Rudy Barlaan's Mission Field Journal
SIL International and Wycliffe Bible Translators
Outreach to the Isnag Population of the Philippines
2010 May 14
Dear Partners in the Isnag Ministry,
In March, I requested that you pray for the first-ever Dibagat Bible Church mission trip. As many of you know, this is not their original idea. They learned it from you. They were the beneficiaries of the Short-Term Mission trips to their village from 2001 to 2007. Now, they want to put into action what they learned from you, their expat brothers and sisters, when you came to their village to build their water system, expand their church building, and build the translator’s house so he could translate Scriptures into their own heart language.
On March 1, fourteen believers from Dibagat went to Tubongan village to help the believers there build their church. They hiked eight hours, carrying all their tools and food supplies and their personal necessities; no plane nor bus ride. Just with their beautiful feet. There were eleven men and three women. They were there until March 13. That was their first trip. Here are the highlights.
They start early and stop late in the evening: The Tubongan believers were eager and truly committed to having their own church building. The months of March until May are the busiest time for the Isnag men. It is the season for making their rice fields. But despite their already very busy life, they made time to build their church. One man got up at three o’clock in the morning, worked on his field in the moonlight, and then came to work on the church building at seven o’clock. I haven’t seen anyone more committed than he was. Also, there were times when they had to work until eleven o’clock in the evening, especially when they poured the concrete for the foundation. Our 1000-watt video generator came in handy for lights.
Men, women and children were part of the work force: Each member of the Dibagat team was partnered with a worker from Tubongan. Everybody helped carry the building materials to the construction site. The men were the primary builders. The children carried lumber. The women carried gravel in sacks on their heads. Mark Pugyao was the engineer. Other women cooked meals and snacks for the workers. They know the kind of food the men like. The Dibagat men said that even before they were hungry there was food waiting for them. They had sufficient energy for late night overtime work. The Body of Christ was at work!
God was also busy building His Church: When the workers did not have to work late in the evening, the Dibagat team lead Bible studies for the workers, which normally lasted two and half hours. Many people from the village also came and joined them. This is one of their activities that everybody appreciated and enjoyed.
The basic structure was finished: When the Dibagat team left Tubongan village on March 13, the building lacked only the walls, the roof, and the floor.
The second trip: On April 27 to May 4, the Dibagat team returned to Tubongan to help continue building the church. This time there were only eight on the team; six men and two women. They put the roofing, the studding, and the window frames. It now looks more like a church. On May 2, they had their first Sunday service in the building. Many people who don’t normally come to church attended the worship service. The two Dibagat women taught Sunday school for the children, They had to make do under a tree, because there was no place for them. Just like in the first trip, the Dibagat team continued leading Bible studies in the evening for the workers and the villagers.
Prayer requests
As you are reading this report, I will be on my way to the village for our annual youth retreat. Please pray:
- That God will prepare the hearts and minds of the those who will be attending the retreat. We are limiting the attendance to 70 people.
- That the Lord will call many of them, and that they will respond and commit their lives to Him.
- For health and safety for everybody. We are still experiencing the “El Nino” weather phenomenon.
- That we will have sufficient food supply. Even the most sturdy vegetables like squash and taro were dried up due to the intense heat.
- For Mark Pugyao, Jojo Tangelan and I as we oversee the running of the retreat.
- That we will be sensitive to the Lord’s direction in every activity in the retreat.
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” Therefore, I covet your prayers, dear partners. Thank you very much.
Joyfully serving the Lord Jesus among the Isnags in partnership with you,
Rudy Barlaan, PhD
Email
2010 April 29
Dear Partners in the Isnag Ministry,
Toward the end of our Holy Week Bible retreat in Dibagat village this year, a seventeen-year-old girl said, “I have heard it (the parable of the prodigal son) many times before, but it’s only now that I understood clearly what it is saying.” There were others who expressed similar experiences. Why, indeed, does the Word of God impact us this way? The gospel of Luke gives us the answer. It says in 24:45 “ . . . Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” It also says in 24:32, “It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Furthermore, Oswald Chamber said, “When you get to the right state on the inside, the word which Jesus has spoken is so plain that you are amazed you did not see it before.” Scriptures impact us when the Lord opens our minds, and explains His Word to us.
