Sandi in Madagascar

a new used vehicle

2011-09-08T02:49:00.007-07:00

As most of you know I have had numerous problems with my car this past year. While on home assignment I brought items from Madagascar to help raise funds for a newer vehicle when I returned. I am pleased to say with God’s grace and your faithful gifts I raised almost $3,000 towards the new car. You all have shown me so much love I am honored to have you as partners with me here in Madagascar.

I arrived on Wednesday night slept most of Thursday and started car shopping on Friday. I am pleased to say I looked at one a mechanic friend found and took it for a test drive. My friend said it was in good mechanical condition. I asked about the timing belt and my friend said it would probably be a good idea to change it now and start with it new. I bought the car that day. It is a Renault Kango 2001 with 89000 kilometers. It was shipped in from France so most of those miles are not here in Madagascar. (this is a good thing with our roads). I was able to get a check cashed that day and drove it home the same day. On Monday my mechanic friend took it to change the timing belt, oil, recharge the AC and just make sure everything was in working condition. I should have it back later today. The end of this month I will travel north to Mahajunga for our team meeting. I will go with the other two office staff and bandit. We will travel in comfort.

If you are still wanting to help with the cost of this new vehicle you can donate by going to www.worldventure.com then click on donate and find my name Horen, Sandra or you can send check or money order to:

WorldVenture
1501 W. Mineral Ave.
Littleton, CO 80120-5612

Designate 6154-855

June, July, August 2011

2011-09-08T02:04:00.004-07:00

I returned to the states for 2 ½ months.

I arrived in Michigan in time to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. We had a good time and she enjoyed the gifts, balloons and of course the cake and Ice cream. It was good to spend time with both my Mom and Dad. I was able to celebrate my Dad’s birthday with him also. As for their health, Mom is about the same health wise, she didn’t know who I was in the beginning, but I think there was a couple times she remembered me. She still knows my Dad and waits for him to come each day. My dad is experience some more health issues than I remember last year. He had an out patient surgery to remove a lump from his leg that was causing numbness in his toes. The surgery seemed to help. He appears very depressed and lonely. He misses my Mom very much. It is hard to have her in the nursing home and know he can not do anything about it. Please keep both my Mom and Dad in your prayers. It was nice to spend time with my brother and sister there in Michigan also.

I arrived in Phoenix on a hot summer evening. My friends picked me up at the airport then I spent a few days with them just outside the Phoenix area. It was so nice to be able to share with them about the previous year in Madagascar. Saturday evening after a nice barbeque I headed down to Tucson. On the way I experienced the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. God is so good to make such beautiful things for us. Sunday morning I was blessed to be able to share with my church family at Craycroft Baptist Church in Tucson. While in Tucson I was very busy, but happy to meet with church family and friends almost every day. I spent one evening at the pool with my nephew his wife and their 1 year old daughter. She has grown so much in the last year. I also had the opportunity to spend time with my sister and family. This time in Tucson went very quickly.

Mid August I headed to New York, arriving on Thursday evening, rearranging my suitcases and flying to Florida on Friday. On Saturday morning my friend and I boarded a cruise ship for a 5 day cruise in the Bahamas. While on the cruise we saw the news that there was an earthquake on the east coast being felt in NY and even in Michigan. The next day we arrived in Nassau for a day. We noticed more ships in port than expected. This was due to hurricane Irene and they had to divert a couple of ships to avoid the storm. The next day was at sea. We saw on the news that the hurricane hit the Island of Nassau the next evening. The following day we arrived back in Florida and flew back to NY. I was scheduled to have 1 day in NY then leave on the next day. My plans were changed due to the hurricane. It hit NY late Saturday evening and early Sunday morning. The airports were closed Saturday and Sunday. I was able to secure a seat on Tuesday arriving back in Madagascar on August 31 at 9:45 pm. This was just in time because my Madagascar Visa expired at midnight on the 31^st. There was a little problem at the airport but in the end they allowed me to enter the country and directed me to get my new visa immediately the next day. My entire luggage arrived with everything safely packed inside.

Again I say God is good.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I couldn't do this without you.

Greetings

2011-05-02T22:50:00.002-07:00

I am forwarding a message from the head office in Littleton Colorado. I want to assure you that I serve with a caring organization. Since Madagascar has been in crisis since January 2009, we as a field have reviewed our contingency plans a few times. As I write this blog I sit in Antsirabe waiting for time to meet with my African directors (Glenn and Kathy). We will have meetings all week. We now have 2 families with 5 children in total and 3 singles on the field in Madagascar. We are very blessed to have the everyone here at this time for this meeting, and Glenn and Kathy to answer any questions we might have. However, we here in Madagascar do not anticipate any problems because of this. Here is the note sent by headquarters.

In light of the news of the death of Osama bin Laden by US forces, it is reasonable to assume that retaliatory attacks against US and other western nations can be expected. While this is a concern, it should not create undue fear and anxiety. Rather, if your team has not reviewed your team/field contingency plans, now might be a good time to do so regardless of where in the world you live and serve.

I appreciate the quick action from WorldVenture and am blessed to serve with an organization that has member care as a top priority.

Blessings
Sandi

My Car (Thomas)

2011-04-19T02:30:00.008-07:00

Thomas was always known as the car that would.... This car has been a blessing to many people here in Madagascar. Well, some of you have been following the story of my car. I have a 1992 Daihatsu Charade. Recently I have been having a lot of problems with it. In January it just stopped working. I was on my way to church one Sunday and couldn't get up the driveway. So sad Thomas just lost his get up and go. I got it fixed and was back on my way again a few hundred dollars later. Then in February the timing belt broke. At first they thought because I stopped as soon as I heard the noise it would be an easy fix. NOT!!! Well it took about a month to fix it. First they had to re-seat the valves then plane the head. (I really don't know what this is, but they said it). They couldn't get the things to fit well but thought it would work. I had the car about 10 min before it stopped in the middle of the road. (lots of honking of horns) The staff at the garage came and rescued me it seems like a cable was loose and just needed to be tightened down. I was almost home and the horn started honking on it's own for about 10 min. It finally died. Yea. the next day I returned to the shop and they fixed the horn. The next day I got in the car and it wouldn't start. It seems the battery was loose and the mechanic came and had me back on the road. The next day on my way to do some errands the car started missing (a lot) so back to the garage (this was a Saturday and the garage is closed, but the mechanic is a friend and met me there) there was a lot of oil in the spark plugs. He cleaned them and I was back on the road. A couple days later the same thing happened. This time they kept the car at the shop. After three times sending the engine to the machine shop they (hoped) it was fixed again. I went the next day to the dentist and again the problem was starting on my way home. Back to the garage. (sounding like a pattern?) They again cleaned the spark plug. I have been driving it now for 2 weeks and praying each time I drive it. We looked for a new head and it costs 2,500,000 ariary (about 1,250.00) for a new one. The car isn't worth more than about 3,000,000 ariary. The bill for the second repair was over 1,000,000 ($500.00).

Anyway after this story this is my request. I am praying for help raising funds for a newer vehicle. I am afraid Thomas will need to be put to rest.

If you can help with a one time gift for a vehicle for me I would be very blessedl. Here is how you can help: You can go to the WorldVenture web site look for my name and make a donation by credit card for me. http://www.worldventure.com/ . Another way is to send a check or money order to WorldVenture 1501 W. Mineral Ave, Littleton CO 80120. Please note the account number 6154-855. An the 3rd way is to make a donation at Craycroft Baptist Church and enter short term missions on the note line. They will get the donation to my account.

I send my blessings to you all and welcome any prayer requests you may have. Please let me know.

New water well Ambatokely

2011-04-04T01:01:00.007-07:00

On Saturday I had the privilege of attending the ceremony celebrating the opening of the water wells in the village of Ambatokely. The dedication started around 10 am and lasted for a couple of hours. The Mayor, the head of the fokantany and the head of the firaisana were present and made short speeches of thanks to the church that in cooperation with a team from Spain, helped make this possible.

Prior to these wells the people had to walk more than a kilometer to get their water from the foot of the mountain. A team of workers began clearing the land for the laying of the pipes. On day one they came upon 5 snakes. The villagers wanted to perform rituals to rid the area of the snakes, but the pastor of the church said "NO" we will pray but if you perform the rituals we will stop the project. They prayed and the next and following days there were no more snakes. (A great witness to the people of this village about God's power)

The team from Spain came over to Madagascar and saw the need. They returned home and organized a sports event. At this event they sold t-shirts and all the proceeds went for the water project.

At the end of the dedication the adults from the village received a gift of a bucket to carry their water and a kilo of rice. The children received some candy. All went home happy.

February updates

2011-03-02T05:18:00.005-07:00

Wow can you believe that we are already into March. Time really seems to be going fast. (faster than my car.)

As you saw in previous updates I attended TESOL in February. After the training I really felt God leading me to start an English Club in my home. What is an English Club you ask? Well, it is a time where people learning English can come and talk with others who are also learning the language without feeling intimidated. I have decided to hold the club on Thursday mornings at 10 am until 11:30. I will limit it to 10 members to start with and see how God leads me. March 10, 2011 will be the first club.

Cyclone Binziga came and went and returned before her final departure from our Island. Many people were left homeless and some lost their lives. Many crops were destroyed leaving more troubles on an already troubled island. The weather remains rainy and windy, but so far no more cyclones near us.

