Is it worth it? Eternally!

Over the past month I've had many opportunities to consider the cost of this mission.  The question of "Is it worth it?" has come to mind at each occasion, but I want you to know the way God has provided and answered this question repeatedly.
 

A month ago we were on our way back to Madagascar from a vacation with family in the states.  We arrived in country and Air Madagascar was on strike.  For one week in the capital we went to the airport 10 times, stayed in 4 different hotels, made 100+ phone calls, and spent several hundred dollars that we will never get reimbursed by the airline.  In the end, this is the cost of the mission here.  It's not an easy place to get to, and that's one of the reasons for the lostness here. 

While in the capital, we spent time with friends..

A week later, Leah's parents and a team from their church were on their way to the airport in America to come to Madagascar when we called them and said the only way it seemed they'd be able to come to Fort Dauphin from the capital was by a private missionary plane that would cost an extra $5000.  In the middle of wanting to tell them to stay at home, I prayed that someone from their church would give the money for the flight.  One hour later God provided $5000 through a member of their church.  The team used the missionary planes coming here and when leaving.  Worth it for the mission? God said yes and provided the way.

The team in the bush.  God provided the way!

The night before we all loaded up to go to the bush, I woke up throwing up.  This has happened many times being in this foreign land and I always seem to learn something from my Father in the middle of the night.  As I kneeled in the bathroom, God's spirit said to me, "Is it worth it Andrew?"  My reply, "For your name's sake."  Thinking logically we'd wait an extra day in town to recuperate, but in faith of His providence we took off to the bush that morning and the Lord gave me health around lunch time.

 

At the completion of an amazing trip to the bush, with 3 people baptized and 2 people giving their lives to Jesus (both in places with no church within miles), we had one of the trucks break down 10 miles out of a bush town.  We tied a small rope onto the two trucks and I proceeded to pull my wife, her father, and our truck through 30 large mud puddles (several going over our hoods).  When we were pulling into the service station a dog ran in between our cars causing Leah to brake and the rope to snap.  I think it was God saying, "Don't think for a second that it was the rope that towed this truck for the past 45 minutes!"  When God provides like this, I think its Him confirming the worth of the mission as well as His power within it.

Worth it!

A week before the team left we had to ship all of their luggage back to the capital on a 5 day bus because the plane wouldn't hold all of the weight.  However the girls bought so many souvenirs that they were still overweight for the plane and had to leave 35 lbs of their things here with us to ship at a later date back to the states or give away.  As the team was scrambling to cut weight in their carry-on luggage I couldn't help but ask them, "Is it worth it?"  With all they had seen God do in and through them over the past two weeks, their answer was yes!

2 Timothy 2:10 says, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

Zaferina accepted Christ as Lord (one of the first people in her village coming from death to life)...Worth it!

Dalaza was baptized and wants to lead others to follow Christ...Worth it!

So, is it worth it?  Yes, ETERNALLY worth it!

For His Amazing Work,

Andrew Snipes

 

The Gray Haired Man: A story for God's glory!

One year ago, I was talking with my mom about everything I had learned at training.  As we spoke about the best way to reach a village with the gospel, a plan for prayer became clear to me.  We could pray that a gray haired man (a leader) would be radically changed by Jesus Christ and that he would be a witness to his community.  We then asked our prayer partners and churches to begin praying for this gray haired man.  From hearing updates from prayer partners, I know many people have continued to pray for God's great work in the gray haired man's life and village.

During our first time to visit villages in Androy land we met a man named Gilbert, who has gray hair.  We've since been to Gilbert's village, Andovoke, about 10 times.  We've been teaching Bible stories, singing, and praying.  We take national believers with us and they help lead our worship service/ Bible study.

Gilbert is 50 years old and has 3 wives and 7 children.  He is the leader of his village.  Like many of the Tandroy people, he does many things for work, like: herding cattle, planting potatoes and corn in a garden, and keeping bees for honey.

Gilbert, his 3rd wife, and his baby boy.

As Gilbert started to grow in his understanding and experiences with God and the gospel, we asked some churches to pray specifically for Gilbert as the gray haired man.

It was within two weeks of asking those churches to pray that we heard from a local believer that Gilbert had decided to accept Jesus as his savior and make Him the lord of his life!

I waited to see Gilbert's faith in action in order to report to our supporters, but it is time for you all to praise God with us!

