Sharing through English

The Lord has been gracious to provide many opportunities to share the gospel with our new friends. A couple friends have joined our Bible Translation class where they can learn high level English while studying God's word. We've also had the privilege of being invited to multiple campuses to teach English, share our testimonies, sing songs & share Bible stories. 

God has opened the door for us to minister to dorm students. We teach the boys English, play sports with them, and have recently started to lead them in a Bible study. Many of these are young Christians but all come from Buddhist families.

• Pray for the "dorm boys" as we spend time with them, developing relationships which we pray will lead to more discipleship.

-Dylan

Evangelism & Discipleship via English

Southeast Asia

New life in Christ: Philippine Summer

In our first two weeks of ministry in our area, we have seen the fruit from the labor of others who have served here before us, including other Nehemiah Teams. Many of the people we have talked to have met at least one of the previous Nehemiah Teams. Many have heard a Gospel presentation, and some have even done Bible studies in the past.

One of the ladies we met, Ate J, had done several Bible studies with a previous team. On my first full day with the team here, we did a Bible study with her- my first ministry opportunity in this place! At the end of our time together, Ate J decided that she wanted to put her faith in Christ and make Him the Lord of her life.

I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angles over one sinner who repents. -Luke 15:10

• Pray for Ate J. Due to some unexpected circumstances, we have not been able to continue our Bible studies with her yet. Our team continues to visit her and pray with her.

-Kylie

Philippine Summer Media Intern

Seeking the Lost

We've had our fare share of trial & tribulations over these first few weeks, but by God's grace & His grace alone we are sustained time & time again!

In our current district we are doing further research & exploration of our assigned people groups. We are blessed to have found 1 of our people groups... learning more about who they are, their culture & ultimately making His name known.

• Pray as we continue to explore our assigned area. Pray for open doors as we seek to find the people groups who are waiting to hear the Good News.

-Matt

Ends of the Earth Explorer Team

Ministry at the Beach

Pastor Rudy’s adventure was a surprise and exciting day to look forward to. The team was told the night before they would be going to the beach to share the gospel. With it being the celebration for John the Baptist, it was a perfect bridge to connect and speak about the good news of Jesus, and His true story.        

As they ventured off by boat to another part of the island, they began practicing fellowship in food and games, and when people gathered around the table, Kuya Zuriel (our translator) taught those gathered about the difference between John the Baptist and Jesus. He explained that John the Baptist would want them to celebrate and worship Jesus, rather than him. With the time they had left, the group broke apart to swim and to talk to people at the beach, some on the rocks and some back on shore.             

The group ended the day having built trust and relationships with people in the hopes of sharing the gospel with them when invited to have dinner or play basketball. God opened many doors today, and they cannot way to see what happens next.

- Skylar
PH Summer Socorro Team, Media Intern

We have to start right now!!

Our team is mapping across the city of better understand the community & its youth. We're also helping national partners, churches and the Baptist mission to make intentional strides to connect with & disciple the next generation.

Every day we hear stories of hopelessness, especially from young people who believe the life they have is all they'll every know. The other day, we met a group of boys playing pool. After sharing the hope of the gospel, several expressed a desire to change but admitted it was difficult because of peer pressure & the surrounding culture. 

In that moment, they decided to start their own "youth group," crating a WhatsApp group with one of our national partners & asking our field supervisors to keep coming back to walk alongside them.

As we walked away, nearly half of the boys put down their pool cues and said, "We can't wait for someone to come back & lead us... we have to start right now!"

This place has often felt dark & hopeless, despite being known as a Christian country. But moments like these remind us that God can take something small & use it for something far greater. Even a little light shines brightly in the darkness. 

• Pray with us for these boys. Pray their desire for something more than hopelessness will urge them to want to learn more about the true giver of hope... Jesus Christ!!

-Alisha

Campus Evangelism & Discipleship

Sub-Sahara Africa

The Festival of Fellowship

The festival to celebrate the founding of our island was this past weekend, and it couldn’t have been more of an opportunistic time to go door to door to spend quality time with the community. Spread throughout the plaza was a different street vibrantly decorated, such as one with rows of jellyfish and the other flowers and banners that swayed in the wind. As the smell of pork cooking rose in the early morning, the whole group walked together to visit families who had invited them for the festival. From rice, fruit salad, shrimp, pig ear and tongue, a whole plate of watermelon, and more rice, they were full by noon!

The moments fell together beautifully as people were open to receiving more prayers and children gathered close together to hear stories in the Bible. It was a weekend full of hospitality and getting to know the people in hope of sharing Jesus’ love.

"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

-Skylar 
PH Summer Socorro Team, Media Intern

Lessons from a cup of ice

When I arrived in Butuan, I was feeling a bit low. While I was in Camiguin, I was constantly hot, and it felt like there was nothing I could do to cool off. No matter what I tried, it seemed like I would never adjust to the heat. My appetite had also disappeared, which meant I wasn't getting much energy throughout the day.

Then I arrived in Butuan and got a morale boost I didn't know I needed: ice.

Before this trip, I never would have imagined that ice could improve my mood. But the moment I dropped some ice into my water, something changed. To be fair, it wasn't just the ice in my cup that night. It was knowing there was a refrigerator and freezer nearby. It was knowing that cold drinks and ice were available whenever I needed them.

Now, the ice wasn't some magical cure that suddenly made me adjust to the heat. I'm still not completely adjusted. But it gave me something to look forward to when I was hot and exhausted. It was a small comfort on those days when all I wanted to do was sit inside an air-conditioned room.

Interestingly, when I was out doing ministry, I wasn't feeling low at all. I was joyful. My thoughts weren't focused on the heat. They were focused on the incredible privilege of spending my time telling people about the love of Christ. I got to share with new friends that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die the death we deserved and then rise from the grave, conquering sin and death.

The difficult moments came back at the house. Even sitting under a fan, I would sweat nonstop. In those moments, all I could think about was how hot and uncomfortable I was. If I'm honest, all I wanted was to be sitting in a house with the air conditioning running full blast.

Those moments taught me something I hadn't realized before: so much of my life revolves around my own comfort.

Comfortable temperatures. Having a space that's just mine. Having more than four outfits to choose from. Not waiting on transportation. Having cold drinks whenever I want them. The list goes on. I never realized how many comforts I take for granted until I spent time without them. 

Without thinking about it, ice is part of so much of daily life. Order a drink at a restaurant, and it usually comes with ice. Come inside after working in the heat, and you probably grab a cold glass of water without giving it a second thought.

So let me ask you a question: How much ice do you put in your water when it's hot outside? How much better do you feel after drinking that ice-cold glass of water? And if ice suddenly wasn't available, how difficult would it be to give up?

It seems like such a small thing, but this summer has reminded me that many of the things I consider necessities are actually luxuries.

I'm thankful that I serve a God who is always working on me. He used something as simple as discomfort to draw me closer to Him. When I didn't know what to do with the heat and frustration, I found myself spending more time in Scripture. What started as a distraction became a blessing. The more time I spend in God's Word, the more clearly I hear His voice.

Who knew God could use a cup of ice water to teach me so much?

Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes." 

Ministry is in full swing, and I ask that you continue to pray for us.

• Pray for the work being done here and that God would use it to impact the lives of the people we meet.
• Pray that the people we talk with would continue to be open and welcoming as we share the love of Christ with them.
• Pray for our safety throughout the summer.
• Pray for protection from the bugs, the heat, and all the travel that comes with ministry.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. They mean more than you know.

- Kylie                                                                                                                                                            
PH Summer Camiguin and Butuan Teams, Media Intern