NTM

Tribal News:
Our village is bustling with activity as most have returned from their farms after the harvest. Women and girls are brandishing stick brooms, washing brushes and gardening knives against the dirt and weeds that have encroached the little meeting house. The men and boys are hunting, gathering wood for cooking and getting homes ready for the swell of visitors! It’s almost time for the Pogpasalamat!

Christians from neighboring villages (some traveling as long as 2 days) descend upon our little village to celebrate the harvest and thank the Lord for all that He has provided from their labor in the fields. There will be songs and chanting praises and thanksgiving to the Lord entangled with 36 or more hours praising, praying, eating, dancing, and games celebrating the joy of being altogether as His children.

It’s easy to imagine this is a tiny taste of the time to come! We’ve learned a young Christian couple will also have their wedding around this time. While it saddens us that we are far away and will miss this joyous time, we are so happy for our brothers and sisters as they anticipate this time of the year.

Partner News:
Our partners have been out of the village as well. Albert traveled down to Papua New Guinea for some translation training in the Epistles. He has reported that the time was profitable and can see that the Banwaon translation will benefit from all he learned.

Lynne and the children spent the time in the city visiting friends and just getting refreshed away from the village ‘routine’. The kids assured me that school continued but they had great times with the missionary kids that live in town.

Medical Report:
Chris had the second surgery on his hand on October 1. We are praising the Lord for the incredible mercies found once the hand was opened. Our surgeon explained that usually scar tissue is considered ‘unfriendly’ tissue. He had prepared Chris’ arm to harvest a tendon to make the repairs but God had other plans! The tendons had indeed pulled apart from the first surgery which is why the finger would not respond to the physical therapy. The surgeon anticipated the ends of the tendon to have retracted beyond use but scar tissueheld all four ends in place right there in the palm. Our surgeon said he had never seen this in all his experience. He “just” freed the tendons from the scar tissue and reattached the original tendons together again!

After this surgery and the required three weeks of immobility for healing, Chris now endures three – four hour physical therapy sessions daily at the hospital. The hand is stubbornly swelling. The same scar tissue that helped before is now causing expected problems as it adheres to the tendons and prevents the hand and fingers from functioning properly. Chris’ left arm is also dwindling due the inactivity since his accident late July.

Our plan at this time is to remain in Manila continuing the therapy sessions and for assessment by his surgeon. This was a difficult decision as we long to go home.

We have praised the Lord for so many acts of Love during this time. Please see the related praise link in the "PRAY for real needs" tab as we “counted our blessings” from this accident.

We are so aware of your prayers! God has been using them to open our eyes and keep us clinging to His Hand during this time.

At this point we are in the concrete jungle called Manila. We flew up for field meetings held in this busy city. It became apparent the city time would extend due to unexpected reasons, so friends encouraged us to check on getting physical therapy to continue while here. Chris has little use of the hand and it wasn’t responding too well with him working it on his own. His therapist on Mindanao assured us that it would be the best course of action. We are positive God cleared the way immediately for therapy to resume in a very good hospital here and so are ½ way through that program. He is to have an evaluation of the progress at the end of that time with a surgeon here (as he needed the surgeon’s order to be permitted into therapy).

We are humbled to admit our faith is weak and at moments we face real discouragement. The injured finger is not progressing well. Expenses mount each day: surgical and medical fees, hotel/guest house expenses and added expenses of citified life – travel by plane, taxis, jeepney and bus, city food of restaurants and supermarkets and just life away from home. At last report, we were told of the prospect of more surgery and a longer stay in the city which in turn means being away from home even longer.

We found ourselves discouraged as we turned our gaze from Jesus and looked toward our circumstances with weakened spirits and weary hearts. God answered your prayers for us through a letter from our field chairman, Ross Ginn, where he shared about attitudes found in Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Colossians 1:11-12; Romans 8; Philippians 3:3 and 4:8; and 1 Thessalonians. 5:18.

We read: 2 Corinthians 4:15 “as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

In his letter he quoted Newell:“Until we are carried quite out of our depth, to the point of drowning, beyond all of our own wisdom and resources, we will not cast ourselves completely upon the Lord’s Mercy and Grace. Only as everything and everyone fails us and we fail ourselves, do we draw upon abiding strength. ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in You Lord’; not partly in the Lord and partly in himself. The Lord makes His servant weak, puts him in circumstances that will show him his nothingness that he may rest upon the Strength that is unfailing. It is a long lesson for all of us, but it cannot be passed over until learned.”

We have been challenged to realize that our discouragements are signals that we were not casting ourselves completely on His Mercy and Grace and in fact were not resting on His strength! Ross’ letter helped us see through several attitudes as they really are and this one hit home: “To be discouraged is unbelief — as to the Father’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.” We confess this to you, our partners, so you may better pray for us and hold us accountable. We pray for others who face greater physical and financial challenges – maybe even some of you reading this update. We trust you will also draw encouragement from Scripture as He reveals His purpose and plan of blessing for you and through you. We endeavor to allow Him to help us in our unbelief and allow Him to fulfill His purpose and blessing for His Glory. Our desire is not to follow at a distance but to be in the "dust of His feet."

God fills our hearts with gratitude in multifaceted ways. Our partners shared with us the Banwaon teachers are teaching through Galatians and showing great insight from God the Holy Spirit as they bring His Word to their people, our brothers and sisters. Family and friends have been a great blessing to us. Humor has been interwoven in the tough times. Most of you will chuckle out loud at this photo that we just couldn’t resist taking! We love you and we praise God for you and thank Him for the part you play in our lives. He is at work to bring Himself glory on this earth and His Word to the Banwaon people.

