Going to Madagascar was terrifying for many reasons. The main one was the language barrier. I speak English, and not really anything else. As those of you who read my blog know, I went to Montpellier earlier this year to brush up on my French – the language of the more educated and of the missionaries out in Mandritsara. Once I arrived, I realised just how limited my French actually was, and how much Malagasy was spoken in and around the hospital.
As the weeks went on, my French improved quite dramatically – I managed to spend time with English speaking doctors in the hospital, but there was another girl there from Switzerland who didn’t speak English, so we had to talk to each other in French. This was great, she was very patient with me and I carried around a dictionary on my ipod, so we were able to communicate pretty well!
Also, once a week there were bible studies for the missionaries – again in French. We were working through 1 Samuel, and for the first couple of weeks I had absolutely no idea what was going on. By the end of my visit however, it was really noticeable how much more I could understand.
But the really big thing that struck me out there with all the different languages was that all these people had a relationship with the same God. He transcends all languages and all cultures, and this was something I’d never had an opportunity to realise firsthand before. During the bible studies, if we were asked to read a section of the passage, everyone did so in the language of their bible – English, Dutch, German, Malagasy and French were all used. Prayers were said in any of these languages too, so even though I didn’t understand some of what was going on, they were still talking to the same God that I talk to when I pray in English. That’s pretty cool!
On one Saturday, we were having a ‘jolly Samedi’ (food, worship, chat, games etc) and 2 ½ year old Keziah announced she wanted to sing ‘My God is so big, so strong and so mighty…’ So we did. In English, French and Malagasy!
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing that he cannot do! (x2) The rivers are his, the mountains are his, the stars are his handiwork too, My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing that he cannot do!
Mon Dieu est si grand, si fort et si puissant, rien n’est impossible à mon Dieu! (x2) Les monts sont à lui, les lacs sont à lui, les cieux sont sa création. Mon Dieu est si grand, si fort et si puissant, rien n’est impossible à mon Dieu!
Andriamanitro, lehibe sy mahery, tsy misy tsy hainy atao! (x2) Ny ranomasina, ny tanety koa, ny lanitra azy avoko, Andriamanitro, lehibe sy mahery, tsy misy tsy hainy atao!
And just to finish – here’s a video I took at the children’s holiday bible club of the kids singing this song.
