All the Way to Nosy Mitsio!

Chuck Rapp, a member of the CP Global Impact Team, is on a journey that may seem difficult to some but the rainbow at the end is his grandchildren. Chuck is taking us with him so you are in for a treat–and all from the comfort of home. I don’t think Chuck and Pam are in for many creature comforts for a couple of weeks.

Day 1 – The Journey Begins

What would possess a couple of near senior citizens to travel halfway around the world to spend a week in a remote area of an under-developed nation? Grandchildren, of course! Oh, and by the way, their parents, too.

Pam and I left Sunday, May 8 to visit Liam (7), Kailin (5), and Gwen (3) and Angie Rapp Mayle and her husband, Shawn. Our two weeks will be split nearly evenly between travel and time with family. This will be by far the most challenging journey we’ve ever experienced, traveling all the way to Nosy Mitsio, an island 20 miles off the northwest coast of Madagascar where we will enjoy reuniting with our family … in the context of a week of primitive camping.

Day 2 – The Mayle’s mission

Yesterday I shared what is taking Pam and me to Nosy Mitsio. But, what took the Mayles there in the first place?

Following over a decade of nursing studies and careers as critical care nurses, Angie and Shawn began to feel a call to global missions. Both of them had multiple experiences growing up with missions trips and international travel. Shawn served on several of his church teams to Jamaica, and Angie – among other things – spent two weeks as a 15 year old on a medical missions trip on the Amazon River.

Over a period of about two years they prayed for direction, sought counsel, and investigated opportunities. Their hearts were soon drawn to Africa. Ultimately they sought membership with Africa Inland Mission (AIM). http://us.aimint.org/ AIM’s first missionaries were sent out in 1895, so they have a rich heritage and lots of experience to draw upon.

Preparation and raising prayer and financial support consumed over a year, and following their family farewell tour (featuring many hugs and not a few tears), they left for Madagascar in November, 2014. Fittingly, I was in India leading a Connection Pointe trip on the day they flew out.

Their team of 10 adults (now 7) are serving and learning together in AIM’s TIMO (Training in Ministry Outreach) program. During this 2+ year term they are learning how to be missionaries in sort of an “on the ground” laboratory. Thus far they have completed 4 of 6 training modules while learning the local dialect of the Malagasy language, building relationships with the native people, homeschooling, and living incarnationally among the Antakarana people (more on this people group coming soon).