So our spring break didn't look like your typical spring break, but we had an amazing adventure!
We started out by driving the looong drive down to Bicol (took about 12 hours because of traffic). Our ministry partners, Joseph & Lorraine and their daughter, Dani, joined us on the trip. Thankful to report that Dani did extremely well during the many hours in the car and on the trail!
The first morning in Bicol, we headed out into the mountains for a day with our tribal partners and visiting Agta villages.
We all enjoyed taking turns with Dani.
The baby carrier that we have used for years came in handy once again!
We love our team!
Cute kids along the way.
(Notice what the little guy in red is holding? Not something you see every day in the States. :) )
For all of you who complain that I am too often behind the camera...
This little one had an amazing smile!
I had Ben pose in front of this house so you could get a feel for how small it is. And notice how you can see right through the wall in the back? These trips are always a reminder to be thankful for our many blessings.
Ben wanted a turn carrying Dani. We said it was fine...just not across the hanging bridge!
The next morning we headed out early to visit another village. How would you like to be the one to balance as you climb on to this wobbly boat while holding a baby? No problem for Mikayla!
Mikayla was a HUGE help with Dani!
After the boat ride, we took the short hike up the hill to the village.
As it turned out, the kids' program was getting ready to start as we arrived. They have had more than 100 kids coming to hear Bible stories on Saturday mornings, so many that they had to divide the group into 2. They asked Steve if he could share with the first group (the ones who were brave enough to stick around when the foreigners showed up). Steve shared the story of Shaddrack, Meshack, and Abednego. It was amazing how enraptured the kids were, not a peep or a wiggle from any of them!
We only stayed in that village a couple hours, then we got in the car to drive a couple more hours south to where our other tribal partners are based. We stopped to see the magnificent Mt. Mayon volcano on the way.
The next morning we got up early to head for the hills once again. We had hoped to be able to drive into the village, but we found out the night before that the road wasn't passable, so we had to hike in. It was a steep 1 1/2 hour hike, and we took a break part way up to admire the view.
Thankfully, our guide killed this creature in the trail before it got any of us!
We were so blessed to be able to worship with this group of Agta believers for church once we arrived. It is amazing to see what God has done in this village! There is a church functioning there, and they are in the process of reaching out to nearby villages to bring them the Good News too!
The kids had fun playing in the afternoon while the adults were in meetings.
This little guy has an incredible story. When he was 2 years old, he was run over by a motorcycle carrying 3 adults. It ran right over his chest, and he appeared dead. Our first short-term workers in this village (American college students) were there at the time, and they prayed over him then encouraged his parents to bring him down to the hospital in the lowlands. His parents really thought he was dead, but they did it anyway. Part of the way down the mountain, the little guy woke up and started jabbering on about the beautiful place he had just visited where everything was bright, and there were happy kids with wings. They arrived at the hospital, and the doctor checked him out but just told the parents that they were mistaken; this boy had most definitely NOT been run over by a motorcycle. He is completely fine with no lasting effects whatsoever. Our God still works miracles, especially in places where the Light is just breaking through the Darkness!
After that last day in the village, we headed back down the mountain to start the long trek home.
Incredibly thankful for this wonderful trip with our family and team! Is such a blessing to see what God is doing amongst tribal people in the Philippines!
