I just finished reading the journal entry from my first trip to the Mahafaly bush. It seems like a lifetime ago, yet it also feels like just yesterday. I can so clearly remember the feelings of fear and excitement as we made that first trek out to these people God called us to. One of the most prevalent memories of that trip was the overwhelming darkness we felt as we traveled through towns and villages throughout the region. People were, and with good reason, very suspicious of outsiders. The land was plagued with cattle thieves and a near constant state of drought, which was only exacerbated by a deep fear of the ancestors. Stories of robbers sniping passing cars were fresh in our minds as we traveled warily over the abandoned, rugged road. We avoided stopping in most towns along the way and made our breaks as short as possible to avoid any unexpected "visitors" popping out of the tall brush. I definitely committed a new set of Bible verses to memory during those early years, mostly about fear and trusting in the Lord!
Nearly a decade later, our trips to the Mahafaly bush look quite different. During this last family trip, I couldn't help but reflect back on how much of a work God has done among these people and in this region. I could explain the incredible difference, but it is hard to imagine without having lived it. It is truly miraculous, and God gave us one of the most amazing gifts in being able to bare witness to it all.
We were less than an hour outside of Toliara (still hours away from where the Mahafaly region begins), when we passed a group of men on the side of the road. The men were traveling together, carrying sticks over their shoulders with flags fixed to the end of them. "Huh, a Dina-Be," said Grant curiously, "We'll have to ask Manda what's going on when we visit Kilimary." A "Dina-Be" or "Big Law" was started by one of the first Mahafaly believers, who, a few years after coming to Christ decided that the murder, blood-shed and revenge brought on by the rampant cattle thieves had to stop. Bringing together Christian leaders from around the region, they created the "Dina-Be" to provide a just, democratic, strict, and merciful response to those who broke the law. As the Dina-Be was adopted across the region, the problem of cattle thieves, murder, and robbery transformed overnight. Slowly, the Dina-Be was accepted over a wider area of southwest Madagascar. It was surreal to drive by the group of men, seeing firsthand how the influence of these Christian men has reached the region of Toliara, where we live (nearly 4 hours driving distance away!).
Over the next few hours of the journey out, we passed by village after village where God's hand has been at work. Grant would point off at each detour or split path saying, "Oh there are two new churches down that road!" or "We got report of six new baptisms in a church on the other side of that hill!" With each village we passed, we talked about God's redemption of individual lives, which had led to thriving church bodies, and ultimately transformed communities. For hours as we drove through the Mahafaly region, as far as our eyes could see, there was no place where the Gospel had not taken root. Having once driven as quickly as possible through these villages, we now found ourselves stopping frequently. People would excitedly surround the car, eager to share stories of their families and churches. New salvations. Praises of God's provision. Planned baptisms. A place that had once seemed so desperate and forlorn, now felt full of peace and hope. A place that had once seemed so dark, now burning with a spreading fire of light.
There is still so much work to be done among these people. God is not finished with them yet. There are still those who are hurting and broken. Those who are alone and without hope. God is not finished with them yet. There are even those who have already heard of and accepted the good news of Jesus Christ, who are still learning what it truly means to have a new life - rich with freedom and peace. God is not finished with them yet. And there are those who have been faithful in their walks with the Lord, passionately pursuing Him above all else as they learn to love and lead well. God is not finished with them yet. This is only the beginning of the faith story of the Mahafaly. And I do believe it is going to be a great story, indeed!
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