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 The old trail is still blocked, but now that the slide is no longer active, a new footpath is being created by people packing the soil as they hike over the slide.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

Faith Comes By Hearing

The weekend in Can-eo and Chapyosen was fantastic! Soon after arriving in Can-eo, we walked to the house of one of the church elders, Delfin, who has been leading the outreach to Chapyosen. There I presented him with a Proclaimer and taught him and Pastor Rudy how to use it. I wanted the device to be a tool presented by the elders of Can-eo to be used by the church in Chapyosen – not a gadget from the Americano.

Delfin and Pastor Rudy getting familiar with the Proclaimer controls

Then we began the long hike to Chapyosen. Fortunately, the weather was pleasant and the path was not muddy. It took us about an hour.

A flat portion of the trail to Chapyosen

Upon crossing the river on the footbridge, we climbed a steep hill to the edge of the village. In the space used to press the sugar cane, we stopped to pray for our time in the village. Pastor Rudy suggested that John 3 would be a good passage for us to use to introduce the Proclaimer to the people.

We gathered under someone’s home, most of us lining the perimeter between the stilts that held the house above our heads. The weaving projects had been rolled up and pushed aside, but several wooden frames polished with age that the ladies use when they weave using backstrap looms were scattered about the dusty concrete floor.

The meeting place

In addition to the 17 adult residents, many children wandered in and out during the gathering. Several of the mothers had babies in their arms or tied on their backs with sarangs. One young girl had a length of the beautiful red, black, and white fabric that is woven in the village tied about her, supporting a younger sibling.

After a few introductions were made, a sip of sugar cane wine was offered to Pastor Rudy. He explained to me that refusal would have been insulting to the people and that he would not have been welcome to return. It smelled very strong and I was just as happy to not have been offered a taste.

When the Proclaimer was turned on, everyone was thoroughly attentive. Even the children who had stayed with the adults were still while the voices spoke the story of Nicodemus’s encounter with Jesus in the Ilocano language. In the common story-telling method here, the passage was played a second time to ensure everyone heard it.

Delfin holding the Proclaimer as it played through the story of John 3

Listening to the story...

After the story was told, there was not much talk about the Proclaimer. Instead, there was an intense discussion, mostly involving the old women, about Jehovah and Lumawig (the name of the local spirit-god). Because I don’t know the language, I could not understand all that was said. But after Pastor Rudy and Delfin answered questions, the people seemed to be much more comfortable with the discussion.

Apparently they are interested in continuing to learn about God – the true God. They discussed who would be the one to care for the Proclaimer between meetings. They were concerned about the children damaging it and being able to operate it. They decided an old man with no children in his house would be the one to keep it at his place. A lady with several children is to be the operator, although Delfin demonstrated how to use it in front of all present. Chapyosen is a remote village with no electricity so gadgets we consider simple can be somewhat intimidating to these people. I was glad that even with the discussion about Lumawig the people desired to use the Proclaimer so they could continue to hear the Gospel. It was also an encouraging sign that they welcomed us back.

Delfin with the man who would care for the Proclaimer and the lady, Espirita, who was designated by the group to operate it.

Before we left, we took some group photos. When I went to sit with the group, I was going to stand at the back but was told to sit near the front in the middle. As I was sitting down, an elderly lady, Hananio, put both arms around me. I wish I could have understood her words, but her smile and unusual display of affection said a lot to me. Even as I write this, I cannot help but smile at the memory of it.

Thomas with the new church in Chapyosen

Back in Can-eo Sunday morning, Lisa and the girls arrived with an outreach team from YWAM Baguio’s Family Ministry School. The team was scheduled to present about marriage and family life during the service and a seminar after lunch. Even after only a day away, I was so glad to see my 5 ladies. The girls were excited to be in Can-eo again. Before we left in the evening, they had found some of their friends and had taken team members to some of their favorite places.
At the end of the church service at Can-eo Station Church, I presented another Proclaimer to Pastor Rudy. He in turn, presented the Proclaimer to Johnny. Johnny is an elder of the church who lives in the sitio of Fangkeg, one of the 4 sitios that make up Can-eo. Fangkeg is the most distant sitio from the church and is a difficult walk in the dark or in the rain. We hope to encourage Bible studies with those who cannot or may not yet be willing to make the hike to the church to learn about following Jesus.

