mapesmission

Requests and Needs

2011-12-04T16:57:00.001-08:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Blessings and greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We want to reconnect with everyone and share our heart, vision and needs here in the Philippines. For those of you who may not be familiar with us, we are serving as a missionary family here in the north of the main Island of Luzon. I, Chris Mapes, have been in the Philippines for almost 7 years.

I came to the Philippines in 2005 through the Vineyard College of Mission out of Boise, Idaho. The training was for Mission Medics…learning primary health care in developing countries. We would learn health, sanitation, and nutrition in dealing with the sick, undernourished, and diseased while presenting the love of God to the tribal peoples of Kalinga. We conducted medical outreaches, health fairs, Vacation Bible Schools, and feeding programs during that time. Originally, the students were only supposed to be in the Philippines for 4 months of practical training. After the four months, I stayed.

After my first year in the Philippines, I began dating a special woman I worked closely with and another 8 months, we married. Cathee is a Filipina who has been involved with missions since her mid-20’s when she worked as a midwife to the poor in Manila for 8 years. After that, she felt called as a missionary to her relatives in the tribal areas in the North.

HEALTH

We now have 2 beautiful children Samuel (who is 3years) and Miriam (1 year old).

Throughout the years, we have had different types of ministries. We started out with a focus mostly on medical outreaches. We are now currently focusing our resources on sponsoring medication for children and adults with tuberculosis. We have sponsored the 6-9 months of treatment to over 75 children with TB and many adults as well.

DISCIPLESHIP

We have had a boarding house for college students from the tribes. These students were mostly from the mountainous areas or the resettlement villages and ranged from 16 to 24 students living with us at one time. They were our church. We had prayer services, bible studies, Sunday service, and many activities. Our hear t is for discipleship. Today, we don’t have students living with us, but we host a mobile bi-lingual video bible school in the village. Through this Bible School, we have had testimonies of healings, of boldness in witnessing, and many powerful class teachings and discussions. These classes go out and evangelize other villages in their own tribal dialect. Our last outreach, we saw 11 salvations from older people who understood the gospel in their own language for the first time. After that we learned that one of the old ladies died about a week later. Praise God for his perfect timing. Facilitating this Video Bible school is one of the few times I have had complete assurance that I am where God wants me to be.

CHURCH STRENGTHENING

Our vision for our the Kalinga Vineyard Christian Growth Center is to get behind the local churches and missions and push them forward in their vision. We do this through discipleship (such as trainings, seminars, and the Mobile Bible School), through technical support such as gospel recordings, sound system for outreach, and computer usage for ministries. We believe the local people are the most effective missionaries to their own people and believe that God will pour out his Spirit in Kalinga and we will see great salvations, miracles, and boldness in the people to preach the Gospel.

Our current need is for monthly supporters. We are in the center of a financial emergency. With our current budget, we cannot meet our family’s basic needs. We need to raise the equivalent of $2000 dollars per month to sustain the ministry and our family’s needs. During the financial crisis in the US, our support dropped by 33% and since June, all our savings has been spent to supplement the loss of income. This month has been the hardest month financially since I have been here. We are at30% of our target support for our family and mission. Many would assume it is inexpensive to live in a developing country, but the prices of many things are higher here than they are in the USA. Gasoline is at $5.50 per gallon, vegetable prices increase drastically due to typhoons and rainy season, grocery prices keep rising due to the cost of fuel, the value of the dollar drops as the US continues to be the center of negative financial news. Currently, our monthly income is $600 per month and the duration of this income is uncertain.

The second need is monies to build buildings that will serve as our residence and a Christian Training Center. The estimated cost of this is about $35,000. We have been given a beautiful piece of land on a hill away from the main city. We envision a place we can call our own along with a training center to conduct seminars, trainings, and Bible Schools for the tribal peoples of Kalinga. If we have our own residence, our monthly cost will be decreased and having a space for trainings gives more opportunities for discipleship and Christian Growth. We've begun the work one of the buildings, but presently have no more funds to continue. We'd love to be able to finish the buildings by February. We believe the LORD will provide. We need your help.

Thank you for your consideration in financially supporting us through monthly support or one time gifts.

I am thankful for the body of Christ around the world. I know that together we can continue to reach out to be the hands, feet and mouthpiece of God through evangelism, discipleship, and power ministries.

Sincerely,

The Mapes Family

Field Trip

2011-12-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

Oct 29. we took 50 elementary age kids from Pakak on a field trip to the park about 15 miles away.

we were 66 people jammed into 2 vehicles. the children dressed in their best clothes. rode in the jeepney for about 1 hour and when they arrived at the park, their eyes lit up. for the next 4 hours they climbed, slid, swang, ran, laughed, and had snacks.

the children talked about the field trip to the park for weeks to come.

in the villages of Kalinga, a major problem is that many of the children (especially boys), drop out of school after the first grade. many would rather play marbles than attend class. education, for many families is not a priority as most of the families are farmers and don't see a life other than farming. Some families can't afford the school supplies and the children are too embarrassed to attend class due to lack of supplies or worn, tattered clothes. some of the children that try to go back to school get teased if they are older and eventually quit because they are too far behind.

we hope to be able to work with the children of pakak to keep them interested with school and give incentives for children who stay in school (like this field trip to the park).

Salvation has come

2011-11-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

In this picture taken just a month ago are 10 tribal grandmothers and 1 grandfather. We just learned that one of these grandmothers died this past week.

The good news is that this picture was during an outreach lead by our Bible School students last month and that grandmother put her faith in Christ after hearing The Good News explained to her for the first time in her own tribal dialect.

Everlasting Peace in the presence of God! Praise Him!

i have the best kids ever!

2011-08-19T01:11:00.000-07:00

Class testimony time

2011-08-19T01:07:00.000-07:00

August Update

2011-08-19T01:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I just wanted to catch everyone up on what's been going on here lately.
Family- Samuel and Miriam are quite the handful. Miriam is quite an independent 16 month old and a joy to be around. She's almost ready to start talking with just a few words in her vocabulary so far. Samuel is also very intelligent and always asking many questions... "Why do spiders have 8 legs?" What does the ladybug eat?" "What do you mean by that?" and on and on. There are times we find them playing quietly together and other times not so nice and quiet.
Cathee and I are doing well. Between the kids, household work, facilitating the Bible school, maintenance, building a house, and other ministry projects, we stay pretty busy.

Our vision continues to be solidified as we continue the work. We are working in Tabuk, Kalinga. Kalinga has a very poor reputation of being a place of violence. There have been many hold-ups, car napping, and robberies around town.

Just last weekend we were coming back from a trip to the north when our vehicle lost it's lights and we were just driving off a yellow fog light. I finally had to stop alongside the road to focus the fog light. It was about 10:30 at night and Cathee and the kids were in the pick-up with me. As i was finishing to tighten up the fog light, i noticed a youth walking toward me. He seemed upset at me being there and was apparently drunk or high. I didn't bother to talk to him, but got into the truck as fast as i could. As i shut the door, i noticed another person kneeling behind the truck and another man approaching from another location. As i shut the door, the man slammed the window with his hand and i took off as fast as i could. i'm not sure what the intention of the men were, but i knew my family was in danger and am thankful the truck wasn't broke down.

The other form of violence here in Kalinga takes place in the form of tribal revenge killings. If one tribes -person insults, injures, or kills a person from a different tribe, then a retribution must be paid at a very high cost and if an agreement cannot be reached, the whole tribe becomes involved and will attempt to injure or kill the opposing tribe. Many times the price demanded is impossible to pay and tribal war becomes immanent.

Just 2 years ago, i had an accident with an older man that ran out in the road in front of me. I bumped him with the handlebar of my motorcycle and he fell. It wasn't a hard hit and i didn't fall, but because he was older, he broke his hip when he fell. I accompanied him to the hospital and he told the police to keep me at the police station or maybe one his sons might kill me in revenge. Since my wife Cathee, is also from a different tribe, the incident suddenly involved my while extended family. during the next two weeks a fear fell over my extended family including my wife and many were worried of a retaliation from the tribe of the old man i had accidentally injured. (Long story short) we had to pay the family about 4,000 USD or a tribal war would have started.

Our vision is to see the violence, fear and and cultural witchcraft come to an end. There are still animal sacrifices that take place regularly in the villages, ongoing tribal wars and a fear that grips thousands here in Kalinga. People are too fearful to go out after 6pm. Everything closes after 5 or 5:30pm. The local police and army also submit to the tribal law.

How we envision this is through the local tribal church. We want to focus our resources on discipleship of the local church and mobilization of local ministries, so the local tribe will reach out to their own neighbor in with love for God and their fellow neighbor and the power of the Holy Spirit. Right now our ministry is focused in the village of Pakak. We have been working in pakak for the past 7 years. (In 5 months, I will have been here for 7 years). Pakak is a mostly Christian village where many of the families resettled from the mountains to escape persecution from tribe mates for converting from animism to Faith in Christ. The currently have outreaches to other villages where they hold Church services and teach tribal worship songs.

Pakak is also the current location of the Bible school. There are 20 students currently in the second semester. When we have prayer times with the students, I feel very strongly that Pakak will be a missionary sending center in Kalinga. They will powerfully and effectively reach out to their own people, then other tribes and provinces and nations. Peace in Kalinga can only come when people experience and accept the Love of God through Christ Jesus.

We see ourselves as a church strengthening ministry. some of the things we have been doing and are in the process of doing include:
*Seminars
*promotion of Video Bible School (ISOM)
*implementation of ISOM Video Bible School
*plans to make recordings of original tribal worship songs to distribute to other villages
*medical missions
*(planning) translations of Jesus films to the tribal dialect

Another project we are currently in is building our house in the village of Pakak. This is also something we feel God has led us to do.

Friends and family, right now we NEED supporters AND prayer partners. I have been too timid in fundraising in the past 6.5 years and have just been sliding by, but now i understand i need to be direct in this. We are currently not able to meet even close to our budget. We need monthly, faithful supporters. we currently receive $600 per month that covers cost of living but leaves little for the work of the ministry. This is not close to the estimated $2000 per month estimated that would help provide adequate financing for the ministry work plus some for emergency funds like hospital visits or vehicle repairs.

In addition to this, we need to raise approximately $35,000 to build a 2 story building (that will serve as our house on the bottom floor and ministry center for the bible school, medical ministry and multipurpose center on the second floor. There will also be a separate ministry office that serves as a recording studio and tribal media evangelism center in Pakak. We have been given a piece of land there that is a perfect for the intended use.

I ask you to consider financially supporting us. I also ask for your prayers. With more people partnering with us, we can accomplish more for the kingdom of God.

International School of Ministry (ISOM)

2011-06-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hey friends!

we're about to start a new semester of the Bible School in Pakak. The curriculum is through world renown teachers and pastors that are translated to the local languages through video. so all you need is a DVD player and TV or projector and you have an instant class.
this semester will focus on prayer, Old Testament survey, healing, and helps minstry. we have 20-25 students planning to join us. the class will start this sunday and will continue for approximately 4 months with 32 class hours total. Our last semester was a huge success with most of the students returning for the second semester. once 5 semesters are completed, the students can apply for a diploma in Biblical Studies from the Christian Leadership Institute.

