Reggie’s Dibagat Report 2012

Reggie is on the way home as of the time that I am posting this.  Here is some of his report that he kept when in Dibagat.  I will share more each day with some new pictures.  Forgive me if i miss a day.

Reggie’s Dibagat Report 2012

March 16 -

The R44 helicopter piloted by Brian of New Tribes Mission circled the village of Dibagat a number of times to survey the landing site that had been prepared by the village men. As he slowly lowered the helicopter to the landing pad he asked us to look for any obstacles that would interfere with the landing and made sure the skids were firmly planted on the ground. Upon touchdown Brian lowered the collective down and reduced RPM of the engine and after stepping out of the helicopter gave Ben and me the OK to leave the helicopter. Of course he briefed us thoroughly before boarding the helicopter in Tuguegarao which included getting out of the helicopter in Dibagat.

There was a long line of village people that greeted the new visitors to Dibagat. Mark, Rudy and Francis, Nard’s brother were the first to greet us. Brian requested to have a plastic orange streamer placed in a tree top on a nearby hill for a windsock. Brian climbed back into the helicopter and left for Tuguegarao to bring more team members and luggage to Dibagat. We made our way through a long line of village people greeting them as we walked to Rudy's house that would be the sleeping quarters for a number of the team and the dining area managed by the cooks Aida, Nancy, Manelin and Re-ann. This house was also the team meeting point, the source of the solar electric power and the storage area for tools that would be used in the project.

We sat for lunch hosted by Mark and Rudy. Lunch consisted of cream of mushroom soup, SkyFlakes crackers and fresh papaya (I was hoping fresh Isnag pineapples but they were not in season yet, or pamelos).We visited and talked about people in the village. After lunch, Mark and me went to the church and reviewed the first steps of the building project. I was eager to begin that day but Rudy indicated it would be better to begin on the next morning which was Saturday.

 Throughout the afternoon additional team members arrived with their luggage except for James and Vernon who had to arrive the following day because the control tower in Tuguegarao closed early and the helicopter that is based along the runway was not allowed to take off after hours. The helicopter flight from Tuguegarao took approximately thirty minutes each way which seems fantastic compared to 7 to 8 hours overland to Dibagat from Tuguegarao. Coffee, the best coffee from the hills of Dibagat was hot and ready at 5am each day. Members of the team arrived at Rudy’s by 6am for breakfast.  Some were early but none were late. Some spent the hour in devotions and listening to the morning sounds. Team members talked about the howl of the dogs and the hourly call of the roosters through the very early morning hours. More than once thoughts were expressed that these noisemakers should end up in the cook’s pot although throughout the following week team members slept through some of these noises and the animals won a reprieve.   Breakfast was always sufficient for the morning’s work of these working men. Following breakfast there was prayer and a quick discussion of the upcoming day’s activities.