Looking more like a finished house!

During the first week after we returned home, Chuck continued to work on the house.  The main goal was to get the porch railing and stairs done.  And they managed to get it done.  What a blessing it is!

He also needed to complete the office.  So he would have a place to study.

The one wall was made into a book shelf.  It didn’t take long to fill it!

After that Chuck went into full time Ga’dang language study.  Off and on he had a couple guys continue working on some projects.

One of jobs that some men did was to plane down wood for flooring.  Eventually we want to put hardwood flooring over top of the plywood floor we have downstairs.  This wood is the stack on the upper right.  The stack on the bottom left is waiting to be made into kitchen cabinets!

We also had a visitor for a couple weeks.  Zach is a young man that is interested in missions.  He came to stay with us to see what tribal missions is about.  In the mornings he spent some time painting in the kitchen.  It really helps to break up the all-wood feeling in the house.

The built in bench was also installed in the beginning of the year.

On Saturdays Chuck continued to work on some projects.  It is a good de-stressor for him!  He made us a screen door.

Over the next number of months Chuck will continue to pick away at projects on the weekends.  First up is to put in kitchen cabinets.  It has been my dream for years to have Chuck build me my own kitchen cabinets.  It is finally my turn!  I can’t wait to see them done.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support as Chuck has continued to work on the house and also as he has begun language study.  (We will write more about that later!)

Returning Home

How lovely on the mountains

Are the feet of him who brings good news,

Who announces peace

And brings good news of happiness,

Who announces salvation,

And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

Not too many years ago I would have said no way will I be walking in the mud bare foot to get home.  Now here we are January 2011 and our whole family ended up walking about 5 km bare foot in the mud.

We know that through our sacrifices the Ga’dang people will someday here the Gospel in their own language.  Really it is not a sacrifice, it is a privilege.

Please continue to pray for us as we have begun the language learning process.  It is not easy but it will be so worth it in the end.

Belated Christmas Gifts

We had wanted to give the kids in the village a little Christmas gift but were unable to do it before we came out for Christmas break.  So we did some shopping in Manila and wrapped 180 gifts for the kids.

The kids were very happy to receive their gifts.

This is the 1st through 3rd grade class.

We also gave to the 4th through 6th grade class, to the preschool kids and those younger then that.

New Neighbours

It would seem that the house in front of our house is the latest rental property. 

From August through October we had a substitute teacher and her family there. 

Now we have some new people living there.  My main laundry lady’s brother along with his dad and 2 kids are our new neighbours.  The kids mom is an OFW, oversees Filipino worker.

This is Lisel and Lester.  Lisel is 3 yrs old and Lester is almost 5 yrs old.

Please pray for these little kids.  They really need a mothers love.  It is very hard to see them crying for some love and attention.  Pray that we can show them the love of the Lord and be a blessing to them.

Jenna Lee #2 at 4 weeks

With our return to the village we have to stay in the town closest to our village for a couple nights as we prepare to travel in.  This has given us the opportunity to visit again with Jenna Lee #2, our friend Elias’ baby girl.  She is now 4 weeks old.

Our Jenna was very fascinated with the new Jenna!!!

Best Friends

You would never know that there is 4 years between these two boys.  Kyle is 10 yrs old and Ariel is 14 yrs old.  They have been friends from the first time Kyle went into the village.  Ariel has taught Kyle so many different ways to do things.  What a great friendship they have.  One day Lord willing they will be brothers in the Lord.  That will be a great day.

Here Ariel did a perfect back flip and then Kyle tried!  Guess it is something that he needs to keep working on.

Ariel has also been teaching Kyle how to pound rice.  Ariel says this is how you get big muscles!  Kyle’s desire for big muscles makes the pain of blisters on the hands not so bad most days!

Kyle has taught Ariel how to play Uno and Connect 4.  Although I think they were making up the rules for this game.  Maybe it was Connect 5!

Kyle will be sad when June comes and Ariel goes out to town to high school.  They will only get to see each other on weekends.

A special honour!

Over the last 2 years we have been blessed with Christian friend that lives in the town near our village.  He has a multicab that he drives daily between the two parts of town bringing passengers back and forth.  He has blessed us by being willing to take us to the waiting shed we hike from or picking us up there when we hike out.  He has also helped arrange for jeepneys to take us in and out of the village with it was dry enough last year.  He has made special trips to the bus station to help us pick up supplies that have come up from Manila.  He has also given us free trips between towns from time to time.  Elias has been such a good friend to us.

When we came out of the village for Christmas break we contacted Elias to come pick us up as we always do, several days before we hike out.  He agreed to be there this time also.

When we got to the waiting shed he wasn’t there yet but texted us to say he was on his way.  He told us when he arrived that he had to take his wife to the hospital first thing that morning as she was almost 9 months pregnant and having pains.  But they had stopped and the doctor said she would deliver within a week.  He left a cousin with her at the hospital and came to get us.

I, Shannon, always get the privilege of riding in the front of the multicab with Elias because in the past I was either pregnant or now have a baby to hold.  This is always a challenge for me as his English is limited and my Tagalog is limited plus he talks to me like I understand everything he says to me in Tagalog!!!  This day we talked about kids and the way it is in North America and the way it is in the Philippines.  We also talked about his soon to arrive baby, a girl they told them.  He asked me again the names of our kids as they still hadn’t picked a name for their little girl.  It was one of my better conversations with him!

We arrived in town without trouble and Elias returned to the waiting shed to pick up all our cargo and bring it to us.  Shortly after he returned with the cargo, Chuck received a text from him saying that while he was gone, the doctors delivered their baby via c-section!

He was the proud father of a little girl.

Then came the honour.  Elias asked if they could give their new little girl the same name as our youngest girl, Jenna Lee!  Oh course we said yes!  What an honour it is.

The next day we were able to go visit the new Jenna Lee!  Here she is.

The two Jenna’s!