Mid-Summer Update: Lindsay

Officially made it to the halfway point of the summer. I have been so blessed to see the way God has changed lives through both my team and the people we have ministered to. Glory to Him for his faithfulness and sovereignty. Please continue to lift up my team and the people we will be sharing the Good News with in prayer.

-Lindsay
Riverboat Team

Spiritual Strength

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being...  Ephesians 3:16

Pray for renewed strength for team members. Pray that they would rely on God's strength and not their own.

Team of the Day

P52 - Motor City

Country of the Day

United States

Chance Meeting

We met Maklon yesterday who was actually a friend of our translator during his time at university. He doesn't live here, he's just visiting this island, so the odds of that happening are super slim. We were praying the night before for open doors, and Maklon is so curious about the Gospel.

We're planning to spend some time with him, just encouraging him and going through scripture with him. We're praying for his heart to break and be open to the Holy Spirit. Pray for him and for us as we talk with him and share with him. Pray for wisdom and guidance.

-Alex, Josue, and Anderson  (Embrace the Beyond)

Spice Islands Update: Sunday Service

It has been a very busy Sunday here in SEA! We were asked to come speak at a local church and share what we are here to do. It is such an encouragement to see this body of people coming together to lift us up and encourage us throughout our time here.

Afterwards, we used the pocket projector provided by NT to show the life of Jesus to the little ones. They were so intrigued. They kept asking how it was showing on the board! I love to see their little hearts watching and asking questions. This pocket projector has been the single best tool in sharing here. People and so interested and we use this interest to share with them.

After church we went and tour the village some and had the chance to go to the top of the mountain. Once arrived, it began to rain like crazy. We looked around the corner only to find around 30-40 youth sitting under this building. We were definitely there for a purpose. We shared with them, lifted them up, and of course, took selfies! The Father does not have to send a huge sign to tell you that you are where you are supposed to be. I thank Him for sending us these youth, they truly blessed us this Sunday. Prayer Requests ---To keep having these divine appointments. ---To continue to lift each other up on the team. ---To accept the culture and try to adapt as much as possible. To our friends and family back home.....we miss y'all, but not enough to come home yet! Haha. The chicken fried rice is still too good here! Sending much love from SEA to Louisiana and Texas.

Hike after church

I'm Ready!

One of the primary things God has been teaching me is that He truly is Lord of the harvest. One night at the end of a Bible study we were conducting, we asked if anyone was ready to trust in Jesus as the Savior of their sins. Almost before our translator was done translating the question, Kuya A's eyes shot up from the Bible he was holding and he said "I'm ready! I'm ready!" This was the first time he had attended a Bible study and the first time he had been invited to become a follower of Jesus. As soon as he heard the Gospel, he jumped at the opportunity to embrace it. 

God had been preparing his heart to see and hear the truth, God had been preparing the harvest. How many more people are ready and waiting to hear the truth? How many more are waiting to exclaim, "I'm ready!" Who will go with God and reap the harvest He is preparing? Who will be the instrument God uses to proclaim the Gospel to the many that are waiting to hear it? The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Pray for more harvesters to be willing to go to the hard places where people are waiting to hear the Good News.

-Carter H
Riverboat Team C

Mid-Summer Update: Carley

Quick update- i'm still alive! Our ministry in Eastern Samar is going great so far! We are over halfway done with the summer. We have seen God moving in the lives of those around us every day. Please continue to pray for our team as we persevere through a tough summer. But it is all worth it for the glory of God!  Your prayers are felt and very necessary! Thanks for the love!

-Carley

Little Girls

The little girl raising her hand is Irimas. Every time she sees me she gets a huge smile on her face and yells out, "James!" We are basically best friends even though she tends to randomly bite my arm every now and then.

Please pray for Irimas and the other children in the refugee camp. pray that they will have the opportunity to understand the love & the plan for their lives that Christ has for them.

-James
Refugee Highway Team

Steadfast to the Calling

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. Acts 20:24

As teams are about halfway through their ministry time for the summer, pray they would have a renewed focus and a steadfastness to God's calling.

