PRAISE GOD WE LOST OUR WA Y

By Ann Requillo

With a thud half of my right leg got buried in the mud. I struggled to get free but failed. I was really
caught unaware because I was not expecting that the ground was soft since it look hard already. Ma'am Sha came to the rescue. Yet I still had to get my sandal out because it got stuck under the pool of mud and
didn't came along when I was pulled out. It was only one of the exciting incidents I had on my way to the newly opened mission school of the SULADS.

One day a student missionary - friend of mine invited me to go with them to Lapangon Mission School and assist in the free clinic that will be conducted by a group of Koreans. I gladly accepted the invitation and tried to make the necessary preparations. I was told that the natives of this mission school were still

half civilized. I also heard that the team who surveyed and made the negotiation of putting up a mission school in that area, a couple months ago, was attacked by some natives from another village on their way to see the Chief Datu of Lapangon

The clear blue sky and the scorching hot sun accompanied us on our hike. Seldom do I spend almost 8 hours of a day hiking on an adventurous trail. Along the way I encountered various small creatures that welcome us to the jungle, with some eager to enter my eyes and ears. I tried to concentrate with my hike and at the same time protect myself from those tiny harmful creatures!

 

A cold shiver run through my spine not because of the thought that uncivilized native might suddenly

attack us, in defense of their territory, but because of the sight of the trail I was about to pass. I paused for a minute and tried to figure out what to do. A landslide had ruined the normal track and a narrow way, which allowed only one foot at a time, served as the footpath. On one side was a wall of soil and on the other was a step slope. There really was nothing for me to hold on at the moment except for the promise in Isaiah 41:10. I cautiously walked on until I reached the other side. There was a time when a trail required me to sit in order to go down and another caused my knee and chin to come in contact when gong up. It was that adventurous.

Just a couple of hours from our starting point we came into a junction of two roads. Three of our companions, who were with the survey team and now were our guides, argued as to where the right trail was. They got confused. We waited while one of them checked the left trail and the other two checked on the right. They finally agreed that it was the right trail and so there we proceeded. It was only then that the three of them realized that we were passing the long trail. The guides failed to lead us to the short cut. We should have covered a few more kilometers if only we were able to pass by the short cut. Anyway, we all decided to pass there on our way home.

After hopping from one stone to another in several streams and passing through slippery and muddy trails, I heard that familiar sound of the "Bangkakaw", the native's dance that served as their welcome to visitors. Some of my companions had arrived already. I increased my pace. I was already eager to get there. At last I saw the village on a plain below the mountain I was standing. When I finally got there r saw the '' people standing outside their homes looking at the new arrivals. Some of the natives smiled when I shook their hands while others merely stared.  I noticed most of the natives, both young and old, had dark-colored teeth. Later, I learned that it was an effect of their habit of chewing betel nuts. I also saw a number of half naked women carrying their fully naked babies. It was such a sight!

The next day I helped in the free clinic. One elderly lady had an air gun bullet in her right shoulder for about seven years already and our Korean Medical Team took it out within approximately seven minutes.

Most of the cases we met were that of malnutrition, coughs, colds, and wounds. The natives said they are not surprised of the big tummies of their children since they rely on "Kasilo" (sweet potatoes) every meal time. Well, they thought those sweet potatoes caused the bulging of their children’s stomachs. The natives rarely take a bath in the river located just a few meters from their village, and if they take a bath they do it without any soap. Seldom do they have soap in their homes. Eating rice is also a great privilege for these natives. When they have the privilege they feel very honored.

 

On that same day I also assisted in the branch Sabbath school. The children listened eagerly to every story given and to every song and finger play taught. Each of the parts were translated either from English to Manobo or from Cebuano to Manobo. 