Here is what I've seen from Gilbert's new life in Christ over the past 2 months:

1) A week after Gilbert decided to follow Jesus, his mother died.  Talk about a trial!  The Tandroy custom of ancestor worship is shown clearly through some of the practices during a funeral.  For Gilbert not to follow the pagan rituals would mean persecution and a seeming disrespect to his deceased mother.  However, despite this foreseen hardship, Gilbert organized a "Christian" funeral for his mother.  We attended the funeral and they had a preacher come to preach and sing all night long!  At night, Gilbert gave Leah and me his house and bed to sleep in and a meal of goat and rice.

2) Gilbert travels a few miles into town to attend church service on Sunday mornings with one of his wives and infant on the back of his bicycle.

3) Gilbert's children that attend school in town, also attend church and children's ministry.

4) When we go to Gilbert's village for worship service and Bible study, he now sings the songs and he has volunteered to pray multiple times.  In fact, he started our time of Bible study in prayer without any prompting a few weeks ago!

5) I brought a coworker that had never met Gilbert before to his village.  As his introduction, Gilbert told my coworker his testimony.  Gilbert said, "I used to have foreign friends, but I like my foreign friends now the most because they teach me the Bible.  I used to be a witch doctor, but now I follow Jesus."

Wow!  Stop right now and praise God for the answer to our prayers and for Gilbert's new life in Christ!

As we continue to go to Gilbert's village and he continues to grow as a disciple of Christ, pray over these requests:

+ Pray that Gilbert takes the next step in discipleship to teach others the gospel and the Bible stories he learns.

+ Pray that Gilbert has wisdom from God for how to approach his 3 wife situation.

+ Pray for Gilbert's three wives.  One does not attend Bible study and another might be consulting a witch doctor still.

+ Pray for the church that Gilbert attends.  Recently the pastor has resigned from the church and we are not sure about the future of the church.

+ Pray for more experiences with God that will grow Gilbert's trust in God.

+ Pray for Leah and I as we continue to teach the gospel in Andovoke and the surrounding area.

Since you've read this story, help us glorify our Father by telling the story of this answered pray to your church, friends, and family!

God is Awesome!

For His Amazing Work,

Andrew

Teaching Gilbert (seated on the log in front) a way to share the gospel with his neighbors.

"that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  Eph. 3:16-19

The Great Commission Sandwich

Last week at the English Center Bible study we were talking about the Great Commission and I noticed something for the first time.  Here is the passage:
Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

The part I had memorized in the past starts with “Go therefore” and ends with “commanded you.”  Although this part is our “commission,” what comes before and after the commission is essential to the fulfillment of the commission.  I thought, what if the great commission was a sandwich?  A sandwich isn’t a sandwich without the bread on both sides.  When I saw this passage in a fresh way this past week I realized the commission is only the meat of the sandwich.  The bread that makes the Great Commission work is said before and after by Jesus and is IN Jesus.

The first slice of bread:  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
If the God that I “Go” for has all authority, how does this change the way I “Go”? 
First of all, Jesus has all authority and he tells me to “Go.” I follow the small authority of a policeman in the middle of the bush in Madagascar, why do I sometimes not follow Jesus who has all authority? 

Secondly, there are times we face evil powers that scare and freeze us up from “making disciples.”  Here in Madagascar it may be a witch doctor that doesn’t like you preaching the gospel, a bandit road block that makes you not want to travel to villages, or disownment from family for not following ancestor worship traditions.  In America it may be ostracizing from family for trying to reach your lost family members, loss of a job for shining your “light” too bright for your boss’ taste, or abandoning a materialist lifestyle that ties up all your money that could be used for the Great Commission.  No doubt about it, Jesus has all authority and our working in the Great Commission should convey His authority.  Jesus’ authority over heaven and earth should change the confidence and trust we “Go” in!

The second slice of bread:  “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This is a promise!  The purpose of Jesus being with us is that our “Go”ing will be in His strength and for His glory.  We are not in this alone and we must not rely on our own strength, ability, and understanding!  We are walking with Jesus into that village, office, or holiday party.  I’ve realized that the work of making disciples is something I can not control or do by myself.  When we left a small town 2 weeks ago after watching 8 people be baptized, I prayed that God would grow their trust in Him through situations and prayers answered in the coming weeks.  Going back to that town this weekend I heard from a new believer that he has a testimony of God providing.  I am not alone to make this young man a disciple!  Christ is with me, and now with my new brother also!

So, as you “Go therefore and make disciples” don’t forget the “Bread” of Life; remember that Christ is with you and that He has all authority!

