Reflections: Cambree

Lately the Lord has been showing me that He is in control & He knows best. He is omniscient and that takes the pressure off me to try to figure out what I am doing with my future, etc. 

I can rest and obey, even when it doesn't make sense, because God knows what He is doing. This really helps me step out in boldness and faith because God is in control of the outcome. It doesn't depend on me or what I know, but on God and HIS sovereignty and power. Praise the Lord!!

-Cambree 

Reflections: Geoffrey

Patience is something I have learned about God in a new way. I learned when I was saved that His patience is constantly calling me to a relationship with Him, even though I continually rejected giving Him everything. I would ignore His convicting me even when that very day I had asked Him to convict me.

What I learned is His patience in teaching me the same lesson I had already learned before. I have struggled with not seeing results, feeling like I'm not helping, but once again, I called out to God, wanting to know why. And God gently just told me, "I've already taught you this before. Remember and trust I will use it for my glory again."

It's amazing how lovingly patient He is when I forget what He's already taught me.

-Geoffrey

Farm Week Thoughts: Geoffrey

One of my favorite parts of farm week was hearing the training staff, who are all pastors, talking about their specialities in Community Development, Agriculture and goat herding. 

One was talking about renewing the land using the SALT (Sloping Agriculture Land Technology). The trainer naturally moved into talking about how God is the great agriculturalist, the great farmer. That trust in Him is really the most important thing. While the farm can feed the body, God is the only one who can feed the soul. 

It was so natural that at first I didn't even realize it was a Gospel presentation. It's just so cool how they just flow from talking about their work to sharing their faith.

-Geoffrey

Reflections: Andrew

I've recently been reflecting on & learning about the holiness of God. During my quiet time, I just finished going through Leviticus. Leviticus, in the grand scheme of things, is about God's holiness and our sinfulness and brokenness. 

All the laws God prescribed were there due to God's holiness & our sinfulness. A phrase that is repeated throughout the entire book is, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." It's reflecting on this which makes me even more grateful for Christ's atoning work on the cross. For on my own, I would never be able to meet the holiness requirement to stand before the one Holy One.

-Andrew

Farm Week Thoughts: Adrielle

My favorite part of farm week was the last day when we learned about worms & using goat manure as fertilizer. It made me think back to being a kid & digging in the dirt for worms! But it also taught a neat analogy...

We are like the manure, dirty and useless by itself. But, when we accept Jesus into our life, it's like adding the worms to the manure. They help turn it into good soil which can be used for planting seeds that will eventually grow.

-Adrielle

Reflections: Camille

I have been reminded that the word of God is completely unified! From Genesis to Revelation, it tells the same story, pointing to one person-- Jesus Christ-- and it is complete.

God's word does not contradict itself and is not divided. God is trustworthy and the God of clairty, unity and perfection. He does not contradict Himself. Because of His love and grace for His children, He has given us His word which is inspired by Him and worthy to be trusted.

I can go through the rest of my life believing in and trusting God's word, knowing that it will never fail me. God will never fail me, and His Word is visible proof of that and a reminder I can see every day. God's word is my foundation and I can rest assured that it is trustworthy, unified and complete. I feel like God's word alone points to His character. It is a picture of who and what He is.

-Camille

Farm Week Thoughts: Cambree

My favorite part of farm week was the gardening. We learned how to weave baskets & plant vegetables in them. This will actually be very useful on the mission field. Now I can teach others what I have learned & help them with their gardens... helping them provide for their families.

-Cambree

Reflections: Lydia

The characteristic of God I have held close this past week has been His OMNIPRESENCE. The fact that God is omniscient & Satan is not.

God being omnipresent is such a gift to me. It is a comfort to know that in the waiting & the silence, God is still there, holding me with His righteous right hand (Isa. 41:106).

-Lydia

Lydia recently celebrated her 18th birthday!

