Tag: Team

Newsletter February 2026
By Jurgen & Katja

Newsletter February 2026

Newsletter February 2026 – Jurgen & Katja Hofmann

Dear friends,

The new year is already two months old. As a family, we are gradually preparing for the furlough that lies ahead of us.

But before we tell you more about that, we first would like to take you with us to Madagascar — to the villages, the people, and the stories that define our work and life here. Thank you for standing with us, praying with us, and fighting alongside us.

Suddenly back to the Netherlands

In the previous newsletter we mentioned that the work on Madagascar is never really predictable. Sometimes it feels as if we are mostly waiting, and at other times everything seems to happen at once.

When you suddenly have such a busy period, other matters also seem to happen abruptly. A few days before Christmas we received the message that Jurgen’s father had been urgently admitted to a care home.

Abbey at the station with the suitcases
A day later another message followed: “Father will probably pass away; how long it will take? That could be a matter of days, but also of weeks.”

Although the message came suddenly, it was not unexpected. Jurgen’s father had been deteriorating for quite some time. Dementia was doing its destructive work.

On 29 February I (Jurgen), together with Abbey, flew to the Netherlands. Father had not yet passed away, so hopefully we would still be able to see him briefly. During our stopover in Ethiopia we received the message that he had passed away. That was a shock.

Thankfully I had always been able to tell my father everything that truly mattered. We had no unspoken matters. Every time we saw each other, or spoke on the phone, I would tell him how much I loved him. A good habit that we often forget, but in situations like this it becomes clear why it is so important.

A blessing in disguise

Snowball fights and a snowman — it couldn’t be better!
Although the reason for coming to the Netherlands was not pleasant, we were also able to enjoy our time. The first week we stayed at Katja’s father’s place, which was very nice. After the funeral we went to the province Drenthe, and stayed at Vanya’s for another two weeks. Abbey slept at Vanya’s house and I was able to stay in the guest room of Katja’s mother.

And while the whole of the Netherlands was dealing with various weather alerts, we were mostly able to enjoy the snow and being together. Because public transport in Drenthe and Groningen had largely come to a standstill, Vanya had to continue her studies from home. This meant we could see each other a great deal and take pleasant afternoon walks in the snow-covered forest and countryside.

Back in the village again

At the time of writing we are, of course, back on Madagascar. After a few weeks away it is good to be with Katja and the other children again.

The three of us out together
The visit to the Netherlands meant that we had to postpone some plans. Initially we had wanted to make another trip to the village in December to host a group of Malagasy evangelists once again. Fortunately, on Madagascar it is not a major problem to change programmes. A new time and arrangement were quickly made.

On Monday, 9 February, I travelled to our village with Dani and Siemen. Our first task was to clean the house again. Spider webs, rat droppings, dead insects, and dust … a lot of dust. Each time it is a matter of checking whether everything still works. Fortunately the electrical wiring from the solar panels was still in order, but the water pipe from the tank to the toilet had broken. Well, it keeps you busy, as they say.

Extremely busy

Everything repaired and cleaned, so on 12 February we were able to receive the group of evangelists. We could only pick them up later in the day because several slopes were still too muddy and slippery earlier that morning. The sun had shone enough to make the road passable again around 13:00.

This was the longest muddy slope. A day earlier we could not get up here at all. If you listen carefully you can hear stones and rocks striking the underside of the car.

Catching up together on the veranda

It was a joyful reunion with familiar faces and new ones. Ten people in total — eight men and two ladies. All from different tribes and regions of Madagascar: Vezo, Tsimihetsy, Antaimoro, Mahafaly, Masikoro. What a richness to see people from all corners of Madagascar coming together, united in the Gospel. Each comes with their own dialect, which means our translation work is much needed in order to understand and speak the Antanala language. Thankfully they are enthusiastically helped by local Christians from Maroamboka. The local people know the villages, they know the culture, and people trust them.

It is wonderful to hear from our villagers that the guests are more than welcome. In passing it is mentioned that it can sometimes be difficult to understand them and to make themselves understood in return. But it does not spoil the joy! The people in our area greatly appreciate that these ‘strangers’ have come to explain the Gospel to them. They hang on their every word. Yet it remains a strange experience that I, the white man from a distant country, still occasionally have to function as a dictionary: “Father of Vanya!? What does this word mean and how do you pronounce that word? And how should we actually greet the people?” …

It greatly encourages us to see that the work is not only done by us — but now especially by them themselves. That is exactly what we have prayed for over many years.

