NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

In the US we have an expression of “being stretched out of shape.” In the Philippines that idiom is related to the bamboo as it is flexible.

Bamboo is a grass that grows as tall as a tree and is known for its ability to bend but not break. In the twists and turns of life, I sometimes feel like God is bending me out of shape. But that feeling is a good feeling because it draws me to Him—relying on God for strength and direction. 2Co 12:9 reads, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Do you remember the saying, “Never say Never”? In high school I said I would never be a missionary or a school teacher. On the mission field, I said I would never teach at Faith Academy. For a long time, I have said I would never be an administrator—“I want to teach and be with students, not sit in boring meetings.”

Well, a few months ago I said that to a colleague who was challenging me to go into administration. When I said that, I felt a tug in my heart as if God was saying, “Why did you say, ‘never’?” I started talking with the middle school principal and he shared with me that he wanted to go on a short, 6-month furlough. Our discussions continued through first quarter and ended with a conference with the superintendent.

During that whole process I discussed it with Cheryl and our children and prayed much about it. Our superintendent gave the invitation and we accepted it. Second quarter has been filled with meeting and plans for me to transition out of the classroom and into the middle school principal’s office.

If you remember last school year, we asked prayer for more teachers. The teacher we were hoping to teach math was delayed so I filled in during her absence. Well, God did raise her support and she is here taking over my math class. My Discovery students were more challenging to decide what to do with them. We decided that I would keep one (so I am not totally out of the classroom). Another student, I am transitioning into a different program that is actually more suitable for him, and the last one I am excited to say he is graduating from our program. He is a freshman and received all A’s first semester and is doing well in therapy.

First quarter I was busy with the senior class. We had a lock-in (I am getting too old for that), a money-making adventure (sold Sloppy Joes and rented video games), and lastly—the senior play—a huge undertaking. All went well and the seniors continue to grow and mature—May 30 is coming quickly.

Basketball season is here with all its busyness. Our record is not near as good as it was last year, but they continue to improve and gain experience. Ben is busy with basketball and finishing up requirements for his Eagle rank in Boy Scouts. Paul had a great soccer season first quarter but is enjoying some free time second quarter. Ben and Paul continue in band; the choir has invited Paul to play his trumpet at a few concerts. Ashley and Juliana continue in band and piano. First quarter both played volleyball and now both are in basketball. Abby is learning to play the piano with Ashley as her teacher. Her class also presented in elementary chapel with a reminder that Christ should be our focus at Christmas.

Thank you for praying for us. Continue to pray for our finances as the value of the dollar continues to drop in the Philippines.

In Christ,

Walter for the Seven Spicers

First Quarter is flying by, starting with a big change of plans. Instead of teaching just Discovery, the middle school principal asked me to teach eighth grade Pre-Algebra. We were praying for two more teachers but they were not able to come at the beginning of school. Scrambling to cover their classes, another therapist took two of my students which enabled me to take two sections of Pre-Algebra. I am enjoying being back in the classroom but am swamped trying to teach math and Discovery, plus help in our special education department. Our special ed. department is understaffed and some staff have little experience. Faith Academy is trying to be pro-active and help our new staff with a mentorship program; I am to mentor three new staff members this year. The program is still in its fledgling stage—I am to meet with them weekly and be a buddy.

I am still an advisor for the senior class. Last week we had our lock-in; it was a good time to have fun and bond together as a class. We have a busy schedule ahead of us. We just finished Spirit Week and are gearing up for a money-making endeavor at our annual “Shopper’s Day.” Our Senior Play is underway with practices every day; we will perform “Emma” at the end of October. Please pray for the senior class as we decide the venue for our senior trip and a ministry.

Cheryl was hoping to help out in the nurse’s office at FA just once a week, but they were shorthanded so they asked Cheryl to come in two days a week.

Our children keep busy with music, sports, and friends. Paul is on the JV soccer team and Ashley is on the middle school volleyball team. Ben is lifting weights and getting ready for basketball season, plus he is still busy trying to earn his Eagle rank in Boy Scouts. Juliana is in a volleyball club, and all three girls are taking piano lessons; in fact, Ashley is Abby’s teacher.

We shared in the past that our monthly support was not keeping up with inflation here in the Philippines, but God continues to provide. A church we had visited in 2004 when we were on furlough just sent us another large gift. We are still praying for an increase in our monthly support to keep up with our everyday expenses, as well as saving up for our return tickets to the US in 2008.

Thanks again for praying and giving financially. You are truly essential for our ministry to continue.

In Christ,
Walter for the Seven Spicers

1) Pray for more teachers for Faith Academy. Several positions still need to be filled for this coming school year:
Middle School teacher needs—mathematics teacher, computer teacher, PE teacher, science teacher.
Elementary School teacher needs—art teacher, computer teacher, PE teacher.

2) Pray for all the returning staff and new staff: safety as they travel and for wisdom and the finances as they set up their home and prepare for their ministry here in the Philippines.