Farm Week Thoughts: Grace

Recently, we had the opportunity to work a bit on the demonstration farm where we've been living during AOT. We we were able to milk, castrate & dehorn goats. My favorite part of this day was at the end when we were helping feed the goats and one of them began to give birth!

One of the newborn goats was struggling to survive. I was told to hold it as another team member bottle fed it. Through this experience I learned a very important lesson.  

Life is messy. 

After I set the goat down, I realized I was covered in every fluid that is a part of the miracle of life. In the same way, the miracle of a new life in Christ can be messy. When a new believer comes to Christ it can appear like a messy process. They have a lot of questions and they need a lot of guidance. During this time we can do one of two things. We can leave the baby Christian alone to take care of his own needs OR we can pick him up and teach him how to live the Christian life. As a missionary, it is important that I never leave a new believer on their own. I must equip them for their new life in Christ.

-Grace 

Reflections: Emma

God is so patient with me. This has been a constant reminder for me this week. I get tired, or I don't feel well, or I'm frustrated, and I immediately lose patience. However, no matter how insecure, doubtful and weak I am, the Lord is always patient with me.

In my quiet time I have been reading through Numbers and Acts. In Numbers, God is constantly PROVIDING for the Israelites. In Acts, god's Holy Spirit PREPARES the way for Paul to share the Gospel, and He PROTECTS Paul. 

God is so good to me! He is patient. He always provides. 

In my weekend ministry, the Holy Spirit has been PREPARING hearts to hear & receive the Gospel and God's comfort. And through it all, I can fear nothing. I can rest in the knowledge that God is my protector. I can have complete PEACE in Him.

-Emma

Prayer Requests: Cambree

I am grateful for your prayers for the following:

• Pray I will have boldness to share the Gospel no matter where I am or who is around.
• Pray the people we will be meeting in our upcoming deployments... pray for open hearts toward the Gospel.
• Pray for our team to continue to be unified & focused!

-Cambree

Prayer Requests: Zuriel

As we're nearing the end of AOT, i've been thinking about our Filipino churches. I catch myself feeling the burden of mobilizing the young people who are part of MVBYF (Mindanao Visayas Baptist Youth Fellowship).

I pray the Holy Spirit will sustain the fire in my heart, even after AOT. It's easy to be a "World Christian" when we talk & study about missions all the time, surrounded by many who aspire to be full time missionaries. 

Pray for our Southern Baptist churches here in the Philippines, especially the youth, to have the heart of the Lord revealed to them.

-Zuriel

Reflections: Grace

Last week at AOT we learned about the Holy Spirit. This is the part of God that actively lives in every believer. Because I have given God a place in my heart, I need to clean up my hearts because it is now His home.

-Jessica

Farm Week Thoughts: Andrew

My favorite part of "farm week" was working with the goats. We experienced so much from milking to more advanced skills such as dehorning & castration. We learned how these skills can be useful on the mission field. In partnership with small farmers, teaching them goat maintenance which meets a physical need and sharing the Gospel which meets their greatest need.

-Andrew

Prayer Requests: Adrielle

Please pray I will have more boldness to step out of my comfort zone. I know since I have been here, I have already been growing in that... but there is still lots more room to grow!

-Adrielle

Farm Week Thoughts: Daniel

The 'farm week' has been my favorite week so far. I've always dreamed of trying farming, so I really looked forward to this week. My favorite day was the final workday, when we helped with the vermi-composting process. We helped prepare a new trench. We also dug through an older one to separate the dirt, fertilizer & worms. Playing with the dirt was fun!

All the technologies we were exposed to will definitely be useful on the mission field. When working with farmers to grow better crops, I can show them the love of God. While working with them, I can also share the Gospel with them.

-Daniel

Reflections: Daniel

I am learning that God is faithful. He has promised to forgive us & to purify us if we confess our sins. He keeps this promise faithfully as I came to Him time & time again to confess my sins. Because of this, I have begun to confess & repent of my sins almost immediately.

