Why Advance Operations Training (AOT)... Fuad

As I was going into my second gap year after high school, I knew I wanted to go on a mission trip. I wanted to use the time to grow my faith in the Lord and have opportunity to share it with others. The field workers in my home country told me about the AOT program in the Philippines. I was very interested!

It has been a great experience, learning so much about evangelism, discipleship & missions. I pray the Lord will use what i've learned in my local church as I return to my home country.

-Fuad

North Africa & the Middle East

Pray for Fuad as he returns to his home country in mid-December. Pray that he will be used by the Lord in his local church to lead other young adults in choosing a life that lives out the Great Commission.

Ministry update: Adrielle

Last week I was able to share my testimony & the Gospel with 5 people! It was cool because one person told me he wanted to hear my story, and as I started to share... more people join the conversation. Everyone was listening really intently, paying close attention to what I was saying.

I emphasized the fact God loves each & every person individually & that He wants a personal relationship with us.

When I finished, they all shared how they were encouraged by what I had said. I'm praying that even if we don't see anyone come to Christ while we're here, we won't get discouraged by it. But instead know that we are planting seeds that will hopefully continue to grow after we leave.

-Adrielle

NT365 participant, Southeast Asia

Cultural barriers: Daniel

The language barrier is probably the biggest hurdle for me. So far, most people I meet barely understand my English. I can barefly communicate much less share the Gospel. This, along with my shyness make it hard for me to approach people. The youth seem open to the Gospel however.

Please pray for me to have courage & speak out as plainly as I can.

-Daniel

International AOT, Philippines

Cultural learning: Andrew

Did you know they celebrate Father's Day in Thailand? I experienced this recently, although it isn't for the same reason we celebrate as Americans.

Father's Day in Thailand is celebrated on December 5th in honor of the late king. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great is known as the Father of the Nation... so Thais celebrate Father's Day on his birthday. 

-Andrew

NT365 participant, Thailand

Cultural learning: Grace

Our culture is a night culture. This means our field work starts around 4PM and usually doesn't end until at least midnight. Many times, our team has the most meaningful conversations while also trying to keep from falling asleep! Even though our bodies have struggled to adjust sometimes, I find myself hoping for another late night so we can continue to build relationships with those who need Christ.

On the mornings after such late nights, when talking about it with our team the next day, we all agreed it was the best thing we could have done. Each night truly gave us an opportunity to connect that we didn't have before. So, although night culture is new to me, I have found it to be an amazing opportunity to build meaningful relationships.

-Grace

NT365 participant, Southeast Asia

Ministry update: Bangkok

Recently the team spent time mapping a new area in Bangkok and a college campus. This information will help the long term workers better understand the areas & get a headstart on potential ministry locations.

We also put on a Friendsgiving event on the campus and had 2 Thai guys join. It was fun! The team has also gotten into rock climbing which has helped them meet new friends!

Pray for their last week+ of ministry. Pray for fruitful Gospel conversations with those they meet. 

Joy opens doors: Geoffrey

We were walking around a university campus & I began talking to a 63-year old man. As a current law student, he told me he always studies & learns so that his mind will stay strong, even in old age.

Our conversation quickly turned to spiritual things when he asked why I seemed so happy. I was able to talk to him about the joy I find in Christ.

It's really cool how people can often tell we're different by just our attitude & how God can use that as a door to share His Gospel and our hope in Christ.

Please pray for this gentleman. Pray that he will remember what I shared about the true source of my joy & how he can have that same joy.

-Geoffrey

NT365 participant, Thailand

Ministry opportunity: Camille

Our team recently found a rock climbing place in the mall that is a great ministry opportunity! Jessica & I met a Thai girl who we talked with for awhile. I was able to share the Gospel with her & give her a tract. She was so sweet & open to us sharing with us. We talked about prayer & how it is different for Christian than Buddhists. For Christians it is a result of our relationship with God & we can talk to Him any time. The young lady was responsive to us. That was encouraging!

