Celeb Status

The first week we were here Domoina told us we had been invited to the installation of the president of Madagascar's Lutheran Church. She said it was a big deal and we needed to wear something nice. Seeing as neither Megan nor I are Lutheran we didn't really understand what this event was or what his position entailed. All that was relayed to us was "it's like he's the pope of the Lutheran Church of Madagascar". Um okay?

So fast forward a little... a family friend named Pastor David and his wife came in town to stay with Dr Harison and Domoina this past week. Scarlet has met both of them before bc he used to be the Bishop of Antsirabe so it was fun to have a mini reunion every morning at the kitchen table! We slowly put two and two together that Pastor David was the one who was being installed as the new president this weekend. He seemed totally normal and we frequently saw him lounging in his PJs so I didn't think that he was too big of a deal.

 The installation was in Tana so Domoina helped Meg, Scarlet and I get everything ready last week. We bought Meg and Scarlet dresses at the local market and then the three of us all borrowed shoes from Domoina and her mom. Somehow we all found shoes that fit perfectly!! We were packed and ready to head to the capital on Sunday. The event started at 10am and it's a 3-4hr drive so we left Antsirabe at 5am so that we would buffer any potential problems! 

As we got into the city, it started to become apparent that this was a bigger event than I expected. Domoina told us we would be sitting up front as guests of honor "bc we are white" and there were two other US pastors coming in town for the event. Pastor Jeff and his wife recently moved to Kenya for mission work and then Pastor Albert lives in the US and travels to events like these to show support. 

**side note: her comment about why we are guests of honor was translated wrong and we later found out it was bc we are foreigners and so our attendance would elevate the event and make it more important in the minds of the Malagasy**

We arrived outside a large outdoor amphitheater where people were swarming in and we were told to walk down the road to the side entrance. There were lots of Boy and Girl Scouts helping to direct traffic and I found out that this was how Domoina and Dr Harison met back in the day! They were both Scouts! We walked down the road to the other entrance and that's when I realized it was the VIP entrance...

The stairs were lined with Scouts staring at the vazahas and when we got to the bottom we were escorted into the amphitheater by ladies dressed in very fancy dresses. As we turned the corner and saw the crowd I knew this was much bigger than I ever imagined. There were at least 6000 people or more filling into the seats. 

We were escorted to our seats which were literally front row center. Our posse included Midera and his girlfriend, Dr Harison, Pastor Al, Pastor Jeff and his wife Michele, Domoina, myself, Eleanor (here to translate), Scarlet and Meg. The installation started promptly at 10am and lasted a mere 4.5 hours.... 

The service began with a long explanation of the voting process bc there is so much corruption in politics here and the vote was a close one. You have to have a 2/3 majority to win and it took 4 times before Pastor David finally came away with the victory. Then they also spent a while justifying the secretary position bc a women had been elected. She was the first women ever elected to be in the governing board and it was clearly a hot topic. 

There were lots of speeches to congratulate the new board and then the Lutheran church service began. In Madagascar, the typical Sunday service lasts 3hrs so fortunately they modified it so the event didn't last too long... but they didn't cut back on the singing! There were probably 600 choir members who were behind us and did a fantastic job with the hymns and songs. Eleanor and I used Domoinas hymnal to sing along and I was able to practice my Malagasy!

The event ended with the benediction of Pastor David and his wife. They received metals and certificates while paparazzi snapped all of the pictures. 

Which reminds me... the entire service was broadcast live nationwide. So every time the press would run up to the front to snap a pic of the action on stage, they would also turn around and snap a picture of us! We're waiting to see if we make it into the local newspaper but Domoina got lots of texts saying we were on TV several times during the live broadcast!! 

Since we are VIP and now apparently famous, we loaded up in the cars and drove across town to the reception. WHOA SO FANCY! This place looked like it belonged in a country club in the US. The building itself was beautiful and it overlooked the city. 

The reception was catered with a delicious 4 course meal and we were entertained by the full choir. They sang traditions Lutheran songs in Malagasy and then all of the sudden turned it up and sang gospel music the rest of the night.

About midway through the reception, Pastor David got up to make a speech and to introduce the two visiting US pastors. After he introduced them, he also decided to introduce Scarlet, Meg and I BY NAME! He knew our names!! I'm shocked bc we his English is limited and we maybe spoke a handful of times, mostly about food! He explained we are students working in Antsirabe and providing free healthcare to the Malagasy people.

Pastor David is the man and I can't wait to hear all about what he does these next few years! He has such an amazing sense of humor and is very humble so I pray good things come his way! (PS- pic is from brunch Monday AM when he joined us at a local cafe before his flight) 

 

Daily devotion: Isaiah 51:16

 “And I have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” -Isaiah 51:16

This was one of the scriptures read during the inauguration. It was meant as encouragement for Pastor David as he takes office. "Don't be afraid, God is with you and will be there the whole time. Rely on Him when the going gets hard." I thought it rang true not only for his next journey but also for anyone headed to an unknown future. Prayers go to Pastor David and his wife as they take on this major responsibility.