We don’t often get around to writing follow up stories from previous newsletters but here is one we had to write. You may remember a story I wrote 2 years ago while we were in Palawan of a village man that showed up to church one day requesting our help saying, “We don’t want any other religion in our village except the religion of Kamantian.” (Many people associate our work with AFM’s because we work together to reach the Palawano people.) Though we have many requests like this, somehow this one seemed different and it was hard to say no to his urgent plea to start a church in his village. We felt we had to at least go and make a visit. So two of our local Bible workers and I made arrangements and the next week we arrived at the designated meeting place. We were surprised to learn that the village was actually a couple hours hike up the mountain, with 5 crossings of a raging river! Durialan, the village leader who met us told us that many people were waiting for us because they wanted to learn about the Bible. We looked at each other wondering what to do as we were unprepared for a hike, but we decided without hesitation that we must go! We set off on an adventure with homemade walking sticks and with Durialan to help us cross the rivers. We arrived to the beautiful mountainside village with luscious greenery and a spectacular view of the ocean. We had the most wonderful visit with the friendliest, most eager villagers of Karusuan. We shared with them about a loving God who gave His Word to us in a book so we could learn about Him and know how to live. They were amazingly attentive to our stories and health lectures. We asked them if they had ever heard the story of creation or Noah or Jesus but they all said “noâ€, they had never heard any stories from the Bible! When it was time to go, the inevitable question came, “When will you come back?†We had to honestly tell them we had no idea how long it would be. We told them to pray for more missionaries and/or a helicopter that could help make the best use of the missionaries’ time and also help with their medical emergencies.
The Long Prayed for Helicopter
This last May we were privileged to finally bring the long prayed for helicopter to Palawan! It didn’t take long for regular calls to start coming in with requests from remote missionaries with AFM, PFM, and our project in Kabulnukan for medical evacuations. But we did not forget about Karusuan. As soon as we found them at the lowland market we told them the good news about the helicopter and instructed them how to clear a landing pad. We promised to visit them soon, but ‘soon’ wasn’t good enough for them and they persistently called asking when we would come to start a church in their village! They said,
“Ma’am, how can we go to church when the nearest church is so far from us and the river is so high!â€
Happy people of Karusuan
First Helicopter Visit
The day finally came for us to visit Karusuan for the first time in the helicopter. The flight is only 5 minutes from our airbase (versus a 40 minute drive plus a 1.5 hour hike if the river is not too high). Many villagers were happily waiting for us! They crowded into a tiny hut near the landing pad and pressed in to hear the continuation of the Bible stories we started 2 years before. Many could not fit in the hut and had to peek through the bamboo walls, and when the rain came it was difficult for all to find shelter. We found many people with Malaria and other complaints so we treated as many as we could before we had to leave.
First visit in helicopter with Bible workers Simeon and Jojo
Everyone pressed in to hear the Bible stories and health lectures
Seeing patients, especially children with Malaria and coughs & colds
First Shelter Built
With 50 plus people coming and growing each visit, they asked when we could build a church so everyone could listen. We encouraged them to do what they could for a temporary meeting place and they immediately set to work and when we came back the next week, the moderate sized shelter was already half done! We only provided nails. We continue to use that shelter every visit for seeing the many patients that need treatment and for Bible studies.
All purpose temporary shelter built by villagers
Waiting for a School and Church
After the first visit in the helicopter Durialan told us “Ma’am, my people have seen your work and your characters and they are really sure now they want your church in our village!†The next visit he pointed to a young boy playing in the dirt and said, “He is waiting to go to your school! He cannot cross the high river to go to school in the lowlands.â€
Second Answered Prayer
By the third and following visits God had answered the other prayer for more missionaries and we brought our 3 new Filipino LIGHT medical missionaries to help give Bible studies and see patients. Their last visit they taught the people how to use hydrotherapy and massage to treat their illnesses. They visit every week now.
New LIGHT medical missionaries giving simple Bible study about creation
First Sabbath Services
The people continued to request for Sabbath services but until the new missionaries arrived we had no one that was free to go on the weekends. So, this last Sabbath finally two Bible workers were able to spend the long weekend and hold the very first Sabbath services ever to be held in Karusuan! More than 50 Adults, youth and children attended all morning and afternoon services and came back with great interest for more evening Bible studies late into the night!
Pray for a Church
With so many other church plants going on we feel pulled in many directions but we feel this is a special place and due to it’s remoteness that maybe it should take priority. But we need prayers for wisdom and provisions for a church and missionary housing etc.
Pray for Missionaries
Please pray with us as we’re looking into some long term, experienced Filipino missionaries that can stay full time in Karusuan to continue the pioneering work that has begun.
The Work Goes On
Though we have recently returned back to Luzon again, the work will go on with our capable missionaries including Sean and Pris, the directors of the Palawan project who have returned from their trip to the states and have already made a visit to Karusuan. They were also impressed with the eager friendliness of the people. We will continue to pray and support from afar.
Palawan team (minus a few). Sean and Pris in back with baby
The Helicopter a Big Blessing
Our new helicopter pilot, Daniel, is familiar with all the areas now and he will continue to fly the helicopter in Palawan while we continue to develop our other 2 projects and pray for more helicopters. Karusuan is now one of the regular villages he flies to for medical evacuations and missionary visits. It is such a blessing to have the helicopter not only to help open up new areas like Karusuan and Kebgen (a recently re-opened, very remote AFM village) but also because severe Malaria epidemics are prevalent in the mountains right now. Thank you so much for your prayers and donations that help make this aviation ministry possible as a great tool in speeding the spread of the Gospel to the world!
Flying out a sick baby with oxygen from Kamantian