Later, she invited us to go to dinner with her to meet some of her friends. They were so fun! It was great to meet more people as a result of this simple activity.

Pray for this young lady. As Gospel seeds were sown through our conversation, pray for the Lord to lead others across her path to follow up with her.

-Camille
NT365 participant, Thailand 

Ministry update: Zuriel & Daniel

Our team has been reaching out to the community, primarily connecting with youth & children. Almost every block we pass we hear a cheerful, "Kuya Dan!" or "Kuya Ray!" It's clear that we're becoming more welcomed in the community. 

I've had the opportunity to share the gospel with several senior high school students. A few days later we bumped into an entire group of youth we had shared the gospel with. We had a great time together & even discussed starting a Bible study.

Looking ahead, we're excited to begin Bible studies with the families (parents) of the youth who recently came to faith in Christ. As we've been moving forward in this ministry, we've been reminded, inspired, and encouraged by Lottie Moon's example of "Oikos" evangelism, especially as we read Look What God Can Do during our team time.

We pray the Holy Spirit goes before us & is glorified in all we do.

-Zuriel & Daniel

International AOT, Philippines

Ministry update: Emma

Much of the ministry we do is relationship building. We've gotten lunch, coffee, hosted dinner, movie  nights, etc... the Lord really does use these moments to open doors for the Gospel to be shared!

We had coffee with 2 girls the other day. They ended up asking me about Christmas. It was the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel in a natural conversation.

We've had so many moments to share our testimonies which has been a very effective way to share Christ. I'm just so thankful for all the friends we've made & i continue to pray God will work in their hearts.

-Emma

NT365 participant, Southeast Asia

Barriers to the Gospel: Jessica

In Thailand, one of the biggest barriers in advancing the Gospel is the people's devotion to Buddhism. They believe that "to be Thai is to be Buddhist." For them, it is a part of their identity & culture. This can be observed throughout the city as there are shrines on each street & many large temples that hold Buddhist statues for the people to worship.

They seem also prideful of their gods since they have never been colonized & do not have the influence of colonizing religions. Because of this pride in idol worship, their hearts have been hardened to the gospel. Many go through the motions of worshipping & making offerings to the idols so they may find success in love, careers, & making money. While Buddhism is a large barrier to the Gospel in Thailand, God is still working to bring the Thai people to Himself so that they may find true joy in worshipping Him.

Pray for the long term workers as they are investing their lives to share Christ with the Thai people.

-Jessica

NT365 Participant, Thailand 

New country... First Impressions: Emma

The culture here is very relational with people just wanted to spend time with each other. It has been amazing to see this relational culture open doors to share the Gospel & our personal testimonies.

I talked with one girl who said when she came into our house, it felt different. This place is so spiritually lost that when someone walks into a home where Christians live, they can physically feel a difference.

Pray the Lord will continue to show Himself to all of the friends we have made so far.

-Emma

NT365 Participant

Ministry Update: Adrielle

Our city is an amazing city! Our work is mainly focused at an English center. It's been awesome to meet people we can actually have conversations with! While many seem closed to the gospel, we have been able to make lots of friends. As we spend time with them, it's our prayer they will understand more about the love of the God we serve. 

One thing I've learned is that so many of those we meet like to compare their religion with Christianity, talking about the similarities & differences. It's been interesting to learn more about their culture & religion, but a lot of the time, those types of conversations don't lead to salvation.

Pray through these conversations we will be able to lead it to sharing our testimony or something that makes it more personal & relatable. 

All in all the people are so kind & accepting of us, the culture here is very relational. I feel like I've definitely been able to step out of my comfort zone more, making so many new friend here!

