Pakak Project: Organic Farming

"some people have been discouraging me for using only the materials we made during our natural farming training on my ricefields....they said i should have only used it on a small piece of land in case it doesn't work....but i tell them, i want to start healing my land now.....i want to start applying what we have learned now...

on a good harvest, which is May or June harvest, i get around 43 cavans, i set aside some for our consumption, and i sell the rest....sometimes i get paid 15,000 pesos...i use 10,000 to pay off the fertilizers, pesticides, etc that i get on credit with interest...2000 to 3,000 i use to pay for the hand tractor, fare, milling and other things....i barely have enough left to get basic necessities for my family....at least this time i don't owe anyone fertilizers or pesticides."
A comment from Nelson, one of our 5 farmers who decided to use only "homemade natural fertilizers and pesticides" on either all or some of their ricefields...we had a training on Natural Farming a few months back...thanks to Samaritan's Purse, Canada, and SEED Ministry....and we've been making our own IMO(Indigenous Microorganism), FPJ(Fermented Plant Juice), KAA(Kuhol/Shell Amino Acid), Calcium and Calcium Phosphate for our 5 demo ricefields since then....ALL EYES in our village and neighboring villages are on these ricefields....harvest will be in December.....Please lift these farmers and their fields up in prayers....we also come against rats, birds, insects and typhoons that will affect the harvest.....we know that if these farmers have a good yield, all the other farmers, at least in our village will want to do "Natural Farming" too.....they've been getting fertilizers, pesticides/insecticides they use for their ricefields on credit, with 10% monthly interest....after they pay off their credit, there's hardly enough left for the family.....

thank you, for your support and prayers.... God bless you all:)   pls see attached photos from our training and "demo ricefields":)
blessings and peace,
Chris, Cathee, Samuel, Miriam Mapes:)

Good day my friends.  We want to update you on the adventures of our family here in the Philippines.  Yesterday, we went to a new village (Binungsay) that's on the other side of the river.  Made up of about 600 people mostly from the Butbut ethnic group.

Our main ministry is discipleship and church strengthening.  We want to get behind the local indigenous churches and push them forward to reach out to their own people.  We do this through a video bible school and needed resources.

This outreach to a new village was initiated by the ISOM students in Pakak.  for those of you who don't know about Pakak, it a village of about 40 houses and about 300 people.  They have one church in their village with about 100 attending.  that's at least one third of the total population that attends church!  We've been working with Pakak for the past 7 years and have a very good relationship with the people.

There are around 35 youth ages 13 to 20+ that are involved in the Butbut Christian Music Ministry.  They write, translate, produce and present worship songs in their tribal dialect.  They have a powerful impact where ever they bring their worship.

Yesterday, we began about 9am.  The ministry team (consisting of 18 ISOM bible school students and 30 young people on the worship team, plus the many children and infants of the students) loaded on one jeepney.  with about 25 inside and about 23 on the top of the vehicle.  The driver was a little worried that his bushings would not hold out going up and down the rough road in the mountain.  But we all made it there fine.


When we arrived in Binungsay, we cooked a lunch then they went out in teams to minster door to door.

The boys with us have a sports ministry.  They come prepared to start "pick-up" games with the youth in the village we are visiting.  It's effective, as filipinos love basketball, even in the remote places.

Our ministry time was excellent.  Charlie, a butbut pastor (who makes evangelical tribal films), showed his film about the prodigal son in Kalinga cultural setting, then some of the students gave testimonies of personal healings, salvation, and provisions from God.  We showed a portion of a teaching from the ISOM curriculum on "salvation by grace through faith".

Next month, we plan to start an ISOM bible school there.  At least 10 interested young people came to talk to us after the outreach about joining the Bible school.

We're really excited to have to opportunity.  Teaching the Word of God is something I truly love to do.

This month has been one of the busiest months so far.  We are doing as much as we feel we can do with what resources are available.

Cathee is leading an outreach called "Well Baby".   She's doing health and community development teachings 5 times a month in 4 different villages!  She's very influential with the Butbut people and she loves what she's doing also

We're still continuing our children and adult Tuberculosis Sponsorships.  We've had 4 children and 4 adults that we've sponsored for treatment this year (with one of the children graduating their 6 month treatment recently).

We currently have 2 ISOM Bible schools on going with two more that will be started in the next month.

One of our ministries includes health and community developement.  Next month we'll hold seminars on gardening and pig pens.  These are two of the biggest health needs in Kalinga.

All these ministries require 3 things...prayer, people, provision.

We need  your prayers as we do what we feel God has called us to do.  We come against spiritual opposition especially in teaching the Word of God.  We Need prayers.

We need people.  Cathee and I have been doing this for the past 5 years, but we need help.  We are open to intenships and missionary placements.
We need people to help in these areas

1) community development-people with a deeper understanding of farming/land management/animal raising and gardening to help teach and oversee projects.
2) video editing and production to work with Charlie in producing Evangelical videos
3)administrative. we need an organized person to help

We need Provision.  This year our support has ended with our main supporter.  We currently don't have a regular monthly budget.  We really need montly supporters.  This month we have to move to our house, but don't have the money to finish building it.  we need about 1,600 dollars a month to maintain the ministry and take care of our family.   We immediately need about $5000 dollars to finish our house/ministry office and a 4-wheel drive vehicle to reach our outreach villages.

We are very thankful for God's continued faithfulness in every area of our life and want to invite you to join us in this mission.  I know that I am where God has called me.

Email me if you feel like you can help in any of these areas.

Blessings and peace to you

Chris, Cathee, Samuel, Miriam and rocky the dog