Going the extra mile in Madagascar

On the surface, Hanta makes for an unusual missionary. A daughter of farmers from outside Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, she first became interested in telling others about Jesus through seeing her sister’s commitment to sharing the Gospel.

Having been accepted to join an upcoming Operation Mobilisation (OM) outreach in the town of Manakara, every Saturday Hanta meets with the other participants for ministry training. Unlike them though, she walks five hours to get there.

Her commitment to see God’s kingdom grow has been noticed by the team of OM workers, who are excited to meet someone with Hanta’s enthusiasm.

They are also encouraged to know that she is one of a growing number of Madagascans who have a burden to see their fellow islanders repent and turn to Christ.

For her part, Hanta remains humble about the courage and love she displays in ‘going the extra mile’. “I would like to grow in my service to God,” she says.

Hanta’s journey to the evangelism training doesn’t just involve walking however; she also has to take a bus to arrive at the meeting’s location.

To offset the expense of this travel and to raise funds for the eventual cost of the outreach, Hanta has been selling some of the ducks she owns.

In addition to equipping local Christians for evangelistic outreaches, OM workers are involved in numerous ministries around this island nation.

These include teaching pastors about God’s Great Commission and partnering with churches to promote prayer for world mission.

Madagascar is one of over a hundred countries around the world where 6,000 OM workers are sharing their faith.