Chase and Tojo - Friends from Afar

A story of the Lord's Providence

Together Again: The Critch Family in Madagascar

The call which God has on my life as a Bishop in Mahajanga Madagascar is not on my life alone - but it's the call of God on our family. My wife, Sarah, and our fourteen-year-old son, Chase, have finally arrived for the first time to Mahajanga. How glorious it was for me to welcome them at the airport yesterday and to watch as they experienced the overflowing joy of the Christians who had gathered to welcome them, just as they had gathered a week ago to welcome me. There was a great number of Christians who came to the airport, especially members of the Mother’s Union and young people who came to welcome Chase. For me the most fun part of their welcome was when Chase finally got to meet his Madagascar tuk-tuk driving buddy - Tojo. This friendship, between a Newfoundland teenager and a tuk-tuk driving Malagasy young man - well ‘you can’t make it up!’ Let me explain.

One of the things which we prayed most about when we were considering whether the Lord was calling us to come to Madagascar was our teenage son. He’s an amazing young man, whom we’re both very proud of. He’s a normal western adolescent, accustomed to his western things. His friends are at home, his electronic gadgets are at home, his drum lessons and guitar lessons are at home, the only church family he has ever known is at home. While we could process this calling as adults – he was processing it as a teenage boy.

We prayed that if it were that we were being called to Madagascar the Lord would especially go before Chase. Teenagers move in herds, they are surrounded by their friends a lot of the time, and so our greatest prayer was that the Lord would raise up someone who could connect with Chase and help him make new friends. His questions revealed his deepest concerns, many of which were related to his friends, and his western ways. “Dad, will I have any friends there? Will anybody be able to speak English? Will I be the only white child in the city? Will I be stuck with you and mom all the time? Can I still play my drums? Will we have electricity? Can I take my computer? Will we have a house with a bathroom?” Every day a new question – and every day we went online to seek answers – because we were asking many of the same questions.

We spent a lot of time searing the internet for videos of Mahajanga so that we could see what the place was like. While watching videos we happened to notice lots of three wheeled taxis (tuk-tuks). Chase thought these were pretty cool and we joked about his learning to drive one. He even suggested that giving tours of Mahajanga to English speaking visitors would make a fun summer job!

On my first visit to Madagascar, while chatting with the young man who drives the bishop’s four-wheel drive pickup truck (there’s a lot of off-roading…hence the four-wheel drive!), he told me that before he was the bishop’s driver he was a tuk-tuk driver! How amazing is that! I video called Chase right away and I said “you won't believe it, but dad’s driver used to drive a tuk-tuk!” Through the translator, they went on to have a great conversation - the end of which was their plan that Chase would teach Tojo to play the drums and Tojo would teach Chase to drive a tuk-tuk! This is no big deal in the greater scheme of eternity, but a very big deal for Christian missionary parents who were praying that that the Lord would go before us and provide a friend for our son! The Lord raised up the bishop’s driver Tojo not by accident, but by His sovereign hand. Tojo picked Chase up at the airport….in a tuk-tuk! He was thrilled!!

This is how the Lord works -he uses our lives, even the most practical parts of our lives for His glory. Unbeknownst, Tojo was uniquely placed in our lives to help us remember that the Lord has gone before us -just as He has gone before you! Our God will go before us! This is true of us in Madagascar -but just as true for you – wherever in the world you are. Look to Jesus, follow Jesus, and He will go before you, He will provide for you, and He will make straight your crooked paths. All glory to Jesus!