New Kids on the Block

This past week we welcomed some new friends.

You see, the Bogkalot tribe (about 20 hrs north of us) just sent out some of their own to partner with us to reach the Agta tribe.
So instead of 3 MKs around these parts, we now have TEN, and we are pretty excited about that! :)
Here is the whole group that just arrived.

Let me break it down for you a little.

First, we have the team that will focus on the Agta people that speak the language In-Agta.

This team is comprised of Pacdal (a widower) and his college-age daughter Donabel (she is transferring to a college located down here)...

...and the team will be led by Gary and his wife Levita.

They have 3 kids: Jeberson (13), Ivy (11), and Leris (7).

About 20 mins by jeepney then 20 mins by boat east of this team, another team is located. They will be focussed on the Agta who speak Buhinon.

This team is comprised of Abel, a 32 year old single guy who is very solid...

...and will be led by Jun and his wife Vilma. They have 3 kids: Juby is transferring to a college here in Bicol, Jera is 11, and JJ is 8.

The teams spent their first few days here in Bicol with us here in the city of Naga. We had some wonderful worship times together and went through some orientation with them. We also got to do some fun things like celebrate Jeberson's birthday with sundaes from McDonald's, ride the elevator and escalator for the very first time (fun to watch them get swaying to time their jump just right to get on), and watch our kids play in a soccer tournament.

We had some great bonding time together, and our hearts are with them as they settle into their new villages this week. After orientation, they loaded up a jeepney to take them to their new villages.

They will be staying in temporary places like this one until they can build homes. This whole team is staying in this shelter made from tarps. Please join us in praying for these dear men, women, and kids as they transition to their new lives here. Imagine YOU are the one moving your family into this village with strangers who speak a different language and have a different culture than yours; they have all the same fears that you would have if it was you moving there.

Our Enemy is going to be working overtime trying to discourage them and get them to give up and go home. Let's cover them with a thick prayer protection.

Some specific requests:

* The 2 college girls have to take transfer exams on Monday, May 2

* Their first task is to find land, build homes, and begin connecting with the Agta

* After they are settled in, they will begin studying the Agta language and culture

Pray that all these things go smoothly and that they would stay encouraged through this time of transition. Our hearts and prayers are with them during this time; won't you join us?

Commissioned and Sent Out

This past week, Steve traveled up the 20 hrs up north again to speak at the annual Bogkalot Believers Conference. This year was pretty exciting because they commissioned and sent out their first team to come and partner with us to reach the Agta tribal people!

The van that we have purchased to use in our travels up north has had some serious issues :( Here is a pic of Steve filling up the jug to put more water in the radiator. They made many such stops on the way up to the village where the conference was held.

The road itself was pretty exciting, and Steve was thrilled with how well the 4x4 van maneuvered through the muddy roads. I have a great video that I hope to add to the end of this post soon of the van splashing through several feet of mud and water.

Then after splashing through the mud (it was deep enough to come INTO the van), they stopped to rinse the floor mats in the river.
The village of Gingin is full to capacity during the conference so no guest rooms available. :) Steve got to cuddle up with the rest of the group on the floor, but he said it was so cold up in the mountains that he was thankful for the warmth of the group.

Here is a shot of the meeting place for the conference. Steve said it was crowded to the point of overflowing during the evening sessions.

It was here, on the final night of the conference, that they commissioned and sent out the new team who will partner with us to church plant amongst the Agta tribe.

Here is the team who just arrived on Easter Sunday.

Please pray with us for these dear people. We just finished orientation with them the last couple days, and they are amazing people with a sweet faith. We are privileged to partner with them. Just today they moved out into their new villages (they were split into 2 teams and will focus on 2 different language groups).

Pray for them as they find land where they can build their homes. Pray as they start developing relationships with the people there. Pray for an extra measure of strength during this difficult time of transition and being bombarded with so much that is brand new to them. Pray that their focus would stay on Him and that they would not become discouraged.

