Merry Christmas!

Evaluation & Anticipation

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week we met in the village of Ipil to do a language evaluation for our Bogkalot partners. They have been living in Bicol and studying two of the Agta heart languages (Buhinon & In-Agta) since June. This evaluation allowed us to see how far they have progressed and showed them where they need to continue practicing and improving. They sat down with a native speaker and had a get-to-know-you conversation, described a process, told a story from their life, shared their testimony, summarized a story from the Bible, and explained the meaning of a Bible verse... ALL in their new language! It was so encouraging to see how much they have learned in the last 6 months, and an incredible blessing to hear the Gospel proclaimed in the heart languages of our people group. The rest of December will be full of trainings to get them ready to begin teaching the Word, in their new languages, starting in January. We are full of anticipation for all that the Lord will do in the coming months!

some people from the village joined us for worship in the morning

worship in Buhinon. beautiful.

they had a large audience watching their language evaluation :)

Gary

Levita during her language evaluation

Dona's evaluation (I think the guitar was for emotional support!)

Pacdal

December 2011 Prayer Calendar

Happy December!! Here's the prayer calendar for this month :) Set this as your desktop background as a reminder to pray for the Agta people. As we celebrate our Savior, may we join together to pray that others would know him as well, and proclaim his Gospel to the world.

Thanksgivings

I just got back yesterday from a wonderful trip to go visit friends for Thanksgiving :) My journey took me all the way from Naga to Davao, Manila, Batangas, and back again. It was such a sweet time of fellowship and conversation, which I have definitely missed. I marvel at the wonderful grace the Father pours out, that He delights in giving us good gifts.

First I visited Lizzie and other friends in Davao.

This is from our visit to the Eagle Sanctuary.

I seriously love friends.

On Thanksgiving Day, Lizzie and I went to the beach :)

and we found Santa :)

We got together with other friends in the city to celebrate

Thanksgiving on Friday night. Good food, good people.

On Saturday I met up with these friends (Chelsea above, Joy below) in Manila for 2 more Thanksgiving dinners, then went back with them to Batangas for a few days.

It was such a refreshing, fun trip and I'm so thankful. Such a blessing to visit friends and be able to see things that God is doing in other parts of the country.

Need

I don't have the time or energy for a long post tonight, but I wanted to put up a few pictures from my trip to Caranday on Friday. The whole day was full of reminders of how much need there is in that place--physical need AND spiritual need. Hunger for food that nourishes the body and for the Food that is truly Food. Extremely burdened for this sweet community and seeking the Lord about how I can help. "Oh my soul, faint not. Oh my soul, keep up, in love."

Emily and her son Niko. He's 1 year old and SO tiny.

Nikki & Don Dave

Marites with her son Edmar

I love this little boy! So precious!

Life and Death

My heart is both full of joy and weighed down with sadness today. After my Bible study in Iriga this afternoon I went to try to visit Raquel. Her baby was due at the first of the month but still had not come, so I wanted to visit her. I went to her house in Sto. Domingo, but no one was home. I checked with a neighbor and found out they were all staying with Raquel's mom in Parina while they waited for the baby to come. So I drove to Parina and searched for their house. I finally found some family members and found that Raquel had the baby this morning! So they took me to see her and her precious new baby girl, Ruth. She is healthy and beautiful, and Raquel is so happy. A beautiful celebration of life.

Baby Ruth :)

Raquel's mom with big sister Nicole

(who is not yet very excited about her baby sister)

While I was visiting with Raquel, she told me that she had found out from her relatives that the girl of these twins, Erma, passed away a few weeks ago. My heart immediately began to break. We first met the twins and their mother in May, and began bringing formula for them every time we visited their village. They were extremely malnourished, and though they improved some, they continued to struggle with sickness. I haven't been to that village for a while, and now I wish so desperately that I had been there, taken one more opportunity to help. No mother should have to watch her child die of hunger.

Before I left the house this morning I read Ann Voskamp's blog, so it's had me thinking all day about giving thanks. "If God really works in everything, why don't we thank Him for everything? To thank God in all is to bend the knee in allegiance to God Who alone knows all. To thank God in all is to give God glory in all. Is this not our chief end?" But how to thank Him for this? This life cut short? How to praise in the face of tragedy and pain? But there is this: "Murmuring thanks isn’t to deny that an event isn’t a tragedy and neither does it deny that there’s a cracking fissure straight across the heart. Giving thanks is only this: making the canyon of pain into a megaphone to proclaim the ultimate goodness of God." Our God is in the business of turning pain into grace, of transforming and redeeming even the greatest tragedy. In His economy, nothing is wasted. He somehow uses all for His glory and our good. So today I will trust. I will choose to praise when the tears come. I will thank Him for the life of Ruth and the life of Erma, two of His own precious children.