-Daniel

Prayer Requests: Geoffrey

Pray the Lord will give me wisdom on how best to love those we are ministering to as well as my team mates.

Pray I will daily submit myself to God and have, as it is said of David, a heart after God's own heart. 

-Geoffrey

Reflections: Jessica

Recently I have learned a lot about how God is humble. Not just in the sense of humbling Himself to come to Earth as a man & die for our sins, but also how He humbled Himself as the Father. 

God the Father humbly and selflessly surrendered His only child so that those who are on Earth might be saved. He submitted Himself to love His persecutors and serve His accusers. Because of God's humility, I have been learning to sacrifice my wants in order to love others better. Daily I have been seeking ways to die to myself and serve especially when I don't want to. It is not by my own strength but by Christ, in His humility, working through mew.

-Jessica 

Prayer Requests: Grace

Pray that...

• The youth at our weekend church will commit to be involved in missions. (Nehemiah Teams has a summer opportunity for Filipino young adults also!)

• The youth will continue their weekly Bible studies... even after our time with them is finished.

• Those I am able to share with over this next month will respond positively to the Gospel message.

-Grace

Farm Week Thoughts: Emma

Never in my life did I think I would say, "I have preg-checked a cow and burned goat's horns," but here we are!! My favorite part about farm week was feeding the baby goats. They were so cute!

I also like making the 'faith garden' and weaving baskets to plant the seeds in. We took bamboo & wove it into a basket around a hole. We filled the hole with soil and fertilizer, then planted tomato & green bean seeds.

That same day we learned about how farming & planting crops works on the side of a mountain. It was super interesting to see how they plant trees on the side of the mountain. Then we got to walk up to the fruit trees, pick a mangosteen & eat it! And we got to climb trees! I used to climb trees all the time as a kid.

I learned in general the importance of agriculture in mission work. We don't just want to go into a village & try to change everything. But we want to partner with the community and teach, help & serve them well. Livestock and crop raising is major sources of income in the Philippines and throughout Southeast Asia. Going to communities with knowledge about agriculture could directly impact their families; and be an amazing bridge into the Gospel.

-Emma

Mangosteen is the BEST!!

Prayer Requests: Daniel

Please pray for me to be intentional in developing relationships, both with friends and on the field during our deployment. I am incredibly passive & tend to not pursue relationships. Pray for the Lord to give me the initiative to ask questions of others I meet, helping to learn more about them & in doing so, begin to open the door to building a relationship.

-Daniel

Prayer Requests: Andrew

My prayer requests for this week:

1. Our upcoming island deployment week... that God would prepare the field & more importantly, my heart, for what He wants to do.
2. As I pr
   epare to deploy to another Southeast Asian country (Nov 20th), pray for God to work out all the logistics & calm my nerves. I also ask for prayers for unity for our team of 4.
3. Pray that God will continue to help me love Him more, to love His son more, and to love the Holy Spirit more.

-Andrew

Prayer Requests: Jessica

Thank you for partnering with us through prayer! Please pray that...

• My heart & mind will be prepared to share the Gospel as often & as clearly as possible.
• The youth would be encouraged to continue regular Bible studies, even after our ministry among them is finished.
• The Lord will prepare the hearts of the people we'll encounter during our deployments through the rest of our Gap Year. Pray for hearts that are ready to receive the Good News we will share.

-Jessica

Prayer Requests: Emma

As we get close to finishing up this segment of our gap year, please pray for continued good health. These next couple weeks are quite busy... preparing for an upcoming youth event, our last weekend with our local churches, a one week ministry deployment to another island, and our final week of AOT classes. We want to be at full health as we prepare for & go through all these opportunities. 

A more personal prayer request I have is for the horrific affects of the US hurricanes in so many communities, including mine. Please be praying for my family, church and so many of my friends who are affected. Specifically be praying for all of the families who lost homes, churches, friends & family members. It is truly devastating & they need our prayers.

Thank you so much!
-Emma  

Prayer Requests: Lydia

Prayers for continued good health are welcome.

