New Bridge

For the last two weeks an engineering student from Tennessee has been here building a bridge. This was a necessity because students and patients were at times unable to make it to school and the clinic because of the high and fast flowing water in the rainy season. Anthony (the engineer) worked late into the night some nights to be able to complete it within his two week deadline. Upon arrival he had no supplies, he had to access the surroundings, pick a spot, and then get supplies from Puerto Princessa.

His mission was a success, this last Sabbath we had a bridge dedication and all of the villagers gave their thanks. It is an open suspension bridge with two handrails, some of the Palawano's were a little weary to cross it at first, but all are thankful because it literally has the potential to save lives that would otherwise be stranded on the other side of the river.

Only had time to post one picture this time, Also to the South Hill Jr class. Thank you for your prayers we got the blue cards in the mail yesterday!

A Trip into the Supernatural

The natural world is explainable, observable, and predictable, however, there is a realm beyond the normal that cannot be explained away in terms of scientific observation. This realm is called the paranormal because what happens here contradicts the known laws of science and can only be explained through scientific terms, as impossible. The following are some “impossible” encounters that are common place in Palawan. These type of stories make people understandably skeptical and can some times be sensationalized. This is not the goal in relating these stories, the hope is that by exposing darkness, people who read will go in search of the Light. I am a skeptic myself, skepticism is good so long as it isn't an excuse to be intellectually lazy. Look into these things for yourself and, “Test all things and hold fast to what is good” (1 Thes 5:21).

There is certain sicknesses that the Palawano's don't come to the clinic for. Medicine men are the only one's that can heal those they believe. Medicine men communicate with the spirit world, and appease these spirits to bring back healing to those who are sick. And there has been examples of patients who have come to the clinic here, and then go to the medicine man, and the medicine men have sometimes been able to bring healing when the clinic has not.

An example of this is a man who had severe back pain and nothing seemed to help it go away. When he went to the medicine man it was explained that the reason he had the back pain was because someone placed a curse on him. The medicine man then pulled a previously invisible stick from his back, and then gave it to him to handle. The back pain went away instantly, and the fact that he was holding a stick in his hand that was previously invisible was very convincing to him.

Superstition is not always unfounded, the supernatural realm is real. For what ever reason the supernatural is not manifested as often in America....but it definitely exists there too. I have heard stories from friends, grandparents, and my parents that testify to this. My dad in his book “Dead Birds don't Sing but Witching Rod's Talk” gives a personal experience from his high school days when a curse was placed on him. He was literally choked by an unseen presence in the middle of the night, the room itself felt evil, but he simply prayed and the relief was instantaneous. He says, “Although no sound broke the awful gloom, it was like a silent gunshot gunshot shattered the atmosphere. With the speed of lightening, the evil presence vanished and there was perfect calm and peace.” The supernatural exists in the form of evil and of good. Satan, unlike God doesn't mind playing both sides. This is why in the Palawano culture “god” can be manipulated through ritualistic ceremonies and seemingly ridiculous precautions.

The Palawano culture is a very superstitious culture, but as mentioned, this is not without some warrant. After they cut their rice fields they feel it is very important to “feed their tukaws" (machetes). They feed their knives by placing them in rice sacks. They feel that if they don't do this their knives will become angry with them and cut them. This may seem ridiculous to the American mindset...but when they are literally able to communicate with the spirits and manipulate them according to what they do, and do not do, these superstitious rituals become a little bit more understandable.

The Palawano church members understand that the true God is not vindictive and exacting. The true God's most basic definition is that He is Love, and when He described to Moses the essence of who He is, this is what He said, “The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in faithfulness and love, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin (Ex 34:6,7). Nonetheless the Palawano culture has been blinded to the real character of God, and like the world at large have bought into the counterfeit deceptions of Satan, who can clothe himself as an angel of light (2 cor 11:14).

When there has been constant rains that produce landslides that damage their crops. They believe that the reason for this was inappropriate sexual relationships in the form of incest. The only way to to appease the spirits in this case is to get blood from each of the offending parties genitals. The last time this happened was February of this year. The justice system comes from the gunggurengs (village elders), these men are listened to, and what they say needs to be done is carried out.

I mentioned in a previous blog some of the superstition that is connected to the burning of their fields, they sometimes yell as they ignite their fields to entice the wind gods to help the fire burn. However before the field is burned a medicine man talks to the field to ensure that it is ok. Spirits will literally answer him and tell him if it is ok or not. Apparently if fires get out of control this is because somebody has angered the spirits. Apparently the consequence of this is the guilty party is doomed to die, and it has been said that people have died with the sensation of being burned even though their death was not the result of fire. I am skeptical of this, malaria is a big killer here and can make people hot. But the fact that they believe this points to the huge role superstition and Satan have over their lives.

