Relationships that Continue...

Some things in life come and go and I’m thankful for this friendship who has remained constant.

Since returning from our trip this summer, the devil has tried to get his foot in the door what seems like greater than ever. Struggling with insecurities I haven’t dealt with in years, believing lies about myself, and getting caught up in the worldly “standard” that I don’t measure up to.

Thankfully in this season, I have this sister who I can always count on to be honest with me and push me towards the cross above everything else.

Whether exploring a new city, going on mission across the globe, or watching Survivor while eating Hibachi... I’m thankful for this Jesus-loving friendship today! 

-Lauren
2019 Tropical Harvester Team
Philippines

The End of the Beginning (The End of Me)

My time as an active member of Nehemiah Teams is running short. As of July 31, 9:01 P.M. (CST), I will no longer be on my short-term mission trip. Orientation. Travel. Ministry. Breaks. Debrief. It will all be over. There will be many friends who I may not see again until we all get to Heaven.

The thing is, I am excited to taken my first step into obeying God’s Great Commission. Once our debrief is over, everyone will go their own separate ways, and I will too.

However, at least for me, I am not going back to being the same Christian Townson. Right before we left the Philippines, another Nehemiah Teamer asked me, “So describe your summer in two sentences.” I went with my gut reaction. This is what I said.

“I learned how to die to myself.”

The old me loved and tried to glorify God in everything he did, but his earthly goals sometimes took precedence over God’s will. He was looking for ways to improve HIS life, HIS situation, and to accomplish HIS goals. Even though this was not done with malicious intent, my mindset became an obstacle in the way of seeing what God wanted me to do and how He wanted to use me.

At the beginning of the summer, Psalm 37:4 was my favorite verse. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I still love that verse, but after this summer, I think that Acts 20:24 fills my heart with a greater joy than any other verse I have read up to this point in my life.

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

My life is worth nothing if I am not living for God and telling others about His love and His mercy, and how Much it is worth to follow Jesus and live life on purpose for the Lord.

Truthfully, this was one of the greatest summers of my life. If I could have stayed for a few more months, I would have taken them up on that offer. The most satisfied I am with my life is when I am glorifying God, telling others about His Good News and seeing them understand what that means. Also, being with other followers of Jesus with World Christian mindset rejuvenated my passion for cross-cultural missions. I do not know what role God is going to put me in for long-term missions, so I’m just gonna go until God tells me to stop.

Please pray for every Nehemiah Team member to take the Great Commission seriously as we leave Nehemiah Teams. I love Nehemiah Teams as much as anyone, but the world will not be won to Christ with short-term missions. We need mobilizers and goers to take on the challenge of spreading Jesus’s name to the ends of the Earth. 

Pray for any national partner/supervisor/cross-cultural worker who we have left. They needed us for a reason, so pray that we were effective enough and laid a foundation for them to reap the harvest.

Pray for every Christian in the world, including you, the person reading this article. How are you participating in God’s Great Commission? Are you doing anything? The Great Commission is for EVERYONE, not for a select few.

I want to thank everyone who helped me on my journey to Nehemiah Teams 2019. I want to specifically thank my parents and brother for being supportive and constantly encouraging me to love the Lord more than them. I know that’s hard, but there will be people in Heaven because my team went this summer.

So, this isn’t THE end. It’s just the end of the beginning...the end of me.

-Christian
Tropical Harvester Team (Journey)
Philippines

Butuan City area teams: Good Bye!

A great way to say good-bye to friends & national partners.... share a huge pizza! 
Pray for our national partners as some will be returning to the areas where we worked this summer to follow up on new believers. 

