On the island of Mindanao, Philippines, is an indigenous tribe which numbers approximately 25,000 people, named the Debabawon tribe. Debabawon means mountaintop – because their villages are spread over the mountaintops.
The villages don’t have any electricity or running water. Their ancestors have lived there for generations. And all of the villages are animists. That is, until recently.
The following is the remarkable story of how God revealed Himself in dreams to one of the village-chiefs, and how an entire village came to Christ.
After traveling five hours by bus, we hired a motorcycle – with four of us straddling one motorbike – to transport us into the interior. Then after a couple of hours on the bike, crossing rivers and ascending the mountain, we hiked the rest of the way up the mountain on foot. We trudged through mud and crossed flooded rivers on a narrow log.
While we were hiking up the mountain, I was told that I was the first foreigner, the first white man, ever to set foot in those mountains. So I was anticipating a look of surprise on the faces of the tribal villagers when we arrived.
But no-one looked surprised at all. So I asked my interpreters to ask the chief if it was really true that I was their first foreign visitor; and if so, why was no-one surprised. The chief replied with this fascinating story:
“A long time ago we used to worship the spirits. The men used to spear each other; we had as many wives as we liked.
Then one day I had a dream in which someone dressed in white appeared to me and said, ‘You must change what you are doing, and start worshipping the one true God in heaven.’
Then I was told in another dream to gather the whole village together and tell everyone that they also must change and start worshipping the one true God in heaven.
Then I was told in another dream to write down certain laws which the village must live by. And I was also told to build a building where the village can gather together to worship the one true God in heaven.
The behavior of our village changed and became so good that we gained the reputation of causing the least amount of trouble to the Filipino Government of any of the hill tribes. So much so that my name was changed to Datu Malinaw [which means, ‘Chief Peace-bringer’].
"Then one day I got sick, and had to go down off the mountain into the lowlands to find a doctor. And by chance, the first person I met happened to be a pastor. He took me into his house and showed me the Bible. I was amazed to discover in the Bible almost exactly the same words that had been told to me in the dreams. So I knew that the God who had revealed Himself to me in the dreams was the same God who wrote the Bible. I invited the pastor to come and live in our village and learn our language and teach us more about God.
Finally I was told in another dream that someday white people will come from a far away land and tell us more about what God wants us to do. So no-one’s surprised to see you – we’ve been waiting for you,” said the chief.
That was some fifteen years before I arrived. So instead of being surprised, everyone was instead probably wondering what took us so long!
The chief gathered everyone together, eager to hear my message. So we preached about the Plan of Salvation, Water Baptism and Receiving the Holy Spirit.
After I finished speaking, the chief dismissed all of the villagers from the house. The elders had a closed discussion. Then after a short time he gathered everyone together again. The tribal spokesman announced:
"The elders have discussed the message which we all just heard, and have unanimously agreed that it is truly a message from God. Therefore, as of now, we all accept it."
So the whole village instantly accepted the Gospel, and they also accepted the message about receiving the Holy Spirit.
But when it came to the message about water baptism, the chief did not at first give permission for his people to submit to baptism. "But if you'll help us build a new building for worship,” he said, “"then I'll allow the people to be baptized."
At first I felt unhappy with the chief’s response regarding baptism. I felt that if his obedience to God was complete, he should be willing to submit to baptism irrespective of whether or not we agreed to help them with a new building. Then the Lord softened my heart’ the Lord seemed to be impressing upon my heart:
“These tribal people don’t have legal title to the land which they’ve occupied for generations; and they feel they are less formally-educated and less wealthy than lowlanders; and the chief feels that by allowing his people to submit to baptism he will be bringing his people into covenant with his visitors – so all he is doing is looking for a token of your sincerity – then he can feel sure he won’t be subjecting his people to risk of exploitation or being driven off the land – and then he’ll gladly consent to baptism”, the Lord seemed to be telling me.
