MALAGASY Independence Day

Running through the streets

Toady was quite a day. My Malagasy friend and I spent over an hour sitting in two lane traffic trying to get into town, to try for the second time to start the process in getting a small car registered. We were stopped about 5 miles from where we wanted or NEEDED to be because of ROAD BLOCKS and did not, could not figure out what was going on.

We turned around, found a parking place and ran/walked as fast as we could to get into the office before they decided not to receive paperwork for the day anymore (this particular office only receives registration paperwork from 8:30 am until 9:30 am Monday through Thursday and if your paperwork is wrong or insufficient then you have to try again the next day.

We had about 15 minutes to get there, get inside, get inline, turn in our paperwork and then rest as we waited to hear back from the processor on the other side of the plastic window. We made it and were able to place the papers inside the window, turn around, sit down, then noticing the CLOSED sign being put up, even earlier than usual... Thanks be to GOD that we were there in time.

Oh, the reason that the streets were blocked is that the Malagasy military are all getting ready for Saturday. You see that is Madagascar's independence day and it is a very big deal here. For over a week now things have been going on that resemble getting ready for Christmas Holidays. There are special things being sold in the streets that resemble paper lanterns in all shapes, designs and sizes. More vendors are out in the streets trying to sell you anything that they can get their hands on.

We actually were able to walk and run through the street circling the lake in the center of town and it is usually filled with traffic as far as you can see so it was a sort of errie feeling. Then we walked past Mounted police all carrying Malagasy flags about 10 of them. As far as I could see down the street were the military personell all dressed to the best and standing in formation... I am not sure if this was a practice for Saturday but from what I am hearing everyone will be out in the city that night celebrating independance. I am praying about going out as well and will be smart. Don't worry...

Have a blessed day and when you have to wait in line or turn in government paperwork, or go online to fill out an application for something, remember how very blessed that you are to live where you live and to live with the freedoms that you have. May you be blessed today!

2 C V

This last week I was blessed with the opportunity to purchase for my personal use a small and very compact 2 CV. It is a very common car here in Madagascar as it is mostly used as a taxi and painted some terrible off white/yellow color.

This particular car was purchased by a family that was working with the American Embassy here locally and they used it for fun outings as a family, they had bought it at a great price originally and then had it fixed up inside and out. They had allowed their two children to help paint it after they had it fixed up with their own hand prints all over the vehicle but in order to sell it they had painted over it in a nice brick red color.

It still needs a lot of work but being that it is all over the place here the parts are very reasonably priced and very attainable. The other plus is that most Malagasy know how to work on it so getting things fixed will not be an issue, I am assured of!

My challenge is learning how to drive it being that it is a manual transmission but the stick shift is located in the dash and is a pull out and push in type that I have not ever used before or even seen for that matter. I am looking forward to the challenge and praising GOD for finding the very affordable, under $700 (I bought with my own money), reliable transportation for around my local area.

For those of you confused the TRUCK that I had written about and prayed about and announced to the world is a WORLDVENTURE truck and is only used when going into town or dangerous areas, late night driving and long trips until I get more and more teams coming that I need to use it with. The Truck was paid for by many of the generous supporters in my life and for that I am truly blessed. It has already been used in numerous occasions to get me home safely at night and keep me out of danger as well as allowing me to use it to pick up other people for outings and opportunities to experience GOD.

WIth the small red 2 C V - I have been asked if I would consider giving it to a family so that they could register it and use it as a taxi for income in their family, they have two people that could drive it... I am going to pray over this and see where GOD leads... Seems like a great way to help start a business? If I can find supporters that are willing to help with this project then when I find another small car at a very reasonable price then WE can help these Malagasy by loaning them the start up money and creating a contract so that they have time in which to pay it back... I am very excited to see where this goes and who will be able to come alongside and help with this need.

Collecting Firewood

When I moved into this great house I was excited about using the fireplace for the winter as I could vaguely remember how cold it got when I had just arrived last year! There was one small drawback - the Fireplace had a very large hole in it, just where you are suposed to make your fire. After weeks of searching with some of my Malagasy friends we found something that just might work for this purpose. I had to pay almost 50 american dollars for it but being warm was well worth the cost.

The next step is finding some place to gather wood that is not only inexpensive but a place where the wood is not already wet. Here are some pictures of the collection of the wood and the scene... It took 3 of us about 2 hours to collect, load and then unload the wood. I am blessed because of the process because now I can try to stay warmer in my house!

I hope that you enjoy the pictures...

Business Plans

I spent about 4 long hours on Sunday explaining the use of a business plan and the sections that were necessary to have on a business plan here in Madagascar. Two Malagasy family men that I know would like to start businesses and don't know exactly what to do next. They know and are very passionate about what they want to do. One wants to provide a service (A Mechanical Garage) and the other wants to create a product (A bakery, restaurant and cafe).

I don't know much about business but I have a cousin that has always told me that "if someone is serious about a business then they should come to me with a business plan in hand and I will treat them like they are serious."

I did some research and downloaded what I thought could help each of them, a simple template for each one with specific sections that they now have to research and fill out. The road ahead is long and full of exciting and frustrating moments but I am so very excited to see where this goes for each of them.

I am so sure that there are resources here on the island and possibly in other areas that they just need to learn how share with and make the needs known. They are both looking for help not handouts, each needing loans and wanting to pay them back so that others can use the same resources. They need to learn that having a business is not an easy process and that if they can put the time into their plan then they could possibly put the time necessary into a business and make it really work while providing a great car service for one and a restaurant with delicious treats for the other one.

