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Mission Conference at Mayfair Bible Church

Theme of the conference.

With every road trip we take, we try to do something fun with our children.  For example, this last week, we were at Mayfair Bible Church’s mission conference.  Our children actually enjoy it when we attend a church more than once.  In other words, they don’t make a new friend and then have to say “good-bye” an hour later.  So, mission conferences are fun for our children as they get several days with their new friends.  Of course, we the parents enjoy this time also as we can fellowship with many families, as well as share what God is doing in the Philippines.

Jordan children in front of a nativity scene in Frankenmuth.

Along with attending this mission conference, Stephen took the four children on a day trip to Frankenmuth.   For those who don’t live in Michigan, Frankenmuth is the home of “Bronners”, the world’s largest Christmas store.  To make the trip extra special, Stephen let our children pick one small Christmas ornament each.  Rebekah chose a poodle tangled up in Christmas lights; Abigail chose a bulb ornament with a picture of baby Jesus; and Luke & Jonathan both chose football players.  By doing this, we hope our children will have some fun memories of their time in the States for many years to come, especially as we decorate for Christmas.

Thank you again for your prayers and partnership.

One last quad ride with Uncle Paul

During this year, time after time, we will be getting ready to go visit another church or visit a family.  Often Jonathan’s response is “but Mom, I’m having fun playing with my toys at home.”  Even though a little disappointed, the kids get ready and off we go.  Once we arrive to our destination, they quickly make new friends and have a wonderful time, until . . . we tell the kids it’s time to go.  Once again, Jonathan’s response will be “but Mom, I’m having fun with my new friends.”  Well that is how the last 10 months have been over and over. 

We praise the Lord for a recent trip out West.  The Lord blessed and encouraged our hearts as we spent time with family and with those who have partnered with us in the ministry among the Agutaynens. 

One last hug with Great-Grandma

This trip was the beginning of our good-byes.  We said good-bye to four of our supporting churches and Stephen’s family.  Good-byes are never fun or easy, but we know they mean we are getting ready to return to the Agutaynens in the Philippines.

Like many of you, our kids are asking us often when we are returning to the Philippines.  Lord willing, our return will be around July 1^st.  As we don’t have plane tickets yet, we likewise don’t have a specific date for our return.  However, we hope to leave the USA by July 1^st. 

Thank you again for partnering with us.

Uncle Paul playing with Jonathan in the snow

Uncle Paul helping Luke sled

Last week, Stephen’s brother Paul made a quick stop by our place in Michigan.  We knew Uncle Paul would be coming, but we wanted it to be a surprise for our children.  And what a surprise it was!  Uncle Paul was only here for a few hours, but the nieces and nephews had a great time with their uncle.  They went sledding and just sat on his lap.  Thank you, Uncle Paul, for stopping in.  We love you!

Abigail and her T&T friend

Occasionally we will receive an email or a letter from an Awana Sparky or a T&T kid.  They usually need to ask a missionary some questions to pass a section in their books.  These questions are usually the same.  Some things like, “What country do you work in?”, “What do you do as a missionary?” and the list of questions goes on.  Well, we decided to put all of this right here at your fingertips.  Just to the right of this article, you will see a list of “pages” on our blog.  One of these is “Awana Kids”.  Just click on this, and you and your Awana child can find the answers to their questions.  However, we would still love to hear from these kids and personally thank them for their interest and prayers.

Parents and Awana leaders, this page is a “work in progress”.  Please email us with any other questions you would like added to this page.  We welcome your input.  And we appreciate your prayer for us and for the Agutaynens in the Philippines.

The Agutaynen language often will use vagueness.  For example, often an Agutaynen will come to us in the village and ask, “My um is in need of some um.  Could you please give us some um?”  If this happened to you, would you give them some um?  We assume you wouldn’t until you found out what um is.  First of all, the Agutaynen is very vague to “save face”.  If you say “no” right away, then you haven’t offended the Agutaynen.  But in order to find out the need, we need to ask the Agutaynen several questions. 

An Agutaynen teenager with a plate full of cooked rice.

 Usually, we start by asking them what is needed.  The Agutaynen will then tell us, for example, the need is rice.  We have now figured out one of the ums.  Then we ask who needs rice to find out the other um.  The Agutaynen shares that their family has no rice.  So the second um is their family.  So now we have deciphered all the ums and we know what the Agutaynen was saying: “My family is in need of some rice.  Could you please give us some rice?”  

Sometimes all this vagueness can become tiresome, but at other times we can use it too.  For example, it would be very natural for us to use this um word whenever we forget or don’t know a word in Agutaynen and this would be natural for the Agutaynen hearer.  However, we never want to use the um word when we are sharing the Gospel message with the Agutaynens.  We don’t want to be vague but very clear when we share that salvation is by Jesus Christ alone. 

An Agutaynen reading the New Testament in their own language.

Another good example is the New Testament translation in Agutaynen.  What would you think if you read John 3:16 like this, “For um so loved the um, that he gave his only um, that whosoever ums in um, will not um, but have um um?”  Hopefully you agree with us that the littlest words, even pronouns like “he”, are very important when proclaiming the Gospel message to the Agutaynens.

Lastly, we want to thank each of you for your um and um.  In case you don’t speak Agutaynen, we want to thank each of you for your encouragement and prayer.

