2005 TRIPS

PHILIPPINES 2005

                                    2005 GET Global Philippines Team

Here's what a few Philippines team members had to say about their experience:

Nicole Nieboer

     "Witnessing the Bible translation project in progress was quite the learning experience for me. Every day we learned more about the translation process, and I was completely fascinated . The Bible translator, whose name is Bea, and her two native language helpers examine different versions of Scripture, the Greek, and Bible commentaries, doing an in-depth study of each verse and book before translating into Kinaray-a. It is slow, prayerful, and detailed work, with many revisions, as they want to ensure that the Kinaray-a people understand the correct meaning of each verse. As I witnessed this process, I realized that this is something I can really see myself doing. I would love to dig deep into Scripture this way, helping others understand its meaning.... As the weeks progressed, I gained a new passion for other languages, Bible translation, and Bible-less people groups of the world. God helped me see why translation of the Scriptures into one's mother tongue is so crucial."   

Ulysses Panganiban

"As a short-term missionary, I often wondered how my GET Global group and I were going to minister to the Karay-a people. After all, we didn't go to the Philippines with construction equipment or work clothes or Gospel literature for distribution. Although the application process hinted at the possibility of doing some kind of a service project in appreciation of our host families and community, we received no specifics.

We arrived in Antique, and the Karay-a people ministered to us God's love. They wholeheartedly welcomed us into their homes and actively engaged us in their daily activities and ministries.

One night, after having eaten supper in my host home, I decided to do a bit of linguistics and ask our host pastor's second cousin questions about their native language, Kinaray-a…. I could sense she was wondering, "Why is he asking me these odd questions?"

After a while, she commented with a smile, "You know, as you ask me these questions, I'm learning a lot about my own language!" I realized then that, in a way, I was ministering to her and, by extension, to the whole Karay-a people group. She was beginning to realize that her language is a complex system worthy of serious study and appreciation; it is not, as many non-Karay-as (and even many Karay-as themselves) think, just babbling or an uncivilized dialect whose loss would be inconsequential. One of our team leaders once told the group that we, the team, would be ministering in the Philippines by valuing and esteeming the people and the culture of the place we were going to visit—just as Jesus came to earth and validated our existence as humans by experiencing the life of a man firsthand, demonstrating the Father's grace and mercy, and ultimately dying on the cross to save     us. The simple presence of the GET Global team in the Philippines showed the Karay-a people that God loves them just the way they are and is willing to communicate with them through the way most dear to them—their mother tongue.

It turned out our brief visit was the main ministry itself. We were wondering how we would minister when we were doing so all along. God used our presence to uplift His people in Antique. Praise the Lord"             

Pam Taylor

"After a morning of language learning back at Camp Agape our team dispersed back to our families' home where we (myself and Kristen my housemate) were told that we would siesta and then go out into the village and distribute portions of the Kinaray-a scriptures. Although I don't think that I have a knack for evangelism (in fact, I usually get quite nervous and apprehensive about it), the idea of giving a native speaker the opportunity to read in their mother tongue, particular portions of the New Testament was remarkable to me. As we walked thru the barangay (village) that day about 25 people received portions of the Bible in Kinaray-a after speaking with the Pastor and other members of the church that were with us. I did not understand what was all being said around me, but facial expressions and body language are powerful and I knew these people were delighted to receive something written in their mother tongue. The shocked and confused looks that a few of the older people had on their faces when they were told it was in Kinaray-a never grew old for me, nor did the joy on their faces when I would speak to them in their mother tongue." 

MEXICO 2005

                                                2005 GET Global Mexico Team

Julia Armstrong

"The trip was absoluetly amazing and I learned so much from it, and from the wonderful people I had with me.God has confirmed my desire to become a Bible translator...so I'm on my way down that path."

                                                   Bonding as a team at Orientation in Orlando, FL

Emily Wagner

"The trip was awesome and it has been sort of life changing. It has definitely influenced my future plans as far as career and long term future.Ii am really feeling drawn to teaching and I believe that God has been working on my heart through this trip."

Amanda See

"The trip has changed my life

and the lives of every girl

who went to Mexico"

                        Learning to weave

Kirsten Anderson

"My faith really deepened on a rainy evening in the village. We had hoped to go to church but it rained before we could leave. So we sat in the kitchen singing praises to God. It was awesome to be just sitting there singing. Then a little boy and his grandparents came into the kitchen. They had walked in the rain! We didn't understand why until Jan

(the translator) translated for us.       The little boy, Abad, was born with  a heart problem. Nobody knew          

 it until recently, because they noticed                                   Making tortillas               

 that he stopped growing. Abad wanted to be prayed over. So the team gathered around and prayed for him. I knew God would heal him but I was a little doubtful deep down. I kept thinking he will be healed then a little voice said, "no, because one person does not believe". I wanted to believe God could heal him but I thought God wouldn't care or something along those lines. The next day Abad had a doctor appointment. His grandfather came by the house after the appointment. He said Abad's heart was better and if it kept getting better then the doctor could do surgery. Praise God! God showed me that he can do anything if we ask Him and my faith grew through that experience! I pictured God laughing at the amazement on my face!"          

