LMCO Day 8: Why Prayer Matters

When it comes to praying for missionaries, IMB President David Platt said there’s one thing to keep in mind.

It matters.

When we pray, God works.

It isn’t just a rushed or mechanical exercise, he said—”God has ordained our prayer as a means to accomplish His purpose in the world. We’ve got to be aware that our praying for boldness for missionaries is actually going to affect whether or not they have boldness. When we pray, God works.”

He offered some real and powerful ways to pray for missionaries:

• PRAY they would be confident to preach God’s Word—not just to do relief work or learn culture well, but to speak truth with boldness, no matter the circumstances.
• PRAY the gospel would be clear through missionaries’ lives and words and that God would open hearts.
• PRAY missionaries will be at peace with other believers, that Satan would not have success in attacking families, friends and ministry partners.
• PRAY for them to have joy when they suffer, kindness when they are slandered and patience when things are hard. Pray for God to help them persevere—fighting the battle for souls is hard, but it’s worth it.
• PRAY God would give them success in sharing the gospel with others, that they would see disciples made and churches planted.

LMCO Day 7: What God Has Done

Dilara’s* heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she found the building. She had seen it in a dream—Jesus had picked her up from her bed one night and led her there through the streets of her Central Asian town. In the dream, He had asked her if she was ready to believe, and she’d seen three men standing in the front of the church. When she found the building a few weeks later and walked inside, she was greeted by one of those men. Today, she’s a believer.

Like with Dilara, in every corner of the world, God is drawing hearts to Himself in amazing ways.

Just ask the woman in Southeast Asia healed from partial deafness after an IMB missionary prayed over her. Or ask the dad in France who believed after a “chance” encounter with a follower of Christ at his son’s soccer game. Or ask the man in Slovenia struggling with mental illness who cried out to God and now is living a life surrendered to Jesus. Though the ground can be hard, stories of miracles and changed lives abound.

• PRAY for God to continue to work in mysterious ways in the lives of people all over the world.
• PRAY for hearts from every people group to be drawn to worship Jesus.

*Name changed

LMCO Day 6: Mikeska Family

At Shane and Lindsay Mikeska’s house in London, Christmas tradition is anything but traditional. Holiday after holiday, the world converges in their kitchen.

“Last year, we had an Iranian student and Indian student baking Christmas cookies with a girl from Lebanon and another from Hong Kong,” Shane said. And as they all sat down to eat dinner, a traditional Mexican meal that the Mikeskas prepare every year on Christmas Day, more kept coming.

“One girl who came was Iranian, and she realized that another Iranian girl sitting at our table was a Christian, so she asked her to tell her story,” Shane said. “For 45 minutes, this girl boldly shared the gospel.” It’s something the Mikeskas, IMB missionaries, say happens all the time in their city. London has 48 universities, and a quarter of the student population comes from other countries. Across the city, 300 languages are spoken.

We have the world at our fingertips, and we have an amazing capacity to be senders to the world.

“It’s fascinating and unusual,” Shane said. “We have the world at our fingertips, and we have an amazing capacity to be senders to the world.”

• PRAY the Mikeskas would continue to form strategic friendships with internationals in order to reach unreached people groups in London.
• PRAY God would put a desire in the hearts of new believers to take the gospel back to their countries.

LMCO Day 5: The Forgotten Refugee

Don Alan* says he remembers a refugee telling him once that he didn’t feel alive, but he wasn’t dead either—he was somewhere in between.

“Hopelessness is a universal feeling among refugees,” Don said. “They feel forgotten.” That’s why IMB missionaries like Don, who serves in North Africa and the Middle East, and Seth Payton*, who works with refugees in Europe, spend their lives taking hope into those hopeless places.

Refugees come to Europe looking for a better life, and many times they find nothing.

“Refugees come to Europe looking for a better life, and many times they find nothing,” Seth said. Often, they’ve paid traffickers a high price for a long, miserable trip across the desert packed into a standing-room-only truck and then a dangerous boat ride across the Mediterranean Sea. If they make it alive, then they often can’t get jobs. They spend their days scrounging for food and their nights packed into an apartment with 15 other people.

“We pray that through this time God will open their hearts and draw them into His kingdom through the hope that He offers,” Seth said. “Hundreds of refugees from closed countries are becoming believers in Europe. So there are great things happening in the midst of a heartbreaking situation.”

• PRAY for God to meet refugees in their pain with the hope of the gospel.
• PRAY for people to feel God’s call to share Christ with refugees in the United States and abroad.

