Beach Blast

Matt and Erin just left after an wonderful whirlwind 2-week visit so I am finally getting around to posting some pics from our time together. Erin is an amazing photographer, and she took more than 3,000 pics while she was here! As you will see, she got some spectacular shots. A few of the ones you will see are pics I took, but the vast majority are hers. Enjoy!

Here are Matt and Steve in front of Mt. Mayon on the day they arrived here in Bicol. It was cool for us to watch how their gifts complement one another; they will work really well together. Our 2 families will make a great team! While they were here, we took 2 days of vacation time and headed to a little rental house on an island off the coast of Bicol. It is a gorgeous place with an ocean view on 3 sides, and a view of Mt. Mayon as well. Beautiful. The only problem was the lack of electricity that made it like a glorified camp out. Before we go back we want to try to get some battery-powered fans so we can actually get some sleep at nights - and have them remove the rooster that crows through the night outside the window. We had a great time though.
The views made up for lack of sleep.
The kids all had a blast together. Mikayla and Chloe got on as 7-year-old girls do -- best friends one moment and in tears the next. :)
Much of our time at the beach was spent collecting these amazing shells. While it got a little too competitive at times, they had a good time with it; and now we have some great shells to put in a basket to remember our time together at the beach.

During our shell searching, we also found these tiny hermit crabs. Aren't they amazing? The 2nd pic shows one in the palm of my hand. With intricacies like this in nature, it is unbelievable to me that many people believe it was all created by chance.
One of the highlights of our time at the beach was the snorkeling exhibition. This pic is of Mikayla and Zach on the outrigger of our little boat.
Zach amazed all of us with his ability and confidence with snorkeling. He just took off and had a blast!
Ben still spent most of his time in the boat, but he didn't mind at all because of all the starfish that Steve kept bringing back to him.

Chloe went out snorkeling as well, but she seemed to enjoy playing the starfish in the boat just as much. They were pretty cool.

One morning, Steve and Matt were invited to go out early fishing with the local guys. They left before the sun was up, and Steve decided to take Zach along for the adventure. They had an amazing time and came back with some great stories - and 3 fish (I think they were blue fin tuna, but the guys may correct me on that).

Zach was very proud of his catch, and we fried it up for breakfast. Yum!

There were some adorable little kids who lived in huts just down the beach. A beach and playmates - what more could kids ask for?
They even let Steve borrow their little boat to take the kids out for rides. I love the 2nd picture of all the kids playing in the boat together.
The families on the beach gave us a couple of cool shells - one is a conch shell with a hole in it. Steve discovered that the hole is in the perfect place to turn the conch into a trumpet. He looks pretty funny playing a shell, but it sounds cool. This pic is of the guys showing Steve how to clean the shell with another shell.
Isn't this a cool pic?
Here are some sunset pics to remind you of our God Who loves beauty.

Please remember to pray for Matt and Erin Price and their 3 kids, Chloe, Emma and Laney. They have completed all their paperwork for the application process with our company, and now they are just waiting for the committee to evaluate it and approve them for this position. Please pray with us that it would all go smoothly if this is God's will; the vote will be held the week of August 13th. Here is a picture of their family so you can continue to pray for them. They do send out updates from time to time and have a blog spot as well with some great pics of their time here (http://www.pricefamilyupdates.blogspot.com/). If you would like to be included on their list so you can partner more closely with our team as we partner to reach the Agta, let us know and we will you in touch with them.

Look for pics in the days to come of some more of our Bible studies in the village. Erin got some great pics of those as well.

A Joyful Reunion

Matt, Erin, & Chloe Price arrived safely last week for a 2-week visit. We were all thrilled to see them again, and we have had a wonderful time reconnecting. Right after we picked them up at the airport, we did some sight-seeing around Mt. Mayon, our spectacular volcano. Isn't it amazing?

The 4 kids are having a lot of fun together, and Chloe is doing great getting acquainted with the different world here.

Erin is a great photographer so I anticipate having some pics on the blog while she is here that include me. :) Here is a family picture in front of Mt. Mayon that I thought you may enjoy.

We had to cross a little log bridge to get to the Cagsawa ruins, a popular place for tourists at the foot of the volcano. Mikayla and Chloe were best of friends in the States before we came over, and they have loved being reunited.
And another family picture - I think you are going to get tired of having me in the pics. :)
Isn't this an amazing place? I also love the pictures that Erin takes.

