Small steps!

We are continuing to enjoy our time here as God directs our steps in meeting people and visiting different places. It has been amazing to see God’s hand in even the smallest things! The resounding reply recently when we tell those that we have met that we are leaving soon is, “Why are you leaving? You seem to enjoy it so much here!” And “When are you returning?” We really wish we had a good answer for those questions, but at this point we don’t have any specific direction although we seem to be getting small answers here and there.

This last week we didn’t have any big plans, but just school with the kids, dentist appointments for Stacey, Ann Marie, and Joleigh, a field trip to the Crocodile Farm (more about that with pictures on the blog), swimming, house cleaning projects, school and work for Jenn, visiting the YWAM base here in Davao, and spending hours at Immigration to extend our visas. Not much, huh?!? Doesn’t seem like much as we go about each day, but when it’s listed it kind of adds up! The kids are doing well in school as we push on each day. They are getting used to either sweat dripping off their forehead onto their papers or the fan blowing away their papers so they are not sweating! The funny things we have to adjust to!

On Sunday at His Mission Fellowship we enjoyed worshiping with the people both in English and Visayan. I remember back to the first Sunday we were there and feeling like I couldn’t really worship because I couldn’t understand what was being said, but now understanding that it has more to do with the heart. Worship comes from the heart! Steve and I both cried as we sang and worshiped along with one of the familiar songs in Visayan, realizing how much we are going to miss hearing the people worship in their own language. God has changed my heart!

The unreached mountain people have stolen our hearts and thoughts. The ministry that Beth and Merly continue with to the mountain people is so vital and yet there are so few that seem to be going. We are hoping to be able to help out anyway we can. Steve, Joe, and Tim (friend of Joe’s whose wife is going to midwifery school) will be going on a medical outreach with Beth tomorrow. Tim builds and distributes water filters to families in need through Impact Nations. Steve is very excited about the opportunity to go into the mountains. They will be staying the first night at Upian, a couple hour hike from the road, and then continuing on in the morning for another 4 hour hike to Newtawas. At Newtawas they will be helping Beth with medical needs, just for the day and then hiking back out. Please pray for Steve, Joe, Tim, and Beth as they hike in the mountains, and bring God’s love to the people of Newtawas.

The resounding theme that we keep seeing is the need for primary health care, being able to take blood pressure, listen to lungs, look in ears, and clean wounds, are such simple things to know but can change someone’s life. Joe and Jenn had some missionary friends, Mordecai and Twans, which just recently moved to Cambodia to continue their work there, but they had an incredible impact on the mountain people here on Mindanao. Beth and Merly’s ministry is a continuation of what Mordecai started. Mordecai was not a professional doctor or dentist, but he knew how to help the people with everything from pulling a rotten tooth to cleaning infected wounds to giving antibiotics for ear infections that had gone on for a long time, and the list goes on. He cared for the people in a very physical way, but was able to show them God’s love! Yesterday as I got one of my wisdom teeth pulled by a local dentist I was realizing how important it is to be able to pull a tooth so that someone can live with less pain. The pain of a tooth ache can be so excruciating and yet if there is not a dentist what is someone to do, but live with the pain. I was terrified of getting my teeth pulled, but soon realized that getting a tooth pulled with a little painkiller is not bad at all. And I can only imagine how the people must have felt after Mordecai pulled a rotten tooth for them!

God just seems to keep showing us more with each step we take! Yesterday before I got my tooth pulled all the kids prayed for me…I was really afraid of getting my tooth pulled. God answered their prayers in a big way…He physically calmed me while getting my tooth pulled, and then caused there to be no pain! Even this morning as I woke I was expecting to feel the pain in my mouth, but my mouth felt normal, no pain at all! It was amazing to be able to tell the kids how God had answered their prayers in such a personal way! Tomorrow I will get two more wisdom teeth pulled, but this time I am not filled with fear!

Primary health care, agriculture teaching, midwifery, and water filtration are just some of the needs of the people, but such a physical need that needs to be met so that they can see and know the love of Jesus! Please pray for the unreached mountain people of Mindanao.