1st Church Planter Training

Well, we just finished up a 3-day training in our home. Ther were 21 people in attendance! While the number dwindled on the last day as people had other ministry responsibilities, it was an absolutely amazing time, and God did some incredible things.

Our theme verse for the week was 2 Timothy 2:2,

"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."

We had a banner made of this verse in Tagalog, and here is a picture of some of those who attended in front of the banner.

While we did some of the sessions inside our home, it was actually cooler out in the garage where there was a breeze, so many of the sessions were done outside.

We used our ping pong table as a chalkboard, and Steve taught all the sessions. Notice his rolled up shorts leg - he had a boil on his knee that was incredibly painful, but God gave him the strength to push through.

All the sessions were done completely in Tagalog, the national language here in the Philippines. Since there are so many different languages spoken down here in Bicol (every area, often every town, has its own language!), many of the attendees spoke different languages. Thankfully, everyone is also fluent in Tagalog. It was only by God's strength that Steve was able to lecture all day for 3 days entirely in Tagalog, and He gave him wisdom beyond himself to deal with some difficult issues that came up as they studied the Word.

The men all voiced how thrilled they were to finally attend a seminar in Tagalog. Normally, people come in from the outside and conduct seminars in English so virtually all of these pastors had attended many seminars. But they were quick to say that they didn't learn anything at the other ones they attended because they couldn't follow what was going on. They were so excited to be able to study the Word in Tagalog.

Those who attended were all pastors or pastors' wives who have a passion for church planting amongst the Agta. Many of them have been doing it for several years already, but they have been having problems and asked for some help in knowing how to address them. We started at the beginning with them and studied how "church" was done in Acts and the rest of the New Testament. We looked at the strategies the Apostles used and how they taught. The men were thrilled beyonds words to be able to study these things for themselves and discovered things that they had never noticed, things that will impact how they proceed from here.

We were shocked - though we shouldn't have been! - at how receptive they were to what we studied, and each of them drew up a plan of how they are going to implement what God taught them during this time. Each and every one of them said that they have a few faithful men and women in their churches whom they will begin to train how to plant more churches. But each of them also said that they plan to go back to their churches and start over at the beginning, in Genesis, and build a foundation on which they can stand. We spent a lot of time studying the Gospel, and what you actually have to do to be saved - just believe that Christ died for your sins in place of you - nothing more! They want to start again at the beginning and help them to understand more clearly God's plan of salvation as they study through His Word.In addition to large group sessions, there were some things done in small groups. A lot of valuable discussion time happened during these times.
As it turned out, not everyone stayed overnight at our house each night. The ones who lived nearby came back and forth everyday (despite the fact that things started at 6 am and went until 7:30 pm). We hadn't planned to start so early, but the ones staying in our home were up at 3 am!!! So we had prayer and discussion time starting at around 5. Here is a picture of one of the early morning times before breakfast.
It amazed us how God opened these mens' hearts to His Word and challenged them to evaluate the way they have been doing things. He truly did some incredible things during these 3 days - the real test will come in time as we see how they implement what they learned.
During our time together, we also broke bread together as they did in the New Testament.
It was a sweet time of fellowship and remembering why we do what we do.
Some of you may be wondering what on earth the kids did through all this. Well, to avoid distracting the group (Filipinos LOVE to watch our kids play since they are such a novelty), they had to stay inside the school room or bed room for 3 days and be quiet. Sounds like torture I know, but we went ahead and did school, and we did lots of crafts and board games and other fun activities. They also got to watch a couple movies and play some computer games, so they were happy. The only rough day was the day we had a brownout all day and just SWEATED inside. They were real troopers though through the whole thing and were excited about the way they could help with the training - by not distracting the people.
They did come out and join us for meals, and they would play hard outside during the break times. The Filipinos loved watching them interact.
2 of the pastors wives volunteered to cook for the group, and they did a great job. For one lunch, they served a salad made of cucumbers and pineapple. I would never have thought of combining those 2, but it was delicious, and the kids loved it.

