The Epps moved to the Philippines in 2003, studied Tagalog, the trade language of the Philippines for the next two years, then built a house and moved into the jungle with the Dupaninan Agta in 2005. The next 10 years of language learning had many bumps, including the serious sicknesses of their son Zane, deaths in the family, typhoid fever and other tropical diseases. During those years, relationships were deepened with the Agta as together they shared life, celebrating and mourning. The trust built over the years created a platform for the gospel message, showing the value of what they were about to hear. It was only in 2016 that they were able to teach the Agta.