The Lord has already provided through sacrificial giving of many of you to help with our project fund.  Along with these gifts, we have put all our “speaking gifts/love offerings” into this fund as well.  For those who might not know, the project fund is to help us with one-time expenses for our return to the Philippines for another 5-year term.  As of this time, we have received 37% of the financial needs for these items.  This has allowed us to purchase many things already like pots-and-pans, homeschooling materials for Luke and Jonathan, and much more.  We are currently looking into purchasing and shipping a propane refrigerator and solar batteries.  These two items will deplete most of the remaining funds that have already been given.  We continue to trust the Lord to provide the financial needs for a vehicle in the Philippines and ministry supplies for Stephen (i.e. laptop computer, scanner, and recording device).  We would also like to purchase 5 years of homeschooling materials for Rebekah and Abigail.  By purchasing the homeschooling materials now, we will save at least $2,000 in shipping.  Along with these big items, we still need to purchase things like sheets, blankets, mosquito nets and many other household items.  Lord willing, we hope to purchase many of these household items by April.  We would then be able to ship these items to the Philippines ahead of our return.  Please praise the Lord for His provisions already and pray with us for the provisions that will enable us to purchase the remaining needs.

Agutaynen girl filling up her Coke and Sprite bottles with water.

Yes, Agutaynens do “celebrate” New Year’s Eve.  Most of them believe the events of the evening of December 31, especially at midnight, will foretell the events of 2011.  For example, a rice pot with no rice in it on the evening of December 31 will mean 2011 will be filled with hunger.  Another example, if there is no money in the house on December 31 then 2011 will be a difficult year for the family financially.

As a result, Agutaynens go to great lengths to make sure their homes are well prepared for December 31.  They will make sure all containers of rice, sugar, coffee, and water are full.  By doing so, Agutaynens believe that these items will not be scarce during the New Year.

At midnight, Agutaynens will also turn on their radios and start their motorcycles or generators (if they have such items).  By doing so, many Agutaynens believe that these items will run smoothly throughout the New Year.

Agutaynens make sure they have plenty of rice and fish on December 31.

Some Agutaynens will also observe the ocean, the stars and the animals at midnight.  Many believe that these things will foretell what type of year they will have, that being a plentiful year or a difficult one.

As you can see many Agutaynens find hope in what they can do themselves or in creation, not in the Creator. 

We pray that all of us will find our hope in Jesus alone, especially as we look to Him in this coming New Year.

These are just a few of the many Christmas cards that you sent us.

For the Jordan family, Christmas is a time filled with many blessings and memories.  This year was extra special as we were able to celebrate the birth of our Savior with Ginger’s family.  An additional blessing was all the Christmas cards that many of you sent to us.    Over 100 of you encouraged us with your cards.  Many of these cards  reflected the wonderful story of Jesus’ birth.  Some had pictures of the shepherds, and some of the wise men.  Thank you for sharing this wonderful season with us.

Luke "skating" on the pond

For the last five years, we have celebrated Christmas as the temperature hovered around 90 degrees.  Of course, we are not talking about celebrating Christmas in Michigan, we are talking about in the Philippines.  We were surrounded by coconut and banana trees as we listened to Christmas music.  Singing Christmas songs and sweating at the same time just doesn’t seem right, if you are a Michigander.  So, one of our desires this year was to have a “White Christmas”.  We can’t tell you how many times the weathermen have forecasted snow for our area and we awake in the morning to green grass.  However, the weathermen are once again forecasting snow for tonight.  So, we might still have a White Christmas.  Either way, our kids remind us that if God wants us to have a White Christmas, then He will give us one.

Rebekah Sledding

But the kids have been enjoying the season.  In our backyard is a pond that has frozen over. 

Jonathan Sledding

Many afternoons our family has gone down to the pond and “skated” around in our boots.  Our kids love it.  Also, last Saturday, we took a trip up to Traverse City to celebrate Christmas with Ginger’s extended family.  They had several inches of snow up there and the kids went sledding with their cousins.

It’s a good thing that Christmas is not about the weatherman giving an accurate forecast for snow and it happens.  Just as much, Christmas is not about the Christmas Tree or the presents under it.  Christmas is about the wonderful birth of our Savior.  Yesterday, our pastor said that Jesus was born in our weakness but not in our wickedness.  This is so true.  Jesus was born of a woman, but not born in sin.  Jesus lived a sinless life and then died as the pure Lamb of God for our sins.  We hope that each one of you, who now reads this, have put your trust in Jesus alone for your salvation.  We encourage you to do so if you haven’t yet.  Christmas without Christ is not worth celebrating!

Abigail Sledding

Agutaynen Carolers at our Home

Yes, they do.  In many ways it is similar to how Americans celebrate Christmas. 

For example, there is caroling.  Agutaynens come in groups of about ten people, along with their instruments, which might be a guitar or a banjo (not unusual if the instruments are missing a string or two).  They will sing several Christmas songs in Agutaynen, which is very beautiful.  When they are done, we usually give them some Christmas cookies and Coke. 

Agutaynen Girls in front of their Christmas Tree

Few Agutaynens will put up a “Christmas tree”, which is usually not green.  While we were in Manila, our neighbors would have artificial trees.  In the village, the trees are usually a small branch from a regular tree (no pine trees there!).  They will decorate their tree with hand-made chains/streamers made from construction paper.  Some will use shiny candy wrappers and hang them from the tree like ornaments.  Traditionally, the Filipinos decorate their homes using a Christmas star rather than a tree.

Agutaynen Girl with her Christmas Star

Agutaynens have never seen snow, but we have heard our neighbor girls singing “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”.  And like Americans, Agutaynens celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25.  

As you celebrate Christmas, remember that the cradle has no meaning without the cross of calvary.  Our heart’s desire is for each and every one of the Agutaynens to know Jesus as their Savior, Who completely paid for their sins on the cross, almost 2000 years ago.  As you celebrate Christmas, please remember to pray for these Agutaynens.