December 12, 2005

Nagbala sa Lawan2

Igsoon (siblings), It has been a very long time since my last email. I desired so many times to share with you all the things that God has been doing in the last month but coming out of the village to email would have taken us away from the people for an extended amount of time and we felt that we needed to stay with the people as long as possible because our time with them has been so short. (especially in light of where they will spend eternity).

Miranda and I are currently in Manila.  We say our last goodbyes this morning, and we will board a plane at 8:00  in the morning to make the trip back home. Many have asked us if we would ride on a boat or an airplane (remember, most of our friends have never been out of their village.)  I get antsy on the 18 hour flight; I can't imagine being on a boat for several months. Many of the first m's did take that challenge and ride a boat half-way around the world; as they left their family they probably believed they might never see them again because the journey to a far country would be difficult and expensive.  This trip has been a challenge but it seems, the sacrifice of the early m's was much greater than anything that I have ever done.

The past month has been an exciting month for my storying group.  Over the past three months I have been storying the bible to three families.  In earlier months we concentrated on Old Testament stories that lead up to the life of Jesus and our need for a savior.  This past month I told stories of Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection. Each person from the storying group prayed to accept Jesus into their hearts.  Even though there was no drastic transformation in them and they still have many questions, it was wonderful to see as the joy of knowing the Lord spread throughout their bodies.  Nenita would skip all the way to the rice pounding stump after our story time.  Leonora believes that Jesus healed her children and she is no longer afraid of dying!  My heart leaps for joy knowing that they have heard and know that Jesus died for each of them. God knows the decision that was made in each of their hearts and I am confident that even though I am not able to be there to continue discipling them that His Spirit will work in their lives.  Pray with me that God will send believers to continue teaching those three families about Jesus and how to live as a Christian.  Pray that the new believers will have confidence in their decision and that they will not succumb to the temptation of sacrificing to the spirits when times get tough.

I think I have previously eluded to the healthcare situation in the mountain but this month presented some new challenges in caring for our neighbors and their health.  I learned during our Ethnography study that the people will sacrifice to the spirits when someone becomes ill before they seek medical help. This month many friends from our village and from villages further up the mountain came to visit us and ask for our help.  It was then that we really knew that the people had come to trust us because they came to us for help before any attempt to please the spirits. One family traveled over 30 kilometers to ask for help.  Their baby had thrush (in the form of milk curd like formations on her tongue) and had become very weak because her throat was very sore.  She is not breast fed, possibly another factor in her weakness. (Don't think I diagnosed that by myself).  I consulted our Where There Is No Doctor book, I would have called mom but I didn't have a phone card).  We instructed the family to mash up garlic and coat the babies mouth. (an adult would just chew the garlic)&nbs p; I also taught the family how to make an Oral Rehydration Drink for the baby and then we prayed that God would heal her.  Within a few days the thrush has gone away and she was no longer lethargic. An even greater challenge was the treatment for her older sister.  Carmina, a 9-year-old, knocked a gas lamp over.  Gas spilled on her left ear, neck, and shoulder and caught fire.  It took some five minutes for her mother to get the fire out.  Carmina had 3rd degree burns.  When she arrived at our house three weeks after the accident, she was covered with a blood shawl and the smell that surrounded her was enough to cause me to gag.  She should have been in the hospital but it just wasn't possible for her family to take her to the hospital.  For two days I worked to gently clean her burn.  I was once again to have instructions from the No Doctor book.  Carmina was eventually able to go to the hospital but the time she spent with us was a great time for us to share Jesus' love with her and her parents.  Pray that the Lord will continue to heal her wounds and that she will not be shunned by others because of the great scarring on her body.  Pray that the words of truth that were spoken to that family would take root and lead them to a relationship with the Father.

Our English class had been such a joy.  Our students are all leaders in the community and see learning English as a way to improve their leadership.  Most of all they love to hear the stories we tell of important leaders like Moses and Jesus.  They would sit through two hours of English class and then listen intently as we told stories.  They believed we were tired but were touched that we would take the time to tell them bible stories.  Pray that those stories will take root in their lives and one day overflow into the lives of the other villagers.  In our last class they begged us to find them new English teachers.  We informed Jess of their request and are earnestly praying that a new teacher will soon be found who can not only continue teaching English but also the bible stories.

November 23-24 Lawan2 celebrated Fiesta.  Fiesta is celebrated in almost all cities and villages at various times throughout the year.  The particular month of each city's fiesta depends on who they have chosen as their patron saint.  Not only is this a Catholic event it is a chance for people to gather from all the surrounding cities.  Many of the young and old men will spend the week in a state of drunkenness.  We had planned to spend some of that week in the city writing a paper for one of our classes.  We decided to stay until Fiesta was almost over to provide a place where our friends could gather and there would be no pressure to drink.  Only a few of the young men came to visit us, but we are thankful that they are desiring to be responsible.  We spent time storying to the boys some nights.  The story that impacted many of them was the story of Moses and the burning bush.  It revealed to them that first of all God hears and knows when His people are hurting.  Secondly, as they learned of Moses' background and the murder that he committed they started to realize that God uses sinners.  As we explained the excuses that Moses made even after God had promised to do everything the boys began to understand that God not only uses people that feel they are not worthy but he equips them with everything they need to complete His task.   