Prayer requests:

Pray for the English Club
Pray for the people of Madagascar

Thanks for your prayers
Sandi

TESOL

2011-02-12T01:01:00.004-07:00

This past week I spend 36 hours learning how to better teach English to speakers of other languages. It was a very fun, but useful week. 1st I was able to meet other Malagasy that are teaching all over the country. Next I got many tools to put in my basket. I am feeling God telling me to start an English club at my house 1 day a week. I am praying God will show me how He wants me to do this. Right now I think I will try to get up to 10 people one morning a week to come and converse using English. I don't know the time or day of the week, but probably some day during the week. Please pray with me on this new endeavor.

Video Clip

2011-02-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoyed the video clip of Madagascar.

Madagascar, A Journey Diary (2009)

2011-02-12T00:59:00.000-07:00

What a week

2011-02-04T09:29:00.003-07:00

Hi Well, my living room is piled high with 11 boxes. What a week. I went to the post on Monday for the first 6 of Nicole's boxes, and ask if there were any other boxes they didn't answer. So on Monday I get a call from Fidy (the guard at Nicole's house) that there is more letters for boxes. I went and picked up the paperwork for 5 more boxes. Tuesday I am ready to go back to the post to get them when my car breaks down again. "-( This time it is the timing belt. But, it appears when the timing belt breaks it causes a lot of other things to break also. So MAF comes to get the car and Bert from Helimision gave me a ride because I was teaching budgeting to his guards. So anyway Parson said it would take until Friday to get the car fixed. Wednesday I rented the yellow car from MAF, but it kept breaking down on me. For some reason this was not the week for cars for me. I got stuck 3 times that day 1st at your house picking up the lady to go to blue line with me. Then I got it running and when at the bank the guard said you are leaking gas. It appears they filled the tank up too full and the pressure was causing it to come out. We got that fixed and went to the post. There I found that the packages had been there too long and I had to pay storage again. I ask why they didn't tell me on Monday and they didn't answer. After getting the 5 boxes and paying I went to the other counter and was told I had to pay taxes on the boxes. They said since I had so many boxes I had to pay tax on them. 1 1/2 hours later I was on my way to blue line only to spend another hour there then I had to get to orange by 5:30 and it was 5:15. I did get there just in time before they closed. Next after dropping Lorel off at your house it was raining and getting dark then I got to the top by the taxi be and it stalled and would not start again. Pouring rain everyone honking their horns didn't help. Finally I got it going again and made it home. Thursday the battery was dead. They came and put a new battery in and I went to coli express and back home again in the pouring rain stopped at the top of my drive to talk to Alissa because the signal is better there then in the house and after the battery (the new one) was dead too. I guess I was at the only flat part in my whole drive because I couldn't get it to roll. After the rain let up I had some of the guys on the road help push it and I got it to my spot. Today Parson brought the black MAF truck but you know how it is getting out of my drive with a big truck, ugh I backed into the cloth line pole. After aqua gym I came home and stayed here. I got a message from Parson that the rear taillight was left hanging, I thought he meant from the clothes line, but not the truck, but the Yellow car. It must have happened sometime when I was in town. My car will not be ready until sometime next week to the tune of 500,000 ariary. That coupled with the reapir in January of 375,000, this car is becoming a money pit. I am praying God will show me what to do about a different car. Please pray with me.

How was your week?

Blessings
Sandi

Children sent to school

2011-02-02T02:16:00.004-07:00

Over the last year we have been able to send 7 children to school through supporters like you. First there is a little girl living in my neighborhood who is the youngest of 3 children still in the home. The father is no longer a part of the family and does not help with support. Her mother takes odd jobs in the neighborhood to earn enough each day to pay for food for her and the children. Sydonie has been helped for the past 3 years. She is 7 years old and in the 1st grade. She was held back to improve to level last year. She is completely supported with school fees, books, backpack, clothes, shoes etc.

The next child is a little boy who lives outside the city in the country. He too is 7 years old. He is deft and mute. Because of his handicap he hasn't been able to attend school. One of my office workers knew of his need and a school in Antsirabe for deft children. Because it is a 4 hour drive from Tana he needed to live on the property. With help of supporters we were able to help him get the necessary clothes, soap, toothbrush and past, his own bowl and silverware. He need to get all his supplies to live there. We aslo paid the tuition for the school year for him.
While on the road with two friends going to the rain forest we saw some lovely looking plumbs and decided to stop at this stand (in the middle of many stands) to buy some plumbs and when we stopped the mother came up to us and said I am the mom of Heriniana. She ran to get him and explained he was home for Christmas holiday and would return to school the next Monday. She was very excited because the child was now communicating with her. She was very thankful for the change in him after just a couple of months. (He is the boy in the picture).

Next there was a friend who told me about a single mother that lost her job due to the crisis. She did not have the money to send her son Angelo to school this year. She was very sad and said she was trying to earn money by doing embroidery, but so far this just covered the living expenses. We were able to pay the school fees for this child and his mother provided his school supplies.

The next two started out to be just one, but through God the amount was enough to provide for two children. These children are orphans. Their mother died last year and the children's uncle took them (4 children) into his home because he didn't want them to go to the orphanage. He already had 4 children and with these he now has 8 children. He and his wife both work, but did not have the funds to pay for the 2 children school age to go to school. They planned to send the oldest to a public school, but there was a start up fee even at the public school. We were able to help with the fee for the one child. When the uncle came to work a few days later, he said the amount was enough for both the children to go to school. Praise God.

The last 2 children were referred to me by a friend who went to the north of the island and to teach the teachers new skills. This is when she talked to me about these two children in Nosy Be who's family was hit hard by the crisis and the children could not return to school. We were able to pay the fees and the school found a supporter to help with the supplies.

In total with support from you we donated 733,400 ariary (about $370.00) towards sending children to school. You are great. Without your support and prayers we would not have been able to accomplish this.

Thank You

Merry Christmas

2010-12-07T08:53:00.003-07:00

I was just making out some Christmas cards for my friends here and thinking about you. I wish I could send cards to each and everyone of you, but that really isn't possible. You are, however in my thoughts and prayers.

I got a really cool Christmas tree from the Chinese store. It was a little expensive and very cheaply made, but I am enjoying it every evening when I turn the lights on. A couple of weeks ago I was having a pity party about the holiday season and just feeling sad missing everyone feeling alone and thinking there won't even be any presents under the tree. I was thinking no one even cares or remembers me here in Madagascar. But, the next day at Sunday service the preacher talked about how our reward is not here on earth, but in Heaven. The message really spoke to me and helped me get over myself. So I am planning a Christmas party for 12 children all under the age of 6 (yes I am crazy). I will get little gifts for them and put them under the tree. We will do a craft making paper bulbs for a paper tree, decorate a sugar cookie to take home and have punch and cookies. (Want to join us). I made the invitations today and will start giving them out tomorrow night at home group. I love kids so much I am blessed to have so many in my life here.

We will have a Christmas service in the morning and I have ask another girl if she would like to come over after church. She is Malagasy and her family lives in Mahajunga so she will be alone also. I hope she accepts.

I am sending my Christmas Blessings across the ocean to everyone I know and Love. If there is anyone I have missed in my mailing please share my Blessings to them for me.

Merry Christmas
Your Sister in Christ
Sandi

Children

2010-12-02T03:22:00.010-07:00

Here are three of the seven children we have been able to help support through the gifts given to my ministry for children education.

The first one is the son of a widow. His mother is trying to support the family by making embroidery items and selling them. By my being able to assist with the school fees she was able to provide the necessary items for him to participate for the entire school year.

The second boy is the child of a single woman whose husband left and isn't supporting the family. She is able to provide education for her other children, however this little boy is deft and the only available school is a 4 hour bus ride from home and he would need to move to the school only returning for Christmas and major holidays. He is 7 years old and the report I received is that he is adapting well and learning. His was a special case where in addition to the school fees he needed everything to live away from home. The clothing is only washed once a month so he needed clothes to last a month at a time. He needed bedding, dishes, soap ect all to last 11 months. Combined with the help that was donated others including church members helped him get all the required items and start his school year completely supported.

The third girl is one from my neighborhood. I have personally been supporting her for 3 years now. With the added donations I was able to provide 2 sets of clothes, new shoes, underwear and all the supplies needed each year.

The forth and fifth children are from a place in the far north of Madagascar. This place is in much need of hearing the Gospel. Through the school that these 2 children attend, they are receiving love and education presented by Christians. These two children are very poor and without assistance they would not be able to get an education.

The last two children are orphans. They lost their parents just over a year ago. The uncle took the 4 children into his home. He and his wife already have children of their own, but did not want the children to go into an orphanage. The help was supposed to be for one of the children to go to the public school, but somehow with God's blessings both of the children of school age were able to enroll.

Many thanks to the support that came in to help these children. I hope to have new pictures after the Christmas Holiday.

Artificial rain

2010-12-02T03:12:00.004-07:00

You know you are never too old to learn new things. Today my co-worker was listening to the radio and she told me that the electric company made artificial rain yesterday. I was first very unbelieving that anyone can make artificial rain, I said only God can create rain. It is part of nature. So, I looked it up on Google and guess what I was wrong. When the clouds are very thick you can use an airplane like a crop duster go into the clouds and disperse gases like dry ice or sometimes just salt. So anyway I understand that Madagascar is experiencing a lack of rain because of all the burning of the land, thus not leaving enough for all the people that live on the island. We should expect rain for the next week, because the electric company is trying to make rain. By the way it worked yesterday, we got a good rain.

Political Situtation

2010-11-20T22:48:00.003-07:00

Some of you have seen my request for prayer over the last few days. Well here is the short version. You can get more details by searching Madagascar news.

