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.

  

Chris in the tropics - 10,500 feet above the jungle

Now, it seems so anti-climatic. It wasn’t, believe me.

Thank you for praying for this airdrop. It was a huge blessing to get these supplies into the village after so many attempts. Chris and the incredible pilot, Joel Davis, would prepare early each morning with the hope of clear skies only to have it clear in the area of the hanger but cloud over the village or visa versa. They communicated with the friends in the village and with missionaries living in outlying areas that could update Joel on conditions over their villages, only to have conditions too fragile to complete the trip time and again.

You prayed. We prayed. Our brothers and sisters in the village prayed. We prepared. We waited. We prepared again. We waited again. We preapared again.

We had faith that God also wanted these supplies to reach the village. Today. They did.

A friend sent us those words for our title upon hearing the supplies made it into the village this morning. AMAZING!  These ups and downs often characterize our life here. In fact, it is the norm! So much time is spent planning and preparing and waiting and praying. And then doing it all over again the next day or next week or next month.

God answered today with allowing some holes to open up just enough to make the zig-zag trip through the clouds over to the strip. Chris said the cold was incredible and the wind especially hard on his ‘throwing arm.” He shoved the bags out of that open door as fast as he could while Joel maneuvered in and around the holes as the skies were not forgiving. Just imagine flying far over the jungle with these types of sights out the window.

Friends from our village in the hospital boarding house

“Inay Brin, Mahagsay ha masulum!”

My heart did a little leap when I read the “Good morning!” greeting on my phone screen last Friday. It’s only our friends in the village that call us “Amay” and “Inay Brin!”

They made the arduous trip from the jungle down the mountains into the city (around 10 hours travel) and were hoping to see us during their brief time at the hospital. We were quite sick ourselves but borrowed a car and bumped and jumbled ourselves over broken roads for the six hour trip to get some “face space” with our dear friends. As if parched, we drank up the news from our jungle home – new babies, deaths, sickness and hunger, families that have moved, school successes, Bible teaching, church meetings, joy, grief and a few, ‘I don’t know” trickled into the conversation.

Tuberculosis is making a steady comeback into our village and other villages in the jungle. The little boy pictured above tested postitive for TB and will receive medicine before they return. The older woman was still awaiting the results of her tests but was experiencing a general weakness and is unwell. The little girl is also waiting on her test results, the doctors suspecting TB. There are many sick in the village lacking the money to make the trip down to the hospital. Two of the village health workers are no longer living in our village and since moved away for family matters or duties outside the village. Supplies are low in the village first aid pharmacy and necessary paperwork for admittance into the hospital has run out. Food stored from last years harvest is pretty much gone. These lacked the funds to make it back home.

  

handcrafted casket

In the midst of the difficult, God blessed. Forgotten expressions due to our lack of use of the Banwaon language brought tears to the eyes and raucous laughter! Yes, some of the news filled our eyes fresh with grief but smiles, teasing and hugs wove gently around the sorrow and seeking, buffering our cherished time together.

Too soon it was all over.

They had to go back to the hospital and we had to leave for the trip back up the mountain to our town home. The plan was for them to leave the next morning if all the results could be read by the doctors. We think it happened as we didn’t hear from them after our visit.

We’ve scheduled a supply flight that will airdrop some of the needed items on the airstrip near the village this week. Our airstrip is still banned for a landing, so I (Lynne) will take a trip overland by motorcycle as soon as possible. Chris’ back will not allow him to make that trip by motorbike and there is no other way available since the boat was broken in the last storm.

Please pray:

• for those in the village that are too sick or poor to make it out for hospital care
• for Inay Daday, the village health worker that is left alone to care for these
• for the Bible teachers to be encouraged and refreshed in His Word as they teach each week
• for the people to gather enough food from the jungle to strengthen their bodies
• for the flight coming up this week to go smoothly in the season of bad weather
• for the people to continue looking to God for comfort and help
• for plans to come together for Lynne’s trip into the jungle

We thank you and on behalf of our dear brothers and sisters as well for your faithful prayers in these concerns. Thank you for your financial support of our ministry that help us minister to these brothers and sisters of yours in the rainforest. You are each a part of what God is doing here.

Wow. Never… NEVER! Strong words from our Savior.

(just a side note: It’s an interesting study to find the verses where Jesus says “never.”)

New Tribes Mission Aviation is an organization of missionary pilots and their families dedicated to flying supplies and missionaries into our remote locations, specifically serving the NTM missionaries located around the world. We are uniquely fond of the ones serving God in the Philippines appreciating their professionalism, excellence and skill. It’s been a real pleasure building relationships as we load and unload the planes helping where we can to facilitate getting people and supplies in and out of our villages.

This week I had the privilege of enjoying extra special time with their children! NTMA had important meetings to work out issues serving the three largest islands here in the Philippines. They needed some uninterrupted time to discuss things as a team. I joined a group of ladies as “adult supervisors” for their wonderful children while they met.