The peaceful village of Lapangon was filled with laughter as it had its very first socials that evening. I enjoyed playing with the kids although at the start I had a hard time communicating to them the mechanics of each game. As soon as they got the instruction they also cooperated and had fun. It was a splendid evening! Data Malinas - the chief datu in that village and the rest of the natives of Lapangon gave a number of chicken as a token of gratitude for the goodness the group brought to their village. At the break of dawn the group prepared for home. At that time I felt bad of leaving Lapangon with very little help I had extended. I wish I could stay longer. We were already a few meters away from the village when I heard a strange story from my companions... The very day we climbed up to Lapangon a group of natives from another tribe were posting at the short cut we failed to pass. They would kill anybody who would pass the area. It has been their belief and culture, and our group doesn't know about it. A meaningful phrase came out from each of our hearts - PRAISE GOD WE LOST OUR WAY!

THE KEROSENE FAILED NOT

By Rendy Sebilo

Lapangon Mission School

November 1999

Since all the members of the village Lapangon has been baptized, they meet, young and old, in our front yard to worship each morning and evening.  They are hungry for the truth in their new found faith.  They want to listen and fill their still empty hearts with the Word.

Although we meet early each evening before sunset, the hearers are so interested for the study deeper into the God’s word that it gets dark before we end the study.  Therefore, my partner and I purchased a kerosene lamp so we can have enough light for the worship service.  When the kerosene lamp was first lighted, the people were very surprised to see a very bright light making their little nook in the forest so bright.  Their little lamps made of sardine tins produced such a flickering little light that this was amazing to them.

Each night, they anxiously await the time to light the kerosene lamp and this magnificent light can illuminate the village and they can listen to the Bible stories from the picture rolls.  They loved that kerosene lamp also because the surrounding villages from quite a distance can see the light shining from Lapangon.  They compare that magnificent light with the light of salvation through Jesus Christ brought by the student missionaries from Mountain View College, The School of the Light. 

The night came when we ran out of kerosene.  We need the light for worship.  We asked about if any one had some kerosene.  Many raised their hands and with any second thoughts, they scampered to their homes and returned with small amounts of kerosene in their little tin lamps.  We poured it all into our kerosene lamp and it was only about half full.  We decided to shorten the worship this night because there was not enough kerosene to go as long as we had been in the nights before.

We had a very interesting and lively worship that evening and forgot all about the shortness of the kerosene supply.  We went far past the 30 minutes which we thought our short supply would take us.  When we finally stopped, we put out the lamp and checked the tank.  It was empty.  That meant that we would have NO kerosene for the next night’s worship.  It is a long ways down to the nearest trader to buy kerosene and we could not spend the valuable time just to obtain that commodity.  

 

As the time approached for worship, my partner decided to drain what little that might be left in the lamp into the sardine tin so that we could have some little light for the evening.  To his surprise, the tank was full!  He asked me if I had stored some kerosene away for an emergency but I had not.  He commented that this was a miracle.

That night, we lighted the lamp again and began worship.  My partner emphasized that our God is a God of miracles.  God provided the kerosene for our worship.  He told the story of the widow and the two boys who borrowed the vessels to fill with oil and the oil failed not until all were filled.  We told the people that this was because of the faith of the widow.  We compared that to the kerosene in our lamp.  The following evening, we inspected the lamp again, and again it was full!  This went on for three nights before we had the opportunity to purchase more kerosene. 

God really did bless our lamp.  He filled it to the brim each evening when we needed it.  He performed the same miracle for us that he did for the faithful widow.

“My dear SULADS,” the chief, Datu Malinas, interrupted during our worship.  “We have seen the miracle shown by the God in heaven before our very own eyes.  We need to be faithful to Him every day!” he emphasized. 

“We will be faithful!” the villagers chorused.

SEPARATED TO MARRY

By Muriel Lane Dulenas

Lapangon Mission School

March, 2000

 

Maruon is a young man whom everybody admired in Lapangon Mission School.  He can preach and get the audience spell bound.  He can sing beautifully with his quality baritone voice.  He is the leader of the youth in his village.  We student missionaries count on him to handle our level one class.