Then … The return journey, and the Lord was with us!

Afterwards Dani, Siemen and I still had to travel back to the capital. It is a journey of 540 kilometres and if we drove it in one go it would take about 18 hours. We therefore always divide it into two parts. We wanted to be there before the weekend so that we could celebrate Dani’s 15th birthday (21 February).

The radiator hose had completely torn apart

On the second day of travel a strange smell entered the car. At first we thought of the fires burning along the roadside. But oh dear! Soon we came to an abrupt halt … The car had overheated and the temperature gauge had not indicated it. Bonnet open to investigate. Indeed — the coolant hose had burst completely. We were still more than 11 hours’ drive from the capital.

After thinking for a moment I first called Katja to say that we would not be home for the time being. Then I phoned Peter van Buuren in Tana. His mechanics always maintain the car. They knew a good mechanic near us. Those mechanics came to us and after the car had cooled down, the radiator was filled with water and we slowly drove back to a town we had just passed.

The diagnosis was quick, the solution less so. Due to the extreme heat the cylinder head had warped and needed to be resurfaced. With a new head gasket everything should have been fine. Unfortunately it was not so simple. The cylinder head was still leaking and there was nothing they could do about it.

After three days of repairs, we decided that we would have to continue to Antananarivo by makeshift means.

A jerrycan of water on the roof had to be the solution.
A jerrycan of water was placed on the roof. From the jerrycan a garden hose ran into the radiator so that we could continuously supply the car with cooling water. The idea was good, but the weather did not cooperate. It was extremely hot and the car overheated again after only 10 minutes.

What now? Dani suggested asking the Lord for cooler weather. Hardly had he prayed when the clear sky suddenly filled with heavy rain clouds. It began to rain as you rarely see. The rain continued, and every time we saw clear skies further along the route, they closed up as soon as we arrived there. This cooled the day so quickly that we only had to change the jerrycan every 35 minutes. You can imagine how deeply impressed we were by God’s intervention! He is good and faithful!

These are screenshots from the weather app. You can clearly see how the rain covered our route. Click on the image for a larger version (the time is shown at the bottom).

After 16 hours and 30 jerrycan changes, we arrived home at 03:30 on Sunday morning. We drove day and night without stopping. What an adventure!

And Dani’s birthday? After a few hours of solid sleep we still celebrated it with a delicious homemade apple pie.

Dani getting ready to blow out the 15 candles!

In the garage

The car is now at Peter’s garage. The mechanics immediately got to work and took the opportunity to check the entire engine block. Now it is mainly a matter of finding a cylinder head. New ones are available, but a new Nissan Patrol cylinder head is unaffordable. Fortunately, good second-hand cylinder heads can also be found. They only need to be properly resurfaced. Even so, these second-hand ones quickly cost around €600. We still have a buffer in our car fund, but it is not sufficient. Perhaps you could prayerfully consider giving an extra contribution?

On this page you can read how to give for the car.

Furlough to the Netherlands

As mentioned, we are also preparing for our furlough to the Netherlands. Issa hopes to take his final exams, and Abbey will also sit exams in several subjects. Thanks to Katja, they will be well prepared.

In addition to teaching, Katja is very busy with this year’s school programme and new school materials — what may go back to the Netherlands and which materials we will later take again to Madagascar.

The tickets have now been booked and we hope to land on home soil again on 8 April. We will once more be able to stay in the house of Johan and Miranda van Bijsterveld in Oudewater. Through Stichting Hand we will also be able to borrow a car so that we can be mobile. We are grateful that this could all be arranged so smoothly and quickly.

We have already made the first appointments for presentations and preaching engagements. On this page you can see where we have been invited.

Finally

When we look back on everything we have been able to undertake here, one thing becomes very clear: God is faithful. In everything!

We can make plans, but it is the Lord who directs the work. And we are grateful that we may do this together with you — with your prayers, your involvement, your support, and your encouragement. Let us continue to trust in Him together. For God is good — always. And always — God is good.

Thank you very much.