For His Amazing Work,

Andrew

The light of the world in a Malagasy Prison

Over a month ago, our Malagasy friend's dad and brother went to prison.  The brother and dad were security guards for different shifts at a local shop.  The brother stole some things from the shop and because he is related to the other security guard, his father, the court system put them both in prison.  They have both been in prison for the past month and a half.  They were waiting for their trial.  While in prison, there is no food provided, but the family of the prisoners must bring meals for their family members to eat.  Sometimes the food is stolen by prison officials or other prisoners. 

The brother was guilty, but the father was not an accomplice.  However, they both were in prison until the trial because they did not pay the bribe or the bail to get out.  While the father and older brother are in prison, the stresses of providing for the family are no longer spread out, but fall on our friend and the remaining relatives.  It is a trial for them, a test of their faith.

Two weeks ago the trial came to court.  I went with our friend to the court.  The judge said that the father seemed innocent and should be released, however the accuser didn't come to court that day so they put both men back in prison for two more weeks.  As I watched my friend watch his father be handcuffed to his brother and be walked back to prison with an armed guard, I knew what I needed to pray for his family.  We prayed together that his family would not be labeled/justified by this world, but put on the label that they have from our Father in heaven.  My friend's father is a Christian and he is a "child of the King."  I prayed that he would not let the court, accuser, or neighbors label him, but that he would see himself as God see's him.  A justified and loved, child of the King.  "Lord, may he not look for approval of man, but look to glorify you!"  Our friend was really inspired by this prayer and we've prayed it several times in the past few weeks.

Yesterday was the court date and we watched the brother and father stand before the judge and prosecutor.  I stood there, not understanding much of what was said, but praying for the release of the father.  The prosecutor slandered the father for the shame his son had brought on the family and claimed that the father was an accomplice.  My friend listened as they hurt his father's name and reputation with their words.  In the end, the judge sentenced the brother to one year in prison and a $2000 settlement (3-4 years wage).  But she set the dad free!  We all celebrated and thanked God for the father being set free.

Our friend reported to us today of the happenings of his father's arrival home.  His story reminded me of the prayer we prayed.  I'll let you decide how God answered it.

His father said that the other prisoners were sad that he was leaving prison because they were losing someone who prayed for the sick in the prison.  This man has been the light of the world in the prison!  Praying for the sick in the midst of his own trial!  Wow, that's called being a "child of the King."

The father's extended family came into town from the bush and is telling the father to return to the homeland and sacrifice a sheep to be cleansed from the dirty prison.  The father refused, at the disapproval of the extended family, because he is not approved by extended family or by the spirits, but by his Father in heaven.

I saw my friend smiling today.  He is proud of his dad.  He is proud that his father is a man of God.  Extended family, neighbors, and accusers have said many bad things, but this man is not approved by man, he is approved by God because he is a "child of the King."

Glory to God!

A Call to Action:

Pray:

+ Pray for the father to find a new job and continue to trust God in the next part of this trial.

+ Pray that the extended family is reached with the Gospel through this testimony.

+ Pray for the brother in prison.

In the midst of the trial or situation you are in right now, how can you bring Glory to God?  Maybe you can start by thinking through Galatians 1:10, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."  Next, think through Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

For His Amazing Work,

Andrew

"I desire mercy, not sacrifice"

Well,  I've wanted to write to you about one particular journey that I've been on since I arrived in Madagascar, but at times it's difficult to write about what God is teaching you when you are not anywhere close to where you know He will finish with you.

You see, several years ago I took a personality test and on the bottom of the list for my personality was mercy.  Honestly, I kind of thought it was funny at the time, but as I look through my life I see how the area of not having mercy has hindered relationships and stolen my own joy.  In the first weeks here in Madagascar the Lord spoke a verse into my life as I was reading in Matthew.  Jesus quotes to the Pharisees Hosea 6:6 when he says, "Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."  Matthew 9:13

Mercy, not sacrifice??  Wow, it hit me pretty hard because I had sacrificed a lot to come to Madagascar.  If God desires mercy and not sacrifice then I could quit my job, move a half world away, sell my stuff, eat weird food, live without amenities, learn a language, and be away from family and at the end of it all if I didn't have mercy then it all could amount to nothing.

A few weeks ago the Lord reminded me while reading His word of this pursuit to be merciful.  I prayed that I would not quench His Spirit's leading.  

