Saturday, March 31, 2012

Sama


WHO are they? The Sama people groups, who live in the East Malaysian state of
Sabah, are officially classified under Bajau. The Bajau are predominantly Muslim
peoples. They speak as many as seven different mother-tongue languages which
belong to what is known as the Sama-Bajau subgroup of Malayo-Polynesian languages.
The Sama people groups are generally referred to in Sabah as the East Coast Bajau.
The government does not distinguish one Bajau group from the other. While outsiders
call them Bajau, they most commonly refer to themselves as Sama.
Most of the Sama peoples originated from the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines.

WHERE do they live? Sama settlements are found mainly along Sabah's eastern
coastal area and particularly in Tawau, Semporna, Lahad Datu, and Sandakan districts.
One Sama settlement is located away from the east coast on the Gaya Island of Kota
Kinabalu. Many of the Sama peoples of Sabah maintain close association with the
Bajau peoples of the Sulu region as boat travel is relatively easy and common
throughout the region.

HOW many? 54,000

WHAT do they worship? The Sama are predominantly Sunni Muslims. Islamic
practices, such as fasting during Ramadan, are closely observed. Daily prayers at the
prayer room and the weekly Friday prayers in the mosque are performed. Many,
however, still participate in religious practices that have been retained from traditional
customs. For instance, spirits of the dead are thought to remain in the vicinity of the
graves, requiring expressions of continued concern from the living. They believe that
Allah permits the annual return of dead souls to the earth. They honor these souls by
cleaning their graves and by offering special prayers in some kind of Islamic context
such as the reading of Arabic prayers.

PRAYER needs: Many of the Sama people live below the poverty level. They need
help especially in the areas of health and drinking water.
Better infrastructure in the areas of education and transportation is also needed. Ask
God:
• To send people to help the Sama with these needs and be a channel of God's
love and blessing.
The Scriptures are available in the Sama languages, pray:
• That the Sama will have access to available Scriptures in their language.


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tausug



WHO are they? Tausug means “people of the sea current.” They make their living
through agriculture, fishing, & livestock raising.

WHERE do they live? Originally from the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, the
Tausug migrated to Sabah in the 18th century. The can be found mainly in coastal area
communities.

HOW many? 200,000 living in Sabah, Malaysia.

WHAT do they worship? Sunni Islam is the majority religion of the Tausug. As the
children grow, they receive religious instruction from the Quran (Islamic Holy book).
However, they have also retained some of their animistic beliefs & practices associated
with the spiritual world. They believe in spirits that may cause either good fortune or
sickness.
Their view of life after death mixes Islam & beliefs in spirits. They believe that once a
person dies, his four souls will leave his body. The body of the deceased goes to hell
where punishment of his sins will be revealed according to his wrongdoings while he
was alive.

PRAYER needs: Many of the Tausug people live below poverty leve. Efficient farming
methods and innovative fishing techniques will help raise the standard of living among
the people. Pray that:
• God will send helpers to the Tausug to assist in these needs and to bring the
Good News of Jesus Christ.
• God will create receptive hearts among the Tausug.


Sunday, March 25, 2012

Get Ready to Pack up!





Healthcare: Girls  /  Guys

Korea: Girls  /  Guys



PH Agta  Girls / Guys

PH General EV  Guys / Girls

PH Work Guys / Girls

Student Harvester  Guys / Girls


Waray Riverboat

If your team is not listed here, check back soon!
Lists are being updated as they are received from field supervisors. 

Friday, March 23, 2012

Japanese


WHO are they? Racially, culturally and ethnically, the Japanese are one of the least
diverse people groups in the world. They share a common biological heritage, birth in
Japan, a shared culture and a common language. The mountainous nation of Japan is a
very developed nation, but many families still farm as a secondary occupation. Often the
wife stays home and tends to the farm while the male works a full-time job outside the
home. Gardening is the number one hobby for men and women. Many Japanese
people enjoy wearing modern clothing for their daily activities, but they still wear
traditional costumes during special religious ceremonies or festivals. Japanese women
can still be seen wearing traditional silk Kimonos.

WHERE do they live? Most Japanese live in the country of Japan, which is a large
group of islands located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan.
HOW many? There are about 121,252,000 Japanese people in Japan, and only about
0.4% of them are evangelical Christians.

