COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS! (October 31, 2008)

 Gratitude! What a blessing to be a part of the Body of Christ!

Occasionally we hear of churches that will not support missionaries that are not located in the tribe. We wanted to share our experience of how God uses all of us on the field and at home in His important work.

Gratitude and love fuel our hearts these days. So many of you have been used of the Lord to support us that we just had to let others know just how far and wide our Father has given strength and encouragement through the Body of Christ to pour out His love to us during this trying time. We have included names where we could for those of you who like to pray for folk by name.

Settle back and enjoy praising the Lord with us for all He has done as we count our blessings to give God all the glory!

1. The pilot, Ken, fueled the plane the night before and was prepared for a quick take off for a different emergency at another location. That emergency never happened.

2. The next morning, a gorgeous Sunday, Chris accidentally cut his hand, severing two tendons completely, and the often temperamental weather was beautiful and clear; perhaps a little windy, but manageable for our skilled pilot.

3. A dear young friend, Pasin, ran all the way from our house down to our partners’ house to ask them to turn on their walkie talkie radio.

4. As soon as our partner, Albert, heard the news, he was answering us all the while walking up to our house to help.

5. Once Albert saw the injury, he was able to immediately radio our partner, Lynne (his dear wife), and she quickly fired up the computer to call in the emergency to the pilot, Ken. He later informed us that the internet, which is very temperamental these days here, was only working for 20 minutes the whole day – just the amount of time he needed to hear of the emergency in our location, and change the plans for our flight out of the jungle.

6. Our precious Banwaon brothers and sisters, Amay and Inay Binaldu, Jelna and Tilma, Inay Elsa, Inay Gadya, and Amay Isil rushed to the house to pray and help us prepare for our hurried departure and to take care of the house and animals after we left. (They are continuing to do so during this long recovery time! Pets need food and care, tropical house keeping presents it’s own unique demands, grass continues to grow, plants need watering; the list is extensive! All during their very busy weeding and harvest seasons).

7. As soon as we landed at the airstrip, our co-workers and friends, David and daughter Rachel, pulled an ambulance-style sprint the 45 minutes to the hospital – flashers going and horn blowing the whole way! I’ve never seen such a flurry of chickens, dogs, cows, and people moving out of the way of our fray! (Our pilot Ken made it to church on time!) David’s wife, Helen, joined us at the hospital where another David and Abigail jumped into support roles to run around gathering medicines, food, and supplies for our hospital stay.

8. No orthopedic surgeon was on staff at the little hospital and none available in the larger town two hours away. The medical friends all stressed that it is best to repair the tendons within 24 hours. We still looked to His mercy - AND GOD had one located 20 minutes away and willing to come into the hospital as a guest surgeon, Doctor Cui - on a Sunday - to operate without benefit of microscopic equipment. Our Christian doctor friends, Doctora Ruthie and Doctora Hope, scrubbed up to stay close by Chris during the long procedure.

9. God provided a Christian therapist, Jenny, to come to the mission’s guest house for treatment after the stitches were removed to work with the now frozen hand. Good friends and co-workers there in town and the world over prayed and encouraged us the whole time. One couple from New Zealand, Trevor and Judy, even followed us around from city to city and doctor to doctor with their own medical issues and kept us laughing and looking to the Lord.

10. Meetings at our headquarters in Manila required us to travel and so we arrived for what we thought would be a week of meetings. God had other plans to bless and heal! Other co-workers, Tim, Peggy and Cherith, called orthopedic surgeons here in Manila (the official sports surgeon to the Philippine Olympic team, no less!) and arranged for him to examine Chris to schedule physical therapy while we were in the big city.

11. God permitted two situations to occur on another island to allow Chris to help with evacuations from their locations and assist our missionaries with follow-up and re-entry into their tribal locations.

12. Meanwhile the surgeon here, Dr. Canlas, was concerned that no measurable improvement could be recorded on his hand so he arranged for another surgeon – a hand specialist, Dr. Carillo, for a second surgery on Chris’ hand October 1. He prepared Chris’ arm in order to harvest a tendon from the arm to repair the two in his hand, but when he opened the hand he saw the tendons had completely ripped apart from the first repair BUT strong adhesions and scarring held the four severed ends of those tendons and had not allowed the tendon pieces to retract in areas of his wrist! Even the doctor said he had never seen this in all his years of hand surgery.

13. Friends and churches mobilized to send encouraging notes and emails as well as practical support to meet our overwhelming needs in housing, travel and medical expenses. One dear family asked what the second surgery would cost and completely covered the expense. Other special gifts came through our sending church, Calvary Baptist, and sacrificing individuals to encourage us and help whittle the debt down bit by bit. Expenses continue for housing and travel beyond our normal support but we are confident our God will provide.