MY PLEA AND PRAYER REQUEST is simple: ANY suggestions are welcomed... is someone willing to come to Madagascar to walk alongside of some of the people here to assist where needed? I would love to learn in the process as well. Praying for people to give small micro business LOANS ($2,000 - $5,000) and for these businesses to get off the ground.

I am praying that GOD would be glorified and that each business would provide the necessary means for each family.

Shoes

Did you know that I know a family where 5 people share the same shoes. How many of you could do that very thing? How many of you actually own (only you wear) more than 5 pairs of shoes, just for yourself? There are not enough tennis shoes to keep them all warm at the same time, enough socks to have on the feet of those in the shoes and there is certainly not enough of the every day shoes to get around town for each of them. The brothers steal the shoes from the sister (she has a paying job right now) and they will have the shoes for months at a time.

I was visiting with a friend today, it was a very cold and rainy day here, so we were changing out of our nicest church clothes and putting on what we could for the rest of the day. You see when it rains there is mud everywhere since where they live is off of a dirt road that leads to a dirt trail, dirt steps carved into a hillside and so on. For me I have many choices, for my friend she did not.

I reached in my basket and pulled out a nice warm pair of socks and then my tennies and she grabbed her husbands flip flops from the ground below. She commented on how warm and fuzzy my socks looked and then also about how warm my feet must be in those shoes. She said that she is used to having very cold feet.

After a few questions I realized that she, her husband, her two brothers and her father all share the same shoes. Their shoe sized vary about one size in either direction so sometimes they are squished into a shoe and other times they are swimming in a size or so bigger than they really should be wearing. Now, I don't think that there is anything wrong with sharing things with those that you love, nothing at all.. It just impacted me that she was used to wearing what ever shoes were available and if her feet were sore or cold then that was just to bad.

It clicked in my head when I got home because the guard at my house has been wearing his wife's nice sandals. Something with jewels, for sure a woman's dressy sandal. At first I thought that she must have worn his as she had to hurry out of the house but I had been noticing him wearing her shoes for over a week now and did not want to ask about it in fear that I might cause great embarrassment.

This small moment of understanding for me has caused me to think twice before I dig through the 12 pair of used shoes that I brought, to match an outfit or trying to find that exact pair for the walking that I will be doing for the day. I am tempted to give all that I have away. Is that the answer, I am not sure...

How many pairs of shoes do you have? When you wear them can you wiggle your toes or are you squished into a size to small? Do you have to walk over 5 miles to take your children to school and then get to work yourself? How would your feet feel in the shoes you are wearing right now if you had to wear them every day for the next 4 months, walking everywhere? How many pairs of shoes do you really need?

Can you think of someone that could use your shoes? It might change a life, or at least the life of someone's feet.

Camera

Since the end of May I have been out of a camera to take wonderful pictures!

I sent it out of Madagascar with a friend that is going to London. When she arrives home there then she will send it to CA where my sister-n-law will take it to get it fixed. What a long process. Hopefully I will be able to get it back when a fellow missionary comes back to Madagascar in September.

Please be patient with me as I have not had internet very much. I will post things when I canI am trying to get that fixed and communicate with you more and more...

I love it here and have so much to share with you!

Blessings and hugs to you all!

Nicole

JUNE 2010 Praises!

James 2:2

****Praises! ****

This past month of MAY found me in many new situations. First off I was really sick for over 14 days, come to find out that a severe ear infection was dripping into my stomach and causing all sorts of other uncomfortable issues. Not to mention the Bronchitis that has been holding on and will not let up.

****Praising the Lord that I can breathe, I am getting better and that I could find someone here to diagnose me correctly and put me on the right medicines.

Internet has been less than favorable for the last month. NOW it is better!?! We can pray that it stays this way.

****Praise GOD that my connection to the internet is better and better every day.

My house mate and great friend left the island this week, along with two other friends. I am so very blessed because of the time that we had with each other. Time to learn, grow and push ahead with each other. I am Sad, so I need prayers for healing in my heart. I have found that people are in our lives for a season and then they are not and we should not spend all our time thinking of when they are not but we should be thinking of the moments that we had with each other.

****Praising GOD that I have been blessed with quality friends, for a time, a season and I am a better person for each of those relationships. Thank you Lord for allowing me such treasured friends to be a great part of my life and build into who I really am.

I am starting with two new language helpers this coming week. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are language all day long!

****Praising GOD for more and more people that are willing to help me along the language learning road. Praying that we will be able to communicate well and that I will be able to use more and more malagasy in the right ways.

At the half year point in this year - I have been living here in Madagascar for 10 months now. Support is steadily increasing from the low 84% range and I am excited to see where this goes in the coming months.

****Praising the Lord for the people in my life that have been able to support financially, prayerfully and with great encouragement. Please pray: I am looking forward and praying for more supporters to join our team, this great opportunity to change lives for Christ here in Madagascar.

There have been many opportunities to use the TRUCK that GOD Blessed me with. I am so grateful and blessed to have so many people invest in me, in Madagascar, in the future here and my Safety.

****Praising the Lord for the Truck that I have been blessed with. Every time I get into a sticky situation in traffic, town, the local market or at night getting from place to place I remember how GOD BLESSED me, through many of you, with such an amazing TRUCK.