MANTES, Crisostomo Licsi September 28, 2015

Cultural Anthropology Ptr. Vincent Ferrer IV

I. INTRODUCTION

The mountains, is a majestic part of Gods creation. Climbing or hiking could mean
different things to different people. A person regards it as a sport, while another regards it just a
hobby, a pastime, or to some a diversion. Regardless of varying perspective, mountaineering can
be considered as physically and mentally demanding activity, it requires skills, experience (this
is needed especially to a more technical climb level), and a strong heart not just because of
cardio/cardiovascular usage during the physical challenges of ascending and descending heights
but also of the emotional and some spiritual aspect to this kind of activity.

A. History

Although people have been climbing since pre-historic times, these men have other
reasons for reaching the summit, may it be economical or simply survival. Mountaineering as a
sport started out on the late 1700s in Europe after a breed of explorers started climbing the high
peaks of the Alps. Along this new found sport is the development of equipment and techniques
that popularized mountaineering all the more due to the increasing safety margins these
developments have brought. The most celebrated milestone in mountaineering history is the
conquest of the worlds highest peak, Mt. Everest by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay in
1954. Mountaineering in the Philippines is sure exciting and challenging because of the diverse
physical features of the mountains. The climate in the mountain and the various ways to get there
add up to an experience that is all Filipino. Plus the rich legends and mysticism of the local
mountains adds up to the total excitement that is unique to other mountaineering destinations on
other parts of the globe. Filipinos as well as other nationalities, reasons of climbing mountains
does have connection to the following: God, Nature and Meditation; Conquering Fears; Escape;
Travel; Relationships; Growth and Skills; Physical Fitness; Camping; Cost Effective Hobby; and
lastly Research and Education.
 II. DISCOVER

The researchers subject for discovering a culture are the Filipino mountaineering
community. The researcher is a mountaineer himself, since 2003 he has been scaling and
discovering the beautiful nature God has given in the islands of the Philippines. He gained skills
and knowledge regarding mountaineering in the Philippines for the past 12 years. However he
does not have a sure and concrete knowledge of why other mountaineers, hikers or outdoor
enthusiasts climb mountains and their beliefs about God the creator of the very nature these
mountaineers enjoy.

Upon interviewing other mountaineers during this research by asking questions through
the use of social media (facebook), the researcher gain insights and knowledge of what are the
perspectives of other Filipino mountaineers, adding information to what has the researcher had
observed during his contact and collaboration with other mountaineers in the past years. Actual
answers of the mountaineers in the carefully outlined questionnaires are attached at the last part
(appendix) of this paper. In line with the assessment of the researcher based on his observation
before, that most (not necessary means all) of the Filipino mountaineers are not true Christians,
in the sense of having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This assessment was concluded
from the tangible difference of the researchers life when he became a true Christian in the year
2012 compared to the past years of his life mingling with other Filipino mountaineers. This was
further confirmed with the factual words, thoughts and beliefs coming from the sample of
mountaineers that already replied on the researchers query.

A. Men (Mountaineers)

Regardless of age, occupation and state in life there will be a common element for
Filipino mountaineers why they climb mountains and that is their love for nature. With regard to
their belief in God there are numerous differences than similarities. And as to what a Christian
could define who really is a Christian (that is relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, by
accepting/receiving Him as personal Lord and Savior), or who could have really have known the
only One True God, among the seven (7) who responded in time (referring to as of the
completion of this research) to the query, none of them is a true Christian. There is one who
almost (but not at all) has truly known the only One True God but have a blurred view of who
God is. There is an atheist, agnostics, skeptics, cult members, and a member or an advocate of a
religion that could have proclaimed who God really is and how to have an eternal life together
with Him in heaven. Among the respondents are individual who are well-known to the
mountaineering community in the Philippines and to other community as well. One individual
have had many appearances in national TV and a consultant for safety and security. One
individual can be considered as a national artist but also most respected because of decades of
experience in Philippine mountaineering. Others are respected medical doctors, independent film
maker, teacher, and other decent professions. Some have also scale foreign mountains and is
living abroad. But none have never accepted or received the Jesus Christ as their personal Lord
and Savior, they could have never have heard the true gospel of Christ, or could have rejected it
(the researcher did not ask them straightly regarding this matter).

B. Women (Mountaineers)

The same with the male respondents, regardless of age, occupation and state in life there
will be a common element for Filipina mountaineers why they climb mountains, and that is their
love for nature. Same with regard to their belief in God there are numerous differences than
similarities. And as to what a Christian could define who really is a Christian (that is relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ, by accepting/receiving Him as personal Lord and Savior), or who
could have really have known the only One True God, among the seven (10) who responded in
time (referring to as of the completion of this research) to the query, only one of them is a true
Christian based on her answer in question number 8 (questionnaire and answers are available in
the appendix part of this paper). There two (2) who almost got the right answer, the one it seems
that he added good works to her faith in God, the other one she have not answered the
determining part of the question number 8: how can you be in heaven?, though the researcher
knows her as a Christian for they have had been together with other Christians in a mission for
the Mangyans of Mindoro years ago. Though the researcher is not truly convince of the
conclusion not until he asked her once again and clarified her answer. So majority of them dont
truly known the only One True God but have a blurred view of who God is. There are agnostics,
skeptics, possible cult member, and a member or an advocate of a religion that could have
proclaimed who God really is and how to have an eternal life together with Him in heaven.
Among the respondents are individual who graduates of medicine and other decent professions.
Most could have never have heard the true gospel of Christ, or could have rejected it (the
researcher did not ask them straightly regarding this matter).

