tell 2011

Why Europe?

A Movement of Prayer

Tragedy and Triumph

tell magazine

Christians inOppression, Thailand Discipleship, and Hope

Team Expansion’s Log of Love

www.teamexpansion.org

Fall 2011

tell

magazine

State of the Mission Welcome to our fall 2011 edition of the tell magazine.

Speaking of fall, as I write this letter, fall has, well - fallen! Within a matter of mere hours, the temperatures dropped from 103 to 56! As I think back, I can’t remember a more marked temperature change in recent times. And I’ll have to admit – I have some memories.

For example, I remember: • The night we suggested the idea of forming an association of missionaries. It was 1978.

Penny and I were attending a Bible college in eastern Kentucky and I had invited seven other guys to come together in a dorm room to pray about the world. I prayed that God would raise up workers for the country of Uruguay. Within days, I realized God was raising up me. Penny joined me. Four years later, we were on a plane headed to Montevideo, leading the first team of Team Expansion missionaries.

• Being stuck in the Detroit airport waiting for a snowstorm to subside. It was 1985 and I had just attended a mission Personnel Directors’ workshop. My mind was racing with ideas. Another mission executive happened to be marooned alongside me. He was happy to brainstorm with me about, “What is Team Expansion?” Some four hours later, I had written down a list of Seven Core Values, which remain mostly unchanged nearly three decades later. They are: o o o o o o o

Remain faithfully committed to the Bible Work among the unreached (5 percent or less evangelical) Hold a non-judgmental attitude among teammates on issues of opinion Work in teams Provide supporters a monthly report on progress, time, and money Desire, provide, and seek coaching Set church-planting as the primary long-term goal

• On a fall day much like this one, some years later, recognizing that Team Expansion had acquired an “organizational culture.” I wrote down a list of Seven Great Passions.

It took a while before they became formalized, but these days, they help explain who we are. We’re passionate about: o o o o o o o

God Prayer People Effective communication Making disciples Creative strategic perseverance until the results are achieved Growth

So as you read this fall 2011 tell, realize that this year’s events will soon become memories.

Years later, someone just might write about them – and praise God because of them.

Doug Lucas Team Expansion President

2

fall 2011 • tell

What is the tell?

Revelation 7:9-12 paints a beautiful picture of every nation coming before the throne of God to worship Him. The tell, Team Expansion’s Log of Love, has functioned as a bridge between ministries around the world and the local church since 1992.

It has been our hope to radiate the goodness of God and the progress that we are making together through this publication. Until that moment before the throne, may we all continue to play our part in fulfilling the Great Commission! tell is produced by Team Expansion, all rights reserved and implied.

Design Editor SHAUNA PETERSON speterson@teamexpansion.org Writing Editor CARLA CASSEL ccassel@teamexpansion.org Contributors NATHAN HOLT nholt@teamexpansion.org MATT CROSSER mcrosser@teamexpansion.org BILLY HEATH III bheath@teamexpansion.org

Team Expansion -

Transforming communities among the unreached by planting Biblical churches.

Team Expansion 4112 Old Routt Road Louisville, KY 40299 www.teamexpansion.org 1.800.447.0800 (toll-free) 502.719.0007 502.719.0008 (fax)

on the cover

Contents A stone monument on the grounds of the ancient city Ayutthaya represents the spiritual warfare in Thailand. (photo by Billy Heath III)

2

State of the Mission

4

A Movement of Prayer

6

Encountering the Unreached

10

Why Europe?

13

Who is My Neighbor?

14

Thailand

20

Year in Crisis

22

Pathways

25

Unleashed for the Unreached

26

Taking Care of Missionaries: Your Role

Letter from the president

Exploring extraordinary prayer

A journey to North Africa

Sending missionaries to “Christian” nations

A story of victory through struggle

Local Christians find unity in discipleship

Snapshots of this year’s major disasters

Intern experiences in their own words

A new initiative for reaching the world

The church’s opportunity for member care

28

Emerald Hills

30

News & Notes

32

Tragedy and Triumph

Team Expansion’s staging center

Updates from around the world

Ministry in New Orleans

35 Full-Time Opportunities Team Expansion’s urgent needs

tell

prayer

by BETTY BYRD

W

e often experience the unexplainable when we pray: A prayer for help is followed by a phone call. A prayer for comfort is followed by understanding. A prayer for forgiveness is followed by relief. Prayer is powerful because it is how we speak to God. Prayer is powerful because God listens.

God listens to our personal prayers, but He also listens when our requests travel across continents. There is nothing more essential to a church-planting movement than prayer.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Ps. 127:1)

PURPOSE

A prayer movement can be defined as a group of transformed people who continuously ask God, through united and sustained prayer, for their community to first find and experience intimacy with Him and for Kingdom transformation to occur, particularly for a specific region, country, or people group. A prayer movement involves an agreement to participate in unusual, extraordinary prayer.

James Fraser, a British Protestant Christian missionary to China among the Lisu people, once said, “Can it be that a great work for God involving thousands of souls devolves upon our prayer life – half a world away?”

He realized the impossibility of accomplishing anything apart from prayer on behalf of the work. Fraser believed this so strongly that he wrote to his mother, “I know that you will never fail me in the matter of intercession, but will you think and pray about getting a group of like-minded friends, whether few or many, whether in one place or scattered, to join in the same petitions?”

Fraser sincerely understood that the best way to advance God’s Kingdom was through prayer. Six years after he arrived in China,

4

fall 2011 • tell

breakthrough among the Lisu occurred. Six hundred people (129 families) followed Christ. Today more than 300,000 Lisu people have claimed Christ. An indigenous church-planting movement has been ignited. The fuel was prayer.

Dr. A. T. Pierson, an early Presbyterian minister and renowned advocate for world missions, said, “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.”

This is why prayer networks are initiating in countries throughout the world for countries throughout the world. There is a reawakening to prayer that is opening windows of opportunity that seemed impossible.

HISTORY

There is a long history of God asking His people to pray for other nations, and responding when they do so. The early church set the precedent for extraordinary prayer, which propelled the spread of the Gospel throughout the first century. (See sidebar for references to prayer in Acts.)

The first known continuous prayer began in 1727 in Saxony among the Moravian Brethren. For more than 100 years, the Moravians prayed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

Jonathan Edwards called people to extraordinary prayer in the late 1700s, and the Great Awakening occurred. Isaac Backus called for the same kind of prayer to revive pastors in the U.S. in 1794, and the second great awakening happened.

In the 1800s, a prayer movement started in a small group of businessmen and spread until thousands of people were saved. Prayer for another great awakening began in the early 1900s. People were praying early in the morning, late into the night, fasting during lunch times and dinner times in order to pray. Extraordinary prayer was occurring, and revival was happening in many parts of the world.

Through the years, there have been prayer initiatives from groups like: The Haystack Prayer Meeting, Society of Brethren, The Cam-

bridge Seven, The Student Volunteer Movement, The Student Foreign Missions Fellowship, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade for Christ, Navigators, Urbana, Adopt a People, AD 2000 Movement, Caleb Project, Laymen’s Missionary Movement, various women’s movements dedicated to prayer and financial support, the U. S. Center for World Mission, and other non-western initiatives.

In each of these movements, God has responded in extraordinary ways.

PRAYER MOVEMENTS TODAY

God’s people are still praying, and He is still moving. More than ever before, technology is allowing instant access to united prayer. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, texting and email are all being used to connect Christians in international prayer. Requests can be sent out and prayed for across the world in an instant.

Many movements provide a specific request every day, or recommend that each member prays at a certain time regularly.

Most prayer movements have resources available for praying with improved insight and direction. Christians around the world are contributing united, intentional prayers to the Lord of the Harvest on behalf of many nations and people groups.

There are also places where 24/7 prayer for the unreached people of the world is happening today, such as the International House of Prayer in Kansas City and Prayer Mountain in Seoul, South Korea, as well as through initiatives such as Light the Fire in conjunction with Restoration Revolution.

