Lance and Laura Ostman Helping to equip the Higaunon People of North Central Mindanao
As we type this, we have 48 hours to our check-in time. Many of you have written assuring us of your prayers. Several have given towards our trip and also towards being able to see our daughter and her family. Praise the Lord, we have received enough not only for our trip, but also we have been able to purchase some needed items that we’ll use during our time there. Thank you to all who are praying and to those who have given.
Thirty years ago
Some of you remember that this is what we looked like thirty years ago – the rest of you are probably laughing! 
Who would have guessed then that we’d be looking back from this vantage point having experienced so much in life!? God is faithful – that’s for sure!
Thirty years ago on Super Bowl Sunday we boarded a plane in Chicago for Manila, Philippines. Maybe you can imagine how much reminiscing we’ve been doing, as our daughter and her family have now begun their own “adventure” on the other side of the world! (they arrived safely Feb 3rd)
Act 13:3 “Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”
Dear prayer and financial partners,
The above verse was part of the text used during daughter and son-in-law’s commissioning service last week. What a privilege to be here for that and know that there are lots of people praying for them.
Saying goodbye is never easy and this time is no exception. We have had 3 wonderful months with our daughter and her family and it is now time to say goodbye. They are scheduled to leave two weeks from today for Asia. Please pray for them as they will have a lot of adjustments over the next few months. Praise the Lord with us for how He has lead them and how He will continue to work in and through their lives.
We have really enjoyed our time here and especially appreciate First Baptist church of Memphis, NY, allowing us to use an office during our stay here. This has allowed Lance to get a lot of work done with very little interruption. He has finished Joshua and is now starting on Judges.
Thank you for praying for us over these past few months and especially now as we say goodbye.
Our schedule:
As most of you know, we never tire over sharing what God has done and continues to do amongst the Higaunon people. Victory Bible Church in southern New Jersey has invited us to share this ministry with them this coming Sunday. From there we will be making a few stops on our way back to Florida.
We will be in Florida only until middle of March, when we’ll depart for the Philippines. This will be a 3 month visit to do checking on the scripture translation Lance has been working on. Ron and Michelle are looking for a native speaker to work with us full time to check over his work. Please pray we’ll have the right person for the job.
Finally, we are praying that God will allow us to visit our daughter and family in their new location before we return to the US. Please pray with us for the finances, timing and all that will be entailed in that. To us it seems impossible but we know if God is in this He will do it! If any of you are interested in helping us with our upcoming trips along with some equipment we would like to take with us, please let us know and we can share with you more details.
Thank you all for your part in this ministry. May God bless you in this New Year!
Secure in Christ’s love,
Lance & Laura
It’s harvest time here in the mountains and people are busy bringing rice in from their fields!
This year has been a particularly good harvest for which they are all very thankful. They have had just the right amount of rain and sunshine at the right times to ripen it. The village is often empty during this time of year because people are working to get the harvest in before it rots with the oncoming rains or the rats get it. It’s important to get it in while the getting is good. (Speaking of good – it is delicious! Wish you could be here to enjoy it with us!)
One of our neighbors stopped by wanting change for a thousand peso bill. That’s the largest denomination available and is difficult to change here in the mountains. Consequently we don’t like to give that kind of change but we’re leaving here soon and furthermore, he wanted to buy a Bible. How could we refuse!?
As I was counting out change we started asking each other – “where did Mansumintik, of all people, come up with a thousand peso bill?” Of course right off the bat we thought “illegal logging!” Where else can they get that kind of money around here?
The “Precious Cargo” of Higaunon New Testaments arrived safely at our NTM Guest House on Tuesday this week. Later today the shipment will be put on a truck and dear friends of ours will bring the shipment TOMORROW. They plan to leave at 4 AM, (4 PM Thursday EST) and the Lord willing, they should arrive somewhere around noon.
A story of a Moi man’s journey from fear to faith!
Dear Prayer Partners!
The past week plus has been quite an adventure. You know from our previous update that I was scheduled for a colonoscopy on Tuesday. I also was scheduled for my annual mammogram.
My mammogram was scheduled for 7A.M. and the colonoscopy for 9. Being prepped for the colonoscopy, I had been to the bathroom a lot (as any of you know who have gone through that – not fun!) I was having my mammogram and the technician was about to do the last x-ray when I said to her, “I feel faint!” (I had had nothing substantial to eat since the morning before!) She didn’t understand my slurred speech and I couldn’t remember the right word in her language…
The next thing I knew I was “waking up” on the floor, the poor technician was so anxious about me, “are you okay?!” She was trying to get someone to get Lance to come. When I came to after the fainting spell, they took my blood pressure and it was very low!
Well, you know what happens to your body fluids when you lose consciousness?! So there I was, with no change of clothes. After the last x-ray picture, I was taken to the ER, where I was given a hospital gown
and an IV. It was nice to rest and wait for the next procedure. A while later while holding a cup of coffee, (you know where his priorities are!) Lance was trying to help me get off the bed and he spilled his coffee down the front of his shirt and pants. We made quite the pair!! I guess he didn’t want me to feel badly about soiling my clothes, so he decided to join me!
The results of the colonoscopy were “non-specific colitis” and the doctor thinks that is from the yeast infection. Lance also has yeast (his is in his mouth) so we are both on a strict diet now –no sugar, carbs, white flour, anything with yeast etc. etc. Yes, I’m feeling faint again!!
I wonder how we are going to manage here, where there are not a lot of specialty food items available. I have the assurance from friends who have been through this that we will be fine. It is just a matter of eating wisely – mainly meats and vegetables, hardly any fruit as even natural sugar is bad for us. We can’t have white rice and the worst part is NO CHOCOLATE! (How ARE we going to live?!)
In all of this we are thankful. My tests did not reveal anything serious! We praise God for His grace. In my quite time this morning, God gave me two specific verses to encourage me. Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Isaiah 41:10 Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Thank you so much for praying for us! We are delaying our return to the village so I can rest and we both can adjust to this new diet. Lance does have plenty of time to work on the Psalms, so he will continue with that. We would appreciate your prayers for our healing from this yeast infection.
Secure in Christ’s love,
Laura and Lance