-Adrielle

NT365 Participant

New country... First Impressions: Camille

Having lived in Japan a few years as a child, I see some cultural similarities here in Thailand. I'm excited to meet more Thai people, learn more of the language, and share Jesus. I'm praying to stay focused on the Lord while giving my all doing His work. I want to make the most of my time in multiple ways, relying on God to lead me in that. I'm excited to see what He will do in & through our team. We are helping our supervisors start some new things which is cool! It's neat to think about where God could take that. People here need Jesus, true freedom, light and hope... God can use us to bring that to them. It's an amazing opportunity.

-Camille

NT365 participant

New country... first impressions: Andrew

This is a fascinating city... yet it is quite lost. One of the most disheartening aspects is the widespread idol worship. So many people are searching for peach & hope, but have placed their trust and hope in things created by human hands. You can hardly walk 100 feet without encountering a shrine or spirit house.

People are very friendly but there is a great language barrier. While they may not always understand us, showing a genuine love for them & their culture will often reward you with a warm smile.

-Andrew

NT365 Participant

Ministry Update: Grace

Our team's work is focused around talking with students who are currently studying English. We've already had the opportunity to begin good relationships with some here. Many of those we work with are Muslim and not open to the Gospel. However, I had the opportunity to have deep spiritual discussions with one person from the English class. She says she is looking for truth... both from the god she serves in her religion and from the God we serve as Christians. 

Please pray as we continue to have these conversations.

Pray the Holy Spirit will speak through me & that He will reveal Himself in miraculous way to this young person.

-Grace

NT365 Participant

New island... first impressions: Daniel

Before coming to the island, I had the impression it would be a hard place for ministry. The pastor told us to be prepared to fetch water daily since it hadn't rained for three months. God shattered that right away!

The day we arrived... it rained... and it has rained everyday since. The people are friendly. We easily connected with people, including some government official who play basketball at our nearby gym each week. Honestly, I now think that God may use us to do something incredible here!

-Daniel

International AOT

New country... first impressions: Cambree

I love this country!! the culture is very similar to the Philippines... the people we meet are so kind & welcoming! It has been so nice to be in a new place & be involved in different types of ministry. 

Our schedule is flexible... when students aren't in class, they come to our house & hang out. We play games, talk about school, play sports, and have been doing discipleship & teaching some evangelism methods.

There will be so many opportunities to share the Gospel while we are here. Please pray for our team to be bold & take every opportunity we have to share. 

We are serving in a community where the lostness is very visible... we hear the prayer calls 5 times a day. It is very heartbreaking and eye-opening to see & hear this, but it helps me realize even more how much pople need to hear about Jesus. 

Pray that eyes, ears & hearts will be open to hearing the Gopsle and that the truth will set people free in this city!

-Cambree

NT365 Participant

New country... first impressions: Jessica

Our city is very diverse with many tourists. Most people are kind but they seem to keep to themselves. In every corner of this beautiful city, shrines are displayed with food & drink offerings dedicated to idols. It has been heartbreaking to look out across a place full of millions that have never found the hope & joy that comes from knowing Christ. 

While missionaries have been in Thailand for centuries, the people have been hard hearted toward the Gospel, living their lives in spiritual darkness. Most of our ministry has consisted of mapping areas around the city to help give a better understanding of the culture & possible entry points to begin ministry. We'll also have an opportunity to be involved in campus ministry later in the month.

I have already grown to love the city & am excited to be a part of God's work here!

-Jessie

NT365 participant

New island... first impressions: Zuriel

We had mixed feelings about our one month assignment. Our journey from Davao to the island took over 15 hours. It's a beautiful island with kind people. 

During our first few days, we bonded with kids from our barangay (village), often having a group of 5-10 join us during prayer walks. We also met young people who had left a local cult & are now believers. They shared heartbreaking stories of their life before. Yet, they greeted us with big smiles, grateful to the Lord for rescuing them. One of them even brought a friend who accepted Christ after hearing the Gospel that very evening. Moments like these remind us what is means to be "World Christians." To God be the glory!

-Zuriel

International AOT