Just a few minutes of your precious time...

New Version of "Footprints"

Maybe you've already read this. Just thought of putting it here 'coz it's really nice.

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns. For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently.

You and Jesus are walking as true friends!

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one. This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually they disappear altogether.

There is only one set of footprints they have become one.

This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints. You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends.

Now you pray: "Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct."

"And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely."

"Very good...You have understood everything so far."

When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way."

"Precisely."

"So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."

There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice. "You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh, A time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.

bloopers of Batch18 ... gusto niyo ba matawa?

Dear Joe este mga kapatid pala,

Isang mapagbunyi at maaliwalas na tanghali sa bawat isa sa aking mga naging kamag-aral sa ACM sa loob mahigit ng 6 na buwan simula ng Oktobre 5,2006 hanggang Abril 23, 2007...sori can't translate this to Mandarin pa ehhehehe.)

Carolina! at sobrang miss mo na ang batch 18!!!! hehehe..Miss ko na rin kau lahat!!!! terribly...si tes na lng ang lagi kong kaulayaw sa chat at sa phone...hehehe..Anyway I have asked my cousin sa China reg. sa tinatanong mo sa expenses sa Beijing pero mukhang busy cya...di pa ako sinasagot eh...I will kip u posted.....At salamat sa makapagbagbag damdamin friendster testimonial mo ha....touch ako dun...at muntik na me maiyak dun ah..later gawan din kita ng testimony...hehehe...Teka, ung dog mo ba un na binili kay avan? at super laki na sya!....wel regards to your dog....ano nga name nya? minsan pahiram naman ng dog mo pag nagprayer mt. tau ha...hehehe...at pinadala pa sa bundok...

Ate Grace, how are you na???...miss na namin ung words of revelation and pangarals from you bilang ate ....I know you are busy but pls.. call me if you have any prayer request...My phone is always open for you 12/7 lng ha not 24/7 kasi sa ofis un eh...hehehe .....Miss you na!!!! Sana we can meet before you leave if kaya pa ng sked mo....

Ineng gracia!!! at tahimik ang anak kong bunso ngaun!!! hehehe...As what I've said, drop by ka sa haus anytime at mag music bonding tayo ha!!!. I have 10 CDs (name it, casting crown,Hillsongs..etc..) burned para pakinggan natin kahit hanggang umaga...hehehe...Miss ur concientious reminders to your mommy.....Miss u na rin gracia!!!! Paramdam ka naman s chat ha?
Aling Lynette!!! at bakit ni wala man lng ni text sa amin ng mga kamag-aral mo?....Miss ka na namin! magparamdam ka naman!!!!! hehehe... anu na ba update sa lovelife este sa life mo pala?hehehe!!! Baka naman aalis ka na lng di pa namin alam ha?...Kip us posted palagi even sa text lang ng maipagpray ka namin ng commissioning prayer....Miss na our bonding pauwi !!!! Miss u na lynettesky....

Tess!! syempre ang ever supportive at palagi kong kabonding na anak at kasama manood ng Spider Man (sa wakas at natuloy din tayo!!) hehehe....Sa sunod Shrek naman? kasi favorite yun ni ate Avan.... Hayyy!!!! sana may time tau....at for your info po pla pa pang 7th pa lng yan sa sine na napanood ko sa buong buhay ko hehehe!! Ayaw kasi ng big screen ng mommy nyo!!!!! hahaha!!!! because before I was suppocated sa madilim na lugar eh....but now cyempre breakthrough na dapat!!!! Tess sabihin mo kay mommy ha, mag CWMC na rin para isang pamilya na kaung pupunta sa mission field....Why not di ba?...Amen me dun!!!...Miss u na rin rolitess kahit lagi taung chat...hehehe...

Besfrend! what more cud i say kundi sa lahat ng hell and high waters! through thick and thin as long as i have breath, I will still be your bestfren....Sa lahat ng panahon na darating at sa ipagagawa pa ng Lord satin sa mission I know that our tandem will always give glory to God!!!! Well lagi nman tau magksama kaya no "miss you " words na ha...hehehe...siguro pag nasa China na me na lng.....hehehe... Email ka naman ng words of wisdom sa Batch 18 from Ted Duncan book.....

