joanna in the philippines

Hey everyone! Well, it has been awhile since I last wrote... lots has happened. Lets see... Don and John got stuck in Tabugon for about 5 days and 4 nights because of the rain... so it wasn't until Saturday afternoon that they got back. But it was SO good they were able to cross the river when they did because a typhoon hit us Sunday night, and Char and I were so thankful to have Don back to make sure the house stayed together! Well, last week was long and rainy, hardly stopping for more than a few minutes. One baby died last week, and we were inside much of the time. Then the typhoon... well, it hit right south of us, and at first it was a tropical storm, then it was a category one typhoon, and then the night it hit we read online that it was a category 2 or 3... cant remember. Well, apparently it was a Super Typhoon... we found that out the next morning, but it wasn't so bad. Growing up in Florida, I have been through a few hurricanes (which is what a typhoon is), but I have never gone through one right on the coast! Ha... well, it was kinda fun... all Sunday we were inside because the weather wasn't so great. I did take the kids to the beach for a few minutes to look for shells, but the waves were HUGE and they scared me half to death as they came up close to the path to the house, so we didn't stay long :)... but we had a fun time being inside... played some games and also sardines in the house when it was dark (hide and seek pretty much)... then Don and Char and I watched a movie on the remaining laptop power and the winds came. It was pretty loud in the house... the rain can be SO loud and the wind rattled the house a lot, but I am so thankful I slept through a lot of it. Don was up all night cleaning up water here and there and making sure we weren't going to fly away... guess it was about 120+ mph winds... crazy! But we survived and the Epps survived their first typhoon in the tribal house, and we were all fine! I kept thinking about the Agta though all night, living in their huts made from trees and branches, but the next day they were checked on and all were doing pretty good. But, another baby died on Monday morning. This baby was only a few weeks old, I was here when he was born, and it is so sad to have lost another baby. Found out today that an old man died in Tabugan... he was the one who was so hospitable to Don and John when they were stuck out there... giving them food and letting them stay in their house. Well... he was an older man, but he died. So sad... really. I was thinking the other day that for a Christian, one who has placed their faith in Christ, death has NO STING! It is awesome to know that death for us is just the beginning of an eternity with Christ, but for an unbeliever, like the Agta here in the Philippines, death is horrible. There is absolutely no hope. No rejoicing over death. I still cannot wait for them to hear God's message to them.

Well, today there is no rain! Praise the Lord! Char and Don were back to language (even though they both aren't feeling well) and I think the ladies want to play some more volleyball this afternoon! So, hopefully it will continue to be a nice day. Thanks for praying everyone... and also be praying that the language work here will quicken so the message can be brought sooner, and that the lives of the Agta will be preserved until they can hear! Also, that the weather will be clear for our flight out NEXT FRIDAY! I cannot believe it is so close to leaving, but it will be fun to see Sarah and Markus and Levi and Emma again. If the weather gets bad, well, we could be stuck here for a long long time, it has happened many times to missionaries here, and then hopefully Char's pregnancy will have no problems. Well, thanks for praying! Over and out...

Hey everyone! Well, today is feeling more and more like rainy season here in the Philippines. It began raining Tuesday night, and rained all yesterday and through the night and is STILL raining! It lets up for a while every now and then, but not long enough to get some sun! Ha… well, let me catch ya’ll up on whats going on here. The guys are gone… Don and John left Tuesday for the mountains with a few of the Agta men… they went Bahot fishing, which is some sort of fishing J… I think they’re going to catch eel, and hunting for something else. Can’t remember. But they have been gone for a few days now. We kind of expected them to come back yesterday, but it was either yesterday or today, so we’re looking for them today. Poor guys though, its just been raining so much since they left… hope they don’t come home sick! Also hope they don’t get stuck at any rivers… we heard from an Ilokano lady that this one river is really dangerous to cross because of the rain… it is high and filled with swirly things that suck stuff down, don’t know what they’re called, but yeah, hope they aren’t on the other side of that river! J It might be awhile yet that they come back. But its kinda a sad day. First off, it is raining, and it kinda puts me in a sad mood. Then, about an hour ago or so, one of Char’s language helpers came and said that a little boy died this morning around 6 o’clock. They were asking for nails for the coffin, and Char went out with them to go to the family. Well, its just so sad! The little boy, his name was Eddie Boy, wasn’t even sick… Im not sure what happened, but I just am praying for Char as she went out there alone. It has been pouring rain since she left. Well, also, for the parents. I can’t imagine their grief right now. And Eddie Boy never heard about Jesus. He never heard how much Jesus loved him and how he was created special and was made to have a relationship with God. Well, keep praying for the Agta team here as they get closer and closer each day to telling the Agta this. Also, for the lives of the Agta to be preserved until they can make that choice.