On Wednesday there was a constitutional referendum. Wednesday afternoon the same military that ousted the previous president and helped the transactional government, staged another coup now on the one they helped gain power. There were many problems around the airport and the military base close to the airport. The American Embassy has been sending out phone messages alerting us as to problem areas so I just stayed home. On Thursday it appeared everything had died down. We had a quiet day. On Friday things heated up again. The news radios tv and others advised people living in the area by the military base and airport. There were large caravans of military heading in that direction. I again stayed home. (God gave me brains to use them). On Saturday it seemed quiet again. I went to the church for a ladies tea and afterward went with a friend to the grocery store on the other side of town. (I was looking for a turkey and was told they sell them at that store, no luck though) While I was on the other side of town it appears gun fire began at the military base and the rebels were arrested. After I arrived home I was un aware anything was happening until I spoke to a friend that is in the states. Go figure. Anyway I was once again home safe. We had a great thunder storm last night and I lost power for about 3 hours. The power returned about 9:30 and right afterward I got another message from the Embassy that there was an explosion in the downtown area. I have been looking on the internet for information about the explosion, but no word of it yet.

It is Sunday morning and my church is close to my home so I will go and Praise the name of our God. A friend and prayer partner suggested Psalm 91. I believe this Psalm was written for such a time as this.

Please be assured I am safe and protected by God.

Blessings to you all
Your sister in Christ
Sandi

Lessons for Life.

2010-09-15T02:50:00.002-07:00

I received this in an e-mail today and liked it so much I wanted to share it with you.

First, change your eating habits, be wise; educate yourself about good nutrition.

Second, be clear about where you want to go. Set specific goals, and have a plan and a timetable for reaching them. Don't be controlled by mindless routine.

Third, instead of ignoring your problems, resolve them. Act before they become chronic and start sapping your energy.

Fourth, don't 'veg' on TV. Too much television dulls you mentally and lulls you into lethargy, 'But they that wait upon the Lord... renew their strength...' (Isaiah 40:31KJV).

Fifth, if you're overloaded, don't take on more. Don't say yes out of a sense of guilt, false responsibility or the need to be needed.

Sixth, take a break. When did you last take time to get away? A change of pace and fresh scenery are great battery-chargers.

Seventh, get to bed earlier. When you burn the candle at both ends, you are the one who burns out. You say, 'But I'm doing it for the Lord.' Notice what the Lord says, 'It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late... for so He gives His beloved sleep' (Psalm 127:2 NKJV).

back home and a friends wedding

2010-09-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I miss you all. I made it back here on Tuesday afternoon. It was really good to be home. My dog was really happy to have me home again. Nicole picked me up at the airport and brought me home. When we arrived several of my friends were there. It was good to see them all. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends both here and back home in the States. You are all a blessing to me.

Last week was very busy and I had a wedding to attend yesterday. I guess the cultural sensitivity was good for me at this event. The wedding was scheduled at 11:30 but didn't start until almost 1pm because the bride didn't get to the church until then. They had the legal wedding and the engagement party in the morning and she didn't have enough time to get ready. Then after the service we went to the reception about 3:30 and shortly after was served starters. It was a large buffet of meats, salads, shrimp and other assorted foods. (I thought it was the whole meal). After that there was dancing and (very loud) music. Then the bride and groom received the guests then more dancing I was getting ready to leave and then the cutting of the cake ceremony happened. There was a 20 min speech about the cutting of the cake (sorry but I didn't understand the language) then they cut the cake. But it wasn't served at this time. Again I was ready to leave, but no now the main meal was served. Then more singing and dancing. Finally I was really tired (still had some jet lag) so I left however when I was leaving I saw they were getting ready to serve dessert (not the cake yet). I skipped that and started the long hour drive home. I got home about 8pm very tired.

Finished training ready to return

2010-08-24T12:14:00.003-07:00

Last Friday I finished the training in Colorado. During this time I learned how to better deal with different cultures values and traditions. We went to some really hard places talking about losses in our lives. I went back to when I was sick as a child and not able to play with the other kids. I never really thought about how that effected me. That was just the starting point. I'm really glad the organization talked me into taking the classes. I also met 13 couples and 11 singles all ready to enter the mission field. I know these will be lasting relationships I will never forget.

Now I am in New York visiting my long time friend Anne-Marie. We have two weeks where we will travel up the coast to CT, MA and ME. I will return to Madagascar on September 7.

All my one time support for this trip came in and I can't thank God and you all for your faithfulness and support for this ministry in Madagascar. One family made a donation for school fees for 5 children. When I return I plan to put this to good use and get them enrolled . Please pray God will show me the children that need this the most. If you would like to be a monthly supporter for the Madagascar ministry you can go to www.WorldVenture.com and look for my name and make a donation.

started something new

2010-08-13T18:09:00.003-07:00

I just started using this new program that is supposed to e-mail you every time I update a blog. I hope it works.

Well, 2 weeks of training down and one to go. This has been a very emotional week. We did some simulation scenarios, had some quiet time with the Lord and played some games to help us better understand entering different cultures.

One thing I would like you to do is select a day of the month for each of us to pray for each other. I would like to be able to note some of your requests so it is a 2 way street. Please respond and let me know how I can pray for you.

Love you all
Sandi

Mission Training International

2010-08-10T17:48:00.007-07:00

Well here I am in Colorado attending a 3 week training on missions. I wasn't sure what to expect after being on the field for 3 years. All I can say is I am glad I came. We are talking about how to better communicate with the nationals of the countries we are going to. We are also talking about personal issues and how to deal with stress and how to stay healthy emotionally and physically. I found out I am a shark, that won't mean much to any of you unless you have taken this training, but I really felt I fit into that group and by the way we are the group easiest to be misunderstood. I guess I will spend the rest of my life apologizing for my direct way of saying things. I will try to be more sensitive, but it is a process.

Last Saturday I went with two other ladies to Pikes Peak. Wow it was awesome. To think God created such a beautiful place. Then we went to seven falls. It was great to get away after a tough week of emotional stuff. This Sunday there is a group of us going to the Rockies Baseball game after Church. It is faith day at the park and we got a great ticket rate. $10.00 per person. Woo Hoo.

I have 2 more weeks here then on to NY to visit Anne-Marie and back to Madagascar on Sept 6Th.

I would like to pray for each of you. So, if you have any specific prayer requests please send them to me at sunlady2@aol.com.

God has been really good with providing supporters for this time back in the states. I am however still short about $300 of the one time expense for this trip. If you could help I would be very grateful. If you want to make a donation you can send it directly to World Venture by clicking on the link to the right. Then you look up my name and follow the instructions. The office has recently helped me create a web page so you can check that out at the same site.

My Mom

2010-07-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

I returned to Michigan on July 4 and went to see my mom on the 5Th. I was pleased to see she was doing very good. My sister said this was the best since the strokes. Thanks for the prayers everyone.

Time in Arizona

2010-06-29T16:17:00.005-07:00

I arrived in Phoenix Az on e hot evening. At 7 something it was 108 degrees. I spent the first week in the Phoenix area house/dog sitting for one of my supporters. During this time I had the opportunity to share some things about Madagascar and the child I sponsor for school. Two family's I shared with wrote checks to help allow more children attend school. This also opened the door to share with another organization. Part of the reason for my trip to Arizona is to meet with my church and my supporters. I need to increase my support package by $200 per month and my one time expense by $2,600. I currently have new supporters of $100 a month and $1,500 towards my one time expense. I praise God for my new partners and pray for the new ones God is leading my way. I am blessed to have so many prayer and financial partners. I am asking you to join me in praying for the remainder of my financial needs.

My family's health

2010-06-29T16:01:00.004-07:00

One of the reasons for this trip back to the United States is to spend time with my family. I spent the first month in Michigan spend a lot of time with my parents. My mom is in a Nursing home facility. She has Alzheimer and various other medical issues. Last week my mother was taken to the hospital after suffering a stroke. She was in a coma for 23 hours. When she awoke she appeared all better. They sent her home after 2 days back to the nursing home. One day later she was again transported to the hospital with a sires of mini strokes and another 22 hour coma. She is now back at the nursing home and we still have no answers as to the cause.

I would appreciate your continual prayers for her.

Home Assignment Week

2010-06-29T15:29:00.003-07:00

I went to Colorado WorldVenture headquarters for a week of debriefing. All I can say is what a blessing that week was. There were 4 other families that all had just finished their first term on the field. We talked about ups and downs during the first term. We laughed and cried about things that happened we also discussed the future, and when all was said and done I felt like I have 4 new families as friends. I met with head of the Paraclete center and went through an emotional review. We discussed many things including how God is at work in my life everyday. After the evaluation she recommended I be re-endorsed for another term. I will be returning to Madagascar for another 3 year term the first week of September. All I can say is I am very grateful to serve God with an organization like WorldVenture.

training and travel

2010-05-07T13:44:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I spent several hours on the internet searching for flights to my many destinations. I am happy to say I have completely booked all my flights. Here is a break down.

I leave Michigan on May 30, 2010 to attend a week of debriefing at World Venture Headquarters.

I leave Denver on June 6 flying to Phoenix. I will spend the next week at my friends house in Apache Junction (or close to there) . During this time I will also meet with Rich Shattenburg (the Madagascar team leader) to work on a few things. Sometime around the 12^th I will go to Tucson where I will stay until July 4, 2010.

On July 4 I will fly back to Denver and then connect to a flight to Michigan.

On August 2 I leave Michigan to go to Colorado for the MTI training. I was not able to get a morning flight to Colorado Springs on the 2^nd so I am flying into Denver and need to get a shuttle or something like that to the training center located just outside of Colorado Springs. This training is for 3 weeks ending on August 20^th. Since I was not able to get an afternoon evening flight to New York on the 20^th I will fly out of Colorado Springs on the 21^st

I arrive in NY on the 21^st and will stay with my longtime friend Anne-Marie. We hope to do something where we can spend some time together during the time I am there, but not sure what yet. I hope to maybe get a visit in with Beth and David Larson also.

