Tour in the interior of Madagascar
We started our journey early in the morning. The sky was a pale orange with the driver loading the jeep with the bare essentials. Ready to go. Our tour was well and truly going to last a week. From what I had heard, the journey would be pleasant except that, after dark, there would be danger in the Abusitra area from bandits as we crossed the mountains. We set out with the help of God the Bishop of Madagascar, our guide Jean Tettien, our translator Mr. Samuel, Diakos Alexios and the writer. As soon as we left the area where the base of the Diocese is from Alasura, nature began to unfold like a painting with rivers bursting out of the mountains and joining in the small valleys where ducks, geese, birds of various species and colours were having a rendezvous. Beautiful trees with strange fruits and berries that I was seeing for the first time in my life. I was thinking that this is probably what heaven would look like.
After some kilometres, the first mud huts and the poverty of the tribe of the area began to appear. All of them ragged, barefoot working in the countryside to make a living, which most of the time was not enough for everyone. The emaciated children from starvation with bloated bellies from worms followed their parents barefoot and with little ragged clothing to hope for the bare minimum to satiate their hunger. A pain shot through my heart and my stomach tightened as if someone had hit me with force. The beauty of nature did not match the ugliness of poverty. A poverty that the powerful of the earth ignore. Willfully indifferent. They don’t care if there are souls suffering from disease or lack of food. They only care about the power they have or someone has granted them to make it bigger and stronger.
Absorbed in my thoughts, I was surprised that the driver stopped on the side of the road. The Bishop asked him to rest a little and took the driver’s seat. He was pained and concerned for his flock. A simple pastor with an unfailing love for his flock. With pain of soul he would monologue as he watched the poor brothers of Christ suffer from poverty and kept saying “We have to go through, bring clothes and food for the people here, it’s a shame, we have to do something. We need to start providing them with health care, I’d like to get them schools, give them some joy to …” He wants to put his life entirely at the service of his flock, because he doesn’t stop at words but does deeds. Works, not for worldly glory but for the glory of God. He sacrifices himself for the Love of the great Shepherd of our Christ. Here God’s commandment “Help one another” is applied to the full. We arrived in Fianatatsua 450 kilometers away from the base of the diocese. There is the parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. We were to stay overnight at the missionary center, because the night had already cast its veil and we were all tired from the journey. It would have been dangerous to continue. The next day we would start very early in the morning for our final destination which was another 300 km. Morning was not long in coming, it was a day of joy. I am sure that the Angels had already set up a dance with guitars and trumpets to welcome the newly baptized souls of the people who would be baptized after the catechism that had preceded it in the previous months. The font was set up in the middle of the Sanctuary and the Sacrament of Baptism began. There were about thirty people, young and old, who were being baptized.
We left immediately because we were to continue our journey to Jussi. There the feast of St. George was to be celebrated since their church was dedicated to the Saint. We arrived late in the afternoon and visited the church where Father Sevastianos was waiting for us. Unfortunately, there is no missionary centre there either; but I am not worried about that, because I appeal to anyone who reads this article to contribute in the best possible way to make missionary centres, in order to facilitate the work of the missionaries and of the priests here who travel hundreds of kilometres to preach Christ in the most remote part of Madagascar. Such a missionary base can be used both as an outpatient clinic and as a shelter in the hurricanes that hit the island very often. So I am sure that you will respond with your love for the poor brothers and sisters of Christ. This trip to the mainland made me realize how many needs there are here and how much we can all give to them without depriving ourselves of any of the goods that the Holy God richly gives us.
Evangelia Nyktari
