Lance and Laura Ostman Helping to equip the Higaunon People of North Central Mindanao 
We are just days away from leaving the village. We have thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with everyone; our co-workers, Ron & Michelle as we met daily for prayer, and with the Higaunon believers as we visited with them. Lance has finished the initial checking of all he planned on doing as well as gotten a good start into 1 Samuel.
Posts Tagged ‘Philippines’
God is faithful…
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Friday, May 18th, 2012Our goal has been reached – thank you for praying!
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Friday, May 4th, 2012
Tata was one of our first language helpers.
To borrow a phrase from Paul’s letter to the Colossians: To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are scattered around the world: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing to experience God’s grace and peace day by day and know He is in control of all that is going on around us, no matter where we are in this messed up world. What a privilege to serve Him wherever we are.
Our neighbor, Wiki, with one of his many grandchildren.
Thank you so much for praying for us. We have had a great time reconnecting with the believers here and we praise the Lord for allowing us to accomplish our goals! Lance finished all that he had prepared to do and is now working on the book of 1 Samuel. It has been a lot of fun watching the translation assistants’ reaction as they hear a lot of this for the first time in their language.
We have a lot to praise God for and to ask prayer for. Here are some items on our list:
- On the 14th of this month, Higaunon church leaders and their wives along with others involved in church planting will gather from across the region to attend the biannual Higaunon Church seminar. Please pray for safety as they travel and for their time together that it will be an encouraging time around the Word of God.
- Lord willing we will leaving the village on the 23rd of this month. Please pray as we visit friends in this country and then travel to see our daughter and her family. Nicole reports that they are doing well learning the language! (Click here to see their Facebook page.)
- Please pray for Laura’s family on the home-going of her Aunt Olive Morse – affectionately known as “Auntie”. She was more than ready to go be with Jesus! Pray for her husband Jim and their 3 sons. Jennifer, (Lance’s niece married to Laura’s cousin) did a wonderful job taking care of her over the last 7 weeks in their home. Please pray for them during this time of adjustment of not having her around.
- Please continue pray for Lance’s trip to Haiti in July. We praise God for each of you who have given towards his trip. We are confident that God will provide what is lacking. Please write and ask if you are interested in the details.
We praise the Lord for each of you who pray and give towards this ministry. What a privilege it is to be co-laborers together in that which has eternal value; the lives of PEOPLE!
Secure in Christ’s love,
Lance & Laura
Have you heard the account of the birth of the Higaunon church, or maybe you want to hear it again? For those who are interested, click here to listen to a podcast of us telling the story of the Higaunon people’s journey from Fear to Faith.
- Children make their own toys.
‘Down to the wire’ revisited…
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Monday, March 12th, 2012
Thank you
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.
down to the wire!
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
We hope and pray that this finds each of you encouraged in the Lord. The picture above reminds us that there are still many unreached people groups in the world living like this that need PEOPLE to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. Are you praying for laborers?
As we write this update there are some verses that come to kind
- Proverbs 3:5-6(NKJV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Life’s adventures…
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Thirty years ago
1 Thessalonians 5:24 – Faithful is He who calls you who also will do it!
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)
Returns and Rejoicings…
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
Returns and Rejoicings
I had a wonderful time with Nicole, Olivia, Jacob and Owen. Being there with them for those weeks met the desires of my “mother’s and grandmother’s heart.” Thanks again for praying for us both, especially during the time I was away, through my sickness, and for my return to the Philippines.
Our son-in-law Justin returned from his trip to Asia before I left their home. He came back excited about the work that is going on and which they hope to join by early next year, the Lord willing. Justin & Nicole continue to do pre-field ministry and their support level is now at 72%! This is cause for rejoicing. Please join us in prayer for the remainder of their support, for the contacts and meetings to see more partners in their ministry. We rejoice in those who have already joined their “team.”
It’s Harvest Time!
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
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!)
