My Testimony in Malagasy :)

My friend Mandimby translated my testimony into Malagasy and I thought I would share it here so you could see some Malagasy :)

I grew up in a Christian home and went to church with my family. I thought that I was a child of God because one day in church I repeated a prayer with my pastor, and that led me to think that I had Jesus in my heart. The verse in Isaiah 29:13 says "And the Lord said: Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote," I realized that I was one of those people. At that moment I recognized that I was a sinner that I wasn’t being respectful to my parents and that I was selfish and prideful, and also that I was separated from God. Right then I asked Jesus into my heart to be my savior. I want to serve God, but at times I struggled about whether or not I am letting God rule my life (this sounds really weird in Malagasy, so I translated as “even though at times it is quite hard to do”).  About a couple of years ago we had a temporary pastor at my church in Arizona.  He shared the testimony of his son, who was a missionary in Mozambique, and who was killed in a motorcycle accident there.  He talked about how his son’s relationship with God was on and off and how it wasn’t until shortly before he died that he said he truly committed his life to Christ.  Listening to his testimony made me think about my own life and how his testimony was similar to my life. Because Jesus saved me I want to spend the rest of my life telling others about Jesus Christ.  God used the testimony of this young man to call me to Africa and to give me a love for the people of Africa.

Tao amin’ny fianakaviana kristiana no nahalehibe ahy, ary mpandeha am-piangonana aho niaraka amin’ny fianakaviako. Nihevitra aho fa efa zanak’Andriamanitra satria nisy fotoana namerenako vavaka iray niaraka tamin’ny pasterako. Misy andinin-tsoratra masina anefa ao amin’i Isaiah 29:13 manao hoe “Ary hoy ny Tompo: Satria manatona Ahy amin'ny vavany ity firenena ity ary mankalaza Ahy amin'ny molony, nefa ampanalaviriny Ahy kosa ny fony, ka ny fahatahorany Ahy dia didin'olombelona ampianarina azy ihany.” Nahatsapa aho fa anisan’izany. Tamin’izay dia nanaiky marina aho fa mpanota, tsy mpankatò Ray aman-dReny, feno fitiavan-tena sy avonavona, ary tena tafasaraka amin’Andriamanitra. Teo dia resy lahatra ny hampandroso an’I Jesosy tato am-poko aho, ary handray azy ho Mpamonjiko. Te-hanompo an’Andriamanitra aho na dia sarotra ihany aza izany indraindray. Roa taona lasa izay dia nisy Pasitera mpisolo toerana tao amin’ny fiangoanana nisy ahy tany Arizona. Nozarainy taminay ny tantaran’ny zananilahy izay niasa misionera tany Mozambika nefa dia niaran-doza, matin’ny moto tany. Nolazainy taminay fa tsy dia nazava tsara ny fifandraisan’io zanany io tamin’Andriamanitra ary tsy tena nanolo-tena tanteraka ho an’I Kristy izy io raha tsy efa fotoana kely foana talohan’ny izay nahafatesany izay. Raha naheno izany fijoroana vavolombelona izany aho dia tonga saina ny amin’ny fiainako manokana sy ny fitoviazan’izany tantara izany tamin’ny fiainako. Satria efa novonjen’I Jesosy aho dia te-handany ny androm-piainako rehetra hanambara an’I Jesosy Kristy amin’ny hafa. Nampiasain’Andriamanitra ny tantaran’io tovolahy io mba hiantsoany ahy ho aty Afrika sy hahatonga fitiavana ho an’ny olona aty Afrika ato amiko.