Partners, Old and New

We are so thankful for our tribal partners, and we are also thankful for our partners in the States who make our work possible. One of our partners in the States took up a collection at their VBS last year and sent it to us to use for a retreat for our tribal partners.

 For scheduling reasons, we had to wait until Philippine summer break (April/May) to do the retreat. We were able to go to a rustic little beach resort a couple hours from where they serve.

 It was a wonderful time of worshipping together, being refreshed by studying His Word, strategizing for the coming year and also playing & laughing together. I'm also thankful for one of the teachers at Faith who came and stayed with our kids so that I could attend the retreat as well and reconnect with the ladies.

What a blessing to be able to spend this time together with our tribal partners!

Another significant trip this month was one that Steve took. He brought one of the leaders from the Bugkalot church with him and traveled to another island by boat to attend a conference for leaders of other tribal churches on that island (it's a different tribe than the Bugkalot).  

 They have expressed interest before in partnering with us and the Bugkalot to reach the Agta tribe in Bicol. These meetings were the next step in that possible partnership.

Pat, the Bugkalot leader who accompanied Steve, shared from his heart about the Bugkalot church's experience in sending out some of their own to reach the Agta and how the partnership with us has gone. It was such a blessing to hear from his perspective all that God has done through this partnership. Please join us in praying for these tribal leaders as they consider the next steps for sending out some of their own to partner with us and the Bugkalot in Bicol.

Oz n Cuznz

No, I'm not having issues with my keyboard; obviously "Oz n Cuznz" is talking about a recent trip to Oz (Australia!) and a visit from our cousins. :)

Mikayla and I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Australia with Faith Academy's touch rugby team.  The team has never traveled before to compete, but they were better this year than ever before, and it was a great opportunity.

 We spent a couple hours touring Syndey on our way through to the Sunshine Coast (where we competed). This pic is of the two of us under the Harbor Bridge, looking across at the Opera House. Incredible!

 Mikayla was one of the girls who volunteered to share at a couple chapel services while we were there. Here she is speaking to a group of about 700!

 We were only in Australia for 3 full days (plus a half day in Sydney), and we played 7 games in 2 days!  It was a crazy whirlwind but such fun!

 Our girls enjoyed getting to know the girls on the other teams as well as learning a lot about rugby.

 I was the designated team trainer for the trip and refreshed my nearly-forgotten skills for taping ankles and wrists.

 Here Mikayla is sharing in another chapel service. She did a great job - so very proud of her willingness to step up and be used by HIM in this way!

 Our final day on the Sunshine Coast, we took a hike along the coast, spotted sea turtles, and saw some spectacular scenery.

 I was so very blessed to be able to share this experience with my precious daughter.

 One of the evenings on the way back from dinner, a couple in our group spotted a python along the road.  Of course what else will they do besides catch it and bring it in to the living room for some pictures! :)

While Mikayla and I were gallivanting in Oz, Steve and the boys enjoyed their spring break by doing some mountain biking and hiking with friends.

Quite the diverse group representing USA, New Zealand, Scotland, and Switzerland!

A couple days after spring break, my sister and her family arrived for a visit!

 The cousins had a BALL reconnecting. It had been almost 2 years since they had seen each other, but they picked right up where they left off.

 So thankful for our family and the memories we are making together!

On the Move

Steve has really been on the move these last couple months.  His travel percentage was up around 85% for almost 3 months.  It was craziness.  We knew it wasn't something we could sustain long-term (and that was never the plan), but it was what needed to happen for this stretch. 

When Steve gets back from a trip, the pics from his camera automatically upload to my computer.  Then I get to go through and try to see a little of his trip through his eyes.  Since he's not big into taking pics, my glimpses are pretty sporadic, and I often have no idea who the people are, but it is fun to look through them anyway. :)  Here are some pics from recent trips:

He had signal when he was at this place in the mountains, so he was texting with me while they waited for the landslide to be cleared.

They drove through some really deep mud on that trip!

