Where has 2012 gone? In many ways we feel like it buzzed right on by as we have kept busy with our daily activities. Has it been a good year? Of course! Has it been interesting and full of surprises? Absolutely! It has certainly been different than previous years as most of this past year we have been on home assignment, but let me not get ahead of myself. First, let us recap the major events of our ministry for 2012.
When 2012 began we were still in the Philippines, and fully immersed in our tribal village, building relationships with the Ga’dang people living around us. Plans for our next home assignment were beginning to form, but it wasn’t until mid-January that we made the final decision to return to Canada in March. As we started gearing down our time in the village in preparation to leave for an eleven month home assignment a couple of significant events took place that impacted us greatly.
A family, just finishing national language and culture study was looking to the Lord for where to minister next so they came in to visit with us and consider possibly joining us. This came as a huge encouragement to us as we had been living alone in the tribe at that point for the previous 6 months with no co-workers. During their week-long visit our next door neighbour’s daughter became engaged. This is no small affair in a Ga’dang community so they were able to experience firsthand a major cultural event. And what an opportunity it was! Even we got to meet Ga’dang people and experience things that we had not before in the year and a half we had been living in the village.
The second experience that took place wasn’t an exciting, happy one like the engagement party. In the week before we left the village to begin the process of returning to Canada, the wife of one of my language helpers died. She was only 39 years old, but had been quite sick for some time. Again, it was a huge community event that lasted for almost a week, and people from many places came together to participate. We learned so much from that week, gaining insight into Ga’dang culture. It was definitely a vivid reminder to us as well of why we are living there, learning about who the Ga’dang people are so one day we can clearly share the Gospel message with them.
March came, and so did we... back to Canada that is. It was an exciting time for us as we were looking forward to sharing with everyone here about what the Lord is doing amongst the Ga’dang people and how He is graciously allowing us to be a part of that. It was amazing to see Him go before us and prepare the way for our return. He provided a home for us to live in and a vehicle to use. We were already seeing our schedule for sharing in churches quickly fill up for the next few months. When I wasn’t busy with ministry related work, the Lord also provided an awesome part time job working with a friend as a carpenter. It came with an incredible boss who really understands the importance of the ministry we are involved in.
When we initially returned to Canada we intentionally didn’t take any meetings at other churches so that we could reconnect first with our home church, Faith Evangelical Missionary Church in Wasaga Beach. It was a good thing we did because once we hit the road we were gone for several weeks, even months at a time before returning to our home church. The speaking engagements began with sharing about our ministry at our home church on the last Sunday in April. Then we began travelling across Ontario. In May and June we spoke at churches from the Bruce Peninsula to Toronto to North Bay, and lots of places in between.
The summer months were a little quieter as far a visiting churches but it was a great time for us to take several opportunities as a family to do ‘family things’. We were able to take time to relax as the Lord provided accommodations in several different places. Our kids did things that they might not otherwise have opportunity for, such as make s’mores over a camp fire, fishing and going water tubing.
As the fall approached our travelling to churches began again and so we hit the road once more. In September, Shannon and Valerie Easton went to North Carolina to attend a 2 week mission medical course. It was a good time of learning for them and a nice break from dads and kids. I took on both dad and mom roles during those 2 weeks, along with all the responsibilities that come with it like cooking and cleaning. Needless to say, Mom was very warmly welcomed back home at the end of the course!
By the time December rolled around, we were glad to see an end in sight. It was great to see and visit with everyone in all our supporting churches again but we were also glad to be able to finally spend some quality time in our home church once more. All said and done we visited 25 churches and 2 Bible colleges, and travelled close to 9000 km in doing so.
A couple of major events happened this past year that have answered prayer and impacted our plans as we look forward to returning to the Philippines to continue our ministry amongst the Ga’dang people. As many of you know and were praying with us, we have been seeking the Lord about having another family join us in the work of reaching the Ga’dang with the Gospel. He answered our prayer, and Dennis and Valerie Easton will be joining us in the village when we return. They are a family also with New Tribes Mission, originally from Bancroft, ON, and have 4 girls. They are currently on home assignment as well and plan to return to the Philippines around the same time as us.
The other major event was unexpected and a little shocking, to say the least. Our plan was always to have 6 children, but the Lord chose to bless us with one more. That’s right we are expecting baby number 7! Talk about shaking up the plans! Shannon has experienced more morning sickness this time and for a longer time period than with any of the previous 6 pregnancies. She is generally feeling much better now and we are looking forward to the soon arrival of number 7 in February.
With this major surprise come lots of changes for us. One of the most significant changes immediately is our return date to the Philippines. Originally we planned to be headed back in February, but with the baby due then, it obviously is not happening. After discussing it with our NTM leadership and our new co-workers the Eastons, we decided we will wait until the end of May before going back. It does influence the Eastons as well as they will now wait for us before returning as well to the Philippines so we can help them get set up and settled in the tribe with us.
What does the future look like for us? As mentioned we are now awaiting the baby’s arrival in February and due to that, will postpone our return to the Philippines until the end of May. During the next 5 months, we will be mostly staying in our home church on Sundays. This will be a good time for us to reconnect with the families there and get to know the many new ones that we don’t really know well yet. I will also be focusing on connecting with people one on one to share about how the Lord is graciously using us to reach the Ga’dang with the Gospel.
Once we do return to the Philippines, our primary goal will be for Dennis Easton and I to return to the tribe initially to get our house set up again to live in, prepare our former co-worker’s house for the Eastons to live in as well as prepare the helipad for use. The house they will use is in need of several repairs before they can move into it. Our families will remain in Manila until the houses are ready, at which time they will join us in the tribe as well.
After we get settled, I will continue with full time language and culture study of the Ga’dang people while Shannon gets our kids going with home schooling. As of right now, Eli will not return to the tribal village with us, but will instead stay in Manila where he will attend Faith Academy, an intermission boarding school for his grade 11 and 12.
Please be praying for us as we have many changes to look forward to in 2013. Here are some of them:
1. Pray for Shannon as she approaches the end of her pregnancy. The baby is due February 23 so there’s not much time left to get last minute preparations done. Pray that her discomfort will not be too much for her in these last weeks as it causes a lack of sleep for her as well.
2. Pray for a safe and healthy delivery of the baby. We are looking forward to finally meeting this little one, and seeing what she looks and acts like.
3. Pray that the necessary paperwork will be done in sufficient time (birth certificate, passport) for us to return to the Philippines in May.
4. Pray that the Lord will raise up new ministry partners to support us financially in the work He has called us to do. We are currently at 50% of our recommended ministry budget. This makes it difficult for us to be involved in all the areas of ministry that we would like to and be good stewards in His work.
5. Pray that our (and the Eastons’) transition back to life in the Philippines and the tribal village will go smoothly. We are looking forward to seeing all of our Ga’dang friends again and getting to know them more.
6. Pray for our children as they are an important part of our ministry. We want each one of them to get to know and grow in their knowledge of our Saviour as we serve Him each day. Pray that Shannon and I will be a good testimony first and for most to them.
This sums up our past year and gives a brief look at what’s ahead for us as a family. We greatly appreciate each one of you who keep us before the Lord as we serve Him. There’s no doubt in our minds we couldn’t do what He has called to do if there weren’t His people here who faithfully pray for us and give of themselves to see His work accomplished. Thank you all very much, or as we say in Tagalog, “Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!”
In His Service;
Chuck, for Shannon and the Talbot tribe