Prayers for continued unity & patience among our NT365 Gap Year team.

Prayers for our weekend ministry churches would be greatly appreciated.

-Lydia

Prayer Requests: Camille

We only have a couple weekends left with our churches. Please be praying for our team, that we would be in touch with God and see the doors He opens to share the Gospel, disciple & train others to carry on what we have started with them. 

Please pray we would surrender all to Jesus & be bold & courageous, following His leading & being obedient to Him.

Please pray I will be focused on the Lord, willing to step out of my comfort zone, whatever that may look like, teaching & leading more while making the most of my time... living wisely because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

-Camille

NT365 Team Time reflections

NT365 Gap Year students read various books about evangelism, missions & cross-cultural workers during their Advance Operations Training. They read in a group setting & follow their reading with discussion. Some recent comments from their reading of Friends of Ishmael...

After reading Friends of Ishmael in addition to all that we are learning about the needs of the world.... we should not only be willing to give up one year... but give our whole life to this cause.

With so many churches in America, how could a Muslim ever come to America & not hear the Gospel? More of us should go... but when we go back to America after this year, we need to share the Gospel with everyone... and especially those God brings to our country.

-NT365 Gap Year participants

Pray with us for the Gospel to come to the "Sons of Ishmael"

Camille: Growing in Confidence Part 2

One element of our team's weekend ministry is called Cottage Prayer. We go to a home of a church member and lead a short worship service. Sometimes these families are elderly, others may have someone who is sick so they're unable to come to church, sometimes it's just done to encourage the family.

This past weekend, the family welcomed us warmly. The mother (nanay) of the home was so sweet... I loved her! Our group led in worship & then my teammate Daniel shared a message from Proverbs 3:5-6. Emma & I both shared some words of encouragement from Scripture with the family. The family had some prayer requests & our group was able to pray over them.

This past weekend was the most productive weekend I feel our team has had & the Cottage Prayer is just one part of that. This was one of the first times I felt more confident using my voice. I really enjoyed meeting the family and pray we were an encouragement to them.

-Camille

NT365

Grace: Ministry doesn't take rest days

Each Monday during AOT (Advance Operations Training) is our rest day. This means we have time to call our families & friends, explore the nearby towns & rest from the previous week. 

One Monday, I was walking around a local store when an employee stopped me to talk with me. She asked why I was in the Philippines. I told her I was taking some classes that would help prepare me to share my faith. She then told me that she is Catholic & surprised me by asking who my God is & what I believe. 

I had an amazing opportunity to share both my testimony & the Gospel with her. This encounter served as a reminder to me that ministry doesn't take rest days.

-Grace

NT365

Jessica: Be an encourager

Recently, we went with members of our church to visit another church. We were able to ride motorcycles up the mountain to this small church. We'd been told the church members were discouraged because they only had 7 remaining members. With the exception of the pastor's family, all of them were above the age of 60.

The members of this church were incredibly kind & caring. Our team mate, Zuriel, translated for me & Lydia as we shared our testimonies. It was amazing to attend a church full of so much love & to pray over the congregation. This is an experience I will never forget.

Pray with me for this small, struggling church. Pray for the pastor & the members to be encouraged in their faith. Pray for them to see where God is at work in those living around them.

-Jessica

NT365

Julia: God is Persistent

God has tremendously blessed our weekend ministry. The past couple of weekends have been packed with powerful testimonies.

On Saturday nights, our church hosts a bunch of youth over for a giant sleepover. We play games, sing songs, and collaspse into 2 giant piles to sleep at the end of the night. Our team has really been able to get connected with the youth. One of them, Cammi, has been attending these sleepovers for a couple weeks. Cammi always sticks close to her older sister. She didn't seem interestd in talking with us, but being distant & disengaged.

As our team has been pouring into these students, 13 of them made the commitment to follow Christ & be baptized! One of them was Cammi!!