Presenting a Proclaimer to Pastor Rudy at Can-eo Station Church

Pastor Rudy explaining the Proclaimer to the congregation

Pastor Rudy instructing Johnny how to use the Proclaimer

Fangkeg

Grace,
Tom

A Long Hike and a Late Night

We spent last weekend in Can-eo and Chapyosen.  First we had to take a jeepney to Can-eo.  It is about an hour through the mountains.

Are we there yet?

Lisa took some time to talk with Rosita, a teacher and mother in Can-eo.  Rosita was busy separating camote greens.  When Lisa asked Rosita to show her how to help, Rosita was concerned that Lisa would get her hands dirty.  As you can see, Lisa was able to convince her that it was okay to get her white hands dirty.

Lisa and Rosita chatting and chopping.

Saturday morning we began the hike to Chapyosen.  It is a beautiful hike along the river, but it was a long hike under the hot sun.  (Annalise stayed behind with Bridget in Can-eo.)

Wendy and my lovely ladies on the way to Chapyosen.

Crossing the hanging bridge to enter the sitio of Chapyosen.

When we finally made it to Chapyosen, we were hot, tired, and surrounded - by children.  The kids especially liked it when Wendy photographed them then reviewed the photos on her camera.  In this place without electricity and isolated by mountains, they don't see many foreigners or photos of themselves, so she garnered a lot of attention.

Let me see!

Adriana, Alexie, and Alayna all enjoyed holding the little ones of the village.

Espirita, one of the believers in the village, invited us to have lunch at her house.  We shared our peanut butter sandwiches and she shared her rice and potatoes.

Lunch at Espirita's

While we took a break, we set the Proclaimer in the sun to charge.  Espirita's sons sneaked over to investigate.

Investigating the Proclaimer through the curious eyes of a pair of boys.

Above our heads as we ate, we noticed this spear.  I understand that most spears and shields have been sold to antique collectors over the years.  It is the first time I saw one outside of a store or museum.

A not-so-fierce warrior!

When we returned to the house where the church meets, the girls played the Read Aloud Bible Stories for the people as they gathered.  People of all ages listened intently as the Ilocano translations of the stories were read.

When we were preparing for the trip and talking with Pastor Rudy, pastor of the Can-eo Station Church and fellow YWAMer, we found that several of the mothers in Chapyosen had expressed a desire to have a Bible.  So before going, we obtained Ilocano translations.  Before beginning our Bible study, Lisa wrote their names in the Bibles and presented them with their own Bible.  The first passages they asked about were the stories they had just been listening to.

It was exciting to see them intently follow along in their own Bibles when we listened to the Proclaimer later in the teaching.

With Pastor Rudy's translation, I taught an overview of the Bible.  Afterward, Pastor Rudy talked about how helpful this type of teaching is for this group of people.

Thomas and Pastor Rudy teaching an overview of the Bible.

The "Bridge Illustration" in Ilocano

The roof was too low to stand up all the way.

We made it back to Can-eo in time to make supper and lead the evening Bible study at the church.  Wendy presented We are Going to See the King using sign language.  The congregation requested her to teach them the motions.  After service was over, many stayed to have Wendy work with them until they could do the signs on their own.

In our preparations for the weekend, Pastor Rudy did not tell us about the Bible study.  But Saturday he asked who would be teaching.  Lisa volunteered and taught from Colossians.

Some of those attending Saturday night Bible study.

It was a full day and when everything was over, I believe everyone slept well.

Grace,

Thomas