Hazel!!! musta na!!!! nakababa na ba ang airplane mo!!! or still nsa alapaap ka pa rin?hehehe!!Sana nakalanding na ang plane neng at ng magsimula na ang adventure mo with french speaking pipo.....At sana kahit "nasal" yang pronounciation diyan di ka nman mangiwi sa pagsalita...hehehe...Siguro I suggest, katulad nung despida natin, pag di mo n maintindihan, magvisaya kna lng neng!!! para pahirapan mo rin sila umintindi..hahaha!!!
Hope that kahit malayo ka na di mo pa rin malilimutan ang ating "covenant" remember neng! ung "Ester's Basket" wala pang laman!!! lalagyan natin yun ng mga millions natin para sa missions di ba?...hehehe...Praying for your success there....I know God will pour out not only millions but billions in your hands there...because you are really called to be blessed in order to be a blessing to the missionaries....Teka pala b4 I forgot!!! Girl ung sign!!!! marami na nun dyan sa Montreal!!!! hehehe...Be sure that the best sign ang makita mo ha? Kip us posted para maipag fasting natin kung nahihirapan ka ng pumili....Mahirap na at baka magkamali pa !!!!! hahaha.....Miss all ur jokes sa class...Padalan mo naman kami sa email ng jokes mo para naman matawa pa rin kami....hahaha!!! okies? Godbless you there neng!!!

Teka sino pa bang nakalimutan ko sa mga girls?

Sa boys naman!!!! saka si mam ets...

Miguelito, musta na? Tahimik ka din!!! Maiba ako, nagpass ka ba pala ng assignment sa LAMP last Wed..? I have forwarded kay Gracia ung assignment natin....Hope nakuha mo kasi baka incomplete ang grade pag wala nun...How is your life mukhang busy sa lahat and all preparations ah!!!! Wahhh!!! think wala na kami lahat sa wedding mo.....Anyway, ganun talaga! Pls. kip us posted na lng ha thru e-mail.... hope fud bonding ulit sa Max!!!! at yung aroz caldo mo na may squash....naktulong un sa pagbabasa ko...kasi luminaw ang eyes ko!!!... hehehe.God bless u and Mia.....

Tatay Mon, kumusta na ang negosyong pautang natin? naghahanda na rin ba kayo ni ate Grace sa India this Oct...Godbless you po...mami miss namin ung mga kwento mo! Lalo na ung sayaw mo ng nag skit tau sa Davao....para sa lahat, best performer ka dun kala mo ba?....hehehe...That's the talent ni tatay Mon!!! na namiss nina Ferdie at Avan....sayang!!!! Anyway kuya still hoping to go to India in the future, if God permits...

Kuya Roms!!! Kumusta na po ang mission sa Aurora province? Hope everything are going fine...Hope your mom is also fine na kuya...Sana maksama ka sa sunod na mga prayer mt. natin for the coming months...Miss na namin ung song mo sa Davao na "Uupo at tatayo-tao"....national anthem un ng mga bata sa Davao ah...hehehe...Godbless po..

Alan!! (as what u said, the ever adopted batch 18!hehehe), well sori if di kami nag confirm sa Zambales trip lahat...di ka na rin tuloy sumama sa kanila....Di bale, prayer mt. n lng ulit by June ang bonding.....Thanks for all your suport and prayer sa Batch namin..Thanks for being a "kuya" to all r batchmates....If not asking too much can I request for one thing pa? Sana pag nasa kanya-kanyang mission field na kami, pwede bang dalawin at dalan mo kami ng Unilever shampoos and Creamsilk...hehehe...Un eh if oks lng naman sau? hehehe!!!! Baka kasi dahon n lng ng gumamela ang gawin naming bubbles for our hair pag asa bundok na eh...hahaha!!!..Anyway million thanks in advance po if matupad ang request este wish ko!!!.hehehe.


Teka!! Si kuya Oli at PA pala...musta na kau mga ever namin kapatid sa ACM....We really miss ur company, ur jokes and all the laughters at ung sayaw at songs ni kuya Oli!!! It's really a rare gift!!! lagi kaming sumasaya lalo na ung song na "Bakit ako Panginoon?" hahaha!!!! Kelan kaya mauulit yun kuya? Sana mas mahaba pa ung pagsing mo sa sunod para ala concert na talga!!!....Di namin malilumutan yun wherever we go... hehehe!!!! At cyempre ung sayaw ni PA sa Davao while writing his daughter's name...its also gud to remember...rare talent din yun ni PA hehehe....On the spot pa yun...kaya nyo ba yun?hehehe...Well so regards to your family PA and sayo kuya Oli na lang... Di bale pag nagawi ako dyan sa ACM dalan ko kau ng effectus na "tasty at peanut butter" as usual....the mark of batch 18 ....hahahaha!!!!