Another interesting factor is the territorial nature of the spirits. In the US we are familiar with the concept of haunted houses. These are often made fun off...but they do exist. Here in Palawan such a reality is also evident. These spirits have been known to come to houses at night and throw rocks on the roof, this has been witnessed by the long term missionaries here and their kids.

This last week Naphtali (fellow missionary) came back to his house one evening to see blood sprinkled around his house, on the steps, and on his door and walls. The message was clear, somebody didn't want him here, and the sprinkling of blood was to show disapproval in the form of placing a curse. A couple nights ago I asked him how this made him feel. He said he wasn't afraid, but that in the middle of the night following this event he woke up with the distinct, hair-tingling feeling of the presence of evil. He said his first thought was to pray, but then he said he was afraid to pray out loud, because he thought that this would “make Satan angry”. However he did pray out loud, and as was the case with my dad, peace immediately replaced the atmosphere of evil.

We have also had some similar experiences while we have been here. Danelle wrote about one of hers in a previous blog. And two weeks ago in the middle of the night (1:00 A.M.) I woke up out of a deep sleep with a jolt and had a distinct impression to pray. The instant I started to pray, Danelle started weeping. She had been depressed that week, and was working incredibly long hours at the clinic. I don't know exactly why I needed to pray right then, but the impulse was intense, and the fact that Danelle started crying at the very instant I had this impulse... to me went beyond coincidence.

Last Saturday night we prayed around our houses for protection. One of the female missionary teacher's here, had also been experiencing the precence of evil at night and requested protective prayer for her home. We prayed for God's protection and claimed the promise of Psalms 34:7 which says, “The Angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

My dad, in a chapter of his book called, Tricks That Aren't So Funny, explains, “If it suits his purposes, Satan can reveal himself openly. If some choose not to believe that he exists, that is okay too. He does not mind that he is pictured as a freak with horns and a long tail. He is a master at adapting to every society and type of person. He can function quite nicely in a church. It is only essential that people not literally get to know and put their trust in the real savior.”

The very first recorded act of Jesus after He was baptized and started his period of ministry was to read publicaly in the synagogue. He deliberately found the place in Issiah that says, “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of site to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” then He closed the book and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-21) This is the essence of Jesus' mission, by reading this scripture he declared that He was this very savior who was prophesied hundreds of years earlier through the prophet Issiah. “Jesus wants us to know the truth and if we will read His instruction and get to know Him, He will make the trickery stop. It was Jesus who promised that we could know the truth and that the truth would set us free” *

The title of this blog is borrowed from a book by Roger Morneau. In the book Morneau explains the reality of the supernatural and Satan's supreme desire to be worshiped as God. It is an interesting book and helps to explain a lot, but even more beneficial is his Incredible Answer's to Prayer series. Weather you know these things, and it makes you scared, or you don't believe in the supernatural and think it is foolery. Look into it for yourself you may find that the promise of John 8:32 is as true for you, as it was for me, “The truth will set you free”

For more excellent information on the subject of the supernatural and what happens when you die check out amazingfacts.org or bibleuniverse.com

Murray McGill, Dead Birds Don't Sing But Witching Rods Talk. P 68 (not yet published coming very soon)

When monkey's attack

Last week Ruplic attacked, the damage was minimal...but as you can see, what I wrote about in my "last of the Macquaqens" blog is true.


we have more pictures but the internet is to slow today

Mission Spotlight

I remember when I was little, once a month between Sabbath school and church, our church would watch a video update called “mission spotlight.” These video's focused on mission projects that were happening in all parts of the world. People of all ages liked these updates, and it gave the church a global perspective and sense of mission that was very unifying. I don't know if the church still has they updates, but I thought in like manner it would be fitting to give an update on this mission project I am a part of now.

The latest on the Kamantian mission is the new clinic is nearly complete. The transition from the old to the new is going to occur as soon as this coming Monday. The old clinic has served as hospital, pharmacy, and operating room since the early 90's. The best way to describe it is a rundown shack...the new clinic was very much a necessity. Updates include sinks, a flushing toilet, hardwood floor, greatly increased storage space, and the whole building has been mosquito proofed. It has concrete pillars to discourage the termites, but even that sometimes isn't enough. The termites here are tenacious and have even penetrated some concrete structures.

