stories from the field

Let me share her story…

                                                                                      Mother Bear

“Our house is open to anyone in need.”

This is Jane. She welcomed us even though she did not know us. She believed that we need help and we bring good news. Her house became our home and we became a family. During our first nights with them she told us that she had seen Jesus in her dream before. That she knew it was him,  that she saw him but just could not describe how he looks like because that seemed to be erased from her memory. “But He shines so bright”, and she knows it is Jesus. In her dream Jesus said, “Carry on, my child.” That was all that He said. Another night she told us about her other dreams. That before she got married, she has always had bad dreams, but in her dreams, a man in the dark would always come and save her. When we are not home, she and her family (mother, brother and kids) read our bibles, the biographies and other stuff that we have, discuss it among themselves and ask us question after question about what they have read. we learned from one of her brothers that their Father when he was still alive has always had Bible study in that very same house and same bench where we all sit to have these discussions. And his Father would always say, “ In this book (the Bible), I have found peace”.  Later on, as Jane shared more about her life, we found out that she has long surrendered her life to Christ, even before we met her. In the time of great trials back when her kids were still small, she wondered why God  continues to be kind to her despite her sins. Why God continues to care and love her although she is bad. If then that God is like that, despite all the bad things she does, she is surrendering her whole life and all that she has and all her trust to Christ.  We later on realized that the “savior” in Jane’s dreams is the same Christ that spoke to her in her other dream. Back then, when she does not care yet, Jesus was just “a man in the dark” – unknown and unnoticed but still rescues her; then when greater trails came, she started seeing Him and appreciating His love and looked for Him. That time, Christ said, “ Carry on.” for those who search will find. She found that He has always found her. 

Mother bear, her 2 sons and her mother after a few months were also baptized and Ptr. Tito continued to follow up on them. 

stories from the field

Let me write about her…

“is Jesus really dead on Good Friday’s?” this was among the many questions Riza Mae, our host’s daughter has asked us.

                Riza is 13 years old. We met her during the survey, a week before we moved to our second area – San Antonio. We could not find a place for the team to stay. Riza offered their house and their firewood and their backyard for the guys’ tent, thank fully her mother agreed. We moved in and she went around with us inviting the kids and youth. She started asking questions , questions none of us ever wondered about let alone ask. Her questions made us really think, wonder and go back to the Lord and His Word for answers – He provided answers.

                At about 2 in the morning while at her uncle’s wake, she asked (after so many other questions) “Is Jesus really dead on Good Fridays? Does He die every Good Friday?” she is sad and cries on Good Fridays because God is dead and rises again every Easter Sunday.  That is what they were taught growing up. That is what she believed. We shared the memory verse Hebrews 9: 28 and asked her what the scripture says. “He only died once. He will not die again. He is not dead!” she was so happy and relieved to know that Christ is not dead and Good Friday is to remember what He did. We later knew that Riza came to faith during one of the Kids Bible Study (maybe VBS) back when she was younger and was still in Catanduanes. She has since then loved Jesus and tells people about him. The coming of the team helped her understand the Gospel more and have a vision to be used for His glory. She was baptized before the team left. Her mother and younger brothers were witnesses to her baptism. 

Bicol 2012 Team, Nehemiah Teams Luzon

Nehemiah Teams and iDisciple Camp's Partnership

Emely and Kaycee (left) with capmers

Adrian and Kaycee

Nehemiah Teams is thankful for the partnership of iDISCIPLE Gospel Camp of the LSBC-Youth Department. Since 2009, iDISCIPLE Camp has invited Nehemiah Teams come and challenge the students to be involved in missions. Only in 2010 were we able to come, set up a booth and speak to the participants. Emely de Castro and Cecil Cusi came to promote, while Kaselyn Ferry (NT leader) and Adrian Delgado (NT support group) participated in the camp. Some former NT participants like Ken Torda were also there. The opportunities were not limited to the time during plenary or at the booth, but the iDISCIPLE leadership gave the NT to share their testimonies in the small groups and tell the participants more about Missions and NT mission opportunities.


In 2011, they invited us to facilitate a workshop on missions called SENtral – Living Missional as Gospel People. 27 participants signed up and participated in this 3-day workshop.  The topic was The Great Commission from where we are to where God wants us to be.  Videos, testimonies, biographies of mission heroes and mission articles were shared.  The Biblical Basis of missions was discussed, as well as what it means to be a World Christian, and dug deep into the reasons not to go that young people often give.  There were also other NT representatives who participated in the 2011 Gospel Wakefulness camp (Apol Cuevas, Katherine Ferry, Mholens Cabatay and Nathaniel Racelis). These representatives were also able to share about NT in their workshops, small groups and one on one conversation with other campers and Church leaders. As a result, 2 young men (Rosman Balandang and Eliezer Layag) from iDISCIPLE Gospel Wakefulness camp joined Nehemiah Teams the past summer with their Community Group and workshop mates among their prayer partners!

The SENTral workshop participants

In this past 2012 iDISCIPLE “Entrusted with the Gospel” camp, we were again able to challenge young people to Pray, Go, Send, Mobilize for all nations. Before the end of the 3-day camp, 11 people have come up to Cecil for possibility of joining the team this summer and or future partnership for an unreached area.