We are excited to introduce all of you to Matt and Erin Price and their daughter Chloe. They also have 2 other daughters, Emma and Laney, who are staying with grandparents during this time. If you want to see some more pics of them (as well as some more pics that Erin has taken on this trip so far - she is posting a lot more than I am), please check out their blog at http://pricefamilyupdates.blogspot.com/ . The reason that we are even more excited than normal about the Prices' visit is because God has recently led them to prayerfully consider partnering with us to reach the Agta here in Bicol. They have been praying about it for several weeks now and have even completed the extensive paperwork of the application process with our company. After they had been here a few days (and their brains had cleared a little from jet lag!), we spent nearly a full day discussing what the position would entail, how we see that fitting into the big picture of church planting amongst the Agta, and how we think they would be a great fit for the position and on our team. After that time, Matt and Erin said that they feel that God is definitely leading them this direction! So at this point they are on their way to join us here in Bicol for at least 3 years, unless God closes the door. We are so incredibly excited about their decision and can't wait to see how God is going to use this team (the Hagens and Prices) to plant reproducing churches amongst the Agta for His glory.

Please be in prayer with us that the rest of the application process for them goes smoothly and as they make the necessary preparations to move across the ocean, hopefully by April 2008. Between now and then, they would like to attend the fall semester of intensive Bible training in Wisconsin while they finish the application process with our company. Please pray that God would provide the finances needed for this and give them an extra measure of grace as they have a very busy year, full of transitions, ahead of them.

Rodents, lizards, and ants - Oh my!

Ok, so the lizards are normal for around here (we always have little ones climbing the wall - which is ok with us because they eat the mosquitos), but I thought I would let you know about our recent adventures with rodents and ants. When we got home from our travels, our house was infested with ants. Every counter was covered with them. We had secured a tenuous victory over them before we left by practicing fastidious cleanliness. However, it seems our helper was not as fastidious while we were gone because the ants definitely overran us. After several "Raid" battles, we went to the city an hour away and got some heavy duty ant poison. Today the ant infestation seems much better.

As for the rodents, it seems that our giant monitor lizard (see the post about "Monty" below for details) was waging that war on our behalf. However, we have not seen or heard from Monty since before we left in June, and it seems that the local rodents have heard the news that our home is open for business once again. Our dogs have been doing a great job of killing any of the ones that try to make the mad dash across the yard (they have killed 9 large rats in the 2 weeks since Steve has been home!). However, a few have managed to make it into our house. We noticed the evidence of a few mice and began hearing rats in the attic (where Monty used to live). So we bought some weapons to fight this war as well, and we have killed 5 rats or mice in the last 2 days! All this rodent action has us wondering if it is possible to buy a monitor lizard to put in your attic to live. A thought I would never have considered until recently. I debated, but I decided to spare you the photos of the effects of our rodent war - they wouldn't be pretty, believe me! :)

Our friends Matt and Erin and their daughter Chloe are enroute to see us! We are unbelievably excited. Mikayla and Chloe became best of friends when they were 3 years old in Sparks in AWANA at our home church in Missouri. I can't wait to see their reunion. We adults are pretty excited as well to see some of our very best friends. :) In case some of you are wondering, no, the fact that I waited to publish this post about our rodent infestation until AFTER they left the USA was NOT intentional...but it sure doesn't hurt anything! :)

Here are some pics of the Price kids and Hagen kids before we came to the Philippines. They have had one more daughter since this pic was taken.

Best Friends Forever!

Across the Lake

Yesterday our whole family and our 2 visitors were able to travel to one of the new Bible studies that Steve has been doing. Let me give you a little background for this group - there was a very large group in the village of Ipil (EE-peel) that was interested in being taught. So Steve asked them if they would select the leaders in the group and their wives; then he would teach the leaders and train them how to teach the others. They were excited about that, and the study has been going well so far. Yesterday there were about 15 adults in attendance, mostly men. There are 2 parts to the lessons that Steve is teaching - agricultural training and a story from the Word. It was so exciting to see the men and women eager to learn about the Bible. They are also interested in starting a "test plot" to try some of the agricultural techniques he is teaching.

Here a few pics so you can join us on our adventure. The last one we shared pics of was a hike up into the mountains. This village is located on the other side of Lake Buhi so we drive about 20 minutes then take a little boat to the other side.

This was our boat captain. He looks mean, but he broke into a massive smile when the kids joined him out on the front of the little boat.

Unfortunately, he kept hiding from the camera at the last second so you will just have to imagine his smile. :)

We arrived several hours before the Bible study so that we could visit with the people. The kids had a ball running wild with the other kids, and we had a nice time visiting with their parents and grandparents.
We brought some fish with us, and they grilled it up for lunch. It was delicious!

