercourse, but the entry of a spirit into the woman concerned. The anthropologist cited the example of the improvement in the quality of the pigs that had resulted from the cross breeding of imported European boars with native sows. The islanders were quite prepared to agree with this yet refused to accept the idea that sexual relations among humans resulted in pregnancy, citing various cases of married women without children, and ugly women, whom no man found attractive, having babies. The discussion caused puzzlement on both sides, until light dawned on a particular islander: “Ah,” he said to his companions, “this man actually believes that people are the same as pigs.” 2

 

Implications
People who state that it would be better to leave other cultures alone, often forget that their statements have come forth out of certain presuppositions. Firstly, to say that Christian missionaries are bound to spoil one’s culture seems to implicate that the culture in question is ultimately satisfying to its inhabitants. And secondly, it indicates an outdated idea of missionary work where missionaries try to ban the established cultures in order to Westernise the world.

Satisfying in Every Aspect?
The first implication basically states that people from other cultures are most content with their own belief systems and co-existing cultural traditions. This, however, is not as straightforward as one might think. Especially in many rural African societies, where people give a lot of weight to the worship of ancestors and nature spirits, people suffer many fears. Frequently the people consult so called witch-doctors or medicine-men, who prosper on the fears of their ‘patients’. Diseases and other misfortunes are quickly explained as being a punishment or as inflicted by an upset spirit or by a witch. 3 Often it requires a sacrifice to restore the delicate balance. To say that this cultural facet is satisfying to the inhabitants is far from the truth.

Missionary of Culture
The second implication seems to have some historical truth in it. True enough, in colonial times many (but not all) missionaries viewed their own culture as superior to that of the people they tried to evangelise. Christianity was not only a personal belief, it was embedded in every aspect of many Western societies. Thus, bringing the Gospel was, for many, equivalent to bringing one’s culture. This attitude, however, changed rapidly after the enlightenment period. Today the West is no longer predominantly Christian.

Today’s missionaries understand that the Modern Secular Western culture is not advertising the Christian faith. 4 In other words, Western culture is not the appropriate tool to evangelise people since it does not guarantee a sound understanding of Christianity. Thus missionaries will try to make the Gospel culturally relevant for people. They cannot water down the Gospel but they can highlight different aspects. Take Jesus’ sacrifice for example: In the West we tend to highlight the juridical solution. In a nutshell this view says that all people have sinned against God and deserve punishment for their wrongdoing, just like a thief or violent person needs to be punished by a judge. It was Jesus Who took the punishment for us and He fulfilled the juridical requirement. Those who accept His offer can go free. However, cultures that do not highlight the legal side of society tend to emphasise aspects like shame and traditional fears for ancestors or spirits. For these societies it will be more applicable to focus on Jesus’ victorious work over all evil. Jesus had authority over evil spirits, He was shamefully treated and hang naked on a cross. He took the shame upon Himself of being separated from the Father. He died, but after three days He came back to life thus defeated death itself. Both viewpoints are equally true but will not always resonate with the listeners. It is important to find the most relevant aspects to make people listen. Later one can always teach the other aspects as well.

Secular Gain Through Missionary Work
Language
Most rural Africans have their own language and will have great difficulties learning in the official language. Often one of the primary goals of missionaries is to learn the native language. Normally they will try to put this language into writing. It does not need explanation to state that this is a great advantage for the people. Many local schools started right after these writings were (partly) finished. By learning how to read and write, people are more armed against fraud when buying or selling their goods.

Healthcare
Another very important aspect is that of healthcare. Clean drinking water, simple remedies against diseases, AIDS/HIV prevention programmes, etcetera, are all part of many modern missionary organisations. The success rates of these programmes are hard to express in figures. However, many organisations are committed to stay on a long term basis. During this period they will seek to train the native Africans. This way the organisation shares its knowledge and consequently the people become less dependent.

Economy
Although missionary work starts with the longing of spreading the Gospel, it is often a great boost for the local economy. Missionaries do not consider profitable areas as more important than non- profitable areas. That is to say, secular Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) will have to abide to strict regulations of where to go and what to do. 5 Furthermore, secular NGOs may do a good job in education and the like, but more often than not rural Africans are not capable, due to religious convictions, to fully profit from their help. 6 Parris says the following about it:

“Anxiety, fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won’t take the initiative, won’t take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.” 7

Missionaries, on the contrary, have the freedom to go to people groups who do not have access to proper education and/or healthcare. Additionally, Christians are not committed to a secular world- view thus capable to address the religious aspects more effectively.

