Out-of-order posts?
From time to time, older newsletters and the like are bound to surface, and when they do, they will get a free pass to the head of the line to make sure they get seen. They'll stick around for a week or two and then go back where they belong, date-wise. So, don't say you weren't warned... pay attention to the post dates 
The work goes on
Wendy:
Expansion/Bible studies growing
First of all praise God for the expansions in the work here in Palawan. God opened up the way last Sabbath to add another Bible study group in the area near our land and we have both Bible studies and children's programs led by local SDA church members now. THEN, we just found out today there is another group wanting Bible studies! Simion (the charter member of the Cabar church and the donor of our land) plans to take some other church members and Eric to start that group this Sabbath.
The harvest is great, but the workers are few
Eric: I just thought I should share what God has been doing lately over here. Today (Saturday) we had a weekly Bible study with some people at the base of the mountains. Dwayne gave the study and Wendy translated for him. There are some very honest seekers there that want to learn more about the Bible.
Dwayne talked about the beginning of the world and creation and how sin came into the world. It went well and when Wendy showed a picture of "creation," (it was actually one of Heaven with kids talking to Jesus), they really were intent. They thoroughly enjoy pictures.
Change is good
Wendy: It's a monumental occasion. My mountain life days are coming to an end. It's with mixed emotions to leave my life of 5 years in my quaint bamboo/grass roof hut, in the beautiful mountainous, peaceful setting. I am very excited about this new life and our growing ministry, though, I cannot deny it, but it will be quite a change and many things missed, including the Palawano "kids" and their kids that I have seen grow up from birth, many of them, and some are now even going to school this year! (their moms are in their teens, almost every one of them).
News from the New Year
Dwayne: These last few weeks have been eventful for us. The day before Christmas we went up to Puerto to take care 
of a few things, and then on Christmas day Wendy's parents flew down from Manila to visit. We drove a little ways north on Palawan and across the island to Port Barton. It is a nice little fishing village with some developing tourism. I was just finishing up a course of Quinine for a bought of malaria I had when Friday night a fever returned. So on Sunday, I started taking another drug to try and finish the malaria off.
Busy busy
Wendy: What a busy time of year even over here, far from the holiday rush of the civilized world. It's been an exhausting but fulfilling and adventure-filled week.
We just finished a week of mobile clinics with health talks and Bible stories in some remote AFM and PFM projects. We had a volunteer Filipino doctor with us from Guam and that was fun and helpful to have her along.
Tuesday we spent waiting on the weather to clear up and never were able to fly, but it was probably for the best as we ended up needing to take care of some patients at the hospital and check out and pick up a stroke patient out in a village at the base of the mountains.
Feeling better
Dwayne: Since the last post I had to take a second malaria treatment because the last one did not cure me completely. I was not sure if the second one worked but after much prayer the Lord gave me relief and I am still feeling good.
Eric also came down with malaria and is just getting back to himself. He said he often wondered just what these tropical diseases were like from reading stories of missionaries and how they described it. Now he knows firsthand and can appreciate the dedication of the missionaries that we all read about.
This last week has been busy and blessed. We were planning on putting on several day-clinics for a couple of PFM projects this week and then spending Thanksgiving down here in Brooke’s with Eric and the new couple, the Hensons. Things did not turn out quite as we planned.
Malaria again and PFM trip
Dwayne: I am recovering from the worst malaria episode that I have had. It started 4 days ago. I had close to 104 degree temps a lot of the time. Part of why it lasted so long was I was trying some natural stuff (Demol) that you spray under the tongue at certain intervals. It really seemed to have worked for some of the student missionaries up here so I thought I would give it a try. Unfortunately, it just prolonged my misery. But I praise God for the miracle of health for the last 9 months that I have gone without any Malaria.
Helicopter excitement; training new nurses
Dwayne: God has been good to us these past weeks. I finally got our flat-bed trailer finished and made a back bumper for our pickup so we can pull the trailer. Wendy has been training the new student missionaries into the clinic.
I had an interesting Sunday a week ago. I had to take a seriously ill patient out to the hospital. He had Typhoid and was completely out of it. His whole body was completely rigid and his jaw was clenched. I covered him with his blanket and strapped him into the stretcher. Everything seemed secure to me so I took off for the hospital and headed down the river.
Thwarted theft
Dwayne: An eventful month has passed since we sent out our last email update. When Tod was over here we had bought some parts for building a trailer. We had four leaf springs and a couple of axles I had put out back of our apartment and someone decided to run off with the leaf springs.
Fortunately the landlord’s son caught them in the act and they dropped three of them and made off with one. We have been blessed with a landlord who is the retired police chief of Brooke's Point. He handled things and they caught the guys and retrieved our missing spring. They asked me if I wanted to press charges but I figured things would be best left as is so I prayed with the thief and left it in God’s hands to punish him.