She became known as ‘ara’ when her tribal mother left her and her dad, one of the great believers among this remote tribe on Palawan Island died of cancer.
While they built the casket , Ara was assigned to keep the flies off her Dad’s body. (Later, I will write you more of her story.) She lives with an old grandmother but before his death, her father asked missionaries, Danny and Philippa Brooks to care for her. They make sure she has enough food, goes to school, and give her presents for Christmas and her birthday.
She followed Dale and I everywhere we went in the village, watching us take snapshot after snapshot. She has a beautiful smile and a delightful spirit.
Her name may mean nothing in the Tagbanwa language, but she is someone to God. Someone who God loves and for whom He sent his Son to die, that believing in Him, she might have abundant life.
The dedicated missionaries of New Tribes Mission live in Ara’s villiage to plant a functioning tribal church among her people and translate the Scriptures into Ara’s language. Please pray for them and the work among the Tagbanwan people.