LATEST NEWS Sept 15th: Chris will have to have another surgery grafting a tendon from his arm to repair his hand. We so appreciate your prayers as it means at least three more months away from home.

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

Benny and Kristina Gottschick desired to work in our village as part of their required curriculum for Bible College in Germany. After a few days to settle into their temporary home, they began to assemble new Bible portions for the Banwaon people.

Chris and I were able to show a sample "Kagi ku Diyus", explain a few details from experience and back out of the way, as they went to work enthusiastically. It was a privilege to work with them as they measured and trimmed, punched holes in hundreds of pages, stacked and ‘flattened’ the punched pages, and attached the prepared covers for the finished book.  There were light moments along the way but a real sense of accomplishment was felt to know that someone would be able to hold their very own portions of God’s Word in their own language for the first time because they were willing to come to help.

Our time to work with Benny and Kristina Gottschick were ‘cut’ short (no pun intended) when Chris accidently stabbed his hand and severed two tendons in his left hand on Sunday morning, July 27th. Within two hours, an emergency flight sped him to the emergency room at a hospital and assessed the damage for surgical repairs the same day. Please check our Prayer Update for the details of the accident.

Please pray for Benny and Kristina as they have this time in the tribe. Pray that they will use this experience given by God to enrich their understanding of ministering in a tribal location. Pray for their time to encourage the Banwaon believers as they hold their new Bible Portions because of the time and effort of the Gottschicks during their visit to our village. Pray for the Castelijn’s as they continue in the translation ministry for the Banwaon Bible. We appreciate prayers for Chris’ healing and physical therapy that follows. Most of all, praise the Lord for the work He is doing for His Glory among the Banwaon.

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

God has wonderfully restored the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ here! Hearing the praises to the Lord for all He has done for them has been heart warming and we join our praises to Him for the answer to all the prayers and preparation for this rare event in the middle of the jungle.

THE HUMAN TEAM EFFORT (Tribal and Missionary)

• prayer
• months of planning and adjusting schedules
• countless emails
• funds and medicine
• preparing and fueling generators
• purchasing equipment and supplies
• planning and scheduling meals
• flying the team of administrator, doctors, and nurses
• flying in all the medical equipment
• preparing rooms for the medical team
• transferring the living room into an operating room
• adjusting the beds to operating table height
• draping off a ‘waiting room’ outside in a covered    laundry area
• attaching netting and laying brand new tarp in the room to make it as bug free and clean as possible
• scrubbing all surfaces with bleach
• screening patients for surgery and clinical checkups
• preparing and serving the meals for the whole medical team and missionary team
• the pre and post operative care
• the surgical procedures
• flying the medical team and equipment all out again
• returning the OR into a home

GOD’S GIFT
SIGHT!

It has been thrilling to hear how appreciative our friends are of this amazing and historical event. They have praised the Lord for His wonderful gift and allowing them to have restored sight. Their comments have drawn us into praise along with them and true rejoicing! God gave them spiritual sight and a relationship with Himself.  He has now restored physical sight and a visual relationship to their world again for so many. Again, we marvel that God allows us to be a small part in His work here among the Banwaon!

The day after surgery, a dear older man sat down beside me and with a twinkle in his eyes, said, "That dog there of yours sure has nice hair. Yesterday, I couldn’t even see the dog! Now, if that house wasn’t there, I could see the mountain."

One patient had congenital cataracts since birth and she described what she saw through clouds immediately after surgery. Then, on the third day, she gave a trembling smile as she could see for the first time in her young life. She is 15 years old and from another tribe living nearby (at least nearby in the jungle sense.) We all tried to imagine that moment when she opened her eyes and could see for the first time clearly. My guess is we won’t even come close until heaven!

Prayer Points:

• for the diligent use of postoperative medicine that continues and healing taking place
• for the disappointed ones that did not qualify for the surgery just now
• for those that will have to go to the city for surgery under general anesthesia
• for those that didn’t have the spectacular results of their friends
  

Praise God for His alone is worthy!

A Christian news interview was made about the surgery and can be found here:

http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10607

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

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

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

The Banwaon church has reached out to their neighbors in their time of need. Tragically, twenty seven are now dead from the health crisis and many are still in very weak condition.

People here have graciously given from their annual harvest of rice to help feed the sick and their family members. Several sacrificed time to prepare food for those that were ministering medically to the sick so they would not have to take time away from the patients. Many cooked and served food to the group of over 240 people that flooded the village seeking help. Most of the people have left our area as the crowded conditions were causing recurring sickness in those previously recovered. Now that the health agencies are gone, there are still those daily preparing food for the families that are too weak to leave.

The spiritual battle continues. Rituals and sacrificed animals were desperately performed for their chief before he died. Pray that the lack of power in their belief system will cause them to seek out to believers and ask about the Power that kept them healthy. No one from our village is sick and we pray it will create questions. Pray that they will recognize how God’s love is freely shared to them by the believers here.

The sad task of transporting the dead bodies back to their home areas have fallen on the Banwaon leaders from our village. Eight men have just returned from seven hours hike through the jungle to deliver the dead chief’s body back to his village. They reported that two more were found dead when they arrived and several in severely weakened condition. They also reported that the village has not been able to harvest this year because too many were sick or dead and the rice is rotting in the fields. This is a very dire situation as they only get one harvest each year.

 Prayer Requests:

• 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.

For His Glory,
Chris and Lynne