New update from Ryan

To my beloved church family and friends,

We are now finishing our first day of teaching and I don’t know who is more exhausted, us, or the people! Today we taught from 8:30 until 5,

with only a one hour lunch break. We taught on the nature of the

Bible (one class on “Revelation, Inspiration, and Illumination” and a second class on “the sufficiency and the authority of Scripture”) and also did an introduction to the entire Bible. I taught in intro the OT, and Bob and Dave covered all the NT books. It was a long day, but I hope that it was very profitable.

Please be in prayer for our translator, David. He is a believer and is doing a WONDERFUL job, but it is exhausting work. Where we get to share the teaching load, and can take a break, he is the only one

translating- so everything we teach, he has to teach as well! Plus, he has to take our broken, stumbling English and attempt to bring it into another language! Again, pray for this dear brother.

Also, be in prayer for the size of the group we are teaching to.

Originally, there were to be 80 pastors at this conference, but currently our group is just a little more than 20. Many of the pastors are gone at this time, as the country vacations the week after Easter. We are not discouraged, but we simply desire as many Malagasies as possible to be exposed to this teaching. In talking with our coordinator, Julian, the country is in desperate need.

Julian told us that as many as 80% of the pastors in the churches are, most likely, not saved! The country also suffers from severe poverty and crime, and desperately needs the Word of God to invade this place.

So please join with us in praying that more people would attend the conference.

That said, the group that was here today appear to be very like minded. As I taught on the Sufficiency and Authority of Scriptures, many of the people were very affirming of what was said and accepted eagerly Jesus’ challenge to build their life on the truth of God’s

Word (Matt. 7). I found the same things in my OT seminar, especially

as I explained the story of redemption. So, pray for these faithful

brothers and sisters, that our teaching would encourage them to greater faithfulness.

As far as our living conditions and the care for us, we have been tremendously blessed. Again, the house we are staying in is very comfortable. The weather has been in the 70s and the elevation has greatly reduced the amount of insect activity- two nights without the mosquito net and no problems! So, we thank you for all of your prayers- God is caring for us (and even pampering us pansies!) :) Seriously, we so appreciate all of your prayers. We’ve had a strong sense of God’s presence and care and have really been encouraged by each other and our time in the Word.

Again, pray for the sessions, for endurance for all of us and that the Spirit would take the Word of God and exalt our Lord and Savior through our teaching of His truth.

In the care and blessing of Christ,

Pastor Ryan