Euan McKinnon is a medical student at the Good News Hospital. Euan wrote this article in early 2020, before COVID-19 restrictions prevented Helimission from operating normally in Madagascar.

Day 1 

A few hours into the ward round I learned there was a visit to to the village later in the day, and there was a space for me. We would stay for 5 days, and sleep in the village houses, where I was told there would be rats climbing all over us at night. I thought the rats would be worth it if I could come and see a whole new part of Madagascar and village life for myself.

The helicopter arrived and our team of 4 climbed aboard - two community workers, a nurse and I. The scenery was like a crumpled green quilt, with lots of hills and rivers and a few villages every so often. Hundreds of people from the village had come to see us land, and they all seemed quite expectant. We went and had lunch of rice and chicken broth, and mangoes for pudding at the chief’s house. Most of the houses were made of wattle and daub, with thatched roofs, and the land was very dry and dusty. The community health team gave a sermon to the villagers in the afternoon, while the nurse saw patients. After another meal in the evening of rice and chicken broth, and a bible study, we set up mosquito nets and mattresses in the school. It was very uncomfortable as there were 3 of us on 1 mattress, so if somebody moved, we all moved.

Day 2

After breakfast of rice and chicken soup, at 8:00am, there was a sermon from Revelation for the local population, and a lecture on the importance of good hygiene and sanitation for preventing disease. Halfway through, we were disturbed by some fighting dogs which spilled into where we were sitting, and after that, a stretcher arrived carrying a young woman, who was very ill.

In the meantime, some of us went off to play a football match with the children, and all the women and children and elderly came to watch too, the working-age boys and men away in the fields. The pitch was on a steep incline and covered in straggly grass, which made the game tough. Our team won, although there were three adults on it so it was not a complete surprise!

After a tea of rice and boiled duck soup, I joined the villagers for the film – a story set in Guatemala.

Day 3

We left the village by helicopter in the morning, and arrived at the next village in a downpour.  This village was built on a hill, with the houses built on stilts and made of wood with tin roofs, and the water ran down the streets.  We were welcomed into the school hall which was packed with about 500 people, and we introduced ourselves and explained our purpose of spreading the gospel and providing them with some medical care.  The land is very productive here and they grow cloves, vanilla, bananas, chillies, plantain, and lychees.

We had lunch of rice and duck soup in one of the houses, and had another football game. The pitch was much better this time, but I ripped my shorts in the first half when I enthusiastically received the ball, so I bowed out at half time.  We slept that night at the back of the chief’s house. I felt extremely fortunate to be sharing the bed with just one other person, so we wouldn’t be as squashed as sardines like last time.

Day 4

We woke up very late in the morning. The Chief had given me some red jogging bottoms to wear, which were very comfortable.  After breakfast I attended consultations with the nurse. Everybody was given multivitamins, as their diet is quite deficient, and Oral Rehydration Therapy for dehydration. Everybody with fever was tested for malaria, and if it was positive they were treated. Some people had very chronic problems, such as large tumours, or a nasty ulcer, but there were also plenty of pregnant women and young children. I also took the opportunity to speak with the nurses who work in the village and expand my Malagasy vocabulary. After lunch, we had a marathon session of dominoes, and after a while I left to practise my new words. I spoke to a family and they showed me around their house.

One of the ladies had good French, so we also discussed how many Christians live in the village (lots) and how much they appreciate the visits of the community health team.  In the evening there was another film showing, and this was also well attended. The films were about Revelation, and described how the choices one makes on earth determines their future at Judgement. People were depicted walking either to the gates of heaven or hell, or in one case, walking to heaven’s gates then back to hell, which people thought was quite funny.

Day 5

We woke up at about 05:30 and after an excellent breakfast of rice and beans, and fried insects (as well as bon bon anglais – the pear-drops flavoured fizzy drink), we went back the Chief’s house and were presented with gifts of a fruit and a plant.  Then we were escorted back up to the village hall by singing women and drummers, and given garlands of flowers, with everybody from the village in attendance. The helicopter arrived and the pilots were accorded the same honour. After doing a little dance we were each given traditional ‘lamba’s to wear round our waist, and with all our gifts we said goodbye to everyone and took off in the helicopter.

Prayer Points

1. Praise God for the ministry of Helimission and the community health team.

2. Pray they would have wisdom and creativity in how best to continue ministering to those in need in the current situation.

3. Pray for those seeds planted through the ministries would be able to flourish even with the challenges of current times."