IF GOD’S PEOPLE PRAY

A team in Taiwan loves to imagine two scenes. They think of the Christians in the States who are praying for their lost and hurting nation. They picture a grocery store full of usual customers.

Suddenly, several phone alarms start going off. It is 10:02, the time they’ve established for global prayer based on Luke 10:2. Many people in the store stop shopping. They stop bartering with their children. They stop comparing prices. They bow their heads, and they pray for Taiwan.

Then, the team imagines the smiles of their friends and neighbors in Taiwan when they finally realize the hope that can be theirs. They imagine joyful groups of Taiwanese seekers, coming together to grow and walk in Christ. They imagine the rapid spread of Christ’s love throughout the country as more people are transformed by the Holy Spirit.

The two scenes are intimately and intricately connected. Hearts will be softened. Lives will be reclaimed. Nations will be transformed.

If God’s people pray.

If you would like to be involved in a prayer network that focuses on a church-planting movement in a specific country or among a specific people group, there are many ways to get connected: • If you support a missionary, see if they know of a prayer network for the country they serve.

• If you have a passion for a country, but don’t know anyone serving there, check online or with missions agencies for existing prayer movements.

• If there is not a prayer network present, start one!

For more information: prayer@teamexpansion.org

Acts A prayer movement propelled the early church into being and kept it going and growing throughout the first century. The first 12 chapters of Acts have numerous references to prayer: Acts 1:24

Disciples prayed before selecting leadership

Acts 2:42

Body devoted themselves to prayer

Acts 3:1

Peter and John attended times of prayer

Acts 4:24

Body raised their voices together

Acts 4:31

Body prayed and was filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 6:3-4

Leaders gave attention to prayer

Acts 8:15

Peter and John prayed for other believers

Acts 9:11

Saul prayed for further instructions

Acts 10:2

Cornelius prayed regularly

Acts 10:4

God accepted prayers as a memorial offering

Acts 10:9

Peter prayed in solitude

In Acts 12:6-17, we see clearly what happens when people pray. God answers!

tell

unreached

Encountering the Un

by CARLA CASSEL

I

visited a field in North Africa to learn about the work being done in that region and to encourage the workers and believers there. I walked away with a radical new understanding of what “unreached” means, and what it looks like to serve and believe in these situations.

Ironically, the country I visited is codenamed, “Epiphany.” listening to the persistent call to prayer. And I thought, “How are they ever going to hear the truth?”

NOISE

“Everything for free!” is quite the statement, but the moment I heard it being shouted at me in the market, I expected a catch.

Freedom is a new word there, a word that has not reached its full potential, a word they are only beginning to understand – a word that is nearly lost in the noise.

Like many Islamic North African nations, the people are finding the voice they had long been denied, and they are all using that voice at once. There are a lot of people talking. There are a lot of people arguing. There are promises mixed incoherently with lies as everything tumbles out together.

Adding to that noise, there’s the call to prayer. Five times a day, it pulls the people toward the stability and foundation they’ve always known. It’s almost like the regular beating of a drum, saying, “Whatever else you’re doing, use this beat to keep in time. Use this beat to move forward. Use this beat to stay together.” And even though the people barely even notice the beat anymore, they still march to it.

I stood there in the city of one million people, listening to cars screeching and honking, listening to dogs barking, listening to the cacophony of voices offering all kinds of worthless pursuits, and

6

fall 2011 • tell

UNREACHED

“And if our God is for us, then who can ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?” I sang along with a small collection of families in the back room of a house, letting unchecked tears blur and clear my vision.

For the workers there, it’s so much more true and brave than it is for me.

When I sing that song at home, I’m singing it at church, surrounded by believers. And there are more churches just down the street singing the same thing. And the whole city is full of churches full of people singing this song. And the country is full of cities full of churches full of people singing this song. So what we’re actually singing is, “If my God is for me and my vast, endless army of fellow soldiers, then who can stand against me?”

But when they sing those words, they’re looking around. There is no army. There are no other churches. There are only a handful of displaced servants. They’re singing the song with the undeniable realization that this is it. No one else might ever show up. And they are singing it, still believing that that’s enough. Because God is there.

Because they don’t need an army – they just need God. Before I arrived, I didn’t really understand what “unreached” meant. I’ve been writing about these situations – even about some of

nreached: My Epiphany

the very workers I visited – without fully comprehending the enormity of the condition.

I had heard the statistics: for every 25,000 Muslims in this country, there is only one Christian. The numbers are staggering, but the reality is something else entirely.

I keep thinking of Gideon. He went out to battle with an impressive force of fighting men. But God looked at his competent army and basically said, “Nope. Too many.” Because with that many soldiers, it was going to look like their countless troops had accomplished the victory. And so He cut the numbers. And then He cut them again. And then Gideon went into battle with an overwhelmingly tiny army. And when the fighting was done and the dust had settled and victory was assured, all of the glory went to God.

Who was this engaged, outgoing fellow and what happened to my pensive, soft-spoken friend? I wore my confusion and astonishment on my face, and his wife smiled confidently next to me. She gently translated parts of their dynamic conversation, and my amazement only grew.

Hopping into a car with a perfect stranger, my friend had immediately engaged him in an energetic and heart-felt discussion about what’s important in that man’s life – about family, about the struggle to survive and provide, and about following God. In the 10 minutes we spent together in that taxi, the two men had explored all kinds of depths. They’d broken through first impressions and grown together. They’d listened purposely and shared pieces of their hearts. They discovered commonality and both walked away with more to think about.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation that intentional. I’ve never said, “Hey, Stranger. It looks like we have nothing in common, but maybe we do. I’ve got 10 minutes – let’s jump into the hard stuff.”

My life is not lived as a series of opportunities to learn, grow, share and maybe make a difference.

In that taxi, I realized something rather sobering. This is what missions is. This intentionality. This amazing openness to step far outside your own security and inclination, and reach toward some-

“And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?”

INTENTIONALITY

I sat in the back of the precariously tossing taxi, completely speechless about what was going on in the front seat. I’d spent two days staying with my friends. In their home, they were sweet, introverted, and quietly intelligent. Here, in this taxi, I watched in wonder as the husband spoke animatedly with the driver, both men laughing, arguing, and thinking in turn.

unreached

7

tell

unreached

“This is what missions is. This decision to talk and listen and argue and respect and walk away at the end of the car ride, trusting that God will move.” one else. This decision to talk and listen and argue and respect and walk away at the end of the car ride, trusting that God will move.

HONOR

I’ve heard many stories from Americans who became Christians.

I’ve seen their lives change. We talk about the sin and pain we moved away from. Addictions, abuse, purposelessness, fear. But in the States, as amazing and transformational as conversion is, it doesn’t usually cost us anything.

In North Africa, it costs the believers everything. When they choose to follow Christ, they realize their families will probably pressure them, abuse them, and ultimately reject them. They expect that their employers will fire them. They anticipate that their landlords will evict them. They know life will never be the same again.

And they’ll be doing all of this alone. Here, we have an abundance of churches. I always have somewhere to go when I want someone to pray with me. I never have to face anything alone. But for the believers in this country, it is not uncommon for them to go for many years before discovering another Christ-follower. Many of them assume they are the only believer in their town, state, or country.

I was unprepared for the persecution these believers face, but I was completely astonished by their reaction to it. While one believer told me bits of her story, she stated simply, “I lost everything. My family used every form of persecution they could think of. It was a really great honor.”

It was a really great honor.

She told me she lost everything and that her family hurt her in countless ways. And she considered all this as an honor, a privilege, a blessing she was humbled to receive. I know that that’s how Paul, the disciples, and the early church responded, but those were extraordinary circumstances. She was just sitting in her living room, telling a story to a stranger.

She was absolutely genuine and serious. She said it simply because it was the truth. She didn’t need to build up to it or add to it. She revealed so much in those short sentences, and her words challenged me beyond what I’d ever experienced.