On September 6^th I begin my travel back to Madagascar and will arrive home on September 7^th providing there are no delays.

I am still praying God will send forth people that desire to join me in the mission to Madagascar. The training and travel while in the States above my normal spending plan is just over $2,500.00 I was able to use miles and discount travel for some of my flights. I am excited to see that all the flights together are $546.15. The MTI program is $1,836 for a combined total of $2382.15. I know God will provide.

If God is speaking to you about joining me in Madagascar either by prayer or support, this is how you can help. http://www.worldventure.com once at the site you can look up my name (Sandra Horen). Once at my page you can choose to make a donation or a commitment or just find out more about the Island and its needs. If you live in Tucson you can also contact Craycroft Baptist Church for more information.

Thank you for all your prayers and support thus far. I would love to hear from you and pray for you. Please feel free to contact me either by replying to this Blog or facebook at Sandra Horen or e-mail at sunlady2@aol.com.

God Bless

Your Sister in Christ Sandi

finally made it home.

2010-05-07T13:26:00.003-07:00

Well I am now in Michigan. It was a long journey home. First there was a 10 hour delay in Madagascar. They took us from the airport and put the entire plane in different hotels near the airport. We finally got to South Africa a little after 2 am. My flight to New York left at 7pm the previous day. Hmmm. Got the hotel (courtesy) and checked in a little after 4am. Finally fell asleep about 6am. Slept until noon. The same flight left Sunday night at 7pm. I arrived in NY Monday morning. My friend had a car service pick me up and take me to her apartment. I forced myself to stay awake throughout the day and went to bed about 11pm. I was wide awake at 3am. I left NY Tuesday morning and arrived at 440pm Tuesday afternoon. I wasn't thinking when I made the reservations and went from NY to Atlanta GA to Flint MI. Oh well, here I am safe and sound sleeping through the night with no jet lag. :-)

Repairing the floor.

2010-04-07T21:49:00.005-07:00

Just thought I would share the process of repairing my floor. You might note there is no cement foundation. I was very surprised to see bare ground under the wood floor. Some of the beams were rotting and need to be replaced through out the living room. Supposed to be finished today. We will see.

Travel to the United States

2010-04-06T00:01:00.001-07:00

Well, here it is the information about my trip to the United States. I have my tickets purchased I am leaving Madagascar on May 1, 2010 and will arrive in New York on the 2^nd. I will stay a day or two at my friend’s house and then fly to Michigan and my Dad’s house. I have debriefing at World Venture May 31 to June 5, 2010 at the mission headquarters. After that I will go to Tucson for about a month, then back to my Dad’s house until August 2, 2010 when I will start the training with MTI. That training is 3 weeks and afterwards I will go to NY and head back to Madagascar on September 6, 2010.

Here are my prayer requests:

1. For safe travel during the many hours in a plane and airports.

2. God will continue to use me in ways I could never imagine.

3. I continue to Grow in my Faith. I am currently working on a study about how to deal with offense. Wow what a journey.

4. A good time with my Mom, Dad and brother and sisters while in the States.

5. A growing time while at the World Venture debriefing week.

6. A great time of learning about other cultures during the MTI class

7. The money will come in to cover the cost of transportation and the training.

Here is a breakdown on the funds needed while on home assignment.

Travel and transportation $1,500.00 (airfare and car rental)

Training $2,000.00

I have already made the deposit for the training and having to take a big step of faith that God will provide.

Thank you for praying with me. Hope to spend some time with each of you. Start looking at your calendar and let me know when we can meet, have tea and a time to chat. God Bless you all

Meeting with my leaders

2010-03-25T01:42:00.007-07:00

Two days ago I met with the African Director and his wife and Rich the lead person here in Madagascar. We opened the meeting by prayer and talked about my future as a missionary. I was endorsed for 3 years in May of 2007, so this May my 3 years is over. I still feel God has a plan for me here in Madagascar and my leaders agree. Glenn has made a (conditional) recommendation that I be extended as a mid term worker for Madagascar. The conditional is that when back in the states I attend a week of debriefing at our headquarters, and that I participate in an emotional checkup with our staff counselor and get her recommendation. He also suggested I attend a training of either 3 or 5 weeks that the long term missionaries attend.

I do plan on returning to the States for about 3 months this summer and am looking for airfare at the present.

I have saved enough money for the airfare from Madagascar to the States, but would like you to begin praying for me for additional support for the training and time in Colorado and the airfare or car rental as I travel around the States. Please join me in this prayer as I know God will provide.

I hope to have more information about the dates and the actual cost of this work while I am in the United States.

What is my work here in Madagascar some of you might ask. Well, I am the office facilitator and the treasurer for the field. We currently have 2 Malagasy staff and myself. We currently have 4 missionaries in Madagascar, but by the end of this year we should have 2 more families with children and Rich Shattenberg hopes to be ready to return. We are very excited to have this growth.

Weekend with WorldVenture staff in Madagascar

2010-03-25T01:15:00.011-07:00

Last weekend we had a retreat here in Madagascar. We currently have 4 missionaries here on the Island. 2 in Mahajunga Kathy and Crystal and two in Tana, Nicole and myself. Rich was here for a month and Glenn and Kathy Kendall the African directors were here for 10 days.

What a blessed time with everyone. We went to a hotel here in Tana that made us feel like we were out of the city with nothing to worry about. We spend the day on Friday with a day of prayer. God led us in amazing ways. Then on Saturday we had a day of business and planning. On Sunday we had a worship time then time to just play and enjoy fellowship. Some other missionaries we work closely with joined us for this retreat.

I just praise God for the things we accomplished during this retreat from prayer to business to play.

One month in my new house

2010-02-27T07:30:00.012-07:00

Those of you who follow my blog might wonder what the last one was about. You see my Internet is on one minuet, off the next. I thought it was bad at the other house, but I was wrong. It could get worse. I am now looking into options to get another carrier. This time I am saving after each sentence to make sure I don't loose it all.

Last month I moved into my own place. I was blessed to have so many friends help me and the move went smoothly. We had everything at the new house by 10:30 in the morning. Praise God. I spent the rest of that day with friends helping setting things up. With
only about 4 boxes left to unpack I headed out to the hardware store
to get a few things. (a shower head and a new lock). This complete I headed back to my new home. What a wonderful day. However I did find my refrigerator was not working properly, so I had to get a repair man here to help. $$$$$

Now I have been here exactly one month and things are going smoothly. I got all my things up on the walls. (this is no easy task, because the walls are concrete). The only concrete nails I have found are about 4 inches long. So that done I contacted my friend to have window screens installed. Last Thursday they finally finished doing that. It just finished raining and I am glad to know I will not have any mosquitoes in the house. :-)

I will try to attach a few pictures of my new place. It is 3 bedrooms a large living/dinning room area and the biggest kitchen I have seen here in Madagascar (with few exceptions).

Here is my new address.
Sandra Horen
Lot 602 III
Ambohinambo, Talatamaty
Madagascar.

(the III is roman numeral 3, but it must be in the roman numeral format)

All moved in

2010-02-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

Ampefy

2010-01-06T22:28:00.008-07:00

I went to this beautiful place just 3 hours outside of town. As you can see we had a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Malagasy lessons

2009-12-20T09:03:00.004-07:00

Many people are asking how my Malagasy lessons are going. Well I hope to be able to attach a video of me singing Silent Night. I have been practicing the last few weeks with my teacher with the hopes of memorizing it before Christmas. There are three stanzas and the words are nothing like the words in our English version, but the tune is the same.

Wonderful day

2009-12-20T08:54:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was such a great day. First I went with some friends to the club to go swimming. We spent a couple of hours having fun in the water. After that I came home and quickly showered and changed to go to a talent show with the youth at the church I attend here. It was very nice with several of the youth performing dances, reading poems and singing songs both in English and Malagasy. After the show I dropped my friend off and went to another friends house to give Christmas presents to her children and had fun with them. I think the only bummer of the whole day was on the way home from the store with them the baby decided to do a first. His first time to vomit. I'm not talking baby spit up, but all over his mom, her purse, the center counsel and himself. When we got back to her house she had the worker clean the car and her and the baby both needed a bath and clean clothes. Then when I came home I made popcorn for dinner. A great end to a wonderful day.

Where did the month go?

2009-11-04T03:55:00.004-07:00

Well, it is already November and I haven't updated anyone in over a month. Wow it was a hectic month. We moved the last Saturday in October. So this month has been full of moving, packing, arranging and re-arranging. During this month Nicole's container arrived. She went to Tamatave to get it and God was really with her and Germain. They were able to get all the paperwork done and arrange a truck to haul it and be back on the road to Tana in just 2 days. With all my stuff and her stuff this big house is quickly becoming full. Pictures out my bedroom window and of Nicole opening her container.

Also during this month I started teaching a young girl English. She is 13 years old and a slow learner. Her parents are afraid her current school is hurting her because, she has been placed in kindergarten. So, my class is not just learning English, but also teaching her to accept herself. I am pleased with her progress. I introduced her to a girl from when I was teaching and they hit it off as friends. Miora invited her to come to church with her and her mother allowed it. Her family is of different faith than me. Please keep her in your prayers.

The next thing is I got my Malagasy Drivers license this month. It is so cool. Now I don't need to get an international license every year. This one is good for life. woo hoo!!!.

I will try to update better this month.