It’s really amazing how the Lord weaves things together, how he connects his children and the ministries He has entrusted them. I can say that this partnership of NT and iDISCIPLE Gospel Camp team may have begun years ago in TLW trainings in Batangas with lead by Kuya Franco Ferrrer, and in 2008 TLW training for American NT participants during their orientation in Davao. All these things the Lord have divinely planned for the advancement of the Gospel in the lives of the Young People unto the world. And it is not so much of the mobilization alone, it also is for iDISCIPLE Camp’s commitment to be Gospel –Centered.  And above all, the out pour of God’s Spirit on His people.

El (in white), practicing a skit with the team

               
Nehemiah Teams rallies it as This Generation. Every Nation!   iDISCIPLE Camp declares it as KNOW, OWN and MAKE KNOWN the GOSPEL.

Nehemiah Teams hopes this partnership would further be strengthened and be of better service to the youth department.

iDISCIPLE Gospel Camp is held yearly from December 26-30 at the Southern Baptist Camp in Mariveles, Bataan.

NT 2012 Luzon participants

-Nehemiah Teams Luzon

Start the New Year out right!

Do you remember how excited you were at the completion of your NT summer? Can you remember all the ways God worked? The way God provided? Do you still have your letter to Jesus? Even if you can’t participate in the upcoming NT summer, you can be apart of the ministry! You can mobilize!

Why is mobilizing so important? This is not a matter of growing Nehemiah Teams but of growing the Family of God! The more that goes, the ore that hears; it is as simple as that.

And that is why even if you can’t go this summer you can be a vital instrument in encouraging others to take part in the Great Commission!

An easy way to share about NT is to host what is called an Interest Meeting. An Interest Meeting can be held in someone’s house, at a church, or anywhere you can find the space.

What is an Interest Meeting exactly? An Interest Meeting is when you invite friends who have expressed interest in missions to come and learn more about Nehemiah Teams. There is a time for worship, testimonies, games, and of course sharing information about Nehemiah Teams.

Below you can download resources to help you plan your own interest meeting!

Printable Invites. (Print them on bright colored paper and add the location and time of your event!)

Interest Meeting Poster

NT 2013 letters. (Print and cut out to make a sign, as shown in the pictures above.)

Go, Pray, Obey (Letters to cut out and use as decoration)

WHAT, WHY, WHO, WHERE posters

Prayer Commitment Cards

List of Ideas

Giving Creatively

Here are some creative ideas for churches and individuals who want to invest in the loves of young people going on Nehemiah Teams for the summer.

Commissioning Service. The Sunday before your young people leave for missions pray over them as a church give each participant a remembrance such as a bracelet or a bookmark to remind them that they are being supported in prayer by their church family.

  

First Aid Kits. Support the young people of your association that are going on mission by preparing a First Aid Kit for each team. Have each Sunday School class donate an item or two and you will quickly have everything you need to make the kit! This act of kindness may not cost much but it demonstrates that you care about the teams and want to invest in their lives.

Toiletry Bags. Prepare small bags with soap, shampoo & conditioner, and a face towel for each participant going from your church. This will minimize their need for pocket money and be a blessing to them on the field.

Prayerchain. Ask everyone in the church to commit to praying for the young people at different times of the day. The goal is to make a chain of prayer that fills the day. The teams will surely be blessed and strengthened by such faithful prayer!

Listen to their Stories.  When the young people return ask them about their summer. Listen to their stories and prayer with them for God’s continued work in the area.

Orientation

The When

Each Franchise has their own orientation that is specifically tailored for their teams and targeted area of service. Please check the brochure on www.nehemiahteams.com (click on the Filipino NT button on the right sidebar).

The Where

Because each franchise handles their own orientation (& debrief) each one takes place in a different location. For the specific location of your desired franchise’s orientation please download the brochure.

The What

The purpose of or it to prepare and equip the current NT participants for the field it is 3-5 days in length which allows for each participants to learn several ways of sharing the Gospel. NT is not looking for spiritual giants- but for young people that are willing to humble themselves, submit to God, and to learn how to be willing to be used by God for His kingdom expansion.

The What

Orientation is a training time that equips, prepares, and mobilizes the NT participants for action. It is a time dedicated to learning evangelism methods, practicing said methods and building team unity. This practical education includes (but not limited to):

            Evangelism: Gospel Hand, Personal Testimony, Story Telling, Creation to Christ, Participatory Bible Study, VBS Training

            NT Values: Ten Gates, NT Goals, Vision, and Mission, World Christian Bible Studies, Mission Biographies, Scripture Memorization, Team Building Games and Trust Activities, and Personal Quiet Time

Do not let fear of inadequacy be an obstacle to your obeying God. Join NT and come ready to learn and see what God can do through your life!

Hang up a poster!

Hang up a poster in your house, your church, and/or Sunday School! Click on the links below the image to download a poster to print. Make it your own by downloading the one with no pictures and add pictures from your own experience with Nehemiah Teams!

DOWNLOAD IT NOW!
COLOR w/PICTURES: JPEG  PDF
COLOR NO PICTURES: JPEG  PDF

This resource is also available under the RESOURCE TAB.