-Tropical Harvesters Teams
Island Ministry Team
Butuan City, Philippines

Strategy vs. Comfort

As the end of the summer approaches, the Tropical Harvester team on S Island has been convicted to share the gospel in the most strategic way, rather than the most comfortable way. The team has struggled through some Bible studies with people who seem to lack interest in the gospel. One night, each team member expressed their frustration with the responses of those they were sharing with. They decided that even though they had formed good friendships with their previous Bible study contacts, it would be more beneficial to start over, looking for new people willing to listen. The following day, the team set out on their mission. Right away, one group encountered an older woman sitting on her porch. Nanay N told the team that she had seen them gathering across the street with another family, and she wanted to join. However, she saw that those attending had books, and she knew she couldn’t see well enough to read. The team proceeded to share the gospel with Nanay with other verbal methods learned previously in the summer. Nanay grasped the gospel and promptly invited the team to share more with her and her son later in the week.

During the last week here in the Philippines, pray that Nanay would hear the calling of our Father on her life to submit herself to Him, and that she wouldn’t hesitate to respond. 
Pray that others hearing the gospel this week would have the same response, and that our last efforts here this summer would plant plentiful seeds in the hearts of many. 
Pray for endurance and good health over all the teams so that all energy can be applied to the advancement of the gospel.

-Bailey
Tropical Harvester Team (TJC)
Philippines

Not Just When You Feel Like It

Just ten days left until we begin our journey back to the states. It seems like last week we were getting on the first plane ride from Atlanta to Los Angeles. We are all excited to return home, but we know that our work here isn’t finished yet. 

We have been in our third barangay for about a week now. It’s a port city, filled with fishermen, families, and few followers of Jesus. This barangay has been more staunch than our previous two, with many Catholics and “Christians” who believe we are treasure hunters and with little interest in allowing us to come back for Bible studies. 

But we know that the Lord is working for His good. We may not feel great, physically or mentally, but we know that God is moving if we are obeying and glorifying Him. We may not see the fruit or results of His moving, but we know that He is beginning to because of our obedience and willingness to do small things, such as accept coffee, play with the kids, or hold a baby during Bible study. We see God working in small ways.

For example, we had a family miss a Bible study in the morning, so my group went prayer walking up to the local high school. We found three hammocks under a waiting shed, so we sat down, talked about our day and how we should approach the rest of the barangay. Then, the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the school comes up to us and starts a conversation. After a time, Kuya Ruel asks if we can speak to the children as a whole before school started. The OIC agreed, and we were able to share the Gospel, a testimony, and our purpose with over 100 high schoolers in addition to the teachers. God was and is faithful, leading us in the right direction and putting us in the right position to be effective. Thank the Lord for His consistency. 

As we have asked many times before, pray for our island. Pray for the people, that they would realize we are not there to convert them, but to help them create a relationship with Christ. Please also pray for team unity. We want to be united in the Lord and not allow petty things to become obstacles for sharing the Gospel.

Pray for perseverance. We see the end of the road and we don’t want to be caught looking ahead. We want to live in the moment, sharing Jesus and loving people.

Pray that more students see how living for God is the only life that matters, and that giving up our hopes, dreams, and agendas are worth it for the spread of the Gospel to the reaches and hard to reach. 

We want to thank everyone again who has been praying ferociously for us. Even though you are not here in the flesh, God respects prayer and will not ignore the requests from His children. We cannot wait to share how our summer went and how God has moved, both in the Philippines and in us. 

Colossians 3:17

-Christian
Tropical Harvesters (TJC)
Philippines

Jeremiah 29:11

Week five on Mindanao has been full of new beginnings. The team was relocated once again to the center of a village with close to no evangelical Christians. The team began ministry work by going house to house bringing the gospel to those willing to listen. They came across one woman who felt especially hopeless. 

Ate T has been partially blind for almost two years. Her past relationships have been less than healthy, and not at all gratifying to God. Through tears, Ate explained that she believed God was punishing her for her past through her blindness. The team proceeded to explain to her that the God we believe in knows no evil, and isn’t capable of inflicting pain onto His children. They pointed her to Jeremiah 29:11, explaining that all of the Lords plans are good, and that Jesus wants to use her affliction to further His kingdom in some way. Ate fell apart as she began to further understand how good Jesus is and how much hope can be found in His name. That afternoon, she decided to place her faith in Jesus and trust in His promise to work everything out for the good of the kingdom.
                

