Philippines (MNN) — People are begging to hear the Gospel, but there is no one to send to them–what do you do?
That is the problem that New Tribes missionaries Lance and Laura Ostman are facing among the Higaunon people in the Philippines. So they have begun training young men in leadership.
This tribe
is rooted in the power of the spirits of ancestors and in the influence of more
than one god. Part of their belief
system is that they live to please the
spirits.
In fact, it’s thought that if the Higaunon succeed during
their life tofulfil all the wishes of the
spirits, they will not die and a path will be shown to go from this world into
the eternal world where the creator gods live.
One way to satisfy the spirits is having rituals with
sacrifices.
Their way of life dovetails neatly into the message of the
Gospel, but then comes the discipling. Confusion
and a merging of the animistic beliefs and the Bible often result in confusion. As a result, the Ostmans began training young
men in leadership.
However, while the young men are being trained, no one is
able to effectively minister to and bring the Gospel message to another
village.
Pray for the Ostmans as they disciple the young men to begin
their leadership role. Also pray that
the villages continue to have a yearning to hear about the Gospel.