I’m not saying I am ungrateful for my country, or the religious freedom I currently enjoy. I’m not saying I want to bring more

8

fall 2011 • tell

trouble on myself just for the sake of suffering. But I am saying that there’s a level of commitment, an understanding of salvation, a perception of cost that I simply do not understand because of how easy I’ve had it.

And because I haven’t had to experience the cost, I cannot possibly fully grasp the honor.

URGENCY

Everyone seems to be aware of the window. There is a freedom in the air that has not been there before, but it’s only a matter of time before someone comes in and takes that freedom away again.

There is an urgency to their conversations. They are asking questions they had never dared to ask before – and they are listening intently to the answers.

On one side, there is a willingness and an openness like there has never been in the country. People are seeking with intensity and hope. On the other side, time and darkness are against them. The window won’t be open forever, and the shadows that have had the run of the land for hundreds of years are not quick to surrender.

The believers and workers are taking advantage of this window.

This is what they’ve been praying for. They were already in place for just such a moment. They’ve been digging in their heels and waiting for an opportunity – this opportunity. They, too, recognize the transience of the moment and they are taking every minute they’ve been given.

There is a lot of noise in North Africa. But in the midst of all this, one voice is calling out through the noise. One voice is whispering, over and over again, that there is true Freedom. One voice is saying that the drum they’ve all been marching to so faithfully is leading them down the wrong road. One voice is offering hope.

I pray, and believe, that it will be loud enough.

For more information: info@teamexpansion.org

tell

europe

Why Europe?

by WAYNE MEECE

I

t’s the question asked of many missionaries who want to work in places like Ireland, Italy, Spain, Germany or Poland. Why go there? Those people are already Christian. Why not go to Africa or New Guinea where people are still pagan?

The answer to this question often shocks people. A higher percentage of people living in Ghana, West Africa attend church regularly and practice their faith than in England.

Churches in Nigeria are now sending missionaries to Ireland, who once sent missionaries to them. What happened?

EUROPE IN DECLINE

As Field Coordinator for Team Expansion’s workers in Italy, when I made my first field visit to the teams there, I went to a large cathedral in the city of Perugia. Located in the mountains of central Italy east of Rome, Perugia was once a safe retreat from sometimes-embattled Popes. A worker and I were exploring that day and passed by the cathedral at the time for afternoon mass. I was curious and asked the worker if we could sit and watch. As the mass began I noted that the crowd was very small, actually only 27 people.

They were sitting in widely separated clusters of 1 to 4 people. They were all strangers to each other and there was no community. There was seating for hundreds and only part of the sanctuary was set up for worship. The rest was left open for tourists who casually passed through gawking and taking pictures as I had just done. When we

10

fall 2011 • tell

went outside, there were literally hundreds of people sitting on the steps enjoying the cool of the evening.

The great churches all over Europe are largely empty today and many have been destroyed or sold as museums or have become mosques.

Several years ago my wife and I went to Quebec, Canada to study French. Quebec, especially the city, is the most European area of North America, a relatively small enclave of French speakers in a sea of English that extends from the English Channel to the Western Pacific. Our host family explained that Quebec had recently gone through what they called the “Révolution Tranquille,” the Quiet Revolution. The people of Quebec has stopped going to church, stopped getting married and stopped having many children.

The average family in Quebec went from about seven children per couple to fewer than two per family, in one generation.

The same “revolution” has swept over most of Western Europe. The average family in the European Union produces 1.4 children. Population demographers tell us that any society that falls to a reproduction rate of fewer than 2 children per family cannot sustain itself, and at that point, cannot recover.

European nations like Spain, Italy, Germany, France and others, are at that point now.

DAMAGED REPUTATION

When Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD that allowed Christians to worship freely in the empire, it set

the church free of opposition and persecution. From this point, Christianity became the state religion in most European nations and, to a large extent, still is.

Some countries actually pay priests and pastors from government tax funds. In addition, the church became very wealthy and often corrupt. Many church buildings and cathedrals were built, largely at the expense of poor people, as monuments to powerful political and religious leaders.

These practices, along with the Crusades and the Inquisition, have given the church a poor reputation among young modern Europeans. They do not trust the church.

SHIFTING IDENTITY

Another matter that affects religious life in Europe is Muslim immigration.

Europe’s decreasing native population has left a vacuum that is being filled by Muslim emigrants from North Africa. While the average European family has 1.4 children per couple, Muslim families average nearly eight children per couple.

Fifty percent of children born in the Netherlands today are Muslim. The government of Belgium says it will be a Muslim nation within 15 to 20 years simply because of the rates of population growth.

The church in Europe has been abandoned and is quite rapidly dying. Christianity has become nothing more than one’s cultural identification. While 98 percent of Irish people will identify themselves as Christian, less than 10 percent actually

“The church in Europe has been abandoned and is quite rapidly dying.

Christianity has become nothing more than one’s cultural identification.”

practice their faith in a minimal way (attending church on Christmas and Easter). Just last year the Pope declared Italy a mission field much for the same reason.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Anecdotal evidence from mission workers with Team Expansion indicates that our workers are having better results, more conversions and more churches started in areas of the world that are classified as resistant to Christianity than in Europe. So, what can and is being done in Europe?

The few Evangelical Christians left in Europe are waking up to the reality that they are in danger of being swept away in the tide of change around them. They are responding to the staggering numbers of immigrants and their now second- and third-generation children being born in Europe. People who move to a new culture or community are often receptive to new ideas. They are already learning the language and culture and are often open to serious efforts to reach out to them with help.

Christians from former colonies are beginning to reach back to the mother nations who brought them Christianity. Churches in Nigeria and Ghana are sending missionaries back to their former colonial leaders. The few strong Evangelical churches in England, Ireland, Italy and other countries are populated with surprising numbers of believers from former colonies. Many of them have a vision to reach back to their spiritual parents with the message of Christ.

NEW EFFORTS AND IDEAS

Missionaries to Europe today need to think and work “outside the box” or outside the established church that is seen as political, power-hungry and sometimes corrupt by most young Europeans.

One of the successful evangelistic efforts I have seen is the John 3:7 ministry in Ireland.

It is simple street evangelism that is friendly to the culture and feelings of the Irish people. The group stands on a popular pedestrian street in Dublin holding large signs with “John 3:7” on them. These signs have been seen in most sports events over Ireland, much like the John 3:16 signs at ball games here in the U.S. Everyone has seen them, so people on the street will walk up and ask something about the sign and what they mean.

The verse in the Bible is, “you must be born again.” A typical conversation begins at the same place as with Nicodemus, “How can I be born again?” From this simple, direct method, dozens have come to faith in the past three years simply because it respects the culture and is not “churchy.”

Few successful evangelical efforts in Europe today are housed in church buildings.

They meet in homes, schools or other public buildings. Many new believers refuse to be baptized in a church building because they do not want to be associated with the church they know.

In non-English speaking countries, the English language is often a great draw for contact with potential converts. English coffee parties are popular among young students

in Italy, Kosova, Poland, and other countries.

Even formal English classes where teachers charge small fees for help with language are popular and often lead to friendships and opportunities to witness for Christ.

OUR RESPONSE

My family came to the U.S. from Germany in the 1740s and brought their Christian faith with them. Most Americans are of European extraction; most American churches trace their roots to somewhere in Europe.

It is sad to see our spiritual “parents” falling away from the faith. It is not time to give back to those who gave so much to us? Is it not time for we children of Europe to rise up and bless our parents?

When a missionary comes to you and wants to go to Europe, please consider that Europe is much more a mission field today than many places in Africa. When I took my family to Africa to be missionaries in the early 1970s, Africa was still the “Dark Continent.” It is not so today. Most of sub-Saharan Africa is more than 50 percent Christian and many African churches are reaching back to Europe with their missionaries. Why not join them?

For more information: europe@teamexpansion.org

europe

11

Who is My Neighbor? a TESTIMONY from a TEAM EXPANSION WORKER in a SENSITIVE COUNTRY

“It as been incredible to see the ways the Lord has already been able to bring good from what the Enemy meant for harm.”