Our team had the privilege to baptize these youth. As I walked into the water park the morning of the baptism, I felt nervous yet excited, not having high expectations. As I was stooped in my thoughts, I felt my arm being pulled. I looked down to see Cammi holding tightly onto my arm. She smiled brightly and said, "Hi Ate Julie!" I thought I would melt! Cammi's walls had completely come down. She didn't let go of my arm the entire day. We swam, played games, slid down slides together, all with a huge smile on her face. I became her "Ate Julie"... a friend & sister in Christ.

I had the privilege to help baptize Cammi. I couldn't help but feel immense pride in her. The walls have been torn down, doors opened, and hearts opened wide. I cannot wait to see what God does through Cammi as she continues to grow up.

Through Cammi's story, I have learned to be persistent. God never gives up on us, no matter how much we shove Him away. God is persistent. When it comes to reaching people, we must be persistent. Praying & reaching out constantly. Like Cammi, hearts will soften, and the love of Jesus can shine right in.

-Julia
NT365

Camille: Growing in Confidence

When we started our weekend ministry, I was very nervous & didn't say a whole lot. Everything was still new & unfamiliar. Recently, I am learning to thrive in weekend ministry. I am growing in confidence in interactions with some of the local youth. I feel like my relationships with them are beginning to grow. 

This past Sunday after our regular service, our church joined another church to celebrate their church anniversary. We arrived in time for the main fellowship time & meal and had a great time.

At this new church, I made friends with a little girl. I just sat with her & got to talk with her for a bit. She was so sweet & I'm just thankful for the nationals God has put in my life. I'm also thankful for the confidence I feel the Lord is growing in me.

-Camille

NT365

Cambree: Serve like Alvin

I have been so encouraged & inspired by a deacon named Alvin at our weekend church. I say 'deacon' but he is so much more. He is a husband, father, provider, and a humble, humble servant of the Lord. 

Every weekend, after a long week of work, Alvin comes to the church & takes care of 25 girls for 2 days! He cooks, cleans, tells jokes & stories, buys us coffee, and takes us on adventures. Alvin loves people SO genuinely & serves with his whole heart.

His love for Jesus is reflected in every single thing he does. I strive to serve people the way Alvin does. He reminds me a lot of my own dad. :) It is a joy to be able to serve wit Alvin and the rest of the church.

Pray for Alvin as he faithfuly serves in his local church.

-Cambree

NT365

Andrew: Small acts of obedience

During our first weekend of ministry, our team drove an hour & a half for a home visit. I had the privilege of sharing the word of God with the family at the home. I talked about redemption, using the story of Anna the prophetess. The following Sunday, the family came to church! Others said they hadn't been to church in over a year. It was cool to see how a small act of obedience affected an entire family.

-Andrew

NT365

Cambree: Be like Susie

Our weekend ministry team was part of a very special day with our church. We joined them at a pool early Saturday monring to baptize 13 youth from the church who had recently made the decision to follow Christ, It was SUCH an honor! I was able to assist with baptizing Susie, a girl I have built a close relationship with. 

Susie has the sweetest heart for the Lord & is fully devoted to Him. Her smile lights up any room she walks into. Susie has been such a blessing to our team. I know it will be one of the hardest good-byes I'll have in the days to come. 

Susie is a beautiful example of what it looks like to follow Jesus, no matter who is around or what it might cost her. We can all learn to be more like Susie.

-Cambree

NT365

Lydia: Teach them young

Recently I was able to tell God's story dramatized in front of my village kids. When I got to the part where Pilate brought Barabbas & Jesus before the people, I asked, "Who do you want released?!" They all shouted, "Jesus!" To which i replied, "NO! We're going to free Barrabas and kill Jesus!"

Needless to say they were all shocked! By the end of the story, the kids were talking about it amoungst themselves. It really fed my spirit to see these kids interact & react to the Gospel.

Continue to pray for our team as we minister on weekends alongside local churches.

-Lydia

NT365

Grace: Raise up the Next Generation!