14. Our co-workers from Mindanao sent cards and flowers to cheer us along (forgive me for not mentioning each and every name!). Manila office co-workers along with Anja and her guest house crew keep us housed and fed as cheaply as possible and as comfortable as pampered guests. Our Palawan co-workers, Danny and Pip, spent hours encouraging and supporting us with Skype and in person.

15. Brent, Tonia and PR along with our amazing family and friends from home have been abundant in their love and support shared across to this side of the world! Our co-grandparents, Don and Sara, even emailed current pictures of our precious shared grand daughter, Jaiden, to brighten our day like little else can!

16. The time for immobility is over and he has begun his second stint of physical therapy with Tessa, the faithful therapist that works daily in the rehabilitation of Chris’ hand. Another wonderful doctor, Dr. Magpantay, a rehabilitation specialist, is prescribing the new therapy for the once again, frozen hand. 

Undoubtedly there are invisible ways that God has protected and helped us that we won’t realize until eternity, but we gratefully praise Him for all He has allowed us to know and for the many ways that He plans to love us and use us to bless others. To God be the Glory!

PHYSICAL THERAPY BEGINS (August 24, 2008)

Just last week our doctor announced as he unwrapped the bandages; “We are taking this arm board off today and we want to start moving those fingers again.” Chris’ excited expression revealed a hint of anticipation mingled with the prospect of wiggling a few fingers. Nothing much happened. However, the doctor was happy with what he saw and gave us the name of the physical therapist in town.

Four days of physical therapy (PT) resulted with Chris having significant movement in the healthy fingers and wrist. Everything had frozen from the inactivity and swelling. Now he can do the “OK” sign with his thumb and index finger and touch the thumb with the ring finger with a bit of outside force. It might be next week that the pinkie responds. The middle finger was the most damaged and is the stiffest. If Chris holds the finger at each joint, there is some movement. This produces two notable reactions: grimace on Chris’ face and elation on the therapist’s face.

His therapist begins each session using infrared light to penetrate heat to the tissues of his hand and draw blood to the site. Next, she uses a machine to send electrical impulses to force muscular movement without exerting any strain on the repaired tendons. Lastly, she and Chris perform exercises designed to increase movement of the fingers without damaging the new repair.

The nerve damage has caused some concern. This is not unusual for that type of injury and the manipulation of tissue for the repair, but strange sensations and lack of feeling revealed that time will tell to what extent that damage will reverse. The surgeon wanted Chris awake for the surgery so the best scenario for a pain free surgery was a nerve block in the wrist during the operation. Some of the pain is the result from the nerve block at his wrist. We have some pictures to share but they are not available in time for this update. Sorry.

If you remember us this week, please:

• pray for the outreaches as the Bible is taught every week around the jungle 
• pray that God’s Word will penetrate the hearts of the Banwaon and affect their lives daily
• pray for the continuing translation and revisions that bring the Word to the Banwaon
• pray also for our brothers and sisters and neighbors as they prepare for their rice harvest next month 
• pray for our families (we have just missed Jaiden’s fifth birthday party) that we all draw strength from Him during the lonely times
• pray for healing in Chris’ hand and for encouraging results from therapy 
• pray that we grow closer to Him and give our all for His glory in our service here

EMERGENCY SURGERY FOR CHRIS (July 28, 2008)

Early Sunday morning Chris accidentally severed completely two tendons in his palm. We called the pilot in for an emergency flight and were in the air within one hour. He had to have the surgery that day for the best chance for the repair so our hospital in reach was in town where a surgeon explained that the repair is not optimum as it needed to be microscopic surgery with 6 sutures in each tendon but without microscope he could only put in two each. He was not enthusiastic for the repair explaining the the tendons heal so slowly and stressed that there is only about 15% chance that it will be a successful repair. We assured him we are trusting the One that designed the tendons for the outcome but we appreciate what he was able to do for him.

He is out of the hospital and into the Guest House for missionaries. Chris is in good spirits and so grateful for the prayers. The surgeon stressed at least 21 days strict compliance with immobilization of the hand. He warned that the repair could easily rip apart if he does not comply strictly since there were less than 1/2 the sutures required. We assured him that he would be very careful not to move it. He said often six weeks is required, but we will see how it goes when he starts physical therapy. He has a hand board to help him keep it immobile. He gets a changed dressing this Thursday to check out the surgery site and healing with an appointment for the stitches on the outside to be removed on August 4th. 

We are so grateful to the support from our partners and brothers and sisters back in the tribe and the support team here in town: the SIL pilot, our friends in town that drove us to the hospital from the airstrip, other friends that supplied food for me after Chris' surgery, the Guest House staff and friends that are not only doctors and nurses there at the hospital but also brothers and sisters in the Lord and medical missionaries here in town. God's family is precious to us at all times but perhaps most realized when there is an emergency.  

More news as we can share it.
Much love and thank you for the prayers,
Lynne for us

OPPORTUNITIES TO PRAY (June 16, 2008)

All praise to God whose majesty and glory cannot be contained or explained. We praise Him for what He is doing here among the Banwaon to glorify His name here in this place and in yours. 
 
