(MADAGASCAR) Jesus, the Hope of Madagascar
- Sep 11, 2026
- 7 reads
\By James Lee
Acts 28:20b: “It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
I visited Madagascar with my wife, Josephine, from August 17–28. When we arrived at the airport in Madagascar, Sister Corry and Brother Andriatina welcomed us. Andriatina’s brother is Victor from Chicago UBF, who recently married.
On August 19, we went to the campus on foot and met seven students. They were all studying Economics and were very friendly. We preached the gospel to them in English, but communication was not smooth because their main language is Malagasy. Afterward, we met Corry to talk about her life and ministry, and we ate supper together. On August 20, we went to the campus and met a group of medical students. We sat together and studied John 10 about the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. We are like weak and blind sheep in this world. But Jesus said in John 10:10b and 11, “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
The students were under great stress because of the intense competition. The university recruited 2,200 first-year medical students, but the following year only 500 students would be selected through examinations. But we learned together that Jesus came to give us life and wants to give us life to the full. Since I do not know their language, Malagasy, I struggled to convey the meaning of God’s Word. But I shared it prayerfully, hoping that the Word of God might touch their hearts and give them a desire to have Jesus as their Shepherd in life. That afternoon, I studied Genesis 16:1–17:27 with Corry. In this passage, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, planting in him the vision of becoming the father of many nations.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Sewage flows in the streets, and trash is piled up in the city. There are no traffic lights at all. Students cannot eat their meals regularly. But their Christian history is long and deep. They translated the Bible into their own language, Malagasy, in 1820. There were also 14 martyrs for Jesus Christ in their history. The young population makes up 70 percent of the national population. The Lord Jesus will bless them because they love the Word of God and because most of them are young. During my visit to Madagascar, I caught a cold, but Josephine took care of me and helped me recover. Through my illness, I could also wake up spiritually and depend on God more.
On August 21, Josephine studied with Vivian, whom she had met on the campus last year. On August 23, it was Sunday, and I had planned to have a simple worship service with Corry and Brother Andriatina inside the campus. But we could not make it because of some circumstances that came up. In the afternoon, Josephine and I went to the campus and met Mendrika, who studies Economics. Josephine also met Sinah, whose major is also Economics. Sinah wants to continue studying the Bible.
The following day, Josephine met Sinah and had a long conversation to get to know each other. I met Anjaria, who studies Sociology. He said that both of his parents are teachers. We separated after I took his contact information. After this, we met three students who were very friendly. We offered them lunch at the student restaurant and listened to their struggles in life.
On August 26, we went to the campus on foot and met Corry. Josephine studied Genesis 1 with Sinah. Corry and I looked for some students who wanted to study the Word of God. We met Rado, who studies Biology, and he welcomed us. He is an orphan and a hardworking student. He finished his undergraduate course in Biology and plans to study for a master’s degree. He wanted to study the Bible online through WhatsApp. In the afternoon, we visited the company in the central town where Corry works.
On August 27, we visited the campus, and Corry took one day off and joined us. Josephine preached the gospel of Christ to some sisters. I studied Acts 28 with Corry. We were deeply moved by the Word in Acts 28:20b: “It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” Paul was rejected by his own people, the legalistic Jews, and was in chains. Once he didn’t know Jesus was the promised Christ, but the Risen Jesus came to him personally on the road of Damascus. He was in chains simply because he proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ.
The people of Israel had been waiting for the Christ who could save them from their misery. But when the Christ came, they rejected him, calling his followers the Nazarene sect. But Jesus is the Messiah according to Scripture, who saves us from our sins and death through his death on the cross and his resurrection. Jesus is the hope that Israel had been waiting for thousands of years. Jesus is the hope of this hopeless world today. In Rome, the prisoner Paul rented a house and proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. Corry and I prayed together that we must proclaim the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ, who is the hope of Madagascar and the hope of all young people at Antananarivo University. Then Jesus Christ surely will bless Corry’s life and many young people in Madagascar.
I was also invited by a youth Christian group made up of students from Antananarivo University. Every morning at 5:30 for six days, I shared Bible lectures with them from Acts 19 to Acts 28 and the book of 2 Timothy. We learned that in Ephesus, Paul discussed the Scriptures with his disciples daily for two years. Then God worked mightily, and all the Jews and Greeks in Asia heard the word of the Lord. Their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them. Those who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls and burned them in public. From 2 Timothy, we learned that we have to keep the good deposit of Jesus Christ in us with the help of the Holy Spirit. Finally, we learned that Jesus is the hope of Madagascar and the hope of Africa.
Prayer Topics
1. God may raise Corry as the Bible teacher and shepherd for Anta University.
2. God may continue to work and establish a united ministry team with Corry, Andriatina, Vivian, Sinah, and Rado.
3. God may help Brother Tsiory study in Japan for four years and return to Madagascar. At present, Tsiory is taking the necessary courses in Uganda to go to Japan, and Missionary Lukas Kim in Uganda is studying with him.
