Mark and Aimee Phillips, along with their three children, live in the port city of Toamasina in Madagascar. They are working to plant churches among the Betsimisaraka people of eastern Madagascar. They strive to share the Gospel with the Betsimisaraka people in their own language, which is Malagasy, and to disciple new believers.
Mark said, “The main barriers that hinder Malagasy people from accepting Christ are their ancestral worship and the extreme poverty in which they live. Traditional ancestral beliefs and the cultural Christianity that has been fused with them are great challenges. Also, many activities are either driven by a desire to escape poverty or by fear of offending their ancestors.”
Mark and Aimee partner with existing churches, so they can one day see the Betsimisaraka people sending missionaries of their own to the ends of the earth. This takes patience and prayer, but the payoff is big.
“We prayed that God would stir the hearts of our partner churches with a desire to share the Gospel,” Mark said. “Many came to our training on evangelism. Then, the churches in town decided together to begin intentional evangelism in a village just north of town. They began to faithfully share together in this village every month. They have seen fruit as some have accepted Christ! Praise God for the work He is doing through churches in Madagascar to reach their own people!”
Mark and Aimee asks prayers for them and the people of Madagascar. Pray all the churches and believers of Madagascar will catch a vision to reach their own people with the Gospel. Please pray God would show the Phillips family the best way to take the Gospel to the Betsimisaraka people, who live in the dense rainforest. Pray God’s truth will break through the traditional ancestral beliefs of the Betsimisaraka and the cultural Christianity that has been fused with them.
Because of the generous giving of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative Program, an amazing array of ministries are supported. This unified giving encourages fellowship with other believers all over the world. Collectively, Oklahoma Baptists are advancing the Gospel together.
Mark and Aimee Phillips are featured in the 2023 Missionary Prayer Guide for Oklahoma Baptists. For more information about the Cooperative Program, visit oklahomabaptists.org/cp.
