Thank you from Cambodia!

GOOD BYE!! Thank you so much Nehemiah Teams for sending us part of your teams to work with us here. God bless you all the more! 

-Local supervisor
Engage Cambodia & Whatever it Takes for Cambodia teams

Thanks from Botswana!

We are so thankful for this amazing group of university students who came to work alongside of us in Botswana for the last 2 months through Nehemiah Teams. What an eternal impact they have made in so many lives. Thank you for serving... we love you all!!

-Field Supervisor
Bush Boys & Girls

Pursuit

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11

Team of the Day: Advance Team

Country of the Day: Philippines

Pray for team members and new believers to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Overcoming Struggles

Man, this is it. We have made it to the end of our journey and we are so blessed that God gave us this opportunity to be here. However, we wanted to go back to the first village that we visited at the beginning of the trip. 

We went back to G village this past week and reconnected with all our friends we made earlier in the summer. It was a great time seeing all our friends we made and saw how much they'd change since we left last time. 

From our last time there, on the second to last day before we left, we met this guy named B. He loved hanging out with us and he wanted us to come back the next time we come to the village. So, when we came back, we reconnected with him. He was excited for us to be there. We hung out the whole time there, but God was with us and him one of our nights together. We were hanging out in the bungalow where we were staying & our translator told us that B was starting to reveal some things in life that he was struggling with. Turns out, B has been struggling with homosexuality for almost over a decade now and has always wanted to change, but couldn’t because his flesh said one thing. It got to the point where he wasn’t interested looking at girls anymore. We knew the enemy had a stronghold in his life, and he knew that was a sin before God. 

From that, we got to share the gospel with him and show him what God says in the Bible about homosexuality. We asked him if we could pray in the name of Jesus for him... that God will convict his heart for what he's doing is wrong and help him realize that there is power in the name of Jesus. We also prayed that the Holy Spirit may dwell within him and help him see that he needs a Savior in his life. 

As we were praying, he started breaking down in tears knowing that he is a sinner and wanted to change so badly that it hurts in his heart. Our friend A was there & came over and prayed with us. He was also in tears because he was praying for his friend who he knew that he has struggled with. We told him that if you pray in the name of Jesus, He can make it happen if you truly believe that he is God of this universe. He agreed and didn’t make a decision at the moment, but we have confidence that the Holy Spirit is convicting his heart right now. 

After praying, we told him that we will be continue praying for him and we would love to pray for him before we leave, so he can have the strength to move on forward. It broke our hearts how much he was hurting, but we still loved him so much that the stuff doesn’t bother us at all. We need to love all people like God did when he went up on that cross to die for our sins. 

Pray for B that God will give him the strength to overcome his struggles, and pray for the whole village of G that God will start to dwell on that place by revealing His Holy Spirit through the people there.

-Johann M.

Encouragers

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

Team of the Day: Farm Community Intern

Country of the Day: Southeast Asia

Pray for team members to be an encouragement to their national partners.

The Next Chapter

We don't know what our future holds, but we know who holds our future and that is our Savior Jesus Christ. In Him we know there are great plans in store for us. As this incredible summer comes to a close we all know this summer was just the beginning. 

Our team was so blessed to stay at the Connect ministry house this summer. While staying here we met some of the most godly influences we could have ever asked for... the Filipino Nehemiah Team members taught us so much about ministry and laughter. Although we have to leave them now we can rest on knowing that we will see our brothers and sisters again someday. 

We also are ready more than ever to get back home to share what we have learned this summer. The Connect house isn't all that we have to leave behind, but also all of the disciples we were able to make thanks to God. We've witnessed lives completely transform this summer. Our house church at Connect had more people at the end of the summer than the begin and that is something worth praising. 

Please pray that those who we were able to be discipled over the summer will continue to seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, and that God will give them the strength to fight spiritual warfare. 
Also, please pray for all of those from the Connect house. They have been such a blessing in our lives and many other's lives as well. Pray that they will continue to cling to God with all that they have and that God will reveal his plans to them.

