Dear colleagues,   

It is with grave concern that I write to you with news from our sister Church in Madagascar. In the last two weeks, Tropical Cyclone Ava has caused huge devastation on the islands, with an estimated 54,000 people displaced by flooding, heavy rain and high winds. Many homes and buildings have collapsed or been badly damaged, with at least 16 schools completely destroyed. Some towns remain flooded and the phone network is down, which makes communicating with those in the most vulnerable places extremely difficult.   Bishop Jean Paul said “Many churches were destroyed. We cannot move, we stay here waiting for reparation. People need food, clothes and building materials.”  Archbishop James of the Anglican Church of the Indian Ocean has written to me asking for both our prayers and for whatever financial help we may be able to give in order to help them recover from this very serious environmental disaster. He reminds us of Acts 11:27-30:  

“Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”   

So I write to ask you, please, to consider donating whatever you can to help our brothers and sisters in Madagascar – and to ask that you offer a collection towards this fund from one of your worship services over the coming weeks.   

With huge thanks for your generosity and for your partnership in mission,  

Bishop Trevor