Team of the Day

P52 - Nashville

Country of the Day

United States

Mid-Summer Reflection: Avery

Could I ever explain my heart in reflection of this month? After all, God has wrecked my plans. I came here with systematic knowledge and experience as a youth intern thinking that it would count for something or maybe that it bumped me up in the "Christian Roster." The problem was, I didn't love the people and that's when I figured out that i was more of a practiced pharisee then I was a World Christian. God has shaped and molded me into someone worthy of this calling.

I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus gave me. The task of testifying to the Gospel of God's Grace.

-Avery

Riverboat Team

Avery with his team mates during NT orientation

Faith in Numbers

Five more shall be added to our numbers today! A church group from South Carolina is sending 5 more people tomorrow to stay for the week. Another Alabama church has 8 other students here for the summer, who arrived the week after we did.  God has 21 students here for one week, and while this is a short time period we know that He has some huge plans for the lostness here. The 5 will join us at our refugee schools where we teach on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We are going on an adventure on Saturday to a temple and to waterfalls. We will celebrate the 4th of July with all of the Americans. As of now there will be 63 people celebrating together. It will not be the same as home, but bringing home here as best we can will work.

The numbers have already been evident through the 16 here. Just last week one of our members shared with a girl at the mall, who had already been shared with that day by one of the Alabama members. How incredible?! God wanted so badly for that girl to hear truth, so she got to hear it twice. The darkness has been here for way too long and it is time for lots of light to shine!

Pray that our numbers would bring extreme boldness and that no one would shrink back from sharing the goodness of God.

He has written his steadfast love and faithfulness on the tablets of our hearts and we are prepared to send that out to the people here. It is time for the nations to hear some amazing news!

-Global City Outreach Team

Mountain Harvesters Update: New Friends

We just finished our first week here in the Philippines... We are all adjusting really well!

After arriving in our village, we were blessed by two sweet friendships with local teenage girls.  They help us in more ways than one. We are very excited for these two young ladies. They are both believers and they are very hungry to learn more about God.  We have had several Bible studies with them - teaching them how to apply scripture to their lives and how to share with others.  We are eager to share more with them and eager to see them grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Please pray for these young ladies. Pray for understanding and a continued growth in their love for the Lord.  

Pray that through them our team would establish more relationships within the community, and that people would come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.

-Emily

When I'm Weak, He is Strong

At the beginning of the summer, during orientation specifically, we were warned that this mission we have dedicated the next two months of our lives to would be difficult. I’m sure all of us understood this and nodded our heads in agreement. But it wasn’t until we got to our destinations and started our ministry that we fully understood what this meant. 

Recently, a good bit of our team has felt as if we weren’t doing what we came here to do and that we’d lost focus and motivation from not seeing much fruit. These are some of the exact things that we were warned about and are praying to not fall victim to again. Making connections and building relationships has been difficult, but I believe it’s because we’ve been relying on our own strength instead of that of our Heavenly Father. God’s Word tells us that He is our strength. We just have to have faith that He will provide us a way to carry out what He has planned for us this summer.

Pray that we will stay focused on our task.

Pray that we won't allow ourselves to become discouraged by what may appear to human eyes as a lack of fruit. We can't see God's overall plan.

I See the Truth

God has redefined the word "unreached" for me in the past few weeks. We have been living in a community that is a two day journey from the "modern" world. However, it took a few vital conversations for me to realize that the people we are living amongst are truly unreached, or isolated from the Gospel. 

One afternoon, we were conducting a Bible study with a couple who were in their mid-30's/early 40's. We shared the Gospel with them all the way through and they stared at us like they had seen a ghost. After a few minutes of silence, we asked, "Do you have any questions?" 

The husband responded, "Thank you, thank you so much for coming and sharing with us." He continued and said, "Most people don't take the time to come all the way out here, but thank you for coming. Before I heard this story, it's like I was blind. But now that you have come and shared the truth, I can see. I see the truth." 


As we continued our conversation, the couple told us that that was the first time they had even seen a Bible. The people that we are coming in contact with are not lost because they have rejected the Gospel. These people are lost because they've never had the chance to hear the Gospel. 

