The Rest of the Story…

The Rest of the Story…

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

In 2009 your Society featured a story on the front page of The Messenger about the Rev. Patsy McGregor (center of the top picture and a SAMS Missionary serving in Madagascar with her husband Bishop Todd) mentoring young women. One of those women named Nolavy desired to be an evangelist, but her father, the local shaman at that time, forbade her to be one. Nolavy and the McGregors prayed persistently, and eventually, her father gave her the blessing to go to Kenya to prepare to be an evangelist. Another beautiful aspect of Nolavy’s testimony in her own family is that shortly before her father died he, too, gave his life to Christ.

Despite living in poverty and facing many obstacles, today Nolavy is the first Malagasy woman from the Diocese of Toliara to receive her Bachelors in Divinity. Upon completing her studies with the help and support of SAMS Senders, Nolavy said, “By the grace of God, I have finished my schooling and I have returned to Madagascar. I could not hold tears from falling down my eyes when I was writing my final college paper. It was beyond my imagination that I could one day get a chance to study for a Bachelor of Divinity!”  She currently serves as the Diocesan Children’s Ministry Coordinator and Diocesan Evangelist.

Nolavy knows firsthand that the Word of God is not merely confined to the mud and rice-straw thatch she usually inhabits when preaching the gospel.  She knows that the people will take it out in their hearts and souls to serve their community.  She serves people who, in turn, go on to serve others.  This, for Nolavy, defines the joy of Christian service.

Recently, in recognition of her faithful and tireless service, e the Anglican Communion selected Nolavy to represent rural women in the Province of the Indian Ocean at the United Nations.  She is coming soon to the USA in order to participate in the 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.  Rural women and girls face unique needs in every nation, often suffering from lack of attention compared to women in cities – resulting in fewer registrations at birth, minimized opportunities for education and work, more likelihood of forced early marriage, early childbirth, increased rates of maternal mortality and infant mortality, neglect of opportunities for learning, earning, and loans, and a greater chance of neglect in old age.  Please pray for Nolavy’s cultural adjustment, her husband and two children at home, and her testimony to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Next month there will be an opportunity to meet with Nolavy. If you are or will be in the vicinity of Southeast Florida, she will be at the following churches:

Thursday, March 1 – ECW – St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church Boca Raton – 6:00 PM Please call if you will be attending. (561) 395-8285

Saturday, March 2 – St. Mary’s Episcopal – Stuart – 5:00 PM Followed by PowerPoint with Q & A  (772) 287-3244

Sunday, March 4 – St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church Boca Raton – 8:00 AM (561) 395-8285

Sunday, March 4 – Chapel of St. Andrew Episcopal Church Boca Raton – 10:30 AM (561)-271-7151

Tuesday, March 6 – ECW at Chapel of Saint Andrew Boca Raton – 6:00 PM simple soup and salad dinner. Please call Cheryl Harman at 561-271-7151 if you are attending.

Wednesday, March 7 – St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, Boynton Beach – 5:30 PM Supper followed by a Lenten service, Power Point and Q&A. Please call the church if you will be attending. (561) 732-3060

 

The Rev. Patsy McGregor and her husband, the Rt. Rev. Todd McGregor, minister in Toliara, Madagascar.  They live in sometimes difficult circumstances among the people they serve.  Through evangelism and discipleship, the Diocese of Toliara finds many coming to love and serve the Lord Jesus.

No tension here…

Polokwane…the Capital city of the Limpopo
Province in north-eastern South Africa. This is a beautiful part of the country
with large flat-topped thorn trees, shrubbery, and various types of tall
grasses set in a mountainous terrain with crags and cliffs galore.
Unfortunately, it is also a troubled part of the country with high crime rates,
muggings, random farm attacks and murders.

Attending the local Anglican Church here,
however, is a breath of fresh air. All ethnic groups are included in the
services and their voices rise together in harmony as they gather together to
celebrate their unity in Jesus. There is no tension here…only love and mutual
respect. This is surely a witness to the world…this is the way God intended for
us to live…this is Christian living at its best…this is walking as Jesus walked.
Our training was done over three days at a
tranquil Roman Catholic retreat centre in nestled in the heart of the bushveld.
We had 6 trained trainees teach with us, which was wonderful. I had come up to
Polokwane alone last year and had trained a few select folks…now they were
training other clergy and leaders in the Diocese, and they did such a great
job! We are so proud of them! The next step is for those who are newly trained
to take the material and teach it to the leaders in their respective churches…once
that training has been completed, those leaders can train each parishioner
under their care.
Of course, each one is expected to be
making their own disciples along the way as well, but judging by what they have
already accomplished, this should not be hard…this is a motivated Diocese and
their love for God and their follow human beings is evident and obvious.
May the Lord continue to rain down His
blessings on Polokwane!
Cathy’s Quarterly: Faith Like a Child

