Proverbs 25:25

God is awesome.

“The LORD will be awesome to them, for He shall reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations.” Zephaniah 2:11

I want to share with you guys some snippets from the villages we have recently visited:

Ampitambe – ahm-pee-tahm-beh Status: first time visit
Just as we were about to present the Truth, it began to rain. I asked God to stop the rain and hold it off until we were done and that He did! The moment everyone was done asking questions, the rain came back and the people looked at each other and said, “It’s a miracle!” The people in Ampitambe are very ignorant regarding Truth. They informed us that “God is like your mom and dad – a source of life. But your mom and dad are the gods you can see." When we asked what illnesses were common in their village I had to chuckle, because among the normal diarrhea, convulsions, and malaria, a man piped up and said, “A lot of us have bad breath!” :P

Vatofotsy – vah-too-foo-tsee Status: first time visit
The people of Vatofotsy had never heard of missionaries before. They queried, “Are you guys politicians?” Sure – Cara for president! Ha ha. While there, we encountered some of the most spiritually hungry people we have met. One man, after hearing the Word, said, “I don’t know what the elders will say, but I personally give my life to Him.” In this communal culture that is just huge! Before we left, he came and thanked us for giving them the Truth because “you guys are the first to bring us the truth.” Oh my. What a pleasure it is to work here.

Ankazotsara – ahn-kah-zoo-tsah-rah Status: regular follow-up being done
When we first come to a village, a lot of people wonder why we are there and what we’re up to. We have to earn their trust. After finishing up my lesson on nutrition, I learned one reason why they are so cautious. “Thank you so much for the nutrition lesson. The last people who came here to teach us about nutrition didn’t. They taught us to drink alcohol, steal other men’s wives, and ended up almost fighting by time their talk was done. You are the first one to actually teach us what it really is.” Jeremy and Tim have been going here every Thursday to study through the book of Acts with a group of believers and interested people, so Mirana and I also led a couple sessions on how to study the Bible and were encouraged by their desire to learn. An elderly lady visiting from town said, “It’s so good that you have come here, because the Church tells us we should not read or study on our own because it might be confusing or scary, but we really need to know what God says!”

A couple dates for your prayer calendars:
August 23-26 – hiking to far-off Ambadivoahangy (evangelism, discipleship, medical teaching)
September 19-30 – medical mission trip to Tulear, Madagascar (on the southwestern coast)

Proverbs 25:25 says, “As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.” I hope this news was a blessing to you all! As I gear up to come back to America in less than two months, I am wondering if y’all would send me updates on what’s new with you and your family so I can start getting caught up on the last two years of your life! Thanks!

And again, thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement.
I love you all,
Cara :)
Joel 2:13/I Samuel 16:7