Go! and Make disciples!

this is our mandate right now. This is what God has placed in my heart and i feel fulfilled while we are facilitating classes. there are few times i have paused in the middle of something and thought, "this is what i was created to do".

each student only pays $14 per semester! many cannot afford the cost and need sponsors. if you would like to help a student(s), just let us know. we do all we can so anyone who wants to join, can.
Tuberculosis Sponsorships

We are continuing the TB sponsorships. The government has finally committed to helping children with TB, so our sponsorships have decreased as we want to direct people to existing programs first, so we can utilize our resources the best we can. We have a few adults we are currently sponsoring. some, we sponsor until the government can approve their medicines, and others are supported fully from us.

Lives are literally saved from TB meds. We make sure we take time to pray with our patients and provide them with education and hope for their situation. Thank those who have donated money for medicines so we can continue this ministry

Home construction

One of our primary tasks right now is building a home. Our family has moved 4 times in the past 5 years and we need a place to call home. After this month, our support has significantly dropped and we can no longer afford to keep renting. We have spent all we had in savings and need donations for this project to be completed. We are in the process of building a deep well, repairing the ministry office and building a septic tank. (read the next blog for details and pictures).

thanks for your concern, prayers, and partnerships. they are appreciated and needed.

Chris, Cathee, Samuel and Miriam

Ministry Parners Needed!

2011-06-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

We are in need of ministry partners. People who will commit to pray for us and/or support us financially. During this time of financial crisis, our support has significantly dropped. We need at least 300 dollars per month additional in support and at least $28,000 in donations to help us build a house and ministry office. Please consider partnering with us in at least one of these areas.

Support address
Tax-deductible

Boise Vineyard
4950 W. Bradley Garden City, Idaho 83714.
Phone 208-377-1477

or

Elizabethtown Vineyard
201 South Mulberry Street, Elizabethtown -

(270) 234-0590

just include "chris and cathee mapes" on the memo line of your check. all donations are sent directly to us.

thank you for your support. please let us know if you decide to support in prayer and/or financially. It is much appreciated.

A Place to Call Home

2011-06-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Friends and Family! Greetings from the Philippines.

We hope that you are well and continuing to grow in the faith. We want to share with everyone what’s been going on with us concerning family and ministry. This past Chrismas Eve, Cathee’s mother had a stroke. She lost the use of the muscles in her throat and was unable to swallow. She was brought home from the hospital to recover, but slowly kept losing weight and became very weak. She died this past Friday. So please continue to lift up Cathee’s family in prayer.

Our family is doing well. Samuel and Miriam had birthdays in April and turned 3 years old and 1 year old. They continue to bring us much joy and excitement as they grow and learn. We are thankful for them and the challenges they bring as they grow.

You can’t have purpose without a vision

Recently, I’ve really had to step back and take a look at what we were doing and why we are doing those things. In each of the projects we are working on or planning to work on, I have to ask, “Why are we doing this?” Is it because it’s needed? It’s a “good” thing to do? Is it that someone else thought we should be doing it? Are we doing it cause we just need to “do” something? OR…This is something that we’ve had a vision for and know it is a mandate from God?

Sometimes things fall apart and it’s God that breaks them. For the past 4 or 5 years, we have been looking at land to build a house, but when we thought we found the right place, the deal would fall through, we would not be able to finance it, and another time we were sold a fake lot that did not belong to the seller.

The Pakak Project

Recently, I was looking at another lot when God reminded me of the vision He gave Cathee and I when we were writing a vision statement as missionaries of the Vineyard. The vision statement had to do mostly with health and was concentrated in the village of Pakak. In our vision statement, we would begin by building a deep well, then we would group the houses to build latrines, then pigpens, then gardens, and eventually Pakak would become a training center for other villages to see as an example of becoming a self sustaining, healthy example village.

After the well was finished, we began the latrine project. For various reasons, it took one year for the first Latrine (Comfort Room, as they are called here) to be built. More followed after that with about 25 houses having access to a latrine. When we wanted to begin the pigpen project, there was much resistance to the idea and for the few that wanted, an inability to agree on the project. Without the feral pigs being penned, gardens would be destroyed, and the project died.

During the time we were doing the “Pakak Project”, we were given land in Pakak on a hill. We built a small hut made of wood, bamboo and a grass roof where we stayed when we hosted outreach teams or when we would visit Pakak. After some time, we built a concrete foundation where the house would sit. About 60 of the men in the village picked up the house and sat it on the foundation. It was a community event complete with a pork lunch that fed the entire village.

The mission house served us and others well, but was destroyed during the big typhoon in 2010. About 25% of the roof was missing and the whole house was leaning to one side. We had to tear down the house and salvage whatever we could from the remains.

A Place to Call Home

While I was looking at the land for sale(mentioned earlier), God reminded me about the vision for Pakak and about the land that was given to us. When I shared this with Cathee, she said that she felt that God had been sharing the same thing with her. Before this, we had resisted the idea of moving to the village because it was still far from town, our children might be at risk for the many respiratory illnesses found there, malaria was rampant during the rainy season, and the conditions were less than sanitary because of the wondering livestock. But we knew those were excuses and God would protect our children from harm. That same week we began to make plans for a place for our family to live.

Phase 1. Water Source

The first thing we need is a deep well. The well will be about 100 feet deep and dug by hand with the workers cementing the sides of the 3 feet-wide hole every 3 feet down. The work is hard and the laborers face the danger of underground gas pockets, heat and debris falling on them.

Estimated completion time -50 days

Estimated cost $2,300

Phase 2. Septic tank

The Septic tank for the house will be built with a leeching chamber and a digestive chamber to maximize decomposition of waste.

Estimated completion time-1 week

Estimated cost-$350

Phase 3. Repair of ministry office

We will rebuild the old house to use as a ministry office, but with cement this time. The ministry office will be used as a center for church resources. The Bible school office, a recording studio for indigenous worship and Gospel recordings, a office for video editing for video ministries, and a guest room. the space is 12 feet by 22 feet.

estimated time to complete- 3 weeks
estimated costs- $2000.

Phase 4. Land preparation

This consists of flattening a hill and leveling the area for the house. Hiring a bulldozer and local workers will be the majority of costs.

Estimated completion time-1 week

Estimated cost- $700

Phase 5. Building of Residential house

Built from Concrete and hollow block. Size is at 800 square feet. it will be located just next to the ministry office. This will be a home to accomodate our family and any personal guests that visit.

Estimated completion time- 3 months

Estimated costs- $20,000

Reasons we need a home built.

#1. This is the place we feel we are called to serve.

#2. The majority of the work will be done with locals from the village. It will provide much needed income for many.

#3. We have been renting for the past 6 years and can no longer afford to rent.

#4. We need a stable home. We have moved 4 times in the past 5 years. This is hard on us and especially our children.

#5. With the unstable economy, we are unsure of future support and need to be able to becoming self sustaining. Owning a home and gardening will help us move that way.

#6. We are in this for the long run. Our children need a place to call home that is safe and comfortable.

Cheesey smiles

2010-06-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Graduates from the Kalinga Vineyard Christian Fellowship Student Ministry!!!

2009-06-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

we got to see 4 of our previous high school students that boarded with us the past 4 years, graduate. one of the girls was in the top 3 of all the seniors. she wants to be a doctor or accountant. we also got to see 4 of our college student boarders graduate as well as another that boarded with us previously. two of those students just graduated summer classes. most of these students (and previous students) have been with us 4 or even 5 years as they completed their studies at the local state college in midwifery, forestry, agriculture, law, and other courses of study. many are the first to graduate college in their families...a few have gone on to graduate school or seminary and other have gotten married.the tribes we work with are considered an "unreached people group" http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rog3=RP&rop3=101809, but that terminology is a little tricky. what i understand of the term, "unreached" is signifies that the people still need help from the outside to disciple...(they don't have enough training to be their own pastor for example). the Kalinga tribes (for the most part) have heard the gospel, some even have Bibles printed or in the process of being printed in their own dialect, and most villages have several churches. discipleship is the biggest need of the kalinga people. i believe the main spiritual need is firm, founded, rooted, solid biblical teaching/training...and many times, the ones that are most teachable, willing, and capable are the youth. i feel that as a Christian living overseas (a.k.a.-missionary), my main job is to work myself out of a job. (train a local to do what i'm doing)...preaching, teaching, or healing...our prayer is that these students are equipped with the training necessary to do these things by the time they graduate high school and college through the corporate times of prayer, teaching, preaching and fellowship.

Healed

2009-06-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

this lady spent a month in the hospital before we met her with a very deep infection in her thumb that would not heal...after a cleaning, dead tissue removal, suturing and prayer, the thumb healed properly shortly after the medical outreach team visited her village. she visited us and was very happy that her thumb was no longer infected. even the other old ladies in the village were very happy that their friend was better and no longer had to keep visiting the hospital.

assistance needed

2009-06-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

Name: Lucas Sacgod
Age:28
STATUS: married with children 8, 6, and 3 years old
Medical History: last month, during a medical outreach with a medic team from boise, we met Lucas. he was sitting on his porch, unable to walk. after interviewing him, we found that he had some mysterious deteriorating disease starting in september of 2008. it began in his toes and progressively moved north until he could no longer walk, stand or move his legs. by the beginning of 2009, he was completely unable to move his legs. so, in just a 3 or 4 months, he had gone from complete health, to being paralyzed.

MRI results: through donation from the team, i brought Lucas to the hospital in Manila to have MRI and consult with a neurosurgeon and orthopedic docotor. the results said...

"Disk degeneration/disk bulge at L4-5/ mild sac indentation/ facet arthrosis/ vertebral marrow changes/ T2 with para spinal and epidural soft tissue mass, causing spinal canal stenosis and spinal cord compression"

in short, Lucas has a tumor in his spine and something is causing his vertebrae to deteriorate. the neurosurgeon was extremely worried about his condition and said that "AT ANY MOMENT, THE VERTEBRAE CAN COLLAPSE CAUSING COMPLETE PARALYZATION IN ALL THE FUNCTIONS BELOW THE AFFECTED VERTEBRAE" (this would include his urinary and partial digestive functions). he said that Lucas needs to be confined in the hospital immediately and have a bone biopsy (to see if there's a virus or bacteria that's causing the severe deterioration) and he needs operation to put supports to keep the vertebrae from collapsing causing the total loss of functions in the lumbar region of his body. he can currently control his bowels and sit up, but without further support, he could loose these functions at any time.

