AOT Farm Week POV: Anna

I enjoyed farm week more than I thought! The animals were so fun! I learned the importance of caring for God's creation through agriculture & farming. The methods are simple enough to teach communities how to make & use the equipment & methods for themselves. While you are learning & teaching these methods, it's the perfect time to share the Gospel.

-Anna

AOT International, Philippines

Milking the goats

Building the "A frame"

Using the A frame to mark planting rows

Meet the Team: Philippine Summer Camiguin

Meet Lil 

I grew up in a small town in Texas. I currently attend a small Christian University where I am studying Christian Studies with an emphasis in missions/Biblical Studies and Theology and a minor in music. After I graduate I plan to continue my education through seminary. 

For a long time I have felt called to do ministry and I feel incredibly blessed to have joined Nehemiah Teams this summer. Though I hope to continue doing cross-cultural work, I know the Lord will use me wherever I am. My call in life is to join in God’s mission (loving Him and caring for/loving His creation.) I can only hope and pray that I steward this call well.

- Kylie

Philippine Summer Media Intern

Meet the Team: Philippine Summer Camiguin

Meet Julia 

Hi! My name is Julia, I am 19 years old and currently live in Arkansas. I attend a small Baptist University where I am double majoring in Spanish and Community and family services. Missions have always been a huge part of my life. I grew up as an IMB missionary kid in Italy.

As I have come to know the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior, I have grown in my relationship with Him, and have continued to witness the need for the Gospel to be shared to all the nations. The Lord has been opening doors for me to go on mission. After college I am willing to go wherever the Lord needs to send me. Though I’d love to be a cross-cultural worker, I know that the Lord can use me in many ways through going, sending, welcoming, and more. I am excited! This summer has truly been a blessing. With so many new experiences, important lessons learned, and willingness of the Lord working in and through my team to make HIS NAME KNOWN. 

- Kylie

Philippine Summer Media Intern

Meet the Team: Philippine Summer Media Intern

Meet Kylie 

I’m from Oklahoma. I came to know Christ when I was 15, and during my time in youth group my youth pastor placed a strong emphasis on missions. After going on a few short-term mission trips with my youth group, God gave me a heart for sharing the gospel with others.

I’ve always loved photography, so when I heard about an opportunity to use that passion while serving the Lord, I knew I wanted to be part of it. Before coming, I didn’t know exactly what the summer would hold, but I did know two things: I would experience some uncomfortable living conditions, and I would get to see God at work. Both have proven true. Right now I’m sleeping in a tent and battling bugs every night, but I’m also watching people search for the hope and peace that can only be found in a relationship with Christ.

I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be here. The greatest joy in my life is serving the Lord, and I’m grateful that I get to wake up each day and tell people about the love and sacrifice of Jesus.

Two verses have especially encouraged me throughout this journey:
Matthew 28:19–20 – "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Luke 10:2 – "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest."

- Kylie Philippine Summer Media Intern

AOT: Filipino hospitality

Poverty is not a lack of money but a lack of options.

We experience the hospitality of Filipinos as we stay in their homes during our weekend ministry. These homes are very basic & they are willing to share everything they have with us. 

Each weekend, we travel 2 hours by private vehicle & then another ride by motorcycle to get to our ministry site. There is a stark difference between what we see in the city & what we experience in this area. 

-Andrew

AOT participant

When "Why Not?" Wins

For anyone who knows me, what I'm about to say might come as a bit of a shock: I tried sea urchin!

If you know me well, you know I'm a picky eater. Trying new foods is usually right up there with getting teeth pulled on my list of favorite activities. So when a couple of guys went searching for sea urchins before a Bible study on the beach, I was perfectly content to cheer them on from a safe distance.

After searching for a while, they found exactly one sea urchin. Apparently, God wanted me to try it because there was just enough inside for team try. Being the foreigner we got the honor of trying it. 

Before I ate it, I had one very important question: "Does it taste like fish?" I've tried several kinds of fish here, and let's just say none of them have made it onto my list of favorite foods. Everyone promised me it didn't taste like fish. So, against my better judgment, I took a bite.

The first thing that hit me wasn't the taste—it was the texture. It was somehow the slimiest thing I've ever eaten while also feeling like it was exfoliating my tongue. I didn't know food could be both gooey and sandpaper at the same time, but sea urchin clearly likes breaking the rules.

Then came the flavor.

At first, I thought, Wow, that's salty. Then I made what may have been the biggest mistake of the afternoon. I chewed!

Whatever amount of salt I tasted before instantly doubled... then doubled again. It was like the sea urchin had been marinated in the entire Pacific Ocean. I have never tasted the Dead Sea, but if someone bottled it and sold it as a seasoning, I'm pretty sure this would be it. I'm exaggerating... mostly.

By the time I swallowed it, I was questioning every decision I had made that day that led me to that moment.

Would I eat it again? There are plenty of other foods in the Philippines I still need to try first.

Pray for the high school students who attended the beach Bible study. Pray that they would continue seeking Jesus and come to know Him as the truth.

- Kylie 

Philippine Summer Media Intern 

PH Summer: From Bug Bites to the Good News

I learned quickly that the bugs in the Philippines are on a different level. It seems like every bug is bigger than it is in the US. I saw the biggest spider I have ever seen in the wild (not in a zoo or aquarium) hanging above the stove one night. I've also seen bees that look twice the size of the ones back home. And then there are the mosquitoes (lamok).

From the day I arrived in Butuan, I started getting mosquito bites. As my time there went on, I just kept getting more. I was getting bitten faster than they could heal. By the time I left, my legs were covered. From the middle of my calves down to my feet, it seemed like there wasn't a spot that didn't have a bug bite.

On one of our recent days off, our team went to the beach. After we finished swimming, everyone was changing clothes. There was only one working restroom, so it took a little while for everyone to get changed. I was one of the first ones finished, so while I was waiting, I started putting ointment on my bug bites to help them heal faster and stop the itching.

While I was doing that, Kuya D came up to me and asked what had happened to my legs. I laughed and told him that the mosquitoes had been biting me ever since I arrived. He then asked how long I had been in the Philippines and if I was here on vacation. That simple question opened the door to one of my favorite conversations of the summer.

I told him that I wasn't here on vacation. I was here to tell people about the love Jesus has for them. After I said that, he began sharing about his beliefs and how he had looked into many major religions of the world. He was genuinely searching for answers but wasn't sure where to find them. He also told me he didn't like the idea of having to earn God's favor by following a list of religious rules.

That gave me the chance to share what I believe. I told him that God created the world, but when Adam and Eve sinned, sin separated us from Him. Since then, people have been trying to find their own way back to God. But because God loves us, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave, defeating sin and death. Because of what He did, salvation is a gift that we can receive by placing our faith in Him. I also shared how reading Genesis and the Gospel of Luke showed me what I was missing in my own life. I realized that I couldn't save myself from my sins and that I needed Jesus to be my Savior.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

Please pray for Kuya D. Before we left, he asked me if I had a Bible that he could have so he could read it for himself. Unfortunately, I didn't have one with me at the time. Pray that God would give us another opportunity to meet so I can get a Bible into his hands. Most of all, pray that as he continues searching for answers, God would reveal the truth of the gospel to him and draw him to Jesus.

-Kylie
Philippines Summer Media Intern