-Self Defense Team

Final Days in the Philippines

As all the teams bring their ministry to a close, many of us are met with a feeling we can't shake. We are so eager to return home to our families, but we are also heart broken to leave the ones we have been discipling. The teams have been investing the time they have remaining in teaching new believers how to start and maintain a house church. We are very blessed God gave us the opportunity to fulfill the great commission, and have no regrets of the decision we have made to spend our summer. God has truly blessed us.

Please pray for safe travels home and the new believers we are leaving.

The Gospel Must Go!
-Sam Johnston

Discipleship

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

Team of the Day: Bush Boys and Girls

Country of the Day: Botswana

Pray for the discipleship of new believers to continue even after team members have departed.

Crossing Cultures

Earlier this summer we met a group of men who were involved in homosexuality. They all played volleyball all day and every day. In fact, volleyball is how we met them. They are all around the age of 20, but some are younger and some are older. Two of the boys on our team (Joseph and Ben) asked them to come over for a Bible study. The leader of the team, J, texted us not long after meeting him. He even brought a few of his volleyball friends with him. We began doing Bible studies with them a few days every week. Each Bible study had a different group of guys that J had brought to us. 

One of the groups contained a man named T. T was a lot like J at first and kept coming back to hear more about God's word. One night we decided to have dinner with them. As always, T and J were there with a few new faces. After dinner J had a long conversation with our team leader Ben. Ben shared his testimony with him and was able to share more about his relationship with Jesus Christ. Meanwhile the other guys were talking to the rest of the team and some of the other Philippine Nehemiah Team members that live with us. T got to hear a testimony from one of our Philippine friends that completely changed his heart. He hadn't realized that what he was doing was wrong according to God's word, but it wasn't too late to fix it. 

Ever since that night T has been at our house and disciplining with us just about every night. In fact, he was even able to lead a Bible study with his friends at our house just the other night. His appearance, mannerisms, and heart for God have changed drastically. He goes to work and comes to our house every day leaving no room for him to be tempted by his past lifestyle. God is truly working in that man's life. J is still bringing more and more of his friends to our house for a Bible study every night and learning how to be more obedient to God. 

Through this group of men our team has been able to see what God can really do. All it took was Joseph and Ben being obedient to God. They heard him tugging on their hearts for these lost men. All the men on our team and on the Philippine Nehemiah Team have truly been amazing examples for the volleyball team on what godly men look like. Also, the girls at our house have played a great role at comforting them and showing them that they are capable of over coming their temptations with Jesus Christ fighting for them.

Please pray for T, J, and the rest of the volleyball team. 
Pray that after we leave they will continue to come back to the Philippine team members to learn more and more about God. 
Also, pray that they continue seeking others to disciple. Some of them are dealing with persecution at home, work, and from friends. Please pray that they will be able to have the strength to fight those persecuting them the righteous way.

-Megan
Self-Defense Team

A New Creation in Christ

This past Friday we had the wonderful opportunity to meet with our new Brother in Christ, J. All week we were unsure as to whether or not we would be able to meet with him due to our schedule as well as other factors. However, God provided us a way so that we could meet with J and disciple him before we leave the island. Our intention was to see where he was on a spiritual level as well as teach him about his duties as a new believer.

The first thing that we planned on talking with him about was how he needed to seek out lost souls and share the good news with them. Before we bring it up in conversation, he was already trying to talk about all of the things that God was doing in his heart. He told about a young woman that he had recently met that once claimed to be Christian. Recently, she moved away from her family and converted to Islam. J recognized that her story was very similar to his since he also claimed to be a Christian who converted to Islam. J said that he would share his testimony with her the next time that they met and that he had already begun sharing about how incredible God is. In less than one week of his salvation, he was actively seeking out opportunities to tell others about our amazing God.

When my team and I heard this, we were not only extremely excited for him, but we were also highly encouraged by his level of faithfulness to the Lord. J recognizes that he will get persecuted on this island for his faith and that he may even be killed. He is being smart about how he shares with others, but he is also not afraid of the consequences that he may face as a Christ follower. His love for Jesus is far greater than any situation that he could ever face in this lifetime and he knows that Christ is worth suffering for.