So I shared my feelings with the Filipino pastors in our team, then one of the Pastors immediately gave the chief 100 pesos (which is only about five dollars). And the chief immediately gave permission for his people to be baptized. That was all it took – a little token of our integrity, just five dollars. I was amazed!
But God put it into my heart to do more than that. We calculated it would cost only $1,250 to construct the entire church-building, since all we'd need to do is hire a chain saw; buy corrugated roofing iron; and the wood could be cut down from the jungle.
When I returned home to Australia I told a church: “That's a small price to pay, to see a whole village get baptized”.
While I was still speaking, the pastor jumped up and grabbed the microphone off me, and said to the congregation: "We'll take-up an offering on that straightaway. And whatever you give in the offering tonight, we'll match it dollar-for-dollar from existing church funds."
So in one offering we raised almost the entire amount. We sent the money to the Philippines, and the new church-building was constructed – made from beautiful Philippine mahogany.
And the chief came true to his word: he was baptized, and the whole village assembled in row upon row down at the river and were all baptized in one day. And at their opening church service in their new building they had 1300 people in attendance. Hallelujah!
And the children of the village have learned to sing in English:
“Jesus how lovely you are
You are so gentle,
so pure and so kind
You shine like the bright morning star
Jesus how lovely you are”
Since then some young people from the tribe have graduated from Bible College, and four or more churches have been established in neighbouring villages.
Current Projects
Sadly the church-building was flattened in a cyclone in December 2012. Plans are in place to rebuild it.
A kindergarten building which we contributed to building was also damaged. The cost of building it was a mere $1,430.45 (Pesos 60,000). Teachers were already available.
Other churches planted by the Debabawon graduates were also destroyed or damaged in the cyclone. Workers are already available to go and preach in neighbouring villages.
The reason it’s so cheap is because land, labour and structural timber is already provided freely by the tribe.
A major need is training. The cost of sending a young person to Bible College is approximately $150 for six months (includes tuition and accommodation).
If one hundred church-buildings are constructed in villages throughout the entire tribe, it could service the entire 25,000 people, and might cost about $7 per person (est.)
The villages don’t have any electricity or running water. Their ancestors have lived there for generations. And all of the villages are animists. That is, until recently.
The following is the remarkable story of how God revealed Himself in dreams to one of the village-chiefs, and how an entire village came to Christ.
After traveling five hours by bus, we hired a motorcycle – with four of us straddling one motorbike – to transport us into the interior. Then after a couple of hours on the bike, crossing rivers and ascending the mountain, we hiked the rest of the way up the mountain on foot. We trudged through mud and crossed flooded rivers on a narrow log.
While we were hiking up the mountain, I was told that I was the first foreigner, the first white man, ever to set foot in those mountains. So I was anticipating a look of surprise on the faces of the tribal villagers when we arrived.
But no-one looked surprised at all. So I asked my interpreters to ask the chief if it was really true that I was their first foreign visitor; and if so, why was no-one surprised. The chief replied with this fascinating story:
“A long time ago we used to worship the spirits. The men used to spear each other; we had as many wives as we liked.
Then one day I had a dream in which someone dressed in white appeared to me and said, ‘You must change what you are doing, and start worshipping the one true God in heaven.’
Then I was told in another dream to gather the whole village together and tell everyone that they also must change and start worshipping the one true God in heaven.
Then I was told in another dream to write down certain laws which the village must live by. And I was also told to build a building where the village can gather together to worship the one true God in heaven.
The behavior of our village changed and became so good that we gained the reputation of causing the least amount of trouble to the Filipino Government of any of the hill tribes. So much so that my name was changed to Datu Malinaw [which means, ‘Chief Peace-bringer’].
"Then one day I got sick, and had to go down off the mountain into the lowlands to find a doctor. And by chance, the first person I met happened to be a pastor. He took me into his house and showed me the Bible. I was amazed to discover in the Bible almost exactly the same words that had been told to me in the dreams. So I knew that the God who had revealed Himself to me in the dreams was the same God who wrote the Bible. I invited the pastor to come and live in our village and learn our language and teach us more about God.
