Vertical Swamps

Go read Romans 10:15 ...

This is from Macon:

What a day. We are just about killing ourselves on those vertical trails … I have cuts and bruises all over my legs, splinters in my hand and sweat that will not stop.

The film we are shooting is nothing short of incredible. This morning we were looking for a crying baby in a string bag. The Moi have poles sticking out the side of the walls on their houses from which they hang fiber string bags where they have carefully placed their babies. These poles become perfect “rockers” for a busy tribal mom. We got some great shots. And babies crying in spades! Some of the mothers are natural actors and they did a great job.

Then late this afternoon we could hear yelping and hooting and about 30 Mois arrived  from a village two days hike away. They hear there is going to be a big party.

You can not believe the video footage we got as these people came marching into the camp. Yelling at the top of their lungs they got to the helipad and started dancing in a giant circle. They brought a pig to share for the upcoming feast …

Crying babies, squealing pigs, hoots and wild, joyful dancing will make for some great shots and sound effects. We could not have planned it better ourselves.

Tomorrow afternoon we will be filming a couple of tribal guys running through the jungle to set up a mock ambush. By the way … They don’t need to practice, they have all done this in real life – so we do not have to tell them what to do. They are former masters at it.

Contrast that former life with the reality of today. As I awoke at dawn and as I retired this evening, I could hear the believers singing praise to God together. They have a very unique way of doing that. We will record it all.

Amazing … the American Church needs to see and hear these people. And I am awed by the weight of responsibility to make sure what we do brings glory to God.

Like Ian Fallis said in the latest ntmfilms article: “If this film is what we want it to be, it will glorify God, stir praise and worship of our Creator, and inspire others to get involved in the work He is doing; as well as getting the Moi believers involved in all that.

Will you please join us in praying that, in God’s strength and by His power, we reach those goals?

Films can stir hearts

A video helped reach the Moi people.

In the 1970s, a man hiked for miles to ask for a missionary to come to his village to share God’s Talk with his people. He arrived during the visit of a short-term mission team, and the way he told his story and made his request so stirred their hearts that several became missionaries. Later, a slide show and then a video, Each Stick had a Name, encouraged many others to become missionaries.

One of those people was Stephen Crockett, missionary to the Moi people.

Stephen shared the story of the video with the Mois on Friday morning to help them understand why we are here, why we would want to make a video here. And as I watched him tell the story, I got to thinking that maybe it would help you as well.

We want to make a powerful short film that will stir hearts to get involved in the work God is doing, so other people who are still like the Mois were, living in fear, will have the opportunity to know Jesus and make Him known. And so God’s name will be glorified to the ends of the earth.

We’d all appreciate your involvement in our work right now. We need you to pray about the weather. Our time is already running short, and we were unable to film all Friday afternoon because of rain. Pray that we’ll have good weather. Please don’t pray for clear weather. Clouds add some drama to the sky. Hey, as long as we’re asking God for the weather, we might as well be specific, right?

The word for the day

Mois from two neighboring hamlets stream downhill as Ben shoots with Nate’s assistance.

Today’s word is serendipity.

The first three shoots went very well, and we took a midday break. Then we were afraid the day was shot as rain moved in. Finally it cleared, and we began setting up for another scene, when serendipity showed up.

A group of people came from two other hamlets – one five hours away, another two days away. We could hear them calling out from a long way off, and finally saw them coming down the path toward the hamlet where we are.

Thirty or forty strong, they streamed down into the center of the hamlet and the men danced and sang – with the cameras rolling.

We didn’t get the footage we were planning to, but we got something amazing … something we could not have planned … something serendipitous.

You’ve been praying for us, haven’t you?

Thanks!

It’s raining … again

The trails are really slippery!

I heard from Regina just now.  Here’s what she had to say:

Right now it is just starting to POUR rain.  Ben, Nate and Rich are out hiking on a really crazy trail to get to the filming location (there are about 30 yards or so of fallen trees to climb over – and it gets really slippery in the rain. Please note that math is not my specialty    They are filming an important scene.

The rest of the crew worked on some interviews this morning.  We are waiting for them to get back, then have lunch.  I’m staying dry so far!  It usually rains at some point in the afternoon &  evening.

