Teacher, student, baby and baby-sitter

Oh the joys of language learning!!!

Talk about mulit-tasking! Mildred asked her younger sister to care for her baby, but she just wanted mama. So, Ivy jumps in and gets to watch Shannon learn the words for sun, hill, mountain, etc. 

Please pray for Shannon and myself for sharp brains, great memory and tongues to cooperate.

Ansa Anggan na yaw?? (What is the name of this?)

The time has come and the time is now....

to plan for language session

to prepare....

and finally search far and wide....my front porch...for someone who speaks the language. :-)

Please be praying for Shannon and myself as we get into learning the language and culture of the Ga'Dang people so that we can one day tell that all that Christ has done for them.

What got done in 7 weeks?

Check out what we were able to get done during our last 2 months in the tribe. 

Check out my partner's blog to read all about it.

A visitor

It has been long since I last updated so here goes. My partners and I were able to move into the village last August. We've spent the last 7 weeks living, adjusting and....of course...house building! :-) The end is in sight and the to-do list is getting shorter.

Shortly before we left to go to Manila we had an unexpected visitor. Jonathan Bamford is our Regional leader and through a series of events was able to visit us for a bit. Check out his story.

We hit Manila expecting to return to the tribe in 10 days. As we all know our plans aren't the ones the usually happen. As it looks now, Typhoon Juan (international name, Megi) is hitting Northern Luzon and will postpone our plans for a bit. For the Talbots and I, it really only means staying with friends a little longer. For our friends in the tribe, it means getting their rice harvest in as fast as they can. Pray that there will be minimal damage and that they would be able to harvest all of their food.

Summit team

This is the Summit team from the UK that came to help work on the Talbot's house. 

We had a great team of people coming from Norway, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland. They took time off work, gave up their summer holidays and chose to live all cramped together in less than ritzy conditions....all so that they could help a missionary get one step closer to moving into the tribe...one step closer to bringing the Gospel to the Ga'Dang people.

Can you believe we all fit?!?

Anna putting up the walls for the kids room

Dag did an excellent job making the windows

Angela cooked WONDERFUL meals to keep everyone going strong

Kezia and Liz chilling out after a hard day's work

Susan made some great friends in the village

Sharon learning how the ladies in the village wash their laundry

Tom laying the flooring for the porch

Andy and Reuel mixing cement for posts

Bob and Norm putting up the roof for the porch

Sharon and Chris' first ride in a tricycle

The team is here!

We have been blessed to be playing host to a team from the UK. There were some hiccups with their tickets and were delayed for a day. The good news is that they are here now and are getting over jetlag and the heat of Manila. :-)

Summit is the short term missions trip arm of NTM. Summit teams are usually made up of young(er) people who are interested in getting a up close view of what missions is like. We are so thankful for each one as they are here to help work on the Talbot's house and to learn more about the work that God is doing here.

Please be praying for safety and health for everyone. Please pray also for the team as this is (for many) their very first exposure to life in a tribal setting. 

How many carabao is your wife worth?

Cultural event.
Its a term we learned during our training for any activity that occurs that reveals bits of what shapes someone's world. Culture is in everything we do and affects every area of our life. When a bride prepares for her wedding there are many traditions that are important to her. It doesn't feel complete without them. The same is true for the events in the lives of the Ga'dang people.


Some cultural events are not so joyous. Recently, a case came to everyone's attention regarding an affair. Right from my front porch I had the opportunity to hear and see the meeting with the officials. Given the fact that I can't speak or understand Ga'Dang I had to get all my information later from a friend that speaks Tagalog. 


In a case of an affair the offending man had to pay the husband a fine. It had been decided that it would be 1 carabao (water buffalo--which are worth 30,000 pesos or $670). The husband didn't agree so we will see what the final outcome is. As we left the next day we were full of questions. Why was a pig sacrificed when the deal wasn't finalized? How will it be settled? Who has the last say? Will violence be the last resort?


Please be praying with us for wisdom and discernment as we learn more and more about the lives of the Ga'dang people.

Partners and Prayer Requests

These past few months have brought a lot of changes to the Ga'Dang team. As you know the Ga'dang team consists of; Chuck and Shannon Talbot, Erik and Dana Peterson and myself. We all went through language study together, went on surveys together and moved up north together. We talked and envisioned ourselves 30 years down the road  still working away in the tribe. 

However, our plans are not always (very rarely) God's plans. Over the last few months God has been directing and leading Erik and Dana into a new ministry. In order to have missionaries in the tribe you need to have the support personnel to keep them there. If one man in support is doing the job of 3 people, it isn't enough. Erik and Dana have been asked to help out in support roles. On one hand its hard to see your friends leave for a new job but on the other hand its exciting to see how clearly God has led them. 

