<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Miriam and Simon]]></title><description><![CDATA[Miriam and Simon]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 14:42:47 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Taboo or not Taboo? Navigating Malagasy Fady]]></title><description><![CDATA[The weird and infamous world of Malagasy taboos...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/taboo-or-not-taboo-navigating-malagasy-fady</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e1dffca96d49e56ebc3e03</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:50:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_84aac71a0634408bb02ee92f7e87fe48~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Moments in Malagasy Part 3]]></title><description><![CDATA[Back from a blog hiatus, I thought it would be good to restart things with another dose of Malagasy language quotes. As usual, happy to be corrected by genuine Malagasy speakers.   Sticking Out Like The Proverbial The creative use of words is a form of art in Madagascar, ranging from poetry ( hain-teny ), structured public speaking ( kabary  – more on that below!) and cultural myths ( angano ). In particular, and much like other African cultures, Malagasy adore using proverbs (known as...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/moments-in-malagasy-part-3</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cb6c4fe7de3cb00609719a</guid><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:18:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_88c55a594db44585b872d36985f57a65~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_999,h_664,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mission Organisations: A Call to Repent.]]></title><description><![CDATA[They will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear 2 Timothy 4:4 I write this as a...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/mission-organisations-a-call-to-repent</link><guid isPermaLink="false">688a795c4523222f501033ed</guid><pubDate>Sat, 02 Aug 2025 19:34:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_c5cb811f20de445285724245d8ddec41~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Marriage, Culture and the Family of God]]></title><description><![CDATA[“So how does it feel being back in Tana?”   I was sitting in my living room chatting with one of our short-term missionaries and he asked...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/marriage-culture-and-the-family-of-god</link><guid isPermaLink="false">685075f30daa1dfa62f960f1</guid><pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 19:57:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_2f0f064e91124be1a07c5ae0121fc515~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cross-cultural Christmas]]></title><description><![CDATA[How God used a cross-cultural Christmas experience to bring us back to the heart of the Incarnation]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/cross-cultural-christmas</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6771cb2a77ffe881a2865be1</guid><pubDate>Sun, 29 Dec 2024 23:14:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_a1d5911d3fb6440b8dbd8959724d9c9e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rethinking UPGs]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the straplines of our organisation is: Partnering with Churches, reaching Africa’s unreached. Amen to that. It is our joy and...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/rethinking-upgs</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66ec858da3663b686f1cc16d</guid><pubDate>Thu, 19 Sep 2024 20:49:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_4fa438be7e074644ab219adaa7ac1945~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_727,h_392,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Whom shall I serve?]]></title><description><![CDATA[For missionaries who serve in areas with an established church, it is paramount to enjoy fellowship and commit to a local church. As we...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/whom-shall-i-serve</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66b32531e36276f3c3f8f14e</guid><pubDate>Thu, 08 Aug 2024 13:49:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_a91c1ce821b342719e9fb5d424b35cc7~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_600,h_393,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Cheerful Giving Complex]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was inspired by Miriam's honest reflections on giving, that I thought I would add my tuppence worth towards this important issue. In...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/the-cheerful-giving-complex</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6664ae649b516ccf9b2d4986</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:47:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_429f533dbc65483c873f53bb22be89ec~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_586,h_293,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Merina of Madagascar Part 2]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reflections on my ethnographic paper in 2019]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/the-merina-of-madagascar-part-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6636728923f834cd973aa820</guid><pubDate>Sat, 04 May 2024 18:25:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_f9012af642254d0bb79109dc7d496d1c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Merina of Madagascar]]></title><description><![CDATA[Whilst I was studying at All Nations Christian College in Hertfordshire, Missiological Anthropology was a big part of the course...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/the-merina-of-madagascar</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65f7ef90fed1837fecef715c</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2024 19:56:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_9eae9eb442aa426f9b3a2cdb997125aa~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Moments in Malagasy (Part 2)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tratry ny Taona! The rough translation of this is "Happy New Year", but literally this phrase means “be caught by the year”, which is more akin to seizing the year and making it count (much like the Latin phrase Carpe Diem  - seize the day). So in the spirit of this new year, I thought I would share some of the new words, phrases and concepts of the Malagasy language that we have come into contact in through our studies. Much like the first post, I am happy to be corrected of any mistakes...