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers...”

My understanding and appreciation of the parable of the Good Samaritan has forever changed as a result of one experience.

Recently, I was walking to my friends’ house for language class. A man approached me and began to pull on my arm. When I resisted he showed me in his other hand that he was carrying a very large knife. He began to pull harder on my arm, trying to get me off on a side street. Since there were other people on the street (though, a ways off) I began to yell for help, but no one did anything. What felt like an eternity was probably only about five seconds. He then pulled very hard on the strap of my purse as he turned to leave. The strap of my purse broke, but not until after he let go.

He didn’t get my purse, but the force pulled me to the ground. I landed on my face.

The ground knocked two of my front teeth far out of place and chipped one of my bottom teeth half off. Bleeding and scared, I tried to pull myself together.

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him...”

Just then a different young man came and helped me get up. I had ten more minutes to walk until I arrived at my friends’ house and I didn’t want to do it alone. I asked him to walk with me.

“He went to him and bandaged his wounds...and took care of him...”

He got a bottle of water from another stranger and washed the blood from my face and arms. He gently scoured my arms with dirt trying to clean me off. He held my arm and guided me because I was pretty shaken.

When we got to my friends’ house, I asked him to come in so that we could thank him.

He politely refused and left me at the door.

My precious teammates rallied around me and took care of everything. One stayed by my side the entire day, one dropped everything to take me to the dentist. My roommate arranged for me to get in to a very good dentist and orthodontist, and everyone else showered me with prayers and encouragement.

It has been incredible to see the ways the Lord has already been able to bring good from what the Enemy meant for harm.

National believers have poured out love and it has strengthened several of my relationships with them. Someone from the church gave me a framed picture with Psalm 34:18 in Arabic and said, “I want to say I’m sorry on behalf of my people.”

The Lord gave me opportunities to communicate to ladies in my neighborhood how Jesus protected me and that I don’t have to live in fear. To a people who are terrified of recent increases in crime, the peace that Jesus provides can speak volumes.

My bruises and scrapes have healed. I only have one stitch left in my mouth. My teeth are still healing and may need quite a bit of work done. But my biggest concern in all of this was my heart.

I don’t want to live in fear and I didn’t want the Enemy to use this to cause me

to doubt my calling. I could fill pages with the ways God has answered prayers concerning this. He has only confirmed my call and my reason for being here through this horrible situation.

When my heart asked Him if this was still where I was supposed to be, the Lord answered very clearly with 2 Samuel 22:49-50.

“...from a violent man you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.”

The Lord has given me an incredible testimony of His faithfulness, His peace that surpasses all understanding, and He has given me opportunities to share this with others. He has done the same thing for my parents. God has received much glory from their attitude and response. They have boldly shared why Jesus is more than worth it.

“Which...do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

This experience has strengthened my desire and resolve to “go and do likewise.”

The people of this nation have been victimized by the Thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Now more than ever, I want to be the Good Samaritan who goes to them, bandages their wounds, and takes care of them by sharing with them the healing and redeeming news of the Gospel.

neighbor

13

tell

thailand

Shortly after a heavy rain, university students make their way along a narrow sidewalk to avoid the waterfilled street.

14 fall 2011 • tell

Thai Land photos and story by BILLY HEATH III

D

uring the rainy season in Thailand, the question isn’t if it will rain, but when. Whether for only a few minutes or hours on end, the streets will start to flood, the traffic will slow, and the humidity in the air makes you feel heavy, like there are sandbags in all of your pockets.

While the intense rains have their season and will pass, a small population of Thailand’s residents seems to have a heaviness placed on them that remains year-round. These are Thailand’s Christians.

Living in an area of the world where less than one percent shares in their desire to live boldly for Jesus Christ, many of Thailand’s believers are carrying a real spiritual burden.

responding to a crisis 15

(Top) Bangkok, as seen from the Baiyoke Tower, the tallest building in Thailand and currently the 26th largest in the world. (Bottom left) Statue at the Grand Palace in downtown Bangkok. (Bottom right) Male leaders and members of the community gather for food and fellowship with Holbrook at his home.

Buddhism is everywhere you look in Thailand. Idols can be found on almost every corner. For the majority of Thailand’s population, Buddhism is the way of life and a part of their culture. For the few Christians, the sense of rejection and isolation can seem overwhelming.

The Holbrook family came to walk with these believers and strengthen the Christian community in Thailand.

THE HOLBROOKS

“Lord if you want me to go and be a missionary, I am willing to go anywhere.

Just open a door.”

These are the words that Lonnie Holbrook prayed shortly after his graduation from Ozark Christian College in 2001. One week later, a close friend presented an opportunity to serve on a year-long internship in Thailand. Seeing the invitation as an answer to prayer, Holbrook accepted.

16

fall 2011 • tell

During the internship, Holbrook was completely transformed. His heart was released from numerous strongholds and, through prayer and fasting, he offered it up to God for the work of revealing His glory and making disciples.

Again, God pointed him to Thailand.

Holbrook returned to the States for a short time and was married to his close friend and now wife, Courtney. They served for a year at a local congregation, and then began preparing for full-time missionary service in Thailand.

The Holbrook family has now been serving God faithfully in Bangkok, Thailand since 2005. Their primary goal is to strengthen native Christian leaders

“The season has come for the Thais to do the Kingdom’s work. They need encouragement, they need help, and they need support.” and empower their present and growing ministries by offering wisdom, counsel, and a true sense of fellowship. Through perseverance, committing time to God, and guarded hearts, the Holbrooks have seen fruit produced in their ministry.

A CHANGE IN STRATEGY

Missionaries have been coming to Thailand for more than 300 years. There are still very few Christians. The Holbrooks believe the Gospel has had little impact on the area partly because the majority of the work has been constantly in the hands of

16

(Above) Holbrook speaks with two students during Encounter, a weekend event at Plap-Pla Church.

the missionaries and not passed to the Thai leaders.

The Gospel is very anti-cultural in Bangkok. To be Thai is to be Buddhist.

Those who have converted to Christianity have almost always done so through the patient and careful guidance of a fellow Thai. The Holbrooks feel that, with careful observation, it is time to transition ministry to Thai leadership.

“The season has come for the Thais to do the Kingdom’s work. They need encouragement, they need help, and they need support,” Holbrook said.

They believe that is when the real harvest will come, but they recognize it might not come in any time frame they have constructed. Ministry happens on God’s timing. Holbrook explains that, “You really have to let go of your personal sense of success. That’s huge.”

Recently the leaders of Plap-Pla, an area church, have taken notice of Lonnie

and Courtney’s willingness to serve God through discipleship and encouragement, and have asked the Holbrooks to join their college ministry team. This is a great opportunity to make disciples and raise up new Thai Christian leaders.

DISCIPLESHIP

Discipleship in Thailand is a work in progress. Holbrook describes discipleship as the missing link in the Thai church. The Holbrooks have learned that the Thai people are often meek by nature, so once conversations about their relationships with God or life in general reach a highly personal level, many Thai people start to feel uneasy or begin to shut down completely.

This is one reason discipleship has been slow to catch on with many Thai pastors. In order for discipleship to become effective, there has to be a close, “life on life” relationship – reminiscent of Jesus’ relationship with the disciples as portrayed in Scripture. The

Holbrooks believe that once these relationships take place and mature believers are formed, that’s when large-scale city transformation can appear.

Holbrook has recently begun hosting a weekly men’s breakfast in his home. Male leaders and believers in the community have the opportunity to come together and enjoy conversation aimed at going beyond the surface level and offer insight to their personal feelings or reflections on given topics.

There is also a Sunday morning class aimed at college students with a similar goal.

The students discuss where they feel they are in their walk with God, and how they could improve on this relationship.

