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Philippines Bound

Apr 24, 2021 | David & Vanessa Maynard, Global Partners

We’re still here…for now

     This last week we received our boy’s new passports and purchased flexible tickets for the Philippines. Our tentative departure date is June 25. I say “tentative” because our coworker’s tickets for May were recently cancelled and the Philippines is currently closed to non-essential travelers. We are praying that the number of Covid cases will decrease with the strict lockdowns and the country will open its doors this summer. With God in front of us, I know we have the best possible Person on the job.

Isnag Church During Covid

     News from the village has been sparse and brief during the last six months. The good news is that Devis and Rigo have taken up teaching, allowing the church to continue meeting. Previous to the pandemic, Devis had a job that kept him away in town 90% of the year, and Rigo(‘Ree-go) was only comfortable leading the men’s Bible study. It may be that this pandemic has been the catalyst for male leadership to further develop.

Anxieties

     As real people, we do have anxieties that creep up as we think about this next term overseas. We may have to stay much longer in the village at a time if the government still strictly prohibits inter-province travel. We ask God that he would provide a few friends for our kids in the village as many of them would go to school in town. 

Drowning

       The sad news is that we heard one of the young children of Elwin (‘El-ween) drowned in the river. Apparently she had left her toddler at the house while she went to wash clothes at the river. Her child later went to the river on her own and either walked in too deep or fell in. Elwin and her husband Idel (Ee-‘Dell) live an hours walk upriver from our village. Elwin has come to visit with Vanessa many times over the years. As far as we know, neither Idel or Elwin are believers. You can pray for them by name that God would use His Word and the other believers there to draw them to Himself. 

 We were able to visit with coworkers of ours from the Philippines, Brian and Katherine Schaadt. Brian is our only pilot for our region of the field, and we won’t be able to access the village until he and his family return in early July. 
Field Trip: Taking advantage of schooling opportunities while we can, together with Vanessa’s mother, we toured the Ford Rouge Factory and saw how they made the F-150s.
Part of a date challenge, Vanessa blindfolded me and brought us to a small breakfast diner. I could enjoy a date with my wife anywhere, but I’m grateful for the special things we can do here in the States.
It feels great to shed our winter clothes and work in the yard. Jericho, Diego, and Hunter helping their Lola (Grandma) mulch the garden.

Prayer Requests:

1. Philippines: Pray God would help the Covid situation improve, allowing the country to remain open
2. Isnag: Pray the church would continue to meet and men continue to lead
3. Our hearts: Pray God would remind our hearts to lean on Him during any setbacks or uncertainty in returning to the village 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and pray for us and the Isnag Church. If you want to contact us personally, we’d love to hear from you. 

-David & Vanessa Maynard