NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

A tribal missionary wears many different hats.  He may act as doctor, researcher, buyer, farming consultant, weather man, builder, parent, consultant, language learner, listening ear, plumber, translator, Bible teacher, mechanic, and etc. all at any given time.  One job that can become a frustration and very time consuming is maintenance and community development.  When the missionary has to deal with those type of physical issues it can feel as if he isn’t accomplishing his ministry goals and yet, he needs the function of the house, air strip, water source or generator to be in prime condition in order to carry out his ministry.  The role a community developer plays on a tribal team is very important (more…)

Concrete walls, security wire, locked car doors, passwords, constantly checking our surroundings, guard checks, and carrying little of value are what are familiar these days.  We are constantly confronted with the status system:  expensive cars driving past poor people sleeping on the sidewalk; men collecting recyclables all day to only make enough to pay for one family meal; guarded communities with high class amenities next to hundreds of families living in a squatter area; college graduates waiting for work but unwilling to take a lesser paying job than their qualifications; friends living in debt they can never repay just to feed/clothe/school their children.

Lucas and Lito adding wire to the guest house center to heighten security.

In contrast to what we have adjusted to these past 18 months, life in the interior of the Philippines is much simpler.  October 4-10 our family was able to visit the Southern Isnag work in Northern Luzon hosted by the Bamford family.  What a change for us to not have cell service, internet, or need for cash!  It was a load off our shoulders and indeed was like a vacation.  The purpose of our visit had multiple facets:   (more…)