Steve and Mikayla ran out to the local grocery store for a snack.
This the boat we rode home. The kids had fun climbing all over it before it was time to leave. Notice the mountain in the background. It is a volcano that blew 400 years ago. The town of Iriga (where we live) is just on the other side so don't normally see this one. You can see here where a massive chunk of the mountain is missing, leaving only a gigantic crater. It must have been quite the day when that blew!
The kids are getting really good at balancing on these ramps and on other log bridges. We have been so proud of them in how they have adjusted to life here.
Please pray with us for the group that is meeting in the village of Ipil. Pray that the people would continue to come and be eager to learn more from the Word (especially the men since it is normally so difficult to get men to be interested in spiritual things). Pray that many would be saved in this village and a church would be established that will spread the Good News to the surrounding areas.

Mr. Clips

Here is a post that Mikayla wrote and wanted me to put on the blog -

This is how Mr. Clips was made. Fist we(Zach and Ben and I (Mikayla) made a circle a and I thout about making a smiley face and so we made one. Then we decided to make him a king and that went well. So we made a castle to go with it.
He even has a crown and a airplane and so that’s the story of Mr. clips. THE END!

Back Home Again

Hello once again from the Philippines! I (Jen) arrived home yesterday from an amazing week in Thailand and a few days in Singapore. Let me get you up to speed on how all our various trips went. Our annual meeting with our company went very well, and Mikayla had an absolute blast the following week at summer camp. Steve and the boys had a safe trip up into the mountains, and we are encouraged by the excitement the Ilongot people are showing about the possibility of sending some of their own to partner with us to reach the Agta. We had hoped to do some training in their midst in October, but that falls right in the middle of harvest time so we will probably schedule the training for January instead. My time in Thailand went amazingly well; we had a great group of students, and we were able to connect with them in real ways. Thanks for praying for all of us during our various travels.
While I was in Thailand, Steve had his hands full with sick kids - including several doctor visits and an ER visit! I am happy to say that the boys are doing much better now. However, please be in prayer for Mikayla as she is running some high fevers and having symptoms that make us suspicious of dengue fever. Please pray that whatever it is will run its course without any complications.
I went straight from Thailand to Singapore to see the specialist about my wrist. The doctor there seemed to have a lot more experience with this condition, and she said she wants to try several different things before jumping into major surgery. I got several more xrays and an MRI. The xrays showed that the gap between the bones has narrowed significantly (PTL!), and the MRI showed that the tendon is not "severed" like the doctor in Manila assumed. The doctor gave me a steroid shot in my wrist, and she is optimistic that it will heal on its own within a month! Honestly, as painful as it is, I have a hard time seeing this happen; but it is worth a shot (no pun intended :) ). So right now we are in "wait and see" mode. The next step will be a splint that completely immobilizes my entire right arm, palm facing up. Please pray with us for God's will in all this and that He will be glorified in whatever happens.
Tomorrow, our supervisor and his wife will be coming to our home for a visit. We are so looking forward to having them in our home for a few days and showing them how God is at work down here amongst the Agta. Then we have some dear friends from the from our home church, Matt and Erin Price along with their eldest daughter Chloe (Mikayla's best friend!), who will be arriving for a visit on July 26. Please pray for safe travels and health for them and also for God's direction in their lives. They had orginally planned this just as a trip to visit us and see what life on the field is like with a family; however, God recently opened up the possibility of them moving here for 2-3 years to partner with us to reach the Agta! So what was just a trip to visit friends has become a vision trip for them. Please pray for God's clear direction in their lives while they are here.
Thank you for your faithful prayers over the last few weeks. It has been a very busy time for our family, and we have been encouraged by your intercession on our behalf and your sweet notes as well. May God bless you richly as you seek to glorify Him in all you do.

Please Pray!

Hello from Thailand! I (Jen) just arrived here yesterday to help with a conference for TCKs (Third Culture Kids) that are about to graduate high school, to help prepare them for the upcoming transition. Thanks for praying this week that we are able to connect with the students in a real way. Please pray as well for Mikayla at summer camp and Steve and the boys as they travel into the mountains to visit the village where I grew up; we want to see if they are interested in partnering with us to reach the Agta. And please be in prayer for our family as we are apart this month. Steve and the kids will travel home on the 7th, and I will be home on the 15th.

We also have another big prayer request to share with you. On the way to our meetings last week, we stopped in Manila to see a hand specialist about my wrist. I injured it in April and have been wearing an immobilizing wrist brace for 3 1/2 months now, but it has not improved. The specialist is the top one in Manila, and he said that the tendon that holds my 2 wrist bones together was severed, causing the bones to separate. He described a surgery to repair it that involves harvesting a tendon from my arm, drilling holes in both bones, then threading the tendon through and around the bones to reconnect them. However, this hand specialist has only done this extensive procedure once, so that made us a little nervous. We emailed our medical department in the States, and they agreed that I need to have it looked at by somene else. So I will be traveling to Singapore after my conference here in Thailand to see a doctor there. Please pray that the details for this last-minute trip come together and that the doctor would have some experience with this very rare injury. Also, if this doctor recommends the same procedure, pray for wisdom to know where and when to have it done and what to do with the kids during that time. The recovery that the Manila doctor described involved a cast up to my shoulder with a wire through the bones that keeps my palm facing up and immobile for 6 weeks, followed by 6 weeks of physical therapy. We appreciate your prayers during this uncertain time. We are staying encouraged and resting in the fact that God is in control, but there are a lot of unknowns out there right now. We are praying that this medical situation will not take us away from our location for any longer than is necessary. Please pray with us.