Tuesday afternoon a bunch of the ladies came and played volleyball. It was so fun! We really had a blast! The ladies here are so fun. They love to laugh and joke around, so pretty much we spent a lot of time laughing as we all missed the ball over and over! Ha, I got laughed at plenty as well… since my volleyball skills aren’t amazing! J But it was SO fun! We must have played for a couple hours, maybe a little bit under two, but I think we’ll be playing more and more, if the rain ever stops! Other than that, the past few days have been staying inside to stay out of the rain. Other than Char’s language sessions. I really enjoy listening in to her lessons sometimes. Her two language helpers are so kind… they are the ones I went to get rice with when they made Dekat, or sticky rice. One of them, Ate Aming, she is so nice, and I think we would be good friends if I could speak her language! But it is fun to try new words… Aming is always teaching me new words and getting me to repeat them. Ha, I never know what they mean though, but it is fun to try! J Well, I should get going, but thanks for all the prayers! Tell me how I can pray for you! My email is jo_ey747@yahoo.com. Alright friends, have a great Thursday!

Hey my friends! Well, I am trying to put some pictures up on here as I write, but as of right now it is still not working... SO i type. :) It is a rainy Saturday, and I am still fighting a cold... so it is kind of relaxing I must say. But anyways... I thought I would maybe explain a little bit about why I am even here. Why DID Joanna go all the way over to the other side of the world? Was it because of the beach? Was it because she LOVES plane rides? Or was it because of the food. Well... let me see. I do like the food here, and I live close to a beach. So, no. Thats not it. Actually, the reason I came here has little to do with the fact that I love traveling and seeing new places, although that is a plus. But the reason I came over here was because there was a need. The biggest need is that there are people who are dying every day all over the world that have NEVER even heard of God, His Word, or the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross so that all of us sinners could be forgiven. It is the most important thing in the world, and there are so many people who have never even had a chance to say "Yes" or even "No" to God. Well, thats where people like Don and Char and John and all the other missionaries come into play. Those are people who have left their homes and moved their families to another country and put into a remote location where there are no other "white" people. They throw themselves into the new culture and learn the language by pointing to things and and slowly learning words and phrases. They build relationships and it is all in the hopes to one day be able to speak the language well enough that they can teach them what God's Word says... the message that God had for the missionaries, as well as the Agta and every other people group on this planet. Well, that's just the gist of it, and right now Don, John and Char are all busy with language, and they have a lot of it already, it just takes time to be able to speak it enough to teach clearly so that the Agta will understand, and then also to be able to one day translate the Bible into their own tongue!!

So, this is where my part comes in. Char is about to have her third kid, and they will be out of the tribe for 2 months, so she is really wanting and needing to have as much time with the language as she can. Don is busy with language as well, so you can imagine it might be a little tough trying to concentrate on studying a language while keeping an eye on 2 little kids. SO... I have come over here to help out just a little. I do that by watching the kids and keeping them busy and happy so that Char and Don have the time to meet with Agta men and women and learn/study more. So... a typical day would look like this: We wake up early, and eat breakfast. Don sometimes goes into the village to see what the men are up to that day, and Char goes down to the office to study and prepare for the ladies to arrive. I watch the kids and do whatever. Usually the ladies come around 8-ish in the morning, if they come, so if they do then Char goes under the house to do language with them, and I bring the kids either to the front porch to color and play with the kids of the language helpers, or we go to the beach, or the river, or play house, read books... you get the point! Around 10:30 or so it is Marianda, which is something for snack time, and we bring coffee down to the ladies, and just visit. I usually smile and nod occasionally, I enjoy it a lot! Then the ladies go home, and we get lunch ready/play some more. The afternoons are nice... the kids have quiet time, and on Mon, Wedn, and Fri. John comes and they have either a team meeting, prayer time, or Bible study. On Tues and Thurs we just relax! :) Then in the afternoon we go visiting in the Agta villages. Char might check up on some people with medical stuff, and Don will go and get more language done just by visiting. It is always a fun time to go out... the people are so fun! I also wish I could speak to them! :) Well, by the time we come home, it is dinner/bath/book/then bed time... depending on the night. So... the days come and go and they are seeming to fly by... and Don and Char are busy trying to cram as much Agta into their brains as they can before our flight comes to get us in 3 weeks!