Katja, Jurgen and the Hofmann children

Prayer and Thanksgiving Points

We are thankful because:

  1. we serve a great and mighty God;
  2. the local Christians in and around Maroamboka are enthusiastically helping with evangelism;
  3. we will soon have our furlough;
  4. Issa and Abbey’s exam preparations are going very well.

Please pray for/that:

  1. our financial situation will be restored;
  2. the translation work and its distribution;
  3. the translation of the book of Genesis;
  4. the additional costs for the car will be covered;
  5. Katja, as she still has much to plan for the furlough;
  6. that Katja will find the necessary rest in between teaching.

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

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!

Report first weeks
By Jurgen & Katja

Report first weeks

ABO (Africa Based Orientation)
After an eight hours flight we arrived at 8 pm (Saturday the 10th of October) on Nairobi airport. The first three nights we stayed at AIM’s guest house. From there we travelled on to the ABO conference at Nakuru.

We were not alone! A total of 22 adults and 28 children joined us and they were all ready to serve the Lord at different places. To see a bigger version of the photo on the richt you can click on it. The first week at ABO we have studied the African culture and values. Among our tutors was a Kenyan man who lived in the UK for several years. This made that he could relate to our western culture as well as to the African culture. It was good to talk with other missionaries—some of who already work in Africa for several months or even years. We have learned a lot from each other.

Other subject were healthcare, safety and world-view… What to do when you are bitten by a snake or what are the symptoms of certain parasites. The last week we have discussed how missionaries can make a real change in people life and finally we looked at several world religions.

Visit Local Church
All three Sundays we were assigned to a local AIC (Africa Inland Church). We have introduced ourselves and Jurgen gave his testimony on the first Sunday. Our names are not that easy to pronounce so soon Jurgen became ‘babba Isaiah’ and Katja ‘mamma Isaiah’ (after our oldest son Issa, which is Swahili for Isaiah). Guests, especially mzungus (white man), can not make themselves scares. Obviously Jurgen could do the sermon and Katja would probably have good ideas to share on Sunday school… Uh? Yes, sure… of course, no problem.

After the church service we were invited to some ones home to eat lunch. That was a great experience. The lady of the house washed our hands and after that she served the food. We have noticed how proud the people were of there property, and thus they had no problem with us taking photos and recording it. The last Sunday one of the elders invited us to his home. It was a bit further away so the pastor suggested that we could take his car. ‘Babba Isaiah, you can drive… can you?’ Well, of course Jurgen can drive! That is to say, the road… Wow, rally roads are smooth compared to these! Anyway, they wanted to spare us the pain of walking as mzungus are not used to that (and they are probably right on that). The other elders came 40 minutes later and said that the walk did them good. On our way back the pastor drove us and his kids were coming along… 10 people will fit just fine in one car, in Africa it does! All in all, it was a great day and we have enjoyed the hospitality and kindness of our Kenyan brothers and sisters very much.

How Did the Children Like it?
Vanya said that she really liked it. They have made several nice crafts that had to do something with the African cultures. She said that the lessons about the “do’s and the don’ts” were very good. For example they have learned that for children, in an African setting, it would be considered impudent to look older people straight in the eyes. Vanya said that she is happy to know that in advance.

Issa: ‘There was a nice playground and the food was good! I also made new friends. We have learned lots about 14 different animals and countries.’

Abbey: ‘I liked the teaching about other countries. We also did fun projects. The snacks were great and we also played games.’

Dani: ‘The teacher gave me a book and that was all.’

Simeon: ‘…. ‘

Antananarivo, Madagascar
On the 6th of November we travelled on to our final destination Tana, Madagascar. We have a fine place to live and every now and then we make outings to the local marked. The children enjoy themselves in the garden and with the children of the neighbourhood.

We regularly make some video recordings which we will upload when the internet and electricity allows us to. You can watch them on our multimedia page.

Introduction and language learning
We are busy learning the Malagasy language. This is not a simple task. Jurgen never had France in school but still he can follow Katja’s France conversations. This is because our languages (France, German, Dutch etc.) have similarities. These similarities cannot be found in the language of Madagascar. Not a single reference point and a totally different grammar. Nonetheless, we did learn some words like ‘hello’ (manao hoana), ‘sorry’ (azafat), and ‘thank you’ (misaotra anao). Also some sentences like ‘my name is …’, ‘what is you name?’, and ‘how are you doing?’. We enjoy learning a new language but it is exhausting.