-Carley H
Riverboat Team C

The end for us... but the beginning for so many more

Although our time in barangay #2 has been short, God has done so much work in so many lives. We received ten extra Bibles and we were able to give out all ten. Every day we have had Bible studies with a consistent number of people at each study. Several have come to understand salvation and what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. Praise the Lord! 

We were invited by the Captian of the barangay to have a Bible study in her home with her family and neighbors. Praise the Lord for answered prayer- everyone has been so receptive of the truth of God’s word. 

On Sunday, we hosted a church service at the request of the individuals in our Bible studies. The service was held in the middle of the basketball court that is in the middle of the village. The Captian brought out a microphone and speaker for us to use… as a result, just about the whole village was able to hear the word of God regardless of if they were at the basketball court or not. 

Yesterday evening we held our last Bible study and covered the topic of baptism. At the end of the study, nine people asked to be baptized. It was so encouraging to watch as nine brothers and sisters followed Christ in baptism as the sun set over the river! We praise God for the work He is doing in so many lives in this village. We are sad to have to leave this barangay so soon, but we are trusting that God will still continue to work in the lives of His people. 

Please be in prayer that more Bibles can be delivered to this barangay as well as someone who can follow up with the newly established Bible studies and believers. We know that God’s work here is not finished and that the best is yet to come.

-Riverboat Team A

Truth Seekers

The past couple of days have been a real whirlwind. Our friends Des and Allison had to go to another city for a few days... but they made it back tonight and are ready to keep on serving.

In their absence, Charley and I met four different times to practice English with our new local friends. In the morning, we got to meet some new friends and were able to share with them how He is in control over every situation and that every human is called to do His work. Unfortunately, we were shut down because of some conflicting Buddhist views. 

Last night, we got to share "the way, the truth, and the life" with 7 friends who wanted to practice their English. Tonight, Des was able to talk with Ron, who we had spoken with the night before, about how she has been changed by Him. Ron's response was that he thinks he should believe in JC too. Ron lacks a sense of purpose in his life, and we will continue to meet with him in hopes of seeing him become a new follower.

Pray with us for Ron as he seeks the truth. Pray for us to be clear as we share with him.

-Tip of the Spear team

Sports, Bible Studies, & Dust

Josh and I are doing well in Solwezi, Zambia. We are enjoying the culture, the people, and the ministry. Tuesday through Friday we work in three different schools developing friendships through sports and Bible studies. On Saturdays, we lead a Bible study of our own, which is independent of any school; this allows us the freedom to carry on lengthy, in-depth conversations about countless topics in the Bible. On Sundays, we go to church in the mornings, sometimes play Volleyball with the youth in the afternoons, and we have, just recently, started accompanying our supervisor, Nicholas, to his radio shows on Sunday nights. All in all, life is going very well; we love the thrill of experiencing new things while growing in the Lord and helping others grow in their faith as well.

Sunday radio show

Prayer Requests:
Pray for more and more opportunities to share the Gospel with those who are open to hearing the truth – whether through teaching or through conversations. Pray that in these opportunities, we would have boldness and compassion.
Pray we would have wisdom and the ability to make smart, godly decisions with quickness and unity. Wisdom and God’s guidance are essential in so many different situations. Sometimes we arrive to a sports field expecting a certain amount of students and receive more than double that amount. We are almost constantly preparing many different Bible studies, each with different audiences and each in differing environments and atmospheres.

We are thankful to see God’s work, God’s provision, and God’s plan. It has been awesome to see how God has used our past experiences (i.e. public speaking) and testimonies to uniquely minister to the Zambian people.

-Joseph

Comfort in Homesickness

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. - Hebrews 3:13

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith... - 1 Thessalonians 3:2

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. - Philemon 7

Pray for God's comfort and encouragement to refresh the hearts of team members as many may be homesick.

Team of the Day

P52 San Francisco

Country of the Day

United States

Spice Island Update

As I am sitting in this Warnet, internet cafe, I am reminded about how good we have it in America... Internet at the touch of out fingers! Haha!

