Richard & Ruth Jertberg
Missionaries to Madagascar
Baptist Missions to Forgotten Peoples
December 2024
We are so thankful for many things during this thanksgiving season but are especially thankful for your prayers. We really need prayer as there are many transitions in progress and on the horizon (in housing/living, in ministry, in schedule, in school, in location, in socialization/friends, in family life). It is easy to struggle during transitions! We thank God for sustaining us and giving strength! Much has happened in the last few months. We feel like we have been constantly on the move with activities. We have had a pretty smooth adjustment to having a new baby. We were able to make the trip to Tana to apply for Jeremiah’s passport while my mom was still here to watch the kids. There were no problems, and we have received it back. We still need to get his visa, but it should not be too complicated according to what they tell us. While at the embassy, we met another missionary who told us about a pastors’ conference that they were doing in Nosy Be for the northern area of Madagascar. He invited each of us to teach a two-hour session. During the conference, Richard was able to teach a session on soulwinning, and I taught a session on child-raising. We were able to make some good contacts and have good conversations at the conference. There were people from all over the north of Madagascar. We were able find the locations of several church plant works that we had heard about here in Nosy Be. Richard went with some others and visited the works (the closest of which is 40 min away by car). Also, because of the conference and the information we learned, we feel even stronger that the area where we originally were thinking to work (the western side), is the area that is where God wants us. From where we are living now, we are 10-25 minutes in several directions from 4-5 different areas/towns that do not have a church. The work here is great, but we serve a great God who will give the strength that we need. We are not the smartest, most energetic, or most innovative people; but we are here; and we are willing to let God use us. Please pray for us to draw close to God each day that we would have something to give to others. Please also pray for the people in all these areas. There are so many lost people! We are looking for a location that we could meet to have an English class and Bible study. There are so many people interested in learning English; it would be a great outreach opportunity! Please pray that God would lead us to the right place. We are also looking for a more permanent place to live. We are thankful that Richard’s parents were able to visit and did not have any major mishaps while here. We were able to enjoy spending time with them for about 6 weeks and doing things together. During their visit, Richard and his dad went to the capitol and loaded our stuff onto a truck then drove the van up – a long trip. Sadly, all the furniture and stuff did not fit on the truck, so we are looking at finding a small truck to bring the last of the things. Please pray that we can get the stuff moved soon as rainy season is starting and the roads are rapidly deteriorating! Recently, we had water pouring into the garage and had to repack the whole thing to get the books out and dry them. We started school. We are getting a little of a late start, but we are going with the flow and working hard. It is a bit daunting to keep up with corrections and do pre-school as well as take care of 2 toddlers and a newborn. Many days, it takes both Richard and I all morning to do school and take care of the babies. We are thinking about either hiring someone to watch the babies or find a daycare/preschool for them during the mornings. Please pray for us as we do school each day. We are very excited that my sister Rebekah has decided to come back to Madagascar to help us with schooling. She was a tremendous help last time she was here, and we are looking forward to having her with us again! She is such a sweet young lady and is great with the kids, with babies, and with cooking (and with so much other things!). She is planning to come the first week of January! Our kids are growing up fast! Jeremiah is 17 lbs at 3 months old. We celebrated Grace’s 2nd birthday on Nov. 1st. Moriah is her normal energetic, mischievous self. Hadassah just lost her first two teeth. Kezia is enjoying her three kittens that her cat had. Abby is good at making bread and cinnamon rolls and is growing more beautiful every day. Nate is getting taller all the time and enjoying taking walks in the neighborhood. Sarah is 16 and is taking a duel enrollment class from Ambassador Baptist College. Matthew is 18 and is finishing up some subjects for 12th grade. We are thinking about the next step for him in going to college. The rest of the kids are still doing school and growing fast. In training our children and preparing them for life, we would like to take each of them on a missions’ trip to see a different ministry and some of the world. An opportunity to take Sarah on a mission trip has come up. A missionary friend of ours, church-planting in the Solomon Islands, is having a baby, due at the end of December – right near Christmas. We have decided to celebrate Christmas a little late so that we can take this opportunity to travel to the Solomon Islands. This will give Sarah an opportunity to see and participate in their ministry there while I go to deliver their baby. We were able to schedule the flights and layovers to give a little sight-seeing time in several countries along the way. Please pray that this trip would be a fun bonding time for Sarah and I. Please pray for us as we travel that everything would go smoothly. Please pray for the birth of the baby to go smoothly. Please pray for this to be a great experience for Sarah and that she would learn and grow through it. Please also pray for the rest of the family who will be here while we are gone. (Please see the attached letter that Sarah wrote.) We hope that you have a great thanksgiving and Christmas, and may God richly bless you as you have blessed others!
Prayer Requests: • Transitions for our family! • Find a location for an English class and Bible study • God’s Word to go out as we pass out tracts and talk to people • More permanent place to live • Transportation of the rest of the stuff from Tana soon • Good new school year • Wisdom in making decisions • Safety as we travel and a good mission trip for Sarah • Safe birth of the new baby • Souls to be saved
Praises: • Health and strength • We received Jeremiah’s passport • Safety on the roads • Made contacts at the conference • Rebekah coming to help us • Richard’s parents visited • The opportunity to go on a mission trip with Sarah • The privilege to serve God here
