Investing Time Among the I’wak

Geoff & Christine Harada along with their four children are on their second term now among the I’wak. They returned to the Philippines last July after an extended furlough in Canada to attend to Christine’s health as she battled breast cancer. Praise the Lord that she has made a full recovery but she still is in need of daily medications and regular check-ups.

We were blessed to get to know the Harada’s a bit during our first term in the Philippines as Associates. We had hoped to visit them among the I’wak then but the Lord had never opened the door for that to happen. Recently though when Geoff was needing someone to go along with him to deliver supplies, the door was suddenly wide open. After our last visit with the southern Isnag we were encouraged to visit other tribal stations to see how God might lead and so this provided the perfect opportunity.

After finishing culture & language class on Friday morning we were on our way. We had beautiful weather most the day but by the time we hit the single laned gravel road carved into the side of the mountain for our last hour of travel we ran into rain. Thankfully most of the hard stuff had passed but nevertheless it left the road a bit more challenging than usual. It was easy to see though that Geoff had driven this same road on countless occassions before under similiar conditions & so we nearly reached our final destination with relative ease. I say nearly only because what might of been the last five minutes of an uphill drive turned into a 30 minute uphill walk or us as the road was washed out. Oh yes, it was also dark by that time and quite muddy from the rain earlier in the day. We found a place to park his vehicle for the night and after stopping off for a short visit with his I’wak neighbors, we arrived at his home in the mountains just five minutes before the start of another terrential downpour. Praise the Lord!

Early the next morning after breakfast we began hiking the area trying to scout an alternative route to possibly drive his 4-wheel vehicle the rest of the way up the mountain. Not finding a suitable trail we began instead to start hiking his supplies one box at a time up the mountain. Praise the Lord we were able to stage his supplies about half-way up at the home of an I’wak friend. Nevertheless this kept us busy until well after the noon hour and with the sun blazing, by the time we had finished around 2pm we were both completely wiped out.

Thankfully a number of I’wak youth helped to carry the supplies the rest of the way up the mountain and so this was a tremendous relief to us. It also gave us just the rest we needed to visit various I’wak families later in the afternoon. One lady we visited was very sick & dying of cancer. Because of God’s grace though she is a believer and perhaps even now she is with our heavenly Father. Quite sobering to think of the urgency of the task we are called too. It was a huge blessing to listen to Geoff pray with her in her own language.

On Sunday morning a large number of I’wak gathered, mostly women & children but a few men also, to hear the message that Geoff had prepared from 1 Corinthians 9. Needless to say it was a blessing beyond measure to see God at work first hand in the process of transforming lives for His glory. Geoff introduced me briefly to one young man who had surrendered his life to the Lord and later he wrote a song in his native language which testifies to his new relationship with Christ. You can just imagine the joy this must bring to the Harada family as they see their efforts as being not in vain. A great deal of work is yet to be done among these people and so your prayers & support are much coveted.

How Can You Pray?

1. Please pray for the Harada’s as they continue to serve among the I’wak in a very remote location. Please pray for the health & safety of this family. More than just time, they have invested their lives among the I’wak.

2. Pray for the Lord to provide the right family to come alongside to work with them among these people. Currently they have three single ladies from a neighboring tribe working with them but Geoff has expressed a desire for another man to come in and work alongside of him, specifically in the area of discipleship with I’wak men.

3. Please continue to pray for God’s leading in our lives as we consider the needs here in the Philippines and how we can be of the greatest service for His glory. For now, we praise God for where he has us and for what He is teaching us, for the wonderful relationships we have built with members of our church family in Manila, and for all of you who pray for us, support and encourage us in ministry in so many different ways. To Him be the Glory!

Isaiah 52:7 (NASB)

7 How lovely on the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace
And brings good news of happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”