June 2006

• Praise report: Filipino 2006 Nehemiah Teams results
• Camp Use & Construction Update
• American Nehemiah Teams on the field!
• Medical/Construction Teams soon to arrive
• Stateside Assignment time is here

Praise report: Filipino 2006 Nehemiah Teams results
As Nehemiah Team members arrived at orientation, the first thing they saw was the 12 foot wall! For some, this was an adventure. For others, a challenge... an impossible task... a nightmare! This was something they could not do on their own. It represented what we were asking them to go out and do: open doors and plant churches among the unreached and hard to reach here in the Philippines. Students going to the unreached? Students planting churches? If we ask them to climb a high wall... they just might do it!

The Filipino teams came back rejoicing. There was one common testimony on every team: God is at work among even the most unreached! Rejoice with us:

• 12 teams with a total of 34 members
• An additional 41 local students trained & equipped
• Ministered in 42 different areas
• Sites for Kids Health Camp: 29
• Kids enrolled in Health Camp: 851
• Tracts distributed: 5833+
• People indicating response to follow Christ: 396
• New believers baptized: 20+
• House to house evangelism: 395 homes
• Permanent Bible studies: 8

Some teams were forced to use creative ways to share Christ with the unreached...

• One team was not allowed to give a bold, verbal public witness... but they were allowed to visit individual farmers on their farms and share about agriculture and about the One who can give them abundant life!
• A team was able to impact the same community for the entire 3 weeks... each week conducting a different type of "camp" for the children & young people of the community. Although they couldn't go door-to-door & share the Gospel... the Lord brought many to them so they could share the Gospel in a relationship-type way.
• A team of cultural learners explored a culture completely foreign to them. In the dark hours of the night, sitting side by side with men of this people group, these students shared of their personal journey with the one, true God. As they were questioned by the men of the community, they were able to answer questions about their faith & the One in whom they believed.

Pray the fruit of their ministries will remain strong. Pray that house churches will continue and new believers will reach out to many more people from their people group. Pray that decisions made by team members will be confimed by the Holy Spirit's work in their own lives.

North Mindanao Baptist Campground Update
It has been a little over 2 years since we started building the North Mindanao Baptist Campground. We want to thank all of you who have helped financially and those who have given their time to come work. Even though the facility is not complete, 145 young people from the Mamanwa tribe came for a two day camp sponsored by their denomination. For most, this was their first camping experience. We praise the Lord that many decisions were made!

Our local association of Southern Baptist Churches used the facility this past April during their annual Camp Meeting to house attendees and for the children's classes. The Caraga Regional Baptist Men will use the facility this next week for their annual 3-day retreat. We also used it for our Nehemiah Teams orientation & debrief sessions. So even though it is not yet complete, it is being used for training & encouraging the local Christian body.

There is a Nehemiah Team assigned to the camp for the next two months. They began early this past Monday morning pouring floors for the 2 smaller cabins. They will continue with other projects over the course of the summer. We are also excited about the Alabama volunteer team coming June 17-24. While others conduct free medical clinics, some of the men will spend the week working on the facility.

American Nehemiah Teams on the field
Following a 4-day orientation, 20 American students with their 9 Filipino team mates began their summer ministry. While the Agusan team set up "home" at the camp, the other 2 teams took to the high seas as they set sail for Cebu City and their final destinations for the summer. What a sight they were as they traveled through Butuan City all loaded up in their jeepney loaded down with backpacks, boxes of Bibles & tracts, rice sacks with their "mobile kitchen" supplies! Needless to say, they were excited to be on their way!

You can keep up with them by checking their team's blogs over the summer. Two media gals are serving as "embedded reporters" as they report on the team's ministries.

The blogs can be accessed through our website (www.nehemiahteams.com) or through the links below:
Agusan Ag/Construction Team & Siquijor Island Team: www.nehemiahmissions.blogspot.com
Can-avid Riverboat Team: www.can-avid.blogspot.com
Dolores Riverboat Team: www.dolores-team.blogspot.com

Pray for boldness in sharing Christ. Pray for the teams to discover a person of peace in each area who is open to learning from the scripture. Pray they will be an encouragement to believers.

Medical/Construction Teams to arrive
Our partnership with DeKalb Baptist Association over the past two terms has resulted in many volunteers coming to be a part of ministry here in the Agusan River Valley. The final team for this term arrives on June 17th. On Sunday the 18th, team members will be in local churches, preaching & sharing testimonies. The medical team, led by Dr. Mike Story, will conduct free clinics in 4 remote villages where health care is very limited. The construction team members will continue to work on the camp, building much-needed bunk beds! Pray for safety as the medical team travels each day to the clinic sites. Pray for those attending the clinic to be open to hearing about the Great Physican!

Stateside Assignment time is here
We are excited to have the chance to see many of you over the next 6 months. We can't wait to share all that God has done over this past term. Our older kids, David & Krysten, left earlier this month and are enjoying time with grandparents & other family members. We will continue to use our current email address so please keep in touch!