I asked you, dear partners, to “pray that the Holy Spirit will convict the people of their sins” and that “everybody who comes to the retreat will have a transforming encounter with God.” The testimony of this girl and several others are evidences of how God answered your prayers. He spoke to them. Praise Him!
A man from a village which is one-hour’s hike away from Dibagat said, “Even if my knees are painful and swelling, I will bear the pain and continue coming to church.” The messages burned in his heart. An old woman also said, “For years I have been asking ‘What are they saying about believing? I thought I have been a believer! I have been coming to church and I believe in Jesus Christ, what else are they talking about?’ But this Holy Week I learned that simply coming to Church without receiving Jesus Christ into my life is just trying to be good, and it is like a dirty rag in God’s sight.” Then she addressed the congregation and said, “Siblings, I know there are many of you out there who still think the way I used to think. You need to receive Jesus Christ into your life now.” A middle aged woman confessed, “I have committed my life to the Lord Jesus several years ago, but I have gone astray three times. I can’t read, so I do not read the Bible, and it is very difficult for me to maintain my relationship with the Lord. When I prayed the prayer (prayer of rededication) you suggested this morning, it felt like my heart opened wide and the Spirit came in.” There were several others who had a transforming encounter with God.
The other activities the Lord used to speak to the people in addition to the messages are: Bible studies (on John 5 and Ephesians 2:8-10) on Friday and Sunday, showing of the Jesus Film dubbed into the Isnag language on Thursday evening, and the movie Left Behind on Friday evening, which was in English, but the people understood enough to get the gist of the movie. The messages were on the parable of the prodigal son with emphasis on God’s love, and on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ with emphasis on the significance of the resurrection in the lives of believers.
Judging from the number of pack-lunches we distributed, there were about 450 people from 10 different villages who were exposed to the Word of God. As one man commented, “There was a message from God for each and every one (who attended). No one had to leave without getting anything,” he said. But only the Lord knows how many of these people’s minds He opened in order for them to understand the Scriptures. But definitely those who testified of what the Lord did in their lives are the ones in whose heart the Word “burned like a fire.”
Together let us thank and praise the Lord for the privilege given to us; you prayed and gave while the church elders and I delivered the message.
I sincerely thank each and everyone of you who have been very faithful in supporting the Isnag ministry in various ways: praying, giving, and encouraging through email and cards. “ . . . God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Joyfully serving the Lord Jesus Christ knowing that you are behind him,
Rudy Barlaan, PhD
Email
2010 March 01
Dear Partners in the Isnag Ministry,
March and April are the months of the year in which the Isnags are not very busy. So, our evangelistic activities are concentrated on these two months. We have several activities coming up, but for now I would like to request you to pray for two of them.
Dibagat Believers’ Mission to Tubongan Village
We have the very first mission trip of the Dibagat believers to Tubongan village. They left Dibagat on Thursday last week. They will be in Tubongan for two weeks to help the believers build their church building. Please pray for the following:
- the health, strength and protection for the workers
- good working relationship between the hosts and the visitors
- that hosts and visitors will have enough energy for evening Bible studies
- for Mark Pugyao as he leads the work and the Bible studies
- that the work team will have the opportunity to show the Jesus film in other villages
Holy Week Retreat in Dibagat Village
Believers from the three outreach villages of Tuyangan, Apadi and Tubongan (pronunciation guide below) will be joining the Dibagat church. Please pray for the following:
- Mark, the church elders, and me as we make plans for the retreat
- the young people who will be involved in various activities
- the Bible study group leaders
- that attendees will not get distracted by politicians campaigning for May elections
- our physical needs, especially food, during the retreat
- that there be none but God’s overshadowing almighty presence over the whole village during the retreat
- that the Holy Spirit will convict the people of their sins
- that all who attend will have a transforming encounter with God
| Village Name Tuyangan Apadi Tubongan |
Pronunciation Too–yahng–ahn Ah–pah–dee Too–boong–ahn |
Let us all join together in prayers, brothers and sisters, and see how God works in the lives of the Isnags through the mission trip, and the Holy Week retreat, and experience the great blessing from having a part in God’s work.
