In His Service!

This is just a quick note to let all of you know that I am still alive and that things are going well here. the internet was down here in the mountains for about a months so I was unable to get any messages or send any out.

God has been working here in the mountains of Palawan in amazing ways. In a few weeks I will be living in a small house in another village about 3 hours hike from kemantian (2 if I'm fast) I've visited there several times and had the opportunity to sleep for several nights in the house of the grandfather. I got to eat native rice, kumbahang, and palmhearts straight from the jungle. The people here don't always eat very regular meal times and my stomach suffered from that so, the last time I visited I brought my own rice and beans and cooked on my own fire in a lean-to that has been constructed on the school.

I wish I could show you pictures of the school that Is being built there (Emrang), but it takes to much of my precious internet time to upload pictures. The people are extremeley ingenious with bamboo and have build four sets of benches and desks for students to write on all out of bamboo. The schoool is about 16 feet by 16 feet witha 5 x 16 foot section partitioned off for me to sleep and cook in. It is close enough for me to be part of village life and to wake up in the morning to hear the blacksmith pounding away on his lates knife!

God has been working on my life as well. there are many times when I would rather have been at a steady, predictable job in the united states where I have a nice warm shower, and all the ammenities and most importantly are surrounded by people that I can understand, but I have learned to see with the big picture that God wants me here for today. I may not know about the future, but I usually have a pretty good idea of His plan for me today. So each day, when I chose to, I find joy in knowing that I am in God's will and look with excitement on what this day will bring. That is not to say that everyday is rosy pink. I, like all humans struggle with my own desires, but Christ is changing my heart more and more like His.

There are several people that are very anxious to learn there in Emrang and I am very excited to see what kind of Church God is going to raise up and what kind of native leaders there are going to be.

Well as the cool tropical breezes blow in from the ocean, I will sign off the letter so that I can write other letters and check the e-mails that some of you have sent. I llook forward to seeing each of you again. Remain faithful to the God who always knows what's best.

In His Service,

Brian