The Higaunon Church says, “Thank you!”
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Sunday, September 13th, 2009To our beloved siblings in Christ there in America,
How are you doing in the Lord? How is your faith in Christ? If you are wondering how we are doing here in our village, we are doing well thanks to the Lord’s love and watch care over us. He shows that same love to each one of you as well.
Now then, even though we have not met and we speak different languages, I really wanted to write to you because I know that you are the Lord’s children just like us. We are all one in Christ since we all have put our faith in his perfect blood.
Now then, the purpose of my letter is so that you know that we are really happy and thankful for your help with our Bibles. We praise the Lord for you giving of yourselves and finances to be used for God’s purpose. We are the recipients of that blessing as well as others who have yet to accept God’s Word. This is why we are so happy, especially me. I cannot thank you enough for allowing the Lord to use you in regards to our Bibles.
My siblings, we do not have anything to pay you for what you have done in the way of worldly things but there is a God who will reward you and repay you for the money you spent for God’s purpose. He will exchange that with heavenly wealth which is stored in heaven.
God is trustworthy to fulfill his promise that he gave to his children. However we can help you by praying for you. We pray that God will continue to watch over you and that He will bless you with the things you need.
Now then, siblings in the Lord, we also ask you to help us by praying for us. Please pray for us that God’s purpose will continue to be fulfilled that we will continue to minister his word to others.
As for us, we will persevere in our praying for you all.
That is all I have to say,
My name is Sonà and I’m one of the church leaders here amongst the Higaunon. My wife is Yanit and we have 5 children.
Boxes for precious cargo of New Testaments
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Saturday, August 29th, 2009
Please be praying for the packing and shipping
Of the Higaunon New Testaments
Pray they arrive here by the end of October.
getting the plywood from the hard ware store and letting THEM do the cutting!
Some assembly required!
these boxes will hold precious cargo!
This job took 4 hours!
We hear they enjoyed a high cholesterol breakfast first.
Looks like they did a fantastic job!
33 boxes to ship the New Testaments.
These New Testaments will go into those boxes!
“Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 1
Posted by Lance and Laura Ostman on Friday, March 30th, 2007
“We are the Higaunon (he-gah-oo-non) people. Our name means, “out of the water ones,” which is referring to the mountains that we live in being up “out of the sea.” Our spiritual name is cah-he-lau-one which means, “The unripe ones.” This is referring to when the first Higaunon man and woman were being created by the gods and an evil god came along and stole them away before they could be given the eternal life force.
As a result, we all remained mortal and when we die we go to the place of the evil god who owns us when we die. We are not sure what it is like there, but it is said to be a really terrible place of fear and pain. Death is the most terrifying thing for us.
Our only hope is the tee-noo-mah-nun which means, “THE FULFILLMENT.” This is when one of us receives a dee-wah-tah spirit guide who tells us what laws and rituals must be fulfilled to gain favor with the creator gods. If we can fulfill everything they give us to do, they promise that we will not die but be shown a pathway from this world into the eternal world where the creator gods live. This could be by a basket let down from the doorway in heaven, or a stairway up the side of a rainbow, or even an opening that appears in the side of a mountain.
“Only one person has ever been said to make it to heaven without dying, but he was sent back because he complained that there was no work for him to do there. In many ways, we fear the tee-noo-mah-nun because of what the spirits tell us we have to do, like having to sacrifice our seven year old children to them and going without food for long periods of time. They would have us go on long pilgrimages through the forest in search for a promised pathway to heaven. Many of our ancestors have died during the tee-noo-mah-nun, but we have no other hope. Mostly though, we end up not doing right what the spirits told us to do and so we are told by the spirits that we have failed and won’t receive the promise. But what else can we do? There is no other way!”
Related Posts:
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 2
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 3
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 4
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 5
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 6
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 7
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 8
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 9
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 10
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 11
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 12
- “Unripe Ones – From Fear to Faith” Part 13