NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

We count it such a blessing when God permits a visit into the beautiful Banwaon village that we think of as our jungle home here in the Philippines. We plan and the Lord directs our steps so even though we planned on a visit since last year, the weather, finances or transportation fell through. We accepted this as part of His plan, prayed and kept our options open.

We didn’t have the luxury of leaving the village the way we hoped. Our house was just locked and we flew out of the village with plans to return every two months to update and repair their Bible Portion Books, visit with our brothers and sisters in the Lord there, and slowly pack our house for our year long furlough coming up this year. Earthquakes and earth tremors coupled with heavy rains destroyed our airstrip. Chris’ back surgeries did not permit him to return by the arduous road trip on motorbike (see a slideshow of this trip by clicking here). We waited. Time became an issue as we have to send our belongings to America on a container by next month. We knew God has no problem with time, so we trusted His plan and waited for His lead.

God opened that possibility of my return to visit our friends and attend the little village Church, pack up our house and introduce two of my town friends to our friends in the village. We saw the opportunity and ran through that open door! Click here for pictures.

God also opened the door for our co-worker and translator in this village, Albert Castelijn, to return this month to supervise the needed repairs on the airstrip. One of our pilots, Joel Davis, made the difficult trip overland to explain the work needed so our airstrip can be safely used again. Please pray for Albert and the two hundred workers that are doing the difficult labor getting those extensive repairs completed.

We praise and thank God for allowing us to be here in the Philippines anticipating a working airstrip so Chris can return to the village to say good-bye before we leave. Our first year long furlough will begin when we leave later this year. We have mixed emotions revolving around that – joyous to reconnect with our family and friends back in America equalling the pain of leaving our family and friends here. Please pray for us.  The good-bye ritual to our Philippine family in the Lord, friends and co-workers is started. It is difficult. Packing is difficult. All the details of a major move is difficult.

It is precious to us that God continually shows us the value of waiting upon Him and His plan as we go through this journey. Pray for us to be sensitive to wait for His leading and, just like before, run through the door that He opens for us!

Thank you for faithfully praying for these concerns. We are aware of your prayers through the strength and endurance given as the details fall into place. We are grateful, always.

Many of you wrote asking about the storms and any news of the survivors. We saw for ourselves the damage only hours after it hit a nearby city. Our hearts went out to those walking around covered in mud and in shock and still I am haunted seeing a little child sitting all alone in the mud crying with no one around tending to her.

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Our dear friends in the village report a poor harvest this year. The heavy rains and earth tremors that ruined our airstrip are a joint threat to their harvest. We barely had a dry season this year which translates into a late start in burning and planting the land and a poor growing season.

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