Titus to Anabel

(Now its two weekends ago. A trip to Baguio interrupted the completion of this post.)

This weekend we escorted the Titus Project team to the village of Anabel where they continued to teach people how to study the Bible. Anabel is about an hour away from Bontoc (plus a 20 minute hike from the jeepney). It is a village of about 140 families with nearly all of the homes built on a hill that rises from the river and the surrounding fields.

It may not be made of just rope and boards, but you do feel a little like Indiana Jones when you cross this bridge. It is easy when your steps are in time with the bouncing and swaying, but a little tricky if you get out of synch.

After the bridge you get to hike through the fields before you get to the village.

And hike some more...

The team spent all day Saturday and then Sunday morning teaching at the Anabel Christian Church.

The church building is on the right; the elementary school is on the left.

Leslie giving some historical background as she teaches on Saturday afternoon.

Some of the congregation that attended the Saturday evening session.

Most of the people in Anabel are subsistence farmers, working to feed their own families.

A pineapple in the early stages of its growth.

A farmer working her camote (sweet potato) field.

Camote is grown in long, raised mounds. Both the leaves and the roots are eaten.

The girls enjoyed helping in some of the farming tasks of the family that hosted our group. Annalise enjoyed having the freedom to use a knife as she helped harvest camote (pronounced cam-o-tee). Both our kids and the children of the team got involved and tried to follow in the traditional methods - even how you carry your harvest.

Annalise with some camote leaves.

Elise with a bucket full of camote.

Adriana's camote hairstyle.

Kenna too, joined in the fun/work!

This little one was born a few days later than his siblings so he sleeps in the house at night and is fed with a bottle in the shade of a banana tree during the day.

Annalise and Alayna helped shell beans while waiting for lunch to be prepared.

Of course, no trip to a village is complete without playing with some of the children. There were a lot of kids. It is fun to see how quickly our kids make friends when we go to a new place.

Skipping rope with a stiff piece of rattan.

Hazel's family opened their house to us while we stayed in Anabel.

The kids loved arriving after the rice had been harvested. It gave them a large area to run and play - even teaching the local children how to play Duck, Duck, Goose.

Why? Because it is there...

What can I say?

Our hosts, Jerome and Agnes, opened their home to our team. Lisa, Annalise, and Alayna stayed close and comfy.

Lisa, Annalise, and Alayna slept close and comfy.

Brittnay, Adriana, Alexie, and Leslie slept on the floor outside of the upstairs bedrooms.

Sunday morning, Brittnay preached a message on the armor of God. As in all of their teaching, she used good visual aids and incorporated the local dialect beyond just oral translation.

Brittnay teaching with Nora (an Anabel resident and former SSM and TDTS student) translating.

While the adults were hearing a Sunday School lesson inside, Victor was teaching the children outside. When I went out to see how things were going, I saw that one child was killing him and chopping off his head. David and Goliath was a great story to act out with this tall Canadian and a young Filipino boy.

Victor and the kids talking about what was learned after acting out the story of David and Goliath.

Adriana enjoying the view from top-load on the jeepney ride home.