NEW SETTLEMENT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN SULTAN KUDARAT AND SOUTH COTABATO

The Highland Jeep, a public transport vehicle of the highlands of Sultan kudarat

  
January 30,  2014

Together with my team of 6 persons we set to visit a place in the hinterland. The travel took us 5 hours on the rough and dusty highway on board a motorcycle ( 2 motorcycles) from Surallah, South Cotabato. The place is part geographically of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, but to go there we have to go through Sultan Kudarat ( Another Province) since the mountain ranges of Lake sebu made it impossible for a road to be built.

We reach the place called LABANANG and enjoyed the night at a small nipa hut. The villagers, a mixture of Tiruray Tribe and Manobo Dulangan welcomed us and made us comfortable with the visit. 

This place has a land area of 300 hectares ( 741 acres) which was declared by the government as Ancestral Domain and needed to have a hundred households to fully award  the land to the Tribal Community. The tribal leader is now waiting for the families who said to transfer in this settlement this year. Last year 10 families moved and now settled. Each household is entitled to have 3 hectares ( 7 acres) of land. The land is productive and the area is most likely to flourish in the years to come.

The purpose of visit was to see the land, the potential of building a Community Church, a church who will help the settlers to build their  home, a church to provide the community with Spiritual guidance and encouragement. The tribal leadership is offering us 3 hectares (7 acres) for the church property and that exclude the share of the community pastor who will live in the community. Presently, there are ten christian families in the area and need to have a church (fellowship).

 

We plan to come back on May for the opening of the work. we are now recruiting worker for the area but as a self-supporting pastor (FARMER). One Pastor is set to visit the area this month of March. Please pray for the worker that God will send to that area. 

We left the place and headed for T'boli on January 31 for the Overnight Prayer Fellowship of Churches.


Pastor JOJO Gubal
EFM Ministry Associate

Sarangani Highlands Youth Fellowship of February 2014

 February 7, 2014

76 youth from 7 churches were able to come with the Pastors and some adult members and children for the overnight fellowship.  The venue for the February fellowship was at Lipunan Assembly of God. This closer to Alabel and do not require river crossing on my part but the people from other places needs to walk down the hills and the river to be able to come and worship God . The churches in this fellowship are of the General Baptist, Assembly of God, Faith Gospel Church, and Church of God.

The Youth of Lipunan Assembly of God led the Praise and Worship and this is one of the important part of the fellowship where we can lift up our voices, shout and sing praises to our God. This is also the most important part  of the life in the highlands, expressing the joy through music in worshipping the Lord. Worship releases the stress from hardship in living in the mountain, that's why many go to church where worship is present..... worship that

 is expressed through dancing, raising of hands, singing, clapping.... a one's expression of joy and thanksgiving for what the Lord has done in his life.

Pastor Elmer Mada, Local pastor of Faith Gospel Church in Amnas, a village that is part of Kihan,  shared the word of God.

Many of us were encouraged by the word and thank the Lord for the spiritual joy He gave us through the message.

And as he called for anybody to receive Christ as his savior, one guy raised his hand and gave his life to the Lord Jesus on that evening. Praise the Lord!!!

The rest of the evening was then followed by contest/church presentation through solo, duet, choir, song interpretation, preaching and skit. The activity ended past 12 midnight and everybody went to their respective sleeping quarters. I preferred to stay at the waiting shed of the church and sleep outside together with the group of pastors because it is cooler outside during the night.

Early at dawn ,the next morning, the the youth gathered at the church for prayer. Pastor Benjie Peco gave the word and encouraged the youth to move forward in faith. We then prayed for one another.

After breakfast, everybody got ready for the next journey... HOME. The next venue for the fellowship will be a place beyond Kihan and that will be interesting.

Below are the photos of the activity:

Groups of Highland pastors rendering a song

Group of Pastors during supper

The  young people from one church took their supper in the dark before the service started

The younger participants of the fellowship

Youth enjoyed singing at the shed in the next morning before departure

The fellowship venue was under the coconut trees in this view and near the river

Participants started their journey home on foot for 3 hours

The river to cross during the dry season

Participants crossed the river before climbing the steep hill

so glad the river was low during this time

other participants pose for a picture before leaving

Happy faces

participants chatting

Pastor JOJO Gubal
EFM Ministry Associate