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From Mystery to Miracles to Madagascar: Scribbled into my journal, dated 1996, were the accounts of two dreams that have turned out to be of great significance in the life of my family. The latter of the two made no sense to me at the time, as it was prophetic concerning a series of events that would occur over a seven-year time span, concluding in 2003. This dream ended with my family walking up a cement walkway leading us to a place across the Atlantic ocean named “Rock City.” Back then, my husband and I had no thoughts of entering a foreign mission field. Amazingly, in November 2003, we jubilantly stepped off a plane in Madagascar. The community where the airport is located is called “Ivato.” Confirmation of being in the perfect will of God embraced us as we learned that “Ivato” means, “The Rock.” I had indeed landed in “Rock City”! So, yes, God had declared to us through a dream seven years before that we would come to Madagascar thus “declaring the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10).
Madagascar, Here We Come! The break-through finally came one Sunday night as our pastor, Bro. Jonathan Suber of Bogalusa, LA., made a plea to the church asking them to give sacrificially and help us finish our required budget. After only fifteen minutes, $12,000 had been either given or pledged. All we could say was, “Wow!” The departure date was then set for only three weeks away! Amid my sense of thankfulness, I wondered how on earth were we to get everything ready in time? Our elation had us so caught up in the thrill and excitement of the moment that it left us with no comprehension of the trail of paperwork involved in getting us off the ground that quickly. Thankfully, God knows whom to place in our lives at the right moment. Brother Paul Suber, who had previously served as a missionary to Africa, took our ship by the helm and began to guide us through the sea of paperwork. Small Miracles, Large Miracles, More Paperwork There were still hurdles to overcome: ■ The first thing we learned from the travel agent was that it could take up to two months to obtain the required religious visas. We had just checked about three months earlier and had been told it would be two weeks, so this was quite a disappointment. Yet once again, the Lord miraculously stepped in and we did indeed have those visas in two weeks. ■ The quote of the cost of the airfare had gone up $700 in just a month. Again, “Poppy” Suber was instrumental in helping us through the process, managing to get those tickets $500 dollars cheaper than even the original, much-lower quote! Miracles, miracles, and more miracles! ■ Then there was insurance, international driver’s license, and on and on. It seemed the list of paperwork would never end. We just wanted to get on that plane to Africa. Besides the paperwork, there was one other issue still unresolved. We had tried unsuccessfully to sell our car. It didn’t help that the newspaper misprinted our ad. We had listed it as “great condition,” but the newspaper decided to add, “great condition, needs some repairs.” Needless to say, we didn’t receive one call from the ad. I questioned, “Lord, did You not want us to sell this car? It’s old. Just letting it set up while we are gone is not a good idea. Moreover, it is not paid for, and we need that money.” God, in spite of my worries, is always on time. One week before our departure date, I was having a “farewell” breakfast with a few of my coworkers in the hospital where I once worked. A friend overheard my conversation about needing to sell my car. She walked over and expressed interest. Today she is driving our Ford and I am in Madagascar. God is good all the time. He had worked another miracle for us, right on time! Wal-Mart…Target…we shopped them all to prepare for life in a country far different from the United States. From toothpaste to pepperoni that didn’t need refrigeration, I covered every aisle in those stores. As I stood looking at the enormous pile of things that must go with us, I cringed at the thought trying to fit all of it into the allotted ten suitcases. My husband and I began sorting through our clothing, reducing each stack again and again, and then again another time. (Thankfully, here in Madagascar, no one seems to mind us wearing the same clothing repeatedly.)
Launching
into the Unknown Except it was time for the Lord to perform yet another miracle. Due to our discounted tickets, we had one domestic flight and two international flights. Baggage weight for the domestic ticket was 50 lbs. The baggage weight for the international tickets was 70 lbs. We compromised at 60 lbs. Yes, we could have paid the extra charge, but God took care of that, too. The fees on the domestic ticket were waived and all 10 pieces were checked through to Madagascar. We were thrillingly counting our blessings. I had always wondered how I would feel airborne, as I had never flown before. Would I be nervous, scared, or even get sick? Well-meaning friends told me everything from “it’s the only way to travel” to “when I get in the air, all I can think about is getting back on the ground.” Here is my journal record of my first flight, from Baton Rouge to Atlanta: “I cannot believe it. We are finally in the air! Flying is not half as bad as I imagined it to be. So far…beautiful skies. We are living our destiny! It is almost too much to comprehend. The tears have come, though few they have been. I cannot feel sorrowful when I am walking in our calling. The kids are tolerating this first flight well.” There were a few more miracles to come on this adventure. After we boarded the plane in Atlanta for Paris, an announcement warned us that we would all have to return to the terminal. It seemed this airplane had some mechanical difficulty. I knew we had a two-hour layover in Paris. I began to question, “Would we miss our connecting flight?” As more prayer went up, a calm assurance began to envelop me. Sure enough, we landed in Paris with all of 15 minutes to get through security and onto that next plane. I was quite a sight to behold as I immediately ran to the front of the line at the Air France counter and explained to a gentleman that our plane was due to leave in 10 minutes. After he made a phone call, he turned back to me and said, “They will hold the plane, but you must hurry!” My insides were boiling with exasperation as the French security took their time digging through every bag, asking what every little item was. Suddenly, this nice gentleman walked up and asked if we were the five people for whom they were holding the plane. I immediately assured him we were. He then got our bags and told us to follow him. There was no doubt in my mind that God had sent an angel. Can you imagine all five of us with our five carry-on pieces of luggage, running behind this man through the Paris airport? We didn’t care. We just wanted to get on that plane! The next Air France plane did not leave for Madagascar for two more days. And we made it! Our luggage, however, didn’t. It did arrive on the plane that came in to Madagascar two days later. For that, we were most thankful.
Living the
Missions Dream When they enter to worship, the Malagasy are on their knees with their faces to the cement floor. And their wooden benches certainly weren’t intended for comfort. But that’s okay, too, as they don’t stay seated for long in their exuberant worship! You can hear them crying out to God long before you enter the building. Their harmony makes the angels stop and listen. They may live in cement or clay brick houses and cook outside on charcoal, but at the altar service they surely serve up tremendous praise to their Lord Jesus. Most altar services are at least an hour long, with everyone in the building at the altar. A friendlier or more loving people you cannot find anywhere. As far as material possessions, they own none. When it comes to eternal possessions, they’ve found the key! Brother Chris and Sister Paula Richardson are our Host Missionaries. They have seen to our every need, leading and guiding us all along the way. They have given much of their time, energy, and effort to help us get settled. (They even created a web page on their website just for us.) My husband and I are both humbled that God has allowed us this opportunity to serve Him in the beautiful island of Madagascar. Please keep us in your prayers as we endeavor to fulfill God’s calling upon our lives.
ninetyandnine.com © 2003, Danan Benson --------- Danan Benson is thankful to be in Madagascar. Her daughter Hannah is already planning a visit to Taco Bell upon their return to the States. |
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