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Daily Scripture
 
"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

Psalm 31:24

LAND WAR AFFECTS MISSIONARIES

Beach owned by the Tagbanwa people

February 1, 2007

by David Bell

Private enterprisers, seeking to buy prime beach front property from the Tagbanwa people in the Philippines, have stirred up fighting over land ownership and boundaries.

The house of missionaries Ray and Chris Pollock sits on part of the land being sought.

"It breaks our hearts to see the small landowners who are dependent on their rice fields or coconut plantations, just to survive, in danger of losing everything," the Pollocks wrote. "There are no immediate plans for resorts to be built in close proximity to us, but we realize that over time things will change considerably."

Some of the land owners, including the owner of the property where the Pollocks live, don't want to sell, but they know they will have a hard time standing up to others.

One of the richest Tagbanwa families, who own a good portion of the land, has brought in private surveyors. The small land owners, who don't have enough money to hire a lawyer, are patrolling their boundaries in an attempt to stop their land from being measured.

Forty reels of barbed wire have been brought in and fences are being erected. Tempers are running hot and the missionaries are concerned for the well-being of the villagers.

"It is a very sad situation, and we see this as an attack by [our spiritual] enemy who is trying to stir things up here and disrupt the upcoming [evangelistic Bible] teaching," the Pollocks wrote. "There is an excitement among the people to hear the teaching and we want to remain focused on presenting the Gospel to these dear people and trust God to thwart the plans of the enemy."

Please pray that the Pollocks will have wisdom and be able to concentrate on getting the Gospel to the Tagbanwas. Pray too for a peaceful solution to the property conflict.