So, I am here to help out and to hopefully be a blessing, so that one day the Agta can hear about Jesus Christ and what He did for THEM! And I am having a fun time helping out... especially with Char being pregnant. Its fun to be able to help around the house and all, since each day she gets closer and closer to "popping the baby out" (as the Epps say ;)). So there you have it. I am here to help further the gospel (even if the role I am playing is super small). But be praying for the Agta team here... Don, Char and John... they have lots of work to do.. Also with relationships and stuff with the people here. The Agta and Ilokano here are people just like Americans and Canadians. We are all sinners and we are all human. So, relationships with people can many times be a tough thing... as it is anywhere! Alright, I should get going... the pictures didnt work again. I apologize, but when I get home to Florida we can all have a Big party and I will show whoever wants to any picture they want to see. Okay, take care! God Bless!

hey all! well, i guess its time i wrote, huh? i actually sat down and wrote the other night... nice and long and probably heart warming and touching as well, and then something went wrong in processing it and i lost it. Ha, so, i just went to bed. Sorry! But things here have been completely normal... as normal as life in the tribe goes that is! The weekend was great... Saturday we cleaned and then had waffles and i lost in yahtzee... Sunday was church and swimming in the ocean and relaxing and all that nice Sunday stuff... but there were some bugs in the ocean that were biting for awhile... and then about 20 Agta showed up from a different area for medical, so we didnt have lunch till late... but it was a great weekend altogether! Yes, i lost in yahtzee again, but last night I did SO good in a game of Phase 10... actually, we finished our game last night and before i was losing so bad, but somehow i turned things around... im feeling a proud. Ill probably never win again! ha. Well, the past few days have been normal. I cannot believe it is Friday tomorrow! WOW! The time here is flying by! We hit midpoint of being in the tribe just a few days ago... so, about 4 weeks left. Then we go to Aritao for about a week, then take a bus to Manila and wait it out until Char has the baby... then back to Aritao until Conference in the beginning of January... SO... things are looking good!

I have been going to the beach a lot with the kids. It is so nice to be able to walk 5 minutes and be at a beautiful beach location. We have been going to this one spot where the coral is, and when the tide comes in and leaves it leaves little pools of water... so we go and look for fish and the kids swim. We went there this morning and the tide was so low, so it was fun playing around the huge coral! I LOVE looking for shells, i think its a new hobby of mine... there are some of the prettiest shells here... Thea and I thank God when we find really really pretty shells... because everything good comes from God. I love being with a 4 year old and seeing her young faith grow... its encouraging, and reminds me just how simple it really is! Well... I can hardly believe it is already another weekend coming up... goes way too fast! But I am so thankful for my time here! It is such a neat experience, and God is just so good for giving me this opportunity... well, I must go, but have a wonderful day my friends!