But not all of the discipleship is this structured. The Holbrooks have taken a very relational approach to ministry, from teaching English at the university to playing badminton after class with students. They are always looking for ways to become more connected with the Thai people.

thailand

17

(Clockwise from upper left) Holbrook prays with one of the young men from his discipleship group at Encounter. Buddhist statues decorated in the Temple Garden at Ayutthaya.

A Thai girl enjoys her day despite the rain.

Worshippers pray outside a temple during an annual celebration of the Queen on Mother’s Day. Lonnie and Courtney serve in Bangkok with their children, Eden and Brennan.

18

fall 2011 • tell

THE BELIEVERS

Many of the Thai believers have come from troubled homes or difficult situations.

Several come to Christ seeking a loving savior. There is often a great sense of rejection.

To be a Christian is to invite criticism and opposition from non-believing friends and family members. Believers are often labeled as brainwashed, foolish, or gullible by those outside the faith.

Though this rejection is intensely painful and difficult to bear, it also can create closeness within the body of believers.

Believers in Thailand are experiencing victory by faith in Christ and are being set free from false teachings. They are becoming united and are starting to grasp the impact that their relationship with God and others can have. They are learning and maturing.

One believer, Paul, was born into a Buddhist family and was raised Buddhist.

He came to Christ through the guidance of a close friend he met while attending a university. After his conversion, he took an interest in missions and served overseas as a member of YWAM. Through unforeseen circumstances, he was forced to return to Thailand where he now serves in a family-owned restaurant.

Paul’s family opposes his belief in God and makes no attempt to disguise their feelings of rejection and disapproval of his desire to return to serving in a ministry capacity.

Despite this opposition, Paul believes in families and the powerful impact they have on our lives. He knows he can have just as much influence on his family as they have had on him. He believes he has the ability to change future generations.

For Paul, that message is enormous.

That message brings hope. Paul prays he can use what he has learned to impact others.

This is exactly what the Holbrooks are praying. They are praying that they can touch lives, and that each impact will ripple out into more lives, so that eventually, all of Thailand will know the hope and salvation of Christ. They pray they can change the world – one life at a time.

For more information: lholbrook@teamexpansion.org

Benz helps lead the Mae Faek Bible study at Loong Khom’s house.

Chiang Mai The children in the village of Mae Faek get excited about Saturdays. They get excited because they know that every Saturday, they will be loved. The three students from the Lanna Theological Center, Benz, Pim and Bus, who come to the village to help lead a Bible study full of songs, laughter, and Truth, are just as excited as the children.

“The kids are so lovable and have a real hunger for spiritual things,” Pim said.

Leading a Bible study for children living in Buddhist and animistic families is difficult. Many of the kids have to pray at the temples and offer food and incense at spirit houses to appease their ancestors. Even if the children wish to become Christian they often don’t have the freedom to do so until they come of age.

Thankfully, the LTC students are not alone in the villages. Experienced leaders and encouraging teachers mentor the students. Mr. Boonlert, the Academic Dean of LTC and Team Expansion workers, Dwain and Becky Anderson, help lead the studies and try to answer the difficult questions the children often raise.

LTC prepares the students for their experiences in the villages. They come to LTC to learn Bible, English, and church ministry. The students are from Thai and tribal groups in northern Thailand and one neighboring foreign country. Ten different language groups are currently represented in the student body of approximately 40.

Another village Benz and Pim help in is Khaw Tan Noi, where they are concerned for the girls they’re building relationships with. “They have difficult home situations.

by SHAUNA PETERSON

Often their parents argue or don’t live together and the girls then turn to us for advice and comfort. We’re so glad we can be there for them, but at the same time it is difficult to know how to help them best,” Benz said.

The number of girls who participate in these villages greatly outweighs the number of boys. Bus wishes more boys would have a hunger for God, but right now, “they seem to care more about playing sports and they won’t come to Bible study or worship.”

Another prayer concern is for the parents of these children. LTC and the students long for more adults to seek Truth, but ministry to the older generations has been agonizingly slow.

In the village of Mae Faek, there are only two Christians: one teenage boy who recently converted and an older man, Loong Khom, who opens his home to the children in the village to study God’s Word. The students are concerned for him because he had a stroke and lives alone, but they are happy to be an encouragement to him and they hope to help him remain faithful.

The students have a heart for the people of Thailand and continue to study hard so they can be effective in sharing the Good News.

Pray that God will tear down the walls the Buddhist people hold up so they will see and hear His love for them. Pray for Mr. Boonlert, the Andersons, and other faculty and staff at LTC as they continue to teach and encourage. Pray for Pim, Benz, Bus, and the other LTC students as they continue to learn and serve.

thailand

19

tell

crisis

Year in Crisis

Japan

EVENT: Earthquake, tsunami, nuclear leak LOCATION: Tohoku, Japan SUMMARY:

(from Wikipedia) The inland. In addition to loss of life and destruction Great East Japan Earthquake was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, March 11. It was the most powerful known earthquake to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world overall since modern record-keeping began in 1900.

The earthquake triggered extremely destructive tsunami waves of up to 133 feet in Miyako, Iwate, Tōhoku, in some cases traveling up to six miles

of infrastructure, the tsunami caused a number of nuclear accidents, primarily the ongoing level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, “In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan.” The Japanese National Police Agency

has confirmed 15,628 deaths, 5,699 injured, and 4,823 people missing across eighteen prefectures, as well as more than 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. The earthquake and tsunami caused extensive and severe structural damage in Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse.

Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity and 1.5 million without water.

RESPONSE: The Be One house church network in Japan has

partnered with other organizations to facilitate an extensive relief and response effort. The church has obtained a house in the area where they are mobilizing volunteers, processing and delivering donations, and building sincere relationships with the afflicted community. They have committed to long-term partnership with the area and are taking advantage of every opportunity to grieve and grow with the Japanese, all with the love, joy, and hope of Jesus Christ.

TO HELP: www.onfirejapan.com/tohoku/en/ 20

fall 2011 • tell

Japan photo by ANDREW BRECHBUHLER Joplin photo by CHUCK HOLTON Arab photo by MOHAMED ADEL

This year, many natural and man-made disasters affected the world and produced opportunities for Christians to respond in love. See how a few of these crises affected Team Expansion families this year, and how they are responding.

Joplin

EVENT: F-5 Multivortex Tornado LOCATION: Joplin, MO SUMMARY: (from Wikipedia) The 2011 Joplin tornado was a devastating F-5 multiple-vortex

tornado that struck Joplin late in the afternoon of Sunday, May 22. It ranks as one of Missouri’s and America’s deadliest tornadoes and is likely to be the costliest; the cost to rebuild Joplin could reach $3 billion.

According to the local branch of the American Red Cross, about 25 percent of Joplin was destroyed, with roughly 2,000 buildings destroyed. According to the National Weather Service, emergency managers reported damage to 75 percent of Joplin. Communications were lost in the community and power was knocked out to many areas. In total, nearly 7,000 houses were destroyed and more than 850 others were damaged.

Officials reported that 160 people died from the tornado, with another killed by a lightning strike during clean-up operations the next day.

RESPONSE: A majority of Team Expan-

sion’s workers are in some way connected to Joplin. Many watched the events unfold from continents away, often more informed than their own friends and family in Joplin because of the long absence of local power and Internet.

Each Team Expansion worker has responded individually to this crisis. Many have been directly involved

in the grief and relief because they live in Joplin, have spent their home service time there, or have visited specifically with the purpose of participating. Several workers who were forced to experience this tragedy from their fields of service have been blessed when their national brothers and sisters gathered around them to mourn, pray, and provide physical assistance.

TO HELP: We support the extensive efforts of College Heights Christian

Church. To donate, volunteer, or adopt an impacted family, visit CHCC’s storm website, www.chcchurch.org/storm-home

arabs

EVENT: Arab Spring LOCATION: Across the Arab World

(from Wikipedia) The Arab Spring is a revolutionary wave SUMMARY:

of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world. Since December 18, 2010 there have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; a civil war in Libya; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen; major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman, and minor protests in Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. Clashes at the borders of Israel in May 2011 have also been inspired by the regional Arab Spring.