Mam ethel, my ever soon to be kapitbahay sa Mandaluyong, pls. tell us when ang exact date ng lipat nyo ng haus ha? at ng matulungan naman kayo magbuhat ng gamit at mag-ayos ng new house nyo.......Pero mam, pa request lang po if oks lng?...hehehe....sana sinigang na bangus or spare ribs (yummmy) ang fud natin ha? at di obvious na favorite ko sya...hehehe...Kahit ako n lang cook basta sinigang sya ha?.....pls... pls....pls mam!!!.....hehehe...

Mam ets, seryoso tong sasabihin ko...galing to sa puso ko...totoo!...Salamat sa lahat lahat ng tinuro nyo sa amin..sa inyong 2 ni PJ, you are such models to us..in all aspects...Eventhough you are busy, your lives and commitment to God are the things that we will never forget san man kami mapunta at ito rin ang gagawin namin sa mga mission field namin....Godbless you in return mam, a thousandfold blessings coming to your family...I declare it in Jesus name!!! We will surely miss you !!!!!

So long for these mga kapatid!!!....at sobrang haba na talaga ang pangungulit ko sa email ko sa inyo..Sana natawa kayo kahit konti...hehehe!!!!Hayaan nyo magpapamentor ako kay Hazel sa pagiging joker para mas masaya ung email ko next time...... Prayer ko lang sana di kau antukin at magutom sa pagbabasa ha??? at sana mapagtanto nyo ang bawat salitang naisulat dito ay galing sa kaibuturan ng aking "hypothalamus"(biology term yan)hahaha!!!!...Minsan minsan lng naman ako email eh...bka di na maulit! kaya just bear with me na lng pls???hehehe....

Eto seryoso na ulit!!!! I want to thank all of you who have been part of my life and of my service to Him...Each of you has imparted me a gift in missions that made me who I am now - ever growing and maturing in faith...I will surely miss you all - the laughing and joke times, the eating times, the hiking times and the bonding times !!! If time will not allow us to be together again here on earth...just wait!!! Sa heaven magkakasama na tau forever...Wow!!! dun eternal bonding na tau 2d max!!! Kaya lang wala na nga lang Mcdo, KFC, Max,North Park....what else???? 707 bakery pala isali na natin at ung peanut butter ni tess!!! Pero praise God pa din kasi wala ng cholesterol at uric acid na tataas!!! wala na ring sugar level na imemaintain!!!!....hahaha!!!....all healthy na tau dun!!! Wow amazing talaga!!!! I can't wait for it!.

Lastly, my prayer for all of us to FINISH STRONG and WELL the race God has set before us .....and at the end we will hear the Lord of the harvest saying, " Well done, good and faithful servant"........

Let the Lamb who was slain received to glory of His suffering through the lives He has given us....

Godbless u all!!!!!


Your fellow missionary in Christ,
Ianne

The Blessing

Let’s not say another word
We don’t need to question why
Let us pass through this moment
Like a candle in the night
We don’t need to wave goodbye
This is not our final song
Even though in our sadness tears may fall
Take my smile, hold it in your heart forever
And I will be with you wherever you may go

How much pain must we taste?
How much sorrow must we know?
Will we only learn in losing how to cherish what we hold?
But our love is like the wind
We can’t hold it in our hands
In the light of a new day we will understand
So take my smile, hold it in your heart forever
And I will be with you wherever you may go

*May the road rise to meet you on your way
May the sun always shine upon your face
And until the journey brings us back together
May God hold you in (the center of) His hand…

Happy Birthday Dokie

Dr. Suni Moreno with the Batch 18 girls
** we declare blessings to you doc!! Godbless you more and more ..

love,
from your ACM family

Kabalantian and Malikungkong tribal Mission

Maepia Masalamat!
sharing with you God's accomplished task from our local mission trip to Davao.
To God be the glory!