The AIM-Madagascar unit leader, Anna Jarmy, is helping us with the introduction. We discuss our tasks which will be mainly language learning for the first period. To speed things up, Anna will try to find us a language helper. Furthermore, she said that the normal procedure is to stay with a local family for a few days. This is less straightforward as it sounds because how do you find a family that can house seven persons extra. We will wait and see.

Visa
At the moment we are trying to get our work visa. This is quite complicated as we do not speak Malagasy yet and locals are not very good in France. We are happy to receive help from Parany, a man who works at the AIM office in Tana, who speaks English. Still, we try to do many things ourselves as this helps a lot in getting to know the people and culture. The walks to different offices is an adventure on its own. People initially greet us in France (bonjour), but are surprised when we greet them back in Malagasy (‘Manao Hoana’ or ‘Salama’). When we finish all preliminary works we will hand over the task of getting the visa to a man called Roland. He is a well known man at the official offices and will not likely be ‘run over.’

Food
Buying food is fun. Delicious mangos for only € 0,08 and banquettes for only € 0,11. We can buy all sorts of things on the market. This week we bought  1 kilo tomatoes, 1 kilo carrots and about 400 grams of beans for 2400 Ariary (€ 0,67). Other things are more difficult to find. Full grain bread is hard to come by and can only be found in the supermarket but than you will have to be prepared to pay more.

Different culture!
That we have arrived in a different culture is obvious. We already received two spontaneous visits. This means that you just stop with whatever you were doing and make some coffee, offering biscuits or the like and chat. This chatting is less straightforward as you might have guessed but, because we do know some of the cultural rules, we have done well. You need to offer the guest some biscuits first and place them on the table. Of course all the biscuits need to be eaten, a tradition the children do not mind. Jurgen and Vanya were going to visit someone’s house as well. They prepared their table with six classes but where were Katja and the children? Jurgen told them that they were very tired and that he only brought along his oldest child. This was pleasing as Vanya was a good representative of the children and the host was relieved to understand that the others did not stay home because of him. On Madagascar it is not necessarily the oldest boy who is most important (like in Kenya) but the oldest child. In Kenya we were the ‘father or mother of Issa’ but here we are ‘dadda/mamma nie Vanya’ (father or mother of Vanya).

If you want to know more about these differences we can recommend Sarah A. Lanier’s book, ‘Foreign to Familiar’ (for sale at e.g. Amazon). Sarah lived for eleven years in Holland and she is very good in explaining the differences between cold climate culture (with Holland as a strong example) and warm climate cultures.

We love to see all the learned theory in action. At the same time we are very tired at the end of the day. This ‘end of the day’ is about 6 pm—the sun has gone under by then and will be up as early as 05:20. Thus our day starts at 6 am and around 9 pm we are already in our snug beds… talking about which…

It is time to stop. We could write on but we will keep that for next time.

We wish you Gods rich blessings or in Malagasy ‘Andriamanitra ny fitahian’.

Different Location
By Jurgen & Katja

Different Location

Last month has been intense for us. We got word that, on second thought, we could not join the Betroka team. It was a pretty hard blow to take. As we understand, the teamleaders feel that they will not be able to give us the support we – as newcomers – will need with. Apparently the current situation on the field is already demanding enough. This has been very disappointing to us.

The good news is that a very fitting solution has been found. The unit leader of Madagascar has offered us to start our ministry in the capital, Antananarivo (Tana for short). We will be part of a ministry that trains Malagasy Christians to become missionaries to unreached people groups in their own country. Meanwhile we will learn the language, study the culture and gain insight into the vision and strategies of AIM Madagascar.

There are still many unreached people groups on Madagascar, especially in the south where also the Bara are located. AIM is surveying what people groups still need to be reached and what means and methods might be suitable to that end. In time we will be able to travel to different locations and people groups to see for ourselves and to help in the survey. Lord willing, we will be part of a new ministry to an unreached people group.

We look forward to our envolvement in the training of Malagasy missionaries and – in time – in starting a new ministry amongst an unreached people group of Madagascar.

The ideal is that we leave for Tana in January 2015. To be able to go we need enough financial support. Would you like to be part of our ministry to the unreached peoples of Madagascar? We thank you deeply if you do.