That afternoon I was finishing up playing some soccer and a man approached me on my walk home.  He spoke English and was telling me about his life.  Often we get approached by people asking for money for a sickness or food.  This man told me about several sicknesses he had and said he was in need of surgery, but did not have the money.  In talking some more we found out that we both play guitar and we discussed where he lived and worked.  I thought to myself that I should give this man some money, maybe $4 (2 days wage).  He continued to talk and invited me to his house.  I told him that I would come by the next day and visit with him.  Before we walked away I prayed with him.  When walking away I said to myself, "Mercy is not throwing money at someone to get them off your back, mercy is visiting this man's family tomorrow."

The next day came and I walked to the man's house.  Before going I prayed for God's guidance and work.  Little did I know that I would be at his house for over 2 hours just talking.  We sat on a wooden bench and I listened to him play guitar and sing quietly because it hurts him to sing loud.  I let his chickens run over my feet, his toddler cry in fear of me, and his cigarette smoke fill my lungs.  After an hour and a half of being there I was asking for the road (permission to leave) and he began to tell me a story about a dream he had when he slept for 3 days straight.  He went to heaven in his dream and traveled a hard path to get to where Jesus was.  Upon entering the house where Jesus was a man approached him with a huge book.  The man asked his name and looked in the book for his name.  My new friend's name was not in the book.  Two big men grabbed him and took him out of the house and began to drown him in some deep puddles.  Then he woke up.

The man told me that he had the dream so that he could tell his friends the path to take when getting to heaven.  I asked him why his name was not in the book.  He did not know.  I explained the book of life to him briefly and told him that if I had a dream and my name was not in the book I would be afraid.  He thought he had a dream about how to navigate heaven, but I think he had a dream about not getting into heaven.  I encouraged him to pray and ask God the meaning of his dream.  I also told him that Jesus was the only way to get to heaven, the only way to be justified.  Jesus is the only map! 

He looked at me with concern and said, "I will pray."  He also invited me back to play guitar with him and his friends and told me to bring a Bible next time so we can read it together.

I'm left with one question in mind, what if I would have thrown money at him in an attempt to get him off my back? 

I believe that the Spirit's leading in our lives to DO something doesn't stop with us doing something, but makes an impact on His kingdom. 

So get out there and let mercy make you DO something!

For His Amazing Work,

Andrew

The Prosperity gospel: Lesson #1 learned at English Center Bible Study

I'd read that the prosperity gospel was going rampant in Africa and now have found this as truth in Madagascar.  In thinking about how the prosperity gospel fits with Malagasy customs as well as human nature in general, I can see how this false gospel is so easily accepted.  The Malagasy live for today.  Each day is a new day to find $2, buy your needs, and survive.  When the prosperity gospel describes an opportunity to make today better, of course its attractive.  However, works-based salvation instead of Christ-based salvation leaves people in a worry and panic that they will never be good enough to have a relationship with God, and teaching of prosperity on this earth leaves people angry and confused when God doesn't provide on a promise He never made.

Last week I was sitting in a Bible study with 15 young men at the English Center and they began to ask questions about what the Bible says about certain topics.  One boy had a story of a pastor who told him to put money in the offering basket at church so that he will receive an answer to his prayer request.  In talking about this we asked, "Who are we to test God?"  This led to further discussion about what God's plan is for our life.  Romans 8:28 says "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  The prosperity gospel says that "good" is defined by humans (i.e. money, girlfriend, nice concrete home, health), however the Bible clarifies the "good" in verse 28 when it is described in verse 29.  Romans 8:29 says, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."  So the "good" in verse 28 is "to be conformed to the image of his Son" in verse 29.  God's good for us is that he is making us like Jesus.

We got finished discussing this and minutes later a young man answered another's question with this phrase, "If you believe in your heart about Jesus and say it with your mouth you will be blessed."  I felt like nothing I had explained earlier was even comprehended after this comment, but then I realized the opportunity that God had just given me to contextualize the point.  I asked the young man what he thought the "blessing" was.  Then we looked at a similar statement in scripture: Romans 10:9 "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Again I asked them what the "blessing" was.  The greatest blessing we receive from God is salvation through Jesus Christ.  The young man was right, if we believe and confess we will be blessed!  Blessed with eternal life with God almighty!  However, I know he had heard this statement used in a different way to prove a point that sounds right, but promises the earthly treasure that our Lord Jesus spoke against.  

If you don't think that the prosperity gospel is satanic then you should compare the lies of it to the lies of Satan in the garden of Eden and to Jesus in the wilderness.  Temptation takes our focus away from God and puts it on ourselves.

