Jurgen and Katja serve in Madagascar, reaching out to the Tanala people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Recently, on a long journey back to the capital, their car overheated and caused the coolant hose to completely burst, with another 11 hours left on the journey. Despite seeing a mechanic, the scorching heat meant that the problem kept recurring, but their son Dani, suggested asking the Lord for cold weather. Hardly had he prayed when the clear sky completely closed over with heavy rain clouds, and it began to rain, which is rarely seen. It kept raining, and every time there were clear skies further along the route, they would cloud over just as they arrived. Praise God for examples such as these of his constant care and answered prayers from hearts of faith. As they prepare to go home on leave, please pray for the preparations and for ongoing translation work and its dissemination. Ask the Lord to bless and equip the group of Malagasy evangelists who recently gathered from all different tribes and regions of Madagascar, and that through their labours, he will grow his kingdom there.

Jurgen and Katja Hofmann serve in Madagascar, reaching out to the Tanala people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. When they recently showed the Jesus Film in the villages of Midongy and Befotaka, the reactions were incredible as the Bible stories became clear to many. Please pray for the new brothers and sisters in Christ that they would shine and remain firm. Following Jesus is not easy when families fear ancestral punishment, and sorcerers are not happy about more Christians.

Jurgen and Katja Hofmann serve in Madagascar, reaching out to the Tanala people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ancestor worship and spirit veneration are deeply ingrained in the local culture and the spiritual battle is very real. Jurgen recently led a team of Malagasy Bible students on an outreach trip to the village of Maroamboka, where there are at least 15 witch-doctors, some known for cursing people to death. On the first day, a woman came asking for help because several people were very sick.  “Sick” can mean many things, but in this case, it was demonic possession. They found a young woman in her twenties, who had been perfectly healthy three days earlier, but was now unable to do anything but growl and was paralysed in the legs. During prayer, she started kicking, hitting, and contorting, but “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). After much prayer, the demons left. Within an hour, she was calm. She was placed under the supervision of a local believer, to teach her about the Lord Jesus, so she can follow Him instead of returning to ancestor worship. The next day, the group continued ministering to the other “sick” people, all of whom were freed in the same way! Praise the Lord that people are being released from a life of fear and are learning that freedom is only found in the Gospel.