THANKSGIVING GALORE! Part 2

​Missionaries Robert and Jing Talisic share Part 2 of their thanksgiving testimonies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week we summarized their experiences using the acronym PANDEMIC, and we shared the first four letters. Praise God with us as we read about how the last four letters represent God’s blessings to the Talisics!

​E - EVERYTHING IS FINE WITH OUR FAMILY BACK HOME
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The Talisics were far from home, with no signal and no communication with their family back home.  They worried about their bedridden mother who was undergoing kidney dialysis treatment twice a week, their 83-year old father, and a sister who was suffering from pneumonia. And all of this while Covid-19 was widely rapidly spreading throughout the Philippines, resulting in thousands of lives lost.  In a situation like this it is no surprise if missionaries sometimes become depressed.

“Why are you crying, Sweetheart? We’re worshipping,” Robert asked as he noticed Jing suddenly burst out in tears in the middle of their singing.

“I just thought about our family back home, Sweetheart,” Jing replied, tears streaming down her face. “I wonder how they’re doing. I mean, with the Mom and Dad and Ate’s situation, and all of this happening in the middle of the pandemic . . . We don’t know, anyone of them could be gone by now. But we can’t find out because they have no way of reaching us.”

Robert wished he could ease the pain in his wife’s heart as he saw her sobbing. He drew close, wrapped his arms around her, and tried to assure her as best he could, “Don’t worry, Sweetheart, I’m sure everything is fine with our family. God is taking good care of them. Don’t entertain those thoughts. Let’s just continue to pray for them. Let us put our trust in our Heavenly Father.”

And the Lord did truly take good care of their family! When the Talisics were finally able to communicate with them, they found out that their family was doing well.  No one was harmed. And, to top it all, Jing’s sister was miraculously healed of pneumonia. All praises to our God!

M - MATURING LEADERS​
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Jing and Robert are also full of praise to God for the growing spiritual maturity of the Buhid church leaders. The native leaders are taking on more and more leadership and decision-making responsibilities. Danny and Ipoy, are especially notable because of how they regularly volunteer to relieve the Talisics of some of their burdens. “Let’s lead out alternately,” they say. “If you want you can stay here in Hingin 2, and we’ll take care of Bahayao. If you are tired, just tell us, we’ll take over.”
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Danny and Ipoy are always excited to reach out to other Mangyan villages also. When restrictions were imposed because of the pandemic, they asked the missionaries, “When can we start again? Will you please contact our district Pastor and ask?”
These are the little signs that let Jing and Robert say, “They’re getting there. It’s all worth it. Praise the Lord!”

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​I - INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

The time when the village had no electricity seems like eons ago. Now people have their own TV sets and DVD players. Some even have refrigerators and washing machines. I’m not kidding! With this material progress comes both advantages and disadvantages, especially for the work of the Gospel.

With a concerned look on her face, Jing told Robert, “Sweetheart, I heard our neighbors talking the other day. They say they prefer watching programs on TV and movies over attending church services.”  

“Yes, that’s a problem.” Robert answered. “That’s what technology did to this little village. The people lost their interest for spiritual things. But, on a happier note, I was talking to some of the church members this morning and they have deep spiritual questions. I wonder how we could best help them. I was even having difficulty explaining the answers to some of their questions.”

A couple of weeks later God brought a solution to the two problems that the Talisics had been pondering, both the effect of technology and the believers’ thirst for truth.

“Look, what I have for you, Sweetheart,” Robert came home one morning, carrying a package in his arms, with a wide grin on his face. He put down the box on their kitchen table.

“What is that?” Jing asked.

“Open it and find out,” Robert replied.

Jing opened the package and gasped in amazement when she found out what’s inside. “Oh, this is exactly what we need,” she said. Inside the package was a set of evangelism equipment from AWR, complete with a portable projector, an amplifier, and a light bulb.

“I’m very excited, Sweetheart. Now we can show them Bible study videos and sermons to better explain the answers to their questions. This would be such great help for teaching, since the people here are very much into videos and movies nowadays. It’s also very timely that Ninong Leo sent us a portable DVD player as a gift.”

The Buhid brethren have been very eager to watch and listen to the videos that the Talisics started showing.  They are excited to learn more, and to better prepare for God’s work using the technology that God provided.

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​C - CASH OR IN KIND?

“Sweetheart, we’re still alive, and very much blessed after the lockdown.” Jing was telling her husband one evening as they were preparing for bed.

“Yes, that’s true, God has provided more than we actually need,” Robert replied. “I have an idea, instead of counting sheep tonight, why not let’s count our blessings before we go to sleep?”

“That’s a good idea. Hhmmm . . . Cash or in kind?” Jing asked, smiling.

“Well, God gave us both. So let’s count them both,” Robert chuckled.

“Okay! Well, because of the lockdown restrictions, the Home Base was not able to send us our stipend on time.  But, we were able to receive help from the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP). Praise God for that!” recounted Jing.

“And also, even before that, we received food supplies, and financial support for our daily needs from several other sources. We even helped in the distribution of food donations. God really has so many ways of giving His provisions,” added Robert.

“Not to mention that package from my sister in Texas,” Jing recalled. “Because of that we were able to share the blessings to church members and neighbors in the community.”

“Yes, that’s true. God is so good. We were well provided for. We did not go hungry, and neither did the rest of the people in our community,” Robert mused. “It was a time of crisis, and life was not easy, but now we can recount how God has blessed us and the people whom we labor for.”

Starting to kneel down on the bamboo floor of their little hut, Robert held his wife’s hand and said, “Sweetheart, let’s say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, and tell Him how grateful we are for His goodness before we go to sleep.”

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies…are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22, 23 ESV).

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers for the church planting work among the Buhid. Please join us in praying that the church there will grow in maturity until the day that the native leaders can fully take over the work, and the missionaries can confidently move on to other Unreached tribes still waiting to hear about Jesus.

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