HONDURAS 2005

Stories and pictures coming soon!!

2004 TRIPS

PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2004

"My days spent in Lavege were truly wonderful and insightful. I learned new
things about myself (particularly my gift for music and strong disregard for
spiders) while absorbing life in a whole new culture. I find myself adopting
some of the cultural traits of communication, such as pointing with one's chin instead of with fingers. Although I was able to lend my services to the
culture by giving them a songbook with musical chords, I find that Lavege
has imparted more to me than I could ever imagine. My appreciation of
different cultures has magnified tremendously and someday I hope to return
to visit this fascinating village of Lavege." -Bethany Persegetti

"On one occasion when I was trying to fill out some of my 'language learning' stuff the women crowded around and excitedly asked if the notes I was writing were going to
help with the 'Book' (Old Testament). I had to smile, because though I won't be working on their 'book', I might work on someone else's sometime in the future."-Joy Wright

SOUTHEAST ASIA

This is just a neat story of something God taught me on the trip.

We were off in the middle of the jungle with a translator who is still doing language

acquisition. We left the small 'remote' village shortly after getting off

our plane. It was hot, humid and infested with anything you can think of that

would want to make a meal of us.

After a short trip in a dug out canoe, and a longer trek through miles of

mud, we made it to a tree house village. Imagine in your mind, if you will,

the last Star Wars movie with the ewok village - like a city in the canopy.

Huts everywhere with rope swings and boardwalks connecting them, trees that

were as wide as houses and as high as skyscrapers! Got it in your head?

Well, it was nothing like that.

There were however two huts on the top of big poles about 30 feet in the air.

We'd been there for a few hours when it started to get dark. The rest of the team headed to bed, and this is where my story begins.

Two of the local villagers, Peter (the translator) and myself headed out to

the river. I of course (being a tough guy, with a try anything once attitude)

wanted to fit in so went barefoot (big mistake). Well, I was looking for the

river, when we came to the 'stream' my expectations for our grand night

fishing trip dropped a little (no scale tippers tonight!).

With one spear between the four of us we slashed our way through the thick

jungle to get to different spots along the riverside. Peter and I along with

these two 'savage' villagers hunted late into the night. I have to admit the

deeper we were taken into the jungle the more my mind raced back to the

stories of cannibalism within some of these tribes. I was uneasy, these people

were still in my mind nothing more than bag carriers who didn't understand a

word of English and who lived up trees.

We came to a difficult part in the night, two of these streams joined and

the 'best fishing' (all relative) was, of course, on the other side. No

problem! - there was a fallen tree right there, as if placed for that very

purpose. My feet were already a mess, scratched beyond all recognition and

even now 3 weeks later still bearing infected cuts from that night. I'm

watching for snakes and anything else that moved or had spikes. A balancing

act across a narrow fallen tree was not top on my list of 'fun things to

do'. Anyway, I'd come this far and turning back wasn't an option.

One step at a time, this wasn't so bad, I was already half way across and it

felt like it only had one barrel of grease poured over it, which is less

slippery than most of the logs in the hot and wet jungle. Then it happened,

I knew it would! I lost my footing and slipped, I knew that this was a one

way trip to a river, more cuts and more discomfort. yet as I slipped a hand

reached down and grabbed me, a hard, course, 'savage' hand. I looked up at

my rescuer, he was about half my size (I'm 6'4" and not skinny) he, of

course, kept his balance and held on to me. I looked into his eyes and

smiled, giving off the most thankful expression I could. Yet it was in that

moment that this 'savage looking' villager changed in my eyes forever. He was no longer a picture in National Geographic, someone from a strange world who

didn't understand much of real life and who surely couldn't be someone Jesus

was talking about when he told us to go to 'everyone', he was now a person.

real, alive, and just as much in need of a Savior as the next guy, and

deserving the scriptures in his own tongue because Jesus DID die for him!

This one night was probably the most impacting of the whole trip for me. On

a night where I experienced a lot of personal discomfort and we caught a

total of one fish and two Cray fish, I learned the importance of becoming a

fisher on men. - Tim Lister

   Coloring with children in the village.