C. Environment

Most of the respondents dont really know the real issue about the environment, the facts
and the truth regarding Gods creation. Honestly the researcher too is not aware of the facts
either, the truth regarding the real score in the environmental issue of the world, including the
Philippines. But he was enlightened when he read the books, Voting as a Christian: The
Economic and Foreign Policy Issues, specifically the chapters of The Environment: Biblical
Teaching and the State of the Earths Resources, and The Environment: Energy, Global
Warming and Public Policy, by Wayne Grudem, and the book of Dan Story, Should Christians
Be Environmentalists?

Most of the respondents live in the urban areas of Metro Manila. Some are now living
abroad but they have spent most of their mountaineering years here in the Philippines. All of
them climb with a group; some could have had climb solo for one time or so just like the
researcher. Whether a major or a minor climb (major climb means a climb of a 1200 meters or
more height; minor means less than 1200, as of this writing the researcher doesnt know exactly
whats the new standard set by the mountaineering community, because there was a time the
heights were changed) it doesnt matter as long as an individual has gained relevant skills and
knowledge for his/her capabilities and so is the knowledge about the particular mountain he/she
is to climb.

Based on the researchers knowledge seldom can one find a church building constructed
or built on top of the mountains most of them can be found in a established town. There could be
a house-church in these mountainous areas, honestly the researcher havent discovered and
studied about it yet. And as the researcher has observed seldom can one find a Baptist church
established in the isolated areas, thats for the island of Luzon.

Not all mountains have a large community living in them, some are small, and some
dont have at all. There could be some cottage or hut in these areas but most of them are just for
a temporary resting place of the farmers who cultivated the land in the mountainous areas.
 In the areas that are commonly visited by the mountaineers, one can observed that the
local community have already adapt and copied some (if not all) of the urbanize living of people
in the low lands.

D. Organizations

In the twelve years of the researchers involvement and experience in Philippine

mountaineering there is only one organization whom he have known for sure climb with the
purpose of making Christ known and that is Climb For Christ. The researcher doesnt know if
the said organization still operates, and if the said organization propagates the gospel of Christ to
the community it visited. Most of the organizations of the mountaineering community are
school-based, next is company-based, the researcher is not sure if there is an actual church-based
or a denominational-based mountaineering organization. Sure the researcher can add this factor
to a future study.

For the mean time, if the researcher is to base the findings on gathered information from
the respondents there could have virtually no organization that actually propagates the gospel of
Christ to the local community in the mountains, since there is only one personnel for sure that is
a Christian among the respondents. With regard to propagating the gospel surely there are some
who do it. Churches have formed a number of programs to reach the marginalized, but most of
them are in the urbanized areas of cities in the low lands. Without a doubt there are mission trips
done by churches but these are not considered as an organization of mountaineers.

E. The Target Community

One of the reasons why the researcher climb is that he loves the character of the people in
the mountainous areas of the Philippines. Though not all are that kind compared to others,
though not all are hospitable especially nowadays that the locals are taking advantage of the
visitors in the area by asking for higher registration fee and providing climb guides as mandatory
even if the area is safe from ligaw or of being lost in the dense of trees and towering grass. So,
though the character of the lowlanders are now transmitted to the character of the highlanders
due to greed for money, one can still say that highlanders are still way too different from the city
dwellers of the Philippines.
 III. DREAM

The researchers dream is to reach the people in the mountainous areas of the Philippines,
the Philippines isolated and unreached places where no one has ever reached yet, or have never
have yet established a church, a church where they can grow spiritually once they have heard the
gospel of Christ and accepted or received the Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

But this is a hard thing to do, since the researcher is only one, and for now only a few
missionaries or future missionaries who have had or will have the same fashion, though for sure
there are but it is just 1 out of 10 missionaries, or less (according to his thesis done in the same
school), who will purposely dedicate a lifetime reaching the unreached in the remote areas of the
Philippines.

The researchers dream is that there are more people reaching these people. So, for the
dream, the mission, to somehow became possible the researcher aims to win first the Filipino
mountaineers who often meet and mingle with the people in the remote areas (mountainous
areas), they are the potential people to propagate the gospel to the said areas, once they
(mountaineers) become true Christians.