When he got home, the car was just a little muddy.  But the visible was not nearly as bad as the underside!  There was actually a fair amount of damage they discovered this time once they got all the mud out from underneath.  Still waiting for some replacement parts. Now that's the sign that you had quite the adventure! :)

Something really hard and very unexpected happened during Steve's last trip.  One of our key ministry partners passed away.  Felipe was a dear friend, and he was someone who Steve had worked closely with for the last several years.  He had been sent out to Bicol and partnered with us there for several years, then Steve had trained him to be the one who would circulate through the Bugkalot churches and train the next ones who wanted to be sent out.  He had been sick but was on the mend, and Steve visited him in the hospital up there one afternoon - he seemed strong and ready to check out.  Well, that night he passed away from a massive heart attack.  It was such a shock to all of us, and it hit Steve especially really hard.  Thankfully, he was there with the people and was able to grieve and mourn with them.  It was a hard time, but such a rich time of fellowship as well.  These are a couple pics from the memorial service.  Prayers appreciated as we continue to process and also to plan for the future since he leaves such a big gap in the training process for those who want to be sent out.

Besides discovering pictures from Steve's trips on my computer, I also enjoy finding pictures on FB from our ministry partners in Bicol. They have definitely been "on the move" as well, and we are looking at branching into new areas in the next couple months. They have been busy traveling through remote areas, surveying where to locate and minister.

 It is especially exciting to see pictures of them "in action" as it were.  Bible studies and baptisms - HE's at work!

 Also, our ministry partners, the Henleys, have been hard at work figuring out a good plan for livelihood for the Agta.  They visited an apiary (bees) recently, and they have a plan in place for starting a livelihood project with bees and honey!

We covet your continued prayers for us and our partners as well as we serve here with tribal people in the Philippines.  God is making the waves; we are just trying to stay on the surf board!

Family Fun

Just a quick post to get you all caught up on our family...

First, Ben and Steve went on Outdoor Education.  Those of you who have followed our blog know about this week-long camping adventure for middle schoolers.  All 5 of us have actually been on Outdoor Ed at some point or another: Jen as a camper herself then as a counselor in grade 12, Mikayla as a homeschooling camper, Zach and Ben as campers, and Steve went last year as the camp speaker.  This year, Steve was the leader for Ben's squad so he had 13 young men to ride herd on for the week!

This year, they visited Taal Volcano - a volcano located in the middle of a lake on an island, and the volcano itself has a crater lake that also has an island! They had a lot of fun exploring God's amazing creation and learning about the ocean and volcanoes.  They got to do a discovery scuba dive and swim across the sulfuric (and very hot) crater lake in the volcano!

Next up, Mikayla turned 17! Instead of a party this year, she asked for tickets to go see "Wicked" (a play based on the Wizard of Oz story). Steve and I went with her, and we had a great time together.

Next came another school banquet.  It was western-themed, and Mikayla had fun with a group of her close friends.

Our baby girl is growing up!

Ben asked if he could get a picture with his pretty sister. :)

Next up, Zach helped run a rugby clinic for elementary-age kids.  He had a lot of fun, and it was great to see him connect with the little guys and gals. Both Zach and Mikayla have been crazy busy these last weeks/months with a heavy academic load.  They have been working really hard, and we are very proud of them...but those things don't make for very interesting pictures!

Next up, Ben turned 13!  We now have THREE teenagers in the house.  O my.

My dad was in town on Ben's bday, so we had a family dinner and game night.

Ben had a lot of fun with that, but he is so social that I think he was a little disappointed not to do something with his friends...but he didn't know we had planned a surprise pool party for him the following weekend!  Happy birthday, BenJay! :)

Spring break actually just started yesterday, and Mikayla and I are headed on quite the adventure on Tuesday. Mikayla's rugby team is the best the school has ever had (champions in their league this year), and the team was approved to travel to Australia to play 7 games in 2 days!  I am excited to get to travel with this great group of ladies and coaches!

Thanks for continuing to pray for our family. This picture of Manila's skyline was taken from the kids' school. So thankful for the privilege to continue to serve in this place (even if, as Ben reminds me, it IS the smog that causes the beautiful sunsets!)