Just Around the River Bend

    Being a nanny isn't always an exciting job. But everyday I'm taught little lessons as I spend more time with the kids and truly get to know them. By this point, I'm used to that during the week. But I never thought I'd learn a major lesson on my day off. 

This week started off with a huge adventure. We had heard about a place where you could go tubing on the Simbulan River. You paid for a tube and a guide and braved the mighty river with only a rubber circle and a stranger to guide you. Sounds fun right? We invited a friend from the orphanage to go with us and she turned about to be our biggest asset. We took a Jeepney to the river and it dropped us off literally on the side of the road. 

    There were no signs or anything to guide us to the tubing place we were looking for. So our friend, Ailene, asked a guy for directions and he decided to lead us there. He led us all through the woods, over a muddy terrain and giant rocks. Little did we know, this man did not really know where he was going either. That became very evident once we reached the side of the river and there was nothing in sight. He then reveals to us that we are on the wrong side of the river and we must cross over to continue on our way. 

    Well there was no bridge or road or anyway to really cross this river except for one, walk across. So we all joined hands and waded our way across this river. After crossing, we walked a few more minutes in the woods and somehow ended up at the tubing place, exhausted and in my case, dripping sweat. But we weren't giving up. We each got a tube and a guide and set off. 

    Our guide rode behind us the entire way to make sure we didn't fall out or hit anything. There were parts of the river with some serious rapids and others calm as a lake. And we never knew what awaited us around the next bend. Yes, at times I was scared for my life, but I survived! The whole journey reminded me a lot about our spiritual life. 

    As Christians, we're called to cross rivers and walk over mountainous terrains. We take the harder road because in the end the treasures that await us in heaven are worth more than anything this world could give us. We're called to brave mighty rivers, not knowing how everything will turn out in the end. Sometimes, we experience times of rapids and things seem to be passing too fast for us to keep up. Other times we experience peace. 

    But we never truly know what could happen next. Being a Christian can be dangerous. But we should never worry because we have the Holy Spirit as our guide. He is always there to steer us in the right direction and pick us up when we fall. With God, we can face any river or any mountain because Christ is on our side. And at the end of the day, we can look back at the many adventures we've had and how far we've come that day and give God all the glory. Because we never know what He has in store for us around the next river bend. But in the end, it will glorify Him.
-Melanie 

Prieto Diaz

We had been lazy and we knew it.  As we sat in the house, in the beginning of another week, we realized that we lacked prayer.  So we got together, broken and repentant, and prayed for a more effective week than the first two had been.  When the team got back together, we rejoiced.  Repentance and discouragement turned into rejoicing and excitement.  And in the following days God opened up more than a handful of doors.  The gospel keeps moving.

Donsol Team - Agta

            We arrived in country on June 7, and on our ministry site June 10.  Our first location was a barangay called Ogod.  We spent 18 days as guest of the Niones family, where Mr. & Mrs. Niones live with their two sons, daughter, son & daughter-in-law, and their 5 grandchildren.  The entire family belongs to a cult called Iglesia ni Cristo, which is spread throughout the Philippines.  It is very difficult to reach out to the members of this cult because of their strong resistence to change.  We have spoken to many INC members and their doctrine strongly contradicts Biblical teaching.

            Despite our encounters with INC, we know that God still moves here.  We pray that the hearts of the people of these communities will be open to hear what God has to say from His Word.  Pray with us for the residents of Donsol, that they will hear and believe Truth.

How can you pray for us?

No mission is easy, we have learned this to be true. However, every mission is joyful in some way and we learned this to be true as well and we take pleasure in the moments of joy. Our backbones are strong because we sense the presence of prayer from home. People always remind me how they are praying from thousands of miles away and let me tell you—I feel those prayers. God listens to every word spoken and every thought you have about us, so continue your support because we are experiencing your faithfulness to uplift us.

Here is how you can pray specifically:

1. Teams are going to their villages for 2 weeks and need encouragement and boldness every step of the way. Pray that they don't become restless for the 2 weeks.
2. Health is always a concern. Pray for the health of all team members, American and Filipino. If they experiences sickness, may it be mild and not conflict with their ministry.
3. Pray for unity among the group. Satan prowls around on each and everyone of us, trying to tear us apart. Don't let him do such a thing among us as a team. May we be abounding in love.
4. Pray for the people of the village. May they be receptive and encouraged by our ministry. For those who are seeking God, may they find Him and begin their relationship with Him.
5. Ask for patience in our ministry. May we continue in faith even if we don't see fruit or any harvest because they may come at a later time. May we be joyful in what we do accomplish, or rather, what Christ accomplishes through us.

Habitat Testimonies

I asked each of the Habitat team members to share something they have experienced or part of their mission they have greatly enjoyed. Below are a few quick responses and testimonies of how God is working in their area and how they are being used as God's servants.

1. Matt—focused on the workers he spends time with everyday as they construct homes. Matt enjoys the bible studies they have had with the workers so far and said they ran out of bibles quick when they started sharing. Just hanging out with the Filipinos on the worksite is exciting and fun and being a living testimony to God's love allows him to share the gospel freely. 