The Christian faith strongly depends, in contrary to the traditional rural African religions, on individual decisions. The Christian faith emphasises the unique bond between God and human. Christians do not need intermediaries in order to have a relationship with God. No longer will the person have to be subordinate to others, which will result in a bolder attitude towards progression. A naturalistic and materialistic approach to a people, who are deeply rooted in religious traditions, will not help them. Their religious system will have to change alongside. Fears need to be addressed. The traditional rural Africans will not change certain habits because they fear the possible negative consequences—better not disturb the ancient spiritual order. Those who entrusted themselves to the Christian faith however, will abandon these fears because they know that their new Saviour became victorious over all evil. Parris testified that the Christians he met “were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world—a directness in their dealings with others—that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.” 8

Conclusion
Missionary work in Africa is not only about winning souls. It digs much deeper in the change everyone wants to see in Africa. Although secular NGOs are of great worth, they cannot replace the deepest longing in the hearts of many Africans. Many rural Africans have a deeply rooted religious system which is unlikely to change through secular education. Missionaries can offer a solid replacement of their, often fear-driven, religious ideas.

To change the beautiful African culture should not and is not the goal of most missionary organisations. Nevertheless, there are certain aspects in these cultures that need a head on approach. 9 Many Africans are illiterate because in their culture they never actually needed it. Times change and so do trades. A literate person will not likely be a victim of fraud. Furthermore, reading and writing is of great use when it comes to education. To read that certain customs are harmful can help to change their (often cultural infused) habits. 10

Instead of spoiling a culture it would do more justice to missionaries to state that they enrich one’s culture. Not only in spiritual aspects but also in materialistic ways. This holistic approach has proven to be very sufficient for economical growth—and economic growth that many Westerns wish to see happen among the people from this beautiful continent called ‘Africa’.

Endnotes

  1. ↑ Secular: Denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
  2. ↑ Burnett, D., Clash of Worlds: What Christians can do in a World of Cultures in Conflict, London: Monarch Books, 2002, p. 15.
  3. ↑ Burnett, D., World of the Spirits: A Christian Perspective on Traditional and Folk Religions, London: Monarch Books, 2000, pp.126-128.
  4. ↑ Whether it ever did, is a different debate.
  5. ↑ Maggay, M. P., ‘Justice and Approaches to Social Change,’ in (eds.) M. Hoek & J. Thacker, Micah’s Challenge: The Church’s Responsibility to the Global Poor, Colorado Springs: Paternoster, 2009, p.131.
  6. ↑ Ibid. p.123.
  7. ↑ Parris, M., As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God, Times Online, website (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece, 2008), Downloadable pdf: http://www.rootedinjesus.net/docs/Parris.pdf.
  8. ↑ Ibid.
  9. ↑ Maggay, M. P., ‘Justice and Approaches to Social Change,’ in (eds.) M. Hoek & J. Thacker, Micah’s Challenge: The Church’s Responsibility to the Global Poor, Colorado Springs: Paternoster, 2009, p.123.
  10. ↑ Matters of nutrition, immunization, personal hygiene, family planning, child rearing, seeking early medical care, disposal of solid wastes and human excreta etc.

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Tanala: Here We Come!
By Jurgen & Katja

Tanala: Here We Come!

Only barely returned from our trip to Nosy Mitsio, Jurgen embarked on a survey to the east of Madagascar, to the Tanala. The Tanala are amongst Madagascar’s least reached people groups. The evangelical Christians number less than 1%. Churches are only found in cities. The churches lack vision to share the gospel with their fellow tribesmen, who are in geographically difficult to reach areas.

The results of the trip are very encouraging: in all the villages, missionaries are more than welcome. Some villagers had heard of Jesus when selling their produce on the markets in towns, others told of a yearly visit of an evangelist. There was a great felt need of education on what the Bible teaches. The elders in one of the villages said: ‘If what you preach is truly good news, our people need to hear it.’ They would have us come yesterday rather than tomorrow. Below, you’ll can watch a video report of the trip.

Engaging the Tanala has been the longing of AIM Madagascar for some time. It seems we have come to Madagascar at the right time. The next step is to return to Sandrohy, a central village surrounded by many smaller villages, to see what we need to live there.

Before we can go, we require our own vehicle, though. There is no public transportation to Sandrohy. The roads are very bad, so we need a sturdy 4×4. The need for a car is not just practical: it involves our safety too. Drivers in Madagascar seem to be in constant haste. Big risks are taken. Only recently, 3 accidents with buses happened in Tana due to reckless driving. The results: 13 casualties. Rules are now more strictly adhered to, making it even more difficult to catch a ride as a family.

We would be most grateful for any gift towards our purchasing a car. You can find information about giving on our support page. We are very grateful for your gift!

Into TIMO
By Jurgen & Katja

Into TIMO

We have just returned from a month of traveling – and what an awesome trip it was! When we met the leader of a team of missionaries on a remote island off the coast of Madagascar we were very interested in their experiences. What was it like to live a simple lifestyle in a hut? How were they received? What was TIMO like? How does the team function? The leaders suggested to come and take a look. No, not for a week or two, but a whole month. We are very glad we took up the invitation. We have learned so much in a month and enjoyed it thoroughly. You can see a videoreport on our multimediapage.

