From President and Sister Adams: "We are happy that you have been called to serve with us in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission in the islands of the Indian Ocean. Our missionaries are among the finest in the Church and your call shows that the Lord has great confidence in you. This mission is one of the most diverse in the world as it includes cultural influences from Asia, Africa, and Europe. It is probably one of the farthest missions from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.
The Madagascar Antananarivo Mission includes the islands of Madagascar, La Reunion and Mauritius. Poverty is pervasive in Madagascar and living conditions here are more difficult than those to which you have probably been accustomed. Nevertheless, our missionaries are adequately housed and can follow established guidelines to maintain good health. The Church has grown more rapidly in Madagascar than on the other islands. Two stakes have been established in Antananarivo and the Mission looks over several districts and branches in Antsirabe, and in Toamasina on the east coast. There are also other branches in other areas in Madagascar.
We teach the gospel in Malagasy in Madagascar, but French is also spoken by most of the people in the main cities. The inhabitants of Madagascar are warm and hospitable. Many of them have been prepared and are waiting for an opportunity to hear and accept the gospel."
Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the southeastern coast of Africa. The nation comprises the island of Madagascar (the fourth-largest island in the world), as well as numerous smaller peripheral islands. Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from India around 88 million years ago, allowing plants and animals on the island to evolve in complete isolation. Consequently, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot in which over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. The island’s diverse ecosystems and unique wildlife are threatened by human settlement.
Republic of Madagascar, or Madagascar, as it is commonly referred to as is an Island nation located off the southeastern coats of Africa. The main Island is not just the fourth largest island worldwide but it also has about five percent of the world’s animal species and plants. The main Island is also referred to as Madagascar. The country is the 46th-largest nation in the world and it is a little bigger than France. There are certain plants and animals in Madagascar that you will not find anywhere else in the world. Sometimes, ecologists refer to this nation as the ‘eight continent’.
Since the seventies, the fauna and flora of the country has been gradually disappearing because of the activities of human beings. As of now, about 18% is still remains. The chief source of income for Madagascar is agriculture and this includes forestry and fishing. The country also exports livestock products, tapioca, bananas, vanilla, coffee, etc. Many people are not aware but Madagascar is the largest producer as well as the exporter of vanilla in the world.
People living in Madagascar are of African and mixed Austronesian origin. The language spoken in the country is the Malagasy language and many educated citizens can also speak in French.
The people from Madagascar are called Malagasy.
All about MADAGASCAR
Another mission mom found this information on the internet about Mada (Madagascar).
1. HISSING COCKROACHES: Cockroaches farts give off a hissing noise... thus the name of hissing cockroaches.
2. LEMURS: Apparently you don't really see these that often depending on where you are at, but when they get friendly they are there and even like to pick pocket your stuff. They know that the residents take a 3:00 siesta and that when they do their dirty work
3. CRAZY DRIVERS: There are no rules of the road there, so people drive where ever they want, people say its like being in a spy action movie with the wild car chases except these people aren't chasing anyone)
4. A 35 HOUR FLIGHT: apparently that is the average flight time including layovers to get from UTAH to MADAGASCAR... Literally he will be flying half way around the world.
5. BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS: These mothers are good moms and nurse on demand no matter where they are and who is there.
6. PUBLIC RESTROOMS: And when I say public, I mean public, the world is their restroom, they just drop drawers and whiz where they please. Yup even the women. (better get those boys some blinders)
7. LIGHTS OUT WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN: Literally. There is no electricity there, so when the sun goes down the candles come out.
8. DELICIOUS MILK! Straight from the cow.
1. HISSING COCKROACHES: Cockroaches farts give off a hissing noise... thus the name of hissing cockroaches.
2. LEMURS: Apparently you don't really see these that often depending on where you are at, but when they get friendly they are there and even like to pick pocket your stuff. They know that the residents take a 3:00 siesta and that when they do their dirty work
3. CRAZY DRIVERS: There are no rules of the road there, so people drive where ever they want, people say its like being in a spy action movie with the wild car chases except these people aren't chasing anyone)
4. A 35 HOUR FLIGHT: apparently that is the average flight time including layovers to get from UTAH to MADAGASCAR... Literally he will be flying half way around the world.
5. BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS: These mothers are good moms and nurse on demand no matter where they are and who is there.
6. PUBLIC RESTROOMS: And when I say public, I mean public, the world is their restroom, they just drop drawers and whiz where they please. Yup even the women. (better get those boys some blinders)
7. LIGHTS OUT WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN: Literally. There is no electricity there, so when the sun goes down the candles come out.
8. DELICIOUS MILK! Straight from the cow.
9. RICE AND LOX: That's pretty much the main dish. There is also the mystery meat. I hear the brains and tongue are on the menu a lot also.
10. SMELLS AND MORE SMELLS: There is no sewer system there, so people just do what they want to do when they want to do it. People also have to burn their garbage as there is no garbage service there. I also read a letter from a missionary that said dead dogs are very common in the streets.
11. WRAPPING THE BONES: Every 7 years on the anniversary of a dead person, family members remove the bones from the tombs, dance with them all night and then clean them and rewrap them then put them back in the tomb for another 7 years. Apparently this doesn't smell too good either.
12. DIRT, DIRT AND MORE DIRT: One of the main occupations there is brick maker, everyone is a brick maker, therefore there is dust in the air all the time.
13. NO CHAIRS: Pretty much everyone there is extremely poor, that they don't even have chairs to sit on, you are handed a brick and that is your chair. (this is not necessarily everywhere but in the poorer areas it is common)
14. FLEAS: What more can I say, one picks them up while at investigators homes. Apparently you get use to them.
* BEAUTIFUL OCEAN VIEWS: can't miss seeing the ocean you are on an island
10. SMELLS AND MORE SMELLS: There is no sewer system there, so people just do what they want to do when they want to do it. People also have to burn their garbage as there is no garbage service there. I also read a letter from a missionary that said dead dogs are very common in the streets.
11. WRAPPING THE BONES: Every 7 years on the anniversary of a dead person, family members remove the bones from the tombs, dance with them all night and then clean them and rewrap them then put them back in the tomb for another 7 years. Apparently this doesn't smell too good either.
12. DIRT, DIRT AND MORE DIRT: One of the main occupations there is brick maker, everyone is a brick maker, therefore there is dust in the air all the time.
13. NO CHAIRS: Pretty much everyone there is extremely poor, that they don't even have chairs to sit on, you are handed a brick and that is your chair. (this is not necessarily everywhere but in the poorer areas it is common)
14. FLEAS: What more can I say, one picks them up while at investigators homes. Apparently you get use to them.
* BEAUTIFUL OCEAN VIEWS: can't miss seeing the ocean you are on an island
* ANIMALS AND TREES: MADA has animals and vegetation that only grow there. * EXTEMELY FRIENDLY PEOPLE: Everything that I read tells how nice the people are. You say hi they ALL say hi back.
* AN EXPLOSION IN THE GOSPEL: Last year they had 100+ investigator baptism. These people are so ready to hear the gospel. There was on missionary who had 18 baptisms in one day. Imagine that. This country is growing by leaps and bounds in the gospel.
* AN EXPLOSION IN THE GOSPEL: Last year they had 100+ investigator baptism. These people are so ready to hear the gospel. There was on missionary who had 18 baptisms in one day. Imagine that. This country is growing by leaps and bounds in the gospel.