Prayer requests.
Please pray our mail will start arriving at the new house. ( I have several cards and a package that hasn't made it here yet).
Pray for the the leaders of Madagascar.
Pray for Nicole and I as we adjust to the new house and situation.
Pray for the NGO (non government organization) renewal. (with the transitional government we are having a hard time getting it approved)
Pray for new people to desire to become involved with the partnership of my ministry and become new monthly partners with me and WorldVenture.
Pray for Rich and Bonnie (for Bonnie's cancer and for healing for Rich's broken collar bone)

Sydonie

2009-09-19T00:43:00.006-07:00

This is Sydonie. I took her to a Malagasy restaurant for lunch one day. It was her first time in a restaurant. Isn't she cute. School started and she looks so good in her new uniform. Her teacher did a good job on it. I will continue to keep you informed on her please keep her in your prayers.

Things can only get better

2009-09-14T10:40:00.003-07:00

I am so glad last week is over. It was a very trying week. On Thursday morning I started feeling a little sick, but went to my Malagasy lesson anyway. By the time it was over my throat was feeling really bad. After lunch I laid down for a nap and awoke to my cell phone going on and off several times. I didn't really know what was happening so I just unplugged it and went back to sleep. Later I found out from Nicole and Francisca that we had no power. This lasted about 2 hours when we found out someone cutting trees in the neighborhood cut a power cord. When they got it fixed we found several of our things (electronic) had been fried during this incident. The Internet cord, the printer cord, my laptop cord, both mine and Nicole's cell phone chargers, the office copier and a few other things. So, on Friday we went to the Internet store and bought a new cord for the modem which cost $30.00 just for the cord. We got to the store at about 12:10 and found out that it is closed until 2:00 for lunch. We did some other things while we waited and finally got it fixed and on our way back home. When I tried to connect it to the router I found the DSL cables weren't working either. It was too much for one day so off to bed I went. Saturday morning I got up and ready to go to a friends house for lunch. On the way to her house a lady walked out in front of a bus and wasn't looking and ran into the car and then bounced off the front fender. This was very scary. After making my way through the crowd of people I finally found the lady and she wanted to go to the hospital so she got into my car and we went to the hospital. Luckily she was just bruised, and would probably be sore. She appeared more concerned about her cell phone that broke when it hit the ground. I think she was talking on it and that is why she didn't pay attention to cars. Anyway I had to pay for the medical visit and a new phone for her. That over I went to my friends house and had a lovely lunch. Homemade Pizza. yum yum. When I got home I again tried to connect the router to the modem and called the Internet provider only to have them tell me I would have to pay about $80 to have a tech come out and connect it for me. When I said no she said how about $40 then $30 then said if I came in to the office on Monday with the equipment they could do it for free. By this time I was getting very sick and frustrated. I went to bed early again. Sunday I awoke to a full on cold. After Church I didn't do much and took a nap.

Today (Monday) is much better even if we didn't get everything done that we hoped to, at least I wasn't as sick today.

So, all I can say is praise God he brought me through the storm of the last week and has given me strength for today.

My new address

2009-09-07T01:58:00.004-07:00

Last time I showed you the picture of our new house. We will move in at the end of this month. On Saturday we signed the contract (In French) I hope we had a good translator, since Francisca was on vacation I had another friend come with us. Anyway here is our new address.
Sandi Horen
Lot ll A 14 Bis
Villa Soa Iadanana
Antalamohitra
Antehiroka 105
Ambohidratrimo, Madagascar

I know this is an easy address and you will all know it by the end of the day. Anyway if you are inclined to send letters, care packages ect this is where you would send it. By the way if anyone does want to send a care package I would love some Chi Tea Late by international foods. Also anything instant baking you would like to put in the box. We made cheesecake pudding the other day and used cookies for the crust. It was very good. (the pudding was from the states)
Thank you all for your prayers. Hope to hear from you soon.

Ready to move.

2009-09-01T03:06:00.009-07:00

Well last Saturday another missionary called and said she knew of a house for rent. We went with her and now the house is ours. The landlord is making some minor repairs and will have it ready by September 15 to get the key and measure and make curtains. We can start moving in the week before the end or the month. When Nicole's container gets here we will have plenty of furniture except maybe another bed. Having decided to share a place will help both of us with expenses. We have a guard here at the house days now for when we are away from the house. We feel he is doing a good job and like him, so we will take him with us and there is a house about 50 yards away where he and his wife will stay. He will be our full time guard. I think we are going to be much safer at this new house. Thanks for the prayers.

Today is September 1 and I received my statement from World Venture. I hate to ask this, but if God has been leading you to help support me, now would be the time. I have enough in my account to pay for my medical for just 2 more months. After that I am not sure where this money to pay this bill will come from. Please pray about this. I know God will provide in this area and I will wait and see who He will have partner with me here in Madagascar. If God is leading you to make a monthly commitment or maybe a one time gift this is where you should send it. World Venture 1501 West Mineral Avenue, Littleton, Colorado 80120-5612. Do not put my name on the check but in the memo put 6154-855.

A few posts ago I told you about Sydonie. Well, I met with her teacher and mother and she will repeat grade 1. She missed 54 days of school last year. Together her teacher and I both told the mother this can not continue. This year the teacher will contact me every time she is absent from school. If you were wanting to send things for her she wears a size 6 in clothes and a 13 or 13 1/2 (30 or 30.5) in children's shoes.

Prayer request

continue to pray for my Malagasy language studies
pray for the political situtation here in Madagascar
pray for the move at the end of the month that we made the right decision on what house to rent and that through all this we will be a blessing to others
pray for Nicole's health, she has had a cold for a week

The search is on

2009-08-21T02:15:00.003-07:00

Well, we have decided to start looking for a new house. The one we are in is very small for 2 people and the office. The other thing is there was an incident this past Tuesday when we came home from our Bible group we found the door to the house open. Both Nicole and I know we locked and checked both doors. We think someone has a key that we don't know about. So, yesterday we bought another lock for the door and we now only have 3 keys one for me one for Nicole and one for the office. We also have had a guard at night for the last week. We hopefully have a new one starting tonight. He is one of Shelly's guards she has used for a long time. We hope to borrow him until we find a new one and then we have discussed having a full time guard at the house.

Yesterday we looked at 2 houses, one was so big and great. (it would be a wonderful guest house) and it had an in-ground pool. I call this one the mansion. There were 8 or 9 bedrooms 5 bathrooms besides the kitchen living room etc. 3 stories. It was way out of our budget, but it is nice to dream. The second one was nice, but there were some problems one was the location. about 1k from the bus line which means for Francisca after taking the bus 1 hour plus she would have to walk the rest of the way into the house. The other problems was the ceiling there were many holes denoting probably the roof needed to be replaced. Well, that was just day one so I will keep you posted.

Please pray God will show us just the right place for us that we can afford and feel safe again.
I praise God Nicole is here and we will be sharing a home. It is very comforting to know I am not alone.

Until Next time
May the love of God be with you

Nicole arrived

2009-08-15T00:24:00.006-07:00

On July 31st Nicole Rauch arrived. Other than being very tired her trip was uneventful. She brought with her my new laptop and camera. Her being able to bring these things was such a blessing. You don't know how many times I wanted to take a picture, but didn't have a camera. One time was when a friend gave me a very large stuffed Winnie the pooh to give to Sydonie. You should have seen her face when I gave it to her. I don't think she has ever had anything so cool in her lifetime. Last week I got the list of things for this coming school year. Yesterday when Nicole and I were at the cloth store I bought the material to make her a new blouse and skirt and gym shorts. It is a start. On Tuesday I have a meeting with her teacher, mother and the school principle. It appears the teacher thinks she should repeat the previous grade. Her mother wants her moved ahead because she doesn't want to disappoint me. I need to let her know my interest is for her to get the best education she can get and if that means repeating the same class that is what I want for her. I hope to get a new picture of her on Tuesday. She is getting very tall.

Last week on Tuesday Nicole and I went to Mahajanga for a week. We met with some of the teachers at BAO (Rich's school of Bible English and computers), with the leader of Fitiavana and I took some pictures of that school. There is a possibility that a supporter might built 2 or three new class rooms for that school. I pray it works out. We also spent time with Kathy she is our other team member that lives there. It was a joyful time meeting new Malagasy and making new friends. We stayed with Kathy and was very blessed by her hospitality. On the way to Mahajanga we had a little car problems. Not much to worry about and when we arrived in the city there was no problems. It wasn't until Saturday when we were getting ready to leave on Monday that we thought more about the problem. I called Germain's daughter, but Germain was out of town on church business and wouldn't be back until Thursday. His son is a mechanic in training at MAF and offered to take a bus to us and fix the car and drive back with us. That too was a blessing. He found some problems on Monday morning and we thought the problem was fixed. It was after lunch before we got to this point so we decided since it is a 10 hour drive to wait until morning and leave at 4am. So, Tuesday morning at 4am we packed the car and left for home. We didn't have any problems for about the first 4 hours, but then we reached the hills (mountains). Every time we got almost to the top of a hill the car would choke and then almost stall (about 5 times it did stall). Germain's son was driving so he was able to keep the car running and we arrived home about 8 hours later. 12 hours on the road for a trip that should have taken less than 10. It was a long day. Bandit was in his container in the back seat. Nicole shared a little of the back seat with him. For such a little dog he had the most comfort. On Wednesday I took the car to the garage and they fixed the carburetor, plugs and other small things they found. Praise God the car is fixed and running well.

Upon arrival at our house we found a new problem. The toilet that was supposed to be fixed while we were gone was not only not fixed, but worse. That evening we had a flood that went all the way down the hall. The only way to stop the flood was to leave the water running with the plunger up all night. Ugh!!! The plumber returned everyday this week and still today (Saturday) there are problems. I think I could fix it myself, but the landlord said we paid the plumber and he must fix it properly.