Please pray for open hearts and open doors so that more opportunities like this may be possible. 

Pray that the decisions to follow Him would be genuine and would prompt those who know to tell about what they know. 

Pray that the Lord would continue to keep those here in the Philippines healthy so that these last few weeks may be as effective as possible. 

-Tropical Harvesters Team
Philippines

The Journey Church Journeys Home

We are over the halfway point of our summer in the Philippines. Today, we are leaving Nu E to take a few days off for our midsummer break at a nearby island. The adult team from The Journey Church is traveling back home as well. It was a productive time of spreading the Gospel, crafting relationships, and enjoying time fellowshipping with each other.

Because this is the first direct Nehemiah Team-Church partnership, we were able to experiment with our ministry. We split up from our normal teams and incorporated a Nehemiah Teamer, a national partner, and an adult from TJC. With this set-up, we were able to cover a lot of ground, experience new team dynamics, and allow the church members to see how a Nehemiah Team operates and work alongside them. We were able to share the Gospel with many who had not heard or who did not understand, and we saw many believe and understand what the Good News really is. I believe we all enjoyed this time of ministry and are excited for the next teams to build upon the foundation we have laid in Nu E and the island of Socorro.

Please pray for good health. We are experiencing the fight from the enemy, trying to hinder us from focusing on and sharing the Good News. 
Continue to pray for team dynamics and open hearts as well. There is nothing more important than loving God and telling others the truth about the Gospel, and we want nothing to get in the way of that. 
Finally, pray that our church continues to obey the command to reach the nations and that more people will realize how important it is not just to share Jesus with those in Middle Tennessee, but also with those in Socorro, Philippines and around the world.

We want to thank everyone for their prayers and encouragements. It gives us hope and joy when we know that people back home are rooting and praying for us.

-Christian
Tropical Harvesters Team (JC)
Philippines

Christian w/ The Journey Church team

Proud to be an American... but Excited to be in the Philippines

America’s Independence Day is the most famous holiday celebrating one country’s autonomy. We eat food off the grill, swim with friends and family, and at night, shoot an unrealistic amount of fireworks into the sky. And do not get me wrong, I absolutely missed being with my family on the 4th of July, but I am glad that I was not in America at the time. Instead, I was in the Philippines on  midsummer break with all of the Nehemiah Teamers from my orientation family group.

We went to Siargao, the surfing capital of the world, and we made the most out of our two-day vacation. We went island hopping, snorkeling, swimming, everyone eating off a gigantic banana leaf, and yes... surfing. But the best part was getting to hang out with people from the other teams and hearing stories from the first half of our summer and seeing people that you really care about. And if I was not in the Philippines on the Fourth of July, then there would be numerous people who may not have been able to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Pray for all of our teams as we finish the summer. We have less than three weeks left, so we want to be extremely effective in sharing the Gospel and forming relationships that will allow others to reap the harvest. 
Pray also for our physical health. Between just being very tired to having stomach issues, we have been fighting the missionary sicknesses since day one, so pray the Lord gives us the energy and strength to persevere.

Read James 1:2-4. It’s what we are striving for the rest of the summer.

We must be doing something right because we are right in the midst of this verse. Thanks to everyone who has been praying and supporting not only us, but also anyone who is obeying the command to take Jesus’s name to the nations.

-Christian
Tropical Harvesters Team- The Journey Church

Philippines

Doing the Small Things

Life in Nu E is a lot different than life in the United States. We get up, have our personal quiet time, eat breakfast, and then go and share the Gospel. That’s it. We don’t have any specific ministry; we just ask people if they want to have a Bible study. Even though this doesn’t appear to be a major risk, we are being obedient to God’s command to bring the Gospel to the unreached, and we are accomplishing that by doing small things for God.