The protests have shared techniques of civil resistance in sustained campaigns as well as the use of social media. Many demonstrations have also met violent responses from authorities, as well as from pro-government militias and counter-demonstrators.

RESPONSE:

Team Expansion workers have been impacted in a variety of locations affected by the Arab Spring.

Some workers experienced the protests and revolutions and are now taking the opportunity to plant meaningful spiritual seeds in the fertile aftermath of the revolutions. Some workers were forced to evacuate their fields for a time. Others

are directly involved in ministry to displaced refugees from neighboring countries. For most affected workers, the Arab Spring has created opportunities for meaningful conversations with those whom they are serving. In several situations, prayer movements have emerged on behalf of the believers, seekers, and lost among these nations.

TO HELP: Commit to praying for these nations. To learn more

about financial or physical donations for these areas, please contact Team Expansion at info@teamexpansion.org. year in crisis

21

22

fall 2011 • tell

tell

internships

P a t h Inway s : Their Own Words

photos and quotes by the 2011 PATHWAYS INTERNS*

PFO**

When I first got here, I wasn’t so sure about what I was getting into. I was afraid it was going to be hyper-spiritual or something, but by the end of the night, I am excited about what will come, even this week.

At orientation, they give us training and tools that will help us in the countries we will be going to. I have really enjoyed my time here. It is passing by so fast.

Every day is packed with sessions and activities, and I am so tired by the end of the day, but it is worth it to learn the things that will be helping me and also getting to know my team better.

PRAYER

One weekend we got the chance to speak to the family of a missionary serving in North Africa.

They told us how the prayers have been heard, and how the missionary felt as if the prayers were almost tangible. The missionary had noted that so many opportunities to share the gospel had arisen that she knew it had to be a result of prayer and the Holy Spirit. It is so encouraging to know that we serve a God who hears our prayers and who is working to bring North Africans to Himself!

The Muslim call to prayer is chilling to me. But also, I have

seen no one outdoors pay any attention to it.

LANGUAGE

Stupid American brain; why must I have a headache?

The man on the bus asked me what I was studying in the States, and I said “religion” because my first thought was to not give too much away. The man did not understand, and since I knew the word for Bible, I just finally said it.

Soon, he stated nicely that, “We are Muslim here. I am Muslim.”

STRUGGLE

The hardest day emotionally was yesterday as a woman gave us a tour of a mental hospital that was hit during the tsunami’s three waves, each higher than the last.

She told us stories of how hard it was to round up the patients and get them to safety and how so many of them died, as she showed us where everything happened.

The courtyard, the locked rooms, the café, it was heartbreaking.

The broken glass was lethal and the mud covered everything that was left in the hospital. I broke down as soon as I found a picture of a patient with a staff member.

Twenty-four patients died along with four staff members.

GROWTH

God is testing me and stretching me. He does it because He loves me.

*Colleen Timmons, Josh Kugler, Ashley Barry, Jon Derry, Sammie Therwhanger, Sheran Rollin, Natasha Carpenter, Andrew Brechbuhler ** Pre-Field Orientation at Emerald Hills, Louisville, Ken.

There are so many things God has shown me in only a month’s time. Aslan is on the move.

Well, as far as coming out of my shell, today was a pivotal day. I took the bus from one city to another, and then from that city to another, and I spoke to complete strangers in the local language!

At the beginning of the summer I had doubts about missions but I knew that if nothing else I had Nursing that I could fall back on.

God really worked on my heart this summer and gave me a passion for missions that I did not have before.

HOPE

The work to be done here was daunting at first, and some days I may just be sick of it, but I need to remember God has me here for a reason. He wants all of us here to help his children, the ones that are still lost and hurting. And are still searching for Him. Some things here have been even more challenging than I had anticipated, but God has been leading me through it all and I know that the Be One team is positively affecting many people here in Japan. It’s so encouraging to actually SEE the improvements here in the city of Ishinomaki and how much the Be One team is contributing to them. After being here a month, I can feel the differ-

ence, see the difference and even smell the difference in the city. I cant wait to see how much better it will be in another month!

RELATIONSHIPS

Maya is the most energetic and happy person I know. She is from here in Ishinomaki and volunteers with us every day she can.

She usually works 6 days out of the week and I think she works harder than most. Her English is amazing - she only started learning two months ago and she is already having conversations with people. She truly has a fighter’s spirit. She has studied Karate for 18 years. Maya is such a sweet girl and she means so much to all of us. She always asks us what is it that gives us so much joy and the strength to keep working.

We tell her it is the love of Jesus and I pray that one day she might have that too.

LEAVING

Looking back on all the things that have happened, I can’t help but realize that I really am changing, and it’s good.

Today is my last day in Taiwan and I fly back to the States tonight, but something in me tells me to miss my flight and stay! I have fallen in love with the people here and I have no desire to leave! But I will go and look forward to seeing them again!

What an unforgettable summer.

For more information: pathways@teamexpansion.org

pathways

23

DSOTO:

building teams,

fostering individual growth, encountering life together. dsoto@teamexpansion.org

www.teamexpansion.org/dsoto

tell

by KATIE SPONSELLER, 2011 Summer Intern

unleashed

photos by SHAUNA PETERSON

U

nleashed for the Unreached. You may have heard this phrase in passing or even witnessed the 140-foot display at this year’s North American Christian Convention.

However, it is more than just a huge research center or a trendy service project; it is an initiative aimed at your heart, it is a call to be used in God’s Kingdom here on earth.

This year’s NACC president, Dudley Rutherford, delivered his keynote sermon asking the American church to step up and to adopt one of the 6,900 unreached people groups in the world.

Not 6,900 people, but people groups – a group of individuals who shares common history, customs, language and ethnicity.

When the convention doors closed, God had moved in the hearts of more than 250 attendees who signed up as prayer intercessors or as catalysts who volunteered to share this idea with their church. They were partnering with us to save those who have never heard the name of Jesus or read His Word.

When I entered Team Expansion’s International Services office this summer as an intern, I was completely unaware that I would be involved in such an impactful event, from brainstorming, to designing, and volunteering at this display. My knowledge grew about not only the spiritually lost, but also in the ways everyone can be used to spread the love of Jesus.

I was blown away by the response from our churches. I was overjoyed to hear personal testimonies and specific instances where God’s hand is planting the seeds for new church planting movements to begin all around the world. Since the convention, the 250 individuals have grown immensely.

Unleashed for the Unreached is still happening. U4theU specialists are working to carry out a very detailed follow-up plan.

They will walk alongside you and your church, aiding you in every way possible. You can also find us at the National Missionary Convention in Atlanta this November.

I would like to encourage you to pray. This could very well be your unexpected niche in ministry and the opportunity to radically change your church. Will you to take part in changing the spiritual destinies of unreached peoples all around the world?

“Unleashed for the Unreached is a call to be used in God’s Kingdom here on earth.”

For more information: www.u4theu.com

unleashed

25

tell

member care

Taking Care of Missionaries: Your Role from CONTRIBUTIONS by TEAM EXPANSION WORKERS

26

fall 2011 • tell

“Workers see the needs every day.

Carry those burdens with them.”

M

issionaries and their families who are loved and supported from home will be more effective and enduring in their fields of service. Team Expansion strives to integrate member care into every aspect of our operations, but local churches are ideally situated to provide for the health and encouragement of their workers.

We asked workers to identify how they have been encouraged, and what they would like to see from Stateside churches and Christians. The following areas are crucial for sustaining and supporting God’s work, in the words of the workers themselves.

Stay Updated

Probably more than any other single thing one can do to encourage a worker is to stay up-to-date with them. Communicate your life and absorb theirs. Few do both, but those who do are amazingly encouraging. It’s disheartening when a worker runs into one of their biggest financial partners and has to start from a year back to communicate what is going on because the supporter hasn’t read the newsletters that have been sent out. On the other side, when workers come across someone who seems to have the newsletters memorized, it is easy and encouraging to fill in all the details.