We have really enjoyed helping the young men understand the truth of the scriptures and God's love for them.  Many people have said that our presence made a change in the boys' lives.  Previously, they had been trouble makers but many have made a commitment to be better and some have even made a commitment to follow Christ.  Pray for the boys as they read their New Testament Bibles and seek the Lord on their own.  Pray that they will grow to be Godly men, leading Godly families. Pray for those who have accepted Christ to have courage to challenge those who have not yet decided to follow Christ.

After Fiesta we came out of the village just long enough to write our ethnography paper (study of the people).  We spent 5 days writing a paper that turned into a book.  We poured our hearts into the paper with the hope that the information that we provided will help Christians to know the need for the gospel in the Lawan 2 area.  Not only did we begin to understand many things about our experience but the Lord revealed to us how a church could be formed.  Pray that God will use our work to inform Christians of the need for a church among the Higaonon.  Pray that workers will soon go and continue the work the Father started through us.

The Jennings family joined us on Dec 6th in the village for Project Pasko.  We had a program at the school to celebrate Christmas (pasko) with the students.  Children that had attended our kids class sang the songs they had learned for the crowd that had gathered.  One of the teachers read the Christmas story from a Higaonon bible that is still in the process of being translated.  Miranda, Jess, and I all gave short addresses to the group.  After the program we separated into grade levels and handed out presents provided by the Jennings.  Each child had a wrapped box full of school supplies, toiletries, tsinellas, a t-shirt, and of course toys.  Words cannot describe the children's joy as they waited patiently and then unwrapped their presents.  They didn't have class for the rest of the morning.  That afternoon and the following day the village was full of children and adults wearing read and green project pasko shirts and playing with their new toys.  What joy they displayed from receiving just one present!

The following day was our Despedida (going away party).  We stayed up with the young men most of the night as they killed, de-haired, cut up, and cooked our pig.  All morning the boys worked to cook a lunch that we could serve to our friends in the village.  We spent the morning visiting friends and handing our gifts of cloth and other items that we had used while living among them.  Datu Mapungal and his mother-in-law sang limbay and dasang for us before our departure.  The morning was very busy making it hard to believe that we were leaving the village in a few short hours.  One of the only believers from the village, Sarati, shared with us that Lawan2 had been flooded (nagbala, subject heading above) with blessings since our arrival.  He was concerned about who would continue the work of sharing the Good News.  Pray that he will have courage to lead out and teach others about God and His son Jesus.  Pray that the believers will meet regularly to worship even though we aren' t there to lead them.  Pray that someone will be able to continue discipling them.

After lunch we turned on our computers and allowed the villagers to see pictures from our four months with them.  Shortly after we said our goodbyes and took our last look at Lawan2.  Leaving was hectic because people were asking for gifts to remember us by, we had a lot to load on the motors, and the people would yell loudly when they saw us start to cry. Many people gathered to tell us good-bye but no one but us cried.  They didn't want to hug us or say a lot, they just stood there surrounding us.  We prayed with the young men and then got on the motorcycles.  As we left people yelled and waved from their houses for several Kilometers.  I believe it was the quietest ride we have ever had.  We found out that only after we left, did the people cry.  Those who had phones would text us to tell us they missed us and report on those who had cried for us.  At first I wondered if we really had made a connection with them but as we heard stories of their sadness after our departure, my heart broke for them. 

God had formed beautiful friendships between us and the people.  They just could not show us their true emotions as we were leaving.  It was hard to leave our friends not because we might not return but because we are so unsure if we will see many of them in heaven.  We have left a work very unfinished, but I am convinced that the Lord is still there and He will continue to work in them.  Pray that His Spirit will continue to knock down Sa tan's strongholds and bring people into His kingdom.

We had a special relationship with our driver, Buho.  He is a backslidden Christian who is afraid to admit to others that he is a believer and desires to live as one now.  We have and still are praying that he will humble himself and repent from not walking with the Lord the past few years.  We pray that he will have courage to share with his friends about his faith.  Before he left us at the Jennings after we left the village for the final time we prayed with him and challenged him.  He left very quickly so that we wouldn't see him cry but we are convinced that the Lord is speaking to him.  While we were in the city, on one of our last nights in the Philippines, he and his family were also in the city and they ate dinner with us.  It was wonderful to encourage them and share about how much we would all miss each other. 

We have spent the last few days with Gaga and Tata and our friends from Bancasi.  We worshiped at BBF, the church we attended while in Language school on Sunday morning.  2VJ and I sang a special number together that spoke about being willing to go where the Lord leads no matter what the cost.  We had a great time of fellowship, eating, and playing games with them on Sunday evening.  Before we all said good-bye we gathered in a circle and everyone shared words of encouragement for us; we also encouraged them.  Saying goodbye was not as hard because we had already said goodbye once and we have the assurance that we will meet again in heaven.

There is so much more to tell but there is no more time.  Hopefully in the coming months I will be able to share other stories with you through email or other avenues.  If any of you would like me or the two of us to come and speak to a group about our time here in the Philippines just let me know.  Pray for our safe return home.  Pray for us as we seek to finish writing papers despite culture shock and weariness.  Pray that the Lord will give us clear direction about where He is leading us to serve Him in the coming months and years.  Thank you for your partnership in praying for and serving the Higaonon of Lawan2 and other Filipinos over the past year.  Praise the Lord that He is expanding His kingdom and we are witnesses to His awesome work!

God Bless,

Stephanie