COST of operation: anywhere between 2,500 dollars to 4,000 dollars. we knew we could not afford a private hospital, so we are using the government hospital in Manila. they are extremely overcrowded and we waited 9 hours to be seen and make an appointment for the 30th of June. at this time, lucas will be confined and prepared for the operation. lucas is selling all that he can, but needs more financial help. please email me for more information or send your tax-deductible donation with a note attached to your check that it is for operation sponsorship...thanks and God bless

OUR MANILA ADVENTURE

i got back from manila on friday. i didn't have much of a break. it seemed everything took 3 times as long as it should have (literally) or broke in the time being...first, the van (that we just had a top-end overhaul and wiring work done) broke down 2 hours into the trip. forcing us (lucas, his cousin, and myself) to spend the night in the van, waiting for the morning so the electrician could fix the van. so, we were ready to go by 11am...but traffic and heat were already bad. by the time we got to manila (27 hours later) it was pouring rain (and continued to everyday we were there). we had no problem with the MRI, but when we went to see the neurosurgeon for consultation, he said that "this is a condition for the rich"...in other words, you can't afford to be treated at THIS hospital...so he advised us to go to the government hospital, PGH. so, in between, i met with dr. francis to get the wheelchair and was surprised to see a plastic chair with the legs cut off and bicycle tires with a hand rail bolted on...i almost wanted to laugh, but i said, maybe we better make sure all the parts are with it...and sure enough, there were many parts missing, so francis said he'd find one with all the parts and send it...next time...

so that night, upon request of the doctor, we took lucas to the ER for confinement at PGH. what a bad mistake that was. while waiting there, the sick and very severe cases kept coming in, people who were in extreme pain, or unconscious, or barely breathing were all made to wait in line. when i asked for a wheelchair, they told me to "go find my own". we waited a bit and when the doctor came, (a fresh graduate), he started scolding us because lucas wasn't an acute case...nor was he dying...and kept scolding me, until i "accidentally" told him, that he didn't have to be a jerk about it. i guess i was just thinking aloud...

so, the next morning at 6am, we fell into line at the OPD...there must have been about 200 people or more there at 6am!!! we were fortunate that the guard didn't make us go upstairs to the end of the line since lucas had a wheelchair. so, we get our number and wait...and wait...and wait...until 1pm. then we are seen by the ortho doctor, who then gets the history and has us get back in line until 3pm when another doctor sees him and makes the follow-up appointment for confinement on the 30th! so 9 hours of waiting for a history and appointment! can you imagine...

anyway, on the 30th, i think they will confine lucas and do an operation for his bone biopsy and try to put a stainless brace on the deteriorated vertebrae. they think it's a bacteria or virus eating his bone as well as a tumor on his spine.

then...on the way back from the 9 hour wait at the hospital, we were driving back to the hotel to check out and i took a wrong turn to the busy part of manila. the van kept cutting off, until it would no longer start. so we're broke down with literally 5 lanes of traffic around us beeping and trying to pass us, and we have to recurit some people on the street to help us push and stop traffic. all said and done (and another 3 hours passing), we find out the van had a hose break and all the old poured out, completely ruining the engine. we had a trici pull the van to a local mechanic shop and we all just got on the bus and went home...i'd had enough of manila. today, i called the shop where the van was and was told that it would cost me 7,500 for the labor, 8,000 for the machine shop, and 15,000 for the parts...that's like 30,500 peosos or $650!!!

playing harmonica

2009-06-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Boise Mission Medics

2009-06-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

the month of May we had the privilege of hosting the Boise Mission Medic team. during the 2.5 weeks they were here, we planned 3 different outreaches. since i get to coordinate these outreaches, i experiment a little sometimes. usually, in the philippines, when someone hears the term "medical mission" or "medical outreach", they usually have the same picture in their heads...a team of foreigners or doctors from the city come to the poor village and do check ups. these check-ups usually consist of long, assembly-type, lines where patients wait in line for most of the day, see the doctor or health worker for a few minutes, go to another line to get their free meds and continue back to their house (at times, disappointed). sometimes a certain church, organization or politican uses these events to self-promote.

so, in thinking how we could avoid this, we decided we would go door-to-door and primarily do TB assessments...and if we happen across any emergencies or sick individuals, we would get them the meds they needed. this helped us avoid the long lines, the numerous request for (what i call) "poor lifestyle meds", and people being disappointed that they did not get some kind of meds.

i also wanted to work with a specific tribe that we had not concentrated on before. so we took the students to the resettlement villages and mountain village of Basao. The basao people have a feared reputation among the kalinga population for being vengeful and dangerous (most of this is exaggerated). even people from other tribes would warn us when they heard we were going there.

when we entered the resettlement and mountain villages of basao, we weren't met with fanfare or people offering to carry our boxes of supplies (as i have seen in the places where we are familiar). maybe the people were a little curious or suspicious why we were going there. when we went to the mountain village, i drove for most of the day in a vehicle manufactured from galvanized iron sheets, really bad suspension and no power steering. (halfway through the trip i realized that our vehicle was not suited for carrying 15 people plus luggage up steep dirt/rocky roads up and down the mountains, as i noticed oil leaking, all my clutch fluid pouring out, and our vehicle slamming the front suspension on rocks.) after the exhausting drive, i went with my work partner, Arturo, to talk with the barangay captain. after a serious of events (plus being physically tired), it seemed nothing was prepared for our arrival and i assumed were were not welcome there. the next couple of days we were met with a mixture of some very kind and gentle people, and also with people a little more "difficult"...drunk community leaders, pushy patients demanding medicines, and even gun fire one night right outside the clinic where part of the team was sleeping...

our team met one night to have a discussion of how things were going. my tendency is to look at the things that "need improving", but once we got into the conversation, it seemed that God checked my attitude. the discussion about the barangay captain came up and i remembered that just 2 or 3 weeks previous, he had lost his 20-something year old son to kidney failure. not to excuse drunkenness, but to try to understand his condition. then we talked about the tribal war that is all-too-common in that village. we saw many men carrying spears to the rice fields for personal protection and some had automatic weapons and were posted around their homes. FEAR rules much of the lives of these people. many still believe in old rituals that include animal sacrifice and consulting witch doctors and demons. some just laugh and say "it's only superstition", but superstition is rooted in the fear of doing or not doing something to avoid a curse or gain a blessing. when we begin to look at the condition of the heart and ask God to speak, touch, and hear through us...we begin to love like God.

we then saw our mission as more than just doing assessments for tuberculosis and assessing sick patients, but shining the light of God, praying for God's mercy for this people group, and bring LIFE to sick and dying bodies and souls. during our outreach, we went to every house to see if there are people at risk for TB or other illnesses. we pray for the family and ask God to bring healing on the sicknesses and peace to their house. in short, we ask God to bring salvation, healing and peace. this is the reason Jesus died (then rose again). during Jesus ministry on earth, his main focus was to preach, teach and heal...this also was his example for us to follow.

WE ARE ALL CALLED TO BE MISSIONARIES. MOST IN OUR "SECULAR" JOBS, SOME IN THE CHURCH, AND A FEW IN ANOTHER CULTURE...WE ALL HAVE THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO LIVE OUR LIVES AND LOVE GOD AND LOVE OTHERS.

missionary idol

sometimes i want to do my "acts of kindness" and see immediate results and receive gratitude from those i am giving to...but this is a very false image of what it means to serve. when i do "mission outreaches" where the "poorest of the poor" and weak come to me, i feel good about myself and what i have to give them and send them on their way as they are repeatedly saying "thank you, thank you" with their head bowed low...but most of the time, it turns out my own motive is very selfish and the poor and weak walk away a little poorer and weaker than before they had to present themselves before the "rich" and admit they are the "poor".

i have to be able to smile and love the lady who demands medicine for herself (even though there's no reason to give it), the man who asks money from me even though his cell phone cost more than most people earn in a year, and the man who is drunk and trying to touch on the girls in the group. i am called to be taken advantage of and used. it's easier to serve the poor and needy, but how about the annoying and demanding...or the manipulator and liar. it's a very anti-american thought in this age of lawsuit-happy-equal rights-capitalistic society, but Jesus taught something very different. if someones steals your shirt, give your coat Luke 27-36. love your enemy. turn the other cheek. forgive. give without question. love those who use and abuse you. oh how i wonder what the world would look like if we all could love like that.

From Death to Life 2

2009-06-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

this is sagmayao. this was removed from his body today. it is a spleen that was 15 times the size it should have been. during a medical outreach, a visiting doctor identified the problem and the team is raising the funds for his operation. the surgeon said that his spleen could have burst any moment. it would bleed anytime it was touched. saymayao is in good condition now and we are thankful for God's mercy toward him. the surgeon suspects it is from TB as he removed a lymph node that looked like TB infection...continue to pray for sagmayao's complete recovery

...one month later...

From Death to Life

2009-06-02T07:37:00.001-07:00

this is marylae. she was diagnosed with TB meningitis in september (the picture on the left). she was in a stupor for more than a month. after 2 months she showed a little recovery, but then became sick with malaria. her health digressed worse than before. she had to have surgery to place a drain tube in her head to relieve the built up pressure. during this time she was barely responsive to voices and could not talk...things were not looking well for marylae. we even tried to get a wheel chair for her, thinking she might not walk or even sit up on her own again.

BUT....

yesterday, i saw her mother and asked where marylae was...but i was looking right at her (picture on the right). i was so thankful that God had restored this little girl. she was walking and feeding her self and could understand all that was said to her. God is a God of LIFE. Jesus said "I AM the LIFE"...so thank you every one who prayed for marylae last fall/winter. God is so good.

rock climber in the making...he just does it

2008-12-18T22:28:00.000-08:00

children in Pakak...

2008-11-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

the little drummer boy...

2008-11-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

coffee, coconuts, and coughing

2008-11-17T05:38:00.000-08:00

(arturo and his wife marina)

(i started writing this about 7 months ago...i know i once had a different point, but it was lost in time...so i'll post it anyway, just for a glimpse at daily life and thoughts)....today started with the regular order of waking up and scampering to get formula made for samuel before he fully wakes up and lets us know about it. even though he's only 7 months, he already has his routines: wake up; have his bottle; play with "da-da"; eat his breakfast; soil his diaper; get washed off; go to "ma-ma"; take a nap...and all before 9am.

this morning i have to prepare for my "village run". this is where i (and sometimes another) go to the village to give a fresh stock of Tuberculosis medicines, vitamins and whatever else is needed. there are 8 children we are sponsoring (plus one adult) in the village of Ipil.

this morning, i am taking Arturo with me. Arturo has been my right hand man in the implementation of the TB sponsorship program. He's in his 50's, and has helped cure numerous people infected with TB in the preceding decades. Arturo has volunteered his time, effort, and resources to help anyone who asks. i have a lot to learn from him as far as having a generous heart.

Arturo and his wife are in the private clinic right across the street where two of his grandchildren are confined for typhoid fever and malaria. he has been there for 3 days and had little sleep or comfort. he's concerned at how he will pay for the bill of the two patients. his harvest was a failure and he spent about twice as much on fertilizers, gasoline, labor and seeds for his rice, than he was able to sell after harvesting. he borrowed money for that and now he must borrow money again...he wonders if God is testing him somehow...