Cathy’s Quarterly: Faith Like a Child

God uses all sorts of people to teach us about his love and his sacrifice for us.  One Sunday a little boy was visiting with his mom and grandfather.  He was quiet and respectful during the service, so I was surprised to find him crying when I returned from communion.  He was crying because of what had happened to Jesus.  I tried to comfort him with the positive outcome for us of his sacrifice, but knew it had been a long time since I’d been touched so deeply by the crucifixion.

Jesus told us we need to come to him as children, and this innocence, unjaded by life’s experiences and stresses of the world pulling us this way and that way, is requisite for our hearts to fully open to the Holy Spirit.  Lent is a perfect time to reflect on what is pulling us away from our commitment to be faithful servants of Christ and go about repenting and breaking these barriers down, all with God’s help.

Thank you for your support and prayers!  Please continue praying for wisdom with my teaching and for the construction team as we consider whom and how to help.

In Christ,

Cathy Donahoe

 

Help doing the “ask”…

Help doing the “ask”…

I will never forget one of the first times I spoke at a fund raising gathering. We were still in the US at the time, trying to raise enough funds to be sent out by SAMS to Gambela, Ethiopia. I showed slides to help the folks understand a bit more about what it was were being called to do and where this would take place in the world. We had visited Gambela before and had a few photographs to show the scope of the ministry there.After what I thought was a fairly good talk, a dear friend and sacrificial supporter, Julie Conlon smiled and said: “Thank you, Johann for all that information, but…how can we help you?”

I not done the “ask”, as it is known in some missionary circles and Julie was helping me get over myself and spell out our needs.

I thought I had done a pretty good job with our latest prayer letter and blog post. But Julie is still in the business of helping me and her response to our Facebook post is classic. Clearly, Julie thought I had not done the “ask”…so she wrote:

“I would like to challenge all supporters in a most loving way to pray about increasing your support to Johann and Louise as they pour our their lives in South Africa and surrounding areas. The amount or percentage of the increase is up to you and the Lord. We have seen His faithfulness in the missionary efforts of Johann and Louise and in their individual lives as well. As we stretch ourselves financially for the spread of the kingdom of God, He will show Himself faithful to us as well. Spend time praying and then listening to what God wants you to do. Many blessings to you in the Name of the King of Kings!”

The only thing I could possibly add is simply this: Please, help us find new supporters. Gossip about us and this ministry in the Province of Southern Africa. Trying to get the word out into new circles is nearly impossible from across the ocean. We NEED your help. Please.

Thanks Julie for helping me (once again) to do the “ask”…

Visit our page here! 

Malaita Village Life Part Two: Sources of Food

Malaita Village Life Part Two: Sources of Food

If you ran out of food at your house today, chances are you’d hop in your car, or walk down the street, to the nearest grocery or convenience store, pay some money and come home with enough food to feed your family.  Otherwise you might order a pizza or go out to eat at a restaurant.  But what would you do if the grocery stores and restaurants were closed, or, as is the case in many places in Malaita, the stores were too far away to walk to or drive to?

In many of the villages in Malaita, especially in the East and the South where there is little road access, families must eat what they can hunt, gather, and grow.  Fortunately, the natural ecology of Malaita provides a smorgasbord of well adapted species of plants and animals that are suitable for human consumption—many of which grow and run wild!

In this picture my new friend is showing me an amazing creature—the coconut crab!  Coconut crabs receive their name from their main source of food—coconuts.  The crab has strong pincers both fore and aft allowing it to husk and crack open the coconut’s shell.  Coconuts can be cut in half and set out as bait to catch the crabs in the middle of a tasty lunch.

Another wild food that grows in many places is swamp taro, or kakama in the local language.  Kakama is an “emergency” or “poverty” food that is planted as an insurance crop.  It is planted in swampy land not suitable for other forms of cultivation.  Once planted, it requires no maintenance and can keep for over ten years. Kakama is not an everyday food, but is often harvested for inquisitive guests (such as myself) and is always available in the event of calamity, thus making it a staple for basic food security in the Solomon Islands.