Dreaming of the Colonel

Our first night here was terrific...except for the disco adjacent to our compound and a rooster with a poor sense of timing. The music from the live band (who closed with La Bamba) played until almost 3 AM at which point the rooster began to crow about every 15 minutes. I dreamed I was Colonel Sanders.

This morning Jacob and I rolled out of bed about 6 AM and shared breakfast. I settled in to read while Jacob took a nap as the girls continued to slumber. Jet lag has us in its grip.

About 9:30 this morning we piled into, our team leader's very small car and drove from our burb, Mandriambero, thru Talamaty into Ambohidratrimo where AMI is located. We visited the school today as 15 new students were taking their entrance exams. The school teaches all classes in English. Deb and I will be the only native English speakers on staff. The rest of the staff is Korean and Malgasy, so effective communication will be difficult.

We are living in a different location from where we were originally told. From where we live AMI is about an hour and a half walk. The Madagascar Christian Academy, where Jacob & Sarah will attend school is about a 30 minute walk from our house. The MCA is in Talamaty where we will do most of our shopping at the local markets as well as a South African store called "Shop Rite."We took a tour of the markets and were amazed at the fresh fruits and veggies that are available.

After our tour we were treated to a delicious traditional Malgasy meal at the YWAM compound in Talamaty. Rice, carrot salad, stewed chicken, tomatoes and chickpeas were served by one of the sweetest and most welcoming families I have met. They went all out in welcoming us into their home.

Then we settled in for our first language training session. Pray for us as we try to quickly tackle the essentials in a very difficult language.

Jet lagged and slightly overwhelmed we returned home to have our first meal on our own in Mada. We had a  great time just being family around the table as we unpacked the days events as well as a few more suitcases.

I was reminded today that as  missionaries, we are not called to take God to the Malagasy people. God is taking us to the Malagasy people. And He got here first! We want our lives to be about establishing relationships that will ultimately allow us to disciple our students in Christ so that they may one day do the same.

2 Thessalonians 3:1