Madagascar
The villagers in Dakabe, along with Robert and Frances Turk, celebrate water without crocodiles.
Over two years ago, mission co-workers Dan and Elizabeth Turk carried an orchard in their luggage from the United States — 430 trees belonging to 30 species and in 150 varieties. Although some trees were lost in quarantine due to transplanting stress, the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar’s (FJKM) Environmental Program now has a collection of trees including avocados, mangos, litchis, jackfruits, bananas, persimmons, muscadines, and kiwis.
The Environmental Program has set up an FJKM tree nursery in Moramanga to propagate the new varieties and has begun a pilot extension project at Andramasina with nine farmers. Each farmer has had training in orchard establishment and propagation techniques and received about twenty fruit trees.
In July 2005, the Turks began raising money for thirty-six wells for community health villages in northwestern Madagascar. Despite a number of delays the project was completed in fall 2007. Many villages now report a decrease in diarrhea. One village reports no more cases of schistosomiasis (a disease caused by parasitic worms in fresh water) since its well was dug.
In 2007, Dan and Elizabeth Turk passed through Dakabe where a new well was built. They experienced firsthand the villagers’ joy about their new supply of fresh water. Previously, the villagers had gotten their water from a stream that had crocodiles in it during the rainy season. Now these community health villages have safe water and hope, thanks to the PC(USA) and FJKM!
PC(USA) People in Mission
Church of Jesus Christ of Madagascar: Elizabeth Turk, public
health specialist, Dan Turk, environment/development
Partners/Ministries
Church of Jesus Christ of Madagascar (FJKM): Rev. Lala Rasendrahasina, president, Rev. Perline Cooper and
Marc Ravalomanana, vice-presidents, Rev. Charles Rakotonirina, general secretary
Akany Avoko Home for Girls
Faculté of Theology at Antananarivo: Dr. Laurent Ramambason, dean
Federation of Protestant Churches in Madagascar: Rev. Edmond Razafimanantsoa, general secretary
Synod Partnership: Synod of the Northeast with the FJKM
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Sylvia Carter, GAC
Debbie Cassady, PILP
Rev. Molly Casteel, GAC
Thank you God, for water and trees and eyes to see your love at work in the world. We ask your blessings on the Turks, the people of Madagascar, and those who do not have their daily needs met this day. Amen.
Ps. 135, 145 Ps. 97, 112
Isa. 63:1–6
1 Tim. 1:1–17; Mark 11:1–11
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