Ina

Good morning Mamisoa! I greet you across the Atlantic Ocean! May GOD bless you!

We haven’t met each other in person. But from our Tsena Malalaka website I learnt that you are "pursuing a Doctor of Educational Ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia USA“. So, my first question for you is: Where are you now? What is your everyday life like at this moment?

Mamisoa

I started my study here at Columbia Theological Seminary, Atlanta Georgia USA in September 2018. It is a four years program and I am in my second year. I am planning to graduate in 2022. So, I am here in the States with my family (my husband and two of our kids—14 and 19 years old).

Most of my days are between seminary and home. Before the pandemic, I had on campus courses but since March all the courses I am taking are online. In addition, since February until end of July, I am doing a practicum (internship) related to my study with Decatur Presbyterian Church here in Atlanta. My focus is Adult Education. I designed a curriculum for their Adults Sunday School Class and lead the class for 8 weeks sessions (June-July).

Ina

As I have never been to Atlanta I googled to get an impression of where you are. The “Coca Cola Olympic City” gives me the impression of a bustling subtropical place. Columbia Theological Seminary seems to be a very open, international, diverse and progressive living and learning space. I imagine that it must be hard for you, your family and all the profs and students not to be able to meet in real life any more but to be confined to your homes and restricted to online communication. Decatur Presbyterian Church, too, announces on its website that “all on campus gatherings … have been temporarily suspended”. Does this mean that the Adults Sunday School Classes, too, are being held online? I would like to know: What are you teaching them under these unprecedented conditions?

Mamisoa

“Coca Cola Olympic City” is a very popular place in downtown Atlanta. I did not have the opportunity to visit there yet. Although I was close by to the Georgia Aquarium which is a wonderful place to visit, too. The Olympic Centennial Park is also nearby and nice. Yes, Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS) has a great reputation and lives its mission “to educate and nurture faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the church and the world”. I am grateful to be able to continue my education at CTS. As for Decatur Presbyterian Church (DPC), due to the pandemic, they are closed since March but are processing different steps for reopening the church building. But the staff and the sessions of the church as well as many churches here in the US were really creative to keep the “church” alive although the buildings are closed. Therefore, worship, Sunday school class and other meetings at DPC are held virtually. As part of my practicum at DPC, I created a curriculum relevant to their mission -Sharing Jesus Christ’s Love for the World -, and their centennial goal - Engage in the Mission of Jesus Christ. The curriculum offers scriptural and theological approaches for adults who are discerning and enlightening their path in their commitment to the mission of Jesus Christ. Three big ideas of Love, Hospitality and Discipleship are explored throughout the curriculum to support these adults in the mission of Jesus Christ.

Ina

You have been living in Atlanta for nearly two years now. Before that you lived in and near your hometown Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar which I got to know in September 2019, unfortunately for two weeks only, together with an international group of Tsena Malalaka theologians. Remembering Antananarivo I feel somehow overwhelmed: Such a big city, so many people, so many impressions the social, economic and cultural backgrounds of which I cannot understand! I wonder what it was like to move from Antananarivo to Atlanta. Has the change of context changed your theology? And now, two years later: How does it feel to teach adults in Atlanta about love, hospitality and discipleship as a Malagasy theologian?

Mamisoa

I wished to be there in September 2019 with all of you but unfortunately I couldn’t come. Well, being born and raised in the capital city of Madagascar, I was challenged from moving to the small village I served for four years and now being here in Atlanta. After my graduation in 2014, I served four years in a small village named Antanandava situated 450 KM north of Antananarivo. Of course, the social, economic and cultural context there was very different compared to Antananarivo. Before I even moved to Antanandava, I was deeply concerned with women’s oppression and those who are in the margins: the poor, the afflicted, etc. When I arrived there, although the context had changed, I still saw forms of oppression. For example, there was an arranged marriage for a girl as young as 13 years to the benefit of their parents in getting dowries. This led me and other women in the village to work for programs of empowering women. And this is one of the reasons why I decided to have my Doctorate in Education to support the education of the marginalized.

While arriving in Atlanta, my primary focus was then my study. But all courses I had reminded me always of liberation theology to support those who are in the margins. I had a course of feminist theology that was really powerful and my professor was very helpful. During this class, I wrote a curriculum about women’s oppression. The context in Atlanta and America, as you may know, can be described as white supremacy, racism, injustice. These are other forms of oppression. Therefore, although the contexts change, oppression is everywhere. When I wrote my curriculum about “Sharing God’s Love for the World” with the big ideas of love, hospitality and discipleship, I used feminist and liberation theologies’ perspectives. Teaching these ideas is quite challenging in many ways. First, due to culture differences but as well as to different theologies and perspectives. Also, because of this pandemic situation, people are isolated and many are in difficult situations. But I am glad that the four weeks classes we had were quite encouraging even in the midst of this difficult time. I have about 13 to 18 adults in my class every Sunday and the result of the survey I just made is encouraging.

Ina

Moving from a Southern mega-city to a Southern small village to a Northern metropolis must have been a big challenge, and all this with a husband and children of different ages who certainly have been a permanent support for you, but also an additional burden. Jesus and the bible have accompanied you through all these adventures and hardships. Can you tell me what is the core of your Christian belief that has given you hope and endurance through your life story to the present day?

Mamisoa

You bet! I could not do it by myself. When I felt the call for ministry, I had a personal conviction that I had lost my time pursuing worldly things that do not matter to the kingdom of God. So, Paul’s letter to the Philippians helped me to go forward. Paul said in Philippians 3. 12-14 : “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”. I know my limitations but I also understand that with the gifts that I received from God and by grace I am grateful that I still have the opportunity to love and serve God. Thus, my hope is what Paul affirms in 2 Corinthians 12.9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” From that, I try to focus on Jesus to Luke 10.27-28: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Ina

Thanks a lot, dear Mamisoa, for the friendship I can feel across the ocean, despite all the difficulties we experience in these times of a worldwide pandemic. I hope that we will be able to meet each other one day in the future somewhere between Antanandava, Wattwil, Atlanta and Bethlehem... Until then, let us both follow Paul’s advice and “strain toward what is ahead.” What is ahead is always GOD’s love for her creation: LOVE for billions of human beings who live on the bountiful and vulnerable Planet Earth, together with innumerable other living beings. Let’s keep in touch! I send you and your family summer greetings from the green valley of Toggenburg! Stay healthy!

Ina

24^th of July 2020

Mamisoa

I am so grateful for our friendship and conversation. I agree and hope to meet each other when time permits. Will keep in touch and seek together to love God and our neighbors in this challenging time! Until we meet again…Peace and Love!

Mamisoa

31^st July 2020.