For example, on the first full day our adult volunteer team from our home church (The Journey Church) was in Nu E, Kuya Eriz, Mrs. Renee, and I were able to go to Ate E’s house, where we had shared a few times before. After introductions & small talk, we asked Ate if she was sure she was going to heaven, and if so, how. Ate answered, “Yes, by my good works.” In response, we decided to share how the thief on the cross beside Jesus professed faith and went to Heaven with Jesus, even though he was not able to accomplish any more good works. After sharing this and helping understand that Jesus’s death and resurrection is enough to save us, she expressed her belief that Christ is enough to have a relationship with God. This helps us see how being obedient and doing small things for God can lead to new believers.

Please pray for Ate E and her family, that they will all truly believe and accept Jesus. Pray that she has assurance that salvation is once and for all and that we can not do anything to earn our relationship with Jesus. 

-Christian

Tropical Harvesters Team (Journey Church)
Philippines

Nu E Beginnings

After spending two weeks in our first barangay (village), we have firmly set our feet in Nu E, a barangay fifteen minutes away. We have settled in to our new living conditions and new vision for reaching out in the community. We have had a lot less reception to Bible studies locally, but for those who are open, the fruit is beginning to show.

We are seeing people searching for the truth and desire to have hope. One man asked me, “Is the answer to how to get to Heaven in the Bible?” Another lady said, “We have been wanting to hear the Good News. We are happy to see you. Please come anytime.” Like Revelation 3:20 says, Jesus is at the door and knocking, and the people are so close to letting Him come in.

With visiting adult team

Having been sent out from our church back in Tennessee, they happily sent us a one-week, adult team to aid and encourage us in ministry and to show the church a picture of the support & involvement we can have in missions. Personally, I am overjoyed that our church is not just committed to reach the nations financially, but also through prayer, sending, and going.

Prayer: Please continue to pray for team unity and team bonding. We do not want any team conflict to prevent the Gospel from being spread. 

Pray also that we have sharing the Gospel as the first priority on our heart. We love the people and love spending time with them, and we love how we are growing in the Lord, but if we do not share the Gospel with them, then we are being selfish and serving God in vain. 

Finally, pray for our families, friends, and churches. Pray that they are all encouraged to reach the unreached and to take it to heart that God wants people from all nations to be in Heaven one day, and that they will be, so we need to be a part of it.

-Christian
Tropical Harvester Team (Journey Church)
Philippines

Everyone wants in the picture!

A new friend

The two weeks in our first village felt like a whirlwind. It came and went so quickly and it was so bittersweet to leave on Saturday. I am excited to start ministry in village #2, but I will miss the people of village #1! 

The Lord has been so good to us and provided several people of peace who wanted to know more about Jesus. One of these people was a younger lady named J. She met us every day eager to dive into the next topic in the Go Book, and towards the end of our time she would have already read &  previewed the topic of the day and read the coinciding scripture before we came over. She ended up accepting Christ while we were there. Whenever we would ask her about salvation, she always told us accurately how to be saved. We had been explaining and discussing baptism with her. On our last day she was still deciding because she had heard from her priest that you cannot be baptized "twice" (she had been sprinkled as a baby). She also expressed to us that she had already been experiencing persecution from her family members when she tried to share the Gospel with them. Her cousin asked her if she had gone crazy when she tried to share with her. We were able to leave her with some verses/topics to dive into further during personal devotion time and some memory verses that she could use. 

Go Book

Please be praying for J. Especially that she would be at peace with her decision about baptism, and that she would feel peace about sharing the Gospel with people in her village. And that she would rely on the Lord's strength to sustain her when she receives push back from anyone. I pray that she finds people of peace who also want to hear the Gospel.

-Ally
Tropical Harvester (Journey Church) Team, Philippines

Moving on to the next location...

We are almost a month into our trip, everyone is sporting some nice Chaco tans! We've officially moved to our second home for the summer. What an experience it has been already. From the motorcycle transportation, bucket backs, carabao riding, coconut tree climbing and beautiful island views. 

Filipinos are some of the nicest people I've ever encountered. They welcome us in, share their food and treat us like family. It was a little bittersweet leaving our first village, we'd built some really amazing friendships. We got to share the gospel with so many, and see God work in their lives first hand. 