One of the amazing things about our weekend church is their passion to raise up the next generation of believers. In America, we tend to believe that in order to grow a youth group we have to keep teaching simple & keep the challenges minimal. Here in the Philippines I have seen the results of a church who challenges their youth. Each weekend we have young people, ages 12-23,  going with us to house visits. While we are there, these students translate for us, lead worship & speak God's word. This has led the church to have a group of young believers willing to take the Gospel where Jesus commands.

-Grace

NT365

The Simplicity of Life

I love the simplicity of the Philippines. Our teams are staying at local churches on the weekends, helping with ministry. Most of our time was spent playing guitar, talking, telling jokes, and just building relationships. I value this so much because in American, it is becoming rare to just sit around and spend time with people. Here, on the other hand, we aren't connected to our screens, no distractions, and nothing is more important than being present. This is a beautiful way to live!!

-Cambree

Living a Generous Life

A massive thing the Lord has put on my heart in my short time of being here is to BE GENEROUS! During our weekend ministry, it doesn't matter how much or little our Filipino hosts have, they give generously. They make meals, open up their churches so our team can have a place to sleep, give bags of food to neighbors, and just generally serve everyone around them selflessly & generously.

I was asked to share my testimony at church & share why I was here. I told them a bit of my testimony & explained to them that a lot of my training is in the Philippines and that is for a reason. There's so much to be learned from the way Filipinos live. To live joyfully, to be quick to smile & laugh, to be patient, and to be sacrificial.

I asked a 13 year old Filipino why he was laughing and he told me, "Because there's so much to be happy for... The Lord has blessed me!" I think we can all learn something from that response.

-Emma

Are you a good disciple??

Being a follower of Christ is not only about being a good leader, but being a good disciple. A good disciple can be described through the acronym F.A.T. - Faithful, Available, Teachable

What does it mean to be a faithful, available & teachable disciple?

I think it starts by prioritizing God. Consistently abiding in His word & faithfully seeking God requires discipline. It's not easy to be faithful but by starting small, our faith grows & so does our accountability.

Being available means that we have to be willing to take the time, not only to seek God, but to walk with others. We must be open to the opportunities God has set before us while being willing to take action.

Lastly, a good disciple is teachable. 

• Ask yourself if you are willing to quiet yourself & listen? 
• Are you willing to try new things? 

A teachable disciple is expectant to learn and open to the unfamiliar.

-Jessica

The Power & Beauty of Redemption

The Lord is always speaking & teaching if only we would listen to His instruction. He has been teaching me about the power & beauty of redemption. This was made clear to me while reading the story of the prophetess Anna. In Luke 2:38 it says, "And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were wiating for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Jesus is the redemption that all are waiting on. Jesus is the one who redeemed me. This kind of redemption is only found in Jesus which makes it so beautiful & so powerful!

-Andrew 

Are you living FAT??

Live FAT.

No, I don't mean this in the physical sense. This is actually an acronym used to describe the type of person we should look for when making disciples. 

We need to find people who are Faithful to God & obedient to His word.

The A is for available. It is important that we pour ourselves into people who are willing to make time for God.

Finally, we have teachable. If we invest all our time into someone who only believes in their way, we will not see any fruit from the relationship. 

Seek out someone who is Faithful, Available and Teachable. And... if you aren't already, learn how to live FAT.

-Grace

Are you ready?

Zuriel (3rd from right) at a recent youth fellowship

READINESS.

I think that one word sums it all up. 

We had to deal with so many opportunities during our weekend ministry. From home visitations, Sunday worship service, youth discipleship groups, and even a funeral service... we had to take some sort of part in all of the activities. The whole experience taught me to be always ready as God may use me ANYTIME.

-Zuriel

Philippines

I can mobilize others

During our first week of AOT we spent a lot of time studying the life of Nehemiah.  Specifically we studied the leadership skills he displayed while building the wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah was especially good at mobilizing. He gathered the people of Israel & led them in the re-building of the wall. From his story I have learned that I have a part in mobilizing others for mission work. It is my job to answer God's call & extend an invitation for others to join me.