Enjoying the blessing of serving the Lord Jesus Christ in partnership with you,
Rudy Barlaan, PhD
Email
2010 January 01
Dear Isnag Ministry Partners,
Greetings! Our Wycliffe office in Orlando, Florida just informed us that our W-2 form is now available online. This is to remind us of the upcoming filing of income tax returns. This also reminded me of something more important than tax returns; your prayer and financial investment returns. How did God answer your prayers and use the money you gave to Him in the year 2009? “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you [people] believe in him whom he sent.” John 6:29
The following are major activities God used to accomplish His work.
2009 Isnag Ministry
Holy Week Retreat in March
Many people surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus during the retreat.
Daily Vacation Bible School in April
There were 37 children who were taught about the Lord Jesus.
Youth Camp in May
Sixty young people were immersed in the Word of God for four days. Many of them gave their lives to the Lord Jesus. They also witnessed that God can still calm storms and typhoons.
The Jesus Film
This was dubbed into Isnag in July and August. Jesus is now portrayed alive speaking Isnag! It’s been shown in Dibagat and Tubongan villages. It will be shown to the other villages this summer.
The Tubongan Outreach
The outreach in Tubongan village is now a full fledged church. The average Sunday attendance is between 60 and 70. They now have a lot on which to build their church. The building materials are just now curing, and the church members are planning to start the building about the third week of February. The Dibagat church will go on a mission trip to help them build their church.
Thanksgiving in November
The Dibagat church celebrated Thanksgiving on November 22. The celebration showcased the growth of the believers in matters of giving and tithing. Despite their practically nil rice harvest due to the two typhoons that hit their area, they gave to the Lord from what little they gathered from their field. Also, I have seen in the offering basket an envelope with money in it and with tithe written on it. The church treasurer told me that he has been getting envelopes like it.
Christmas
About 600 people came to celebrate the coming of the Lord in flesh, despite their economic difficulty. They learned that “the Lord continues to seek for a place in people’s hearts where he would be born.”
Old Testament Translation
Mark Pugyao rough-drafted the Book of Leviticus and has started the Book of Numbers.
2009 Other Ministries
Scripture Consultation and Checking
I checked Philippians, I Timothy, and II Timothy in Abellen language; Romans in Matigsalug; and Mark chapters 1–7 in Mag-Indi
Linguistic Consulting
I was a consultant for the Ibatan dictionary; I read and commented on an M.A. thesis, a grammar write up, and an analysis of an exhortation discourse. I was also a consultant to translators during our annual ministry updates and planning.
Mentoring and Training
I mentored a translation consultant, and I trained mother tongue translators.
Meetings
I attended three meetings of Executive Committee of the SIL, Philippines where we discussed plans for the organization.
The Lord God the Almighty said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come.” Revelation 1:8 God was in the 2009 events, and He will be in the coming events in 2010. He is the God of all our circumstances. Here are upcoming events in 2010 that we can look toward with expectancy
February 22–March 5 2010 Dibagat Mission Trip to Tubongan, Philippines
Please pray that the love between the Dibagat believers and the Tubongan believers will be a shining testimony to the world around them that they are Jesus’ disciples.
April 1–4, 2010 Dibagat Holy Week Retreat
Please pray that the people who will be attending would gain a deeper knowledge about God and will personally experience Him.
Mid-April 2010 Dibagat Village Bible School
Please pray that the children who will be attending would commit their young lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.
May 2010 Youth Retreat
Please pray that the Lord will call more young people to serve Him through the different ministries for the Isnags.
June 10–16, 2010 SIL Philippines Branch Conference
This might be the last of this kind. Please pray that God will be greatly magnified and glorified as He opens our eyes to the works of His hands.
August 2010 Closing of the SIL Center in Bagabag
Please pray for all of us residents on the center who will be looking for a strategic place to stay as we continue our work. Please pray for the emotional aspect of it too. This has been home to many of us for the last 40 years or so.
July–October 2010 My Furlough
Please pray that Lord will use me during this time to minister to people, especially to you who have been praying for me and supporting me all these years. Please pray also for the opportunity to see you face to face, or at least some kind of contact.
Thank you for your faithful and fruitful partnership in 2009. I am looking forward to another exciting and blessed partnership in 2010.
Joyfully serving the Lord Jesus Christ in partnership with you.
Rudy Barlaan, PhD
Email
2009 December 11
We received a direct call from Dibagat from Elvin Malana yesterday morning. (Elvin is from Nard Pugyao's village, Bayugao, and coordinates the Dibagat ministries when Mark is out.) He told us that it is now shining there, and the people are back to their rice field gathering whatever they can from what is left by the two typhoons that came through.
