Island travel, on to another jungle for Christ

11/28/2011

“We need to be at the boat at 7am in order to make it to El Nido in time to catch the shuttle going to Puerto.” sabi ng host missionary.

We just finished a language assessment with a friend of ours on another island. He is working in an area where the Gospel has not reached yet, and is doing well in his progress for learning the local language of the island! That means another unreached tribal area of the Philippines will soon have the Gospel!

So there we were, ready to go at 7 am, and our guide didn't show up! We waited, and waited, and finally decided to walk across the island to the boat by ourselves, pulling all our bags in a hand cart. When we got to the beach, we saw why our guide didn't show up – low tide! Our guide, or boat captain, had been drinking the night before, so he didn't pull the boat out past the tidal area. There was our boat, sitting on the sand! And we had to get to town that day...

Well, in a situation where time is of the essence, and you are on an island waiting for the tide to come in so that you can leave, what do you do? Nothing, of course! All we could do was sit and wait for the tide to come in. Well, we could have tried to swim across the open ocean... No, probably not a good idea.

While waiting for the tide to come in, we looked at squid eggs in the water, and talked about different things. Finally the tide has risen by about 6 inches, and so we called some other people over and we began pushing the boat towards the deeper water. It took about 10 of us, but we made it! We were off the island by 9 am, and our host called the shuttle van and asked them to hold the van for us. I don't know how the other passengers took it, waiting for 2 extra hours, but they didn't say anything to us. Once we were on the road, fantastic...

And of course, at Roxas we stopped at the Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. Wow. The most amazing food ever, and all for only 100 pesos. I always get the “beef stew with noodles”, and I never get tired of it!

Back in Puerto Princesa, we settled down and got ready for the next leg of our trip, which began this morning!

So, yesterday morning I was on a small island in the middle of the ocean, and today I am up in the northern part of the country, getting ready to go by helicopter into another tribe tomorrow!

We are in Tuguegarao, and have looked at our flight base up here. The base actually belongs to another mission, and they have shared the use of it with us. Their ministry is doing really awesome things for god – they record Gospel lessons in 4 or 5 of the major dialects of this area, and then broadcast them on different radio stations at designated times so that people can hear, come to know Christ, and be encouraged.

I was talking to the missionary in charge of this ministry, and he had some very keen insights into the world around us today. He said, “Why do you think that we have all this technology, the ability to travel, and the ability to send radio messages and internet email and all those things?” He believes that God restrained us from acquiring this knowledge until recent times.

Think about it from this perspective – the ancient kingdoms could build pyramids and giant statues, navigate by the stars and do all kinds of amazing things, but they couldn't look at a duck taking off from the water and figure out the simple mathematics of flight? It is not that complicated – wind speed over a wing, increase the lift over the drag, and you get something airborne. Leonardo Da Vinci may have been ahead of his time, but perhaps it was because God was only just beginning to allow man's mind to be opened up to this technology. And why would He do that now? So that we could use this technology to finish getting the Gospel out to all ends of the earth. That is what God is all about – the completion of taking His Gospel message to every people, tongue, tribe, and nation!

So while he broadcasts Gospel messages, we send people out into the hills. And with all these different means of taking the Gospel to the nations, soon every tribe will have been reached! This is what we hope for and pray for, and what we labor for!

Tomorrow we will be going into another tribal area, to a location off on a remote hilltop, where the Gospel has never penetrated. The people there are not really “tribal” like the Palawanos we served with, but they are still unreached with the Gospel and greatly in need of the message being preached there.