My language classes are going pretty well. Upon my return from Mahajanga I was able to tell her all we did while on vacation and she wrote it down. There was only a handful of things she had to correct. One of my biggest problems is forgetting the subject since it is at the end of the sentence. I hope that comes more natural with time.

I think that is all the news for now. I will write more soon.

May the Peace and Love of Jesus Christ be with you always.
Love Sandi

The peace only God can give

2009-07-19T23:30:00.004-07:00

Hi everyone. I want to introduce you to my newest member of my family. His name is Bandit. He came to live with me after my home was robbed in the middle of the night. God is so good he gave me a friend and a protector ( well maybe when he gets a little older he will be the protector). As many of you already know I had a burglary 2 weeks ago. The robber only took things and did not harm me in any way. Matter of fact I slept through the entire event. I don't think the robber entered any other parts of the house but the living room because nothing else appeared disturbed. My landlord has raised the wall about 5 bricks higher and did other things to make my house more secure. I have a bar and slide lock along with a new door lock for my front door and another slide lock for the kitchen door. I only had one night of restlessness. I felt God telling me He was my peace and I could rest in Him. The second night I slept well. Bandit came to live here a week after the incident. Now he wakes me up in the night because he needs to go outside but last night he slept until 5:30 and only woke up when I got up myself. There have been other robberies in my neighborhood so the president of the neighborhood association gave each of us his phone number and said to call as soon as we found something amiss and he would sound the neighborhood alarm. We, the neighborhood, will talk again if more security is needed. On that good side we are getting a proper brick road in front of my house. This will be so welcome during the rainy season. Our cost for the project is to provide water to the workers. I think that is do able.

Many of you know my friend Nicole. She had her commissioning last Saturday. She is now ready to enter the "Madagascar" mission field. She leaves the states on the 29Th and will arrive on the 31st. She has been a blessing to me in that she has agreed to bring a new laptop computer and camera and my drivers license and credit card with her.

My sister and her family have experienced a tough year beginning last June when her nephew was in an accident and has been in a coma since then. He just recently passed on. They also felt the loss of both of her husband's parents. I pray God will give them peace and rest during the storm.

Last but not least the situation here in Madagascar is still a political crisis. Just this last weekend there were 3 more deaths. One from a bomb that went bad, the other 2 guards of the transitional president. The American government however felt the situation for Americans was not a danger at this time. On July 7 they lifted the travel alert and restriction for Americans traveling to Madagascar. I will continue to attend the monthly meetings hosted by the embassy. Many Malagasy people are effected by this political crisis and really have nothing to do with the fighting. Many have lost jobs and support for their family. Banks are reporting people are coming to them for loans so they can buy food for their family. This is very sad you realize their average income is less than $100 a month. Most live without the convenience we Americans take for granted. Running water in their homes, electricity and heating or cooling. Now to not even be able to put food on their tables is a tragedy.

Praise
1. Praise God protected me from the robbers
2. I now have a new friend Bandit
3. Nicole was commissioned and released to enter the "Madagascar" mission field
4. The prayers and support of my family and friends.

Prayer requests
1. Pray for safety and protection for my neighborhood and this country
2. Pray for Nicole and her travels later this month. Also for her one time support.
3. Pray for my sister and her family for the Peace that surpasses all understanding
4. Pray for Bonnie that the new chemo will work.
5. Pray my credit card will arrive at my sisters house in time for her to send it to Nicole before she leaves.

Thank you all for your continual prayers and support. Please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you. I know I am a long way away but there is no distance when it comes to prayers.

I love you all
Sandi

back in the swing of things.

2009-06-19T03:12:00.002-07:00

Well, I have been back here for a week now. My luggage arrived one piece at a time. The first one on Saturday afternoon and the Second on Sunday night. Nothing was missing so I guess it was just a matter of a little inconvenience. I went to the grocery store and fruit veggie market on Saturday and found everything I was looking for. Some things a little higher priced then what I remember, but if you were willing to pay the price you could get it.

The missionary Kathy that was evacuated the same time as I was, returned on Wednesday and is spending a couple days here in Tana before returning to Mahajanga where she teaches at Fitiavana. That is the school for the disabled and disadvantaged children. The word Fitivana in Malagasy means Love. This is one of the projects world venture has working on the island.

On Thursday we had our first conference call with the team Madagascar. Kathy and I were on skype here in Madagascar, Nicole, Jamie and Alissa in CA, Johnathan, Mandy and Crystal were in Alaska, Rich and Bonnie in AZ and Jerry Suits in Colorado. It was a great time talking about our feelings and dreams for the future. Kathy and I had problems with the microphone no one could hear us so we typed to Nicole and she responded for us. That was kinda funny at times. We here in Mada were also disconnected for a few min and had to re-boot the system. However, all's well that ends well. It was very good to meet over the computer as a team.

I went to a town hall meeting with the US embassy Wednesday night and they said we should still be vigilant, but at the present time it is safe to move about the city and the island. The talks were suspended to let the parties think about their demands and try to come up with a compromise. Who knows if that will ever happen. Crime and especially theft has increased since so many have lost their jobs and income.

I will return to my classes in Malagasy next week. If you could please pray I haven't lost too much and will soon be able to speak the language fluently.

Thank you all for your support, prayerfully and financially. It really means a lot to have you there for me.

With all my Love
God Bless
Sandi

Return to Madagascar

2009-06-02T07:54:00.003-07:00

Well, the time has come again that I will make my way back to Madagascar. I am very excited. Not just because I am returning to the place I call home at this time in my life, but because of what Christ has done with and through me while I was stateside. Today I was doing a bible lesson on Luke 10 when he sends the workers out in groups of 2. I was just praising God that Nicole is now ready to join me in the field. It tells us in
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

I am glad to have a friend and partner in her. So please add her to your prayer list.

I have some not so good news I would like to share. 1st one of our Malagasy workers lost a daughter to cancer last week. Please keep Germain and his family in your prayers. 2nd We just received news that Bonnie Shattenburg (my leaders wife)has a 2cm mass on her liver. You may recall she had breast cancer that spread to her spine. She continues to be treated for that and went through 12 radiation treatments and now gets chemo through injections monthly. This new news is a hard blow to her and her family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Ok now to end on a positive note. Here are my plans. I will leave Jeannie and Jerry's home in Tucson (this has been such a blessing) on Sunday June 7th after church sometime. I will stay with them Sunday and Monday night and they will have me at the Phoenix airport by 5:30 on Tuesday morning. I will fly through the night of the 9th and spend the 10th in South Africa. I will arrive in Madagascar in the afternoon of the 11th. I would appreciate your prayers for the pilot and airplane.

This time back in the states has been a blessing. I was able to connect with my family in Arizona and in Michigan. I spent about a month with my Dad and was able to visit my Mother daily(please keep her in your prayers). It was nice to see my brothers and sisters and their family's. I was also able to spend time with my sister in Arizona and her family. This time with family is very rewarding. While in Arizona I connected with my church family and was blessed by their loving kindness and support of my mission. I also have a new church family in Michigan and was blessed to spend time with them also.

Praise God for the blessings he has given me.
God Bless you ALL

The turmoil goes on

2009-04-01T16:42:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone I am writing from Tucson AZ. I have been following the events from Madagascar on the Internet and it appears there is still a lot of protests going on, now they are from the opposition to the "new leader" Oh how I pray for peace to return to the big red island.

While I am awaiting peace I have returned to bible studies at my church (Craycroft Baptist) and last week I went to family life radio and volunteered 3 days for their spring share-a-thon. It was a blessing to hear so many testimonies about how God has moved in their life. It was also good to hear how people were stepping up to the plate even during this time of economic crisis. I am blessed to see how God is at work in so many lives. Today I went to a Christian school and shared with about 30 children about Madagascar. They were grades Kindergarten to grade 3. They really ask a lot of good questions. It was a lot of fun. If any one is a teacher or has a child in a class that would like me to come share please let me know. There are a lot of interesting facts about life in a different country.

While home I have been blessed with a place to live. A good friend of mine has a house in Tucson they are trying to sell, they have moved to Apache Junction and this house is currently un-lived in. I do have a house phone 520 750-0735, or my cell of 520 904-1443. I am using the car I sold to my sister since she isn't using it at this time and is wanting to sell it. I put new tires on it and can use it until I return to Madagascar they will help her try to sell it just before I leave. I went back to the YMCA and was able to get a 2 month membership without paying the yearly fee. I hope to get back into water aerobics this week.

Well, that's all for now.

God Bless
Sandi

Return to Tucson

2009-03-15T06:45:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone. Well, as you can see I will be leaving Madagascar again. The mission has decided to follow the direction of the US embassy and have asked me to leave until the fighting has settled down. My heart is heavy about leaving after just getting back, but I know God will make it all work for His Glory. At this point no one knows the outcome for this government. I have been safe in the part of town where I am living. This is strictly precautionary. Other parts of town are not so fortunate though. I will update you all upon my return if you want to know more. I will be travelling this Tuesday leaving at 2:45 and will arrive in Tucson Wednesday at 12:07. I have been offered several places to stay and will more than likely stay at my friend Jeannie and Jerry's home while I am there. I do however have another problem. I don't have transportation. Does anyone have an extra vehicle or a vehicle I can rent for the period I am home. I can rent one at the airport, but it will be very expensive if I need it for an extended period of time. I am praying God will provide. Is there anyone who would like to pick me up at the Tucson airport? Please let me know as soon as possible. I will wait to hear from you.