There’s nothing like being around a BUNCH of children to glean a picture of what God is talking about. This time gave me that unique perspective – not just from the little children. Did I mention that two older Missionary Kids organized and executed the WHOLE THING? Games, crafts, quiet activities, run around crazy activities and all that goes with that were completely handled by two teen-aged children of a missionary family. Children. Exhibiting behavior like the ones required for inheriting the Kingdom of God.

Were they perfect?

They were loving, forgiving, kind, orderly, excited, happy, free, attentive, active, creative, messy, thoughtful, obedient, careful, unencumbered, selfless (mostly, at times) helpful, contemplative, dirty, carefree, independent, unembarrassed, co-operative, loud, eager, bouncy, quiet, daring, clean-able, urgent, and every nuance of emotion and motion in-between!

Do you need to pray like me?  “Oh Lord, help me be as these. Squish me soft - manipulated out of my particular adult hardened shape into someone fit to receive and enter your Kingdom. Help me stay pliable and guard me from brittleness. Slide a pair of pipe-cleaner glasses over my eyes so I might, in awe, see how to approach you as these, eager for you. Help me bring my children for your touch. Embolden me against the ‘shush-ers.’ Thank you for loving even me. Amen.”

Click and enjoy:

At the time of this writing, the family is relocated to Germany where Elias can be close to his surgical team and support physicians. Surgeons removed tissue growing on Elias’ brain but could not remove all of it. Tests revealed late last year that tumor tissue resumed active growth so they are monitoring his condition. Recent tests revealed the tumor has not grown significantly for any changes to be made to his treatment. We are all praising the Lord for this great last report!

Please pray for them as they work through the best course of treatment for Elias and adjustments to the many changes for the whole family. Pray also for their ministry opportunities and the future God has planned for them.

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.

We rejoice in the love of Christ that has been shown to these desperate people. Amid the horror stories were true acts of sacrifice and kindness as God’s people immediately supplied clothing, food, water and shelter to hundreds and reportedly a thousand were still missing. This relief was not the effort of an organization mobilized from foreign dollars or internationally declared need, but Christians responding with the love of Christ to people around them in need. Hospitals and churches became collection centers and then delivery personnel distributed real help to real people right away. How refreshing. No waiting on institutions to send out pleas or nations to set up web sites and tv centers for millions of dollars to be collected – just God’s people obediently showing His love without delay.

Families are completely unaccounted for. Clean water is slowly being restored to many areas after almost a month. Relocating survivors with any relatives to be found is difficult. The shock is gone but the horror and pain lingers. Please continue to pray for families to look to the Lord for comfort. Pray for those still helping them relocate to safer housing.  We could not bear to take pictures of the suffering but we’ve found photos from the internet if you care to see the images from the storm. We looked up Washi Tropical Storm and Philippine Storm on google images.

Please continue to pray that many survivors will come to know Christ and that people will find their hope in Him alone amongst the ruin.

The Clarke's from New Zealand

Saying, “Goodbye.” Sigh.

We often complain that it seems since we entered the mission field, our most difficult words are “Good-bye!”

In life on this earth, we all face challenges with changes. It seems they happen with increased frequency once we entered the mission field. We leave family behind, knowing that some we will never again see until our eternal home and others, never. We leave security in our country and home cultures. We leave jobs, relationships, churches and community. We leave comfort and plenty.

We face another very shortly.

We’ve known the Clarke family almost as long as we’ve known the Philippines. They were here in 2001 when we visited to help during a break in our training. They began their language study along with us and shared the blood, sweat and tears that go along with learning a language at an, ahem, advanced age (though not so advanced as us). They moved into village service the same year we moved into our village. We even suffered injuries or illnesses about the same time and frequency! So much so that folk began to playfully accuse us of timing our health issues together just so we could visit in town. We vacationed together, lunched together, grabbed coffee together every chance we could when we were all out of our respective villages. We shared experiences that are best left out of a public forum involving allergic food related reactions on a very LONG bus trip. In short, we shared the joys, tears and heartaches, the victories and defeats – together. We’ve shared life!

It’s not coming to an end, but we will adjust to share our lives long distance just like we do with our family. The Clarke’s are returning to New Zealand to carry out ministry in their home country.

We missionaries come home very different than we left. It’s not always easy but it is always exciting! We ask you to pray with us for the Clarke’s transition into a new ministry and lifestyle. They return to full time grandparent-hood, a traveling ministry representing tribal missions, grown children, and changed home culture. We ask you to pray for us as we feel the distance stretch between us. Pray for their tribal friends and co-workers that will feel the loss too. Pray for the Philippine field and Mindanao as yet another missionary family leaves their ministry here. Pray for those who are eagerly awaiting their arrival in New Zealand, including their incredible children (dear to us as well). Pray for those whose hearts God is already preparing to hear their message and answer His call to service. Pray for their adjustments to ministering at home and for their financial support for life very different than what they grew accustomed to here.