Prayer requests:

• For the people in the new outreaches to be open to hear and understand His message
• For the Bible teachers as they go out each week to spread the Gospel and their families 
• For Brent, Tonia, Jaiden as they readjust to a family of three and a daily routine without "Lola"
• For PR in North Carolina
• For the translation for the Banwaon Bible as it progresses
• For our partners, Albert and Lynne Castelijn and their family
• For the team Chris is part of in their meetings to establish protocols in every field
• For Chris and I in our much anticipated reunion
• For the rice fields and harvest this year 

We are humbled to learn of those God has raised to faithfully pray. We understand and appreciate your partnership with us for the Banwaon believers as well as our family and are deeply grateful.

PHILIPPINES - Banwaon tribe (August 3, 2007)

Praise the Lord with us! We've just received word and pictures of a baptism service from our village.

 Please Pray:

• that these young men and women will stay close to the Lord and grow in wisdom from Him. Pray that their lives and words will glorify Him and be a steady witness to the Banwaon
• for the Banwaon missionary team as the translation is continuing - that they will have a Bible in their own language (projected completion in 8-10 years) as the Banwaon church multiplies
• that God protect Albert (the translator of the Banwaon Bible) and the three Banwaon translators against attack from our enemy as He gives them insight and strength

Praise God with us!

• GOD is growing this next generation of believers
• GOD led the Banwaon Bible teachers and leaders to be the ones to lead these young people- from seeing them saved to responding to their faith publicly in baptism- with very little input from missionaries
• GOD is enabling the translation of His Word in their own language

GOD HAS ANSWERED - IN HEALTH FOR NOW... AND ETERNITY! (July 24, 2007)

Tidi is Recovering!

We praise God for this happy answer to the many prayers. Thank you for praying! We got such a wonderful report just this evening and so we are passing it along to those of you that have faithfully prayed for our friend. 

The administrator from the hospital wrote: 

"Tidi underwent the CT scan immediately and it showed that there was a hematoma with an approximate extent of 9ml. As he was sent to the neuro surgeon he was evaluated and decided that he wouldn't need a surgery. So he should be on his way back soon and doing fine."

How we thank God for this answer. We were blessed to hear how Tidi dealt with his time as he waited for friends to help him out of the deep hole. Our partners,the Castelijns, wrote tonight in their update;

"He landed on his head and was trapped for some time before they could get him out. His friends heard him praying and singing praise songs at the bottom of that black hole while he waited to be rescued."  

Our partners said when they saw the plane leave the airstrip, it occurred to them that he might not come back. Their prayers were that he would but if God chose to allow Tidi to die, HE WOULD LIVE!

 They wrote; “Tidi has listened to the teaching from the Word of God. He clearly understands the Gospel message and is putting his faith in Christ for eternal salvation. He is hooked into life forever!"

"Without the Gospel coming to the Banwaon tribal people, Tidi would never have even had a chance at eternal life."

"Because those first missionaries to the tribe were willing to leave comfort and home to GO and tell tribal people about Christ and His life-saving message, Tidi and thousands of boys like him will never truly die…."

God has filled our hearts with joy at the news of his recovering health and Lynne Castelijn's report remind us of the deeper joy that comes in knowing that no matter what circumstances life can throw at His children, the truth that God's love is perfect and complete and far above any circumstance that we face here on this earth.

Thank you for partnering with us in the ministry of prayer for the Banwaon.

We can't wait to see his smile! On behalf of Tidi and his family; "Salamat!" 

For His Glory,
Chris and Lynne

PHILIPPINES - Banwaon Tribe tribe (November 20, 2006)

• Please pray for these that are still suffering.
  
• Pray for the families who are grieving for their lost.
  
• Pray for abundant resources growing in the jungle to sustain these families that are left until next year’s harvest.
  
• But mostly pray that the difficult situation and failed sacrifices will soften their hearts to listen to the Gospel.
• Praise God for how He is working in this situation to increase His harvest among the Banwaon for Christ.

Jalunga tribe, Senegal (December 4, 2008)
As a group the Jalunga people have rejected the Gospel, but one man, Juma, is still processing what he heard. Pray that he will understand God's Word and place his faith in Christ. Find out more -- read the story >>

Isnag tribe, Philippines (December 4, 2008)
A young Isnag woman is very weak following complications in childbirth. The child did not survive. Please pray for her recovery, physically and emotionally. Find out more -- read the story >>

Malaumanda tribe, Papua New Guinea (December 4, 2008)
A translation check on the Gospel of Mark is scheduled for Dec. 15. A skilled translator, Linda Krieg, will work with missionary Eric Hedeen and his Malaumanda co-workers, Meko and Apele, to determine the clarity of the translation. Please pray for wisdom and insight.

Daily Scripture
 
"Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgements are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast."

Psalm 36:6