We shared the gospel with a very sick man, he was known to be a town drunk and everyone took to just avoiding him. We sat down with him one afternoon and shared with him about Jesus. He had never heard about Him. After, we were able to pray that Jesus would come into his life right then and there. A few days later that man passed away. Only God knows the condition of his heart.

So besides God doing awesome things and giving me an incredible team, the only thing that has really been difficult is the homesickness, which has been hitting all of us hard. But I don't think that's something you ever get over. And i'm excited to see what God will do through us in our new location.

Pray for the team members to continue to be bold in their witness as they encounter those seeking for the truth.

-Robin
Tropical Harvesters (Journey Church) Team, Philippines 

Let the Children Lead the Way

Week two for the Tropical Harvesters team has been an encouraging week filled with laughter and worship as well as unexpected opportunities. 

Since the team arrived at their village, around 30 kids gather on the team’s porch all day, every day. They decided to use this opportunity to share the gospel with those only a few steps outside their front door. A kid’s club was organized in which those involved play games, sing songs, and learn bible stories that would effectively present the gospel in a way that was understandable for even small children. Every night between Wednesday and Friday, more kids with more questions attended and by Friday, many of them were ready to accept Jesus into their lives. Since then, Bible studies that will further explain their commitments have been held and plan to continue throughout the duration of the summer. (Matt 19:13-15).

Please join us in prayer that the gospel would spread like wildfire, and that the children could be used as the doorway to share the gospel in their own homes. We ask that the words each team speaks would multiply and bring the lost into the kingdom. We also want to pray specifically for those who have grown up in Catholic homes. The teachings that they have learned have prevented many from understanding that preforming rituals and prayers aren’t what saves you, but only having faith in the Lord. 
Pray for continued good health for the teams and unity as we continue down this road the Lord has laid out for us. 

-Bailey

Media Team Member, Philippines

Prayers for Tropical Harvesters (Journey Church) Team

Team complete with national partners

We will be ministering in three different barangays (villages) while in the Philippines. 

Please pray for team unity and focus on our mission. We are all a little homesick and missing American food, which has led to our minds drifting on things of this world, not on things above, Also, please pray for open hearts of the people we meet. We had 20 people in a church service on an island of 20,000. Pray that the Lord moves so that we can open doors and plant churches.

We are living by Joshua 1:5 & 9. We know that no man can stand in our way and that God is with us as He has been with His children before. We are so thankful that we have a church family praying for us, and please keep encouraging other students and parents to not hold back and to be active for Jesus. 

-Christian

Tropical Harvester (Journey Church) Team, Philippines

Meet the Team: Philippine Media Member

Bailey & Colleen

Bailey is currently a student at Grace Christian Academy High school. Her favorite food is sushi and her dads cooking and she loves her cat, Holly and her hometown. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” This verse reminds Bailey to not be fearful of what the future of this summer may hold. She believes she is to love everyone she meets with all her heart, so that they, too, may know the God that she does.

Bailey will be traveling between 3 teams with her supervisor, Colleen, joining in with the team's ministries and sharing what God is doing through media.

Pray for safe travels for Bailey & Colleen as well as fruitful ministry opportuntities, even during their travels.

Not worth their time

The three teams in Southern Philippines (Journey Church, Tropical Harvesters and Island Ministries) have spent their days building relationships with people in each village and sharing the love of Christ. In total, there have been 4 professions of faith this week alone- praise God! Whether it be during transportation, meals, or ministry time, each team has used their own gifts and abilities to share the gospel.

On June 13, one team was presented with an unique opportunity. Upon arrival at their first Bible study of the day, the team realized the man they were there to see wasn’t home, and decided to turn back and follow where ever the Lord was leading them. 