*Names changed

LMCO Day 4: Mexico City Team

When you’re a team of 12, how do you even start to reach a city of more than 28 million people? That’s a question Todd Beel’s team in Mexico City asks itself a lot.

He and fellow IMB missionaries in the megacity hail from places ranging from Colombia to Cuba and from Korea to Tennessee. They represent a diverse collection of backgrounds and skillsets all working together. Some work with young families, others with theological training, and others with university students. And they have one vision—to see the world worship Jesus and for it to start right where they are.

This is a massive city, there are unreached people

and places within it, and we want to take the gospel

to those places.

“This is a massive city,” Todd said. “There are unreached people and places within it, and we want to take the gospel to those places.”

Todd’s team is seeing it start to happen already, and they’re seeing new believers catch a vision for reaching the nations. That’s exactly what they pray for. “Because this is a world-class city, it has connections around the world and people are coming and going every day, so this city has a reach worldwide,” Todd said.

• PRAY for churches to be planted in the unreached neighborhoods of Mexico City.
• PRAY for God to call out among His people in Mexico those that He would like to go into the most unreached pockets of the city, of the country, and out into the nations.

LMCO Day 3: Japan

The Jones Family's Story

Jared and Tara Jones knew that God could do a lot with something little. But they never imagined just how many doors He would open through their infant son, whose adoption people had told them was almost impossible in Japan.

In the East Asian country, 40,000 children live in orphanages, but parents rarely give up their rights so that a child can be adopted.

But the Joneses knew God had placed a baby on their hearts, and they prayed. “We serve a God who makes doors where doors don’t exist,” Jared said. “And this little guy gives us multiple opportunities to talk about the Lord.”

Fast-forward a few months from when their son Ezra was placed in their arms, and his pediatrician was the key to another door—a church plant they had been praying about for years.

One day, the doctor told Tara out of the blue that she wanted to start a church at her office and asked if Jared could lead it. Tara described it as a divine appointment. The first Sunday 70 people came. They’ve seen hearts changed and people keep coming.

• PRAY for the church to continue to be a lighthouse to the community and for hearts to continue to be changed.
• PRAY for Jared and Tara to continue to step out boldly in faith on behalf of the Japanese people.

LMCO Day 2: Muslims of Russia

When most people think of Russia, they may conjure up images of Romanov royalty, a parade of dictators like Stalin and Lenin or Brezhnev, or maybe cultural icons such as Mikhail Baryshnikov or Dostoyevsky. They don’t think of Muslims.

But Islam is part of the fabric of old Russia—it made it there 66 years before Christianity did. As a result, Muslim groups are indigenous to the North Caucasus region, an area between the Black and Caspian Seas situated on northern slopes of the mountain range that generally separates Europe from Asia. These people groups include 45 to 50 subsets of people and even more languages, making them very difficult to reach.

God says, ‘If you can’t go to them, I’ll bring them to you. 

However many of them are moving into Moscow, Russia’s capital, which now has more Muslims than any other European city. Its newly reopened Grand Mosque can hold 10,000 worshippers.

“God says, ‘If you can’t go to them, I’ll bring them to you,'” said Elizabeth*, a Christian worker among Muslims in Moscow. “There’s no better time to be in the former Soviet Union. God is moving Muslims right under our noses.”

• PRAY for God to continue to draw Muslims in Russia to faith in Christ.
• PRAY for Christians to develop friendships with Muslims so that they can have the opportunity to share the gospel with them.

*Name changed

LMCO Day 1: Nepal

The Bagby Family Story

The streets that line the city where Radford and Sarah Bagby* live are the kind people in the United States would find to go four-wheeler riding. “Get outside of that, and it’s so much worse,” Radford says. And outside of that is exactly where they’re trying to go.

Getting to the 28 people groups in the mountains of Nepal takes a journey of weeks by car, plane, and trekking on foot—and that’s if everything goes just right. “It’s a relationship-based, long-term type of work,” Radford said. “It will be a lot of thankless work for a few years, but I do think we will see a lot of progress in our lifetime. It’s just very slow. The fields are hard.”

We are able to share the hope we have with them.

But they’ve seen God use two things to soften hearts—a major earthquake and their children. The couple has trekked for days at a time uphill with toddlers, even while Sarah was pregnant.

“People see our kids, and they open up about their lives and about the children they lost in the earthquake,” Sarah said. “We are able to share the hope we have with them.”

• PRAY for God to remove barriers as the Bagbys hike to unreached people groups.

• PRAY God will continue to open hearts in Nepal and raise up national believers who will boldly take the gospel to other villages.