I am so thankful for the internet access out here.  I have received many encouraging notes from supporters telling me that they are praying for me, and that their friends are praying for me, too.  It is a huge encouragement.  Also, it is so good to be able to communicate with family.  My dad was able to encourage me and also keep me updated on my mom’s health status (she had surgery just last week).

I didn’t realize how much of a blessing having the internet out here would be.

It is still pouring rain.

Regina

Shooting in HD now

 

Nate, Proctor and Ben set up a time-lapse shot across the valley

Today we begin shooting scenes in earnest.

Actually, we’ll be shooting in HD, but you know what I mean.

We’re ready to start filming today because last night our team sat down with the current missionaries to the Moi people, Stephen and Carolyn Crockett and Rich and Karen Brown, and went through the rough script.

You can’t come into a setting like this with a “finished” script. There are too many variables that you need to work through day-by-day, even hour-by-hour.

Last night the Crocketts and Browns offered helpful little suggestions like, “Gee, that sounds like it would be really good on film, but it’s grossly inaccurate.”

OK, they were nicer than that, but you get the picture. In the end, we came out with a script that is slightly less rough – and far more accurate and real, as well as a rough-out of each scene and a shooting plan for today.

We also decided to meet each evening to make sure we’re on track and agree on the next steps, and to bathe this project in prayer.

If this film is what we want it to be, it will glorify God, stir praise and worship of our Creator, and inspire others to get involved in the work He is doing; as well as getting the Moi believers involved in all that.

Will you please join us in praying that, in God’s strength and by His power, we reach those goals?

You see, it is pretty cool to go to a remote little hamlet on the other side of the world and make a short film. And I don’t think any of us take this opportunity for granted.

But it’s nothing if it’s not all for Him. And being part of something this neat pales in comparison to working together with this team and the missionaries and the Moi believers to bring praise and glory to God.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

They’ve all run off and left me

Hey, wasn't Ian right behind us?

Ababababababa!

That – along with a finger-pull – is the traditional Moi greeting. And it is from a Moi hamlet that I’m writing to you. We got in earlier today and were just about to have our kick-off meeting when an airplane arrived.

See, even when you’ve got Internet and e-mail in the middle of nowhere, it’s still customary for everyone to run to greet the plane. And when in Rome, do as the Romans.

Except for me. They left me behind to write a blog entry.

I’ll get over it.

I think.

Ten things to do in 21 hours of flying

I've been seeing this view for hours!

Heard from Ian again – the team met up with Macon in Indonesia, and now has a five-hour trip from about the middle of Indonesia to the far side of the country.

Yep – Indonesia’s a big place.

Then it’s a two-hour small plane flight to the village. We expect to hear from them again sometime Tuesday, Florida time.

Ian also shared with me ten things to do on a really really long flight:

1. Read the book you bought just for the trip … only to discover mid-way through the first chapter that you’ve already read this book.

2. Take a lap around the economy class cabin. OK, maybe two … no, three. Get dizzy and sit down.

3. Nap.

4. Look out the window at the clouds and water … look again at the clouds and water … more clouds and water … still clouds and water … give up and go to #5.

5. Try to enjoy the in-flight magazine … but you don’t know Korean and apparently the translators don’t really know English.

6. Oooh, Skymall catalog! Discover overpriced gadgets that do one thing that you need to do about once every three years.

7. Nap.

8. Reset your watch each time you enter a new time zone. (We’re livin’ large now!)

9. Enjoy marvelous in-flight meals. Practice not asking, “What’s in this?”

10. Freak out the strangers sitting next to you by taking out the Emergency Procedures booklet and practicing everything in it over and over again.

Are we there yet?

First leg done

Just heard from Ian: He and Regina, coming from Florida, and Ben, Nate and Proctor, coming from Nashville, met up in Chicago. Next comes 14 hours of flying, one hour layover and 7 more hours of flying to Indonesia.

The Moi back story

The worldview of the Moi people of Indonesia caused unique challenges in Scripture translation. NTM missionaries have been working with the tribe for more than 4 years.

To learn more about the history of the Moi tribe, check out this link.

If all goes well …

How a village looks from inside a Moi house

Regina and I leave Orlando early (way too early) Sunday morning. If everything goes according to plan, I’ll be checking in with co-workers on our way to Indonesia, so they can let you know how it’s going, and then posting almost daily updates while we’re in Indonesia among the Moi people.

That’s the plan, anyway …