	Matigsalug Tribes Medical Mission Feeding Program Kids Ministry Evangelistic Night Preschoool visit (students) Kabalantian 211 70 70 200 0 Malikungkong 335 80 50 100 17 total 546 150 120 300 17

picture with Datu Buwaya during the Evangelistic Night (Datu Buwaya - the Chieftain of Kabalantian tribe)

Bathing the kids

Team B chefs (who cooked the famous - wild pork adobo with camoteng kahoy)

gift giving

children without slippers

Team building with the Medical team

Prayer time

Evangelistic Night

Romeo teaching songs

visit to Sinuda, Bukidnon - Matigsalug Literacy Institute

overlooking Samal Island

Team with Datu Buawaya

Happy Birthday Avan

Godbless kapatid! open-heaven para sayo..

island hoping - Iba, zambales

When: May 20-21, 2007
What: Island hoping

** if interested, contact Alan Po - 09189307605

Matt Redman's concert

im coming back to the heart of worship .....

** Matt Redman is a composer and a worship leader.

for those who wants to worship with him .. a worship concert is set up this coming saturday May 12 @ the PICC, gate opens 6:30pm .. ticket price is 500 pesos.
you may contact Alan Po - 09189307605 for more details.

Happy Birthday Ms. Lilet of TMFI

She was a former employee of a broadcasting company and is the coordinator of TMFI for 13 years.

Godbless you,
from your ACM - MTP Batch 18 family

testimony from Grace1

When God called me to be still…

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God…” … When I first heard of this verse, I thought that it’s just a call to rest, to find peace in the presence of our loving God amidst the ‘turbulence’ surrounding us. And hearing that verse, I got intrigue… what’s the context? What is it about being still and knowing God? So I finally sat down and meditated on the whole verse, with the second part which says, “… I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” And I knew right there and then that God was making a promise that I’d be seeing Him being ‘exalted among the nations and in the whole earth’ and that ‘His glory shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.’ My question then was “how?”.

During that time, I still wasn’t aware of the implications, but I started praying for other countries and that God would send out missionaries to reach out to people who haven’t heard of the gospel, who doesn’t know of the God who loves them and gave Himself for them. God has been putting in my heart the desire to see Him exalted among nations. And how is he to be exalted? By making Him known among the nations.

Through attending the Condensed World Mission Course (CWMC), which is being conducted by Asian Center for Missions (ACM), I learned that the biblical concept for nations does not mean countries rather it means ethnic group (or the Greek word “ethnos”) – a group of people with distinct culture, customs, traditions AND language or dialect. And according to joshuaproject.net, there are 15,975 people groups around the world and out of this, 6,434 are still unreached. Why unreached, you may ask? They are unreached because they don’t have any access to the gospel whatsoever, missionaries couldn’t share to them because of language barrier and there is no church among them.

When I went to China last summer of 2005 joining PBTS’ Asia Vision – Short-term Mission, I was able to witness the Han Chinese – a nation totally different from my own – praising and worshiping God. God was being exalted. With that experience, I knew it wouldn’t be the first and the last time I’d see God being worshipped by other nation. Now I know why I had to be left behind in Kuala Lumpur and stay there for three days more by myself while everyone else who went with me to China were already going back to the Philippines. The reason was for me to witness the Koreans, another nation, worshipping and exalting God in their own tongue.

And this year, just more than a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to Davao City to visit the Matigsalug tribe as part of our local exposure trip for the Missionary Training Program (MTP) with ACM. And once again, God impressed to me or reminded me of His promise – He will be exalted among the nations; He will be exalted in the earth.

We, the trainees of batch 18, exalted Him first when we received the gifts from our sponsors, secular companies they may be – half a million worth of shampoos and conditioners from Unilever; two boxes of noodles from Nestle; a box of trousers, shirts and pens almost enough for the villagers we were about to visit from Universal Robina and 300 pieces of toothbrushes for children from one of my batchmate’s mother.

God was being exalted while the MTP batch 18, together with four contingents coming from Tribal Missions Foundation International (TMFI), gazed at mountain tops covered with fog and listening to the music of Casting Crowns. He was being exalted while we endure the 6-hour trek crossing 2 ½ mountain ranges, six streams (or more) and a river as we sing praises to Him. He was being exalted as we trudged uphill with the noonday sun shining brightly, drops of sweat drenching our shirts and some almost saw ‘stars’ at midday while we still sing “Yes, Lord! Yes, Lord! Yes, yes, Lord!”. God was being exalted still even as we sleep for three nights in our sleeping bags, only ¾ of the ladies’ quarters being covered, the guys’ not covered at all, fog was all around us and we were still able to sleep peacefully.

God was being exalted among the Matigsalug in Sitio Kabalantian, the first village we visited as children in barefoot sung ‘One Way’, ‘Mahal na Mahal Kita Panginoon’ and other praise songs in Matigsalug and Cebuano language. There, we enjoyed the hospitality of the people lead by their village chieftain, Datu Buwaya – a man who killed many NPAs in the past but was now renewed by God. He even had a pig butchered for us as a show of his appreciation for the team.