Tomorrow I'm going out to the village with Nikki to visit the mom of the twins, Marites. Hopefully Erma's brother Edmar is doing well. Pray for wisdom. I feel so burdened for this little family. Where to go from here? Pray for the Lord's direction and for His comfort and peace to flow through me to Marites.

Join Us in Prayer on November 17!

My supervisors have been working among the Wasid chapter of Bogkalot churches (a tribal group in the northern part of our island), teaching and mobilizing them to send out their own missionaries to reach the Agta. These churches will be gathering on November 17 for a time of prayer and fasting to make decisions about who they will send out, where they will be sent, and how they will send them. Please join us in praying with and for them this Thursday (Wednesday evening through Thursday morning U.S. time).

Down by the River

Yesterday I went out to the village of San Ramon and stayed at the home of our Bogkalot partners that are living there and studying the In-Agta tribal language. It was a great time of fellowship with them and seeing more of the area where they live. After breakfast this morning, we hiked to a nearby river. The Agta in this area make their living gathering clams in the river. So the Bogkalot m's spend most days at the river practicing language and building relationships. We had a great time together talking about the greatness of the Father's love and enjoying the beauty of His creation.

rainbow on my way to the village

with Dona by the river

a resplendent day

fishing for clams

Follow-Up Visits

I've had 2 opportunities in the last week to do some follow-up visits in some of the areas where the Nehemiah Teams ministered this summer. It was such a blessing to go out and re-connect with these people and encourage them as they continue to seek the Truth.

I went with Ivan (a translator for the Rinconada Team) and my

friend Anne to the village of Nino Jesus last Thursday

we were able to visit and have a Bible study with these ladies

Nanay has a real hunger for the Word but lacks the confidence that she can understand it for herself. Please pray that the Lord will give her wisdom and understanding as she studies the Word, and the courage to gather others to study with her.

On Monday I went with Nikki & Rey (translators for the Bicol Team)

and our friend Angel to visit the beautiful village of Mayong

Nikki with Chieftain Hermalina

We had a sweet time of prayer with Nanay Nida. She has cancer and has complete her chemo treatments, but still needs to go to Manila to have surgery. Join us in praying for physical healing, that the Lord will provide for her needs, and most of all that she would come to a saving faith in Him.

The team left a Bible with Eva (left), and she has been gathering people in her home for regular Bible studies ever since! She had actually already had Bible study earlier that morning before we arrived. It's a joy to see her heart changing as she is transformed by His Word.

Another lady from the Team's Bible studies that we were able to visit

Please be lifting up these people in prayer. Ask that the Lord would pour out wisdom and understanding as they read His Word, that He would open hearts and eyes, that they would come to trust in Him alone. And continue to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out more workers to proclaim His Word and disciple His people.

The Blessings of Fellowship

One of my main responsibilities while my supervisors are gone is to keep in touch with our Bogkalot partners and encourage them as they continue language study. This is such a joy for me! They are so fun, loving, and passionate about glorifying the Lord. I meet Dona & Juvie in town every week for Bible study, and this last week I invited Levita & Vilma to join us. It was a great time of fellowship, studying the Word, and being inspired by the story of Jim Elliot & Operation Auca. After Bible study I went home with Vilma & Juvie to their home in the village of Ipil. I went with them to a Bible study they're helping with, and so enjoyed spending time with them and encouraging each other. The fellowship among members of the Body of Christ is truly a beautiful thing. So thankful for time with these sweet friends!

Dona, Levita, Vilma & Juvie

Jun & Vilma's house in Ipil

Jun & Vilma's son JJ

Juvie and her sister Jera

Vilma & Juvie

me & Juvie :)

Hands-On Team

This awesome group is living in a city about 8 hours away as semester volunteers, and they decided to make the trek to Bicol to come visit us during the semester break! It was such a blessing to get to know them, share about ministry experiences, and tell stories of how God has worked in our lives. We went out to a village, hiked to some waterfalls, and rode the zipline in front of Mount Mayon... such a fun time! Thanks for coming to visit, guys!!

Joy, Chelsea & Chris

one of the waterfalls in Consocep

Cagsawa Ruins at Mt. Mayon

great friends and an awesome view of the volcano

zipline!