WHAT do they worship? The native religion of Japan is an animistic belief called
Shintoism, and Buddhism is also popular. In fact, many Japanese consider themselves
to be both Shintoist and Buddhist. They are often very skeptical of and not interested in
Christianity. On the outside, the Japanese seem to have few needs. However, many of
them have become obsessed with materialistic pleasures, careers, and possessions.
Their greatest need is to be introduced to the Father through His Son, Jesus.

PRAYER needs:
• Japan is a modern society with lots of modern conveniences, but their
greatest need is Jesus.
• Pray that God would soften their hearts and prepare them to hear the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up missionaries to go share God’s love in
Japan.
• Ask God to strengthen the existing churches within Japan and encourage
existing believers to boldly share the Gospel.
LEARN more:
Visit http://www.pacrimjo.org/info/video.html for several videos about Japan.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Thai



WHO are they? Among the Thai people, there is almost no division of labor by gender.
That means both men and women pitch in to do the fishing, cooking, tilling, taking care
of babies, cleaning the home and washing clothes.
The actual lifestyle of the Thai people varies a great deal, depending on people’s
occupation. From rural farmers to merchants to the clergy, there are many differences
among Thai people. The wealthiest Thai live in very nice houses with plank floors and
tile roofs, while the poorest villagers live in bamboo homes with thatched roofs and dirt
floors. There are many health problems in Thailand. Hepatitis, Malaria, and HIV are common.

WHERE do they live? The Thai live throughout Thailand.

HOW many? There are about 60 million Thai people.

WHAT do they worship? The main religion of Thai people is Theravada Buddhism.
Almost all are devout followers of Buddha, who is considered “the enlightened one.”
That means that they seek to eliminate suffering and improve their own future by
earning merit in the pursuit of what they call perfect peace. They try to earn merit by
doing all kinds of things – feeding monks, donating to temples and attending worship
services. The Thai also sometimes incorporate their Buddhist beliefs with folk animism,
which means they seek help by worshipping spirits and objects.

PRAYER needs:
• Pray that God would raise up workers to work among the Thai people.
• Pray that as missionaries share, God would give them the words to say to help
the Thai understand the Gospel.
Pray that as workers help with the Thai’s physical needs that doors would be
opened to the Gospel.

AOT is in session.

WHAT IS AOT?
Nehemiah Teams Advance Operations Training(AOT) is designed to disciple, develop, and deploy this generation to finish the Great Commission in this generation, specifically preparing young people to accept different leadership roles and assignments needed for NT AOT.

WHO IS AOT FOR?
AOT is an advanced training for former NT participants.

WHEN IS AOT taking place?
AOT is in session now. If you are interested in taking part in this training next year please email Nehemiah Teams. Time, place, and price to be announced later.

At NT AOT you will learn...
·       How to hear from God and know His will
·       How to live a life that glorifies God.  You will study in-depth ten topics based on the ten gates of Nehemiah 3: Salvation, Witnessing,  Learning from the past,  Trials, growth, and humility, Confession, Holy Spirit, God’s Word, Spiritual Warfare, The Second Coming, and the Final Judgments

How to fulfill different leadership roles within NT
·      Tips on being a good team leader
·      How to set up and run a local NT franchise
·      How to plan for and conduct an orientation/debrief
·      How to build and carry out an effective mobilization strategy
·      Why do we have to fill out all these forms (NT administration)?
·      How to supervise teams to fulfill all the goals of NT
·      How to have an effective church planting strategy
·      So you want to cross cultures in-depth look at the major religions
·      How to select and train leaders for your teams
·      Team Building

Stay tuned for more information on AOT and how you can be praying for the AOT 2012 participants. 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Waray Waray


WHO are they? The word Waray Waray means nothing. And that is what they have—
nothing. Many earn a meager living as farmers, harvesting architectural products like
coconut, rice, corn, white sugarcane and tobacco. The Waray Waray also have several
traditions that can be traced back to pre-colonial times. For example, the Kuratsa dance
is a popular traditional dance that the Waray-Waray often perform at many social
gatherings, especially weddings. The couple dancing the Kuratsa is showered with
money by the people around them. The belief is that the more money is showered upon
them, the more blessings will come their way.

