Katutubo (Dumagat) Tribe
The two days we spent at the Katutubo Tribe might possibly be the best I’ve ever had haha. Through Church So Blessed (CSB) we got to travel to a native tribe that lives deep in the region. It took a 2-hour drive and then a 1.5 to 3-hour boat ride (depending on the weather) just to reach them. Their location was not even on Google maps.
CSB first courageously reached out to this tribe back in 2015. At first, the community was understandably hesitant—they weren’t used to visitors, especially from outside their world, and there was some language barrier due to a slightly different dialect. But over time, they began to see CSB’s heart and intentions, and now the relationship has grown into something really beautiful.
These days, they’re incredibly warm and welcoming—even to us, possibly the only white people they’ve ever seen! CSB has been visiting them regularly, roughly every other month, and has supported them in some really meaningful ways. They supported them in building a church (which is where we slept), constructed a walkway from the shore to the ocean to make fishing easier, and are now teaching different farming techniques to support sustainable living.
This tribe traditionally lives a nomadic lifestyle—moving when resources run low—so CSB brought along a couple of leaders from the Aeta tribe (a mountain tribe they’ve also built a relationship with) to share knowledge. The Aeta leaders taught farming strategies and even showed a traditional bat hunting method—basically using a 50-foot pole with sharp sticks at the end to strike bats as they fly overhead. Wild stuff.
One of their fishing boats and the walkway are built to the right.
The church we stayed in.
Before we got there, we had to kill time because the weather was not great, and it took more time than expected for the boat to pick us up. This was the rest stop… it was so beautiful and relaxing! We got to spend time in the fresh water and break in the goggles, and the locals got a good laugh.
This was us on the boat. I was a bit terrified because of how small it was and how they kept prepping us on how crazy the waves can be. Which they were, but it was not so bad on the way there. Here is Amanda and I with Pastor June. He doesn’t speak a lot of English, but he is hilarious and has the best laugh. He kept us laughing through the boat ride.
We got there late afternoon and spent the rest of the day settling in and meeting people. This is the main part of their base. They connected a hose to the creek and had fresh water flowing constantly to bathe, wash dishes, wash muddy feet, etc.
The next day, we visited another tribe, a 30-minute boat ride away. Here, Amanda gave a sermon on the unholy trinity/ temptations. Pastor Jenner reassured that this was a great topic because temptation was a pressing topic. The government wants to buy their land, and he wanted to drive home the importance of the many temptations in the world and how to not to fall to them. They have such beautiful, untouched land that they’re able to live off of. It is such a simple and purposeful way of living; it was really cool to be able to experience for a short time.
After everything, I spent time swimming and hanging out with the kids—and they were hilarious. They kept jumping off the boat, doing flips, just totally fearless. I only got slightly anxious when they started swimming under the boat like it was nothing.
Even though we didn’t share a language, it didn’t matter at all. This was one of those perfect moments where fun becomes its own form of communication. Laughter, splashing, flips—it all just clicked.
I even managed a flip off the boat’s bar to earn some street cred. Solid move… until about 15 minutes later when I completely lost it. I was holding onto the bar while they were pulling the boat in to load people up, we entered the area where the waves were crashing and a big one knocked me backwards, and I ended up snorting a face full of rocks. So yeah, legend status didn’t last long.
When we arrived back where we were staying, we went down to the water and found the kids at a swimming hole. The coral and the fish both in the swimming hole and directly outside it, were so vibrant and lively. This was definitely my favorite part. One of the girls also spotted a small octopus in the tide pool beside us.
Aaron gave a message at the church, and we had dinner shortly after. Pastor June and the fishermen spoiled us with a boodle fight with rice, tomatoes, sausage, lobster, and lentil soup.
A Morning Full of Joy
The second morning, I was woken up by this hermit crab (below) crawling on my leg. I was a little put off, but really glad that it woke me up because I got to have an early start to my morning before everyone woke up. I went down to the water to just walk but ended up at the swimming hole where we had joined the kids the day prior. It was so quiet and peaceful. Right before the swimming hole, Michael, the day prior, found fresh water percolating through the sand, so I rinsed in the pool there, after swimming in the ocean and made my way back up.
As I was walking back, I saw the kids were up—huddled together, smiling, and full of energy. I ended up spending such a fun, peaceful morning with them. I braided hair, picked flowers, and I watched them climb trees like it was nothing. They even took me to this little swing spot (which I was definitely too big for—but I still loved that they wanted to include me).
The kids were so funny the entire trip. They were so curious about us—always sneaking peeks through the church windows to see what we were doing. I started turning it into a game—”catching” them when I saw them spying, then chasing them off laughing. It became our own little unspoken routine.
What struck me most is how familiar it all felt. I’m realizing more and more that kids are the same no matter where you are in the world. They love the simple things– some nonsense fun, a little attention, and acts of love. It reminded me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14:
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
This morning honestly made the whole trip for me. It was so sweet, so simple, and such a beautiful reminder of the joy and connection found in the little things.
Peace in the Storm
I’m especially thankful I had that sweet morning with the kids, because not long after breakfast, things took a turn. A storm started rolling in, and we had to pack up and leave faster than planned. We set off just as the first light drizzle began to fall.
Towards the beginning of the boat ride ft Pastor June, again, lightening the mood.
At first, the ride wasn’t too bad. But it didn’t take long before we were heading straight into the heart of the rainstorm. What had taken us about an hour and 20 minutes on the way in ended up taking just over 3 hours on the way back. The waves grew larger, the wind picked up, and visibility dropped. It quickly became unsettling to me and some of my teammates.
It got especially nerve-wracking when the big waves started soaking all of us, but more towards the front of the boat. It was funny but also concerned a lot of us, prompting the question: Should we really be out on the water right now?
In that moment, we had no choice but to put our trust in Captain/Pastor Jonathan and his crew, who knew these waters—and more importantly, to trust in the Lord. We prayed together, sang worship songs over the roar of the wind and rain, and slowly, peace settled in. And then something beautiful happened.
Though the skies ahead of us were still heavy and gray, behind us the sky began to light up. It was as if God was gently reminding us: “I’m here. I’ve got you.” That contrast between the storm ahead and the light behind felt symbolic—like a picture of how God often leads us through the hard things, not around them, but never without His presence.
It reminded me of the story in Mark 4, when Jesus calms the storm. The disciples were terrified, thinking the worst, and Jesus said:
“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Even in the chaos, He was there. Just like He was with us.
Us towards the end (exponentially more wet and questioning life decisions).
After we got back safely, we stopped at a freshwater pool Pastor Jenner wanted to take us to and relax. As Amanda and I were scavenging around for fallen mangoes, we saw these ladies doing their own Zumba. They told us to join, and Abby came over too. We had so much fun with them and tried to keep up the best we could. It was a fun end to our adventure.
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