But life in the Spice Islands has been better than imagined. This past week we have been asked to do many different things with many groups of people. I mean come on, we are the famous bulais! For our friends, family, and readers, in SEA that is what we are called EVERY DAY which translates to white person! They are so shocked to see us! Some, all they can say is "bulai" and stare...speechless.

We are currently taking part in the Islamic holiday of Ramadan. Many of our friends have invited us to eat with them at night when it is time for them to break fast. This is the best thing for us. The first time we were invited, we were completely in shock. Why? Because the day before Drew and I asked the Father to send us friends here. We were searching and looking everywhere for people to talk to and hangout with. The very next day, He sent six our way. That is right, SIX new friends we are now involved with! Pugi Tuhan! (Praise the Lord). He is so good and forever faithful. Prayer Requests ---the Father to keep sending us new friends. ---Our new friendships to be strengthened and opportunities to share are made evident. ---We not lose faith of the real reason we are here. ---We be focused and looking for people willing to communicate at all times.

To our friends and family, we are doing great...No worries here! We have somewhat mastered the motor bike. We have eaten chicken fried rice everyday since we have been here. I do not know if it is because we like it so much or we are scared to try other things. The place where we are located is known for serving bat, rat, dog, cat, snake, and snail at any time! My (Wess) language has picked up a ton. I can now talk with people and understand others. Drew, well, he is trying! Sending much love from SEA to Louisiana and Texas!

God's Blessings

This week has truly been a blessing to the Northern Thai Team. We have had the opportunity to go and share God's word with several people that we've come in contact with. 

One cool thing that happened was that we were able to perform at the weekend market. God provided everything. The store keeper let Ty use his guitar and gave us everything we needed to make sure that we would be heard. Ty did an amazing job leading worship that night. The owner of the store enjoyed us being there and singing and has asked us to come back this weekend and sing again. We handed out free waters and will also be doing that again this weekend.

Our good friend Pon has also asked to spend more time with us this week. Every opportunity we get to spend time with her, we are able to share the gospel with her. The great thing about this is that she might not have questions right then, but she goes home and thinks about what we said to her and she asks questions the next time we see her. 

Another blessing that God has given us this week is our good friend Gang. He asked if he could go to church with us Sunday morning. Uhh... of course! He enjoyed it. He even got up to worship and sing with us in front of the church.

Each one of these events this week has been a great encouragement for us. Please keep us and the Thai people in your prayers. Pray that God would continue to open their hearts to him and that they would be open to listening.

-Ashlyn

Pak B again

After our time in Lewokluok, we came back to bapa B to rest up for a day or two before heading out again. The family welcomed us in again like family and it honestly felt kind of like coming home for us after working things out last time. Spending time with this family is something we all look forward to now.

We got the chance to share with bapa again, but this time it was because he had questions. He came from a Catholic background and still isn't completely convinced or sure of everything we and other Christians say. We encouraged him to ask all the questions he wanted to while we were here and we were able to answer them with scripture and personal experiences. He really believes that he needs a teacher to understand scripture, but we pointed him to Matthew 23 that says there is only one Father and one Teacher. We encouraged him to read the Word for himself, pray and let the Lord teach him.

As we continue to encourage him every time we stop here, pray for him and his family that the Lord would show them the truth through His living Word. Pray that the Holy Spirit would enter their lives and guide them.

-Alex, Josue, and Anderson (Embrace the Beyond)

An Unforgettable Day

The first day of ministry was an unforgettable one for me. I was with one of our translators and Carter. We were going house to house trying to find people to share the Good News with and set up Bible studies. We came to a small store and the woman, named Nanay M, working in it had a huge smile on her face when she saw us. She welcome us inside and while we were talking to her, we discovered she was a fellow believer. During our conversation, her husband, Tatay B would come in and out, curious to hear but easily preoccupied with other things. Eventually, we asked him what he thought about the whole concept of God and the Gospel. He answered bluntly and honestly; "I don't believe it at all because I am a materialistic person." To this I replied "Would you mind hearing the Gospel from someone who used to be the same way?" He said yes and immediately pulled a chair in front of me. 