Click on any picture below to enlarge.

getting on the boat to go to the island

a view of Palawan as we jut out to sea

view from the boat as we head out to the island in the distance

a sleeping house in the lagoon on the island

after crossing the island through a coconut grove, the missionary houses emerge in the clearing

there are lots of pigs on this island

 

view of the beach on the side away from the boats

preparing one of our meals

a German-Romanian salad served on an island in the Pacific

private beach area

nice white sand beach

Konrad and I at the beach in between sessions

our boat was stranded waiting for the tide to come in

at low tide the people gather fish and clams from the reef

view of the one really nice house in the village from the reef at low tide

squid eggs

Once the tide started to roll in we were able push the boat out towards deeper water.

on our way back to the Palawan main island

view of the shore

fishing boat based on the main island

view of the El Nido cliffs from the bus terminal

The Menti Palawano are now hearing Bible lessons!

The Menti Palawano are now hearing Bible lessons!
Praise the Lord, for the first time in history, the Brooks Point Palawano in Menti are now hearing Bible lessons in their own language! Our partners have started teaching, and below is a copy of the email we received to describe how things are going.

We appreciate your prayers for us, our partners, and the Palawano as they continue to teach the lessons. This is why we labored in the tribe for so long, and why we are continuing to work here in the Philippines!

Here is the email from our tribal co-worker Elise:

Dear Partners in the Gospel,

On Monday morning, I said to my literacy class, "This is a day we've been waiting for. This is the reason God sent us here. Today, Dave will start telling God's story to all who want to listen. We have lots of fun in our literacy class, but it's a really serious and important thing that you are learning to read. Yes, anyone can listen to the teaching of God's Word, but you will be able to read it for yourselves. For others, they have to wait to be given God's Word like a child being given a drink from the hand of their mother. But you are like one who has his own cup, and can drink from it whenever you want. The ability to read is like having that cup".

So on Monday afternoon, the public teaching of God's Word finally began. In all 22 adults gathered, and some children, in various different family groups. They listened intently.

Dave began by telling the people that in the beginning, there was no one and nothing, only God, and that God was always there. As he described the character of God, eveyone was listening intently and heads began to nod in agreement.

"God had no source, and will have no end. He didn't suddenly appear. He always was. He needs nothing- not food, or air, or water. He is Spirit. In the beginning, there were no stars, no sun, no moon, no earth. There were no trees, no ocean, no rivers, no animals, no air, no people. Only God. And He was always there."

Pilno said, "Banar! That's true!"

Showing them a jar of rice, Dave said, "How many grains of rice do you think are in this jar? That's right, you don't know unless you count them. God doesn't have to count them. He knows how many grains of rice there are in every legkew (rice storage house) on Palawan! He knows how many hairs there are on every head! He doesn't even need to count them! He knows everything! Wherever you go, He is there. He is with our family in Australia. He is in every cave, and in the sky. You couldn't hide from Him. He knows everything, even what you are thinking."

"Banar!" said Pilno again.

As the people left to go home, we encouraged them to come to each teaching time, so when we got ready for them again on Wednesday, we were discouraged that of the first group of eight, only Pilno and Mulok came. Another eight came in the next group, with a couple of new listeners. So they heard the second lesson, and were amazed that God's Word was written by so many people over such a length of time.

It turns out that this week, the lowland town leaders have called various meetings that some of the Palawanos are expected to attend. And not only that, but many of them are preparing for a rice festival at the chief's village, and so when he says it's time to pound rice, then that's what you have to do.

Pilno, and also Tossito, one of Dave's language helpers said, "We are going to tell people they need to come! This is really important!"

Over lunch today, Tossito and Lito, one of the other language helpers, said to another guy, Pitio, "We all need to know what God says. Palawanos and white people. We all have the same original grandparents, and because of their sin, we are all separated from God. We are like the Israelites trapped at the Sea that's Red. Only God can make a way for us to be saved. It's very dangerous if people don't listen! They need to know the way back to God or they are lost!"

The two of them went over to Dave and Julie's place after that, where Mulita, a lady, was telling Dave she didn't want to listen to the teaching. Dave said, "Cousin, we aren't going to force anyone to listen." Tossito promplty said to Mulita, "You know, you really should listen! There is a second death and only God can save us." She looked right at him..."Oh?!" she said. "Hmmm. I'm going to think about it."