The island we visited is called Nosy Mitsio and is home to about 2000 people. The islanders live in small villages in simple huts made of natural materials. They fish, grow rice, coconuts, bananas and some other fruits. Some have cows, goats, ducks or chickens. Ancestor worship and special ceremonies called ‘trombas’ play an important role in their lives. The Antankarana have lived on the island for about 200 years, since they fled there from persecution by an evil Merina-queen. Regrettably the Antankarana still hold a grudge against the Merina people group, who live in and around Tana.

At first the islanders were not particularly happy about the coming of the missionaries. Still the team could come. Now, after more than a year the missionaries are loved and very much welcome. Through friendships the missionaries share the gospel and testify of the love of Jesus for them. They are currently translating a set of Bible stories to share with their neighbours. For an example of what that looks like [wp_fancybox_media hyperlink=”click here” type=”youtube” width=”640″ height=”360″ url=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/E2gjju0hcLY?version=3&autoplay=1&fs=1&rel=0″].  Other ministries include teaching about God in the local primary school, helping in the fields, and health education.

Life on the island can be tough. While we visited several team members fell ill and needed medicine. Our family also contracted some infections. Traveling to and from the island is a challenge. Every month the team leaves to buy supplies. The land hardly provides enough for the locals, so the missionaries have to travel 3 and a half hours by boat and another 2 and a half hours by bus to Ambilobe, the closest city where supplies are available. On the island the team members have to walk through knee-deep mud and over sharp rocks – still we heard no complaints.

The goal of a TIMO team is twofold: to train beginning missionaries and to plant a church amongst an unreached people group. The team meets weekly to discuss the curriculum. The curriculum supports the fases of the missionaries’ work. While we were there the team members shared their testimonies, or faith-stories, in Antankarana with each other and their neighbours. As mentioned they are working on a story set to share in their villages. They hope to organise ‘Discovery Bible Studies (DBS)’, a way of discussing the Bible with maximum involvement of all participants. You can read more about this tool here.

With the team we are very curious as to what is going to happen on Nosy Mitsio in the coming months. We believe God has planned and prepared for them to be there. He has his eye on the island and wants it for His glory. Wouldn’t it be great if the veil of fear of the ancestors would be lifted and Jesus would become the centre piece of their lives? Please spend a moment in prayer for:

the team leaders Adam and Lora Willard, with Matimu and David;

Steve and Rebekah Orner, with Ruthanne, Douglas and Heather;

Shawn and Angie Mayle, with Liam, Kailin and Gwen;

and Kelly Segit.

Though isolated they may be, let them experience they are not alone in their hard work to win the Antankarana for Jesus!

Progress
By Jurgen & Katja

Progress

We are very happy to let you know that quite some progress has been made in finances this last month. At the moment we have reached 65% coverage of our monthly budget. We need some additional 25% in support to reach the goal of at least 90% coverage, the percentage at which the mission organisation thinks it is responsible to let us go to Madagascar.

How does it work? Africa Inland Mission has made a monthly budget for us – based on experience – to live and work as missionaries on Madagascar. The mission organisation is not our employer, but is itself dependent on gifts. Consequently, we are not paid any wages but are responsible ourselves for finding sponsors to help us on our way.

You can support us periodically (monthly / quarterly / annually) or one-off. Find out more about how to give here. We value any support given.

Why Mission Matters
By Jurgen & Katja

Why Mission Matters

Next year we hope to move to the south of Madagascar to serve the Bara. The Bara are an unreached people group. Unreached people groups lack enough followers of Christ and resources to evangelise their own people. We are more than willing to be part of the Bara being reached. But why?

For a Christian this may be an easy question. If you believe that Jesus – in dying on the cross and rising from death – has won over evil, you can’t help but share this with others. News like that must be told! But suppose you are not a Christian: why bother to support missionary work at all?

We are convinced that, when preaching Jesus Christ, many other beautiful things take place also. Not only do the hearers gain the possibility to be restored to a relationship with God through Christ, but changes begin to take place alongside. Sometimes these good things come about directly through the work of missionaries (e.g. schools, hospitals, water supply), but more often people and communities begin to change from within. A Christian does not need to consult the spirits, or fear things new or unknown. He can confidently make plans, assured of God’s protection and care. Investment in missionary work is also an investment in freedom – a precious commodity. Read the full article here.

Going Prepared
By Jurgen & Katja

Going Prepared

From 13 till 16 April we took in an Orientation for new members of Africa Inland Mission (AIM). We have been encouraged by meeting with several christians from other countries with the same goal and purpose in mind: seeing Christ-centered churches among all African peoples.

Many practical issues have been discussed: health, safety, communication, dealing with transition and cultural differences. We are more aware than ever of the risks and likeliness of suffering, but ever the more motivated to go. The children enjoyed a parallel programme.

We had the chance to speak with the Personnel Director about the possibility of being placed in a team on Madagascar. It has become clear that the team and unit leaders were worried they would not be able to suit the educational needs of our children. We have responded this need not be a problem, since we are prepared and willing to home educate our children. We hope the team leaders will soon find the time to see and pray whether we would fit on the team.

To be continued…