DADO’S NAVIGATION SKILLS
by: Richard Mindoro
Dado is one of the Agta villagers with six
children. His children are still young and almost the same in height because
they were born one after the other. He is a kind man but when drunk, he became
violent.
One time, he was enticed by his
fellow Agtas to hunt wild animals for five days in the other mountain. “Sorry,
I will not go with you because I am not good in hunting. I would rather stay
and get almaciga resin.” I told him that I will go with him in collecting
almaciga.
The following morning, I went
with him in the forest. The place was scary because it was full of trees and
vines. We keep on searching for almaciga
tree. We were happy everytime we find some almaciga tree but unfortunately some
has no resin. When we are at the middle of the forest, I said to him, “You know
what? I was impressed by your skills. It
seems that you have a GPS or compass. Wherever you want to go, you can go there
eventhough the forest is crowded with different trees and has no road signs.”
He just smiled. After few hours, the sun was already setting down so we decided
to go home. We only got a little amount of almaciga resin. “I will return in
this place to get some more from the nearby trees,” he said. “I will go with
you,” I responded. “You don’t have to go. You will get tired,” he replied. “It’s
my pleasure to help you,” I answered.
That night, during our Bible
study, I incorporated our experience in searching for almasiga trees. “Do you
have a reflection of what we did today? In order for us to reach the place of
almaciga trees, we need to endure the pain because there are thorns and
thistles along the way. Eventhough climbing the mountain was very tiresome, we
persevered. Most of the times, the almaciga has no resin yet you are determined
to look for some more. When we were lost, we found the way out. The good thing
there is we have a goal in mind what to do. In your spiritual journey, you need
to have a goal or direction as well. You need to persevere until you attain
your goal. It is not easy but God is always with us. We are fortunate because
we have a compass and that is the Bible.” After our Bible study, he thanked me
not just in accompanying him in the forest but for the seed of truths that he
had received.
To our faith-partners, please
pray for the Agtas here in Palanan, especially Dado. May his journey with our
Lord continue to grow. May his determination in searching for a living be also
his attitude in searching for the truths. Thank you for your prayers. God Bless
us all.
THE VERY SMALL VOICE
By: Abel Tabianan
One night before 8:00pm, while I am doing reports and my partner is singing & playing the guitar, I heard a voice. I didn’t recognize where it came from and to whose voice is was. The voice said, “Let your light so shine,” which goes along with my partner’s singing. What I heard was a beautiful voice. I couldn’t recognize if it’s a boy or a girl. No one else know that song except the two of us. And it's definitely not the voice of my partner. I don’t know its intention but I was reminded again to be a light bearer in my mission field. I remembered Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
The following morning, as I was taking a rest, my partner heard also a voice that says, “don’t be afraid.” He heard it repeatedly so he checked outside who was talking but there were no people outside.
We couldn’t forget those voices – voices that gave us courage & inspiration. It showed us that God is here watching over us and that He will help us in our ministry. We really need those promises as missionaries. With your prayers & supports faith partners, our ministry here in Agta Palanan will continue knowing that God have already proven it.
GOD PREPARED A PLACE
By: Abel Tabianan
Isa sa pangunahing hanapbuhay ng iba sa mga Agta dito ay ang pangunguha ng pugad ng balinsasayaw o ang tawag nila dito ay ang Paglolobon. Normal na trabaho ito para sa kanila pero napakahirap pala.Yung iba ay naglalakad ng 2-3 araw kasi maraming kuweba doon at isa pa, sila lang ang nakakaalam ng lugar na yun sa gitna ng kabundukan ng Sierra Madre. Yung iba naman ay 4 hours to 1 day lang, mabilis na lakaran yun.
Minsan nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na sumama sa kanila. Mula dito sa amin ay naglakad kami ng 7 hours bago kami nakarating sa mismong pinangunguhaan nila. Pagod at gutom ang naramdaman naming apat, ang tatlo kong kasama ay mga Agta. Habang kami ay naglalakad ay marami kaming nakitang bakas ng baboy damo, yung isa ko ngang kasama ay muntik nang habulin ng baboy damo buti na lang nakatakbo agad siya. Sinubukan kong pumasok sa kuweba na pinapasukan nila, kami ay may dalang flashlight. Yung butas ay singliit lang ng katawan namin at pagpasok namin ay nakadapa at pagapang na pagpasok pero after 20 feet na gapangan ay nakita rin namin ang loob. Sabi nila sa akin na pagpasok namin sa loob ay para itong simbahan ng Katoliko. Kaya ginusto ko rin na makapasok sa loob kahit mahirap ang daan. Ang sukat yata ng loob ng kuweba ay 35 feet yung luwang at 50-60 feet yung haba tapos sing taas ng niyog ang taas niya. Ang ganda pero napakadilim sa loob tapos ang dami pang ibon na lumilipad sa loob ng kuweba. Nakakuha sila doon ng ilang pugad lang tapos lumabas agad kami pagkatapos naming ikutin ang buong kuweba. Yung isa namang kuweba na napasukan ko ay pababa ang daan. Bababa ka sa ilalim ng batuhan o ng butas tapos sa ilalim ay marami pang butas na pababa. Napakadelikado kasi, kunting pagkakamali mo lang ay tiyak na patay o sugat-sugatan ka kasi ang tutulis ng bato. Lahat ng kuweba ay matutulis ang daan kaya ingat lang talaga.
Sa mga ganitong hanapbuhay nabubuhay ang mga tao dito, kung kaya't kaming mga misyonero ay aming itunuturo sa kanila ang pag-asa ng nakay Kristo. Mayroong inihanda ang Panginoon na isang dako - kung saan ay di na tayo maghihirap, walang hanggang kaligayahan ang ating matatamasa.