The prosperity gospel is a constant attack on the church and if we want to fight it then we must learn to value God's "good" more than anything else.  When we celebrate our sanctification in Jesus and define it as good we will not be tricked into storing treasures up on earth.

Seeking His Glory in the midst of Change

Several weeks ago we were finishing up a study of the book of James with the young believers in Sambava.  These men have been having Bible study at our supervisors, Kurtis and Holly's, house a little less than a year.  Some of the men had read about baptism and wanted to be baptized while other men said they did not know enough about the church in order to be baptized.  There are several types of churches in this area, but few if any solely teach the Bible here in Sambava, Madagascar.  So the Baptist church and sole submission to God's word is new.  We decided that when we were finished studying James we would study Acts.  This would help the men understand what a true church is.  It's been great to learn under our supervisors, God has richly blessed us with their mentorship.

We recently studied James 4:13-15

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Little did we know that the teaching from this passage would come into affect very soon in all of our lives.

Last week Kurtis and Holly came to our house with sad news.  They will be going back to the USA to have their baby, but due to pregnancy risks they will have to leave this coming week and be gone for a long time.  It is possible that they will not be able to return here due to medical reasons.  Then came the second wave of change, since the next closest supervisors are 20+ hours away from us we will not be able to stay in this city. 

We prayed and asked God to reign over this situation.  We were led to ask for the decision to be reconsidered for us to stay in Sambava and continue the ministry here.  However, it was not approved and this Wednesday we will be moving to Fort Dauphin, Madagascar.  God is giving us peace with this and we look forward to how He will use us for His glory in this new area.

Many changes come with our move.  Leaving our friends and young believers here, learning a new city, learning a new dialect of Malagasy (which seems to be completely different than what we have studied for a month and a half), moving our belongings, and meeting new supervisors and team mates.  Many times in the past week and a half we have just had to say, "God, you are still God."  We have already seen His peace overwhelm us.  Wow!  Some of the things He's shown me through reading John during this time, I wish I could write them all to you.  I know He is seeking my good(molding me like Jesus) and His glory through this rough situation.  I've seen Him take ugly situations in the past and make them beautiful.  I pray He gives me a glimpse of the beauty in the future, but for now we will trust Him and expect His greatness to come of the heartbreaking present.

Last week we had to tell the men at Bible study the sad news.  We retold James 4:13-15 and told them the news.  They were shocked that their teachers were leaving.  We tried to answer all the questions they had about the situation and we have all committed to pray that Kurtis and Holly can return next year.  "Can other people come teach us the Bible?" they asked.

Then we began to read Acts with them as we had planned.  Do you know what the beginning of Acts records?  I believe God knowing ahead of time the situation prepared this study for us.  The disciples are standing looking up into the sky because Jesus has just ascended into heaven.  I think half of them were thinking, "What do we do now??"  They soon remembered what Jesus had been teaching them for years.  They received the Holy Spirit in their hearts and began to preach the gospel.  "Repent and be baptized in Jesus name!"  Thousands of people were baptized in the first days of "the church."  The church learned together, fellowshipped together, ate together, and prayed together.

I'm not saying we are Jesus himself, but I imagine that on Wednesday when we fly out of Sambava the men will be standing there just like Jesus' disciples.  These new believers from the Bible study are having to grow up fast like the disciples did when Jesus ascended, but just as the disciples did, these men have something better than a teacher, they have God's Spirit!  We entrust them to the Father.  I pray they will continue to learn, fellowship, eat, and pray together.

I can already see God's glory shining in the midst of sadness.

Yesterday, not just the 2 men that wanted to be baptized, but 5 men made a public proclamation of their faith in Jesus Christ through baptism!  These are leaders of this town, business men, leaders of families, and forever changed men of God.

There is already talk about where Bible study will take place next week when we are gone.

To add another "Halleluiah" to all of this, one of the villages a well was dug in last month has asked that these men come teach them the Bible.  We have given the men this challenge and they are excited to begin this ministry!

There is a hard road ahead of these new children of God.  Please earnestly pray for them as they continue to grow in their relationship with God.  Ask God to give them opportunities to pray and see His answers that will build their trust in Him.

Although Leah and I are very sad to leave our new home and friends and travel to the opposite end of this huge island, we know that God will provide.  Pray for His glory to come of it all!  He has sent us out and we continue to follow Him--wherever.

Seeking His Glory in the midst of Change,

Andrew

I was "Happy" and rejoicing!

Indian Ocean Baptism=Watch out for that wave!

To God be the Glory!