Plunging Into the Unknown

s ta r a l u m n i
Caleb Bislow (’00), Kory Lantz (’09),
Brandon Heideman and I, Michael Phipps
(’09), set out on a mission to befriend
the Bunlap tribe on South Pentecost
Island, Vanuatu this past May. Caleb
was the leader of this trip. He’s also my
former youth pastor at Colonial Woods
Missionary Church in Port Huron, Mich.
His heart is to reach the unreached for Christ.
To our understanding, the Bunlap are the only
tribe in Vanuatu still carrying out their primitive
and traditional ways of living. We were told they are
called “forbidden,” known to reject the gospel and burn
Bibles. We are going on this trip with no contacts and
completely led by the Holy Spirit. This is where our
story begins.
Above: The Bunlap tribe
performs an ancient vine
jumping ritual which has since
inspired the modern sport of
bungee jumping.
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5/17/09
traditiona
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hi
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ake any d
him
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ra
s
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om
Island,
ld sense
m
it
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en
ts,
the Holy S
Vanuatu. pirit worki
5/21/09
Paradise
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Today wa
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hipps
s the day
Michael P
islands g
our team
th
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low with
ventured
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u
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ad
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ss
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utiful. W
strips of
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e set up
age and
c
a
m
p at a
hiked to th
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e Bunlap
g the men
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wear is a
trees. God
wear stra
leaf. The
w skirts. ’s
women
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creation is
cially afte
were accep
r
tr
w
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e
ti
ly
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pent a few
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hours pla
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e
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us up to
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stay with
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5/19/09
nicer than
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e were
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that what
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s
ts
.
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they see to
lling is not
hope
day, and
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the next d
continue to
actly wha
t. A few
ays, is th
t
s
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ays ago,
e love of
in
we’d be le
Jesus. we all thou
5/22/09
aving to re
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ht
a
c
h the unre
Vanuatu. ached trib
However, G
God conti
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nued to b
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that there
reak down
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ig
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w
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ed
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th
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ing the chi
put as C
a dozen m
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ldren and
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en
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s
ome disap
ferent isla
about
known to
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have sorcer
agic tricks
a
s
y
s
/
a
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it
that his tr
chcraft. . He
that they
We can on
icks had
and they
are safe
ly pray
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w
er
b
ec
e
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ly
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e we’ll have
with them
ower
a farce. miraculou
for a da
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s stories
y or two. t
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raised
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od
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of the pri
and me a
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ra
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and clean
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method. B
ed in mud
ra
ndon
from head
to toe and
I was
spring 2009 17
contin
ued
from
page
still p
17
er
fectly
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5/23
r
im
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compo
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chief
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arable
Our r
f
T
our
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he peo
eturn
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le
t
r
t
ip
t
h
m
t
e
o
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t
n led
unfor
untain
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o the
getta
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Bunla
side
follow
ble. T
o a
p
p
a
b
r
s
-up
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o
t
a
n Sa
ure (
he se
thtakin
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up. T
were
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e
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r
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o
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v
”
ht ou
er se
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as a
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pay h
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sang,
n ang
r
and lo
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im mo
ry ma
d
v
e
a
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o
d
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w
n
y
c
e
. He
o
d
e
n
n
who g
d
,
w
e
ach o
ho wa
talked
for th
was
ave his
ther’s
nted
e fina
the br
heart
u
told u
p
o
l
s
r
t
e
h
t
s
e
im
one of
to
r of
ence
to the
e. We
s to
the ch
the m
Lord
sense
leave
sang
ief
e
n
d
t
u
h
b
e
h
p
e
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ad a
on ou
hat
day b
“Jesu
fit to
r fail
glow
s Lov
efore.
be a
about
ure t
a
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b
s
w
H
f
o
a
e
u
u
M
s the
t him
ture
20 m
o oblig
e” on
pasto
en an
first
and w
e. We
our w
d chil
r
n
c
.
ould
o
a
h
v
a
A
y
e
l,
p
lt
t
out a
dren
h
e
o
o
r
u
u
r tea
in wha
gh th
(many
nd
m
is
t
h
a
is
seems
the s
s in
ecsta
ame m
store
to be
tic ab
en
f
o
a
r
o
u
the B
t wha
unlap
t the
Lord
tribe.
—Mich
ael P
hipps
(’09)
Brandon
Caleb
Michael
What’s Next for
South Pentecost Island?
Kory
The vision going forward is to have discipleship conferences and
then send out teams to unreached tribes to spread the love of Jesus
like rapid fire on Pentecost Island.
Watch the team’s videos and learn more about Bislow’s ministry
at www.BethelCollege.edu/Alumni.
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people
light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light
to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
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— Matthew 5:14-16