Your Sister in Christ

Mission to Madagascar
Sandi

madagascar crisis

2009-03-12T00:32:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone, I know this is long over due. It is really hard to write this blog at this time. As many of you know things are not good in this country at this time. Yesterday I went to a embassy meeting where the ambassador talked about the situation. All the family's of the embassy workers are being sent home at this time. Most of them live in the center of town where most of the action has been.
As for me and my part of town, there has not been any problems to date. I am praying for God to tell me when I should pack up and return to the states until things settle down here. I do think they will settle down here, the question is when. If I take the political evacuation out of the country it will be a round trip ticket. I will give the crisis a couple of months and hope to return then. I plan to keep my house here and let the office remain open while I am away. If I return I would like to return to Arizona. I am praying for a place to stay for the time I am back there. (Jeannie and Jerry if your house is still on the market maybe I can house sit) I anticipate staying for at least 2 months and then only will know when we see what is happening here. I know my family wants me to come home to stay, but I don't foresee that happening. This is where I was called and this is where I will serve. I pray you can accept it even if you can't understand it. For my church family please pray diligently for this country and for me to honor and obey my Father in Heaven and take time to listen to Him.

Thank you for your prayers.

I also know I will need more support during this period of time while in America. Please if you are a faithful supporter know how much your support means to me. If you are considering being a part of missions I would love to have you pray about monthly commitment to this ministry. I know many are already a part of my ministry through prayer, however please pray about being a monthly financial prayer partner.

You can make commitments through the World Venture web site. www.worldventure.com click on donate and find my name under missionaries. It is under Sandra Horen.

Thank you all.
With much love and God's blessings
Sandi

Back Home in Madagascar

2009-02-19T22:44:00.002-07:00

Well, here I am back in sunny Madagascar. Yesterday I finally finished unpacking my suitcases. During the journey there was some delays, but since I had such long layovers at each place the delays didn't effect me. I was able to spend some talking with an embasy worker from Guatamala. I talked about what God has done in my life and let him know He is there for him also. All he has to do is open the door. Waiting for the final flight to Madagascar I met a neighbor here in Ambohibao. She knew a little english and we talked briefly. I pray we will meet again sometime here in our neighborhood so I can invite her to the bible study. When I got here my friend Michelle was there to pick me up. We went to my house to unload her car. At that time we didn't know where my car was. We found it easily though safe and secure at the MEF garage. I showered and Michelle picked me up again for Bible Study. We started the Beth Moore study on Esther.

My co-worker has been listening to the radio daily to update me on what is happening in town. Please continue to Pray for the situtation here to resolve quickly. In my part of the city there is little effect. I was able to go to the grocery store and get everything I needed. The cooking oil was a lot more expensive, but most other things were about the same. Here life is going on as before, but that doesn't mean I am unaware of the turmoil here on the Island. The opposition is really pushing to take over the government. I don't know how this will all end, but God does and it is in His hands.

I thank you all for your prayers and support. I pray God will protect you all my family and friends.

Sandi

Return to Madagascar

2009-02-12T15:45:00.004-07:00

I know many are wondering what is going on. Well here is the latest. I have been very emotional this week. On Saturday my leader and I talked and at that time thought it would be ok to return if I stayed away from the downtown area. We talked again on Monday and started feeling maybe I should wait a few weeks. I contacted my travel agent and found if I didn't return as scheduled I would loose my ticket. I prayed yesterday for God to give me an answer and felt he answered me that if peace talks started I should go ahead and travel, but if they didn't then I should wait and have faith that God would help provide the cost of another ticket. My travel agent found a return ticket for 1539.00 I just got this information. Eariler today I found a ticket for $2500.00 Well, when I got up this morning I read the news on madagascar and found that peace talks started yesterday and both sides have agreed to not burn, loot and riot. I pray they come to a agrement very soon. So I talked to my Dad and he said since I am returning anyway I might as well go now since other people that live there feel they are leaving simi normal lives as long as they stay away from the downtown area. The US embassy has not evacuated their people and held a meeting earlier this week. So, the just of all this is that I will leave this Saturday morning and arrive in Madagascar the morning of the 16th.

Here are some prayer requests.
first I pray that peace will prevail on the island. (quickly)
next please pray for safe travel.
next I am praying for some one time gifts or new supporters. I found out today I have to pay $668.00 in income tax. ( I thought I wouldn't have to pay because I spent more than I earned in my mission work, but I guess you can only claim 1/2 of it. So anyway I have that expense and I planned to send two boxes back to madagascar by post, but since the problems are one block from the post office I will not be able to go get them, so I am taking an extra piece of luggage and that costs $250.00 also because of the recent problems in Madagascar my mission has required I get political evacuation insurance and that is $183.00 I am still underfunded to make my medical payments each month and soon will have to start paying that out of my current living expense. I pray for more prayer partners and more financial partners.

I will update my blog upon my arival in Madagascar.

God Bless you all Sandi

plans

2009-02-03T09:29:00.003-07:00

Well,I think most of you have heard that last week was very eventful in Madagascar. The Mayor of Tana wanted to overthrow the President of the country. There were a lot of riots and burning of buildings. This week however, it appears like things have settled down and businesses are back open. I received e-mail from friends that are there and they said yesterday and today were like nothing happened. I saw in the new link on this site that the Mayor was fired. I pray that peace has returned for good over this situation. I wasn't sure if I would be able to return as planned, but it appears if the peace continues I should be leaving on the 14 of Feb as scheduled. I do however, have to make sure the mission is OK with this also.

January was a good month for me. I had the opportunity to meet with Rich, Bonnie and Nichole while I was in Arizona. We spent the afternoon together and it appears things are going forward with new missionaries gearing up to come on board in Madagascar. I am excited to return and get things going.

My Dad is doing a lot better than the last entry. We were able to get all the paperwork finished and my Mom is now on Medicaid. She is getting very good care at the nursing home and it is very close to my Father's house.He can get there in 2 minutes by car. Physically Mom is getting a little better. She can now eat ground and soft food and not baby food. Most days during the day she can talk where you can understand her. The nights though are tough. The other day she had the nurse call home so she could talk to us. That was a huge thing. I am so glad God is with us every day every hour every second and we can leave everything in his hands and he will take care of it.

As for me I finally caught the cold everyone else had. I was down for over a week and still have a cough now. It has been 2 weeks now. I did go to the Dr though and he gave me some antibiotics. I guess with that it just takes time. I pray the cough will be completely gone when I travel.

Thanks for all the prayers and keep praying for the country of Madagascar. Pray that peace will prevail.

Thanks God Bless Sandi

snow snow snow

2009-01-19T10:23:00.004-07:00

Hi everyone, well, here I am again writing from cold and snowy Michigan. Last week the temperature drooped to 20 below F for those of you in Mad that is -29C. It warmed up a little over the weekend because we got 8 more inches of snow. They say this is the worst winter they have had in many many years. If God is trying to show me this will never be my home again, it worked.

Well, now about my Mom. Some days are better than others. Yesterday was one of the better days. When I came in the door she was in the dinning room and yelled to me by name and said come here. It was good to have her know me. The night before she told my Dad she was going to die that night. She is talking a little now where we can understand her. She still can not walk, but can scoot around in the wheel chair using her feet. She is not eating regular food because she forgot how to swallow. The food is all mushed like baby food. We have been giving her some protein shakes which she really likes.

As for me, I am at peace with everything that is going on. I have been listening to God when he speaks to me and reading and studying His word daily. I thank you all for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for my parents and that God continues to use me as his servant.

update on home assignment

2009-01-11T18:28:00.002-07:00

Well here it is. I have been back in the states for 2 months and it has not been an easy task. In November when I returned to the States my mom returned home from the hospital the day before me. I was able to help my parents for about 2 weeks before my Mom returned to the hospital. We had many rough days where she almost didn't make it. After about 3 weeks she was released. She went to a nursing home where she will live the remainder of her life. I went to Arizona January 1 to 9 and during that time they discovered she had lost 37 pounds in 1 month. When I returned my Dad ask me to postpone my return for a month. Tomorrow I will try to change the date. I think it is more for my dad than my Mom. He is really taking this whole thing very hard.

Back to the US for the Holidays

2008-11-13T06:23:00.002-07:00

Well, Tonight I begin my long journey back to the states. I spoke to my father this morning and was told my Mom came home from the hospital today. Praise God. You could just hear how happy my Dad was to have her back home. He loves her so much I just pray all of my married friends can have that kind of love. They have been married 62 years. What a faithful witness to what God has in mind for marriage. My Mom is still having a lot of problems, so please continue to keep her in your prayers. My time in the U.S will be from the 14 Nov to 18 Jan. I will have the same phone number I had last summer. If you want you can contact me. I will be without a computer for the next couple of weeks because my lap top died. It slowly went until now you can not even turn it on. Oh well, I guess that will be my Christmas present to myself. I will watch for the day after thanksgiving sales. Thanks for all your prayers.
Love Sandi

2008-10-26T20:51:00.004-07:00

Hi everyone, Well, here is the latest news from Madagascar. We had a volunteer arrive 3 weeks ago. Her name is Alison Fowler. She will be here until the end of January. She is a college student with a major in Missions. We have another volunteer that arrived this week. She was here previously for 2 years teaching at Fitiavana school in Mahajunga. She and Alison will go there after she recovers from the long trip.

