When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then were we like those who dream
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with songs of joy.
Then said they among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’  
The Lord has indeed done great things for us, and therefore we rejoiced.
Psalm 126.

A small team has just returned from Madagascar, a country where misfortune comes annually in the form of devastating cyclones which sweep away houses and destroy crops, and yet where the people of God continue to trust the Lord and commit their lives to following his ways. Twelve years after our first visit, we had been invited back to the dioceses of Fianarantsoa and Toliara to help re-energise the Rooted in Jesus programme after the challenges not just of the cyclones but also of Covid.

And the people sang. And danced. And prayed. And rejoiced. We heard testimonies of new life, we met people whose lives had been changed by their growing faith, we saw new buildings, sensed new commitment, and learnt new songs – one of them based on the words of Jeremiah 17.7-8 and dedicated to Rooted in Jesus. We were wonderfully looked after, and inspired by the example of those we met.

Practising Rooted in Jesus in small groups

We are particularly grateful to those who prayed daily for us during our time away.

We have posted a full report on the Rooted in Jesus blog, which you can read here.