Mission Madagascar

It is 25 years since my late wife Sheila and I visited Madagascar to assist in the foundations of a new hospital building in the village of Mandritsara. My original intention was to make brief notes each day as a personal reminder of all that happened and of any amusing incidents during our brief stay in Madagascar at the end of 1996. Once I started, however, it was easier just to let the words flow and tell the stories as they happened, and it quickly became a daily journal. I kept thinking that soon I would be able to stop because there would be nothing new or different to write about. Some hope! Every day was different, often full of funny goings-on (ha-ha and peculiar), a few of which I have left out to protect other people''s feelings.

Each day Sheila would look forward to reading the instalment, and I knew our hosts were itching to find out what I had written, especially when they realised there was a chance of publication to a wider audience.

If you are one of the "stars" of the journal, please do not take offence at anything I have said. It has been done in love and with great gratitude for the life-changing experiences we both had in our short time on the magical island of Madagascar.

Much of this book is my impression of what I have seen and heard. I sincerely hope you will enjoy it as much as I have had and that all readers will be better informed about life on the mission field, as seen by an outsider.