I shared my testimony with him about how I used to long for the things of the world more than I longed for God but how this always left me empty and nothing ever lasted. His face changed throughout my story and you could tell he was seriously moved by this new found perspective. After I was finished, he said "For years my wife has tried to explain this to me, but I never understood. But now I have been enlightened and my eyes have been opened. I now understand that the only way to life is through Jesus Christ." With tears welling up in my eyes, I then shared with him how to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior, which he did! After more Bible studies and good conversations, he decided that he wants to get baptized. We have high hopes for Tatay B and Nanay M, they have the potential to be leaders for Christ in their community, and we are praying that they will be. 

Pray with us for Tatay B & Nanay M. They have the potential to be leaders for Christ in their community. Pray for their continued spiritual growth.

-Lindsay P
Riverboat Team C

Cuna Feel the Love Tonight?

This week we spent most of our time visiting homes of people we had already met and studying the Bible with them. The people of Cuna continued to be very welcoming and hospitable toward us and invite us back for future Bible Studies almost every time. A few people have already understood the gospel and others seem very close. God is definitely moving in Cuna, and it has been a great experience sharing Christ's love with them.

Please continue to pray for the salvation of the people of Cuna as well as the health and safety of our team so that we may continue serving the Lord faithfully.

-Daniel

Isla Verde Outreach

Kids trying to get our attention

On Thursday mornings, the clinic does an outreach in a couple of poor neighborhoods in Davao. They actually have two locations that they go to on alternating weeks: one in Agdao and one in Isla Verde. Amy and I were on shift this past Thursday morning so we were able to go to Isla Verde! 

Isla Verde is a barangay (village) with a large Muslim population and is located near the ocean. There is also a large group of Badjaos there, a Mulsim ethnic group. Some people call them "sea gypsies" because they live in squatters homes near the water. They live very simple lives without calendars or other time keeping devices, and they cook over fires.

The outreach clinic usually starts around 9 am and women are seen in order of whoever shows up first. They do not have to have an appointment to come, so we never know how many will show up until we get there! 

This past Thursday there were not that many women who showed up, which was kind of discouraging at first. It ended up being a good thing that there were so few patients because a Muslim woman came in for a prenatal check and Amy and some other midwives ended up getting to share the gospel with her. She said she wanted to start a relationship with Jesus, so the midwives prayed with her and offered her support. If there had been a lot of patients the midwives may not have been able to set as much time aside for this woman. 

Streetside view

Some "cool kids on the block"

Please pray for the Muslim and Badjao women in this area, that they will come to know the Lord through these outreaches. 
Pray for the woman who received Christ, that she would grow in faith and have support from her family.

-Carmen

Paving A Way for Unbelievers

The past few weeks for our team have been filled with lots of opportunities to share, grow relationships, and explore different parts of our country. This past week, our team went different ways to discover new areas that need the Good News of Isa.

Jeremy, Jenna, and I (Victoria) had the opportunity to travel to an island off the coast of our city to share the Good News with a few national believers who were to translate for us. This island only has 10 believers, the rest are Muslim, many of whom have never heard the story of Jesus. When we arrived, we were faced with many different barriers that prevented us from sharing the Gospel. We quickly learned that the spiritual soil on this island was extremely tough. It would be like trying to plant a flower seed in a pile of rocks.

As a tourist on the island, we had the chance to ride motor bikes across the whole island. At first, I was frustrated. Why we were driving from waterfall to waterfall when there were thousands of people who had never heard of the story of God's Grace? God began to teach me the truth of the following quote: "Prayer does not enable us to do a greater work for God, prayer IS a greater work for God." (Oswald Chambers) Driving across the whole island gave us a chance to pray for the people who had never heard. To pray for bold witnesses to come and share with the people who have never heard. To pray that God will soften the hearts of the people. To pray that every evil stronghold on the Island would be broken, so that the Gospel could be spread. It was humbling reminder that God is in control over every moment. Even in our frustrations, He is working through us for the betterment of His Kingdom.

