2009 News & First Impressions

Pops has been in the tribe for about a week now. Texting with him last night he sais that he's finally feeling rested and settled in. The personal situation I mentioned in my last post has been at least temporarily resolved and so it should not have much effect throughout this visit.

Pops said that he's worked out a pretty full schedule of studies and visits with church leaders in both Lamane and the five daughter churches in the surrounding area. Figuring out his schedule was particularly difficult because he does not have the use of a motorbike for this visit (several of the daughter churches are miles away from Lamane).

So far, Pops' observations of how the church has done since last year has been pretty disheartening. In his words:

I'll have to say that I am disappointed with what I'm finding with the
Tagbanwa church. While enroute, I reviewed the things we talked about
last April. I had addressed things way below the surface...and hoped
that it made a difference. At first survey, I'm not so convinced.
The elders are telling me that the world continues to encroach on the
church...that alcohol use is on the rise, and that daughter church leaders are
still feeling adrift.

I come (annually now) and pick up in a
discipleship role. I find it so easy to encourage those non-elder leaders,
just spending time with them in the Word. It is disappointing that the
elders can't figure out a way to do the same. I'm really attempting to do
what I had intended for them to do.

Basically, last April Pops challenged the Lamane church leadership to follow the example that he had set during the two months he was there. Namely, to meet regularly with the leaders in the outlying communities in order to both encourage and disciple them as well as be encouraged and sharpened by them. ...this has not happened.

In other news, the Berong nickel mine has been shut down due to a total collapse in the nickel market over the past year. Global nickel prices have dropped well over 80% from what they were one and a half years ago. The effect of the mine closure is of course both good and bad. Though the local economy has been dramatically inflated by the influx of capital from the mine, this influx has also created new avenues for meeting basic needs (food, shelter, medicine, etc.). Now with the mine closed these needs will have to be met through other means; further, the newly inflated prices will make it even harder to find these "other means." However, on the positive side, the reduction of traffic to and from the mine will likewise slacken the speed of modernization that is taking place in the tribe. Along with this we are hopeful that there will also be some reduction in the "encroachment of the world" on the local churches that Pops alluded to in his above quote.

Finally, we're really looking forward to hearing what effect Mike and Ty's visit will have on the youth. Most of the logistics have been worked out for their trip and they will be leaving in about a week. The plan is for them to motorbike into the tribe which will give them maximum mobility during the week they are there.

Please continue to pray for Pops health, the spiritual health of the church (as we know from our own lives, complacency is one of the most difficult challenges to overcome), safe travels for Mike and Ty, and encouragement by means of fruit for the labor that all of them are giving. Thanks for your support,

Tim M

Farewell to the Family

As many of you already know Pops is leaving for his 2009 trip to Lamane this coming Monday. Also, his son Ty and Mike McMahon from Bay Area will be joining him for 10 days in February. We're very excited to see how God will use them during this trip and are praying in particular that He will give Ty a unique opportunity to challenge the younger generation that he grew up with!

As the clock ticks down there are a few specific things that we could use prayer for. First of all for healthy and safe travel over for all parties. Second, there have been some new and difficult developments in a relationship with one of the Tagbanwas who sees us primarily as a source of financial gain; please pray that God would give Pops wisdom and grace in his interactions with this individual. Third, that the remainder of the financial support needed for this trip would come in. Finally, please pray that God would use Pops, Ty and Mike in significant ways on this trip!

Regarding financial support, God has blessed us tremendously with continued giving throughout the past year and we've been able to finance the travel and the first half of Pop's income loss compensation already. On top of this there is still about $1000 in the Philippine account. However, we do still need to raise about $3500 by mid to late February in order to cover all of the expenses for this trip. Your help in this is very much appreciated and is a real blessing to the Tagbanwas.

In closing, Pops wrote the following letter to those who have financially supported this ministry and I thought that you all might enjoy reading it as well:

I have a list from my church which says that you've contributed to the Tagbanwa
church minsitry that we've been part of. It feels very impersonal, but I would like to say that you are not part of a list, you are a child of God who has
warmly respnded to His prompting. You've invested, ...you've chosen to
invest in the expansion of His kingdom."

For that, I am deeply grateful. It enables me to go, to continue long-term, and deep
relationships. ...To troubleshoot church leadership issues, to challenge,
to encourage, to disciple. I love it! And, I would love for you to
participate more personally...to smell, hear, feel, and see the church in that
culture. It has been very fulfilling to participate cross-culturally in
the expansion of God's kingdom as I have, and I'd love to share that fulfillment
with you who've contributed.

By God's grace, I am returning to the Tagbanwa church ministry departing next Monday. I plan to teach Ephesians, challenging the church to "...walk worthy of our
high calling..." in Christ. ...with particular and prayerful attention to
an ongoing rift in the church community which negates its effectiveness in
representing Christ.

Ty Grossman (son) and Mike McMahon will join me for ten days in February. Mike was there as an admittedly ungodly Marine about 20 years ago, and is so excited to go back as a testimony to God's transforming power. Ty desires to be a stimulus to the young men in the church who have been his childhood playmates...challenging them to step up spiritually. He has two unique gifts. First, the ability to speak
Tagbanwa...probably more fluently than I. Second, God has gifted him with
the ability to challenge guy friends without threatening them. He just
makes people around him better. I feel incredibly blessed to have him
(them) along.

I'm praying for God's Spirit to purify the church starting with the leadership. And through it to conquer spiritual darkness in the culture as it emerges from the 19th century into the 21st. (This is not a literary flourish. They've been behind the
times, and the times have moved in on and affect them. I could attempt to
explain, but will only do that upon your request.)

Due to the length of time I have away from my normal work and income, my budget includes make-up income for which my church, Bay Area Community Church (BACC) issues me a Misc-1099. That BACC account is still lacking sufficient funds for this year's budget. You may contribute, if so led, by making a notation on your gift, "Philippine ministry."

Bay Area Community Church
884 Chesterfield Road, Annapolis, MD 21401
410.544.2222 www.bayareacc.org