Indy NMI Blog

I wrote a devotional the other day on the concept of taking sacred downtime, and I wanted to share it with you.  If you’re like me, you are probably in serious need of some sacred downtime.  And if you’re not like me, but you live in the modern world, or better yet you are in full-time ministry in the modern world or serving in a cross-cultural context in this modern world, chances are you are in need of some sacred downtime, so I hope this connects with you… Lately I’ve been noticing that when I get so busy, I don’t drink enough water.  What reminds me of this is that I get thirsty.  You know, “they” say that when you’re thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  So, by the time I gulp down a big glass of water, I’m doing something good for my body, but it is sort of out of desperation, and my body is still thirsty shortly after.  I’m behind.  I should be drinking so that I don’t get thirsty.  Taking any kind of downtime, let alone sacred downtime, is sort of like this for me.  I feel by the time I finally take that time, I’m in a place where I have already desperately needed it, and my thirst is not quite quenched.  Some of you have gotten better at this the longer you’ve served or the longer you’ve been in ministry.  Or maybe you’ve gone in phases where you’ve had some seasons where you are regularly taking the…
Source: Sacred downtime from Scotts – Eurasia

Our first congregation in Morondava and their building. From April 10-13, Ronald took a quick trip to Morondava, which is south of the capital of Antananarivo by about 14 hours’ drive. In terms of distance, it is only about 800 kilometers, or 500 miles, but our roads aren’t the greatest, so it takes quite long to drive there. Having said that, Ronald assured me that the roads are “not that bad” getting there. Hmmm…For many years, we have had 1 church in Morondava and in recent years a second one was planted. Both of these churches are pastored by women. Pst. Baku was one of our first ordained elders on the district and she has a very strong presence and is leading the first congregation in Morondava. Many years ago–around 2005–volunteers came from the USA and helped to build the church in Morondava on a very large piece of property that we bought. Conditions are harsh in Morondava with sweltering heat, oppressive humidity and, of course, the pounding sun that we get almost every single day of the year here in Madagascar. The church, while built well, is now starting to show signs of wear and tear 15 years down the road. Paint is peeling, concrete floors are in need of attention, etc. A view from the car window–baobab treeHowever, Ronald did not just go down there to look at the old building. The congregations there have been expressing a desire to continue with a media project they have started…
Source: Ronald's Trip to Morondava from Ronald & Shelly Miller

LoveWorks team plus Ronald and AbigailSince our arrival in Madagascar 4 1/2 years ago, we have hosted many teams. We have generally hosted teams largely dominated by adults, meaning people out of college. Twice now, we have hosted teams that consist solely of college students.For the last three weeks, we have hosted a LoveWorks Team from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, Ca. This 11-member team consisted of 9 students and two adult staff from Point Loma, both veterans of other LoveWorks Teams to other parts of the world. The students were from varying fields of study, with several of them having just finished their freshman year.Ministering in Nosy Be with our church leadersThroughout their 3 weeks here, they got the opportunity to see many sides of Madagascar and also experience many different types of ministry while they were here. They left immediately for the far north and a place called Nosy Be, which is a popular European tourist destination, but also the heart of our child prostitution that is so common up there. Apparently, the child prostitution is so common that parents start calling their daughters “prostitute” around the age of 10-12. It is almost an expected profession for those young girls in order to help out their, generally, destitute families.The team commented often on how dark of a place Nosy Be was in spite of its amazing beauty, perfect beaches and sprawling resorts. Condoms in the rooms of the hotels, hiring of prostitutes out in the open,…
Source: LoveWorks Team from Ronald & Shelly Miller