Through out our five days there, we were able to share with five people. Two of which we left a translation of the Bible in there native language. Termia Kasih Tuhan (praise the Lord), that these people were able to hear the good news. 

Pray that God would grow those seeds that were planted.
Pray that He would soften the soil on these island and send bold witnesses there to share the Gospel.

Thank you so much for praying for my team and I as we continue to follow Christ further into this world.

-Victoria

Working for His Glory

This past week we were able to plant some corn and harvest cabbage. It was not necessarily hard work, but it was long work. We worked in the fields for the entire day each time. We were thankful to be able to help one of the church members and the pastor in their fields. It is our prayer that we would have a positive impact on the community with our labors. Soon we will be in the village for two weeks straight, and the work will be pretty intense.

I believe that God is using this time to shape us for the work He will lay out before us. It says in 2 Timothy 2:3, "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." God has made us not to live in comfort and safety, but in His will. That should be our ultimate goal in every aspect of our walk with Christ. He has made us to endure hardship.

In 2 Corinthians, the Christian walk is compared to running a race. Before he goes to the race, a runner must first prepare himself beforehand by conditioning himself. God would have us prepare ourselves in such a way that when difficulties arise they do not cause us to stumble. I am coming to see now that this applies to the sharing of faith. We should be so well versed in sharing the gospel that when the God appointed time comes the sharing is not what is difficult, but the attacks and contention from people and the devil should be what cause our difficulties.

All thanks be to God.
A bond servant of Christ,
Joshua  

Perseverance

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:2-4

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:12-14

And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. - 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Pray for team members to press on, to persevere through the power of the the Holy Spirit, and to not grow weary as they serve our great God.

Team of the Day

P52 Louisville

Country of the Day

United States

Prayers needed for Spice Islands Man

We were asked to come talk to a family that had an illness. Little did we know what we walking into. The elderly man in the middle has suffered from many illnesses lately and has been in and out of the hospital. Due to lack of money, he is now sitting at home and waiting for the Good Father to call him home. He is a believer, so in that be encouraged.

But the pain this man is feeling is tremendous. He can no longer walk and has had all of his toes either removed or they have sadly fallen off. I am saying this for everyone to lift this man up daily that the pain would cease and he would find comfort. Also, lift up the family as they are having to deal with seeing their husband, father, grandfather, and even great grandfather suffer through all of this. We encouraged that our Father is Greater and that there will be no pain in Heaven. Once we get there, it will be totally worth all of this worldly pain we have endured. It was hard leaving this family because we have no idea what they are going through. So I say, please join me and the Spice Islands team as we lift up this family and this elderly man for the remainder of the trip. Thank you so much; I know the family will appreciate it even more. To our friends and family, we have seen many things, met many people, and have explored lots of land. But we are not done yet, we have a calling here and we are not leaving until the Father uses us in all the ways He has already planned for us. See y'all soon, but until then...sending much love from SEA to Louisiana and Texas

God is on the Move

Wow... June has already come and gone. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways--good health, many laughs, relationships both young and old, and we have met a BELIEVER!!!!

Our Filipino supervisor was out one day telling people why we are on the island and that we are not Jehovah Witnesses. He met a lady named Melody. H came back after lunch and told just a small piece of her story and we couldn't wait to meet her. After several attempts, we were able to. Her sister married a pastor and that is how the she heard the Good News. However, she is married to an unbeliever and he often makes fun of her for worshiping. We asked if she tries to share her faith and others often make fun r her, too. She & her extended family have prayed for many years for other believers to come and start a church. She is so thirsty for fellowship and teachings from the Bible.

Please pray we can encourage her and pour into her as much as possible in the coming weeks. Also pray for salvation for her husband and from there they can be leaders in starting a Bible believing church.

-Tropical Island Disciplemakers

God's Love

Jesus says in Luke 6:32, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”

Two weeks ago, we were graced with a team of college students from Georgia who easily blended in with us and loved the children we were serving as if they’d known them their entire lives. It’s so amazing to see the love that God has for us poured out onto others. Seeing fellow believers fully committed to the people and the purpose of your mission is such an encouraging thing to experience. Even more so when they are humble while doing it. I thank God for the opportunity to fellowship and serve with those students. I believe it was the interaction we needed.