I get the medicines ready, put names on the bottles, put them in plastic bags and in one large heavy box. the box is tied on my motorcycle as i go to pick up Arturo. it's a really tight fit as the box is taking up a third of the motorcycle seat and suddenly my seat becomes the steep-angled gas tank...at least Ipil's not too far away.

upon arriving in the village. we pass through golden fields that were a brilliant green only a week ago. it is harvesting time throughout tabuk. this village is small. there are only about 35 houses (small nipa huts) here. in the recent times, more people have taken to building cement and hollow block houses. these concrete houses hold up to the weather but are seldom completely finished. the majority lack paint or any finishing on the exterior or interior walls.

one of the families we are working with has 12 children. both of the parents died of TB and the older ones (in their early 20's) are watching after the younger ones. we are sponsoring 2 of the younger children and helping the older one with vitamins (since he gets his meds free from the government).

another young man in this village had 2 places on his face that. for the past few years have been draining pus. he's ashamed to be around people much because they openly ridicule him about the smell. he's tried antibiotics many times, but the problem keeps returning. after talking with some doctors in the area, we decided to treat him with 6 months of TB meds. after a couple of months, the ulcers were shrinking in size and the drainage was decreasing.

the reason we first came to the village of Ipil was because some of the the relatives of the little girl that almost died of TB meningitis, lived here. (see later post of Marilee Abaggoy)...

we love to see God at work and how he brings certain children, families, or villages into our scopes. we are just a few people working through the resources sent by family, friends, and church family to help people here and show them they are worth being helped and loved. i've heard comments before that people with certain diseases "deserve what they got" or "should die" because the treatment for their illness is too much or they are "old, and just eating up too much rice".

my prayer is that God helps us see each other as He sees them, but more than that, that God helps us see our selves as He see us. As His worshipers, his children, and his bride. once we (just) begin to grasp how God sees us and loves us, we can then...and only then, love others that way.

7.5 months

2008-11-17T02:20:00.000-08:00

swimming...

2008-11-17T02:12:00.000-08:00

samuel at 7 months taking a bath

samuel's tricks

2008-09-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

a MONTH in the YEAR of a missionary FAMILY!!!

2008-09-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

hello friends and family! it's been a while since we've given an update, but it's about time we let you know what's going on with us here in the philippines. first, i want thank all of you who pray for us. we really appreciate it.

in our lives, we have several upcoming celebrations next month...it will be samuel's 1/2 year birthday October 4th, it will be my 30th birthday October 6th, our 2nd year wedding anniversary October 7th and Cathee's birthday on October 17th! whoo, lots of reasons to celebrate.

SAMUEL

samuel's now 5months. he's growing and starting to do strange, yet wonderful, stuff like babbling on and on as if we can understand him and sucking his toes. he's a blessing and we thank God for him. everyone here's starting to say he's looking more and more like cathee...and then they say he has my head shape and hair...as they smirk...

we just found out that we have an appointment at the US Embassy for his citizenship. i'm not sure how long this will take, but it's one step closer to being able to bring him to meet his family and friends in the U.S.

(samuel meets his great-grandfather who is also
a well known tribal elder in kalinga)

KALINGA VINEYARD CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (STUDENT MINISTRY)

our youth (18 indigenous students from the mountain and resettlement villages of But But and Dananao) are doing well. we have been teaching for the past month on the sermon on the mount. imagine explaining "turning the other cheek" to someone that has grown up with the idea of tribal war (revenge killing) as a normal part of their village life. we pray that God will raise up leaders, pastors, missionaries, teachers and activists of justice in our group. we are preparing to host the interchurch fellowship the last sunday of this month. we will be landscaping our front yard, preparing a worship team, and making benches for the 100 or more youth that usually come to the interfellowships. we want to see the surrounding churches to work together in unity, building the kingdom of God.

KIDS TB SPONSORSHIPS

we just finished overseeing the completion of 6 months of TB meds in 10 of our 12 sponsored children. one child still has another month till completion and one child's family came to us this past week asking medicines for their daughter who is 7 years old and currently in the hospital with TB meningitis. This is a life-threatening condition that usually leads to stupor, coma, and many times, death. the little girl's name is marillyn. she has been in the hospital for around 25 days now. she's in need of surgery to release the pressure in her head from the meningitis, but her family cannot afford the cost of taking her to the hospital in Baguio or Manila where she needs to get the surgery. if there's anyone who wants to help marillyn get this needed surgury, let me know.

two weeks ago, i attended the PhilCAT (philippine coalition against tuberculosis) convention. there were many seminars and information on the fight against TB here. the philippines has the 9th highest incidence of TB in the world! but progress is being made each year. one of the more recent focuses has been on the multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB). this is a strain of TB that is not responsive to one or more of the TB meds currently given. there was a record attendance of more than 1,600 doctors, department of health workers, and other non-profit organization workers.

after seeing marillyn in the hospital, i realized how important it is that we continue to assess and treat children who are positive with tuberculosis. we currently need more sponsors for the kids TB sponsorship program. the assessment of a child and their family, 6 months of meds and vitamins, and monthly follow-ups costs us about 100 dollars. consider giving a child a greater chance at a healthy life...and help take away the death sentence of TB.

recent graduates of the TB sponsorships.
(the first girl has one more month)

thank you for helping them

DEEP WELL

we are helping provide fresh water to a village without adequate access. in one resettlement village with 1,400 people, there was only enough water for about 350 people per pump. imagine having only one faucet in your house. now imagine having to pump this every time you wanted to wash, bathe, cook and drink...now imagine having to share that one faucet with 350 people!!! lack of fresh water directly affects the health of a whole community. if you'd like to help provide fresh water to a community by sponsoring a well, let us know.

thank you for your time in reading this update for august. again, we appreciate those who are praying for us and giving toward missions. we pray God would meet all your needs as you're faithful in giving.

PRAYER REQUESTS

*Healing of arthritis in cathee's wrists. this has suddenly started in the last 3 months and causes much pain, even after taking medicines
*The youth interfellowship september 28th
*Planning for the upcoming year
*Direction, wisdom, and boldness to accomplish all that God is leading us to do
*Samuel and I have colds

NEEDS

*PRAYER
*TB Sponsorships
*monthly supporters (for personal expenses for our family)
*video projector for video Bible classes for next year!!!

blessings and peace to you in the Name of our LORD, Jesus Christ
chris, cathee, and samuel mapes

family picture...

2008-08-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

(samuel is 4 months here)

the early bird...

2008-07-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

this fisherman was one of the first on the lagoon at sunrise last week.
during some timeoff of a hectic schedule, i took a break to rest and reflect

well restoration, turned to a new well project

2008-07-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

you are staring down a 50 foot hole. as noted in the earlier blog entry, we started pulling the pipe to a 120 foot deep well. after breaking chains, bending A-frames, and malfunctioning chain blocks, we decided we needed to hire professional well diggers to make a new hole. the cost of the well has continues to increase. when i found our deep well cost estimate sheet from the deep well we made in pakak 3 years ago, the costs of the materials have nearly doubled since then!!! it's pretty upsetting that the construction supply has taken such horrid advantage of the present economical problems...(didn't mean to go there)...but we continue to build the well.

the work is dangerous as the workers use only shovels and a bucket as they dig. each worker takes 2 hour shifts as they are lowered 50 feet down and dig until they reach the water table. each day they can only dig (depending on the soil conditions) about 3-6feet. the most dangerous part of the work is the pockets of gas they encounter as they reach the "black streaked soil" that signifies there will be gases present. so pray for the workers as they still have over 50 feet MORE to dig. thank you for the family that has helped us sponsor this project. may you be so aware of God's abundant blessings toward you.

need i say more...

2008-07-29T01:21:00.000-07:00

Well Repair project started

2008-07-11T21:06:00.002-07:00

we started repairing a well that's been out broken for about 10 years now. our first task was to pull the old pipes...which might be the hardest part of the project...considering they go down more than 120 feet!!!

after bending a chain block, we decided to dig for about 15 feet first to help get the pipes looser. this project was a needed contribution to this community. currently there are an average of 350 people that share 1 well in the community of Dananao, Lacnog.

The Monster Lives...

2008-06-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

You Have to Hear This...

2008-06-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

this other voice is Cathee...

promise of mercy

2008-06-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

after a rainy day in tabuk

our house spiders...

2008-06-09T20:45:00.001-07:00

we find many of these spiders around the house...thankfully our cat likes to eat them...

the many faces of Samuel Mapes at 2 months

2008-06-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

2months old!

2008-06-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

babblings begun

2008-05-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

he's too cute...i just had to blog our conversation...which must have been boring since there's a big yawn in the middle of it...

all that boy thinks about is food...

2008-05-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

samuel at 5 weeks!!!

PARACHUTE FUN!

2008-05-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

from the VBS in pakak...it looks like that boy's giving a right hook to the girl jumping???

2008-05-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

OUR FIRST WORSHIP SERVICE AT THE KALINGA VINEYARD'S NEW LOCATION WITH THE DIA STUDENTS

2008-05-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

hey everybody that's been keeping up with our blog. blessings to you! things have continued to be pretty hectic (in a productive way) around here lately. we welcomed the DIA class to our home the 23rd of April. after they got rest from their "too many hours to mention" plane and bus trip to tabuk, we put them to work moving the ministry into our new location (the "willie wonka house" as my mom would call it). we love it here. it's turned out to be a beautiful house. we've been painting and tiling and organizing. so the help of the students was a huge blessing. when i was wondering how we'd move all the stuff from our old place to the new one. right then our neighbor drove up in his huge flatbed truck, and when i asked him, he gladly said we could use it to move all the furniture and appliances! what a blessing!
the team did VBS with the kids in Pakak and are now in naga doing a VBS and conducting a volunteer seminar on working with kids. this past friday we took samuel in for a check-up and had some tests run on him. His bilirubin levels were very high, causing him to be very jaundiced. the results were saturday...i had to leave monday for manila with the team. tueday night i caught a bus (another 11 hours) back to tabuk. when i arrived, there was such a drastic change in samuel's skin color, eyes, and even weight. we were so thankful to God for touching our child. and continuing to touch him. thank you for all your prayers and concern for our family's well being!

the team was great to have. they really let God love the kids in pakak through them as they sang, played, taught, and just hung out with them. even though it was a large team (16 in all), it was a such a blessing to have them here.

(there's a blank spot next to cathee, cause i didn't make it before the camera timer went off...)

out of the hospital

2008-04-18T02:10:00.000-07:00

thanks you friends for all your prayers and support during the 9 days of confinement. samuel is doing well. continue to pray for him, i think there's still a little bacteria left.

this is samuel's "feed me" face

john and jeremiah...my kid has more hair than both of yours...combined! i think he's due for another haircut this week. ho ho ho

samuel smiles

2008-04-15T02:42:00.000-07:00

even with an IV still in his hand...what a trooper.

this is his "luke skywalker" shirt...

hospital food...on a good day.

2008-04-15T02:41:00.000-07:00

small cup of rice, pig fat, cabbage and overripe banana...the sure path to wellness.

eye of the storm

2008-04-15T02:39:00.000-07:00

here we are. 8 days in the hospital and two more to go. it's been a rough week as we've just had our firstborn last week and two days later, we find ourselves confined in the hospital. samuel had a UTI. first they told us it would be five days of antibiotics, then seven, and now 10. i'm not real happy about it. this week has been one of my "stay outta my way" weeks. as i'm running errands around town, i find myself saying some pretty nasty things at stupid drivers and just being pretty rotten. in the midst of preparing for a large team of students, preparing to move, running medicines to the children in the village and taking care of my family in the hospital, i have been pretty overwhelmed. this picture was one of those moments i had to slow down and get things in right perspective. right at this moment, nothing else mattered except my son feeling secure enough to sleep on my chest. i was at peace.
thanks for praying for us during this difficult time. we appreciate your prayers and communications...
much love,
the mapes clan...camping in the hospital

our new place...