Finally I was told in another dream that someday white people will come from a far away land and tell us more about what God wants us to do. So no-one’s surprised to see you – we’ve been waiting for you,” said the chief.
That was some fifteen years before I arrived. So instead of being surprised, everyone was instead probably wondering what took us so long!
The chief gathered everyone together, eager to hear my message. So we preached about the Plan of Salvation, Water Baptism and Receiving the Holy Spirit.
After I finished speaking, the chief dismissed all of the villagers from the house. The elders had a closed discussion. Then after a short time he gathered everyone together again. The tribal spokesman announced:
"The elders have discussed the message which we all just heard, and have unanimously agreed that it is truly a message from God. Therefore, as of now, we all accept it."
So the whole village instantly accepted the Gospel, and they also accepted the message about receiving the Holy Spirit.
But when it came to the message about water baptism, the chief did not at first give permission for his people to submit to baptism. "But if you'll help us build a new building for worship,” he said, “"then I'll allow the people to be baptized."
At first I felt unhappy with the chief’s response regarding baptism. I felt that if his obedience to God was complete, he should be willing to submit to baptism irrespective of whether or not we agreed to help them with a new building. Then the Lord softened my heart’ the Lord seemed to be impressing upon my heart:
“These tribal people don’t have legal title to the land which they’ve occupied for generations; and they feel they are less formally-educated and less wealthy than lowlanders; and the chief feels that by allowing his people to submit to baptism he will be bringing his people into covenant with his visitors – so all he is doing is looking for a token of your sincerity – then he can feel sure he won’t be subjecting his people to risk of exploitation or being driven off the land – and then he’ll gladly consent to baptism”, the Lord seemed to be telling me.
So I shared my feelings with the Filipino pastors in our team, then one of the Pastors immediately gave the chief 100 pesos (which is only about five dollars). And the chief immediately gave permission for his people to be baptized. That was all it took – a little token of our integrity, just five dollars. I was amazed!
But God put it into my heart to do more than that. We calculated it would cost only $1,250 to construct the entire church-building, since all we'd need to do is hire a chain saw; buy corrugated roofing iron; and the wood could be cut down from the jungle.
When I returned home to Australia I told a church: “That's a small price to pay, to see a whole village get baptized”.
While I was still speaking, the pastor jumped up and grabbed the microphone off me, and said to the congregation: "We'll take-up an offering on that straightaway. And whatever you give in the offering tonight, we'll match it dollar-for-dollar from existing church funds."
So in one offering we raised almost the entire amount. We sent the money to the Philippines, and the new church-building was constructed – made from beautiful Philippine mahogany.
And the chief came true to his word: he was baptized, and the whole village assembled in row upon row down at the river and were all baptized in one day. And at their opening church service in their new building they had 1300 people in attendance. Hallelujah!
And the children of the village have learned to sing in English:
“Jesus how lovely you are
You are so gentle,
so pure and so kind
You shine like the bright morning star
Jesus how lovely you are”
Since then some young people from the tribe have graduated from Bible College, and four or more churches have been established in neighbouring villages.
Current Projects
Sadly the church-building was flattened in a cyclone in December 2012. Plans are in place to rebuild it.
A kindergarten building which we contributed to building was also damaged. The cost of building it was a mere $1,430.45 (Pesos 60,000). Teachers were already available.
Other churches planted by the Debabawon graduates were also destroyed or damaged in the cyclone. Workers are already available to go and preach in neighbouring villages.
The reason it’s so cheap is because land, labour and structural timber is already provided freely by the tribe.
A major need is training. The cost of sending a young person to Bible College is approximately $150 for six months (includes tuition and accommodation).
If one hundred church-buildings are constructed in villages throughout the entire tribe, it could service the entire 25,000 people, and might cost about $7 per person (est.)
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