We praise and thank God for the time He has allowed us to grow close to these dear friends and co-workers, who have become family. I admit God had to deal with a complaining heart as I muse this morning about those feelings of loss and change. He reminded me of something my tribal “sister” told me . When we knew we would not live among the village believers daily and only be visiting from month to month, my dear Banwaon sister said, “It’s only a short time before we are together for eternity! We won’t remember this small separation then.” I confess I’m short-sighted. Please pray that my vision expands to grasp the reality of her words.

As you pray for Chris and I to work through the good-byes and loneliness, pray for others facing change and loss. Maybe you are in a similar place. All the separations that feel heavy or difficult now pale in light of eternity. I know it in my mind but admit I do not feel it in my heart today. Pray that His eye-sight replaces the vision problems in our own. It is His right to work these changes in our lives for His glory. He is worthy of our trust and submission to His superior plan.

We so thank God for our prayer supporters. There is much power in that work you do for Him.

Ages 12 - 29!

The youth group from the little mission church we attend in town has a wonderful problem!

It’s too big!

From the humble beginning of the fellowship of four young women, the group has grown to 30 in number. Teaching became difficult as many of the younger people that are coming haven’t yet placed their trust in Christ for His work on the cross. Ages span the huge gap from twelve to twenty nine and an even broader gap of understanding and need. Pretty wonderful problem for us, huh?!

We’ve just received permission from the church leaders to split the group to a more manageable range of age twelve to nineteen and a second group of single college and professional people. Due to limited time available from our other ministries, we must alternate the meetings.

We ask you to pray with us for these times together with the youth. Pray for the salvation of these young people. Pray for real understanding and growth. Pray that nothing hinders or distracts them from what they are learning in church and the fellowship. Pray for us to be real before the Lord and them and to live out our lives that show Christ among them.

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.

Recent text messages have been spotty because the signal is very weak in our village. The news there has been difficult to hear as we wait here for a trip into the high mountain area. With that in mind, we are investigating a new way and would appreciate your prayers along those lines. I can’t give too many details here but it would be a brand new travel experience for me (Lynne). The communication to get that worked out has been difficult. The activity among those that wish to harm is high just now. While that news doesn’t cancel the plans for my going in, it does increase the need to have all the details ironed out as much as humanly possible.

We also heard a friend has had to make the difficult trip to the hospital because he was very weak and getting weaker. Amay Brayan was admitted into the hospital in a nearby city with a diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver. Our hearts go out to the family and we count them as close friends. Our plan is to visit very soon to check on him and his family.

Please pray for Amay Brayan and the doctors that are treating him. Pray for the village and people in the surrounding jungle as they do the best to store and protect their meager harvest of rice. Pray that they might find other food abundant in the jungle to support their diet.

The beautiful expressions of our friends regarding their trust in the Lord for each difficulty they find in their lives glorify our Father. They simply said, “There are difficulties here and we are missing you very much. Our trust is in the Lord for everything.”

Lisa's first Christmas and Christmas Tree

Christmas decorating starts in September here in the Philippines. We eagerly joined in by decorating our house along with our neighbors. When we decided to drag out the decorations from years in a box (we didn’t decorate for Christmas in the village) Liza’s eyes danced! Liza stays with us on the weekends to go to church since she is the only believer in her family. Before we could start, Liza quickly inserted Christmas CD’s  into the player and sang at the top of her voice with them all. It’s exciting to observe Lisa as she is learning about her new Savior and his love for her.

Afterward we were sitting around with smug looks on our faces that we got it all up before midnight. Her voice was little more than a whisper as she shared, “This is the first time I’ve ever decorated for Christmas.” We each felt a deeper joy realizing that Liza is just learning the amazing love Christ has for her. The firsts of many firsts with Christ. We say it often, Christ makes all the difference. Decorating for a season may be a simple activity but when we contemplate the One that came as the Gift for the sin of the world then that makes all the difference. Pray for Liza to learn of him with joy that deepens with maturity.

Liza is part of the young folks fellowship. We are currently studying the Scripture portions and prophesy surrounding Christ until the New Year. Each week we examine what God revealed to us through His Word long before Jesus’ birth and the eye witness reports while he walked this earth.

God urges the most incredible questions from them as we study these  truths – many of them hearing about Christ for the first time from a Biblical perspective. We pray that after the fellowship their minds will churn over what they hear from the Bible and compare it with traditional thinking.

Pray with us for them to desire a deeper relationship and read in their new Visayan-language Bibles – another first for them. Pray for Chris and I to be clear in our sharing in two languages and that when understanding is shaky they will keep the questions coming.