| HOSEA NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2023
Hello again from the mission field
There have been so many happenings within Hosea's work in the Philippines that I have not had time to tell you about everything! Outreach has progressed very speedily and several state department's have shown us much favour.
The dental university asked us whether their recent graduates could get working experience and use Hosea school premises to provide treatments that would be at no charge to patients. Poor people on the island have no access to dental care, so we were delighted to arrange this mission, which took place in February. There was so much demand that a second dental mission was needed. So In the coming month of March we are arranging a combined medical and dental outreach, and this time I am able to be there in person too. We will be focusing upon the tribespeople who otherwise would have no opportunity to get medical treatment. For three years covid restrictions have prevented us from being able to provide such support, so by now a massive demand for help has built up.
Free dental treatment Hosea
At the same time Hosea has continued to provide food to the poor especially in remote areas, supported by military and police forces. The Hosea church in Malpalao, a terrorist area, continues to grow rapidly. Three hundred soldiers have worked through the area, clearing it of terrorists and NPA (New People's Army) supporters. Evangelizing such a wide area and and delivering food supplies there is a complex task: the military has to check all the forest routes for mines and bombs so that Hosea teams can travel safely.
Hosea food program
Let me finally tell you a wonderful tale of God's care and protection -- a story that even reached the Philippines media news. One of our ex-pupils who is now 15 years of age went out to sea with his father in a small fishing boat. But disaster struck when a storm suddenly arose and their boat was wrecked. When the boat failed to return home, family members were of course very concerned. Time passed by with no news, and after two weeks everyone assumed that both father and son had perished in the storm. The grieving family approached one of our pastors to ask him to pray with them. While he was praying the pastor heard God speaking to him clearly, at a level he had never previously experienced: "They will be found within 24 hours". So he told the family exactly what he heard!
On the next day, fifteen days after the storm had hit, the most amazing news came. A Chinese fishing ship had found both father and son clinging to the boat’s wreckage in the sea. Because of their poor condition the rescued pair were not even able to speak at first. Their rescuers brought them to Mindoro island and the harbour of Mamburao where their family were eagerly awaiting them, together of course with members of the media.
Father and son at the port left image: The location the lost were found
When they were questioned as to how they had managed to stay alive for two weeks in the water, they explained how they had kept afloat by clinging to a portion of their boat's broken hull, to which small shellfish had attached themselves, as commonly happens. They had eaten these to stay alive and drank rainwater. What a miracle that God would keep them alive amidst the dangers of the open sea! And that the Chinese sailors should even notice two half dead men, holding on to wreckage amongst the ocean waves, who had floated more than a hundred nautical miles from Mindoro island. As Psalm 34 says: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”
So in spite of news telling of the world getting darker and darker in many places, God's light and miracle-working power is still breaking through. I believe that His glory will become stronger against the darkness.
Blessings
Anne
Mangyans had bravely formed a choir and even composed a song. We have now more than 40 adult students in the school, their ages varying from young to old. They told us that they were now able to vote for the first time in the elections. Earlier they had had to give their voting slip to others to fill in, without knowing what they wrote in them, because they could not read or write.
When the Mangyan students were singing their song, I was standing in the back of the church. Suddenly I noticed four small children hiding between benches. Our teacher said that they were our students, and she then went and asked why they were not among the other children. One of them explained with tears, that they were so hungry that they could not go to sing. I was so surprised to learn that they were already 6 year olds, even though they looked more like 2 year olds, skinny and bony small children. Nheng commented that this is due to malnutrition, which is the reason why all these tribespeople are so small: their continuous lack of food stunts their growth. We brought a 40 kg bag rice with us and also other foodstuff and fed them all after the meeting, thanks again to the donors! We made so much food that there was enough for evening meal as well.
Last spring Hosea organized a medical mission for the Mangyan tribe. We also left some medicines with the local Pastor, so the tribespeople could be given help later as well. The Pastor said that some Mangyans come even at night begging for help in their desperation. Also some people from other tribes turned up for medicine and were given some, for it is hard to turn desperate people away without help. Now we are in the process again of collecting funds for another medical mission, which should happen sometime next year.
While we were in the Mangyan village, I recognised that most of them were walking bare foot again. I wondered what had happened to all those sandals which had been donated for them a year earlier. The Pastor laughed and explained that the Mangyans have a peculiar walking style, they step heavily on their heels and that wears out the heels of the shoes very quickly. That means that they will need a new pair of sandals every year. One man had a good pair of sandals slung over his shoulders, so I went and asked him why he didn't use them. The man replied: “I don't want to use them as they would wear out. When they hang on my shoulders everyone can see that I have shoes.” So this man had still good shoes, while others had worn theirs out”¦ Now, who is the wise and where is the wisdom here?
We also distributed a bag full of clothes. Birgit and Ulla went to buy some more and as always the Mangyans put the new clothes on top of their old rags. They can't see any reason why the old clothes should be taken off, so they carry their whole wardrobe with them all the time. The same clothes are worn day and night and the extra clothing keeps them warm at night on the mountains. The price tags are also left on, so everyone can see they are new clothes.
Hosea's second fishing boat is now operating on the eastern side of Mindoro Island (Oriental Mindoro) where it is manned by our Mangyan pastor, thus serving the Mangyans also. There are more fish now on the Oriental side of the island because big Indonesian fishing trawlers have appeared close to the Occidental Mindoro shores (the western side of the island). Occidental Mindoro is facing the open ocean, so Indonesian factory ships come close to the shore and take in all fish, big and small, diminishing the fish population. Locals usually fish with spears, sparing spawning fish for reproduction. They understand the laws of the nature and know that spawn fish are needed to keep fish stocks -- you cannot empty the ocean of fish. Local small fishing boats can't drive away large foreign fishing vessels, so locals are deprived of their fishing livelihood.
The Hosea Filipino team want to send their heartfelt thanks to all the supporters and prayer warriors. They and also our students keep praying for you. They understand that it is because of you, your prayers and your donations, that they have this wonderful opportunity to get an education and thus a good start to their lives. It was really great to meet some of our very first students, the ones with whom we started this ministry in the Philippines. It was so wonderful to see the fruit of this work. Many parents are also saved as they attend our weekly Bible studies.
Great blessings from the islands,
ANNE
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