Hailes on Mission

As of Oct. 4th, we have been serving in Madagascar for FIVE YEARS!  In some ways, it seems like we’ve been here for FOREVER.  In other ways, it’s been no time at all.  What a great time to reflect and see all that God has done, is doing and still desires to do! As I write this, there are over 30 people being trained in the city of Tsihombe by a Malagasy pastor from Toliara.  He is teaching them how to train trainers.  The goal is reproducibility.  Even more than the reproducibility, the question remains, is the disciple REPRODUCING?  Men and women from around Androy have come together to be better equipped to share their faith.  They are hungry not only for Spiritual food, but for clarity on the best way to share that Spiritual food and tell the story of Jesus.  This weekend the training will continue but for another group meeting here in Fort Dauphin.  Many Antanosy people and other tribes will come together to receive the same training...

As we look over the past couple of months we have realized how precious time is.  Time is fleeting.  We have traveled back to the past and then to the future again.  We have lived/stayed in different time zones and visited multiple countries and States.  As we made all of these travels and events we learned that adjusting to time and all of its changes can be challenging. We enjoyed our time in the US but as we look back it was just a Texas tornado.  It came and it went and it was a wild ride for the entire time.  It was so nice to see some friends and family but we mixed in so many things that by the time it came to pack up to leave we were exhausted.  This is not to say that we wouldn’t do this again but it is to say that we have learned a little from this time spent in the US. Time teaches us things as well.  As we have been here in Madagascar we have realized that time has taught us many things about our Malagasy friends.  We ha...

We have had a great month of ministry and seeing the Lord at work.  It seems hard to believe that the Lord has done all that has been accomplished in just one month.  We are so thankful for how He is working and we desire to give Him all the glory and the honor for all the good things that are happening here in the South of Madagascar.  We have reached five years of service with the IMB and we are reminded many times of why we came here in the first place.  We have been reminded of the urgency to see the Lord do great things.  Thus, we do find ourselves living under pressure.  We feel it in many different ways but one of the issues we face is how much time do we really have to work here in Madagascar?  How long will the Lord wait until He comes again?  The answer is simply that we don't know.  We just seek to be faithful to the gift he gives us each day here on earth.  We also are people of vision, planning and strategy....

As we shared last month, the Lord is moving! It was a great time of celebration on May 16th as 15 people were baptized from 3 different locations.  The villages came together and worshipped as the men and women were baptized.  Praise God there was water and that His Spirit continues to move.  Pray for water so 30 more can be baptized soon. There are a number of preaching points that are very close to becoming church.  Pray for the leaders in these areas and for faithfulness on their part to step out and follow the leading of the Lord. As a family, we have been going with the flow.  Car trouble early in May left us without a car for over two weeks.  We were thankful for our national partner, Rado, and the team from Kentucky as they were able to go out and fulfill some of the trainings that Adam was going to do, as well as give us a much better idea of the individual needs of villages around Androy.  Further, Adam was able to rent a car for the ...

The Lord is at work in South Madagascar!  Here are a few things going on this month: 11 students are attending THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION BY EXTENSION courses here in Fort Dauphin 4 students are attending SEMINARY in other parts of the island and will be returning soon 3 Malagasy students are attending SOUTHWESTERN Seminary and will return to lead their fellow countrymen 80 Malagasy partners will be TRAINED by Southwestern Seminary this month 8 were BAPTIZED in Tsihombe 16 are awaiting TRAINING ON BAPTISM around Tranoroa 2 groups are ready to BECOME CHURCH PLANTS around Tranoroa 3 NEW MISSIONARIES are headed to serve alongside us from USA and Ecuador When we sit back and look at all the Lord is doing we are amazed!  We have been in Fort Dauphin for 3 years now and it blows our minds how much the Spirit has moved, how many have been saved and how many are serving the Lord whole-heartedly now.  Liv...

Almost four years ago, a group of 12 volunteers raised a couple thousand dollars each in order to come and pray over a vast area of Southern Madagascar.  They yearned to speak the truth of the Gospel, but a majority of the 40 hours they spent on this trip was traversing bumpy, harsh, taxing curves, rocks and sand whilst praying.  Upon arrival in a town where they could rest, they would struggle out of the vehicle, regaining mobility in their aching bodies and attempt to recoup in order to do it for another 10 hours the next day.  Amidst the discomfort, the group would pray in each village along the main road of Androy (South Madagascar):  Tranoroa, Beloha, Tsihombe, & Ambovombe.  Turning back after the third day of travels, they faced deep, wet mud holes.  The rain was a miracle because Androy is a desert and doesn't get much rain.  In each village the volunteers had prayed in as they passed by, it had rained.  The Antandroy peop...

Driving through the rough roads in Androy land we set our eyes for the goal ahead.  We are heading out to train trainers, encourage local believers, and set up some baptism services.  Full of hope and excitement we drive down the road re-capturing the beauty of the desert.  Then reality begins to hit us.  All the fields are burnt up.  The corn didn't make it.  The balahazo (kasava) is small.  The fields are being cleaned out.  Another year of no real harvest.  We continue on the long journey but as we pass by field after field with no new crops our hearts begin to break within us.  We begin to just pray within our soul asking the Lord to send rain and to help these people out. We arrive at the first town and visit a local pastor.  He just had a baby.  Praise the Lord!  We rejoice with him and give a small gift according to customs due to the new baby.  We begin to chat and it is evident that the people are...