2008-04-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

some remember us sending pictures of the house we were going to move into...well, the owner changed her mind. so we found this house we're going to relocate to in bulano. it's off the main street and very close to the davidson hotel (for those of you who have been here). we'll have some work to do to have it ready by may, but we're really looking forward to moving here (maybe not the moving process). we'll be renting the first and second floor.

2008-04-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

click here for more pics...http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.mapes/SamuelMapes

angel's first song...

2008-04-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

yes, at the end cathee lovingly says..."how'd that came out of me?"

joy

2008-04-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

one more mapes...the legacy continues...

big baby, little lady

2008-04-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

Samuel Christopher Mapes
born: 4/4/08 at 1:11pm
8lbs!!!
only a few hours old here.

thanks to all for praying for us. this was a tough delivery, but God showed so much mercy to us thorough it. Samuel didn't want to relocate from his 39 week house, so he wedged his shoulder against the pubic bone. after wrestling with his midwife for a while, samuel made his appearance, and for a few seconds, made a wrinked face of defiance at the midwife. after that, as if a chorus of angels began to sing, samuel cried...bringing a mixture of tears and unexpected laughter to my voice also. we are so blessed...

any day now...

2008-04-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

any day now, we'll be granted with the titles of "dad" and "mom". We'll be endowed with the responsibility of shaping a life; tested for the ability to live selflessly.

Dear God, grant us the wisdom, strength and integrity to teach, train and guide this child to live a life set apart for You. Just as the prophet Samuel was dedicated to You as a child, we also dedicate our Samuel and entrust him to Your care.

Tire toilet...recycling at its best

2008-03-14T00:55:00.000-07:00

Tire toilet...recycling at its best

swimming with whale sharks

2008-03-14T00:44:00.000-07:00

36 weeks!!!

2008-03-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

EXPLOSION

2008-03-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Always make sure you're alert while using an unfamiliar socket!!!almost burned my hand on this one

Cheese Flavored Ice Cream???

2008-03-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

Only in the Philippines...

big fish and bus stop conversations

2008-03-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

This past week, i've been organizing an upcoming outreach in the south of Luzon. it's about a 20 hour bus ride from kalinga, (but thankfully, i found a cheap plane ticket from manila)....anyway, back to my story. when i traveled to legaspi, i planned an extra day to swing by a place close by that's renown for whale shark sitings. they are the largest fish on earth, reaching lengths up to 60 feet long and can weigh almost 5 times as much as an elephant!... at this place, Donsol, you can even get in the water and snorkel alongside these enormous fish. so i didn't want to pass up this opportunity.

i planned on getting there early in the morning and leaving for our outreach destination that same day. after 2 hours of waiting for decent weather to board the small boat, we then circled the ocean for another hour and a half looking for the whale sharks (while slowly baking in the sun). at that point i was really thinking of how i just wasted that whole morning and should have left when the weather was bad...but shortly after there was a sighting!!!

what followed next was our guide yelling "get ready"..."jump". everyone sat on one side of the boat and slid into the water as the boat passed about 20 yards ahead of the whale shark's destination. we all swam toward the fish with the dark ocean below...looking below for anything. then suddenly a giant grey dotted shadow floats straight toward you and you don't see it until it's about 10 feet away!!! i froze for a moment and marveled. it was amazing. then i swam along side this monster of the deep, seeing even the small cleaner fish clinging to it's dorsal fin.

we did this 4 or 5 times, each time was just as amazing as the last. i was satisfied and ready to get back to my original business. i wanted to eat at this point and didn't see many options in this small town but a 25cent bowl of soup across the street.

while i was there eating and waiting for a jeep, God opened the door of conversation with 2 gays. one was dressed like a woman...it was totally God, cause at first, i was annoyed and didn't want to hear them hitting on me, but then i just turned and began to ask them questions...like why they dressed like women, dated men, and acted with the mannerisms they did. the main reason this young man said he was a "bacla" was because he enjoyed the attention. i told them they have an identity outside the "costume and act" and "gay" is not who they ARE. one guy was almost in tears and the other said, "no one's ever asked me these questions", so when one asked about what i thought about heaven...the door was wide open! so i told them that there is a heaven and a hell and a God who loves them, but their unrepentant actions separate them from Him. shortly after this conversation, i had to catch my jeepney, leaving them to consider the truth that apparently no one has ever shared with them. i knew God gave me grace for that conversation and was thankful that i wasn't too busy or annoyed toward them in order to have that conversation.

Here in the Philippines, there are many "bacla" who dress like women and live the homosexual lifestyle. as i continued on my way seeing they two confused young men, i chuckled to myself as i remembered talks i had with a friend about the (the bacla) and hitting their fore head saying, "out! in the name of Jesus!", so it didn't happen like that, but i think God got their attention.

Killer Cat

2008-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Our pet, "Panther"

Vineyard Hearts Cafe

2008-02-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

our youth during their valentine's activities

Kalinga Day 2007

2008-02-18T21:41:00.001-08:00

one of the ladies show how weaving done by hand.

this year we entered some photography and postcards we made in one of our friends booths. (they're on the table in the front)...and we made a whopping $2.95...after 3 days. ha ha ha

Valentine's day date...(we're 33 weeks now!!!)

2008-02-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

Home Again

2008-02-01T17:54:00.001-08:00

hey friends n family,

just wanted to let everyone know that i'm back in the philippines, safe, hot, and sweating. i am looking forward to being back in tabuk and seeing cathee. after i returned from boise, i was hoping to see my new nephew (from my younger sister, Anna) but apparently the baby boy was shy and waited till i was on the plane flying back....i knew that would happen:)

after 23 hours of flying and airports, i still have about 11 more hours of bus till i'm home again...not really looking forward to that, but it's all good. i wanted to thank everyone (i know mass "thankings" are pretty lame,but...) who has been supporting us in prayer and finances. Jeremy & Julie Watts for the charity ICE BOWL (disc golf) fundraiser for us, the staff at boise vineyard for all their hospitality and friendships, my friends and family at the Etown vineyard, we thank you guys for good times and oportunities to share our heart with you. and my family, who is always willing to accomodate and sacrifice for us while we're here.

after being able to share our vision, i have a new appreciation for the work that God's allowing us to do here in the philippines. so many times i catch myself dwelling on the difficulties of the work and my own disappointments, that i forget what it's all really about, not just doing good things or sharing about a generic "god", but sharing The ONLY Loving God, who sent his Son Jesus to save us from the sin that seperates us from relationship with Him. This is what's it always comes back to.

so thank you for helping us do that. blessings and peace to you all.
love,
chris and cathee mapes

to see my new nephew click http://usmcmcse.blogspot.com/

Cathee's latest update (while chris was away)

2008-01-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year celebration. For this new year, we pray that God will continue to bless you and your family in every area of your lives....May He embrace you with His love and peace, and continue to direct your ways....

Personally, we have a lot to thank God for in the year 2007....He has been so faithful to Chris and I, and to the ministry He has entrusted to us....allow us to share with you some of these things....

We are now 28 weeks pregnant! After a miscarriage, God has blessed us with another precious gift....we're expecting by the end of March or early April. I'm getting big and heavy and feel hungry all the time now! Please continue to help us pray for a healthy pregnancy and a normal labor and delivery to a healthy and normal baby.

Tribal Youth/Students:

- three of our tribal students graduated from college last year...2 of them were the first in their family to have even had the privilege to go to college. The guy, Ramon, went on to university in the city to take up Law. He works as a househelper to be able to do so. The two girls, Bylen and Marivic, went back to school to take up units in Midwifery. Marivic helps us at the mission house/church and in our outreaches. Bylen helps at a charity maternity center run by another missionary friend.

- At the start of the school year in June 2007, we had 27 tribal students living with us. Most of them came from the mountain tribe 6 hours away from town, and some are from tribal resettlement villages in Tabuk but still a bit far from the main town where the schools are. At present though, we only have 20 of them left. Some stopped for financial reasons and /or academic reasons, and others moved to another boarding house closer to their school. We continue to disciple these students and have regular schedule for prayer meeting, Bible study, and Sunday fellowship which we hold in the same building where we live. Whenever possible, we involve them in our outreaches.

CR/Latrine Project in Pakak:

- in May 2007, students of SCCD or School of Christian Character Devlopment from Boise Vineyard came to help dig CRs or latrines in the resettlement village of Pakak. We had high hopes when we started this project 2 years ago. We know that if the people in Pakak have them and use them, it would help with their health, especially the kids.... but it's really taking a long time for this to be completed....it really is not a priority of the villagers....we are encouraged though that some really understand its importance.....so we persist and persevere in helping the people see the importance of having and using them....

TB Testing and Treatment:

- we had graduated 30 kids from their six months and/or nine months of treatment. They all gained weight, have better appetite and more energy after their treatment. Most of them have already had their follow-up and cleared from TB by a doctor we are working with. Others will have their follow-up in the coming week.

- we have done sputum testing on the parents and grandparents of these children and sponsored some for chest x-ray in the hope to find the adults who may have been the sources of TB.

- at present, we are helping 3 kids and 3 adults who are currently having their treatment.

Weighing and Nutrition Assessment of Kids:

- together with the barangay midwife and health worker, we have started weighing and assessing the health and nutrition of kids especially those 5 years old and under, in two other resettlement villages in our town of Tabuk. In the village of Lacnog Butbut, we weighed 98 kids, and out of these, 25 are either low weight or very low weight, three of whom have had TB sometime back. In the village of Lanlana, we weighed 31 kids, and 6 of them are low weight and 1 very low weight. In our work in the other villages, the ones we graduated from tuberculosis treatment were the ones who were low and very low weight kids. This is why we wanted to assess the weight and nutrition of these kids in the two new villages first and prioritize these low and very low weight kids for further assessment with the doctor we work with and be tested for TB. We will also be doing sputum testing for the adults in these villages.

We would like to thank you all so much for making our work in Kalinga possible...Thank you for your prayers and generous donations. May God in His faithfulness, love, grace and mercy, continue to bless you and your family abundantly in every area of your lives!!!

Love and Blessings,

Chris and Cathee Mapes:)

RICHIE

2008-01-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

RICHIE

"My gosh, he's just skin and bones," was the first thought that came to mind as this young boy got off the neighbor's bicycle. He had the posture of an old man with a "barrel chest." His name is Richie Anchay, he's 13 years old and only weighs 22 kg (48.5 lbs). That day, their neighbor went to get him out of school early so we can meet and weigh him. He was first mentioned to us by the midwife who works around the area. She knew about our work with kids with TB or tuberculosis in the other villages and asked us to meet Richie. He was diagnosed of TB of the lungs a year ago and was prescribed TB medications for 6 months. His mother told us that he was only able to take the medicines for 1 month because that is all they can afford to buy. He continues to lose weight, and coughs almost all the time....

But oh, he had such a sweet smile....after we weighed him, he busied himself in the kitchen making coffee for us....and he served us with that big sweet smile....

Tuberculosis is the fifth leading cause of death and illness in the Philippines....Approximately 1,500,000 children ages 0-9 years are infected and 40,000 of them develop the disease each year. (From the National Prevalence Survey by Tupasi et al, 1997)

We will take Richie this week for further check-up and another chest x-ray and go from there...He is such a precious kid and we want to see him get well and continue smiling....Please pray for Richie as you think of him.

