More word from my dad in the Philippines:

Things continue to unravel, unwind or just happen (what ever you like). Thursday a mother came by saying that her son fell from a coconut tree. We asked how high and she said really high and indicated some nyugs (coconuts) that were at least 40 or 50 feet high. We could not find anyone to carry a stretcher so I headed off down the trail with the old lady and the young mans wife. they said it was just over at Kensuli but I found it was much farther. We got almost to the ridge that drops down into the Mekegwa. I was huffing and puffing along while this little old lady went scampered up the non existent trail. I really wondered whether I would find anyone alive. After almost an hour we came to a half finished hut in the kerikutan. The young man was still alive and in pretty good shape. I got on the radio and made a report to the clinic. We decided on not carrying him out because the trail was really bad and we didn't have many people to carry. the guy seemed to have no broken bones but although he hurt a lot inside there was no sign of blood and no other danger signs. I figured he must not have fallen that far but then they pointed off about a quarter kilometer away and indicated a tall nyug and said that was the one and he had fallen from the top. I can't say but I would estimate that he must have fallen at least 40 feet. I asked how it had happened and he said that he had fallen backwards out of the tree and his momentum carried his head below the level of his body so that he was falling at about a 30 degree angle to horizontal with his head down when he hit.

Under normal circumstances i would guess he would have snapped his neck, but they said the ground where he landed was very steep as is everything else around here in Amrang and the slant of the ground had matched the slant of his body. the other amazing thing was that although there are stones everywhere, he landed on none. All I could say was that he was a very fortunate young man and I am sure that a kindly providence was looking over him. As I left his house a thunderstorm began to brew and broke as I reached the school at Kensuli. So I spent two hours there. Since all the kids were there i TAUGHT them school for two hours. There was no school there because Nikson was home with malaria. Once the rain tapered off I headed on own the slick trail for home but did not get to far. As I passed Daniel's hut, they called me in and I found Nini (the 14 year old daughter of Api, the penglima) sick and burning up with fever. I made another call to the clinic but they said it was too late to carry her over to the clinic. After a bit of arm twisting I got Parakling and little friends to agree to make the trip to the clinic and bring back the meds. If they were fast, I figured they could make the whole trip before the sun set. After prayer with Nini, I continued on down the muddy trail. I crossed one river that was very full and then just before the Tamlang I met Parakling on his way back. Wow, I was impressed. That was fast. however i was wrong. He said the Tamlang was flooded and he could not get across. Oh great that meant I might not get across. by this time it was raining again and we were all soaked.

We went back to take a look. I was sure that I could get across. There was a long vine stretched across and with that for help it could be done. However Parakling was afraid the vine would break. I didn't think it would but on the other hand I did not relish the idea of what would happen if it did. The boisterous roaring water was challenge enough but the rocks that the water was crashing over just a few feet beyond did not look welcoming. The thought of the water fall further down at least let me know that if the rocks did not finish me off, the water fall surely would. So I pulled out the radio once again. called the clinic and asked for someone to head on down with a rope. We sat in the steadily falling rain for about half an hour until a a small troop came along with a rope. Most of them were only to watch the fun but the rope was tossed And I managed to catch it the first try. hand over hand I got across. Got the plastic bag of medicines and with it firmly clamped in my teeth, made the return trip. I told Parakling how to administer the medicine and then made the return trip. From there it as just 15 or 20 more minutes and I was home. I even got here just before dark. So the day all worked out OK.

Other Developments:

There is a growing anger among certain of the gunggarangs that Nurgina managed to get out of marrying Gardi. The whispered gossip is that we are going to be bisaraed by Merino himself. they say the big cheeses around here want to throw us out of the mountains for good.

Silu sent a letter that Leonda received Sabbath morning saying that he has lost his faith and that he holds us responsible for the fact that his father is in prison. It sounds as if he is ready to aid the enemy.

Church attendance is down and certain significant individuals are absent. Especially from Nyug. They seem to have sided against us and are on the side that wants to force Nurgina into marriage.

Latest gossip is that Gardi is Angry with us and the P5000 is not enough, he wants Nurgina also.

New tribes finally made a decision on whether to allow us to base the helicopter at their base in Larra. Although they seldom use it, the answer is no. Not surprising. They don't like to work with anyone else. I heard some time ago that their pilot who helped in Christopher's rescue was later fired.

The bright spot that we cling to is that the Devil would not be fighting so hard unless something good has been happening.

So if you have run out of things to pray about, you are welcome to pray about some of these things.
The truck is out of commission so I will be leaving later today to hike out of the mountains and replace the lower tie rod and rebuild the steering gear box.

Anyway that is a brief sketch of what is taking place at the moment.