Samaritan’s Purse photographer Paul Sherar reports from Madagascar, where he visited a village transformed by Operation Christmas Child.
Just over the ridge I could see a billowing cloud of white smoke streaming upward off the hilly, arid region of central Madagascar. The area was so remote that our helicopter pilot had to fly to the closest town on the map and then go 12 miles due north to find it.
As we approached the smoke signal we could see hands waving from the entire community, excited about our arrival. Many had never seen foreigners before, yet alone a helicopter.
Trucks had traveled two days to the village of Ampananganana via bumpy, dusty roads, bringing in several cartons of Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts. We had the privilege to be there and document the distribution. The excitement was contagious as I walked through the crowds, taking photos. Older children were dancing obviously well-practiced steps on top of a make-shift stage made of rough wood sitting on top of old oil barrels. The younger children were focused on following the mysterious cartons being laid out in front of the stage. The adults couldn’t help to be curious as well. I imagined this day being a marker in the memory of these people. Who knows how often they would tell the story of when the village was visited by foreigners who brought gifts and told about Jesus and God’s love.
A few of the children from the area received shoe boxes two years ago. They became so interested in Jesus that they began walking 10 miles to the nearest church every Sunday. One of the children’s grandfathers was the community witch doctor, but when he saw the children were walking so far he donated some of his land so that a church could be built in the village. Pastor Roger moved to Ampananganana, a village of 200 homes, to help start the church. The community itself put up the mud walls.
That afternoon there was a graduation for 40 kids, aged 7-14, who had completed The Greatest Journey discipleship program. The midday wind picked up, blowing dirt and sand through the doors of the church. The sun was beaming in through holes in the thatched roof. The children wiped dust from their eyes as they recited memory verses and proudly sang songs they had learned in the discipleship classes.
One of the songs was written by Pastor Rodger, who found the Greatest Journey instrumental in teaching the children about the Good News of Jesus. “(The teaching materials) were helpful to me because they gave me an overview of the steps of the Gospel,” he said. “The Greatest Journey teacher training was precious to me to help to reach out to many children.”
Pastor Rodger said that the booklets gave him spiritual growth and are helping him be a better leader. “It was very clear, the message of the Gospel,” he said. “In fact in every book there is a call to faith that I can use to encourage the children. At the end of the second booklet many of the children came to Christ.” In the very first group of kids that Pastor Rodger took through The Greatest Journey, 38 of the 40 children gave their life to Christ. “Two are still unsure, but we’re praying for them,” he said.
Photos and Story by Paul Sherar – Samaritan’s Purse Staff Photographer