-Louisville P52 Team

I Want to Have a Faith Like Yours

"I want to have a faith like yours." It is like a melody to the ears of every Christian who brings and shares the good news to the lost, unreached, and hard to reach. 

June 13, 2016-6 p.m., we arranged a Bible study in the house of Kuya A during our stay in one of the barangays. He is the first male who agreed to schedule a Bible study in his house. When we got there, he was not home. We thought that he might have changed his mind and preferred not to attend so we decided to go back to the base camp. As we walked back, we bumped into him on the street. He said that the reason he was not there was because he was inviting some of his friends, 7 of which actually attended the Bible study. 

Our topic that night was Paul and Silas in prison. On the last part of our Bible Study, Avery asked if they were ready to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Two of the attendees said yes, one of those being Kuya A. He said that the reason he invited us to do a Bible study in his house was because he wanted to know God and His promises, that he didn't know anything about Him until we had come there and shared the Word to him. He said, "I want to have a faith like yours." I was looking straight at him and I saw the sincerity and seriousness in his face and his teary eyes. His words were like a melody that still echoes in my ear. 

Avery continued by saying, "We cannot save someone, but we are the messengers of someone who can."  1 John 5:13 says "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." God is really working.

-Jhing
Riverboat Team C

Jesus Saves!

 This week the friends that the boys have have been hanging out with asked us all to go to the waterfall with them. While we were there, the boys were able to go through Creation to Christ (C2C)  with them. They had questions and the boys did a great job answering them. 

Keep the boys in your prayers and their friends as well.

The great news for this week is that our friend Gang accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. It was an amazing moment that I am so thankful that I got to be apart of. Please continue to pray for him and that The Lord would continue to grow him and send up praises for adding to our family a new brother in Christ. 

-Ashlyn

Jesus Bring the Rain

I find it amazing that God uses mundane things to speak to us in profound ways. For example, the wind blowing against us as we trek our city often reminds me of the guidance of the Holy Spirit guiding our steps to persons of peace.

We are still in the rainy season so it rains several times a week. This is actually quite refreshing due to the normal hot temperatures in Southeast Asia. Just the other day as a teammate and I were making our way back to our house in the rain, trying to squeeze the two of us under the same umbrella, we noticed some children playing in the several inches of rain water that had accumulated in front of our home entrance. "Please do not splash us!" was our plea with the children. 

The children were so happy that they were able to come outside and cool off in the rain that it reminded me very much of what Jesus does in us and then through us. It seems very often that I find myself thirsty and parched - desperate to hear from God. Then, just at the right moment, God whispers through prayer and reading of His word or even through something as simple as joyful children splashing in the rain. And, just like those children, when God sends something so refreshing to my soul, the joy can not be measured. So Jesus, thank you for the rain.

-Coty

Eyes Upward

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

Pray for teams to remain focused on Christ as they continue to minister. Pray they would not lose sight of God's calling for their lives.

Team of the Day

Impact Cebu

Country of the Day

Philippines

Coconut before lunch

Pray for the Embrace the Beyond teams as they explore "the beyond"... looking for those who need the Good News.

Where do you pray?

We were given the opportunity to attend a small women's prayer meeting. We weren't really sure what to expect, but Josue prepared a small message to share with them. Our bemo (kind of like a taxi) stopped in front of a mechanic shop, and Blas had to go talk to a guy to get him to open a gate. We went through the gate, down an alley, took several turns walking past all sorts of trash, went down another alley and came to a small little courtyard behind a few tiny buildings. We went into one that had a round building about 5 feet wide and maybe 15 feet long. That's where the ladies have been meeting!

What's extraordinary is that even though they are meeting in a rundown building in the middle of nowhere, they are so on fire for the Lord. They had an old, beat up, and out of tune guitar that they played, and they sang at the top of their lungs to the Lord with it! We could feel the Holy Spirit in that place and feel their hearts.

