Madagascar Mission Update: Back Home!

Save the Date: Sunday August 24th

There will be a special Madagascar service, presentation and possibly a meal on Sunday August 24th.  Please join us for the recap and reflections of the Toliara team.

Travelers Home Safe and Sound: Notes from Sue and Josh

We all got back safely around 6:30 pm Sunday night.  Door-to-door for the Babbs was 28.5 hours.  Pretty gruelling, exacerbated by around 2 hours wait at Chicago O'Hare for our bags (which was also true for most people on that Paris flight.)

All are well (just a sinus issues for Sue) - this is probably the healthiest return I have ever made from Mada!  

Thank you all for your prayers.  We had asked for your prayers that:

• For continued good team relationships, between the five of us, and all the Malagasy leaders we have been and will be working with (Bishop Samy & Holy, Dean Antsa & Liva, Rev Eric and Charlotte, Rev Alfredino & Miza, Fiadanana, Alain, Alfred, Rev Zafy, Rev Victor, Rev Nolavy, Harisoa, Ialy and Lalaina).  

I am sure that prayer was what made such a difference to the strength of our team.  Thanks be to God for holding us together as a team when there were many external challenges!  We could not have worked better together! Thanks for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when we needed that! 

• For good health throughout the visit, so that we can do all we need to do. 

While none of us were wholly well, we were all well when we needed to be well - including the transformation of my stomach issues which were really bad on Sunday 13th at 5:45 am in advance of the 8am service.  I was totally dependent on God and the support from the Malagasy clergy to attend and get through that service.  It was, in many ways for me, a time of total dependence and endurance, with patches of great joy and praise. I gradually got stronger throughout the service.  I suspect this had been an attack from the powers of evil to prevent me being able to be welcomed in the Cathedral as a Canon.

• That Josh and his family will cope with his extended absence.

 The Langhoffs all coped remarkably well over the last three weeks, and we were happy to be reunited on Sunday night for dinner and games. Plus, Josh came home to happy pets and several big cucumbers in the garden!

• That our transportation runs safely, all connections work well, and that our passages between different countries go smoothly, especially our return to the USA.

In re: travel — a couple stressful plane delays aside, Josh is grateful that all our transportation was not just safe but surprisingly pleasant, and that our passages through customs went incredibly smoothly.

• That Sue's back and joints don't seize up or cause a lot of pain, while she is seated for long spells on planes and in cars.  

In May, I was barely able to get to St Joseph's Michigan (under 2 hours drive) because of the pain caused by sitting in the car! So it was amazing to sit for so long, pain-free.  Thanks be to God indeed!!

• That Sue can cope with wearing cassock alb and cope in Malagasy heat. This is her first visit as Lay Canon, since she was appointed in November 2021, so she will be making promises in front of the Cathedral Congregation on Sunday July 13th. 

I was so cold for the first 2 hours of the service, that I needed the cope to keep me warm!  Though by 12:15, I was getting rather hot in it!