To the Ends of the Earth

Good morning! It is early morning here in Baguio City--the roosters are crowing, people are walking the streets blowing their little horns (much like the kind on a bicycle) selling their special foods and I'm awake--thinking about my schedule for the day! Also, making plans for my trip to Palanan valley next week, taking in another woman who will be the speaker for the week as well as taking in special goodies (including homemade brownies and banana bread) that will add to the rice and fish that is their daily menu.

It will be a very long bus ride (not very comfortable seats, many stops along the way to pick up more passengers and letting others off, and no air con) next Monday, then spend the night at a mission house in Bagabag, and the next morning we will fly in 6-seater plane over the Sierra Madre mountains 45 minutes into the Palanan valley.

There are NO roads connecting this valley with the rest of the world. People living in palanan say "going out" when they talk about leaving the valley (by plane, foot, or boat). And if you are in Palanan, you are "inside". People from Palanan call anyone who's not born there a "foreigner" even if they're from just over the mountains. Very isolated.

God is building His kingdom there. These people have a vision to become international missionaries and are wanting to reach out to others "outside" because they want to tell people what He's done. They want the "foreigners" to have relationship with their Father.

Isaiah 62:10-12 is the scripture God gave our team for this training school--
"Go, through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples.
"Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth;
Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
"And they shall be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord;
and you shall be called Sought Out, a city Not Forsaken."

We see this scripture as His special word for these people. He has redeemed them. He has called them to Himself. And He will send them out--to regions beyond what they know now. We are only a part of what He is doing among these special people.

Please be praying for these Palanan and Agta people as well as for our staff team. This is God's anointed time -- we don't want anyone to miss anything He has. He has called us to "host in humility." That requires wisdom and sensitivity to Him and others. And please pray that when words don't translate that His spirit would translate to their hearts.

We've seen Him part the waters as we put our feet into the "river" and walk ahead on dry land.

It is going to be another "good day."
Lois

From the Jungle

Messages don't always get through and phone calls sometimes disconnect, but Duane summed up the past week as "Good! Intense. Good!" Much of the "intensity" comes from cultural differences and words can translate to mean many different things. I've been texting and calling by cell phone a few times to him in Dibungko village where the team is with 44 Palanan / Agta students for the DTC--discipleship training course--for the next 10 weeks.

Please be praying for the staff team--it is very hot and can be a challenge to sensitively serve people of another culture--so wisdom, sensitivity, and endurance are needed.

If you have a short message you want to send to Duane or the team, I can send your comments by text or you can text him at 63-906-309-2291.

Please keep me in your prayers, too, during this time. I'm keeping busy at the training center with accounting (CDTS & training center), hospitality guests, and doing some painting in the dining area. Keeping busy helps--but I still miss being with Duane. I will be going over to Palanan/ Dibungko in two weeks with Heidi, one of the speakers. The time will be short, but good to see Duane and the rest of the team, as well as the students.

And pray for the weather--flying speakers in to Palanan and bringing the CDTS team back to Baguio during the 7th week for a week of R & R depends on good weather for flying. No roads in or out of that area.

Thank you for your part in all that God is doing here in this part of the Philippines! Is. 62:10-12 (scripture for the school).

Lois

Back from Palanan

We just arrived back from a week in Palanan -- specifically the village of DiBungko -- if you look closely you can see Duane and me sitting in this "waiting shed" with a view of the river valley behind and (about 200 feet) below us. What a view!

I got lots of exercise going up and down the steps cut into the hillside soil! Best of all I was able to experience a bit of what Duane has known in his 10 years of going to this area for outreach. This place is so beautiful, quiet, and inhabited by gentle, happy people.

View of the village of DiBungko

We stayed in the CMU translation house next to this village, where the team will be staying during the discipleship school.

Having lunch with some of the CMU staff after a training session.

Our primary purpose in going to Palanan was for training for small group leaders for the coming discipleship training course in DiBungko. These 3 were former students in CDTS 2007-- a Filipino missionary couple in Palanan and one Agta (indigenious Filipino) young man. Several CMU missionaries also attended at our invitation so they could know the heart of the discipleship training -- they found they learned principles that are practical to many areas of ministry they are already involved in. They really appreciated all we shared and our times together.

During this time we also were able to get a better understanding of what God is putting before us for this discipleship training of 19 youth (16-30 years old) presently in the ISOM (video school of missions training) as well as about 25 CMU missionaries who want the training, too. We had lots of questions before the trip, and most were answered during our time there. We were better able to work out logistic details by just being there and planning together.

Now the challenge is to have wisdom and discernment in being culturally adaptable in the teaching which will be translated into Tagalog (Filipino language).

This next week we will be busy preparing for departing for DiBungko on Sept. 11. The school begins the 16th.

Please pray for --

• good weather for flying into Palanan by small plane -- 5 passengers and pilot
• finances for the school as we are not charging a fee for the school
• wisdom and discernment
• physical health and strength

We appreciate your prayers.

Lois