Mission Trip Update – February 19th, 2016

Mission Trip Update – Loboc, Bohol, Philippines

Montana On A Mission has been very active these last weeks. A small group from Big Timber arrived at the beginning of February and started serving at the Calunasan Sur Elementary School in Loboc, Bohol Philippines. Gemma George and Barb Teachout stepped into the 5th-grade class and started teaching. Why?

The previous 5th-grade teacher moved and a replacement teacher hadn’t been appointed yet, leaving the 5th-grade class without a teacher. A few of the other teachers would step in from time to time and give the students their lessons. So the teachers were delighted when Gemma and Barb offered to help…

The rest of us arrived on the island of Bohol on February 14th after two days of airplanes, airports, and hotels. Our group consists of 12 Arrowhead Bible College students, a student from the Absorkee Evangelical Church, and me (Pastor Bryan). We joined the group already on the ground from Big Timber.

We started painting the cafeteria at the elementary school. The cafeteria was built a number of years ago. About 50 students are participating in a lunch program supported by individual sponsors. Most of the participants had been identified as being malnourished or at a nutrition deficit. The feeding program provides needed nutrition for about 1/3rd of the student population.

It’s been incredible spend time with our friends here in the Philippines. The teachers are gifted, hardworking individuals. They start their classes at 8:00 am every day and work until 5:00 pm. Building relationships with the teachers and students is a blessing. We are learning so much from them about hard work and friendship. They have been serving us treats twice a day and eating lunch with us, so to say that we’re spoiled is an understatement.

Lunch time might as well be called play time. It’s when we put down the paint and hang out with the kids. Several of the ABC students have practically worn themselves out playing tag with the kids.

Rebekah has also written about our experience. You can read about it here!

Kenya

Kenya – H20 for Life: In areas without improved water sources 50% of kids die before age 5 from waterborne disease. #cleanwater #H2OforLife

Please keep our Kenya trip in your prayers. Denny and Ellen Freed left Bohol for Kenya a few days ago. The Donald family is already there and Yancy Terland is leaving soon to meet up with the rest of the group. Their primary purpose will be to develop clean water sources among the Maasai people in Kenya. One recent article stated that many Maasai families have lost half of their cattle due to the extended drought. This affects the well-being of families and communities in more ways than you can possibly image. Fresh, clean water provides needed relief, help, and hope in a dry and weary land, all of which would be impossible were it not for the many people who have made donations to water development projects in Kenya through Montana On A Mission. THANK YOU!