During their worship service, I was awed by the passionate way the villagers are worshipping God in their own tongue. The ACM and TMFI contingents couldn’t helped but tear in overwhelming joy as we witness how God was being exalted in that place – the villagers were singing praises to God in Matigsalug and Cebuano language, adults or children alike. Actually, because I suffered a minor cut on both my ankles and it really was painful, my eyes were misty and were about to cry yet suppressed it for I was about to share bible stories to the children that time. But when I went out to see and join their worship service, there was nothing more I could do but to cry, not because of the pain I was feeling, but because of great joy in seeing the people lifting up their voices in adoration and praise to our Almighty Father. We may not have the same culture and we don’t speak the same language, but we worshipped God in the same Spirit and in the same passion.

On our fourth day in the mountains, God was again exalted as we were privileged to witness eleven (11) villagers obeyed Him through water baptism, a first in the 13 years of TMFI ministering to tribes.

When we were about to arrived at Sitio Malikongkong, the second of the two villages we visited, we received news about the death of a 6-month pregnant woman due to hypertension. In the midst of this bad news, we continued to exalt God through heart-felt prayers even as we felt the heaviness and darkness lurking in that place due to witchcraft and other evil spirits who, for sure, didn’t want our presence in that village. Spiritual warfare was very real and the Holy Spirit worked among God’s children.

Now, in the middle of such felt darkness and while everyone in the team prays loud, how would you react if God showed you His light shining in that place - a vision that Christ is extending His hand all over the place while He is shining so brightly? What would your reaction be when, despite knowing that mother and unborn child died, God showed to you a vision of a mother nursing her child, a vision not only seen not only by one but two children of God? The visions were given to me! But I didn’t know what to do. On my devotion that night, I was also lead to John 11:25 wherein Jesus said to Martha after Lazarus had been dead four days ago: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” If you were in my shoes that time, what would you do?

One of the pastors in our team and his wife went to see the dead woman and were able to talk to the husband who was a backslidden Christian. He repented of his sins and rededicated his life to Jesus Christ after they had talked to him. The vision of resurrection has been fulfilled.

The pastor’s wife preached the good news to the whole family of the dead and they all accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The second vision was fulfilled - Jesus Christ actually came in Sitio Malikongkong that very night. Everyone’s rejoicing and praising God.

The following day, we were trying so hard to talk to a 5-year old malnourished girl, asking her name and all, but she wouldn’t answer. She’s so thin and small for her age. Try as we did to communicate with her but she just stared at us and wouldn’t even make any sound from her lips or reactions at all. During our morning devotion, maybe finally giving up into making her talk, I decided to carry Ading (that’s her name) in my lap and just hugged her with my jacket on (because it was so chilly and foggy that morning). Moments later, I was amazed for she was finally easing up, even trying to dance with me. Then and there, God made me realize that, I may be a tagalog/ilocano speaker and she a matigsalug, there is a language that everyone can understand – that is the language of love which, I believe God wanted His children to communicate to everyone in the world.

During the day, the team was so busy doing medical mission and community services, it seems the memory of the previous day had been set aside if not totally forgotten and since there seems to be answers for everything that happened. As for me who received the vision and the verse, I was still not at peace for I was looking for literal fulfillment of the vision or at least struggling with God on what He really wanted me to do. But in this situation, God reminded me of the verse once again, the verse which I claimed as my life verse, the verse that has been teaching me over and over again to trust in Him in everything because He is in control, the verse that gives me peace whenever I hear or being reminded of it though I may not see answers yet, the verse which says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” And I believe God would want me to see Him being exalted among nations, in their own native tongue. He had already given me the privilege of witnessing three other nations different from my own worshipping and glorifying Him in their own language. And I praise Him now for I would be witnessing more through translating the Bible or through many other mission works. All I need to do is to be still and know Him more. The Lord Almighty whom I serve and love is God!

How about you? How would you want to see God exalted? Would you also want a first hand experience of witnessing other nations exalting Him? There are still 6,434 unreached people groups in the world, what would you do?

To the praise and glory of His name!

Matigsalug Mission Trip - Davao

THANK YOU!!

**salamat sa inyong mga panalangin, ramdam na ramdam namin ang shield ng Lord sa pamamagitan ninyo. :)

We met a Medical Doctor named Dr. Sunni Moreno (from TMFI), he was delighted to wrote an article about our mission trip.