 

He was one of the first 36 baptized from Lapangon at the SULADS Jamboree 1999 held at Mountain View College.  He was instrumental in bringing his entire family to be baptized.  He gave them Bible studies and taught them the way.  Although he was young, his older brothers looked up to him because of his good decision making ability.  They called him a young datu (chief).  His parents and the village datu are shaping him to become the next generation datu.  What a promising position and honor!

Marriage is a Manobo tradition that one can hardly escape.  Mauron was spotted by another datu from a neighboring village to marry his daughter.  The custom is for the father or datu from either the lady’s side or the man’s side to bring a dowry for the purpose of marriage.  This dowry is expensive and it is dangerous to refuse once the dowry is offered.

In this situation, the parents of the girl brought five horses as a dowry.  The only respectful refusal would be to counter with ten horses as a return gift.  The problem was, there was only one horse in the entire village!  Obviously, the wedding was set.  There was no way to refuse without serious repercussions.  To refuse without the ten horses would have led to a bloody war.

Mauron did not want to marry yet.  He enjoyed the schooling he was receiving in Lapangon and the opportunity to teach and lead out in the youth activities.  Further, he dreamed of one day studying at Mountain View College and becoming a student missionary himself to his own people through the SULADS program of MVC.  He was frustrated. 

He cried and asked for our counsel.  We were helpless.  We could not give counsel that would change the situation without bringing the retaliation of the other village.  If we advised him to escape and they learned that the student missionaries had done so, we would have placed our own lives in danger.  We could only advise Mauron to bring his problem to the Lord in prayer.  He prayed everyday and night asking for a way to escape the plan.  Each day brought him closer to the wedding day.

We noticed that he was no longer the happy young man he had been.  Each evening, he would face the sinking sun and crying because he could not prevent the sun from setting and bringing him one day closer to the wedding.

The wedding day arrived.  Everyone in the village went with Mauron to the next village to meet the bride.  Each one brought something to be given as a part of the dowry according to tradition.  The wedding was successful in bringing the two villages closer together.  After the wedding, Mauron’s family and friends went back to Lapangon but Mauron was left with his new wife in her village.

Life was no longer the same in Lapangon.  Everyone felt the absence of Mauron.  His advice to his brothers and sisters was missed.  His good sermons and the beautiful singing was no longer brightening the day.  His parents wiped away their tears the first three nights when we visited them.

Life was not bright for Mauron and his new wife either.  The fact was, he had never met this young lady before.  He was forced to marry her.  He badly missed the morning and evening worship back in Lapangon.

“I cannot stand this any longer,” he said.  “I must do something.  I think I should be a missionary to this village.  Since I am already married and there is no turning back, I must make my life here bright.  I should be a shining light to my new wife and her people.”

With that, Mauron started to sing the Manobo songs that had been translated by the student missionaries.  These songs penetrated the hearts of his parents-in-law.  He began gathering the children and told them stories from the Bible.  He taught them children’s songs.  His wife learned fast also.  Now Mauron was happy again.  He was now a missionary even though he has not yet studied at MVC.

The father of the bride was happy for Mauron because he observed that he had learned to love his new wife.  The father is now requesting SULADS student missionaries to come to his village and educate his people. 

Will you help us by sending a donation to provide two new teachers for this new village?  We pray that the Lord will guide you in your decision.

Mark your donations for MVC SULADS and send them to:

                AWESNA

                2417 S. Azusa Ave

                West Covina, CA 91792

THANK YOU!!!

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.

SACRAFICIAL SUBSTITUTE

By Fred L. Webb

June, 2000

The SULADS have heard the roar of the lion again as he walks about seeking whom he may devour.

 

In several of the stories in the past, you may have read of the great success that has been won for the Lord in the village of Lapangon.  It was there that they made the caraw to keep track of when Sabbath comes.  It was in Lapangon that the datu postponed his own baptism until others could join him.  It was in Lapangon that the warrior was baptized while still wearing his bolo (knife) because it was “bloody and needed to be washed”.  It was Lapangon where anyone coming to the village must listen to the children sing and hear the story of Jesus.  It was in Lapangon that they needed a new church and set about to build it.

