We're not a full team on the ground here in Madagascar, as some of our colleagues weren't able to get back to Madagascar before flights were cancelled, because of Covid-19, while others had to leave at short notice to go back to Norway. So I have the house in Toliara all to myself.

Restrictions have made it much more difficult for the translation teams to work together. However most have now worked out ways of working. The Ntandroy team, who are spread over four different towns, are meeting remotely, using Skype (one team member is working out of our office here in Toliara). Their consultant has also been able to join them from the UK sometimes. The rest of the teams have been meeting in their own towns, following the various hygiene guidelines (keeping physical distance, wearing masks, washing hands, etc.) I have been meeting with the Tesaka team via Zoom and WhatsApp for a few hours every week. The Masikoro team have begun to work together again too, here on our property in Toliara, and I've been able to work with them too.

The official number of covid-19 cases and deaths is still quite low in Madagascar, compared to many other places in the world. The government was quick to take the situation seriously, and moved quickly to restrict movement, both with the outside world and internally. Schools and churches have generally been shut or severely restricted since March. Recently the number of cases has been rising exponentially, and the first death was reported on May 19th, so far there have been 7 deaths. However most people believe that the numbers of cases and deaths are very much higher than the official numbers – as in many other countries, relatively few tests have been done.

A big challenge for many Malagasy has been the drastic reduction of their income, while prices of essential foods have risen. Most Malagasy are already on the edge of, if not over, the poverty line. There has also been some violent unrest, particularly in Toamasina on the east coast, which is the epicenter of the epidemic right now.

I have really become more aware than ever of the need to centre ourselves on Jesus, soak ourselves in his word. I find it really tempting to "just quickly check out the news", or social media, and hours later I'm still there, no wiser and a lot less peaceful. Not having my house companions to keep me in check, I've had to get much more disciplined, have a healthy routine, physically as well as spiritually, and "fix my eyes on him." I found this jewel in my morning devotional today, based on Genesis 41: "Knowing what circumstances were out of his control, Joseph handed them over to God and focused on his responsibilities … [He] embraced the tasks he could do…" (Henry Cloud and John Townsend). So that's where I'm at right now.