Light in Saclit

Saclit is a couple of hours east of Bontoc and located beyond the end of the road near the top of a mountain. Alayna and I visited there this weekend along with Pastor Steve who serves the community in this remote place.

Alayna hiking to Saclit

Our Saturday evening Bible study was cancelled because a wedding was taking place. In communities like this, nearly everything else stops for such an occasion because everyone is connected to the couple getting married. Being of a much lighter skin and notably taller than anyone else in the place, I was not able to just blend in and watch what was happening. It was not long before I was invited to dance, to eat, and to stand in front of everyone and give "advices" to the newlyweds. I gave my "advices" before the next dance began. But before I could join in the dancing, we were escorted to where the food was being served. Alayna and I shared a generous serving of rice and a few chunks of boiled pig. We did not make it back to the dancing because Alayna was not feeling so well and needed to go and rest. Even though we went home, the party continued until daybreak; we could hear the gongs and the PA the MC used all through the night.

Dancing and playing the gongs

Giving "advices" to the new couple

Of course, the night brought other sounds too. Between the ceiling of the room below the church where Pastor Steve sleeps when he is in town and the floor of the sanctuary above, there is room for the rats to run and play. At various times, they were quite active and woke us from our slumber. Then we could listen to the gongs or the MC at the distant wedding.

In the morning, some people were already hard at work. Apparently we were not the only ones who left the wedding. The first sign of such work was when the neighbors carried off a pig - before moving to the Philippines, I never knew how noisy pigs can be. Then outside of our window I noticed a man plowing a rice field.

During the service Sunday morning, Alayna presented a selection of the Read Aloud Bible Stories to the children - and everyone else who came.

Alayna reading the children Bible stories

 Afterwards, I led a discussion of Jesus healing the blind man as it is recorded in John 9.

Studying God's Word

 After lunch, we had some left-overs and these children were eager to give macaroni and cheese a taste test.

Beautiful faces

Later, some of the children returned to the church to hear the stories again - and again. They especially enjoyed holding the book themselves and turning pages as they listened to the Ilocano recording.

Enjoying the story of Zaccheus

By then people began to gather to learn about rocket stoves and solar soda-bottle lights.

Ungan's house where we gathered and later installed the bottle-lights

Before we began talking about how to build stuff, we prayed for Ungan and his house. He has been fearful recently. I could not get a clear answer as to whether it was due to spiritual fear or physical fear because he is not originally from this place where tribal tensions are still higher than in most places. Regardless, we prayed for God's peace for his home and his family.

The weather could not make up its mind. When we began, it was lightly raining and we stayed under the eaves of Ungan's house. Then the sun came out so hot we had to seek shade near the church building. By the time we were installing the bottle-light, it was overcast once again.

Learning about rocket stoves

While water was heated for coffee on the rocket stove, we prepared solar soda-bottle lights for installation.

Thomas and Pastor Steve with the double bottle-light installed

Quite a view from up there - notice all of the rice granaries on the far hills

Thomas, Ungan, and Alayna in the newly lit room

While we were working on the roof, these young men were sitting nearby playing a homemade instrument made of bamboo and a few pebbles. The bamboo strings were plucked and had a soothing sound. They told me the name, but I forgot what it was.

Ungan sitting in his doorway

Later we visited a few people at their homes. Anabel, standing next to Alayna, invited us to have dinner with her family. Pastor Steve tried to keep us in the conversation by translating. But mostly Alayna enjoyed holding the baby while I watched and listened, until the man in the lower left of the photo below came into the house.

He is not very fluent in English, but I appreciated the effort he was making to talk with me. We talked about the number of children we both had and other simple topics in an effort to get to know one another. We did not make it too far, but we were both trying. When we were getting ready to leave, he invited us to visit his house for a while.

At his house, there was some friendly conversation and some serious encouragement in faith and discipleship as we all talked. I really enjoy talking with people and sharing time with them in their homes.

His youngest daughter was so excited to have guests she barely stopped running back and forth long enough for me to get this photo.

We were all tired when we finally made it to bed. Happily, the rats did not keep me awake too much during the night.

In the morning we hiked down to the jeepney which would take us back to Bontoc. I was happy that I did not need to hike up or down the entire mountain during this trip and was surprised to find the jeepney empty when we arrived. But there must have been quite a line of people not far behind us because before long it was crowded inside and on top with people going home from the wedding.

As Pastor Steve talked with people, they asked us to give them a teaching during the long ride to Bontoc. Unsure of how to proceed, we got out the speakers and the Read Aloud Bible Stories and went through each of the stories we have translated. This was a group made up of mostly adults and we had a great discussion about each story and what we could learn from them. Pastor Steve and I were both amazed at how God can use even a jeepney ride through the mountains with a group of sleepy people as a time to teach and to learn.

Pray for Pastor Steve as he works to revive the church in Saclit. It was established long ago by YWAM missionaries, but floundered and eventually disbanded. He has a heart for the people there and the work is challenging.

Grace,
Tom