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/moments-in-malagasy-part-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65a785a5a73d2ab11d1ce4f1</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jan 2024 08:36:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_88c55a594db44585b872d36985f57a65~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_999,h_664,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Theology of Mission Mobilisation II: Discipleship for Mobilisation]]></title><description><![CDATA[So far in this series, I have briefly surveyed the different meanings of mission mobilisation in the introductory post and then argued...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/a-theology-of-mission-mobilisation-ii-discipleship-for-mobilisation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6579f56f0f54a4df1fe34a12</guid><pubDate>Wed, 13 Dec 2023 18:41:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_dd188d115aaf455a93208a0fd38a2b74~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_844,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[To give or not to give: that is the question?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I often feel like my heart is in a constant battle of how to live a righteous, generous life here in Madagascar. Being a Christian...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/to-give-or-not-to-give-that-is-the-question</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6528f3754a75615d94ca51be</guid><pubDate>Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:50:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_68200627f8ab48e4895aed1116057337~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_408,h_291,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Miriam Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Theology of Mission Mobilisation I: The Triune God]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the introductory post I explored the spectrum of meaning surrounding the term mission mobilisation, considered the possible questions...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/a-theology-of-mission-mobilisation-i-the-triune-god</link><guid isPermaLink="false">652458366048e2958310208a</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:04:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_8b318047d9f84fdabe931e1258ef0146~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_225,h_225,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Theology of Mission Mobilisation: An Introduction]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mobilisation is not a word found in the Scriptures (nor mission, for that matter). It has a broader usage, which we will explore further,...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/a-theology-of-mission-mobilisation-an-introduction</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64e669da01cbf4df70902274</guid><pubDate>Wed, 23 Aug 2023 20:24:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_69571f048f8741eea550e8b6cc6f393a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_470,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Cultural Tug-of-War]]></title><description><![CDATA[In times of old, missionaries who travelled long distances from home in order to spread the gospel to the unreached had to make the...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/a-cultural-tug-of-war</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64c0149196063cacf3f0b320</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:54:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_a4103222847e417abee99eb64cf6e830~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_560,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Meeting of Mothers]]></title><description><![CDATA[At some point I’m sure every parent worries what would happen to their children if something terrible were to happen to them, as the...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/a-meeting-of-mothers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64908f78f1facef93922b05c</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jun 2023 17:47:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_79832bee36a54f64829135296798b7b7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_880,h_586,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Miriam Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Being a Vazahy]]></title><description><![CDATA[Vazahy (pronounced vaz-zar): stranger, foreigner, most often “Western”.¹ “Bonjour vazahy” As I walk the streets of Antananarivo, this is...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/being-a-vazahy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">646f0f6cf98652f3163c0b5d</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 May 2023 18:03:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_c2029fe2d5b24aa68513ef71504f66b6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_640,h_450,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Missionary and the Local Church]]></title><description><![CDATA[Before we entered the mission field we were warned about the culture shock that would inevitably occur after the honeymoon period of new...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/the-missionary-and-the-local-church</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64404fab8240ec2ff2cf894d</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Apr 2023 17:11:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_9df83d371b614f52bdb642142ca68227~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_960,h_525,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What is a Missionary?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I write this post extremely tentatively. Far greater writers, with more insightful intelligence and with vastly more experience than I,...]]></description><link>https://www.thedesboroughs.co.uk/post/what-is-a-missionary</link><guid isPermaLink="false">643838cbbc5e29eca83023e5</guid><pubDate>Thu, 13 Apr 2023 19:16:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/449db0_046c08e9120448e69f3eb1480c608360~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_736,h_572,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Simon Desborough</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>