Curing TB in children is made possible by people like you, who can sponsor the 6-9 month treatment for $100 dollars. just email us at chris.mapes@gmail.com and we'll let you know how.

Thank you and blessings,

Chris and Cathee Mapes:)

To know more about our work in Kalinga, please visit our website at www.mapesmission.com

His Mercies Are New Every Morning...

2008-01-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Happy New Year! it's hard to believe it's 2008. over New Year's holiday, i spent 4 days in Kansas City, MO attending the ONETHING conference and THECALL. (www.thecall.com) there were many seminars during the day and lots of worship and teachings during the main sessions. one of the common issues mentioned among many of the teachers, preachers and speakers was the issue of immorality in our nation, and not only our nation, but also rampant in the church today. sadly, this is not a surprise to most. we have already seen the downfall of many religious personalities through the media. but before we're so quick to condemn the televangelist, have we taken a look at our own life? recently, i read a study that said between 20 to 37 percent of pastors are currently struggling with pornography addiction. These were the pastors that admitted it...

if the shepherd struggles, how much more the sheep? pornography has infiltrated the eyes and mind of young and old alike. in church counseling, around 25% of the issues are pornography addictions. the WORD of God says (Matt. 6:22-23) 22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

God wants our eyes...

God is not an angry, old school teacher with a wooden ruler and large crooked nose waiting for the opportunity to whack us when we fidget. Sometimes i forget and think God's like that. I'm scared to mess up cause i think He's gonna send a lightning bolt my way and laugh as i get fried.

This is not the God i serve. He is a Father, a Lover and a King. God wants our gaze. Even when we are weak. "dark, yet lovely" (taken from Solomon's Song of Songs), is believed to be a description of God's love for us in our weakness. When He has our gaze, he reveals more about Himself to us

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

What We Embrace is What We Become...
So how do we flee sin? keep our eyes focused on the One who desires our gaze. When be behold true beauty, the lesser things become more despised...in other words, when we focus on Jesus, our desire for Him is greater and our desire for sin lessens...

So, we must "watch" our eyes...the human heart is "desperately wicked above all things"...when we see immorality, violence and ungodliness, our heart is strangely drawn toward these things...unless our eyes are already fixed on something greater...The beauty of God.

silly wedding picture

2007-12-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving? (2006)

2007-12-16T18:53:00.002-08:00

Culture Shock
Lately, I’ve been busy with various projects and support-raising during my time visiting the U.S. Recently, I spoke to a large group of middle-schoolers. I knew I was not there to raise financial support, but rather to raise awareness. Awareness of how the rest of the world lives. I spent time researching some statistical data from the Philippines and the 3rd world. Statistics say that half of the world lives on less than 2 dollars a day. 2... dollars... a... day... 20% of the world uses 80% of the world’s resources... TB is the 6th top killer of Filipinos -- and the statistics continue to tell us how unjust the world is. I arrived in the U.S. before Thanksgiving. During this time, it seems, the news was filled with stories about the new XBOX and how people were lined up outside every retail electronic store across the country to pay $400 dollars for a gaming system (while the other half of the world struggles to feed their children nutritious meals). What is even more ironic is that the day after "Thanksgiving" is "Black Friday"... meaning the biggest shopping day of the year. It's not like it grocery shopping or alms giving... it’s buying overpriced toys (on "sale") for children and adults. Our nation's children are growing up with increasingly more stuff. We have bought into the idea that we need things.

Back to the middle schoolers... As I read in the Gospels, I find that Jesus called his disciples and they LEFT EVERYTHING. I asked this group of (mostly) churched students if God asks them to "give up everything." They said "no" (hoping that I would confirm their answer). And I don't think He does. From what I read in the Bible, God tells us (commands us) to give to the poor... be openhanded to anyone who asks... to trust Him. The bottom line is that God wants ALL of us. All of us. We cannot serve God AND stuff. We either serve God with all we are and all we have... or we don't. When we serve God with all we are, we present our bodies, lifestyles, speech, etc... as a "living sacrifice" (meaning we lay down those things as gifts to God). When we serve God with all we have, we don’t hold on to stuff. We are willing to give away anything God asks of us. Further still... we are willing to give up anything that another person asks of us.

It All Goes Back to LOVE
"If we don’t love our brother we can see, how can we love a God we can’t see?" This question is presented to us in the Word of God. When you dig deeper into this line of thought, you wonder, how can I love God then? The key, I believe goes back to God’s love. "For God so love the world that he gave his only Son..." I don’t believe we can love our brothers until we understand God's love for us. Ephesians 1 gives a prayer for "THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING so we might KNOW HIM BETTER." We really do need to continually ask God to reveal His Son to us so we can KNOW Him. To KNOW Him is to know love. Once we know and understand God's love for us, we, in return, can love others. God gave me a pretty vivid picture of this a couple months ago...

What’s That Smell?
Staying in Pakak (one of the Butbut villages), I have many small followers. The children of the village would congregate wherever I would be. When I would be walking across the village, they would push and shove to hold my hands. So there I was, surrounded by 5-10 children like the Pied Piper on a small scale (not that the children are equated to rats... nor do I wear green tights...). Later that night, I attended a Bible study with the youth. I began to smell something horrid. I thought I might have stepped in animal's waste or someone had gas or... I couldn’t figure it out. As I began to sniff around (still during the Bible study) I found the smell was in front of me... no, to the right side of me... wait... it’s my hands!!! Man, I wanted to leave right then -- it was my hands! I thought back, "Why do my hands smell like this?" Then I remembered the kids that day. Those disgusting little...

Something Needs to Change
As I walked back from the study, I went straight to the pump and washed my hands. When the kids came up to hold my hands I pulled my hands away and would just put them on the top of their heads in order not to have to smell that on me again. Suddenly, God showed me my heart toward Him. I pictured myself as a child with filthy hands. As I reached out to take God's hand, he pulled them away, not wanting to touch my sinful self. But this was a backward picture. Later that day, I sat and with my guitar and sang these lines, "and so I reach with filthy hands, wanting to touch Yours again... but You don’t refuse me, no you love me anyway." God takes us even in our weakness, and holds us. When we begin to get a revelation of the love of God for us, we can love others in their weakness. We become less cynical, sarcastic, and critical. All this to say, in order to change the world, we must change how we view God. When we have a view of a loving God that loves humanity and hates sin so much he would send his Son to redeem us from our filth, we can love all those who are the unlovely, rejects of society. In fact, we are those filthy, unloved, rejects... who have been redeemed by the God of the Universe.

Story of Kayla (2002 - 2005)

2007-12-16T18:53:00.001-08:00

Tuesday
A man came to the clinic asking for medicine for his sick child. I was in a bit of a hurry and had helped this family before, as it seemed this little girl was often sick. I found some children's Tylenol, gave him a couple of doses for the child and asked if there was anything else I could do for him. (Truthfully, I suspected this man of being one who takes advantage of others and just wanted to see what he could get from the "rich foreigners"). He then asked for rice for his family, but we didn't have extra at the time. I was in a hurry and wanted to finish my business as I insincerely asked if there was anything else he needed. He eventually said yes, that he needed money to buy rice for his family. I told him it is not our policy as an organization to give out money. He said he understood and then went home.

I told him I would go to his village and do check-ups on Friday.

Friday
I went to his village. I would often go there on my time off to visit with my "tribal family" anyway, so I didn't mind doing it. When I finally started doing check-ups, it was already past 4:30 and I had about 2 hours of daylight before it was dark and I'd have to stop due to the absence of electricity and light. More and more people showed up and I was feeling a bit over whelmed at the number of people and the amount of time I had. It was dark and I was a bit tired and tried to hurry through the last few patients. The man's wife and child who asked for rice for his family came and I listened to the child’s breathing, gave the child some paracetamol for her fever and antibiotics for any respitory infection and said she probably had a cough and cold as I did not see anything alarmingly wrong with the child. I finished up ate dinner with my tribal family and went back to the other village I where I had been staying.

Saturday
I got word that the sick child, Kayla, a beautiful 2 year old, was in the hospital. I reasoned I shouldn't rush right away and waited.

Monday
Monday came, and that afternoon, I thought I needed to check on Kayla. I got to the government hospital and asked where the child was. The nurses pointed to the ICU. I had no idea her sickness was so serious. When I got in the room, there she was, in a stupor on the bed with her mother (who was in a devastated state from the child's grave condition). Kayla was breathing on her own, but would only attempt to move occasionally and could not move her eyes and had no pupil response to light. I stayed at the hospital that night and prayed over the child throughtout the night.

Tuesday
I talked with the doctor. He said there was nothing more they could do and suggested they go to the next biggest city for a CT scan to see if there was swelling in the brain that could be relieved by some type of surgical operation. The family was worried about money and hesitant to go. I encouraged them to go and said I'd go with them. The father said he had to stay home with his other children, so I would meet the mother there later. That evening I went to the government hospital in Tuegagarao to find the family, but many of the wards were so crowded that there were patients lining the hallways. I finally found Kayla and they were in the hallway of the Pediatric ward, the "charity" section of each ward for the poor. She was hooked up to an IV and left there in the hallway. The father arrived about the same time I did and we took her for a chest x-ray. Kayla had a gastric drainage tube that drained a bleeding ulcer. The x-ray pointed toward TB and at this point the doctors still did not know exactly why she went into a stupor, but suspected TB, meningitis, or encephalitis. That night she stopped breathing. An ambu bag was used to resuscitate her, as at this point, she went in to a full coma, unresponsive to anything. People in the hospital would watch as we were resuscitating her like it was a daytime drama. I got angry and yelled for them to go away. We took turns pumping the ambu bag non-stop for the next couple of days. I got a few hours of sleep in an empty hospital bed that night, but the mother had only slept about 3 hours in the past 4 days.

Wednesday
Wednesday came and things were not looking up. The mother was not functioning well from lack of sleep, food, and grieving over her dying child. Kayla still had not gotten a CT scan, our whole reason for going two hours away to another hospital to be ignored by the health workers as we sat in the hallway. There was no progress during that day and I told the parents I'd go find a hotel to get some sleep that night or I'd be useless.

Thursday
I awoke to the thought that Kayla might not have made it through the night. I knew they had a CT scan scheduled for the morning at another hospital, so I'd meet them there. When I got to the hospital, I asked if the transportation had arrived from the government hospital, I was told "yes" and waited in the CT scan waiting area. When the x-ray tech came out I asked him about Kayla, he said the family was not there and called the other hospital to see why. The doctor said she was not stable enough to leave the hospital. I rushed to the hospital and she was there, but her condition had not changed. Finally I demanded to talk with her doctor to find out why nothing was being done for this child. The doctor basically said they thought she was brain dead and medications were keeping her heart beating and the ambu bag keeping her lungs moving. They were waiting for her to die. Later that day, the father said he'd go check on his other children and if I could stay to help with Kayla. I said yes and waited. About 3:30pm, Kayla's heartbeat began to slow to 60bpm to 40bpm till it stopped beating. Chest compressions were done, but the heart would not keep beating. Kayla was dead.

