Palawan Update December

(This is a periodical update to those of you who are supporting my (Brian Glass, Palawano Project, AFM) mission term financially, through prayers, or by your encouragement.  Or for anyone else who is interested.  If you do not wish to receive this update please let me know.  Conversely if anyone you know  would like to receive this update but is not currently receiving it, please send me their e-mail address so that I can add them to my mailing list.  Thank you.)

Dear Friends and Family,

It is Christmas Day here and I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!  My Fellow SMs here celebrated by trying to recreate some of our Christmas traditions from home and we had a very enjoyable time eating good food, reading Christmas stories, and singing carols!

I am back in the mountains now.  At the moment I am focusing on helping in the Clinic in Kemantian while one of the nurses is taking their Christmas break.  But each week I hike over to Emrang to see how things are coming along.  A new school building is being built because the last one was much to small to cram me, the klink, and the school into all at once!  So far there are only poles for the new building but that is significant, it means that something will happen!

I went over there Wednesday and Thursday and focused on getting an outhouse dug and a building around it.  I really enjoyed getting to build something and especially learning to do it the native way.  First I learned all the terms for the different parts of their structures.  Then some of my students and I used vines to lash together a framework for the walls and roof of the outhouse.  Hopefully they will have finished thatching it by the time I get back.

Once the new school building is finished and my house is finished I will be beginning school again.  The goal is to start sometime in January, but buildings can take a long time to build here.  My work now is to encourage the people from Emrang to build their school as fast as possible.

I want to thank all of you who made a point of encouraging me to take care of my health while I am here.  I have been able to get whole grain rice and whole grain cornmeal which will be one of my staples along with daily vegetables.  I am also trying to make it a point to eat raw food as often as possible.  I feel strong and well now and my body is able to enjoy the steep hike over to Emrang! Thank you for your encouragement and admonition.

Continue serving God with all your might in the things you find to do.  He is coming soon.

In His service,

Brian

Bringing in the Sheaves

These first few weeks back from the states has been full of bringing in the sheaves!  That is literal and figurative sheaves!  We are harvesting rice along with the Palawanos.  It is really hard work but makes a special bond possible and hopefull many barriers will be broken down to the gospel.  I have gotten to wade in the mud of rice paddies, cut rice with a sickle and feel the pain in my back from leaning over for several hours straight.  I even got to ride a water buffalo!  It was very slow and it was very muddy! 

 

I am badly needed at the main location right now, so unfortunately I will not be able to start school in my Emrang village until January, however I was able to visit.  The people were happy to see me and cooked a pot of cassava when they realized that I hadn't eaten lunch.  We talked about the new school building that they will be building and showed me the site that they have cleared for it.  Hopefully it will be larger!  I had to come straight back that evening, but I promised them that I would return.  We will start school in the new structure when it is finished.

 

Please continue praying for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on the Palawano people so that they will see God's immense love for them and that it will lead them to repentance and salvation.

 

Gladly in His service,

 

Brian