-Grace

FEAR FACTOR... Philippine Style!

During their tour of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC), NT365 Gap Year participants were treated to the King of Fruits... DURIAN!! Watch their initial reactions to this Philippine delicacy...

Needing Him for the work

A lesson the Lord has taught me in the short time I've been here is that I need to be ready for anything. But make sure that I am leaning on the Lord through everything. Sometimes I tend to get nervous. Then I forget about praying & asking God for peace & to help me through it.

NT365 sharing at local youth fellowship

This past weekend during our ministry at a local church, I realized that it can be rough trying to do work for Him without looking to Him first.

I can never do anything on my own.  I will always need the Lord's help through everything. An example is when I was asked to share a verse in front of the church. I told them I would share my favorite verse... and then I completely blanked out & forgot the verse.

Since then I have been so nervous to go back to the church. It was kinda like a dark cloud hanging over me. I didn't want to mess up again, but I started thinking and realized I hadn't prayed about it at all. 

For 2 days before we went back out for ministry, I have been praying and talking to God about it & I feel so much more peace about heading into the weekend. I feel less nervous and even a little excited!

-Adrielle

I am enough

I feel like I have learned 5 billion things already! But the one that sticks out the most is how the Lord has been teaching me to let go of comparison. 

When you go from regular life to being surrounded by Godly students 24/7, it becomes so easy to compare or even compete. The Lord really showed me the power that comes with confession. The SECOND I talked to God about how I was struggling with comparison, it got easier. But confession must come first! 

It is not enough to say, "Cambree, stop thinking like that." I had to run to the Father and confess my sin & struggles and ask for help. This is when the Lord could start transforming my heart. 

I have been reminded over & over again that I am enough, just the way God made me. I don't have to try to be someone else or compare myself to others. I can just be Cambree... and that is enough!

-Cambree

New Experieinces for Emma

Being in the Philippines has been amazing! I've tried durian (not my favorite taste or smell), bargained for a malong (tubular-type bedsheet), watched goats get their horns burned off, and enjoyed some delicious Filipino foods like banana-Q and mango float. 

A big cultural norm is that EVERYONE rides motorcycles! I was in a village for our weekend ministry & a sweet Filipina asked if I wanted a ride on the back of her motorcycle. I enthusiastically agreed and we rode through rural roads in her village, greeting her many family members & friends. What an amazing moment!

-Emma

I can't imagine...

During my first week in Advance Operations Training (AOT) I learned about the characteristics that make up a good leader. Through observing Nehemiah's humble reliance on God, I concluded that a good leader is someone who responds to God's call by prayer, planning, mobilizing & by following through with the appointed task.

As a cup bearer to the King, Nehemiah could have stayed where he was & lived comfortably. However, he chose to surrender all of it to God. 

I can't imagine how Nehemiah must have felt as he came before the King and shared the burden God had given him for restoring Jerusalem. 

I can't imagine how many nights Nehemiah spent preparing and praying over how to lead. 

I can't imagine all the work that went into mobilizing the people to join in God's vision.

What I do know is that Nehemiah didn't give up. In the midst of opposition & discouragement, Nehemiah had a backbone of prayer. He trusted God and involved others. Nehemiah refused to give up the burden God had placed on his life. Maybe this is why God used Nehemiah.

-Jessica

Colorado

God's Provision... Andrew speaks

Everyday is a learning adventure in the Philippines, including language & culture. One of the most interesting examples of this was the slaughtering of "Kevin," the chicken. Acquiring Kevin was an adventure that I will not be going into detail about. After church on Sunday, the pastor's wife called to me saying, "Andrew, it's Kevin time!" I proceeded outside where someone handed me a machete. Then... Kevin was no more.

Praise be to God because Kevin was lunch for the church. It was cool to experience such an indepth lunch fellowship!

-Andrew