The rest of the day consisted of the mother and I arguing, and sometimes angrily, with guards and hospital staff that would take the body of Kayla to their morgue and not allow the mother to take her child back to her province for funeral preparations unless she could pay all of the hospital bill right then. She would not be allowed to leave until bills were paid in full. While the mother was attempting to complete the paperwork, I sat in front of that dirty morgue holding Kayla and wishing the mother did not have to go through all of this. She did not have enough money and was in no state to worry about billing and the massive amount of paperwork that was required to be discharged from the hospital. Together we were able to pay the bill and get transportation back to her home that night.

The most heart-breaking sounds I have ever heard was this mother weeping over her child. I don't think I can ever forget that sound or that image of her holding her dead child screaming for the child to answer her. I don't ever want to see the father wiping his face continually from the tears that wouldn't stop. I don't know why the child died. Maybe God had me there to be with the family. I cannot tell them why God did not answer their prayers to heal Kayla. The spinal tap revealed she had bacterial meningitis.

The very next week, the other two siblings of Kayla were in the hospital with similar symptoms as Kayla. When I visited them and asked if I could pray for the children, the mother's response was, "it doesn't do any good" and "I think God is punishing us". I don't know how to respond to the mother except that God is good and he does not change. I can just be there, pray and allow God to work through me to love them and show them that God does care so much for this family. I pray that He will continue to reveal more of his love to them through this situation.

The children are doing well now and they were discharged from the hospital after a week. We had the other two children checked for TB and they were found to be positive. We are currently sponsoring their medications for the next 6 months.

I pray I will not ever be in too much of a hurry to stop and help a needy family or individual. I pray that I won't refuse someone daily necessities because I don't want to bother or don't want to give from my own pocket. And I pray that every interaction with people God places in my path will be full of love, compassion and mercy.

Thank all of you for your friendships, support and prayer... to see how you can be involved with mercyinaction go to "how to support" section.

Our greatest purpose in life is to love God and love others.

News, stories, and happenings from August

2007-12-16T18:52:00.002-08:00

So... where do I start? So many things have been going on here: over half a year has passed for me here in the Philippines, I spent over a week in bed with malaria in July, we have completed many medical trips to the mountains since February, supervised the completion of a well in our adopted tribal village and are continuing with the work here. But I can give at least one recent story...

Our last trip to the ButBut tribal people (and one new tribal people) in the mountains has been the most strenuous for me so far. We spent much time hiking in the mountains to each village we would work at(which I love to do anyway) but also encountered Spiritual opposition. During our first night in a village (that we had never done checkups in before), we spent much of the night up with a sick child and in prayer. We were awakened by frantic knocking on the guesthouse door where we all were sleeping in preparation for the next day of checkups. A child was sick and very lethargic in a nearby house. When we arrived, the child was barely able to keep his eyes open and his mouth just hung open. We gave him paracetamol to help lower his fever and prayed for him. The parents and grandparents were present during this time. I noticed a pig that had just been killed on the shelf near my head. We stayed with the family until about 1am. We said we would check up again at 3am to give meds again and see how the child was. At 3am, upon arriving, we immediately noticed the pig was now on the floor, cut open and a container of blood and a bowl of livers were on the counter.

Many of the people of Kalinga still hold to ancient beliefs that a sacrifice has to be made for a sick person. Sometimes blood is wiped or sprinkled on the sick and sometimes the village witchdoctor is used. We wiped the pig’s blood from the child’s face and continued to pray for him. During this time I really struggled with what to do. Do I need to demand that the pig and blood be removed so we could pray? Do we overlook it? We used the opportunity to tell the family that there was no need for the blood of pigs, but the sacrifice was made by Jesus Christ on the cross for the spiritual and physical healing of all peoples. It is his blood that heals us and nothing else is needed. The family agreed and together we prayed for the sick child. We left the house again at 5am and checked up on the child at 7am. He was noticeable better, but still needed to be transported to the nearby hospital (which was about 2 hours away).

A few days later, I was awakened (and praying immediately) by a strange dream. The moral of the dream (I believe) was that the Word of God is like shotgun shells in our fight against the enemy who is a liar and deceiver who comes to kill, steal and destroy. Without knowledge of God’s Word, we are unarmed. Even if we have God’s Word, but do not have wisdom, we are like one who does not know how to use a gun. Proverbs tells us to cry out for wisdom and understanding and search for it as one searches for gold. We need to ACTIVELY search and cry out for God to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation as prayed for in Ephesians 1:17.

What is a missionary?

2007-12-16T18:52:00.001-08:00

Missions and Tourism
Many times we have mistaken missions for tourism. It seems the occupation of "missionary" has been idolized for too long. Spending a week in Ileb Resettlement Camp has helped me better understand aspects of missions, poverty, and purity. Ileb consists mostly of the ButBut tribal people from the mountains who have been relocated by the government to the lowlands. Currently they have no electricity, no running water, and land that is unfit for productive farming.

Partial Missions
In Ileb, I stayed with the leader of the community and his family. The daughter of the family was the elementary teacher who could speak English, so I was able to ask questions and hold extended conversations. The daughter had passed up a better paying job in the city to stay and work in her own community in an ill-supplied class room with classes grouped together. The teacher sometimes made comments about missionaries having big hearts. To her, and many others, a missionary is defined as a person who travels to a foreign country and does "good" deeds. She was doing "good" things in her own community. So what differentiates what she does from what I do?

Travel Trophies
During my time in Ileb, some leaders from a mission's organization showed up. I felt a little embarrassed as they hopped off the van and started snapping pictures of the "poor" tribal villagers, taking pictures of the insides of their homes (which the villagers feel very embarrassed about), their children and their old people. I often feel embarrassed when there is a large group of westerners in a poverty area. It suddenly seems I have become one of the paying visitors at the poor people's zoo. Photos are taken for their scrapbook titled "look how hardcore and brave I am." These scrapbooks make great conversational pieces in the social circles of the western world. I, too, find myself in this "missionary mentality," writing home to family and friends, displaying the wonderful, brave and spiritual things I have done and seen. Oh, we have so much pride. We are willing to walk through the streets of Welfareville (where sewage runs through the streets and some children are so malnourished, they look like victims of the concentration camps) and take pictures and tell friends, but are we willing to clear a day and hang out with the people there, play basketball with the youth or play a game of tag with the children while we shake their hands, eat their food and step out of our comfort zones? Are we able to point at the people in our pictures and give their name and what THEY talked and laughed about that day? Can you point to the other persons and tell THEIR story, or have our two week outreaches become no more than a potential travel trophy?

There is Something More
Maybe many people's idea of missions needs a little revamping. How do churches and organizations operate their missions program? What should the main focus of missions be? How does our personal life reflect Christ’s commission for missions? How involved have you become in the activity of the missions dept. in your church? Do you know how the missions fund is being spent? How much goes toward travel expenses, conferences, paperwork versus actual projects, the poor and advancing the kingdom?

Missions is Restoration
By simply being around the poor, we will have many things (especially money) asked from us. Does missions mean handouts? Maybe that's too broad of a question to ask. One thought is that, biblically, we should give regardless of what is asked of us. Jesus taught if someone takes your coat; give them your shirt also (Luke 6:27-36). So how do you, or better yet, how did Jesus respond to people who asked things of him? Jesus came to give life, to restore a people back to their Creator and Father God. I can’t find a place in the gospels where Jesus actually gave money to the beggars. Maybe because it was his daily routine to give or he had given all he had to the poor already and lived daily by faith. Maybe it’s that Jesus looked past the outward and saw the inner need of the people. He saw their true inner poverty and need for restoration of the body, soul and spirit. This could be why we do find numerous times he healed them, forgave their sins and spoke the WORD of God into their lives. So, do we give to those who ask? Yes. The Bible is clear on this. "Do not say to your neighbor 'come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow' -- when you now have it with you" (Prov.3:28). "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another man withholds unduly, but comes to poverty..." (Prov. 11:24). If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered (Prov. 21:13). "...the righteous give without sparing..." (Prov. 21:26b).

Heart Issues
The main point is that we should not be closed-handed to the needy. Many times people say the homeless "will use their money for alcohol or drugs" or try to use the verse "don't cast your pearls before swine" as an excuse not to give. I think it really goes deeper to a heart issue. Do you hold onto your money, possessions and time and try to justify your greedy heart? Spending time with the homeless, I can say that not everyone is cheating you out of that pocket change they make a living on. I have seen the children sick and malnourished from not having enough to eat, fathers that collect trash all day to get enough for a small amount of rice for one or two meals for their family, young women that die on the streets from TB because there is no one to help them (and the stories go on and on...). The issue really is our heart. We cannot serve God and money (Matt. 6:24). So are we making excuses not to give to those who ask, or are we able to provide for their need of companionship for an hour, provide money to feed their children, help with funeral expenses, hospital expenses, clean their wounds from infection, walk with them through restoration from sickness to health and healing, from depression to joy, from suicidal thoughts to life. What is it God has given you to give to others? If you say you are doing these things, is it out of love for the people? If you give a dollar to missions and you hate the poor in your heart, your money means nothing. (for more examples read the parable of the *good Samaritan (Luke 10:25+), * story of the widow’s penny (Mark 12:41+), *story of the rich ruler (Luke 18:18+), *story of the cost of being a disciple (Luke 14:25+), and who it is that Jesus welcomes into the kingdom of heaven (Matt 25:35+). Each tells of giving without reservation and bringing restoration to the needy. Restoration is bringing the kingdom of God to man.

Missions is Bringing the Kingdom of God
Now that I have said what missions is not, let me give the Biblical definition missions. Missions is what Jesus did. His life consisted of bringing the Kingdom of God to the people. It’s not enough to just do good deeds. Jesus could have just done good deeds, but His death would have been in vain. He came proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins and the preparation of the coming Kingdom of God. His death was His seal of the promise of forgiveness of sins so people could see the Kingdom of God.

The Gospel of the Kingdom
This is the Gospel that was spoken of in Matthew 24:14 that will be proclaimed and preached in every nation. It proclaims the coming of the King, Jesus the Messiah. Yeshua, the Son of God who has taken away the sins of the world. The term "missionary" implies that certain people are to proclaim the kingdom. Are we not all called to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name to all nations? This is the Gospel of the Kingdom; that Jesus came to redeem our souls from hell, so repent from your sins, turn from your wicked ways, believe in Jesus and you will be forgiven and received into the Kingdom of God. It sounds simple, but do our good deeds get in the way of our mouths proclaiming this? Only God can prepare a person’s heart. He uses us many times to speak the Word of God to them, drawing them to the Father. "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me (Jesus). Therefore (you disciples) go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing (that follows repentance) them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28:18+).

First month in the Philippines

2007-12-16T18:51:00.002-08:00

During my first month here, several students and I have returned several times to a downtown area in Manila where several families live in the street. The first time was on the way to a coffee house (run by a co-op of dwarves) for a time to relax. We never made it to the Hobbit House, but as we cut across a small side street we met the street people we would soon call friends. I soon learned much about the life of these families. One 29 year old lady named Jenny was sick with TB. We met her on a Sunday and by that Saturday, she was dead. One of her friends told her story of being sold by her family (to whom and for what, I don’t know). She lived in a small plaza under a small umbrella. Jenny’s wake was yesterday with a glass jar over her rental casket to collect enough money to pay for the wake and burial. She has no traceable family.

