The Linley family live and work in Mandritsara, Madagascar. We asked Phoebe (9); Jonah (7) and Barnaby (3) their thoughts on living in Madagascar.
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Where do you live? Can you describe it for us?
Barney: Here.
Phoebe: In Mandritsara, Madagascar. It is green in the wet season, brown in the dry season. It’s hot and often there is no water in the taps.
Jonah: It’s hot and at the moment it is very muddy because there was a cyclone. I love taking my clothes off and playing in the rain! We drive in a Land Rover and the roads are very bumpy. I hope Mummy doesn’t crash into any more motorbikes!
What is the food like?
P: Most people here eat rice all the time but we are able to buy other things too like pasta so we eat similar things to in England. We don’t eat the pork here because we might get worms. I like eating fried crickets, they are really nice!
J: Nice. My favourite food is spaghetti bolognese. The mangoes and lychees here are awesome!
B: I love the rice!
Voice of the Good News Radio station
Stella is a presenter at the Voice of the Good News Radio station in Mandritsara, part of the Good News Hospital project.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 90% of people living on less than £1.50 per day. In addition, a recent cyclone has destroyed houses, roads and rice crops whilst huge swathes of forest are burnt down for grazing land, or to appeal to ancestral spirits. Sickness and diseases such as malaria and plague are on the increase, and swarms of locusts are eating up whole fields of crops. Many people are in desperate need.
These challenges are not new, which is why it’s so important that the country is governed by those who are committed to helping Madagascar grow and develop. Please pray that Madagascar’s politicians would not seek to serve themselves, but rather that they would seek to serve the people of Madagascar and do what is right for the nation. Pray also that Malagasy Christians would act, the churches are always full…but no-one does anything. The people may be in church, but their hearts are not; they are in church on Sunday, and off to see the diviners on Monday.
What’s it like living in another country, telling people about Jesus?
P: I think it is easier here for me as I go to a Christian school and my teachers are Christians.
J: I love living in Madagascar. When I am in England I get homesick.
What is school like?
J: I go to ‘proper school’ in the mornings which is in French and I have lots of friends. I like to play outside in the sand with my friends at break time (we are not allowed to run about in case we get injured). In the afternoons I have homeschool. It’s hard but fun. I like it when Daddy teaches geography. We are learning about the weather.
P: School is difficult, but I have good friends. I like homeschool because it is very different and I can understand every word!
What do you get asked most by friends and family at home?
P: People don’t really ask me much.
J: What is school like in Madagascar?
Do you go to church?
B: Yes.
J: Yes. It is long and in Malagasy so I don’t understand it, but I am happy if I can sit next to my friends. At the end of church we shake hands with everyone there.
P: Yes. It is in Malagasy. I like the singing. During the sermon I am allowed to read something. I often read a whole book! We also have ‘Kids Church’ in English on a Sunday afternoon with the other missionary families, and we all eat a big meal together afterwards.
Where do you want to live in the future?
J: I would like to live in a whole new world called arakarauygj9hj
P: I’m not sure yet.
B: Antarctica (Barney is a big fan of penguins!)
Do you have any favourite Bible verses or stories?
P: ‘…do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself….’ (Matt. 6:34) I like this verse because it helps me when I’m worried about exams coming up at school.
J: Moses before Pharaoh, and God saying ‘let my people go’, and the 10 plagues.
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