Naomi, a trained and experienced primary school teacher, came to Mandritsara 7 years ago in order to help missionary parents with the education of their children, after a short-term visit in 2014. Her main role has been teaching; sometimes that has just meant helping just one child to learn, but at other times she has taught up to seven pupils in one class. Over the years she has taught a total of 20 children, aged between 3 and 13, often with the help of other short-term volunteers. She has fulfilled other roles too, including being the treasurer for the missionary team. If you or someone you know might be interested in serving the missionary families through working with the missionary children, check out this ministry opportunity.
A few moments after landing by helicopter at the Good News Hospital in 2014, I looked around me and saw the mountains, red and rugged, which ring the town. I'd seen lots of photos of Mandritsara but I hadn't realised the mountains would be quite so beautiful - and pretty much visible in all directions.
After seven years of living and working here, I still haven't tired of looking at the mountains.
I live in town, a mile or so away from the hospital. Every day I commute by bike out of the town in the morning and back in again later. It's not always a joy-filled journey; sometimes I feel hot and sluggish and out of shape. Sometimes what I can see is depressing. Usually there are people using certain fields and walls as a public toilet. From this time of year until perhaps January when the rains begin, the riverbed is completely dry and the litter and rubbish that's been dumped there is ugly to see.
I often quote to myself the beginning of Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains...”. In its original context, this passage isn't about ignoring the ground-level difficulties, but it is about remembering that our help is from the Lord (v2). And – if the road is relatively free of mud and oncoming traffic! - I find that looking up and around to see the mountains is always a cheering sight. The sinking sun might light up a patch of hillside particularly beautifully; or perhaps the jagged silhouette of rocks against the bright sky just gives a fresh sense of perspective.
The towering solidity of the mountains is a great reminder of God's permanence and presence, even on the days when I feel tired and unable to achieve much – and there have been many of those days over the years, especially when the hot season takes its toll. The glory of the mountains and sky remind me of the even greater glory of God – a glory undimmed by the fallenness of his world.
The beauty of Mandritsara isn't just around the edges, however. When I'm on the road, maybe someone I know calls out to me with a cheerful greeting, or cycles alongside me to share a quick conversation. Maybe I really enjoy a stretch of paved road where once there had been just rocky mud. On the one or two occasions where I've had a real problem with my bike (like the time a quick-release wheel released rather unexpectedly) there's always been someone who has come to my aid, ready to wrench out a stuck chain or sort out a dodgy wheel without fuss or fanfare.
God's glory isn't just beautiful but faraway, like the stunning skyline here. It's expressed ultimately in Jesus – who died and came back to life to redeem us from the brokenness of this world. The help of God's Holy Spirit in our lives is real and often tangible.
It's time for me to leave Mandritsara very soon – with my sending church and other advisors, I've decided it's right to return to the UK. It's been a privilege to be a small part of the proclamation of the gospel in this area, mainly through supporting the families here, and I have learnt a huge amount during these years. There have been joys and disappointments, breakthroughs and struggles – and yet God's presence has been as constant as the mountains around. His help has been there throughout, and is there for all his people everywhere. Even if I won't see any mountains in my corner of England, I can still say, “My help comes from the Lord.”
Pray that the Lord would lead Naomi into His paths for her future, and that He would bless and use her ministry, wherever that might be, for His glory.
Pray for the missionary parents, that the Lord would enable them to manage the home schooling of their children until such time that there is extra help.
Pray that the Lord might raise up the right person/people with the character and skills necessary to serve the missionary families in future days.
Pray that the missionary children might trust in the Lord Jesus and grow to be His faithful servants.