They remembered that next door to where they were staying lived an old man. They had heard stories about the state of this man’s life and that, “It wouldn’t even be worth their time to try and talk to him.” Nonetheless, the Spirit moved and they decided to see if the man was open to listen. Quickly, the team learned that the man, Tito M, was open to listen as well as responsive. He had been a drunkard his whole life, and his family abandoned him years ago. On his own, he was forced to find shelter in a small portico with no walls, and rely on the kindness of others to provide for his physical needs. When presented with the gospel, Tito M expressed that he had never even heard the name, Jesus, because he was never taken to church as a child. Tito M explained that he knew he was broken and wanted to accept the free gift of Jesus Christ. The team will continue to pour into this new believer’s life through Bible study and fellowship.

We continue to pray for understanding of the gospel, that people who hear will be curious enough to want to learn more. 

Please pray for more opportunities to share the gospel with the communities and for the Lord to open the hearts of those who need to know about the true love of Christ. 

Pray for unity among each team as we continue to grow closer as a family and body of believers.

-Bailey
Media Team Member
Tropical Harvesters, Journey Church TH, & Island Ministry Teams

Meet the Team: Tropical Harvesters (Journey Church)

Ally attends Cumberland University and is getting her Master’s degree in teaching. She loves tacos, her cat Cotton, and puns. While preparing for this trip, Romans 10:14 reminded her that being obedient to bring the good news to the nations is what we are called to do as the hands and feet of Jesus. I"How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the hands and feet of those who bring the good news!’”. 

Robin lives and works out of Nashville, Tennessee. Her favorite food is Sushi, and she loves hugs, a good cup of coffee, and late night talks about Jesus. While preparing to head to the nations, Isaiah 26:3-4 reminds her that through Him, she can find peace because Jesus promises it to those who completely put their trust in Him. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because He trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is the Rock eternal.”

Christian is a student at the University of Alabama, getting his bachelor’s degree in pre-med and English. He loves chili cheese fries, running, french-fries with ice cream, making lists, and dancing. While thinking about this trip, Joshua 1:5 keeps him in the mindset that no person will ever stand in the way of the gospel.“No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave nor forsake you.”

Josiah is a student at Cumberland University and is getting his bachelors in English Education. He believes that the best food is a real burrito (aka, any burrito from southern California of New Mexico) or authentic ramen noodles. 1 Peter 5:6-7 which says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s almighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” has reminded Josiah to find his comfort in Jesus Christ alone.

This is a unique team as they are all sent out from the same church. They are also ministering in an area that has been adopted by their church. 

Pray for team unity & boldness in sharing the Gospel.

Team with their national partners & media team member

-Bailey

Media Team Member

Tropical Harvester Team (Journey Church), Philippines

Meet the Team: Tropical Harvesters

Alexa

Alexa is a student at Ohio State University. She loves brownie sundaes, ridiculously sweet coffee, and all things British. Throughout Alexa’s life, Esther 4:14 has given her assurance that God has ordained her footsteps to get her where she is today. “Maybe you have come to the royal position for such a time as this.” Through this verse, she has peace in knowing that she is a part of The Lords divine plan, and that He has great things for her during her time of service this summer.

Bailey

Bailey attends the University of Tennessee, and is getting her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Bailey loves any Chick-fil-a, but also spaghetti from Olive Garden. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds Bailey that the Lord has planned this trip out ahead of her and that the plans He has for her Summer are greater than she could’ve ever imagined., “‘For I know the plans I have for you.’, declares the Lord; ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.’”

Shane

Shane is a student at Mississippi State University and is getting his language bachelor’s degree. He loves biscuits and gravy, rice and noodles, and Chinese Culture. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds Shane to trust in the Lord and to make His name great, instead of his own.“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Lauren

Lauren attends Liberty University and is getting her bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. Her favorite food is all forms of chicken and she loves the show “Survivor”. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you.’, declares the Lord; ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.’” Through this verse, Lauren has assurance that her next steps today and twenty years from now will be for His glory, which comforts her as she is heading into the nations this summer.

For the Tropical Harvesters team, pray for team unity and boldness in sharing the Gospel.

-Bailey
Media Team Member
Tropical Harvester Team, Philippines