The following video was posted on the Facebook Samson Missions Page on August 18:

Sama Muslim Tribe. This is the people group that has been close to my heart for a very long time. And no matter how far I stray away from focusing on them, we are always placed right back in their midst. I thought we had to move all the way down to Tawi-Tawi, an isolated and infamous island in the southernmost tip of the Philippines. But here we are, just a drive away from a community who migrated many years ago and settled along the coast, a place that our organization has been accepted into, the only non-Muslim group allowed to serve within their mosque. But maybe that’s just because we’re also the only group where 100% of our team members can boast full vaccinations and we carry up to date Covid test results (2 day expiration date) that the local government requires before allowing entrance.

You’ll hear and see more in the future. But check out this video which was taken by Jem today right behind the mosque. He was exploring the stilted homes while our team was meeting with their leaders, tutoring their children, cooking meals for our feeding program, checking blood pressures, and starting a computer fundamentals course. If you remember me saying, the Sama people are divided up into a number of subgroups based on their island of origin. This community hosts the Badjao sea nomads and the more populous Muslim tribe.

And if you didn’t notice or understand Jem’s conversation at the end, he’s asking a child why she’s holding a cigarette. Please pray for these people who have opened their homes to us. And pray for wisdom and strength for our team as we figure out our role in their lives.

It’s low tide and what you’re seeing is trash. Please do not save and share this video.