A shepherd on the way

Several months back, we told you about a place on Mindanao called Lopez Jaena. Within this general city was a churchless village called Mabas.

During my trip there in April, we made a visit to the little village, way up at the top of Mount Malindang in Misamis Occidental.

Even though we had a great response to the presentation of the gospel there, it was a bittersweet time because these new believers had no instruction in the word of God. I remember thinking of the people as "sheep without a shepherd."

We have reason to rejoice now, because we have learned that a new missionary pastor is going out to at least Lopez Jaena, and as far as we know, he is going to continue to Mabas.

Mabas is a difficult place to reach. You must ride a motorbike up an occasionally paved road (only wide enough for a motorbike) for about three or four hours to reach the top of the mountain. The people are poor, and you must be prepared the traditional animistic religion and the communist rebels who occupy the mountains on Mindanao.

The stepfather of this missionary referred to Subanen outreach (reaching to the people in the mountains; "Subanen" is a Cebuano word meaning "native") as "suicide." When missionaries go to the mountains, they expect to do without food, money, medicine, things we take for granted. They expect to suffer sickness and watch their children die of malnutrition. That's why they don't usually last long on the mountains but eventually descend to the plain.

So, let's pray for the missionary. Pray for his support. Pray for his needs. With only $100 a month, this missionary would have enough funds to be able to focus on his ministry.

We rejoice that a shepherd is going to minister to the flock. Let's also send along our prayers, and let's see what God will do.

Also, we received word today that one of our pastors is struggling with some financial matters. Just please pray for these indigenous missionaries who live among the poorest of the poor at times and live off the tithes and offerings of their flock.