Hey all! Well, I am glad i have a chance to write in here again for a quick update on all thats going on. Things here are going so good! We made a cake this morning to celebrate my moms birthday... how fun! The Epps are such a cool family, SO, happy birthday mom! We'll eat some cake for you!!! :) They like to celebrate their families birthdays here, even when they're far away, so this should be fun... Well, things since our Thanksgiving dinner have gone so fun! We had a great time... the food was great and it was special! Our yahtzee tournament went well too, but once again I lost... although this time I came in second place! :) Sunday was SUCH a wonderful day! We listened to a sermon then spent the rest of the morning at the beach... so I was burnt, but now have a nice tan... I am ALMOST as tan as Char... don't know if I will ever be as dark as her! Ha! Then we just relaxed the rest of the day, it was so nice! We have so much fun here, being with the Epps is just so much fun! We laugh all the time, and they both have such a good sense of humor, so we can laugh at things from toilet problems to kids doing hilarious things to types of disasters... oh, its a great time here! The past three days have flown by! Char has been able to do language, which is so good for her, so I have been with Thea and Koi, mostly Thea since Koi runs around, and also some agta kids... they color and play with dolls on the front porch, so I camp out there and watch them. The agta kids are so cute! :) Yesterday we hiked to the Barip again, to that far group. So we went, and oh was it a blast! We brought a picnic lunch and were planning to eat on a big rock by the ocean, until it started raining hard when we got there! So, we huddled up by a big tree under a blanket... ha, we had cans of beans and were trying not to get wet, we were just laughing so hard. Finally the rain slowed and stopped and we finished out lunch and played some... well, we got to the far group and sat in their hut for a while while D and C did some language... it was fun to watch Koi... he just fits right in with the agta boys... ha... he was playing with them and there was about 3 little guys that stayed by his side. We came back and when we got to the ocean we ran into a bunch of Ilokano kids coming home from school. Here, there are Agta, and Ilokano... the Ilokano are more Filipino, while the Agta are looked down on and the tribal people. Well, I have come to find out, that the Agta might look at you every now and then (being a white person) but the Ilokano, well, they stare. And i mean STARE. On Monday, I took Koi and Thea to a river to swim, and this Ilokano boy was walking nearby, and he just stopped what he was doing and stared at us for 15 minutes. I dont understand how we can be that exciting to watch for so long (actually, i KNOW we're not) but they seem to love watching us. So yesterday it was bad. We had like 20 kids, all ages, walking right on our heels. When we walked, they walked. When we stopped, they stopped (if they didn't run into us). :) It was a bit annoying, and kinda frustrating, but I guess we just have to deal with it. I got my shoes stepped on a few times, and poor Thea did too... she kept losing her shoes. But finally they left, and I can only imagine what a hard job it would be to be someone famous, where there are people following and watching your EVERY move... oh well... a little culture thing I guess. :) Well, we finally got back and Char and I went out so she could give some meds to a lady who just delivered. Shes not doing well at all... pray for her. She's been sick since she gave birth, things have happened that aren't normal, and just pray that she won't get sicker and die. Another older man here has been coughing up blood... pray for him too. It could be TB or something, and oh, when I think of these people dying I just want to cry because they are SO close to hearing the gospel... SO close! It would be so hard to lose them and know they never heard of God and His sacrifice on the cross and they would spend an eternity in Hell... I've been thinking of Romans, and how it says that all men are without an excuse. These Agta have no excuse, and they are sinners. I am so lucky that I had a chance to hear about Christ and accept Him as my Savior, and they havent even had the chance to HEAR! Oh, pray for their health, and also for John, Don and Char as each day they are learning more and getting closer to sharing about Christ with them.
Well, I should go. Thanks again for praying. I miss everyone! I really do!

Well, today we are celebrating Thanksgiving. I am in the middle of nowhere with 5 Canadians, so as an American I am alone, but that just means I get to have a big fun meal a month earlier than usual (and another one later on... :)) So, all morning we've been cleaning and preparing because tonight we are going to have a big feast!!! :) No turkey though, just chicken! :)But it'll be fun. We did lots of cleaning, and Char and I will try to get as much ready and then hopefully we'll head to the beach. Its a beautiful day, and last night was so nice... the moon was full and it was SO nice on the ocean, oh so pretty. i tried to take a picture, but it was too dark! ha. go figure ;). Last night was friday family fun night... it was fun, as usual. Char and I took a walk and went to the river and talked for a long time yesterday. It was so nice to be able to get to know her better and share my story with her. I pray that I can be a good friend to her, and vice versa. She walked me out to the point, which goes into another cove. The water was high, so a lot of the rocks were under water, but there were these 2 amazing trees out there, right on the ocean. SO big... I will take a picture and put them on here, along with the others, as soon as I figure out how to resize them. Ive had the worst time lately trying to keep up to date!

We finished the book of Acts yesterday in the Bible study. I was only here for the last 2 chapters, but man was I encouraged reading about Paul. He was such a man of courage and he KNEW who his God was, and let nothing stop him from proclaiming Truth. I left encouraged, and longing to know Christ even deeper. It has been such a good time here. I am feeling good, but still having stomach problems, usually after I eat. It may just be something I will have to deal with the rest of the time here. Oh well... only... 5 more weeks! Ha, well, I should go help Char. That way I can say I did SOMETHING to help get ready for Thanksgiving! Miss you all!

