Now that we've been meeting with lots of people who are interested in our future ministry we thought we would put together a list of some of the F.A.Q.s that we've been hearing.
The most obvious one is...
Q: Where are you guys heading?
A: The Philippines, and more specifically the Northern portion of the country called Luzon.
Q: How long will you be there?
A: We're looking to make this a career so Lord willing a very long time.
Q: How often do you get to come home?
A: We do have furlough (Now they're calling it home assignment, If you keep tracking with us through our ministry you'll notice that New Tribes likes to change the names of things often. :) Anyways, We'll be home every 2 - 4 years depending on what phase on ministry we're doing at the time.
Q: What will you do for money while your over there?
A: We are currently raising support before we head out. New Tribes calls this partnership development. We have been meeting with some really fantastic individuals who want to be a part of our ministry.They are supporting us financially so we can pour ourselves into ministry full time. Their giving makes our going possible. (If you want to know more about how you can be a part of our ministry through giving you can get in touch with us at alex_williams@ntm.org)
Q: Are you going to learn their language?
A: Yes, In fact we're going to be learning two! We will start by learning the national language of the north, which is Tagalog. It's a difficult language for English speakers because their grammar is very different from what we're used to. We will be studying that 40 hours a week for roughly two years... that may seem like a long time, but it's helpful to look at it like an investment for the long term. Just imagine trying to have a deep friendship with someone who could only form very simple thoughts and sentences. It would be an uphill battle for both sides.
After we get to a level where we can talk about deep concepts we'll move out into a tribal location. We will also take the time to learn their heart language, but this should go much faster because Filipino languages are all related grammatically. We should really only have to pick up new vocabulary. (That was a relief to hear!)
Q: Will you have help?
A: Ideally, Yes we will have partners that will move out into the tribe with us. Hopefully two married couples or some singles. I say ideally because of Matthew 9:37, "Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few'." It was true then and it's true now.
We also have the advantage of having consultants from New Tribes come out to help us in many different areas. Consultants are missionaries who have gone before us. They have been through what we're going through in life, language, culture, and teaching... they have succeeded and failed and we get the benefit from that experience.
I'll stop before this update gets too long, but we'll post some more F.A.Q.s in the near future :)
Like questions we've been getting about teaching in the tribe, foods we get to try, and animals/insects that will cross our path! Tune in next time...