We're Off!

Thought you may enjoy this pic of Ben that a friend took. His smile is priceless. We just wanted to let you all know that we leave early in the morning for the airport to head north. We have a few appts at the doctor (for Jen's wrist and Ben to see the speech therapist) before heading to some meetings. After the meetings, we all head in different directions. Jen leaves for Thailand to help out at a conference for TCKs there, and Mikayla goes to summer camp for a week. Steve and the boys will head into the mountains in northern Luzon to talk with the church in the tribe where Jen grew up about possibly partnering with us to reach the Agta. Steve and the kids will come home on July 7, and I will return on the 13th. Please pray for safety and health as we travel and for guidance for each of us as we go our separate ways. We would love to have an email from you waiting for us when we get home! :)

Monte

I would like to introduce you to the resident in our attic. He is a monitor lizard, and he is nearly 4 feet long. We have named him Monte, and he has helped keep the rats out of our attic. However, Monte met the acquaintance of Cinder (one of our guard dogs) last night, and the meeting turned out poorly for Monte.

We found him on our porch, lying very still and thought he was dead or nearly so. But then he took off! So did we, I must point out. :)
He ran to the alley next to the house where Cinder gave him some more attention. We thought for sure his neck was broken, but while Steve was measuring him, he bolted again. This time he got away in a drainage ditch next to the house. Only time will tell whether or not Monte will still be doing rat patrol in our attic.

Beautiful Feet

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news."

Isaiah 52:7

I know these feet don't look very beautiful to you (and I thoroughly agree with you!), but in God's eyes they are beautiful.

On Sunday, we drove to the end of the rough road and then hiked as a family up into the mountains to the village of Antipolo (ahn-tee-POH-loh). While the hike was only a couple of miles, it was very steep and incredibly muddy so it felt like a whole lot further. We also discovered that we are not in as good of shape as we used to be. :) That mud was something else! The pic below was taken just before I wiped it and landed on my behind. Thankfully I had the camera, so there is no pic to record that event.

The kids did so well! We were so proud of them. On the way there, a guide showed us the way. That was nice, but it meant the pace was a whole lot faster on the way there than we chose on the way back. Mikayla and Zach hiked almost the whole way, and Ben actually hiked a fair amount of it too.

See how steep and muddy it was?!? On the way back we stopped for a picnic lunch on the trail. Ben's face kind of sums up how we were all feeling by this point. It was exhausting but worth it.
We had a great time visiting with the chieftain and his family while we were in the village. The kids had a blast with the little puppies there.Zach sang to this one until it fell asleep in his arms.
This baby was too cute. And who needs a fancy crib anyway?
The scenery simply took our breath away. Or was it the hike that did that? :) Check it out though - we felt so blessed to be in such a beautiful corner of creation.
On one of the little creek crossings, we saw this guy hunched over under a rock. He was talking non-stop under there. We have no idea to whom he was speaking or what he was speaking about. He was so absorbed in whatever he was doing that he never even saw the 5 whiteys that walked right over his head (and our passing by seemed to be the best entertainment of the year for everyone else who saw us). :)
The highlight of the day was definitely the visit we had with this chieftain and his wife. They are neat people, and really seem to be people of peace who are eager to help us study the Word in their village. We set up to return to Antipolo on Thursday afternoon, and they said they will gather the village to listen to us teach! Please pray with us on Thursday morning Central time that it would not rain, that the hike would go well, and that the Bible Study would touch lives in the way only His Word can do.
After we hiked back to our truck, there was a group gathered at that village to study the Bible. There were about a dozen adults and a dozen kids. We were so exhausted from the hike we could barely stand up, but God gave us the strength to share the 1st lesson with this dear group of people, and it went really well. Many of them jumped in on the discussion time. Thanks for praying with us! They invited us to come back again next Sunday afternoon. Please continue to pray with us during this critical time of our ministry. Even today, Steve is out doing some survey work in the mountains, trying to figure out where the different villages are, and which places would be the most strategic locations to start teaching 1st.
Please also be praying for health and strength as we have been fighting some intestinal troubles and colds. Steve has been feeling very weak the last few days, and he was looking at possibly doing quite a bit of hiking today. Then tomorrow we hike as a family back to Antipolo. We covet your prayers!