*Names changed

Team in Focus: Self-Defense Instructor

IMB job #: 114308

Location: Philippines

Team size: 4

Field expense: $938

Team will work on university campuses in Batangas City where less than 2% know Jesus Christ. Use skills such as teaching self-assertiveness & self-defense classes. Approximately 80% of the girls are molested or raped by the time they reach college age. Girls need to know how to set boundaries & stand up for themselves. Through these training sessions, you can build relationships with the students with the intent of sharing about a relationship  with Christ & discipling them. As you build relationships, make them thirsty to know Christ & how they can know Him like you do.

Click for MORE INFO or to APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy to the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

NEW TEAMS for 2018: ROMANIA

We are excited to offer opportunities in Romania for summer 2018. These teams will be partnering with a local ministry. Click on the job title for more information or to apply.

Summer Sports

IMB job #: 114675

Location: Romania

Team size: 12 (7 guys/5 girls)

Field expense: $1539

Guys, use your soccer skills to open doors with kids, teens & young adults. Girls, use your love of playing badminton & volleyball to open doors with the female population. You don't have to be a pro, just have fun & be willing to take initiative in building friendships so that you can share about Christ. Team will be working directly with a national pastor. 

ABC's & Jesus

IMB job #: 114677

Location: Romania

Team size: 12 (7 guys/5 girls)

Field expense: $1539

If you can speak English, you can help share the Gospel & plant churches. By teaching very simple English words & phrases to children & youth you are helping with their education while opening doors to engage their families with the Gospel. Team will be working directly with a national pastor.

Laptop League

IMB job #: 114678

Location: Romania

Team size: 7

Field expense: $1539

Teach basic computer skill to kids in a local ministry's outreach programs. If you can use MS Word & Powerpoint, we need your help. We reach families in the town by offering programs to help their children's education which allows us to build relationships with the parents. The Gospel can then be shared with the entire family.

Rockin' Romania

IMB job #: 114679

Location: Romania

Team size: 10

Field expense: $1539

Use your musical skills to teach young people to play guitar, keyboard, flute, drums & percussion. Help local believers develop music teams for worship. Local young people have little to no access in musical training. Offer tutoring for children in the community allowing the local ministry to develop relationships with the families.

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: Multinational Advance Team

IMB job #: 114551
Location: South Korea & Cambodia

Team size: 6  (2 teams of 3)

Field expense: $1431

If you have ever wanted to spend a summer learning more than one culture/language, going to at least 2 countries... possibly 3, working with refugees & those who have never heard the Gospel... then this team is for you. This is a joint partnership between the South Korean Baptist Student Union and Nehemiah Teams.

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: City Talk English Teacher

IMB job #: 114438
Location: Thailand

Team size: 10

Field expense: $1663

With a partner you will teach classes in local universities & vocational colleges. These classes are a fun & engaging way for you to meet an important need in Bangkok while building relationships & sharing the Gospel.

Click for MORE INFO or TO APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: Island Castaway

IMB job #: 114416 

Location: Philippines

Team size:  4 guys

Field expense: $1394

In the western Philippines there are many remote islands where there are very few believers. People feel like castaways: isolated and disconnected. Slow down for the summer, make friends, learn culture, share LIFE.

Click for MORE INFO or TO APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: HomeSchool Teacher

Job description: Be a blessing to a missionary family by helping homeschool their elementary-aged daughters. Teachers needed to homeschool multiple younger elementary students (ages 4, 6, 7, 9). Detailed curriculum is provided with classroom time of 4-5 hours daily. Opportunities will be available to be involved in Kingdom work during non-classroom hours, developing relationships with women & girls in the community.

IMB job #: 114583 

Location: Southeast Asia

Team size:  2 females

Field expense: $1534 

Click for MORE INFO or TO APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: Kingdom Fly Fishing

Job description: Use the sport of fly fishing to access some of the beautiful rivers, lakes & seas of Southeast Asia. Even more exciting, you will be using your fly fishing skills to be fishers of men. Our target population is conservative Muslim but has a long history as a group of fishing villages. There are no known believers in our area of 1 million people. Share stories of the Bible, your personal testimony, spiritual surveying, & the Gospel story presentations. Fly fishing, local club fly tying, prayer walking, local area mapping & searching for open people to share with. 

IMB job #: 114578 

Location: Southeast Asia

Team size:  8 membersss

Field expense:  $2089

Click for MORE INFO or TO APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: Preschool VBS & Prayer Walking

Job description: In partnership with a foreign owned preschool, conduct 5 weeks of preschool VBS. 150 students (ages 3-5) with many non-believing staff. You will develop & teach a curriculum that will share God's love & His creation & redemption for the world. 