A. Salvation

The mission or most commonly known to the Christians as great commission to be

started is by proclaiming the gospel of Christ, to the mountaineers first then to the locals of the
remote areas, as the researcher dreams. They cannot have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ if they
will not hear the true gospel, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God
Romans 10:17. Based on the gathered information from the respondents, they for sure are not
saved, so how can they reached the unreached and be save through the power of God, if they
(mountaineers) are not yet reached and not yet been saved by the God through the process of
hearing first. As it was written in 1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come
unto the knowledge of the truth.
 B. Growth

Spiritual growth it is and not physical or emotional growth though the latter are also part
of the needed growth for a mountaineer to achieve and conquer goals. Spiritual growth is most
important in accomplishing the mission. And this can only succeed by saturating them with
Gods words. As it was written in 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow thereby:, and elaborated in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: That the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Since the researcher is a Bible Student, educated to have a better and more knowledge in
the Bible - Gods Word (though doesnt have a supreme knowledge), he can be the one to help
them grow, and it is part of the researchers dream.

C. Advancement

Advancement regarding the mission, a mountaineer (the researcher to be specific)

discipling another mountaineer or mountaineers, discipling another, means a legion of
mountaineers who climb mountains for the same purpose, and that is to proclaim the gospel of
Christ, to make the only One True God known, and people get saved in areas that have never
been reached, in the Philippines or to wherever foreign mountains they climb.

With constant and further study of Gods Word by the researcher, and with constant and
further transferring of knowledge, wisdom, and grace to other mountaineers. There will be also a
constant and further missionary work.

Bibliology, Apologetics, Pastoral Leadership and Missiology, these areas needs an

advance study, for the present study that the researcher now has isnt enough to cater and have
such big dreams for the mountaineers and the local mountain dwellers. Though Gods grace and
power are in abundance to those who diligently submit to Him, diligence in acquiring and
gaining knowledge, wisdom and experience are in no doubt is needed. As Apostle Peter said,
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away
with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
 IV. DESIGN

In connection with the researchers dream as stated above, the mission is design to aid for
the need of Salvation, Growth, and Advancement.

A. Salvation

It is not easy to share the gospel of Christ, in every aspect of a Christians life theres
always a challenge, whether it be his immediate family, friends, and community. The researcher
is not good in communication especially verbally, though by Gods grace he was able to improve
a lot regarding the matter. He is not eloquent for sure, though he may have a little talent in
writing. The initial step for the Salvation Design is to reach the said mountaineers through social
media, and the researcher is already doing a form of evangelism since he became a Christian by
posting pictures, quotes, notes, articles, videos, etc. in social media that proclaim the gospel of
Christ.

But since the researcher is also a respected mountaineer in his community due to his
somehow good testimony even before he became a Christian, mountaineers are welcome to listen
to whatever he says (somehow), he just hope this situation is the same when it comes to
delivering Gods words. And since the researcher was once a part of an organization whose
advocacy is to do a responsible mountaineering, he was once invited to speak to a newly
established organization that has the same advocacy. This can be use to tackle about the facts and
truth regarding the environment to have an attractive topic and a common ground for a
conversation with groups of people.

Below is the flow of how the collaboration proposes to go. Bringing out the facts, the
truth that they (mountaineers) may have never heard before formulated from the knowledge
brought out by Wayne Grudem and Dan Story in their books.

Environmental concerns
o Problem
o Solution
The Nature: How nature comes to being, and how God Created it
o Creation: Past
 o Creation: Future
Religion
o Comparison of what religion does really care about the environment
o Christianitys truth
o Christ of Christianity, the Only One True God, the God who created and cares for
the environment
o The future of the Christians and the environment

The design is always open for improvement and development, for a much better
missiological response from the mountaineers, by Gods grace.

B. Growth

Growth can only be cater for those who will accept the Lord Jesus Christ right after they
have an expected response in the proclamation of His gospel. This will be sustained by series of
discipleship programs that are still to be pondering for. For now the design is that as long as
there is both availability of time for the researcher and the newly convert of Christ to meet, it is
very well to have a discipleship session. If none, the researcher is dreaming of producing
materials that can be viewed through social media that caters for the growth of an individual.

C. Advancement

The researcher will then ask and encourage the converted and discipled mountaineer to
proclaim the gospel of Christ whenever he scales a mountain, or whether he is not. The
researcher will also encourage the said mountaineer to join him in a mission trips purposely
design for reaching the unreached. The researcher will also encourage the convert/disciple to
disciple another one for Christ. And in the future form a group intentionally established to do a
missionary work or help a missionary work.
 V. DELIVER

As of now, the researcher hasnt started yet the proposed mission work. But he has
already been prepared the road for such ministry, like for example collected books and still
collecting books for further study about Bibliology the Bible, which is the foundation for all of
these works, the authority for faith and practice for all believers, about Apologetics on how to
defend the Christian faith especially now that he knows that many of his co-mountaineers are
agnostics, skeptics, and some are atheists, about Pastoral Leadership for pastoral leadership is the
best leadership to lead Gods flock and future flock, and about Missiology including the study of
anthropology, and many more.

It may be the first actual face-to-face missiological work is by speaking to a group of

mountaineer who will be having their BMC (Basic Mountaineering Course) to which the
researcher have the bigger chance of having big audience listening for things that have a
common ground in starting a conversation and evangelistic approach.

APPENDIX