2. Will—after a devastating flood last year, the Habitat team is constructing homes for those families who evacuated. Currently the families live in tents and the area is called "tent city." Will shared a story about meeting a lady in "tent city" and hearing about the mother's loss of a child in the flood. The story was extremely painful but Will explained how the team was able to provide encouragement and pray over the mother and her remaining family. Will asks that we keep her in our prayers and hopes to meet with her again for further encouragement and sharing of the gospel.

3. Bryce—loves time with the kids at the dorm. Bryce said the team greatly enjoys playing games such as volleyball and basketball in the evening when the kids return from school. Bryce mentioned how excited the students were to see Americans, especially Americans who interacted and took interest in them. Bryce also mentioned that some of the older students are reading the Bible, even though they come from a Muslim background. It's encouraging to him and the rest of the team to see the kids considering Christ. 

4. David—just as Matt enjoys spending time with the Habitat workers, so does David. He is astounded at how fast the houses are being built and the speed of the project. It's encouraging to see houses being completed so more people can move in. David enjoys spending time with the Filipino workers everyday, cracking jokes and telling stories, and sharing the gospel as they work. 

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Help from home

We received a little taste of home when the medical team from Ft. Payne came to help us with our medical mission in the villages. It was nice to see other Americans for a week and have a glimpse of home. Don't get me wrong, we love it here and we love the Filipino people dearly.

If we hadn't already made an impression in the villages, by turning heads as white people enter the village, we surely did when 11 other Americans joined us. The team, made up of several doctors, a dentist, a pharmacist, other helping hands and teens who assisted their parents, provided free medical care to any residents who showed up. Most villages were packed with people and hundreds of people were helped and will hopefully live a healthier life.

How many hands do you need for one person?

Stations were set up for registration and vital signs to be recorded. As people funneled through registration they were seen by several doctors and nurses and provided medicine for any symptoms they had. After receiving medication, they made their way to the dentist to have teeth examined and pulled. The dentist was all the buzz. In every village, people crowded around the area or room where the dentist was working. For them it was a new experience and quite exciting. Still trying to figure that out since teeth really bother me and some of the other team members.

For those who weren't administering medical help, like myself, we played with children, managed the crowds, carried equipment from one station to another and shared the gospel as people waited. There's always something to do, you just need to look for the needs and act. Also, some of the teenagers who were on the medical mission team shared several dramas which explained salvation and other key biblical truths in a modern and artistic fashion. You should have seen the crowds they drew. One thing about Filipinos is that they typically watch every move of Americans, which is great when you share about Christ. So they had hundreds of eyes on them everyday. 

"He said to them, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10:14-16

We all want to thank those who came, gave up their time and stepped away from their practices in America to come serve and offer care for those who are in desperate need of medical attention. Many people were helped because of your efforts and now we can follow up with the households and make sure they are receiving what they need both physically and spiritually.

Such an intense way to weigh children. 

The great part of this mission team is that they enabled us, the Nehemiah Healthcare Team, to enter these communities with great respect and help for the people and show them how much we care. It's just one way God opens doors and allows our mission to be successful and fruitful. Thanks for all you did and helped us do!

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35-36

Crowds of people waiting to register.

Preparing the medicine for distribution.

Prayer Requests for the Riverboat Teams

Pray for Ate M, a mother of nine children who is living under the burden of medical bills, flood damage to her home, and the pain of a miscarriage. Pray that God would be her strength and her peace.

Pray for Kuya P, a man who has accepted Christ, followed in baptism, shared his testimony as part of a church service that we held on Sunday morning, and even expressed a desire to continue holding a Bible study in his home multiple times each week after we leave. Pray that he would continue to grow in his faith and recognize the Lord's call for him to step up as a spiritual leader.

Pray for Kuya J, who has accepted Christ and remains on our hearts. Pray that he would grow and learn to own his faith.

Pray for Kuya B, who has prayed to receive Christ and seems to have an understanding of God's Word. Pray that he would find confidence in the Lord to lead others.

Pray for Kuya E, a young man in whom the Spirit is working in a very evident way. Pray that he would become a godly influence on others his age, who seem to be less interested in a relationship with Jesus. Pray that his friends N and B would take interest in studying the Bible.

Pray for Ate V, a woman who is genuine in her faith, and full of emotion. She readily admitted that she is a sinner, and was eager to host others in her home to study the Bible.

Pray for Kuya G, who is already telling others what Jesus has done. Pray that he would continue growing in his faith and making disciples.

Pray for Kuya J, a man with a Muslim background who initially refused to speak the name of Jesus Christ, but later prayed to become a Christian along with his wife. Pray that they would continue to learn to trust God to meet their needs.

Pray for the children who are obviously hungry for scripture. Pray that their decision to follow Christ would continue to define their lives after we leave.

Pray that God would send laborers into these barangays where so many have chosen to follow Jesus.