The hardest part of the training was having that many people in our home, especially since their culture is so different from ours (ex: 3 am wake up call). The hardest thing for me though was the germs aspect. It is estimated that 3/4 of the poor in the Philippines have tuberculosis, and a much higher percentage have lice. And that is not mentioning all of the other possibilities. It is one thing to go visit them in their homes and then just come home and clean up well. But to have them staying in our home...let's just say we will be doing a whole lot of sanitizing in the next few days! It is one thing to know that I am being exposed to these things, it is so much harder to know that my kids are being exposed as well. More than a few tears were shed over this very thing. But we are confident that God has called us to this place, and we will simply trust Him to take care of us - AND our kids - while we are here. Yes, the risks are different than they are in the States, but He is just as capable to protect us here as He is in the States.
We developed some real friendships with these men and women this week and look forward to being able to continue working with them in the months ahead. They wanted Steve to come in and teach seminars in their areas, but Steve challenged them that THEY need to be the ones to teach now that they have been taught. He will be thrilled to come help them however he can with the training, but they need to be the ones to teach others what they have now been taught (like our theme verse said). They saw the truth in that and were excited by it. The group that came the farthest (about an hour away) were the ones that stayed in our home and with whom we developed the deepest relationship. We decided to give them a ride home on the last day to save them the jeepney fare and so we could see where they live to make it easier to follow up with them. So we all piled in the truck (in the cab AND bed!) and drove out to visit their little village on the beach.
Well, I think that about covers it. The training went better than we ever could have hoped. In the weeks to come, we will be following up with each of these men and women as they strive to follow where He leads. We also plan to do a follow-up training session on Sept 21. Please continue to pray for each of them as they put into action what God has taught them. We took pictures of those who made an action plan, and we will share these pics and their plans with you in the weeks to come so you can be praying for them specifically.

If any of you feel led to do so, I would love to see each of these church planters "adopted" by a family in the States who will pray specifically and faithfully for God to work in and through them in mighty ways in the weeks and months to come. It takes our breath away to think of how God could use this handful of men and women to reach the Agta here in Bicol. If you would like to adopt one of these dear servants, please let me know, and I will send you their name, picture and plan of action. They would be so encouraged to know that they are being prayed for by name.

Thanks once again for your faithful prayers and words of encouragement this past week! God answered all our prayers and worked in a mighty way here. Steve summed it up last night by saying, "I am incredibly exhausted but also incredibly stoked!" Thanks for being a part of what God is doing here amongst the Agta!

Ouch!

If you are looking for the "Virtual Journey" to visit some Agta villages, just scroll down the page after this post.

Well, it has been a painful week here in the Hagen home. First, Ben found a heavy steel ladder (for riding the motorcycle into the bed of the truck), lifted it, then promptly dropped it on his toe. We are still waiting to see if he will lose the nail or not. We tried to convince him that purple toes look cool... Poor kid - it hurt pretty bad.

The other morning Mikayla woke up with a swollen eye. We think it is a sty with the head under the lid - too painful to check. There is not redness on the eye itself or drainage so we don't think it is pink eye. We keep teasing her about looking at us funny, but it is quite painful and we feel for her.
In addition, Steve's knee has been really bothering him (he was not available for a pic - and I don't know that he would have humored me anyway...). At times it has been too painful to walk on, and he has been gimping around for several days now. We think it is a deep boil under the skin since it seems to be starting to come to a head. We are praying that it is nothing more serious.

Please pray with us that all these things clear up soon. Please pray as well for the training that will be held in our house this week (Thursday - Saturday). We will be training 20 men and women how to plant churches. Each of these already have a passion for church planting amongst the Agta; they just need training to know how to do it. Of all the things we have done here thus far, this training has the potential to have the biggest impact. We covet your prayers!

School Days are Here Again!

If you are looking for the "Virtual Journey" to visit some Agta villages (if you haven't been on it yet, you really should), just scroll down the page after this post.

Thanks to all of you who helped get our school year off to a roaring start. I thought you may enjoy a few pics of our first day of school.

Mikayla and Zach both have great little wooden desks and chairs. The tiny size makes better use of the limited space we have, and they love having desks just their size.

Ben's "school" consists of 3 speech therapy classes everyday with Mom. Notice how his desk is a little movement-restricted. It works well, and it made a good use of the narrow space between the filing cabinet and school closet. :)

Mikayla started 2nd grade, and she is pretty excited about it. She is an avid reader and loves all the new books.
Zach started kindergarten!!! He is pretty excited to be in "real" school now, and he has done great so far. He has learned the 5 vowels and their sounds and numbers up to 8.

Big stuff!
While I teach most of the subjects, Steve teaches Bible class first thing in the morning whenever he is able. That gives me a chance to get things ready for the day, and the kids love to hear Daddy tell the Bible stories and help them discuss the main point of each one.
Just like most elementary classes in the USA, we start each morning by saying the pledge of allegiance. Right now, we are saying it while looking at a picture of the American flag on my computer; but a church in TX just sent us a package that might have a small flag with a stand inside! The kids are excited about that.
Well, that gives you a glimpse of the kids at school. Thanks for praying for them and me as we start this new school year together. Teaching 3 kids is certainly a handful, but it is going well so far. We bought a set of headphones and small MP3 player so that while I am doing lessons with Mikayla, Zach can listen to classical music and do his seat work (so he is not distracted by her lessons) and vice versa. I should get a pic of that... oh well. Thanks again for your encouraging notes and your prayers!