Another lady we met told us about how she would sleep up in trees to escape having all her things burned and being thrown in jail. She had a limp from falling out of a tree trying to escape police. Today we visited a mother who had a baby with a fever and dehydrated from diarrhea. These are the daily lives of many of the families that live on the street. While walking around the city, there are so many needs. Some can be solved with simple medical intervention, some with money (such as to pay for funerals, hospital bills, and daily food), and other with a couple hours time spent with needy people.

The situation is the same for the entire human race. Jesus healed the sick, spent time with the outcasts of society and gave to all who were in need. Redemption. Jesus redeemed our souls from destruction, death, and hell. When we are able to lift another from danger, sickness, spiritual deprivation, depression or poverty, we are imitating the example Christ gave us during his life on earth. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:35, the Samaritan said he would repay WHATEVER costs the treatment incurred. So many times I have to stop and ask myself if I am willing to give whatever it takes to redeem someone and to what extent I am willing to do that.

A word on worship

2007-12-16T18:51:00.001-08:00

During a weekend in November, our class went to the mountains in eastern Oregon. We had a relaxing weekend away from homework, long classes and the daily routine. At one point in the day we went to a large field, with a guitar, hand drum and some flags. We had a time of worship. It was very cold outside, but it was a beautiful expression of our love for God. When looking at the picture above, I began to think about what worship looks like. Everyone worships someone or something. To worship is "to regard with extravagant respect, honor, or devotion" (Webster's Dictionary). I believe there are many expressions of worship.

One such expression I experienced was during the free clinic held at the Boise Vineyard. The mission medic students rotate shadowing the medical provider at the clinic on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The clients are people who don't have insurance, many are without jobs, and most are very poor. One of the clients who came into the office was a middle aged man who hadn't shaved in a while, had a not-so-pleasant body odor and had a nerve problem that put him in the emergency room three times in one week. The physician volunteer happened to specialize in neurology. In order to do certain tests, the client had to take off his shoes. The client's socks were wet with sweat and probably not so pleasant smelling either. Then, without flinching the volunteer bent down and began palpating his foot, searching for possible nerve damage. At that moment, I saw an act of worship to God. This physician volunteer did not have to touch those dirty feet without gloves and could have asked the man to wash his feet first, but he bent down and served this man. I believe that in that moment, the love of God was expressed.

Our daily life can be an expression of love and devotion to God. When we share with those in need (whether physical, emotional or spiritual), we are expressing our devotion to God in an honoring way. When we smile at someone on the street, we are expressing honor to God by loving others. When we are appreciative of the beauty around us, we are regarding the awesomeness of God, and thus, worshipping Him.

Loneliness

2007-12-16T18:35:00.001-08:00

I’ve heard it said (and I’ve said it myself) "If you’re lonely outside of a relationship, you will be lonely inside of a relationship." One of my favorite bands has a line that says, "I’m lonely, but I’m not alone..." If loneliness is only a mental condition, why is it so prevalent in society? I work at a boy’s treatment facility where recently 5 of the 8 boys were sick with some sort of stomach virus. These boys had to be separated from the non-sick boys. The day after the epidemic, there was only one boy left who had still been sick and vomiting. He was separated from the group for the whole day. About half way through the day, he started crying as if something were dreadfully wrong. When asked what was wrong, he replied, "I'm lonely." This is what it looked like for a 12 year old, but what does it look like for an adult?

I have a theory that has been proved correct time after time. It is that adults are large children. Even though we all might not verbally cry out for attention or help, we still cry out in other ways. Some of us have time consuming hobbies, long hours at the office, internet dating services, chemical, alcohol or sexual addictions, and other habits or hobbies that spring from the need to keep our mind occupied from the fact that we feel alone.

Where does loneliness come from? Why do we have a need for others? I remember that as a kid, I’d get fed up with those surrounding me and say something about wanting to go live in the woods in a hollowed-out tree as a hermit. I knew I’d never be able to do it because we do need others. We are created to enjoy the company others. God walked with Adam in the Garden. I don’t think loneliness occurred to Adam or Eve until they realized their sin had separated them from God. I think loneliness is our constant reminder of our need for God. Before sin, God walked with Adam. That is an amazing thought. But that fellowship was broken. This is where so many people make mistakes. They want to fill that loneliness with other things.

So is it a sin to be lonely? Is it necessary to be surrounded by people all the time? Some of the loneliest times, for me, occur in the most crowded places. It seems when there are so many people who have noting to do with you, that realization of aloneness is amplified. From what I know of the life of Jesus, people surrounded him for most of his ministry. He had his closest 12 and then the multitudes that followed him, some to hear the words of life, others only to see some neat miracle be performed. The Bible tells of many times Jesus went up to the mountain alone to pray. On one occasion, he had just heard of the death of his cousin John, but the multitudes would not let him be alone. The Bible then says something I find amazing... He had compassion on the people and healed their sick (Matt 4:13-14). Right before that (Matt 12:14-15), the religious leaders are plotting his death and Jesus gets away, but again is followed and again heals the sick.

I think the lesson to be learned here is what we do with our loneliness. Do we withdraw for an extended period of time without regard to anyone but ourselves? Do we allow those times to interrupt the task that God has set before us? I think too many times we become so consumed with ourselves and our situation that we fail to really live life. Pride comes in many forms. One of those is, "look at me and look at how great I am." Another one is, "look at me and how miserable and crappy my life is." I'm not so sure there is much of a distinction between the two. I can be guilty of both. And sometimes within the space of 5 minutes.

So no, it is not a sin to be lonely, but yes, it is a sin to be prideful of how great you are or how greatly pitiful you think you are. Truth be told, we are all pretty pitiful characters. But that is not the end of the story. We all have brokenness in our lives and we all have accomplishments. God sees us through different eyes than we see ourselves. We are loved with such a great love and should never loose sight of that.

Reflections from the garage

2007-12-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

In a time of barrenness, doubts will arise. In a place of waiting, there will be times of waning faith. The stillness, the anxiety, will bring us to a place of uneasiness. Weakness is our greatest known quality during this time. The old questions arise and we become dull of hope. As I sit in the garage of my parents’ house, I wonder why. Why am I here? When I look at my friends, many are married and established with a job of some sort or working toward a Master’s degree. And myself? I don’t know. This seems to be my most common comment. I don’t know. For much of my life I have believed that I was to wait on this sort of calling from the LORD. I thought he would just hand me this mandate one day and off I would go. I thought I would someday just know who my wife would be and off we would go into the mission field together. I thought that I would go to college (which I did) and by the time I would graduate, I would have a wife, a degree, and a place to go.

Waiting for life to start. I think this was my mindset. I was waiting for life to start, but in the meantime, it is passing me by. Living in Bolivia was one of the greatest things I have experienced. Although I do believe that at the time I had a pretty negative attitude during the first couple of months, all the memories I now hold on to are very positive and frequent. One of the epiphanies I had while there came as I was in the restroom reading a devotional from My Utmost For His Highest. I was spending much of my prayer time praying about the future; such as my future wife, job, ministry, home, etc. I was saying one of those prayers when suddenly the thought hit me that I was always living in the future. This idea of “God’s will” had always come with the connotation that it was this grand future event. Suddenly I realized I was in Bolivia. This was God’s will. Not that I would have a ministry there someday, but that daily I had a ministry. It consisted of the conversations, smiles and words of encouragement I gave out each day. Yet in that place of thinking of God’s will as grand events in the future, I had missed out on daily opportunities to relate and serve people who surrounded me. This is the real meaning of ministry isn’t it? To serve people? So, there in the bathroom on a mountain in the village of Caranavi, I had one of my life’s greatest lessons.

And why do I still worry? In this place of not having a job, not having a significant other, being 25 and living in the garage of my parents' house; there is so much instability. In the place of waiting I seek to know God. In the wilderness of uncertainty, I am to trust he has all things under his control. And that’s what it is, waiting. This does not mean I am to lie around watching TV all day, but to be living a life of prayer and trust and be doing what I can do to improve my situation. Sometimes I tend to think that living for God means going to a foreign country with the support of the church and family or that the ministry means working for a specific organization or church (which all of these are very good ministry opportunities). The truth is that ministry happens everyday. The way we serve others, the Jesus that shines through us daily. This mystery found in Colossians 1:27 -- "Christ in you, the hope of Glory" is the ministry that we are called to. The truth that Jesus lives in us should offer a hope beyond worry; a faith that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. These two truths testify that it is not ourselves, but Christ in us that accomplishes life, ministry, and love of God and others.

The answer to my questions of God's will are found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for THIS is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Yes God has a mandate for you. As in Acts 13:2-3, the Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul during a time of worship and fasting. Then they were sent out after a time of fasting and prayer. I should not think I am beyond a time of being in the wilderness of waiting. Nor am I beyond a time of discipline and learning to trust. Faith is essentially trusting that what God says is true.

Even at this moment of reflection as I write this, I am reminded that I am in the center of God's will at this moment. He has me here for a purpose. Maybe it was just to write this reflection, maybe to teach me something new, or just to put me a place of listening. Whatever the case, I am excited to see what He will do with me these coming days. I should not look at my present situation as hopeless, but as an opportunity to go wherever He sends me. To work wherever he leads me and be in the place to receive the gift of relationship he will bring my way soon. In the meantime, I am to love God and others. It’s that "simple." Life is good. In fact, it's all good...

(this was written during a transition time and about a year and a half before heading to the Philippines)

The value of human life

2007-12-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

One of the questions during our training was "Who is worth saving?" If you encounter someone in need and it seems "unsafe," the general answer from "trained professionals" is that you should not put yourself at any kind of risk until you know that everything is safe for you. But should this be the Christian response? I know there are common sense things you can do to stay safe, but what about situations that have a risk involved? Do you avoid those until that risk is gone? I remember seeing a documentary about the life of Mother Teresa called Something Beautiful for God. There is a scene where a dying man is literally rotting in the street from leprosy or some other horrid disease. People are passing this man in a 20 ft radius because of his condition. Mother Teresa walks to him and without caution, holds him in her tired frail arms. My first thought was, "That must have been how Jesus looked" and my second thought was on how I wanted to learn to love like that.

One of our values is the sanctity of human life. No matter how rich, how poor, how despised, how voiceless that life may seem, it is valuable to God and deserves help. Many times we put different values on human life. I’ve heard derogatory comments about "those heathens with AIDS," "those lazy poor," "drunkards," "the dirty homeless," "the unborn" and numerous other responses that categorize the value of different human beings. In John 10, Jesus tells his disciples, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved... The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jesus gave his life for ALL. He did not distinguish who should receive salvation, healing or deliverance…it is offered to everyone. During our training, we are learning to love following the example Jesus left us. Whether it be family members, classmates, the poor, the unpopular or the well off, Jesus love is extended to all.

Various Reflections

2007-12-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

"So many times I think about how fast time seems to fly by and I always come to the same conclusion... I don't ever want to waste a day. I don't ever want to let outside influences such as others, finances or my own attitudes detour me from accomplishing the very core of life; to love God and love others." -- Chris Mapes