Our First Glimpse!

Lots of firsts for us in Madagascar!

 It is winter here, which is the dry season, and the weather is very cold. Our home is concrete, and does not have heat so it is always warmer outside of our home than inside.  We had quite a bit of adjusting to do (especially our stomachs), and some house maintenance to complete before I was able to make myself at home here, but after a good cleaning, fixing some light bulbs, fixing the toilet, fixing the washer, fixing the hot water heater, and buying some blankets we are now feeling quite at home:)
The smells of Madagascar were another thing that I had to get use to! Lets just say there is a mix of many smells, but the strong ones are urine, poop, body odor, smoke, and dust.  The majority of  Malagasy live on less than $1 a day and they have had very little to no education on sanitation! That means it is very common to see people urinating and defecating along side of the road! And they definitely don't use toilet paper! This also leads to the very thing that I have not figured out how to cope with yet, the beggars! They are cute little kids, that come to you in swarms, they surround your car, and they look you in the eye and ask for money! It is sad! I cried more than a few times knowing that I would not be able to change their situations. They are truly in need, many have illnesses, and there is no health care for these people! Their clothes are filthy and torn. Many Malagasy walk the sewage filled roads with no shoes! Life for the Malagasy is very hard!


I know that this post is pretty dreary, and the reality is that life here is going to be filled with these things, and they will only be intensified as we move away from the city after studying the language. However I am very thankful to be able to be here among these people! I am humbled, and encouraged to live my own life without so much greed in my heart! Just the little that I have experienced that, makes my heart full and satisfied! God has truly blessed us! I am so thankful for my family and friends at home. I have received many encouraging words and messages from you and it makes me feel as though you guys are right here with me on this journey!  I can't wait to learn the language fully, and to be able to see some of you serving right along side of us in Madagascar!

 Who wants fish??

 A day in the market!

                                   

 Kids are so cute here!

  We paid only .20 Cents for 2.2 pounds of carrots!

CARE PACKAGES!

Some of you have inquired on how to send us a package and what we need while we are in Madagascar. I understand more fully now after arriving in Madagascar why these packages are so wonderful!

Here are some things to consider if you are thinking about sending a package. The most cost efficient way to send something is by using the flat rate boxes from your local post office.  It is a bit expensive so grab a friend, family member, small group, or church to go in with you, we have been told it is approx $55 to send the large box, and that it takes anywhere from 2-8 weeks to get here. When you are asked to declare the value of items in the package on the customs form, please put Garage sale prices. They determine what we pay to pick up the package off of that number.

Below is a list of things that we thought we would be able to get here, but have not been able to.
(people have asked us for detailed lists, so please know that we would be happy with anything and surprises are great, but we added detail for those who have asked)

Crystal Light
Dental Floss
Shampoo- Any kind is better than what you can get here!
Conditioner- Any kind
Lotion
Vitamins
Body Wash
Chapstick ( Vanilla Mint is Holly's favorite, but I think you can only find it at wal-greens)
Pepto Bismol Tablets
Bug Spray with DEET
Starbursts
Oreos
Beef Jerky
ziplock baggies 
Any kind of baking chips(butterscotch, chocolate, white chocolate)
Velveeta or imitation cheese that comes in the block to melt down( This is obviously a Kurtis Request:)

Our Address Is:
Kurtis & Holly Jones
B.P. 268
110 Antsirabe
Madagascar

Good Morning Madagascar!

 We safely arrived in Madagascar yesterday afternoon with very few issues!  We were able to get all of our luggage, which was questionable after our experience in the states.  I must say that the roads and traffic here are an experience!  I was riding in the passenger side of the truck with Matt, our team leader, and I couldn't tell you how many people, vehicles, scooters, and bikes that we come so close to and it didn't even phase him!  We both woke up super early this morning, still dealing with jet lag, and had time to spend with the Lord.  If you know me at all you know that I don't really enjoy getting up too early in the morning, but this morning was different.  I actually wanted to get up, go out on our balcony, and just see the people we came here to be with and share the love of Christ with.  I just stood there watching them, praying for them, and just seeing what life looks like here in the city of Tana.  Below is the view from our balcony this morning!