Where does that leave the Ga'Dang team? We are still pushing on, but we would ask for prayer for more partners. We need people to fill in the gap just as Erik and Dana fill the gap in support ministry. 

Not only does the Ga'Dang team need more workers, the Philippines need more workers. Please pray that God would raise up people skilled in support roles and people to plant churches. 

Are you willing to go?

The lost months

Life is crazy, when things are slow you feel as if there isn't anything to write about; then when there is something to write about there isn't time to do so!

Since returning from the tribe I've been spending my time at Faith Academy working with the middle school kids. Why? Well, its pretty simple really; I can only be in the tribe when my partners are also. So, if they leave the village to have a baby, I leave too- just not for the same reason. :-) While they adjusted to baby #6 and all that goes with it, I had a great opportunity to work with missionary kids. So, all in all a good experience.

Once again we are off to the tribe! The Talbot clan, Jessica (their teacher) and myself will be heading back to the village for 2 weeks. This will be Jessica's last visit before she flies home in July. Pray for us as we get more work done on the Talbot's house, build relationships and for Shannon as she adjusts to life in the tribe with a new baby. 

For more about what's been happening in the village check out Chuck and Shannon's blog here. 

Week #4

Due to lack of rain, the people were unable to plant their crops. So now, instead of taking care of their fields everyone is busy with "downtime" kind of work. 

These girls are pounding rice off the stalk. Its a long, hard process...not what I would consider "downtime" work.

Those who could also harvested coffee beans to roast and take out to a nearby town to sell.

Shannon was kept super busy being wife, mom and culinary arts teacher. Here she is teaching her helper how to make bread.

Jessica came from Canada to teach the Talbot children, but she also helped out anywhere she could.

No, Mom, I am most definitely NOT standing on a rickety plank suspended between two rickety stacks of lumber...I would never do that. :)

Miraculously, I managed to not drill a hole through my foot. Thankfully, X marks the spot.

Week #3

Visitors!! Ok, so strictly speaking all these people did not visit just in week #3. But, they have all visited in the last month. :) The Canapp Inn is hopping!

The week before Shannon and I came in, Ed Esau (white hat) and Don Epp came for a visit. Ed is a NTM Rep from Canada, Don is a fellow missionary working further up north. Between Chuck and Erik is Grant Bayfield, (also a missionary in the Philippines) he had some downtime on his hands and came to help out for a few weeks.

Adam and Robert came during week 3 straight from the icy Canadian winter! They were a tremendous help and blessing. 

Of course not all visitors come that far. The kids loved any book that I would have in my hand. Hopefully this will be my future Sunday school class.

Sometimes we would get the chance to be the visitor. Shannon, Jessica (the Tablot's teacher) and myself went to visit Mildred (below) who just gave birth a couple days before. 

Last but not least...

As us women and kids packed up and left, these guys came in. Alistair, Dave, and Tosh came from New Zealand to lend a hand. Bob (far right) is a support missionary here and basically helps out anywhere needed. 

What  blessing it has been to have so many helping hands in these past few weeks!

Week #2

Hi ho Hi ho its off to work we go!

A little over a year ago the people of Community Bible Church of Gordonville, PA gave a love offering to the Ga'Dang team. Their generous gift made it possible for us to purchase a thickness planer.

.

When your lumber comes out of the jungle and not Home Depot you are very thankful to have a planer.

Here is what has been done so far with the Talbot's house. Amazing progress!

This wonderful gift has been a tremendous blessing to have, so a big thank you once again from the Ga'Dang team to the wonderful people in Gordonville!

Week #1

And we're off!!!! Sort of. 

Jan 26th dawned grey, cloudy and rainy. The truck that was to take us in to the tribe was about 2 hours late. Rain tends to dampen your enthusiasm about riding on an open backed truck, or hiking. If we knew then what we know now, we would have been grateful for every drop that fell. That was the last rainfall this area has had in the last 5 weeks! The crops never got planted, the wells are periodically running dry and the dam nearby is dangerously low.

When the truck broke down about 45 minutes away from the village, the kids and I hiked the last little bit. Hungry bellies tend to trump a free ride. :-) 

As we walked in, it was nice to look around and get the sense that this was becoming a familiar neighborhood. It didn't seem so "tribally" (if that is even a word). It's good to be back.

Don't cry for me argentina!

A view of Manila around 7 am....yes that is smog.

Contrast that with the view up North!

Obviously, being in the boondocks has some serious advantages! :-) 


So, yes, I am leaving the big city once again and will be traveling up north to join my partners for a trip into the tribe. Project: "Build the Talbot's house" is underway! Praise God for the volunteers we have had thus far. We're hoping to get much done in the next 6 weeks. 

Lest, you think the big city is completely devoid of anything good..... 

the smog is lifted by lunchtime!