I will be returning to the States for 2 months beginning November 13 until January 17th. As you know my mother has recently had a very hard time. She is in a nursing home at the present time and hopefully will return home within the next month or so. My Dad really misses her and wants her back home with him. I pray God will use me when I am home to help prepare for her return and help my Dad get things ready. Mom is now in a wheel chair so Dad is having a ramp put on the front of the house. I really feel God led me to believe this is the right time to be back there. Please keep us in your prayers. I will try to find tickets that I can afford back to Tucson for 10 days, this might mean arriving and leaving from Phx. If I do that I will probably rent a car for the short stay and just drive down. If anyone has a discount on rental cars please let me know.

Now on a lighter note. 6 ladies went to the rain forest this weekend. We had such a good time. We played with the lemurs, feed them, petted them, and even had them climb on our shoulders. It was a lot of fun. I will try to attach a picture.

I started a bible study on Thursday nights. The group is all Malagasy except me. We have had an average of 8 people in attendence. The group is presented in English with my Malagasy teacher in attendance if someone doesn't understand and needs it translated. One very intersting topic we discussed and I did some research on is 1John 5:17. This is the verse that says there is a sin that does not lead to death. If anyone has insite on this verse please send it to me. I looked on the internet and saw there are many theories on this topic. I will miss the group when I am back in the states, but will resume upon my return.

Well I must get ready for my Malagasy lesson now, so Veloma vetivety (good bye for now)

October 15, 2008

2008-10-15T05:09:00.002-07:00

I'm still praying for the health of my mother. I am seriously looking into getting a ticket back to America. I really need all the prayer support I can get at this time. I was planning to start a bible study this Thursday, but am not sure if I should postpone it for now. I am praying for God's timing on this. I think this may be the time. If I return now it will probably be for a couple of months at least through the holidays. Thanks for praying

another prayer request

2008-10-07T21:03:00.003-07:00

I have a couple of prayer requests.
1st please pray for my parents. My mother is in the hospital with blood on her brain. The Doctors have been waiting to see if it will disappear without surgery, but it has been a week with no change. They have moved her to a rehab section of the hospital and will transport her back and forth for further CT scans. Please pray that God will make it disappear with the need for surgery. Also, please pray for my Father. He has been working hard at taking care of my mother, but they both are struggling with health issues and this latest with my mother has been very hard on him. Please keep them both in your prayers.

2ND I will be starting a new bible study "Having a real relationship with God" with about 10 Malagasy people. Some will be attending just because it is in English. Please keep this opportunity to share the Gospel in your prayers. Pray for me as I lead them and for them to have an open heart to hear the word.

I am continuing in my participation in the woman's bible study about the Fruit of the Spirit. It really has been good for me. I am finding myself spending the hour in the study, but then wanting to be in the Word more. Praise God for this strength. This week we are studying Peace. Isn't it wonderful that if we let God be God he can give us strength and peace even during difficult times. Yesterday's lesson was on Job and how he lost his peace. Please don't let the devil rob you of your peace.

Until next time, may you never allow your peace through Jesus Christ leave you.

Your sister in Christ
Sandi

prayer request

2008-09-27T22:03:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone. This last week has brought some very sad news. On Sunday I had lunch with Shelly (Rich and Bonnie's daughter) She told me they found more cancer in her mother. They had a PET scan on Wednesday and found the breast cancer spread to her bones. They also found that it is possibly in her lungs also. At this point they do not know what the future holds. They believe it is terminal. please keep her in your prayers.

At this point I do not know what will happen to the ministry here in Madagascar. I am just trusting in God to show me the way. There is a new volunteer arriving next Wednesday. She will stay here in the capital city with me for a few weeks then another volunteer that has been her previously for 2 years will return towards the end of October and they will both go to Mahajunga together. I am excited to host this new volunteer and help her get acquainted here in Madagascar.

Now about me. I have been working hard at my Malagasy studies. I can hold a simple conversation. for about 1/2 hour. I started attending a bible study by Beth Moore on the Fruit of the Spirit (my life verse) Gal 5:22,23. God really has been speaking to me through this study. I was hesitant to join, because I wanted to start an outreach Bible study myself, however I am so glad I did join. I am still preparing to host an outreach Bible study starting the third Thursday in October. Please be in prayer for the ladies that will join and for my preparation for the study.

I pray you are all well and I thank you all for all your prayers and engorgement.

sydonie

2008-09-16T08:40:00.003-07:00

Who is Sydonie? She is a little 5 year old Malagasy girl that wants to go to school very badly. Last year a missionary from NY sponsored her to go to a school near her house. This missionary returned home in July. Last Saturday she went by the missionary's home to see if she could go to school again this year only to find out the missionary left Madagascar. She had a list of school supplies and a book that needed to be taken to the school on Monday. I was approched to help keep her in school. I agreed by faith that maybe someone on my prayer team would like to partner with me and her. I got all her school supplies and paid the fee until December it cost me almost $75.00. About $50.00 for the school fees and $25.oo for books a pair of shoes 1 pair of socks 1 pair of shorts for gym, and material for the uniform. (her teacher is a seamstrest and offered to make the shorts and uniform). Here is a picture of Sydonie. Please pray someone would like to help this little girl. Her mother is a single mother and operates a little shop on the road. she makes enough to provide rice for 3 meals a day. I am praying with your help to be able to provide some fruit and milk for breakfast along with the rice. I am thinking $15 or $20 a month will pay the fees and provide some food for her. Do you want to help?

Im Back in Madagascar

2008-09-01T21:46:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone, well, I have been back for just over a week now. When I arrived the couple that stayed at my home while I was away picked me up with my car. When we got home I had a surprise to find a few of my good friends there waiting for me. It is good to be home. I had a lot of things to arrange when I got back, but think it is now time to get down to business with my language studies.

I've had a chance to see almost all my friends and was glad to see them. Some however have moved on to either different locations or returned to their home country. They say that is the life of missionaries. I went to the school on Tuesday to see all the teachers and on Wednesday to see the students. It was a real joy to see the kids I taught last year. Sadiyah and Sharmine both contacted me on facebook and were excited to see me. I still pray Sadiyah will come to accept the Lord as her God. I also think Wendy (the teacher) is very close to accepting Christ. She has a beautiful little baby boy. She is just the happiest mother you can imagine. She came to visit again on Saturday. It was a joy to be able to visit with her.

God really does have a sense of humor, He really wanted to see how I would deal with seeing Gavin upon my return and put him in my path twice. First when I went to see the teachers he showed up and I had to ask God to take my hand and help me through it. He did and it was fine, the second time was Sunday I went to the English Chapel and guess who the guest preacher was? You probably guessed Gavin. He preached on God's love and how you don't have to like everyone, but you are commanded to love them. It was a good sermon and God spoke to me through it. I pray Gavin listens to his own words and follows them.

Today Miora the student that quit last year will come to visit. I am excited to hear what is happening in her life. I pray she is back to school.

Well until next time May God be with you all.

On my way back to Madagascar

2008-08-13T09:41:00.002-07:00

Well I arrived in New York yesterday and will be here for 10 days. I leave for Madagascar on August 22nd and arrive on the 24th. I am very excited to get back. The last couple weeks were very busy with packing and re-packing then sending packages by mail and still need to send another because Southafrican Airways only lets your cary-on to weigh 18 pounds. As I traveled yesterday my cary-on without my laptop was 25 pounds. I sure don't know how I collected so much stuff. Hopefully next time it won't be so bad. LOL. This weekend I will go to buffalo to visit with my friends Beth and David Larson. They were the pastorial team at the church when I first started there. I will update again when I get back to Mad.

Sandi's latest travel

2008-06-22T12:02:00.002-07:00

Well, I left Tucson on June 11, 2008 and went to NYC for two days. I tried to get my visa extended but was told it was too far in advance. I will have to wait until just before I go back and get a 30 day renewal visa. After visiting the Malagasy Embsay I went to the Statue of Liberty. Of all the times I visited there this was the first time I went to the Island. Other times I just took a ferry the went by the Statue of Liberty. Boy it was awsome. On the 13th I went to Michigan just in time for my mothers birthday. She turned 80 on June 15, 2008. This past week I went to the Mackinaw Bridge and went to get an updated Indian card. By the way if you aren't sure what this means, it is an American Indian. Doesn't mean a lot except to me as a reminder of my hearatage. Today is Sunday and I found a really nice church here in Bay City Michigan. I was allowed to give a short 10 min talk about my testamony. I will try to write more later.

New to this stuff

2008-05-30T19:12:00.001-07:00

Here I am back in Tucson and just learning how to do this. Nichole is here visiting from CA and showed me how to get started.

Sandi in Madagascar

a new used vehicle

June, July, August 2011

Greetings

My Car (Thomas)

New water well Ambatokely

More Car problems

February updates

TESOL

Video Clip

Madagascar, A Journey Diary (2009)

What a week

Children sent to school

Merry Christmas

Children

Artificial rain

Political Situtation

Lessons for Life.

back home and a friends wedding

Finished training ready to return

started something new

Mission Training International

My Mom

Time in Arizona

My family's health

Home Assignment Week

training and travel

finally made it home.

Repairing the floor.

Travel to the United States

Meeting with my leaders

Weekend with WorldVenture staff in Madagascar

One month in my new house

All moved in

Ampefy

Malagasy lessons

Wonderful day

Where did the month go?

Sydonie

Things can only get better

My new address

Ready to move.

The search is on

Nicole arrived

The peace only God can give

back in the swing of things.

Return to Madagascar

The turmoil goes on

Return to Tucson

madagascar crisis

Back Home in Madagascar

Return to Madagascar

plans

snow snow snow

update on home assignment

Back to the US for the Holidays

October 15, 2008

another prayer request

prayer request

sydonie

Im Back in Madagascar

On my way back to Madagascar

Sandi's latest travel

New to this stuff