Soatanàna (Madagascar)
Editors Note: This is an email from Joseph Randrianasolo to President Paavola, sharing the latest about the students of LIME.
These photos stand as testimonies of your mission through education in Madagascar. Some of the students are not Christians. They are either Muslim or just ancestors worshippers. Through this studies trip (under the rubric of religious tourism), they have learnt a lot about Jesus Christ. Some of them, even Christians, said that the trip was a revelation about Jesus for them. Jesus was not a Jesus of a book called New Testament, a story of thousands years ago. Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of man, written in the Bible, but alive, healing at Soatanàna, sending apostles from Soatanàna, crisscrossing Madagascar through them and saving people for the Kingdom of God through their preaching and teaching of Jesus Who died for us and Who was resurrected for us.
We are very happy to send you photos of the students’ studies trip at Soatanàna. Soatanàna is the town where the first Lutheran indigenous revival took place in the nineteenth century. Jesus Christ used Rainisoalambo as His vessel for it. He was a witchcraft. He became Christian by name and worked as a catechist to earn money. But he was deceived. An epidemic happened and he was covered by ulcer. He tried to heal himself by his faith in the idolatry and in his talisman. Bu in vain. Then he cried to Jesus. He heard a voice asking him to throw away his talisman and his faith in the ancestors and in idolatry. He did so and he was healed and cleaned right away.
Then, he started to read and to study the Bible. He preached the Name of Jesus Christ. Norwegian missionaries worked with him. White is the color of vestments which means forgiveness, sanctification, cleanness both in the spiritual sense and in pragmatic one. The First Toby (Camp) was created to take care of the marginalized ones, the devil possessed ones and so one. The Mpiandry (shepherds)are in charged on them. The iraka (apostles) go to non Christian areas to work as volunteers missionaries. Both Mpiandry and iraka are not paid. They depend on gifts and donations.
We chose Soatanàna as the first students ‘ first studies trip both for study and for building their faith and their self offering to Jesus and their neighbor.
Church by Norwegian Missionaries
The Church was built by Norwegian missionaries. A revival church meeting on Friday. The man was spiritually awakened by Jesus. His spiritual gift is teaching the Bible and drawing non Christian to Jesus. In the Lutheran Church revival or spiritual awakening, Marc 16: 15-20 is the regular works of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus Christ.
Again thank you for all help the LCMS Mid-South District through you has provided to the LIME.
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