Planting a church among the Mikea people of Madagascar is a dream of Malagasy missionary Pastor Jonoro and Korean AIM workers Dr Lee, Jae Hoon (Dr Jonathan Lee) and his wife, Park, Jae Yeon (Hannah).
This dream came one step closer to reality when a medical outreach team of 19, including 7 visiting Korean medical professionals, visited the Mikea in March this year. This team led by Dr Lee was part of AIM’s Mobile Medical Mission in Madagascar or the 4M project. The 4M project aims to reach unreached peoples and train Christian medical leaders to serve in those unreached areas. This supports AIM’s vision of “Christ-centred churches among all African peoples.”
This was Dr Lee’s fourth trip into the Anjabetrongo region to visit the Mikea. The team was focused on supporting an existing ministry of Pastor Jonoro, who has been reaching out to the Mikea for the past eight years.
Dr Lee said the Mikea are a people of the forest, deep in the heart of Madagascar. They are the second wave of people to live in the secluded forests. First were the Tomponala, or PreMikea, known as the “owners of the fores.” Modern day Mikea revere the Tomponala and believe the spirits of the Tomponala roam the forests today.
The Mikea include two ethnic groups, the Masikoro and Vezo. They fled into the forests to escape oppression from the kings in the pre-colonial days of Madagascar. Colonization and the subsequent formation of the Independent Malagasy Republic encouraged the Mikea to go deeper into the forest. As a result of this transition, they are described as a “fearful, uneducated, simple, shy and hiding people.”
“The life-style of the Mikea remained unchanged for centuries, with governments abandoning or simply ignoring them. The Mikea are an animistic people but have a concept of a creator god they call Zanahary.”
“Much has to be done to bring them to the full light of the gospel. Story telling proves to be the best method, since they are unable to either read or write.”
In March the team, comprised of mainly Korean medical professionals, made an adventurous four-wheel drive journey of about 1123km from the civilisation of the capiral city, Antananarivo, into the forests. During the journey the team joined with a Malagasy pastor, Parstor Jonoro, who has been ministering to the Mikea since 2003. Some of the team came by plane. Dr Lee said reaching the Mikea with the gospel of Christ is in its beginnings.
This team spent five days in the forest and focused on providing medical care, evangelistic outreach and some education programs for patients. In all there were 284 consultations, eight major surgeries, three micro-surgeries; 35 dental patients with 49 teeth extracted, and two circumcisions.
Dr Lee said the health of the Mikea visited by the team had deteriorated since a previous visit. This may be due to a food deficiency. Future plans include helping the Mikea to grow maize. Dr Lee said this challenge needed a lot of prayer; financial support and mission trips.
An anthropological conference before the trip into the forests helped the team understand the Mikea. However, there is need to get a deeper understanding of the Mikea worldview and culture, Dr Lee said.
August 2011