We talked with Pilno and Mulok, and decided to wait to carry on the teaching till next Wednesday when some of the distractions are out of the way. Meanwhile, we are taking every opportunity, over meals, sitting on the porch, hanging out at people's houses, to talk over what the people have heard. Some seem like they couldn't care less, while others are gripped by the truth. Tossito and Pilno said they are going to be telling people they need to listen. Pilno said, "We need to listen together, so that we can be of one mind. This is truth!"

Pray that the spark will become a flame, and will fan to life and sweep through this place!

Thank you for praying for Lupis! The tribal leaders met about his divorce, and told his wife she has to stay with him. So they are both here now, and both listening to the teaching. Praise the Lord!

Thank you for praying for the literacy teachers! The are doing REALLY well, and we are planning to buy a computer for them and Ludi to learn how to type. They are very excited! Today they went down to the market place, where just a couple of months ago, they would go to get drunk almost every week. They said, "We don't want to do that now. We have changed." Please pray for a total heart change, not just a change of behaviour! Tabung says that he prays to God every night, and hasn't had one of his "seizures" (or possible demonic attacks) since. He said after the first lesson that he was turning over the new thoughts about God in his mind all night!

In a week or so, I have to go to Manila for an immigration interview, and as I explained to the class this morning that I'd be away, Nurnito said, "Egsa (cousin), you just show us what to teach, and Tabung and I will keep teaching while you are away!" I was so encouraged!

I'm writing this from Philippino pastor's house down river. He and his wife minister to a mixture of lowland Palawanos and other lowlanders on the edge of the jungle. As I passed by one of the homesteads on the way here, I talked to a Palawano family who just lost their 17yo daughter, 7 months pregnant, to leukemia. She left behind a young husband and a 3 yo boy.We talked about why there is death and suffering, and about God, about how He loves the people He made, and wants them to be restored to Him. The mother said, "Egsa, you can come and tell us when my husband gets back from the next valley!" Pray for this hurting family!

Please go to battle on your knees for all these precious souls! Please ask God to give them a desire to listen to His Word that is stronger than the desire to make money downriver, stronger than the excitement about feasts and festivals. May the rice festival they are preparing for be the last one in this place where the spirits are thanked for the rice, instead of the true God.

May He soon receive the reward of His suffering (Isa. 53), the souls and worship of a people Christ died to save.

Please pray for Dave as he prepares and teaches the lessons to many groups. Pray for his health especially.

Please pray for the NTM UK Bible School graduates, Denis and Ella, who are proving to be a GREAT help here. They have both been battling sickness, but have done so much to help with repairs and producing literacy materials.Please pray for Pastor Job and Anna as they preach the Gospel in the lowlands.

Please pray for a solution for our communication issues, that somehow, we can get internet again in the village. We are greatly hampered without it.Please pray that an upcoming Immigration interview will go well so that my visa can be renewed. I have to go to Manila in a couple of weeks to do that.Please pray for the literacy curriculum I am preparing for teaching in the UK next March, God willing.

Again, thank you so much for standing with us. You are a vital part of the team!

Trusting Christ for a harvest of Palawano souls in His time!
Elise

end of our co-worker's email

Keep in mind, that because we have lost internet connection in our village, Elise has to hike downriver 2 hours to get to a location where she can connect by her cell phone to the internet. We hear from her about once every 2 or 3 weeks. Thank you for your continued prayers for the teaching!

Please pray for my upcoming trip next week! I am going to be traveling to 3 other new tribal areas to help the new missionaries with their language and culture studies. One of these already has a small group of believers, but the other 2 have not started the teaching yet because they are still working up to the language level! My job, in company with our consultant coming from the States, will be to coach and assess the progress of the missionaries in their tribal language studies, so that those areas also will soon be able to hear the Gospel!

Pray also for Ginny and the kids at home while I am gone!

We are thankful that God allows us to be involved with what He is doing in the Philippines!

George for all of us
George, Ginny, Isaac, Sarah, & Abby