The second typhoon, Parma (locally called Pepeng) did the most unusual thing. It came through the Apayao area, and just when it was supposed to go to the China Sea, it made a 180-degree turn and hovered over Sicapo town in Apayao. So we experienced the wind, and in some areas, wind and rain, much longer than what it could have been. He just told us that my radio antenna was blown down. Besides that he did not mention anything else. We are assuming the people are alright and no damage was done to their houses, only their rice fields.
Elvin told us that all the rice field are blown flat to the ground and harvesting is very difficult. He is not optimistic that they will get very much from their already-meager crop, due to excessive rain when they were clearing their field. They were late in planting their rice, and again late in harvesting, and on top of that, typhoon upon typhoon battered their area. I will not be surprised if people run out of rice as early as February. That is even optimistic, considering their situation.
The president already declared Luzon a disaster area. This means that there will be emergency relief provision for the people. But usually the relief goods come very late, and hardly reach the people in the mountains. More often than not, they get only a meager portion of the relief goods that would not last even two days.
Also, at the moment many people still have nothing to eat, because they need to dry the rice they harvested before they can pound it. But they will not use their valuable time in pounding rice but rather gathering them. The need to gather the remaining rice on the ground before it starts germinating. It takes only three to four days for rice to germinate. So let us pray for our brothers and sisters in Dibagat and the surrounding villages. I don't how they will make it through the year. I am wracking my brain trying to think of ways we can help them, so they will not completely depend upon what we can share with them.
Some of our partners in the ministry have given toward the purchase of rice for the people, and they could have not given at a better time. It was perfect timing. We might be delayed a little in delivering the rice, due to landslides between Tuguegarao and Kabugao. The road is closed, and we don't know how long it will take to clear it. Mark and Ampot will be flying in to Dibagat on Tuesday, and they could bring only a few kilos of rice. When Mark gets to Dibagat he can make a more accurate assessment on the damage from the typhoons. I will keep you posted on what is happening in the Isnag country. I know our partners are praying for the Isnags, and it gives me confidence that God will continue to uphold the Isnags.
Joyfully serving the Lord Jesus,
Rudy Barlaan, PhD
Email
2009 November 11
Dear Friends at Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church,
The Isnags are very thankful to God for the generous gift you sent for their rice. We distributed 30 sacks (1,500 kilos or 2,200 pounds) on November 23 a day after our Thanksgiving celebration.
During our Thanksgiving celebration, the believers thanked God for their salvation, for the forgiveness of their sins, for their healing from sicknesses, for their health and strength, and for their provision. One of the school teachers related with great excitement how God lead her step-by-step in solving her urgent financial problem. We thanked and praised God with her. We spent two hours thanking God, and then we expressed our thanks with gifts to God. From what little they have, people gave money, rice, live chickens, coconuts, etc. Comparing it with last year’s Thanksgiving, the amount given this year was much less, but there were a lot more people who gave this year, an evidence that people are learning to give to God.
On Thanksgiving day, I had a chance to talk to the people about the problem of this year’s harvest. They told me that the two typhoons, Ketsana and Parma, did the most damage to their rice field. Then rats and birds added their share of damage. This gave me the opportunity to share with them Malachi 3: 9-12 with emphasis on verses 10 to 11. They said they know of some people who harvested only two small bundles of rice from their field. This is not even enough for a week’s supply of rice for one person.
The next day we distributed the rice. We took time to praise God and thanked Him for you all who gave toward the purchase of the rice. There were about 100 families from nine different villages who received about eight kilos (17.6 pounds) per family.
After they got their rice, the people stayed around and fellowshipped with one another, talking about God’s goodness. I overheard a woman with the rice on her lap saying, “I received a lot more than what I gave yesterday!” I turned around and said, “Yes, and you know what? You can never out-give God!” and I gave a short message on giving. In this way, God used the rice not just to satisfy the hunger of the Isnags, but He also fed their souls. And you dear friends are God’s channel of this blessing to them.
On behalf of the Isnags who love the same Lord and Savior as you do, I sincerely thank you for your generosity. May you look forward to hearing the Lord say to you, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat . . . .”
Joyfully serving the Lord Jesus Christ among the Isnags.
Rudy Barlaan, PhD
Email