**sharing with you our adventure!

What do Ethel, John, Alan, Romy, Grace 1, Grace 2, Ianne, Carol, Lynette, Tess, Alan, Mike, Romeo and Mon have in common?

Sunburn, aching muscles, sore backs, dusty feet, craving stomachs, itching scalps and insect bites. Sharing these conditions with them are Betchie, Denden, Neneng, Lilet, Menchie and Sunni [TMFI staff and volunteers], all supporting participants of the Kabalantian and Malikongkong medical outreach, which was actually organized for the benefit of Batch 18, who needed to undergo this local exposure before they could qualify for the international exposure trip that would finally give them the full status as bona fide missionaries.March 30, 2007 was the day that they had been anticipating, and even before the sun showed its rays they were already crammed into a jeepney and were on their way to Maluan – a sitio that is the end of the road for all motorized vehicles. They got off the jeep and started trekking towards Kabalantian. They were warned beforehand that the distance would be great, and that they would have to climb steep paths but obviously they were unprepared for what lay ahead. This became obvious when some started to rest every few meters while gasping for breath and gulping down liters of precious bottled water.

Anyway that same day Kabalantian was conquered and the elated hikers were finally introduced to the Matigsalug community. Teams immediately got busy with their previously assigned chores and in no time dinner was ready, as the sun disappeared and the moon took its place. It was a very beautiful and serene evening that was punctuated by the chorus of snores in crescendo and decrescendo.The following day was busy with bathing children, feeding them and attending to the long line of patients who took advantage of the very rare presence of a doctor and free medicines. The batchmates also took the opportunity to fulfill the requirements to translate some words and phrases from English to Matigsalug and to learn and teach new songs.

Sunday dawned bright and clear and church service got underway with the lively participation of the children in a very animated and touching manner that is peculiar to the Matigsalug youngsters. The Spirit of God was indeed felt in every heart throughout the service. The Chieftain – Datu Buwaya, was so touched by the presence of the team and all their efforts to uplift the wellbeing of his tribe that he butchered a pig and offered it in a rare display of gratitude and love.Kabalantian could be considered in history as the place where a new recipe was discovered, thanks to Pastor Alan and cohorts who came up with the recipe: Matigsalug pork con cassava. An exotic blend of western, eastern, northern and southern cultures minus the pressure cooker. The natives were on hand to help devour the surplus, which obviously was overflowing.Monday saw the team pack their bags and head downhill for the hike to Malikongkong. At the Davao River they had a solemn service for some natives who displayed their acceptance of the gospel through the rite of baptism. The team also ate lunch nearby at a shady spot with a pool deep enough for diving. This respite gave them enough strength to tackle Malikongkong, which was a mountain full of challenges and victories.The reception at Malikongkong was unexpected. It was actually a grieving one with the cries of the bereaved family audible even from a distance. A pregnant woman succumbs to hypertension and dies a few hours before the team arrives. This unusual timing of events gave the team enough reason to dig into their reserves for the answers to some questions and to look up to God for guidance and deliverance from the unseen enemy.

The following day the team was joined by another group composed of nurses and volunteers from the All Nations Christian Fellowship in Davao City that was organized by Charlotte 'Myong' Condevillamar. The medical clinic got underway and the team was swamped by the greatest number of patients so far. Meals that day and the following day were an influence of Japanese and Chinese cultures, and were served hot and steaming. It didn't matter if they called it odong or noodles. What was important was that the team ate it much gusto and went back to the kettle for a second and even third helping.April 5 was the most anticipated day of all. In the mind was a soft bed, 'normal' meals, a clean, tiled and stink-free bathroom and all the amenities that modern day has pampered us with. The team starts the descent to Maluan and it was with a heavy heart that they said goodbye to the Matigsalug who they came to love as true brothers and sisters in the short span of time that they lived among them.

The aches and pains would only be temporary, and the lack of sleep only a fleeting experience. But the smiles of the children, the trust that they displayed, the suffering of the sick and the plight of the marginalized and deprived natives would be a lasting memory that would haunt the team members and give then the resolve to do everything within their means to uplift the lot of the Matigsalug.It would not be a wonder if one day some of the members of Batch 18 would find themselves retracing their steps on the steep and winding path to Kabalantian. They can say with all sincerity that they left their hearts with the Matigsalug.

**Article by Dr. Sunni Moreno