TWO INTERESTING EVENINGS

Dear Praying Ones, 

Last Sunday evening, the center students held a despidida party (a going-away party maybe) for the other dorm students who will be leaving CFM to go for their On-the-Job trainings.  There are more or less 10 of them.  They asked me to share some words and I decided to talk about friendship with stress on how God made us, the former enemies, His friends; as well as an application to human friendships.  I had them play games before, in-between and after discussions.  I think they had a very nice time!  I did!  I was just telling someone how introverted and not-a-people person I am but I do love teaching. 

I've learned in so  many ways and occassions that when it comes to adults, letting them think and discover things for themselves bears the more fruit.  So I came up with questions and biblical references alongside them, grouped them into six and gave them half an hour to discuss and answer the questions.  Afterwhich, each of them reported  the answers they found to the whole group.  It was much better that way.  I was just there to correct mistaken understanding and wrong interpretations, rather than talking the night away not knowing if their minds are with me.

Yesterday, Uncle Keith (for those of you who doesn't know, he is the proponent of Northern Philippine Mother Tongue Translators' Association, the org which I am a member) dropped by on his way to Manila and spent the night with Bong and me.  We had baked chicken for dinner (a recipe I learned from AJB), buttered green beans (I learned from Lynn B.), and boiled okra with soy and calamansi sauce (I learned from me, ), plus red rice.  Simple but scrumptious.  Loved it!

In my previous entry, I emptied out my frustrations about the plans in my life into this blog.  There were so many opportunities for further studies but no one seems to be sure where I should go.  I was wrong.  UK has always been sure about his dreams for the NPMTTA and the Lord used him to give us a clear perspective on things. Therefore, at least now, there is an open path for me and Bong to go through and it was more than enough to reassure me (again) that God has indeed been busy even in the middle of my lack of faith and impatience.  I will now start my enrolment process for MDiv in Biblical Studies at AGS.  I will finish as much as I can in the next 9 months and then hopefully go off to Trinity in Singapore for my M.Th in July next year.  The goal of all this studies is to qualify and prepare me for Bible Translation Consultant Training.  Bong will also continue his computer consultatnt training in Singapore if the Lord wills.  Do continue to take this to the Lord.... and the following prayer items as well... 

1.    Kalanguya churches for revival.  Most of the Kalanguya churches at this point in time have reached their lowest in terms of Christian living.  The technology brought about by the opening of farm to market roads has brought in lots of ‘lowland sins’ (sorry, lowlanders).  It is so painful seeing people whose joy was singing God’s praises and serving their fellow villagers become so enticed with bottles, unclean movies and money.    

2.      Kalanguya prayer core group. 

a.       Medy and Ariel Bianzon.  Medy is a head teacher in Bambang National High.  She has recently committed to lead the Kalanguya Bible Translation Team and other volunteers to bind themselves in praying for the Kalanguya churches and individual people and to go back to the churches and talk to individuals, families, social groups about their problems.  Ariel is involved in discipling the students in CFM also.  In the absence of Bong, he takes charge of the Sunday service and Thursday students’ meeting.

b.      Gerry Pido.  My brother, a newly-elected municipal councilor, a leader and Bible teacher in Mapayao church.  Please pray for strength of character for him to be able to deal in a godly way to his officemates and partymates, to not go to a place of compromise, and for wisdom and strength to do all that he has planned to do for the municipality and the church community.  Pray also for healing for his wife Julie’s health problems.  She has scoliosis that is becoming so painful even with therapy. Pray for their bible teaching ministries.  Gerry teaches during Sunday services in Mapayao Church and his wife teaches Women’s Bible Study.

c.    Robert and Medy Malcat.  They have recently committed to join the prayer group.  Medy Malcat directs the Kalanguya Vacation Bible School Program every summer for the whole Kalanguya Christian community.  Pray for discernment and wisdom. Robert quit his job as a sheriff in the Regional Trial Court of Angeles City to be with his family.  Please pray that he will get the same job here in Nueva Vizcaya.  This couple committed their resources (finance and wheels) in helping the Kalanguya prayer core group accomplish their plans.

d.      Norman and Hilda Malcat.  Norman is a member of the Kalanguya Translation Team.  He is working on 1&2 Kings, exegeting and drafting these books.  Pray for wisdom on these tasks and also as he leads his family.  He is also discipling students in CFM by organizing music-playing groups that he teaches to sing and play guitar and drums and lead in Bible studies twice or thrice a week.  Pray for his plans of producing Kalanguya Praise Albums in the near future.  Pray for good health for Hilda, Norman’s wife who is taking care of Norman and their 7month old baby Daniel Jude.  She also suspects that another baby is on the way.  PTL

e.      Melita Dupiano.  She is a businesswoman who I believe has the gift of helps, and a very prayerful lady.  She likes helping people and she feels their pains.  She also committed her resources to help the core group carry out their plans aside from praying with us.

f.     Narda Tindaan. She resigned from her job in the municipal government of Kayapa and decided to join a full-time ministry.  We are still praying as to where God wants her to serve.  Please pray that the Lord will reveal to us/her where she would fit in the ministry.  She has a “gift of the ear.”  She can listen and easily relate to people and people can easily open up to her.  Pray for wisdom and discernment as she determines what exactly should she do to serve the Lord.  Pray also for emotional healing for her for the past years of listening to people’s problems.  She has a desire to go to seminary and take up Counseling but before she does that, she will need to finish college first.  Please pray for financial support on this.

g.      Lani Luyaman.  She has been with the translation team on and off for the last two years.  She would like to serve as a song leader in conjunction with Norman’s plan to make praise music albums.  She also has a desire to go to Bible School to be equipped for ministry.  Pray for financial support on her schooling.

h.      Bagly and Esther Arsenio. That the immersion he will have will bring a lasting impact to our people.  He has chosen Environmental Awareness.  Esther will continue to learn the language and analyze the Kalanguya grammar and write about the culture as part of her LIFE.  Pray for also for their visa processing, if granted, they will visit Esther's family and also do partnership development then come back to the Philippines.  Should the Lord open or lead them elsewhere in Asia after few years in the Philippines, they will be willing to go.  Pray for them that may they be discerning to God's leading.

i.  Sarah, my sister was invited and is now planning to join a mission trip to Bangladesh called Proshikkon on Dec, 27-Jan 27.  She will be with Daphne (a Bible Translator from Bontoc) and Uncle Keith and other foreigners.  Please pray for God’s leading and guidance and if He wants Sara to go, then provision of finances for her.  Please include Daphne in your prayers about finance for this trip.

j.        Bong and I.  We would ask you again to pray for a little one for us but it seems that the timing is not right for now.  We therefore just ask you to continue remembering us in your prayers for wisdom, enthusiasm, good health and endurance in doing all that the Lord puts in our hearts and way to do.   Pray also for our upcoming consultant checking in February next year.  We hope to check Genesis, Exodus, 1Kings, Ezra, Joel, Lamentation, Ecclesiates and Habakkuk.  Pray for Bob and Judy Ambrosius (our consultants) as they travel from the US in January.)

3. Please pray for this group's plan to visit Nansiakan church on November 1 & 2.  May the Lord use this time to touch people's hearts.

You can praise God with us for everything that He has done and is doing and will be doing with us in the near future.  I'm excited...

Psalm 16

 1 Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.  2 I say to the Lord, “Thou art my Lord;
I have no good apart from thee.”  5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
thou holdest my lot.  6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a goodly heritage.  7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.  8 * I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.  9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.  11 Thou dost show me the path of life;
in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Thank you all and May God bless you…

m&b