In recent years, DreamWorks Animation SKG® made the island nation of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa, very popular. Today, Madagascar is an example of the great things that God is doing through Royal Rangers. In 2004, Missionary Nate Lashway moved his family to Africa and learned to speak French and Malagasy (their native language). His heart was to help churches minster effectively to children. Little did he know his background in Rangers would be so helpful in his mission.
Africa: Madagascar
Royal Rangers Around the World
by Nate Lashway
Assemblies of God Missionary to Madagascar
In 2004, I came to Madagascar to target basic children's ministry training. Most churches had no idea how to minister to their children effectively. In early 2006, Pastor Laurent, the pastor of the largest Assemblies of God church in Madagascar asked me what I could tell him about Royal Rangers? I told him that it was a great program for reaching boys that I had run effectively in the states in several churches. I also expressed to him my doubts that it would work well in Madagascar since children's ministry itself was so new. He asked me if I had any books he could review. I went home and found a very dog-eared English version Pioneers handbook that I gave him. Soon after that I returned to the United States on furlough. During my absence, Doug Marsh and Andy Whitman held the first Africa Summit in Kenya, and Pastor Laurent and Pastor Hery (a pastor of the second largest church on our island) attended the conference with missionary Manny Prabhudas.
On my return, these two pastors had already begun a rudimentary Rangers ministry and had been receiving some help with camping skills from a German Rangers leader who was volunteering for a few months in Madagascar. In consultation with Andy Whitman, I began teaching some basic Ranger principles, meeting techniques, and how to work with children. The Madagascar Royal Rangers program is severely hampered by language. All Rangers material and program discs are in English so each course, training, and outpost meeting plan must be painstakingly translated into the Malagasy language. Amazingly, this has not slowed down the work here. Several outposts have gone on ministry hikes into the countryside to just randomly be Jesus to local villagers and help make bricks alongside villagers, or help out in fields with farmers, or play games with local children. All the time these Rangers were wearing their uniforms and sharing Jesus.
In another instance a large group of Rangers led by Pastor Hery went to a nearby village for an intentional evangelism. When they arrived, the younger Rangers began to play and draw the village children into games while the elder villagers watched. The older Rangers 12 years and older had practiced their testimonies and all began to go door to door in the village and invite people to come to the center of the village for a special meeting. By the end of the day over 130 people accepted Jesus and a new church was planted in the village.
This past Spring we were able to attend the second Africa Summit in Malawi. What an encouragement to see what God is doing across Africa. Back in Madagascar we are still working on translating the vast amount of materials required to run the Rangers program as intended, but Rangers is alive and well. Currently, we have five pilot outposts with over 500 Royal Rangers involved. This coming year at least five more outposts will begin in other parts of the island. Please pray with us as this important ministry grows and expands throughout the entire island. Even in the midst of recent political unrest God's kingdom is advancing and Royal Rangers is right there in the middle of it.
To learn more about Royal Rangers International and how you and your outpost can influence boys, girls, young men, and young women all around the world, join the “READY” Evangelism Force. Click here for more information.