A few testimonies were shared and Josue got to share his message. They loved hearing him speak and said they hadn't had anyone teach the Bible the way he did. Regardless of everything working against them in this place, they are on fire for the Lord! 

Give thanks for them and for the Lord working in there lives. Pray that their fires would not be put out, but strengthened and that they would spread throughout the city!

-Alex, Josue, and Anderson (Embrace the Beyond)

Connecting with Students

Part of our work in this country is building relationships with university students. This usually occurs in between English classes and will involve playing games and going to street restaurants to get snacks and drinks. Since we are in the rainy season of this country, it will often flood. Here is a photo of us hanging out with some students in between class and walking down the street in the flooded water! We had a lot of fun that day and were able to start connecting with several new students.

Please pray for our connections with the students that we would be able to find common ground and invest specifically in certain students. We are currently praying that God would highlight specific students to each of us whom He wants us to focus on throughout the summer. Pray that we are able to connect with those who are shy and slip in and out of classes, not staying long to connect with teachers or even other students.

We will be traveling this weekend so please pray for safety for the team and unity. Pray for the students as they are on break for a few days and that those who are being discipled would begin to reach out to their peers as well. 

Pray for the hearts of this people group that they would be easily transformed from rocky soil to good soil, willing and ready to accept the message of salvation and to grow fervently, multiplying 30, 60, and 100 times.

-Ashleigh

Tough Soil

Riverboat team B has been having some pretty tough soil to plow. They have been doing many Bible studies but often times, the attendees have a glassed over look and they just seem to be going around in circles. But they had faith that God was moving in their barangay  (village) and that the Word of God doesn't come back void. 

They continued to pray for people who were ready to hear. 

One day during one of the Bible studies, a man came up who they had never seen before. He smiled, said hello, and told them his name was Michael. He was very hospitable and sat down to listen. During the middle of talking about the jailer, Paul and Silas, the Holy Spirit moved in him and it clicked. He started thanking the team so much, saying this was the first time he'd heard the truth, that he finally understood what salvation really was and how Jesus was the only way. With tears in his eyes, he asked to continue to study the Bible the next day, wanting to know more about what a relationship with Jesus looked like.

Pray for Michael. Pray that he will continue to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit moving in his life.

-Riverboat Team B

C & C Take on SEA: Looking at the Nations

What can I say? We have only been here about three weeks and somehow our hearts are already so full! We have taken so many selfies, shared so many meals, and been to every mall several times. Because of these small things, we have held so many hands, shared so many smiles, and prayed so many prayers.

It has been great to build friendships around Jesus Christ with the nationals. This is an amazing nation. Our friends are inviting us to meet their families and are welcoming us into their homes. We are participating in their lives and we are touched by that. We have been allowed to pray for them, for their friends, and for their families. Many have asked questions about the Messiah and about our Bible, but we will hold our first official Bible study this Tuesday!  The Lord is doing a great work here! We serve an AMAZING God.

Look at the nations and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days you would not believe, even if you were told.    -Habakkuk 1:5 

We have been in prayer and we know you have been too!
Please continue to pray:

• For wisdom for us to be obedient in the "small things"
• Our Bible studies with Sitti, a new Believer
• That people would continue to see the joy of the Lord in us

Until next time,
Claire

God's Timing

We are in our last week in the first village we are staying in. We have had several large Bible studies with up to 40-60 people at a time! The team will be finishing up in this village and will connect our national partners with the people we have been sharing & studying the Bible with. 

Last week, we were able to share in a high school with over 500 students! The school would now like for our national partners to come at least two times a week to share with the students We have a few people considering baptism and hopefully more will follow Jesus in this way. 

This next week, Zac, M and I will being splitting from the rest of the team to help some national partners do discipleship with other students in another barangay. We felt that this is what the Spirit has led us to do for the next week before we move on to the next island. 

Please keep us in your prayers as we do what God commands us to do, as we lead people in studying His Word, work alongside national partners.
Pray for many to see following Jesus in baptism as worth the sacrifices they would have to make in doing so,
Pray for God to continue to work through us to bring the Gospel to where it has yet to be heard. 

-Caleb