hey there! well, Good News! The typhoon is no longer going to hit! Praise the Lord! It is actually a great thing, since it was going to be a bad storm, but yesterday it took like a 120 degree turn to the east, and i think its meeting up with another big one, so poor taiwan, or japan. Or some other country out there! :) but yeah, we're a bit relieved, and kinda sad... we need rain. We have no water left in our tanks though, so that means no more showering, flushing, cleaning, or water fights(jk) unless we carry the water from the pumps. So, i might be going without a few things the next few days ;)

Well, the weather is beautiful. Today Don and Char hiked to the bario, and I took the kids outside to the beach for a picnic. It was fun, and they both were happy! Oh, i forgot to mention some BIG news that happened in Thea's life in Aritao... while she was there she made the decision to invite Jesus into her heart! All by herself too! It is such a blessing to be able to hear her talk about God and the things she knows and is learning... and to be encouraged by her childlike faith. :) I love going to the beach and talking with her, praying with her. Yesterday, she said she wanted a pink shell, and I have never ever seen a pink shell or rock since we had been there. The beach next to their house is full of really cool rocks and a few shells. So, we prayed and asked God to help us find a pink shell before we left the tribe. Well, I will admit that in my mind, I was thinking we wouldnt find a pink shell for like 5 weeks... ha, but just later that day we went outside and were looking at more rocks and guess what we found??? a PINK SHELL! It was a neat reminder to me of God and how He cares about even the little things... we sang songs of praise to God for the pink shell (Thea loves making up her own songs) and it was a cool time just talk about God hearing and answering our prayers. She is a special girl, and God is an awesome God.

Well, I had a great time last night going visiting- something we do almost every night. Thea's little agta friends all kinda took a liking to me, and were holding my hand and I was trying to play little games. So, we went around and i pointed at things and they told me what they were in agta, and I would tell them in english. So cute. Listening to them speak english, a bit broken, but beautiful nonetheless. They held my hand walking back and are just so precious, and I so wish I could communicate to them and be able to talk to them like I would any other child. But I am SO happy, for thier time to hear the gospel is coming So soon... oh, I get excited thinking about it! :)

Okay, I should go... but thanks for your prayers! Love you all, Joanna

Well... I have been in the tribe now for a week. It seems like its been 4! Ha, but in a good way! I have had a great time so far... the past few days have been interesting...

Saturday, when I last wrote, we were about to go swimming, and thats what we did. It was so fun, the water was so beautiful, and some of the tribal kids even came out and swam with us! Don brought out his surfboard that he found for a great price in Manila, and the kids loved paddling with him on it. It was refreshing to swim some, and while we were there, John, the Epps co-worker, arrived on a Banka... so, he got there safe, just a few days late because the ocean wasn't too great to travel on. So, that night was nice, it was Saturday night, so we had a nice meal and communion. Then the adults played Yahtzee... I guess Don, Char and John have been having a yahtzee tournament going on, but they started over with me, so each Saturday night we'll play. It was a blast. I lost... but I usually do :) but it was fun. We laughed and had a great time. My stomach was hurting a little bit though, but I didnt think much of it.

Then Sunday morning I woke up and I felt so gross! I guess my stomach didnt agree with something I ate or drank, so I spent all Sunday in bed... kind of a bummer, but oh well. I spent the morning staring at the ceiling praying the cramps would go away, and then Char brought a movie for me to watch when they went to the ocean, so I did that and rested the rest of the day. Monday was pretty much the same... just resting a lot and taking it easy. Im still not sure if I am completely better, but I dont feel as bad as I did Sunday, so thats good! But the Epps told me to drink only from the water that is filtered, we all have just been drinking from the well water, which is fine, but Ill do that from now on just in case. So yeah, my first sickness in the tribe, but really, it was no biggie, thank the Lord! :)

But things are going well... yesterday a woman came to the house, and her finger was almost falling off... she was trying to move a horse and I guess the horse ran and a rope was around her finger and she was dragged a ways, and the skin just tore and was only hanging on by a tiny bit... OH... I didnt go look that morning when it happened, my stomach probably wouldnt have taken it, but I prayed for Don and Char as they were dealing with it. And the lady too, I can imagine she was in lots of pain. I did see it last night as we went to her house to clean it and check on it, and yeah, i felt like I was going to faint. Wow, but its not always a pretty job out here! okay, I should go... there a big typhoon thing coming our way... maybe hit friday or so... ha, we dont know what to expect, and I have certainly never lived this close to the ocean during a big storm like that! :) pray for us... pray the house stays, and for the Agta people, with their homes. Alright, love you all!