Ask Questions

Asking questions is encouraging because the worker feels that you care enough that you want to know more. It is important that you’ve already mastered the “stay-upto-date” step to excel at this one. If you ask ten questions, of which nine were answered in previous newsletters, it will be more of a downer than an encouragement. However, if you ask about specifics, wanting more details, more news, etc., it is very supportive. Even to ask clarifying questions like, “I saw this in

your last newsletter and didn’t understand,” it shows that you care.

Visit

Come and visit the team on the field! There really is nothing like a personal visit. This is expensive and time-consuming, but it shows that you care deeply. By visiting the workers, you take the opportunity to live life-on-life with them. You experience the struggles, the joys, the confusions and the accomplishments. Not only that, but you bring an essence of a former homeland with you as you tell the most recent news of family and friends, the changes to a hometown, etc. Then take what you’ve experienced back to the congregation personally.

Become a Champion

Look at the ministry not as the workers’ on the field, but as the entire support network’s ministry – and your personal ministry. Talk to others from the perspective that it is also your ministry. Bring others to the table, whether in joining your prayer movement, financial support base or helping with a project. Become the workers’ personal representative.

Communicate the Specifics of Your Prayers

In addition to praying faithfully for the workers, email them and let them know you are praying. Tell them how you are taking their prayer points from their newsletters or updates and bathing them in prayer. Allow them to pray for you as well with your own specific requests.

Send a Care Package

Almost nothing that comes in a gift box or care package is financially worth the postage it takes to send it, but nothing speaks love and encouragement better than to say, “We wanted to bless you with this box of goodies” – even though the dollars and cents don’t add up. Find out what familiar things from home are unavailable, and get Sunday School

classes, Bible studies, and children’s groups involved, too. Be aware of what restrictions or fees the workers’ fields might enforce.

Send Notes of Encouragement, Birthday Cards, etc.

Pay attention to important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries. Everyone likes to be remembered, and it is especially valuable when the workers are so far removed from the familiarity and celebration from home.

Acknowledge Needs and Respond The workers see the needs every day and it can be overwhelming at times. Carry those burdens with them. Respond in action when you see them mention specific financial, physical or emotional needs. Send teams to complete specific tasks, raise money for urgent needs, and share your resources or advice where you can.

Support College-Age MKs

With continents separating workers from their college-aged children, it’s a tremendous relief to know that the local church is stepping in to protect and provide for the students in their parents’ absence. Provide meals, laundry, notes of encouragement, and the comfort of a family. The parents will be blessed in knowing that their children are being loved and supported.

Provide a Place to Stay and a Vehicle

When workers return for home service visits, it is easy for them to become exhausted as perpetual guests. They will often be living in someone else’s space for weeks on end. Some churches provide a mission house where workers can stay while they are Stateside. You can also offer a vehicle for them to use for free while they travel to visit family, supporters, and churches. These acts of normalcy will bless and encourage the workers and will go a long way in helping them to rest before heading back to their fields.

member care

27

tell

emerald hills

Emerald Hills:

Team Expansion’s Staging Center

by DOUG LUCAS

W

hen my son joined the army, they didn’t send him directly to Afghanistan or Iraq, even though the battles there were raging. Instead, they sent him to a huge army base in the state of Georgia.

Now at first glance, maybe that doesn’t make sense. After all, our troops on the front lines were already stressed by longer-than-usual tours of duty. Why was he needed in Georgia? It’s all part of the careful process they’ve designed for recruitment, selection, training, and staging. Before throwing my son in front of a raging enemy, they wanted to prepare him adequately to face every possible scenario, all the while assuring that he was battle-ready. As it turned out, it might have saved his life. Several weeks into training, his knee blew out. Had he been on the front lines, not only might he have lost his own life in a battle, but perhaps he would have also been unable to properly help defend the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Emerald Hills is no Fort Benning. Our budget is a lot smaller – and our food is better. What’s more, one base is designed to train warriors for physical battle, while the other property seeks to prepare families for

28

fall 2011 • tell

photos by SHAUNA PETERSON

spiritual battle – some of the most fierce spiritual battle on the planet, in fact. Viewed through the lens of a spiritual perspective, the purposes are similar – recruitment, selection, training, and staging. In fact, since that time, my son actually came to Emerald Hills for a different kind of training and has already led two effective summer campaigns in the Middle East and another in North Africa. So he was deployed after all, except – instead of being deployed from Benning, he has, so far, thrice deployed from Emerald Hills.

Those who determine to partner with us to build Emerald Hills as a recruitment, selection, training and staging center for Team Expansion are directly impacting the field, just like Fort Benning has direct impact on Afghanistan and Iraq. For this reason, we are extremely grateful for those who sacrifice so that others can be recruited, selected, trained, and staged for one of Team Expansion’s 45 mission fields among unreached peoples. Whether you are a prayer-partner, donor, or short-term worker at Emerald Hills, you are directly involved in the field of battle. And for that, we give you thanks.

That was Then; This is Now

(Top Left) MKs enjoying summer at Emerald Hills. (Bottom Left) Staff meets with missionary candidates. Penny Lucas reads to MKs. A woman prays for unreached peoples.

(Below) Staff prays for one of our workers. The front view of our Prayer Center and Atrium.

Back in the day, when Team Expansion was based in the old church house on Hopewell Road, we sometimes tried to stage training sessions. We had about 25 parking spaces, and there were more than 30 team members working in the building at the time, most driving their own car to work. Some of our training sessions would run as high as 15 or 16 people. Once we had 18.

The children of our new missionary candidates would go out and play in that parking lot, double- and even tripleparked. They’d play tag, dodging in and out of cars on the asphalt, hoping to see if anyone’s brake lights flashed. The training room had 10 chairs. Not only were we packed in with current numbers, but we had nowhere to grow. That was then; but this is now.

Fast-forward to March 2009, when we moved to Emerald Hills. This move has radically transformed our ability to stage training sessions of various types. We’ve hosted: • “Launch,” our new missionary training (5 or 6 times a year, 7-18 people each cycle, two weeks in length) • “Kairos,” a 40-hour, one-week intensive encounter with the heart of God for the nations, with 20-25 students plus facilitators • Various prayer events, including rallies, week-long 24/7 prayer vigils, concerts of prayer, prayer & fasting days, daily prayer meetings, and more • Team Leaders’ Summit, with 70 people in all (team leaders, prospective new leaders, and trainers) • “Jonathan Training,” an 80-hour, two-week facilitated course designed to equip visionary leaders with the tools necessary to launch church-planting movements in their respective fields • Various training workshops specializing in missionary care, caring for missionary children, stewardship of God’s creation, security, and more Emerald Hills is empowering the church at large, as well as Team Expansion in particular. And all the while, International Services continues to be based at Emerald Hills too, in its ministry of facilitating the organization as a whole. We give praise to God that Emerald Hills is working, and we thank all of those who are helping birth that dream!

For more information: www.emeraldhills.info www.facebook.com/emeraldhills

PRAYER REQUEST Please join us by: • Giving thanks for the roughly $2 million that has come in so far to pay the lion’s share of expenses for constructing Phase I, the phase that is already completed, and is permitting our current ministry here at Emerald Hills.

• Asking God to raise up the remaining $1.45 million needed to completely finish covering all the Phase I expenses. God be praised – we haven’t missed a “house payment” yet. But some months, we wonder where it will originate.

• Praying that God would raise up a major donor – someone to give $1 million or more to make a crucial impact on this final mile.

Thank you for your partnership!

emerald hills

29

News and Notes Updates and information about a few of Team Expansion’s fields around the world

4 5

2 6

1

3

1 - North Africa - Decisions Earlier this year, four of the members of the “picture family” (the family of believers in the city where the team serves) attended a gathering of believers down south. The event was organized by local friends who are involved in following up with contacts from media ministries. Nearly 30 brothers and sisters from all over the country came together to encourage one another and be encouraged through the teaching of the Bible.

