SULADS STORIES

Let's Make This Into A Church

By Romel Mansaloon

Lapangon Mission School

 

Lapangon Mission School is a newly opened school. For long years the SULADS studied on how to

penetrate this warlike blood thirsty tribe of the Matig Langilan Manobos. This tribe is the most feared of by other Manobos.

During the survey of the MVC SULADS campus missionaries to this village, they nearly lost their lives.

 

Warriors just sprang up from the bush where they were deploying ready to fly their arrows and throw their spears. God and His Angels were just around during that time to calm them down.  Wonder of all
wonders, they too cannot believe their eyes why they can't just fly their arrows and spears, and they
became friends.

 

My experience in Lapangon with my partner Novo is the most thrilling one. Even if we are Manobos

ourselves they seem to be strangers because we grew up in a Mission School community, it is in Lapangon where I learned more of our primitive life style.

Within weeks we were so loved by the village people because we adjusted with them. Sleep with them, eat with them, tell them stories, and work with them. School is very interesting. Everybody in the village from kids to adults want to learn to read and write. The chief too would want to learn. In his kingly command he said, "all must join the work to build our school." In 5 days a two room school was built from round timbers and barks of trees. Timbers were used for pillars and braces and the barks were used for walling and roofing.

 

Then came the big day of the first formal class. All of the children and parents are in level one. The

school was divided into two. Children go together in one classroom and adults in the other room. Children and parents exchange paper when they reach home and compare their work. Mostly parents obviously hide their paper from their children.

 The SULADS JAMBOREE was the most awaited time of the year. This is the time when all Mission

Schools of the SULADS come together to show their talents the teachers taught them. The grand parade was colorful. Delegates were in their respective native attire. The week was full of different joyous activities.

 

The grand day was the Sabbath worship. Fifty seven voice choir ring through the air from children from different Mission Schools. Elder Paterno Diaz, South Philippines Union President was the divine worship speaker. It was their first time to hear such a message especially our chief Datu Malinas. It was stressed in the sermon of elder Diaz that we are all the same in the sight of God. We are  brothers as His children with no discrimination of races.  That moved him most

The last day of the Jamboree brought joy especially to the Lapangon delegation - that in a surprise they were pronounced champion of ALL SULADS JAMBOREE '98 for their excellent performance and participation. 

The chief "Datu Malinas" who was with the delegation was moved by this first time experience. Showing their trophy as Champion upon reaching home, he said strongly to his people, "We need to worship our teachers’ God. I have found a new kind of joy in life. I experienced this during the SULADS jamboree. Pointing to the 2 room school building he said..:` Let's make this into a church". We can just make another building for a school. As the missionary assigned to this village I know this new church won't last long. We need a better church built from good materials.

You are very comfortable in your beautiful church. I hope you can share some of your comforts with us.

Thank you and God will bless you more abundantly.