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About two weeks ago, we experienced a very wet day as a typhoon was making itself known here in the Philippines.  This type of day makes you want to grab a book and hide under a blanket, even here near the equator.  However, Stephen thought this might be a good day to find one of […]

As many of you know, Stephen is now back to full-time language study with the desire to see it completed.  Progress is not seen in leaps or bounds but by words, phrases, and so on.  Some days are hard, very hard.  But other days, days when Stephen is able to be out with people, doing […]

Take a look at this picture.  It is actually a clip of a bigger picture.  By looking at the clip only, can you guess what the picture is?  After looking at this clip and making a guess, scroll down to see the whole picture and explanation. If you guessed a foot, you are on the […]

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”  No, it’s not going to snow anytime soon here in the Philippines.  However, the stores in the Philippines are already stocking their shelves with Christmas decorations.  Some of you might ask, “Do the Filipinos celebrate Christmas on December 25?”  The answer is, “yes”.  However, here in the […]

This week, we had the privilege of having a mini-conference with all of the missionaries on the Island of Palawan.  After a year of being away, this was a really great opportunity for us to catch up with everyone at once.  Fellow missionaries from another island came to do a children’s program, so our children […]

On July 31, Rebekah and Stephen loaded up our vehicle and made the three-hour journey into our village.  For the next 6 days, Rebekah, Stephen, and eight men in our village attacked our home.  Our desire was to prepare our home for our family’s return and to especially clean it for Luke’s health.  We wanted […]

A few weeks ago, I, Stephen, was sitting next to Jonathan on our “short” 15 ½ hour leg of our flight from L.A.  I was talking to Jonathan and trying to prepare him for our return to the Philippines, trying to explain that we were returning so that we can tell the Agutaynens about Jesus.  […]

Name: Isuzu Crosswind Year: 2004 Weight: A ton or two Color: White Hopefully by now you realize that we are not talking about the birth of a new child, but of the purchase of a vehicle.  We thank God for His wonderful provision and trust that this vehicle will be used for His glory for […]

We arrived back to Manila to find a booming economy.  Buildings have been erected during our year’s absence, and there are construction cranes throughout the city, in the process of building yet more.  Such a contrast to the economic times in the U.S. during our year there! As many of you know, one of our […]

With grateful hearts and rested eyes, we thank God for our safe arrival to the Philippines.  As many of you know and as many of you have been praying, our journey began on Wednesday.  Ginger’s folks and uncle dropped us off at the airport in Grand Rapids.  One thing we asked you to pray for […]