Outreach in New Orleans, January 2007

We arrived the 22nd of January.
The Salvation Army is receiving us, giving us accommodation and food, we are working with a branch called Katrina Aid today. We had orientation for a couple of days and we were told that we are representing the Salvation Army doing interviews to the people who lost their houses. Some contractors got loans from the Salvation Army and we are checking if the house have been rebuilt as they should be. On Saturday we worked with a branch of the Red Cross, and we did interviews with people living in trailers provided by FEMA which is a federal Agency. People who lost their house live temporarily in those trailers waiting for housing assistance and our job is asking the a bunch of questions in a form asking them for "needs assessments", what do they need and where are they now, it was pouring raining all the afternoon, we were soaked wet but it was fun visiting those people and asking them questions, some of the questions were tough to ask but that's the job. This week we did some paper works and computer works at the office of the Salvation Army. Today it was a great time because we went down town and did a survey to the homeless people. They get food assistance in a place called "Ozanam inn". It was one of those unforgettable experience. For me it was not easy but I tried, and could manage because the accent here is different than what I am used to and also those homeless people had hard times which makes them a little difficult to talk to. We had forms and we asked them about how long they have been on the street, what are their needs and lots of questions. It was really sad to know that one of the guys was coming to help out during Katrina and he lost everything and he became one of the homeless people.
Life is sad sometimes and it is obvious that you can lose everything in just one day, it is because of God's grace that I am who I am today, same for everyone of us.
We are just starting to work but lots is yet to come.
We pray for this city and for the homeless people as we are here, we believe that God is working and our presence here will make a difference.
I will keep sending news as time goes on.

Be blessed.

This is the part which was devastated by Katrina, still in a mess, 9th Ward, sad but reality.

Down town New Orleans, I took those pictures by the way, I love taking pictures

Beautiful city,

The beauty of New Orleans

Graduation SOW Montana fall 2006

Wednesday January 17,
We are just graduated after 4 months of lecture phase in YWAM Montana, School of Worship fall 2006.
It's sad that some of us will go home, but the good news is most of us are going on outreach.
Smile everybody !!

Mitazona ny finoana sy mianatra faharetana

Inona moa no antony hanaovana itony ecole itony?
Ao anatin'ny fanomanana ny vision napetraky ny Tompo ato anatiko aho, ka mila manana fototra mafy orina sy fahalalana ampy mialoha izany.
Mila fiofanana sy fianarana anefa izany fa tsy vita vetivety.

Hampivelatra ny fiderana aty an-tanana no vina ato anatiko, ary inoako fa nofinofin'Andriamanitra ho an'i Madagasikara izany.
Tiako ny handray anjara ao anatin'izany, ary maniry aho ny mba ho isan’ireo izay mandray anjara ho fampivelarana ny fiderana ho an’i Gasikara ka izany no hianarako.
Betsaka no mbola tokony hianarana fa mandeha tsikeliky.

Ity sekoly ity dia azoko lazaina fa dingana voalohany ao antin’ny fiomanana fa mbola mila fianarana hafa aho manampy izay efa nianarako.

Rehefa manokatra varavarana ny Tompo dia tena mahagaga sy mahavariana satria efa 3 taona no niandrasako ity sekoly ity ary efa nisy sekoly hafa ihany koa talohan’izany fa rehefa tonga ny fotoana dia Andrimanitra no miasa ka mahatalanjona ny fiasany.

Tsara Jesosy ary tena mihaino vavaka Izy !!

Indraindray isika toa tsy mahatsapa fa Andrimanitra dia mahita ny zavatra rehetra ary mitantana sy mandamina ny madinika sy ny goavana eo amin’ny fiainantsika.

Eo foana Izy na amin’ny mora na amin’ny sarotra fa indraindray isika toa tsy mahatsapa izany rehefa mafy ny ady ary sarotra ny lalana, nefa rehefa mitahy Izy dia tena mahita isika hoe eo Andriamanitra.

Tsara ny mitadidy hatrany fa eo foana Andriamanitra ary mahita ny fandehan-javatra rehetra na dia toa tsy mamaly vavaka aza indraindray. Ao anatin’ny fotoana sarotra isika vao tena mila Azy ary mangataka Azy hiasa sy hiditra amin’ny zavatra izay manahirana antsika.