Ride the Skate

One of our kids' favorite things to do when visitors come is to take them for a ride on the skate. So I thought I would take you on a virtual skate ride. :)

When you arrive at the skate stop in town, this is what you will see. A skate is a small bamboo platform with simple benches on it that sits on the railroad tracks.

Then it has a little motor that allows it to putter along the railroad tracks. Don't worry, there aren't that many actual trains on these tracks. (Notice I didn't say NO trains, just not many :) )
All loaded up and ready to go. Don't you just love all the safety devices in place? Seatbelts, handrails, firmly anchored benches, brakes...o, wait, it doesn't have any of those. And while the skates do run at night, we prefer the day-time adventure since the only "headlights" these skates have is the cellphone flashlights that the passengers may have with them.

Off and running

Now, when you come up to a skate going the opposite direction on the tracks, the skate with the most people gets to stay. The one with the least number of people has to get off...

...move their skate off to the side of the tracks...

...watch the other skate pass by (and, if you are traveling with our kids, it is likely that you will have to hold one of them during this exchange since they always seem to forget their SHOES - notice Ben being held in the background)...

...then put your skate back on the tracks...

...so that you can be on your way again.

You will see many beautiful sites along the way

Rice fields

Local grocery store

Lots of greenery and open spaces

And then, since your skate is not very loaded, you will catch up with another heavily-loaded skate. You see, you are are only doing this trip for fun; these people are taking the skate back and forth to work or school. The skates are one of the many unique forms of public transportation in our area.

You will also cross a couple bridges. This is where those afore-mentioned safety features come in so handy.

Don't look down!

Now wasn't that more fun than a boring taxi ride?

Passport to Purity

This past week, we took a couple days out of our normal routine and got away as a family for some important time. Mikayla and I worked together on the intensive course "Passport to Purity". We tackled some tough issues and had some great heart-to-hearts. We are so proud of the young lady that Mikayla is becoming and the way that she seeks to put God first in everything. While the boys aren't quite ready for this intensive, they had some good talks with their daddy about integrity and being a man of God.

When we got back, we got all dressed up in fancy clothes, and Steve and I took Mikayla out to eat at the fanciest restaurant in Bicol.

We had a wonderful time re-visiting the things that we had talked about during the week, and we gave her a purity ring that we bought to help her remember the stands she has taken. It was a wonderful week, and we can't wait to see what God will do in and through Mikayla in the years to come.

While we spent a lot of time with the intensive course, we did get some much-needed family down time on the beach too and LOVED it. We all worked together on this sand castle with island in front and moat around it.

And I leave you with this weird sight we saw recently on the side of the road. Just in case it will make you smile like it did us. :)

Visitors!

[sorry about the gaps later in the post - blogger was not playing nice today :( ]

This past week we had the pleasure of hosting some wonderful young women and young man who serve with our company in other areas of the Philippines. We were blessed by great discussions about strategy, encouraging times of fellowship, and some wonderful prayer and worship time. The kids had a blast too; they don't get to hang out with Godly men and women of that generation so it is always great for them to spend quality time with good role models.

(many pics shared by Naomi - tnx!)

Flippin' out at Lago del Rey Mikayla teaching yet another rookie to kneeboard :) Naomi did great - must have been because of her amazing teacher :) The kids had fun taking them on the "skate" down the railroad track. We headed around the mountain and across the lake for a visit to the village - and a detour to the waterfall.

Steve visiting with one of the key church leaders

They don't have much to share with us, but they always open up some coconuts for us to enjoy.

Naomi got some great pics of the kids and the village.

Hiked to a beautiful waterfall

"Jump right there"

Then we hiked up the mountain to the village up top.

We passed several pigs on the way. They were leaving smelly evidence of their displeasure along the trail. Watch your step!

All that hiking made for some tired, dirty feet by the end of the day!

These little floating huts are so intriguing.

Another day we hiked to a different waterfall. Lots of great memories!

And this last one is free - just amazes us how much they can load on a little "trike" - motor scooter with a side car.

We were so blessed by our visitors this week - thanks for coming, guys!