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

Around Can-eo

It was a full day hiking to Chapyosen and back, but that was not the end of the day. When we made it back to Can-eo Station Church where we were staying, Bridget had fish cooking. Together with some rice, seyote, and the Rice Krispies treats we had brought, it was a tasty supper. After supper was a Bible study at the church.

Pastor Rudy asked if one of the girls would like to lead the Bible study for the evening. Adriana and Alexie coordinated a message and a dance that would compliment each other. Alexie presented the dance and then Adriana taught about God's power and loving presence in our lives.

Adriana teaching during Bible study at Can-eo Station Church

Pastor Rudy translating Adriana's illustration

After Bible study, several of the young ladies wanted to practice with Alexie so together they could all encourage the rest of the church in the morning.

Alexie teaching dance steps to the girls after Bible study

In the morning, I showed Pastor Rudy how to make a rocket stove.

Making a rocket stove with Pastor Rudy before church

While we were upstairs making the stove, Adriana, Alexie, Alayna, and Annalise were downstairs teaching Children's Church. The children listened as the girls read the translations of the Read Aloud Bible Stories and sang songs with them.

Reading stories

Singing songs

Weaving is a talent that the girls of Can-eo learn at a young age. So it was with much interest and skill that the children learned how to weave bracelets from our daughters. Throughout the day on Sunday, our girls were seemingly always teaching someone how to weave a certain pattern. It began as soon as Children's Church ended.

Adriana teaching bracelet weaving

During the service that followed, Alexie, Alayna, and the young ladies who had practiced the night before presented their dance for the congregation. They all did a great job, especially considering they had just began learning it late the night before.

Above All

I took advantage of the opportunity to use the Proclaimer in my teaching on Matthew 25. I enjoyed the interaction with the congregation as we discussed the stories Jesus told and their applications.

Thomas and Pastor Rudy following along as the Proclaimer recites Matthew 25

At the conclusion of the service, we introduced the rocket stove and invited everyone interested to join us at Honnak's house after lunch where we would install a solar bottle-light.

Explaining the rocket stove

After lunch we headed to Honnak's house to install a bottle-light. While I worked on that, more weaving lessons took place.

Karin Joy and Alayna talking weaving

Looking down from Honnak's yard

Preparing the bottle-light and teaching how to do so

I was glad to have Pastor Rudy and another man join me on the roof (no scary ladder this time). This way, I could guide them through the installation so they will be able to repeat it in the future.

Installing the light in Honnak's roof

Honnak is a widow whose grown son, Romeo, lives with her. Unfortunately, tragedy has been a part of their home in many ways so she bears the burden of providing for them both. I have visited her home and prayed for her and Romeo before, so it was a joy to be able to bring a little light to the cooking area of her small home.

Thomas and Honnak outside her door

A look around Honnak's house and a walk down to the river

From Honnak's house, we walked across the river to visit Ochawan in the sitio of Fankeg. We wanted to visit with her, pray for her, and Alayna was excited to give Ochawan a pair of slippers she had crocheted. It was good to hear that she is feeling better and is no longer fearful.

Ochawan was happy to meet our daughters. She was especially taken with Annalise, encouraging her to eat more camote so she would get brown skin. She said, "Even when you're all grown up, continue to come see me."

Alayna giving Ochawan her new slippers

More weaving - Jane and Alexie

The scheduled jeepney was not running this weekend, so we rode with Pastor Rudy to Can-eo and were planning to squeeze into his little truck with his family for the trip back to Bontoc. It was a tighter squeeze than we expected since three students also needed a ride back, making a total of 13 people. But the kids all chose to ride on the back and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

A truckload

A Light for Chapyosen

We spent much of Saturday in the village of Chapyosen.  In order to get there, we rode through the mountains to Can-eo and then hiked a little over an hour along the river to Chapyosen.

This washout is under the road to Can-eo

After arriving in Can-eo, we needed to pass through two sitios (neighborhoods, of sorts) before beginning the hike along the river to Chapyosen.

A typical house in the sitio of Favfey

Along the way we passed people going about their work. This young man was returning from gathering firewood; over his shoulder was a bundle of wood and strapped to his side was a machete.

A workingman

My last attempt to hike to Chapyosen was foiled by the typhoon and the active landslide that had wiped out the trail. The old trail is still blocked, but now that the slide is no longer active, a new footpath is being created by people packing the soil as they hike over the slide.

We are so proud of our girls. The hike was over an hour long in the sun. In many places, steep grades and loose soil made for tricky trekking and a few slips. Yet, there was never a complaint.

Hiking over the landslide

It was a beautiful day for a hike and the breeze helped to reduce the heat of the sun. Still, when we reached Chapyosen, we were a bit tired and thirsty. We had underestimated the amount of water the six of us would need. We chose to be thirsty until we made it back to Can-eo where we had clean water rather than risk introducing any friends to our intestines.

A well deserved break

Weekends have little meaning for farmers so most of the adults had gone out into their fields for the day. But the arrival of visitors, plus the excitement of our girls twisting animal balloons, brought the children to the house where we were resting. After a while, Alexie and Karin Joy, one of our guides, read and taught from the Read Aloud Bible Stories to the children and mothers that had gathered. They all asked to hear stories again.

Balloons and Bible stories

Karin Joy and Alexie

Alayna and a new friend

Everything can be a toy

Seeing the boy with the firewood and the children caring for their younger siblings in Chapyosen while their parents worked in the fields, reminded me of the difficulties of living in mountain villages. Later, the boy below was chopping wood for the rocket stove with his sister on his back. Lisa and I both noticed that when we were giving out balloons, none of the children asked for another. Neither did any of them cry when their balloon popped; often they would re-inflate what remained of the balloon.

A brother's love

After resting for a while, I introduced the rocket stove. They will be able to use the one we left for them as a pattern to make more.

The rocket stove boiling the camote treat we had later

Making sure the fire is still burning

Then we prepared a solar bottle-light.

Thomas and Alayna preparing the bottle-light for Espirita's house

Annalise smiling because she got Daddy's hat

Lhany smiling from the porch

The ladder I used to get on the roof was about as sturdy as other homemade ladders I have been on, but this one was a little shorter than I preferred. Had it sunk into the ground at all as I climbed, it would no longer have reached the fascia of the roof it was resting against - not fun! But everything worked out and the dark room below now has light.

Installing the bottle-light

A highlight for the girls was when Karin Joy took them to a waterfall nearby. It is really tall and they enjoyed the cooling mist it provided. Each of them is looking forward to the next time we go and hoping to be able to get soaked by the falling water.

The 4-As at the waterfall in Chapyosen

After a snack of camote, a native sweet potato, we hiked back to Can-eo. But that is an adventure for another post.

Grace,
Thomas