It was during the building of this church that the current story had its roots.  There was a need of a carpenter to assist in the construction of this church.  One of the SULADS in the village called for her grandfather, a Seventh-day Adventist from nearby San Fernando to come and help them build.  He responded and while there became acquainted with a 12-year-old girl we will call Mary. He requested Mary to come to his home in San Fernando to provide help in his household.  Mary went with him.

About a month later, Mary reported to the SULADS working in her home village of Lapangon that the carpenter had molested here repeatedly.  Quickly and quietly, the SULADS brought Mary down to MVC to protect Mary from both the family of the carpenter and her own villagers.  The SULADS also came to seek advice on what to do.  It was decided that the first thing needed was a doctor’s evaluation of whether there was physical evidence of rape.  Upon submission to the examination of a gynecologist, it was determined that there was physical evidence.  Armed with this information, Mary was taken to the police station in Valencia to report the incident.  There the police told Mary and the SULADS that since the incident took place in the township of San Fernando, they would have to report to the police in San Fernando. 

 

Off to San Fernando, the group went to the police station there.  The report was taken.  By the time the police went to arrest the carpenter, he had left town.  Some speculate that the carpenter was tipped off and was able to make his escape.  At this point, the granddaughter who was a SULAD in the village discovered that her own family were upset with her for reporting her own grandfather and that she should flee for her life.  She left Mary at MVC and fled for cover. 

 

By this time, the leadership of the village learned of the rape.  They were furious.  According to their tribal “law”, four people should die—the alleged rapist, the victim, and the two SULADS who had been responsible for the carpenter being in the village.  Daryl Famisaran dispatched Romel Mansaloon, himself a Manobo and at the same time the SULAD that had first started the work in Lapangon, to Lapangon to try to placate the villagers.  After some very heated discussions, Romel was able to persuade the villagers that since they were now baptized Seventh-day Adventists and followed Jesus, they needed to learn Jesus’ methods of dealing with problems.  The killing of these four people in revenge would not bring back the purity of Mary.  Finally, Romel was successful in getting the assistant datu to come down to MVC to talk with Daryl Famisaran.

Upon his arrival with three other warriors, discussions began.  The datu demanded payment of P20,000 plus a cow to prevent killing.  After much negotiation, the datu was persuaded to accept only the cow if the SULADS would see that the rapist was brought to justice which could very well mean death by lethal injection if found guilty.  The cow would be taken to the village.  On a given day which was to be on Thursday, June 22, 2000, there would be a ceremony in the village where each villager would in turn beat the cow until eventually the cow died.  In this way, the cow was the sacrificial substitute for the lives of those who would have been killed. 

Some have asked, “If these villagers are now baptized Seventh-day Adventists, why did they still intend to kill other humans?” 

 

My response to this is, Satan was attempting to return the village to its former viscous and bloodthirsty ways.  God used this trial to provide a means for the next step in the sanctification of the villagers.  Now that the villagers have learned that there is another way to deal with a criminal, perhaps it will be easier next time to solve their problems in a peaceful manner rather than shedding blood. 

This is also a good illustration to the villagers of the sacrifice Jesus made for us as sinners.  We are guilty.  But instead of God seeking revenge, he provided a sacrifice to substitute for our rightful death from our commission of sin.  Jesus is our Sacrificial Substitute. 

Pray that these villagers will learn from this sacrifice and will continue to progress in their own personal sanctification process.  Pray that they will become more like Jesus every day so that in the judgment, Jesus will be able to plead His blood to pay for their sins.  Also pray that the alleged rapist will be brought to justice so that the Manobo villagers will know that the SULADS have kept their word.  This seems to be a test of the integrity of the SULADS in the eyes of the Manobo.  May God’s name be honored.