Praise for a fantastic basketball ministry trip. We handed out thousands of tracts and thousands of Book of Hope; plus collected response cards. Please pray for the local pastors and their churches as they follow-up on all the response cards.

Praise for the “completion” of Ben’s Eagle Project. Pray that the people will learn how to care and propagate rabbits as a means to increase protein in their diet.

It is nice to be home again! The busy part of our summer is over. Thank you for praying and giving financially. We had a wonderful time but are exhausted. After we returned home from Ben’s Eagle Project, we only had one week to recuperate until our next big adventure—our basketball ministry trip in the Visayas (islands located in the middle of the Philippines). We played about 15 games in seven days and handed out thousands of tracts. At half time, one of the players shared his testimony in English (most Filipinos understand English); then a Filipino pastor would share the gospel in Cebuano (the trade language in those islands). It was a great experience for everyone–sharing the gospel. At the end of each tract was a response card. If they filled out the card, we gave them a Book of Hope magazine. We handed out thousands of these which were the Book of John in magazine format printed in English and Filipino (their national language). It also had many side articles addressing many issues in life. We gave the response cards to the local pastor who will follow up with each person. If they desire, the pastor will have a Bible study with the individual. Please pray for these local pastors and their churches as they follow-up on all the response cards.

The team flew back to Manila on July 9th, but the Spicers took a boat to another island and rested. We saw a few of the beautiful spots on the island and went snorkeling; even Abby is learning how to snorkel. After three days, we flew back to Manila as well.

Thank you for your prayers. We have had a great summer so far, but it is nice to be home. We are ready to stay put for awhile. With all that accomplished, I can turn my attention toward my office at school. I need to get a lot of work done before school begins.

Thanks again for praying and giving financially. You are truly essential for our ministry to continue.

In Christ,
Walter for the Seven Spicers

June was dedicated to Ben’s Eagle Project—to help integrate more meat into the diet of a remote, ethnic group in which our mission works. He is still working on his final report but the hard part is over. It was quite a trip; the boys who went on it will long remember it. We drove seven hours to NTM’s center in northern Luzon where we used to live. Cheryl and the girls stayed there but the boys (Ben, Paul and four other scouts) and I got up and caught an air-conditioned bus at 4 am, riding it for 5 hours to a city further north. Air-conditioned buses in the Philippines do not have a thermostat so we actually froze until the sun warmed the bus up. Here we transferred to a mini-bus that was not air-conditioned and rode it 4 hours in the heat of the day to a remote town further north. It was a bumpy gravel road. We stayed at a person’s house that night and he gave us a ride down a dirt road until it came to a dead end and the footpath began. We hiked for 7 ½ hours. The first two hours was mountainous and the last 5 ½ hours was along and through a river—we crossed that same river 50 times! We were tired but ready to begin working. Over the next four days, Ben and his crew (including the missionaries’ children) cut and split hundreds of pieces of bamboo, making 7 ½ rabbit cages. On Sunday, we hiked with the missionary to his outreach and listened and watched as he preached God’s Word. Then in the afternoon we went to the service at his village; we even participated by singing a special. On Monday, the rabbits flew in and we flew out. Each flight was an hour long and then we drove to Manila, arriving home around 10 pm. Do pray that the people will learn how to care and propagate rabbits as a means to increase protein in their diet.

We are excited about being finished, but Ben has some paper work and other things to complete before he is awarded the Eagle rank. Please take a look at the photo album—Ben’s Eagle Project when we get them uploaded.

Thanks again for praying and giving financially; it was a special time for Ben, his “crew” and our family.

In Christ,
Walter for the Seven Spicers

The 2006-2007 school year is over, and we thank you for your partnership—in prayer and giving financially. It was a great year and we thank God for all He did in and through the staff and students. It is my privilege to work with students that learn differently. This year some of them matured and grew emotionally. To them it is a big adjustment to move from elementary school to middle school, and others on to high school. They learn first hand what it means that “God’s grace is sufficient for you, for God’s power is made perfect in weakness." (2Corinthians 12:9) Being different is tough but it develops Christ-like character in the long run. It is my ministry to encourage them. Some of my students made great gains in reading—both vocabulary and comprehension. Some made gains in math or in processing speed (thinking faster). Many students panic with timed test; so in my “safe” office we simulate timed tests. Once a teacher develops a good rapport with his student, it is amazing how much he can stretch them. I met with all of their parents and they were pleased as well. We even began to set some goals for next year. My end-of-the-year reports are finished and my grades are in. PTL

Graduation is always a bitter-sweet time. The longer I teach at Faith Academy, the harder graduation becomes because I have known them for so long from elementary to middle school to high school—as a therapist, teacher, coach, advisor, squad leader, etc. They have seen me wear so many hats and we share so many stories together—from being challenged spiritually to playing basketball along the road while our bus is getting fixed. Do pray for the graduating seniors as they transition to a new chapter in their life—challenging, exciting, yet scary.

