Former president Marc Ravalomanana’s government fell in March to Andry Rajoelina and a group of troops siding with him. This action has received condemnation from international organizations, national governments, and various religious groups, including the World Association of Reformed Churches (WARC).
According to a report from Reuters on July 9, major participants in Madagascar’s economic circumstances have frozen non-emergency assistance, including the European Union, International Monetary Fund, and the governments of the United States and Norway. After a visit to the EU, Rajoelina indicated the country might seek new financial partners if those with whom they have worked in the past refused to continue.
The uncertainties have affected Christian work in Madagascar, but continue, according to Dan and Elizabeth Turk, mission co-workers of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who have lived and worked in Madagascar for 15 years. The PC(USA) partner church in Madagascar is the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM), which has 4 million members and more than 5,000 churches, the Turks report. In April, a PC(USA)-Madagascar Mission Network was organized.
The Turks work in ministries especially important to needs in Madagascar.
Elizabeth, a nurse, is active in community health and HIV-AIDS projects. Dan, a forester, is currently working with farmers involved in growing and propagating fruit trees for food and sale.
The people of the country face even more daunting circumstances in light of the continuing crisis, they report. People are losing jobs, prices are going up, and more people face hunger. Parents cannot afford to pay school fees; those who get sick cannot afford medicine.
The Turks list the following prayer requests:
1. For the FKJM church and other churches in Madagascar “that they may be God’s light in this time of darkness. For God to use all the things that are happening to bring people to a closer, purer relationship with Him.”
2. That leaders on all sides of the political spectrum will “seek God’s will and follow it.” Pray that peace and justice will prevail.
3. Pray for the Malagasy people whose lives are made more difficult by worsening economic conditions.
4. “For the ministries of our partner church to continue in this turmoil.” Ongoing efforts include a wide range of efforts in church work, evangelism, education, a National AIDS Conference, development work in agriculture, safe water, community health, disaster relief; and for ministries to the vulnerable — children and the homeless.
“We remember that God is with the Malagasy people and us. The prayer and promise in Eph. 3:14-21 is powerful,” they write.