Other weeks will be spent prayer walking & exploring nearby rural provinces. These strategic areas need the Gospel and work has been slow. Help prepare the soil & hearts to receive the Good News.

IMB job #: 114532 

Location:  Southeast Asia

Team size: 6

Field expense: $2108

Click for MORE INFO or TO APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: Tourist on Mission

Job description: Student will serve in varying roles with a common goal... to bring about gospel conversations & discipleship. Work closely with national partners who will likely be seminary students currently working to engage various UPGs while discipling other believers. Environment will vary between an urban university context and rural/jungle settings. You will be a tourist, traveling with a national student to engage & disciple.

IMB job #: 114448

Location: Indonesia

Team size: 6 (3 male/3 female)

Field expense: $2079

Click for MORE INFO or TO APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017

June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)

June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)

June 12  Teams deploy for the field

Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)

Aug 4  Teams return home

Team of the Week: Mountain Farm Intern

Job description: Living in a highly restricted area of the Golden Triangle, you will work alongside a group of former head-hunters to engage unreached peoples through agriculture & community development projects. Base out of a sustainable farm community, spending days doing farm chores & other days helping with village extension projects & outreach events in local village communities. Through these events you will help to share the Gospel with unreached peoples while encouraging the national believers working in this region. Absolute necessities are a willingness to work hard everyday, a love for interacting with people (even if they don't speak your language), & the ability to live in rustic conditions without complaining. The language barrier will be significant. But if you work hard to show people how much you care for them, you will have a fulfilling & fruitful experience among those who've never heard the Gospel before!

*Prefer students with agriculture background/experience but this is not required.

IMB job #:   114397
Location:  Southeast Asia
Team size:  6 members
Field expense: $1639  

Click for MORE INFO or TO APPLY

Dates for Summer 2017
June 4  Team leader training begins (Alabama)
June 7  Team member training begins (Alabama)
June 12  Teams deploy for the field
Aug 1  Teams return to US for debrief (Alabama)
Aug 4  Teams return home

Hands On: Tropical Engineer Tutor

Are you an engineering student or grad AND have a passion for sharing Christ AND like to have fun? 

Tutor university students at a local university which offers various engineering degrees. Build relationships with students & share the Gospel.Team will work on universities in Batangas City where less than 2% know Jesus Christ. Use your abilities to tutor Engineering students. Through these sessions, you can build relationships with the intention of sharing about a relationship with Christ & discipling new believers. 

Time will primarily be spent on campus meeting students, teaching tutoring classes, talking, playing sports with students, going on hiking or swimming trips, visiting in their boarding houses... building relationships & making them thirsty to know Christ & how they can know Him like you do. Filipinos speak good English so you can make friends quickly & easily. You will be a key part in partnering with Filipino campus workers to go into new campuses in the province to filter those interested in the gospel & disciple new believers. 

114452  Tropical Engineer Tutor
Location: Philippines
February 13-August 7, 2018
Cost:  $3950

APPLY NOW!!

Welcome "home"

Read this timely post from a former Nehemiah Team member... as students have returned from their summer of ministry & gotten back into the daily routine of school... their lives have still been changed.

Over the next few weeks, many students will return from life-changing summers overseas and begin transitioning back into "normal" life. 

The problem is that life will never be "normal" again, or at least I pray that it won't be. They inevitably will be greeted by many well-meaning "Welcome homes" and "I bet you are so happy to be home", which will most likely be returned with a forced smile, a simple thank you, while internally pondering the meaning of home. Read more....

-Megan T.

2014 & 2015 team member

Love & Hunger for God's Word

This Bible study & the sweet women who attended, Nanay Mercy & Nanay Prusi, have been on my heart & mind today. I can't stop thinking about their response to the passage in Mark 4, the Parable of the Sower. Both women said they wanted to be like the good soil that received the seed, heard God's word & produced a crop & multiplied. Then they admitted they are sometimes like the seed thrown among thorns, they allow the worries of life & desire of other things to choke the Word. I also shared that I allow school work and family life to choke God's word and make it unfruitful. 

But then, we encouraged each other to make God's word a priority in our lives. What encouraged me the most is the next day, Nanay Prusi came to another Bible study and told us she woke up at 3AM that morning to spend time reading her Bible before she did any of her work for the day. 3AM!! What a testament to her love & hunger for the precious Word of God! 

I pray her hunger is never satisfied and that I would prioritize spending time with my Savior like Nanay Prusi did. Praise the Lord for my Filipino sisters in Christ.

-Meghan
2017 Riverboat Evangelism Team
Samar, Philippines