MARY

Mary served as the media person for the Luzon nanny teams.

·      Has this summer changed your understanding or view of God as father?

  This has actually been a really big theme of my summer, since I worked with the nanny teams. I have been really struck by how much children LOVE to be loved, how they delight to be delighted in. How sweet it is that our Father God delights in us, delights to call us children. This summer has renewed my joy in being able to run to the Father as His daughter. At the same time, God has also taught me to delight in His discipline. It is a good and necessary part of growth, and God's character is such that He cannot help but grow us. In watching babies and children develop and grow over the past two months, I have realized how important it is for us as Christians to grow into maturity. Discipline is humbling and uncomfortable, but it is evidence of our sonship. 

·      How has your involvement in Nehemiah Teams/P52 changed your view on missions? 

Doing good does not relieve us of the responsibility of preaching the Gospel. I'm not a missionary unless I'm doing that! It doesn't happen by accident.

Spending the summer with 3 different teams has also shown me how different missions may look from place to place. It has shown me the importance of a biblical foundation for any ministry, that at its core every mission must be based in Scriptural truth and a desire to see people come to salvation in Christ. The point is not to heal someone's body so that they live longer before dying and going to Hell, to put it bluntly - the point is to tend to people's physical needs while sharing Christ with them at every opportunity, that He will bring the dead heart to life.

  

·      In what ways did God surprise you this summer?

This sounds silly, but I was surprised at what a huge role prayer played in my roles on teams this summer. I thought my media position would be the big contribution - photography and writing, telling the stories. And while I spent a lot of time on those things, God showed me that I should do those things with the purpose of better equipping people at home to pray. At each children's home there were problems I didn't have answers to and issues that I couldn't help with, since I wasn't there full time. But always, always I could pray. I truly believe that the best hours of the whole summer were those I spent in prayer for the other teams, for the people who run the ministries, and for the children. God hears and uses every prayer - I just didn't expect that He would use it to teach ME how to pray, too. Sometimes we don't realize how much we have to learn until we are in the middle of learning it. 

·      Why should people sign up for Nehemiah Teams/P52?

Short-term missions will not reach the world, it's true. But God can and DOES do big things in 52 days. As a college student, it's probably not feasible to pack up and go live in another country long-term, but you do have a summer. Give God your summer (since every day is from Him and doesn't belong to us, anyway!) and see how He can use it. NT/P52 gives you a taste of missions experience, ignites a fire for the nations, and may be something God uses to reveal more of His plan for your life and how you fit into His grand kingdom plan.

MEGAN

Megan served on the Ruel Team in the Philippines in 2012

·  How has your involvement in Nehemiah Teams/P52 changed your view on missions?     This trip has changed my whole view on missions. I have been on a few of short-term missions to Uganda and Thailand, but it was not until this summer that I really began to understand the sacrifice required.
    I was not sure what training would be like since I had never done something like that before, but at the end of it I felt more prepared mentally, spiritually, and physically for the mission than I had ever before. My team was already one unit, we know how to react if even the unexpected happened, we knew the language, and we were ready to share our testimonies and lead Bible studies.
    I felt a call to missions on my life at a young age, but it was not until this summer that I saw this as more than just an adventure and actually being willing to give up all my own desires and dreams to follow His plans for me. From the stories we have been reading about Jim Elliot and Lottie Moon I now realize that this means going to the really hard places where there are no Christians and being willing to sacrifice your won life for this mission. This is not an easy decision to commit to life like this, but I still feel this calling even knowing what I must give up. This both terrifies me and excites me, but I know that I can do it because of His strength and none of my own! This is how Nehemiah teams has challenged and strengthened my view on missions.
       One of our memory verses this summer, Acts 20: 24 says “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.” I want this to become my life verse. 

·      How did knowing people at home were praying for you affect your performance/determination to finish the race strong?     Knowing that people were praying for me gave me so much motivation and strength. I can’t tell you how many times I got and email or message that just brightened my day and reminded me that I was not in this alone. My team members each shared how many people were praying for them and me, and it is just incredible to have that kind of strength behind us.
     Missions is not just about the person who is in the other country spreading the gospel, but it is also about everyone else who made that possible. I think about the people supporting me through prayer, financially, and I think about the churches and friends who backed up the 155 students that were a part of Nehemiah teams this summer, and the churches from Rainsville that supported us and it makes me so excited. This is how the body of Christ needs to work, coming around those going out and loving and encouraging them. And seeing this in action helped me realize what we can all accomplish together. Thinking about all these people reminded me to stay strong and persevere even when it was tough. Thank you so much to everyone who was a part of that!

BRITTNEY

Brittney served on the Love the Children team in the Philippines.

What has this summer so far taught you about God?This summer, I have learned to trust God in all of the small things. He has taught me so much about myself and has challenged me to grow in my walk with him. He has shown me how faithful He is despite my lack of faith. It has been so encouraging to see him work in my life and grow me in ways I never imagined.

Has this summer changed your understanding or view of God as father?
I have seen how faithful He has remained. When our schedule was changed constantly for two weeks straight and when I got sick for two weeks straight, God never ceased to amaze me and give me strength. His love for me as my Father has been one of the coolest things I’ve experienced this summer. He has shown me His love and shown me that I can come to Him with anything, even the smallest things, and He will take care of me.

How has this summer changed you?
I have learned to really value the relationships that God has blessed me with. When you spend a summer with children who don’t have families to be with and who take care of them, you really learn to appreciate how God has blessed you. I know that when I return home I want to show my love for the people in my life. God used this summer to help me see what is important and to help me grow in my walk with Him so that I can rely on Him for everything.

How did knowing people at home were praying for you affect your performance/determination to finish the race strong? Knowing that people back home were praying for me was the biggest encouragement I have ever had. I could feel the prayers every day. Even when times were tough, I had a sense of peace knowing that I was being prayed over. I can’t even express how much it means to have people on the other side of the world praying for you. I’m so blessed to have godly influences in my life for spiritual encouragement. It definitely made finishing the race strong possible.

Why should people sign up for Nehemiah Teams/P52?
People should sign up for Nehemiah Teams because it is an awesome way to see the world through God’s eyes. When you are on the other side of the world, disconnected from technology, and a part of the culture for seven weeks, you really fall in love with the people you are ministering to. This is my second summer to be apart of Nehemiah Teams and I have seen the Lord do so much in seven weeks. You really get the opportunity to grow close to the people, learn some of the language, eat different food, and there are so many outlets in sharing the gospel. I encourage everyone to consider signing up for Nehemiah Teams so that they can find out who they are in the Lord and grow closer to Him. It’s an opportunity to be challenged and to grow close to the Father and to share with others how awesome our Heavenly Father is.

GREG

Greg served one of the Health Care teams in the Philippines.  His life verse is Joshua 1:9 and Acts 20:24.

What has this summer so far taught you about God? I have learned about he is our provider. Several times this summer we thought we were going to run out of food and it so happened that several people invited us over to their house for dinner different nights.

How has this summer changed you? Well, I feel this summer has made me realize how God is calling me to care for others around me, whether that be in the US or on the mission field. I feel that I am taking my relationship with Him more seriously and I can feel his presence like I never have before.

Why should people sign up for Nehemiah Teams/P52? 
NT, in my opinion, is a well organized team that will help you grow in your faith, as well as grow as a Christian. Through NT, I have been able to get a vision of world missions and also get a vision of what God has for my life. It will challenge you, which is needed for growth.