School Note

Just a quick note before you go on the virtual journey...

Our 1st day of home school for the year is Monday night CST. If you can jot a note to the kids, I will compile them to read to the kids to kick off our new school year. Mikayla is starting 2nd grade, Zach kinder, & Ben does speech therapy for "school". It can be a challenge to make the start of a new year exciting when the classes are at home and mom is your teacher. Thanks for your help, and enjoy your virtual journey!

(Just click on "Comments" below to leave a note with your name on it

or click "Email Us" to the right to email us directly.)

A Virtual Journey

We invite you to take a journey with us today up into a few of the villages where we have Bible studies with the Agta. While Matt and Erin were here, we got to visit several of the villages, and Erin took some great pictures that I want to share with you.

First, we drive about 45 minutes to the small town of Buhi on the back side of Mt. Iriga, "our" volcano. 1st we need to buy some fresh (aka: still flopping around) fish and vegies to contribute to lunch, then we board a rickety little boat (Erin calls it "quaint"; Jen asks if she means in the "not-sure-it's-sea-worthy way") and head out across Lake Buhi. The views of the clouds reflecting in the still water are spectacular.

Matt discovers that Filipino men definitely open up more when they are under the influence. This sweet old man is a little sloshed, but that just makes him a whole lot friendlier. He even confides in Steve and Matt that he has some gold buried at his house. He was very secretive about the whole thing, but his cover is blown when Steve hollers over the roar of the engine to me "What does ginto mean?", and I holler back "Gold!" Thankfully, there are no other passengers and the man is too inebriated to realize his secret is out.

After we arrive at the chieftain's house in the little village of Ipil, we visit for a while then head up to climb the mountain behind the village. It is pretty steep, but it is so beautiful that we don't mind.A little ways up, we come across a large group of guys trying to get a large rock out of a hole so they can build a house on that spot. The guys jump in to help but to no avail.

The chieftain leads the way with his staff. You wonder what he will think of the stories of Moses when we get to them in the Bible stories. Will he believe when we get to the story of Jesus?

As we hike through the mountains, you see countless little huts like this one set on the side of the mountain. Several thoughts cross your mind. One, how can they possibly survive the typhoons to come in that little shack???

Second, if we don't come to tell these people the good news, who will? Who else will hike up into these mountains on the back side of the lake to give them a chance to hear if we don't? Suddenly the trail does not seem so steep anymore, and you are not as hot or thirsty. This is why we have come here - to give them a chance at life.

When we get back down the mountain, the kids run and play with all the village kids. You are proud of them for being so friendly even when they get mobbed, poked, and prodded. We talked to them before we came about how God can use their friendliness to open doors. God is using them today.

It's lunch time now at the chieftain's house. His wife has graciously cooked for us, and you are thankful but a little hesitant once you see what's on the menu. You are not so sure about eating something that is looking back at you.

But then you see Erin and even little Chloe digging in - even though they have not been here any longer than you have. If they can do it, so can you. So you dig in and discover that the grilled fish is delicious!

After lunch you decide you need to use the bathroom real quick. But when you peek behind the flimsy 1/2 curtain, you decided that maybe you can wait a while if you need to - or all day for that matter. Chloe agrees with you.

We all get a good laugh when Ben takes the "be friendly with the kids" to a whole new level. But his new girlfriend is the chieftain's granddaughter so it is a good alliance. :)

Everywhere you look there are adorable little ones like this looking back at you. Who is going to be there to tell her the good news when she gets old enough? What will happen to her if her parents never hear so are never able to give her a chance?

After lunch we have the Bible study, the story of Cain and Abel. You are afraid to take pictures because you don't want to distract from the lesson. I translate for you as Steve uses discussion questions to draw out 2 main points from the story - 1) that Cain offered his very best, but God did not accept it. God only accepts what is right in HIS eyes, not what we think He should accept - even if we work hard to give it to Him and 2) that God still loved Cain even after he killed his brother - which He showed by protecting him with a mark. Your eyes tear up as you see the group of 15 men and women really grasp these truths. Will they continue to believe this way as we go through the rest of the stories? Will this become a church that reaches out into the neighboring areas and beyond to plant new churches? Will God use these very men to start a God-sized movement amongst the Agta? You cry out in prayer for this throughout the lesson as you look from face to face.

After the study, we get in a boat to head home again. It was a long day, but how wonderful. God is doing amazing things in the village of Ipil. It makes you want to come back every week and just watch Him at work.