After hearing about how he is relentlessly pursuing Christ in all of his ways, we wanted to make sure that he knew how to effectively share the Gospel with nonbelievers so that they would be without excuse on judgement day. Immediately he said, “God is with me wherever I go. He will guide me where I need to go and tell me what I need to say.” J meant what he said with his whole heart. He believed fully that the Spirit would help him in every situation. This was a beautiful response but we still wanted to see if he knew what needs to be shared in every Gospel conversation. J then began to share with us what he thought should be shared with every nonbeliever. After hearing his response, we were astounded at how well he shared the Good News with us. We believe with our whole hearts that God is going to use J to do wonderful things for the kingdom.

J has been such an inspiration to me and my team and we pray that one day we could develop a love for Christ as J has. We ask everyone back home to pray for our new brother in Christ, J. We ask not for protection from persecution, or for trials and tribulations to be removed. We pray that God would grant him boldness to speak without fear, without doubt, with power and with authority. We pray that God will surround him with a Christian community that will love and encourage him. J will be used to advance the kingdom of God and we have no doubt about it. However, he still needs our daily prayers in order to persevere through the trials that he will face.

I hope that J’s faith encourages each of you as it did for me and my team. J is willing to give up everything for the Lord. His family… his friends… his belongings… his life… Everything that we have both physical as well as spiritual was granted to us by God. We must cast everything that he has given to us back at his feet. We must give all that we have… all that we are to Christ. Jesus paid the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for us. He died so that we may live even though we are all so undeserving and unworthy. Should we not live entirely for him because of what he did for us. If we truly love Christ like we say we do, then why do we as Christians not live like it?

I pray that everyone back home, as well as me and my team live by this. God deserves everything that we have and nothing less. Let us give Him our hearts and surrender ourselves to him. We thank each and every one of you for your continued prayers for me and my team as we have been on this beautiful journey together. Today I ask that you don’t just pray for our team, or even the people that we come in contact with. I ask that you also pray for one another. That each and every one of us would surrender ourselves to God and allow him work through us. Together we will seek him, together we will praise him, and together we will do the work that God has placed before us.

Jeremiah 29:13 “you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

-Caleb W

Enduring Discouragements-: Advance Team

It amazes me how William Carey endured six years to see a convert. Can you imagine the discouragements he took from his fellow believers and family? Not to mention the death of his son and later his wife. It also amazes me how Jim Elliot and four others faced their deaths from the people they want to share the Gospel to and not putting a fight. Acts 20:24 says”However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” These men considered their lives as Paul considered his.

What amazes me most was that Jesus Christ, a God, came down here to earth just to die a sinner’s death. Can you imagine the pain of the lashes He had to bear, the weight of the cross He had to carry and the mockery, scorn and the strife He had to take?

Many of us so become easily disappointed, discouraged when faced by trials of any kinds. Many of us go on default mode when confronted by opposition. When a person rejects to hear the gospel or doesn’t want to come to you for a Bible study how many of us persevere for that person? How many of us really share the love of God everyday intentionally rather than seeing it as an event once a month? How many of us get easily disappointed when we see few or no results? Many of us easily give up when an opposition arises.

If God just gave up on us what do you think would happen to us now?

I would like to quote what C.T. Studd said “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” If Jesus Christ, a God, who endured everything for us then, I believe, just as C.T. Studd said there can be sacrifice too great for me to take for Him. But saying it is a whole different level when we are actually doing it. Faith is seen by its work. As we believed and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we should live our lives following what our “Lord” instructs us to. It may be illogical and hard but we can be rest assured that our Father who is in heaven knows best for His son.

A man once said to me “As we are filled with grace, when we are bumped, we should then spill grace.” We may get bumped by rejections, by persecutions, by discouragements, by disappointments and any other we should still spill grace, nothing else. God didn’t give up on us then how are we to give up on people that God wants them to hear and show His love for them.

--Vi