A little background

You can learn about the beginnings of ACU's Madagascar Presidential Scholarship Program by viewing this YouTube version of a 10-minute film on the topic. It was part of a longer award-winning documentary, "Throughout the World," from ACU and Phillips Productions Inc. of Dallas.

View from on high

There are some remarkable vantage points from which to view Antananarivo, as these images show. We were on a tour Monday night and stopped at sunset in a neighborhood where children were playing. Many years ago, this place on a cliff was where Christians were martyred after being thrown to their death, a sobering thought as people relaxed and played games and visited all around us. Malagasy tradition honors those who have been martyred. Photos include Dale Voss and some new friends, Dwayne VanRheenen and Jerry Strader using digital cameras and cell phones to document the vista, and Ryan Britt showing children what they looked like in the viewfinder of his HD camera.

Jack Rich's Ostrichizer

Jack Rich got too close to and was bitten on the arm by this ostrich at the Croc Farm yesterday. The stain on his shirt was probably worse the pain, but we all kept our distance from that point on. Look for video and images from the Croc Farm in an upcoming post. We saw some amazing things. They don't let you get within chomping distance of the thousands of crocodiles, however.

Lemur of the Day: Tuesday

Today's celebrity chooser is my roommate Ryan Britt of Phillips Productions, who needs cheering up because he came down with a case of Madagascar's Revenge Tuesday evening and had a long night and day hanging around the room rather than touring with us. He is better now and hopes to rejoin the gang tomorrow morning. He choose a lemur (don't know which kind; we're not on a first-name basis with them yet; there are 22 species) that choose to sit still long enough at the Croc Farm yesterday before leaping into a nearby tree to join his/her buddies.

Hotel Carlton reunion

Monday night, we were surprised to be greeted by some of our Malagasy graduates in the lobby of the Hotel Carlton in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Some students live in the city; others have considerable distances to drive to see us, be involved in meetings with government officials, and spend time with the group, especially Dale and Joyce Voss, and Vicki Anderson, who were just three of many ACU employees and Abilene residents who built close relationships with them over the past four years.

Children of Antananarivo

As promised, here is a link to watch a YouTube quick clip of Ryan Britt's time with some inquisitive Malagasy children in and near Antananarivo. One scene involves Dale Voss, the husband of Joyce, who can attract and entertain kids like no one I've ever seen. He has them laughing and singing in seconds. Enjoy!