MAMIARIVELO Norotiana Sarah | Madagascar   I'd like to introduce myself: my name is MAMIARIVELO Norotiana Sarah. I was born on 30th April 1976 at Befelatanana. I live at Ankaditapaka Behoririka. I'm married and I have two children - a daughter and a son. I was only 8 when my father died. I did not knowanything at that time; so, even if my mother told me and my siblings that my father would not come back anymore, I still had hope inside of me. Every time I came across someone who looked like him on the streets, I would think that it was he whom I met. Yet, I did not tell that to anyone as I kept it inside by myself. Maybe for this reason, I could never get over it - no one knew my anguish, so no one could enlighten my mind. Besides, my mother worked and all of us - four sisters and brothers - were all still pretty small, which made her busy that she may not have noticed my anguish. I had a difficult childhood. I was not really bright at school that I was often punished. Unlike my siblings, not only was I dull at school but I was also sickly; I was spasmophile. As I became more conscious, my problem inside was not solved yet. It left a big gap in me that I asked myself from time to time: "why do I exist?'When I reached the senior year in high school, I followed catechumen (a Christian preparing for confirmation). Since that time, I started to get a superficial knowledge of the Bible and about faith. Even though I was always brought up in the knowledge of God, it was like a habit to me. When my study was over and I got involved in marriage, I could convince my husband to attend the Malagasy Lutheran Church with me. We often attended church although it was not every Sunday. We tried to entrust God with our life, and we realized that God supported us, as God led us to a way that was beyond our understanding. But, even though I entrusted God with my life, I realized it was merely hypocrisy since I enjoyed the life of this world, I was swimming in sins, and I did not hurry up to turn to God and I did not claim that the solution is only in God, unless I was in times of trouble. Following God was not the main focus of my life. Even though I knew God's commandments, I always transgressed them. One Saturday, in mid-January 2010, my husband and I went to see Mr. Rhee. I remember that before that time, he had asked me about my faith. But I had not given much importance to it as I had considered it as his mere curiosity. He gave me a book on that day - a book entitled <Greater Love> He asked me to read it seven times and copy it seven times, too. I was surprised and asked my husband: "What's Mister Rhee's intention? Or is it like those Internet messages that say: "forward this message to several people and blessings will come upon you.'" This is how I considered that book. I read the book as if it were homework and I even started to copy it, but there was nothing I could retain from its contents. On that Saturday in the afternoon, he asked us to come to Androndra so that he would "Share some verses of the Scriptures." So, my husband and I simply went there. At that time, he explained to us about meaning of human life. He also invited us to come back to Androndra to watch BIT DVD so we accepted, we did not refuse. Every time we had free time on Saturday or Sunday, we would come to watch the DVD. But I watched it as if Iwatched a movie. I did not even think that there was a message to be conveyed; I simply watched

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