Summer is here but my family does not know how to slow down. They have big plans. Ashley is all excited—she wants to do weight training and basketball training with her dad. Paul likes the weight training but will be working on soccer instead of basketball. Juliana will go along and do some things but is more interested in crafts. Abby just wants to be busy with the family; she is definitely our social one. Ben is keeping us all busy with his Eagle Project. His goal is to help integrate more meat (rabbits) into the diet of a remote, ethnic group in which our mission works. We have been planning, purchasing items, and getting ready for the big trip. Cheryl and the girls will stay at our center where we used to live; and Ben, Paul, four other scouts, and I will fly into the remote allocation with our supplies, tools, cages, and 13 rabbits. We already have seven rabbits and the girls are keeping them occupied. The teaching posters Ben made look great, and Ben and the scouts did a nice job on their first two cages made out of bamboo. The plane broke down last week, so pray that it can be fixed quickly and our schedule will not be drastically changed. Rainy season up there starts in July.

The other big family outing is our basketball ministry. Normally it is just Ben and I that go on a trip, but Cheryl and I prayed about the whole family going this year. Basketball is very popular in the Philippines and always draws a big crowd. At half time we give our testimony and share the gospel. Then we pass out tracts with the gospel written in Tagalog and “coupons” for a free Bible study. We want the whole family to have this great experience—sharing the gospel in the Philippines.

In Christ,

Walter for the Seven Spicers

1) Praise for the money that we received to fix our van and that it is finally fixed.
2) Praise for a great Junior/Senior banquet—everyone enjoyed the venue, the food, and the program. The theme was “One candle lights a thousand” and the speaker challenged the seniors to shine for God.
3) Pray for good health for everyone, especially as the year winds down and people are getting tired and hot season is approaching us.
4) Pray for the many events that culminate the school year: end of the year testing and reports, meetings, banquets, fine arts programs, projects, and exams for the different classes. Students get tired and "spring fever" hits. Many are emotional as seniors will be leaving their parents and friends. Over 25% of staff and students go on furlough or change their ministry, so there are many that are in transition which is a stretching time. We will also be saying goodbye to friends, some for a year or two, and some we may not see again.
5) Pray for more teachers. Many key positions are still open. Most of the people in my department are leaving or going on home assignment.
6) Pray for wisdom as we plan our summer. Ben has his Eagle project to finish; Ben and I will go on a basketball ministry trip; we might foster an 18 month old boy for the summer; Walter needs to complete some paper work for his department; plus we need to spend some family time.

We decided to stay home for March Break. We asked you to pray for wisdom in regards to our van. We praise God for the money that came in for our van. We found a good Hyundai shop that seemed professional. After eight days in the shop, it seems to be working fine. Since we would lose money selling and buying, and since we only have one year before our home assignment, we decided to keep the van and pray it continues to work well. Getting that finished over break was a wonderful accomplishment. We also worked on our website, did our taxes, and relaxed with our children.

Fourth quarter started with a bang—Junior/Senior Banquet on the first weekend back. I am very thankful for the other Junior Class Advisor. She made a deal with me that she would organize the banquet if I did Talent Night. I did that last quarter so I only had to encourage her when things didn’t go well. The whole evening was fabulous–everyone enjoyed the venue, the food, and the program. The theme was “One candle lights a thousand” and the speaker challenged the seniors to shine for God.

I added another student to my schedule, so you can pray for me. I thought I had a busy schedule, but now it difficult to find time for lunch. :) I am confident God is working everything out and will strengthen us. Pray that I can find time to finish my testing, plus I am administering a new test, and then writing all my reports.
Do pray for more teachers. Most of the people in my department are leaving or going on home assignment.

We are in hot season (Filipino summer). It is in the 90’s and 100’s every day. We are thankful for air-conditioning but try not to run it lots as electricity is so expensive.

We have another five days off for Easter so are able to catch up on a few more things. We enjoy this time as a family, singing hymns and reading chronologically through Christ’s last week. For Abby we have a simplified version using Easter eggs, called “Resurrection Eggs.” Each egg contains an object that helps her to remember the important parts to the story, i.e., three silver coins for the thirty pieces of silver, nails for the cross, etc. But we are daily reminded of the millions of lost people in Manila.

In Manila, people continue trying to work their way to heaven through pilgrimages, denying themselves of certain things, carrying a literal cross, whipping themselves with bamboo whips, and even crucifying themselves. It is sad to see what extent they try to obtain salvation. Here they focus on Christ’s death and trying to earn merit with God. They miss the point that Christ’s death “Paid It All!” We can’t work our way into heaven; it is by faith alone. Plus only evangelical churches celebrate Easter—the rest totally miss its importance. We love to sing “Up from the grave He arose!” It is because of Easter that we have hope and live a victorious life.

Thank you for praying for us and have a great Easter and sing with us—He Arose!

Walter for the Seven Spicers