WHERE do they live? The Waray Waray reside on Eastern Samar and Leyte.

HOW many? There are about 3,375,000 Waray people, and less than 2% of them are
estimated to be evangelical Christians. Some churches have been planted among the
Waray Waray, but there is still a great harvest that has yet to be reaped!

WHAT do they worship? The vast majority of Waray-Waray people are Roman
Catholic. They take their religion very seriously and celebrate many saint-focused
holidays.

PRAYER needs:
• Pray that God would provide for the physical needs of the Waray Waray people.
• Pray that the growing number of church plants among the Waray Waray people
would continue to grow and be strengthened.
• Pray that the evangelical Christians within the Waray Waray people group would
become passionate about evangelizing their own people group.

LEARN more: Watch a video filled with photos of a mission team’s recent work among
the Waray Waray.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Imitation is Flattery

Prayer support is important, but sometimes creativity is the hardest part of getting others involved. Well, when you don't have a good idea of your own, it might be a good idea to see what other people have done in the past. That way, you can flatter them through imitation while putting your own twist on it- and get people praying for you and/or your team.

Here are some ideas that I have found that I think could be done easily, and really help you build a support of prayer warriors.

Get people excited before you go. (And remind them that they are going.) When you are excited about something, it is natural to talk about it.

A countdown on a social media is a great way to get people's attention. 
And to remind them that you are going.

Post a video of yourself...tell people who you are, what you will be doing, and share specific ways for them to be praying for you. 


Make team prayer cards


Make a team powerpoint slide to run during the announcements at your church and churches in your area.


If you thought of something different or found a great idea to share let us know!





Friday, March 9, 2012

Maranao


WHO are they? Many of the Maranao people make their living through agriculture, by
growing all kinds of crops such as rice, corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts, papayas and
bananas. They also fish in nearby Lake Lanao. In the Maranao culture, arts and crafts
such as textiles, metalwork and woodcrafts are important elements. The textiles in
particular, which are worn to indicate the wearer’s social status, are known for their very
ornate designs and colors. Many Maranao people are educated with college degrees,
but the difficult economy has forced many of these college graduates to return to the
traditional occupations of fishing, farming and crafting.

WHERE do they live? Most of the Maranao people live in the island of Mindanao in the
Philippines – and they have been there since the 13th century! However, in recent years
more have been moving to Manila in search of jobs.

HOW many? Out of over one million Maranao people, only 30-50 are known followers
of Jesus.

WHAT do they worship? The Maranao are one of several major Muslim people groups
in the Philippines, which together constitute about 5% of the Philippines population.
Because of this, the Maranao people consider themselves to be Muslim rather than
Filipino. But while they do practice much of the Islamic religion, they often still hold to
their traditional island beliefs and traditions.

PRAYER needs:
• Please pray that the small group of Christians among the Maranao would be kept
safe, strengthened and encouraged. Pray that they would become active in
sharing the truth about Jesus with their fellow Maranao people!
• Pray that God would rise up missionaries to come and share the gospel among
this large group of unbelievers.
• Pray that the Maranao’s hearts would be softened and that they would recognize
their need to be saved by the one true God!


Sample Support Letters for P52 & NT

Download a sample support letter here.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Kamayo


WHO are they? Mostly farmers and fishermen, the Kamayo live a simple lifestyle that is
focused on surviving, not thriving. They practice traditional ethnic religions that
emphasize superstition. Another name the Kamayo are sometimes called is Kinamayo.

WHERE do they live? Most live in the Southern Surigao del Su province, with some
also living in Davao Oriental and Agusan Sur.

HOW many? There are about 9,400 Kamayo people living the Philippines, and only
about 3.5% of them are evangelical Christians.

WHAT do they worship? Most of the Kamayo people put their faith in animistic,
traditional ethnic religions. These religions are a major part of not just their spiritual
lives, but their culture as well.

PRAYER needs:
• There are no reported Bible translations in the Kamayo’s language. Pray that
God would call out great translators to come translate the Bible so that the
people can learn more about Him.
• Pray that the existing churches here would be strengthened, and that God would
continue calling out missionaries and pastors from among the Kamayo people.
Pray against the powers of darkness that are blinding the Kamayo from
worshipping the one true God.