Misy zavatra koa indraindray tsy natao ho fatantsika foana fa manana ny misteriny Andrimanitra ka tsy dia ilaina loatra ny mahafantatra mihoatra izay tokony ho fantatra. Mianatra miandry isika isan’andro, mianatra faharetana, ary mitazona ny finoantsika.

Rehefa niteny tamin’i Abrahama Andriamanitra mba handeha, dia nandeha fotsiny izy tany @ tany tsy fantatra, fa Andrimanitra no nitondra sy nitarika Azy. Nampanantena Andriamanitra fa homeny tany tondra-dronono sy tantely Abrahama, hanan’anaka izy na dia efa antitra aza, ary ho maro tahaka ny kintana ny taranany.

Nandeha tamin’ny finoana fotsiny Abrahama, ary nisy fotoana nanampy an’Andriamanitra izy satria toa ela loatra Andriamanitra, ka niteraka an’i Ismaela, nefa nitondra vokatra hafa ny nanaovany izany. Avy eo koa tsy hitan’i Abrahama ny taranany izay nolazain’Andrimanitra fa ho maro be tsy voaisa mialoha ny nahafatesany.

Kanefa amin’izao fotoana izao dia marina fa maro tsy tambo isaina ny taranak’i Abrahama.

Izany dia midika fa rehefa mampanantena Andrimanitra dia tanterahany izany fa isika no tsy mahandry ary isika no maika hahita ny vokatra izao dia izao.

Mianatra faharetana aho izao, ka te hampahery anao koa hoe mahereza raha toa ka tahaka ny tsy mamaly vavaka Andrimanitra indraindray, mamaly vavaka tokoa Izy.

Narilanto.

Christmas holiday 2006 was great, Seattle and Brinnon

Space Needle in Seattle

I was on top of this thingy,

Very cold and windy on top of the Needle

Up there !! 183 metres

View from the Space Needle

Seattle looks cool !

Seattle from the fairy

Windy freezing cold

On the fairy to Seattle

Greg and Susan's house in Brinnon

Brinnon - Washington

My motto for this year !!!!

Isaiah 40 : 28-31 (NIV)

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

NIV (New International Version)

Isaiah 40 : 28-31 (KJV)

28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

KJV (King James Version).

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007 !!!

All my best wishes for you for this New Year 2007.
May God bless you abundantly this year,
May God put upon your life his grace every single day.
Lots of blessings !!!

Well, I had a couple of weeks as holidays, I spent my vacation in Brinnon, in the state of Washington, it's a little town, nearby the lake, nice place, pretty scenery, it was not as cold as in Montana, which is good for me. My dear friends Greg and Susan received me there. They are sweet people, they spoiled me and had rice as much as I wanted. I really felt comfortable and I felt understood, because they worked for years in Madagascar so they know the culture and they know what Malagasy people is.

They took me to places like Portland, Salem, in Oregon, also to Port Townsend and the famous city of Seattle in Washington. It was fun and I really liked it even if the weather was not very nice because there was some storm during the holidays. There was one day which was sunny though.
God is good !! What else can I say apart from standing in awe, struck by the goodness of God.
God provided my needs during my holidays, and I had great time with my dear friends during Christmas and New Year. It's my first Christmas and New Year outside of my country, and also will be my first birthday far away from home, on the 18th of January.
I was just staring at the beautiful mountains covered in snow all along my trip and all the trees and gorgeous landscapes which shows God's glory.
I am starting to fit in this culture and I feel more comfortable than before.
God took me here to stretch my faith again and learn lots of things like waiting and walking by faith.

I am back to Montana now, and excited about the rest of the training, as we have 3 weeks left then we will go on outreach, one month in New Orleans and then one month in St Croix- Virgin Island.
It is still cold and snowing here in Montana; we are in the midst of winter.

God is faithful, he blesses us in every single details, and knows what is best for each one of us.

My motto for this year is the Scripture in Isaiah 4o : 28-31.

Many blessings to you and your family.

Narilanto.
Child of the Mighty King.