As for our home, it is termite free at the moment, we have coated each wooden pillar with oil, which seems to keep them from infiltrating the home. However other animals continue to em-barge upon our bamboo hut. This last week it was a mother hen. She was convinced that our home was the place she had to lay her eggs. She come through the window, the door, and tried jumping through cracks in the floor. I chased her and swatted her with a broom, and she would try to attack back until I eventually got her outside. This scenario was repeated several times until we were finally able to close of all entrances.

Also one night while we we cooking we heard a rustling sound on the roof and then a couple seconds later a swarm of ants fell from the ceiling and covered our kitchen. It made Danelle thing of the Egyptian plagues of biblical times. But after some heavy duty cleaning and poisoning they disappeared.

I don't mention these things to complain, we are enjoying our time here, but I think that is because we understand that a mission is not a trip. Life, essentially is made up of a series of experiences, being a missionary simply puts purpose behind these experiences.

“We have nothing to fear for the future except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and the teaching of our past history” (Selected Messages 162). A repeated theme throughout the old and new testament, is the theme of remembrance. However it was a lesson that was all to often forgotten. It is important to remember what being a Christian is really about or else we are in danger of taking the name in vain, and in essence break the third commandment. The church must remember its mission or else it will become nothing more than a glorified club, that meets once a week, and occasionally does some good deeds.

If we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it. Either God's Word is true, or it is not. The church's mission is to spread the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14. The hour of judgment is coming, the question is are we going to be like Noah and get on the boat...or not. The world has a saying that there is safety in numbers, but the truth is the only real protection comes through knowing the word of God and following it. When the world was destroyed in a flood only 8 people were on the ark. When Sodom and Gomorrah was burned with fire, only Lot and his two daughters escaped. But God is a God of rescue and He says, “ As surely as I live...I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their evil ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?”(Eze 33:11). Laodicea is the last church talked about in Revelation, the time period we are in is the Laodician one. Laodicea means, “a people judged” God's Judgment is a good thing, it means an end of sin. All we have to do is become acquainted with the judge who is, “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Our mission is a simple one, proclaim the gospel, and if necessary use words. In closing, as the old mission video's use to say, “this has been mission spotlight.”

Some Pics

The Last of the Macaquen's

Monkey's have a reputation for being cute, funny, and curious...but I have discovered the truth behind this diabolic deception. They're cute, but this makes them arrogant, they're funny but the joke is on you, and if curiosity killed the cat, it has put chains on the monkey. This blog is inspired by Ruplic, the narcissistic monkey and the last of his kind in Kamantian.

I traveled through South East Asia in 2006 and I was also deceived. The only monkey I knew then, was named George and he was famous for his curiosity. He got into all sorts of trouble, but he was cute and everybody liked him, of course this may have been because he was a fictitious creation. The first real monkey's I saw in Asia were all chained, and I felt sorry for them...

Ruplic is also chained, but I don't feel bad for him. This time, 4 years later I know better. Monkey's, especially macaque monkey's like Ruplic, are notorious thieves. While in Borneo my friends and I saw a macaque steal an expensive pair of designer sunglasses right of a woman's head, and then climb up a tree to laugh about it. All the signs warning of such a possibility weren't kidding. Then there was the time in Backo National Park. My friend Matthew Swena pretended to attack a solitary monkey...not a good idea! This resulted in the whole grove of monkeys responding in an immediate attack and retaliation against us. They ran at us as only monkey's can all the while barring their teeth. I have never been afraid of such little creatures in my life! However vengeance was had in Indonesia.

While walking on a jungle trail we saw macaque's once again. This time we had an ample supply of ammunition in the form of oranges, and we threw to kill. I don't remember having any direct hits, but it felt good to take aim at the grining little monsters.

Kamantian's monkey, Ruplic, is literally the last monkey in Kamantian. He was captured in October of 2002 and was made into a pet, though its not a good idea to actually try and pet him. Many Palawano's bare the scars as a result of getting to close. I call Ruplic the narcissistic monkey because he loves to look at himself in one of his shard pieces of mirror. As he looks at himself he turns his head from side to side and will even run his fingers through his hair as if to say “oh yeah.”

The reason Ruplic is the last Macaquen monkey is because, simply put, the Palawano's love to hunt. They are excellent marks men. I have seen them point to a spot on a tree, many meters away, and indent it with a dart from their blow gun. This isn't luck because they can do this with repetition. And now that guns have been added to their arsenal all things wild are endangered and are literally at risk for becoming extinct...at least on this island jungle.

Ruplic escaped the guns but the chains of domestication have now put limits on his freedom. Despite this Ruplic still thinks he is the king of the jungle, and by default of extinction, he probably is. However Willie the racist dog (he only barks at Palawano's) might have something to say about that, but that's another blog for another time.