On the way back across the lake, you see this man in a tiny boat. It occurs to you that he was not at the study. Who will tell him the stories? Will one of those men who is hearing them now believe and then share them with this man? You find yourself praying as the boat passes him by that the Good News will not do the same.

We get home late, but it was a good day. A few days later, we take off for another village. You are tired out, but the views and your reason for going once again energize you. Where on earth do these kids get all their energy???

We arrive to the home of the family where we will have the study today. Their home makes you feel somehow guilty for the many times lately you have complained about life and its amenities. You resolve to be more thankful.

We all sit around and visit. You begin to realize that things don't happen at American warp speed here in rural Philippines. The only way to connect with these dear people is by slowing down and just being with them. Sometimes not even talking. Just sitting with them and showing that they are important enough to you to just come and be there - without some fast agenda. At first the lack of doing anything profitable grates on you, but then you hear a small voice telling you to just rest. You realize that you can worship in the quiet of your heart as you rest in the stillness of the moment.

When Steve finally starts the Bible study several hours later, you become discouraged by the lack of response from the group. In the village of Ipil, the people were all answering the questions and discussing the issues. Here, they won't even look at you. You feel for Steve as he tries to lead a discussion, tries to help them understand when they will only look at the ground. You begin to pray for these people. They are not as fun to teach, but they need to hear as well. They say before and after the study that they truly want to study, but they sure don't act like it during. And who knows what God will do with this little group? You resolve to pray for them - and for Steve as he tries to find the patience and motivation to keep teaching the truth despite their lack of involvement.
We leave that home, hike back out to the road, and Steve says that we need to stop and get some rice for them before we go on. Erin asks if that is customary, and Steve replies that it isn't, but they asked him for a loan to buy some rice because it has been a long time since they have had anything to eat. Steve did not give them a loan, but we definitely need to find them some food before we go on. You suddenly feel guilty for your feelings of frustration toward them during the lesson when they refused to be involved. Maybe they were just so weak and hungry... Steve and Matt walk down the road to find a little sari-sari store where they can buy some rice. The ladies and kids find a little inn and pay to use their bathroom - thank goodness it was there - you had gotten pretty desperate after that coffee earlier, and the only other option was out in the grass. After giving them the rice, we pile back in the truck to drive a couple miles down the road to the next study.

When we pull up, we discover that a log bridge is the only way across the creek. You are a little nervous and wonder if you will fall in and make a fool of yourself. You are saved for now - they tell you that the study will be a little further up the creek this time, and you should use the bridge up there.

Your relief is short-lived. When you see the other bridge, it doesn't look much better but at least it has a rail. If the little kids can do it, you can too so you just dive in (NOT literally). No problem. If getting wet and making a fool out of yourself hadn't motivated you enough, falling on a momma water buffalo and her baby certainly did the trick.

Once safely across the bridge, you follow the winding path to the hut down the way.

The kids scoop up a rooster - they always seem to find some animal to play with. Your brain jumps to all the diseases that animal could have. Even though it has never been found in the Philippines - bird flu??? You quiet the questions with a quiet prayer and conscious choice to just trust God.

You are excited by the group that has gathered. These people seem much more excited. You are especially impressed with 2 young guys, Joven and Boknoy. They seem very eager to learn. The study had started out with just them, but several others have now joined. God is truly at work here. You are excited - and try to ignore the ants biting your feet, the smell of the pig next to you, and the sound of the rooster behind you.

Boknoy reads the story out of the Word before Steve re-tells it. You wonder if God will one day send this young man into the mountains to share the Good News of Christ with his tribesmen. You say a silent prayer while he reads - you can't understand the reading in Tagalog anyway.

As we finish up and go to leave, Steve squats to talk with this old woman washing clothes. Maybe she will join the study next week. You find yourself praying for her as well. This whole journey has sure made you pray more often. Your heart sings as it rejoices in what God is doing in your own life as He makes you more aware of HIS perspective on the people around you. You pray that you will not easily forget as you return to the hustle and bustle of life in the States. The people there need your prayer as well.

As we pile in the car to drive away, you look into the eyes of the group gathered to watch you drive away. To go back to your comfortable house and your abundance of food. You pray that God will never allow you to forget what you have learned today. That you will be thankful for all that He has blessed you with - not only a comfortable life but easy access to the Gospel. That you will never forget to pray for those who are not as fortunate. For those who have never had the chance to hear the Good News that Christ died for them. You pray that God will not allow you to become so focused on your life that you forget those for whom He died. You pray that He will show you how you can be a part of giving them a chance to hear.

If at some point you would like to make this a real journey instead of a virtual one, pray about it, then contact us - we would love to help if we can!