Five people were baptized in the ocean that week, including three of the members of the picture family! After they returned, the workers met with them to hear how their week had gone, and they were amazed at the joy in them. The 17-year-old son,

especially, seemed like a brand new person.

Before, when they would visit the home, he would sit and listen, but he never asked many questions. Even his friends at home didn’t know that he was considering accepting Jesus. At the beginning of the week, the first person he met asked if he was a believer. He was taken aback by this bold question and didn’t know quite how to answer. At the gathering, he was impressed and encouraged by the boldness of those around him, so when the same person approached him at the end of the week and asked the same question, he answered with a confident, “Yes I am.”

2 - Cincinnati - The Flow

Jade and Kim Kendall are in the beginning stages of planting a new church in a neighborhood in Cincinnati called West Price Hill. The church is called The FLOW. They are planting the church with a “missional community model,” rather than an “attractional model.”

A core group is participating in a discipleship study that aims to bring Christians back to the basic ideas of Jesus. This is a closed group until the end of the year while they make a serious attempt to create a mature core group of disciples for the Flow Church to stand on.

By early 2012, they hope to have their church building functional so that they can begin meeting there. At this point they intend to invite “people of peace” (Matthew 10:12-14). In the fall of 2012, they plan to open the church to anyone who desires to join. The goal is to create a missional community of 50-75 people, while training mature Christians to lead additional communities.

30

fall 2011 • tell

3 - Taiwan - 10:02 Prayer

Can you imagine the impact of thousands of people praying daily for a specific country? The Taiwan teams believe with this kind of prayer, the Body of Christ has the potential to bring hope and salvation to whole nations and people groups. In order to mobilize a larger prayer team, they are challenging everyone to begin praying daily at 10:02 for Taiwan. You can set alarms on your watches and cell phones to give you a daily reminder to say a prayer for Taiwan, based on Luke 10:2 (The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.)

To sign up for text updates, text your time zone code: Eastern Time Zone: “10o2eastern” Central Time Zone: “10o2central” Mountain Time Zone: “10o2mountain” Pacific Time Zone: “10o2pacific” followed by your FULL NAME (Example: 10o2central Chad Edwards) To the number: 59769

4 - Eastern Europe - New Brother

“Jeff” has been regularly worshiping with the local fellowship for awhile. He has been attending every teaching event, youth group and other activities nearly without fail for more than three years. But thanks be to God, he finally made his commitment and was baptized into Christ! He has been reading more than ever and is fast growing in Christ.

Please pray for him as he searches for the right time to share his new-found faith with family and friends. One of his brothers is studying to be a Muslim leader and he will not take this news very well. The team does not expect violence, but the opposition will be intense.

5 - Spain - Buy a Book!

A team in Spain is investigating the possibility of opening a center that will include an English Library with room for classes and a social area for different activities. Their goal is to spend 2012 developing a ministry plan, researching all of the necessary details with a goal of launching in 2013.

Over the next year and a half, they are going to be collecting books for the library. Check their wish-list on Amazon (go to Amazon.com, click on “Wish List” on the right of the page and then type in “English Library Granada.”). You will see many books - pick and purchase a book, and it will ship directly to the field.

6 - Venezuela - Record Baptisms

August is the month of church camps in Venezuela and each year seems to build on the one before. This year the camps had more baptisms in the month than any previous time, with 31 young people meeting the Lord in Christian baptism.

The high school camp set the bar high this summer with 16 baptisms, and the college age came in close behind with nine. The college camp has exploded over the past couple summers, going from a mere 30 participants to over 100 this year!

A nine-year-old boy who was baptized while at camp was asked by his aunt,

“Why are you getting baptized at such a young age?” He responded, “I discovered at camp that God has a plan for my life and I don’t want to miss it!”

Another girl was praying during the invitation one day, “God if you want me to get baptized today, send me a sign.” As soon as she finished praying, one of the staff looked at her and asked, “Don’t YOU want to get baptized?” She knew that was her sign, and she immediately joined eight others in the pool. Those nine were baptized simultaneously.

news and notes

31

tell

new orleans

j bc

f

ru evq

SSER

by MATT CRO

photos by NEW

T

RAGEDY

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped through the skies over Florida, gaining momentum as it slammed the coastal areas on the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Katrina became one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States. The hurricane gouged its way through several states, changing life for many residents and taking life for others.

The residents of the area demonstrated a hopeful sadness in the midst of their crisis.

They may have been resilient, but they didn’t have to respond alone. Relief efforts were launched by many churches and organizations. In the months and years that followed, many made their way to help in the clean-up and relief efforts.

RESPONSE

Among those worker pilgrims was Matt Woodward and his wife, Andrea. The Woodwards had been on vacation from their ministry in Phoenix when they saw the devastation on TV and were moved by it. When they got back from their vacation, they helped put together a team of volunteers to take a trip to New Orleans to assist in whatever way they could.

When they got to Louisiana, their team jumped into the relief effort, helping people in ways like cutting trees down off houses and pulling drywall off walls. One of the places where they worked was a school that needed gutting out.

By the end of that trip, a surprising new opportunity for the Woodwards had already been put into motion. They were asked to stay in New Orleans to direct the efforts that they had been volunteering to do all week.

Woodward says their initial response was, “No way.” They lived and did ministry in Phoenix and were preparing to plant a new church in that area. Moving to New Orleans wasn’t their plan. God had something different in mind.

Three times throughout the week the Woodwards were approached about moving to New Orleans and doing ministry there. Each time, they responded, “No.” They were going to plant a church in Phoenix. Wasn’t it enough that they came to volunteer for a week?

God moved on their hearts. They wrestled with whether planting the church in Phoenix was what God wanted for them, or what they wanted. They were stirred by the compassion of the effort in New Orleans.

When they got home from the trip, it became clear where they were supposed to be.

God opened door after door for New Orleans. They sold some of their things, packed the rest and moved to New Orleans.

ANOTHER WORLD

When the Woodward family moved to New Orleans, they were going to live in a place that seemed worse than a third world country. It looked war-torn. Cars were on top of houses. There was no power for miles. That which seemed like a drive through the backwoods at night turned out to be the remains of a neighborhood when illuminated by sunrise.

They needed a place to live and they found the answer in one of the work sites they had served during the relief trip – the school. The building that had been a project before became

p COMMUNITY

M ORLEANS TEA their home three months later.

They turned some classrooms into apartments. Woodward and his family moved into one, as did the rest of the staff. They converted some of the classrooms into volunteer housing. This enabled them to host 200 volunteers per week for 15 months. Since there was no power, they used generators to create their own. For about six months, theirs was the only light at night for miles.

Even beyond the disaster-torn conditions, this was a whole new place. Going from Phoenix to New Orleans was like entering another country. It felt as though they needed a passport to make this move. They realized they needed to spend time and effort understanding the culture in Louisiana, just as overseas missionaries study the local culture where they are ministering. It is as important as learning the local language.

They also had to relearn how to do ministry. Ministry and culture were very different in Louisiana than in Phoenix. Once they started to understand the culture, it was easier to be more relevant as they shifted into their new ministry.

CHALLENGES

Woodward brought his wife, a twoyear-old and one-year-old with him. Having a family there wasn’t an easy experience, but the hardest part was others’ responses.

Some of the volunteers who came thought they were crazy. Some moms even ridiculed him. They told him he was a terrible father to bring his family to such a place. He was trying to come and serve in a place of need and people were reacting to him like he was irresponsible.

As difficult as that was, the Woodwards stuck it out. And they weren’t alone. Starting with a staff of six, it quickly ballooned to 1620. This would be a challenge for an established ministry, and was even more so for a fledgling new enterprise.

In a normal environment, there are separate work relationships, church relationships, family relationships, etc. In a missions environment the dynamic changes, especially in the early years. A missionary works with the same people that he goes to church with. These are the same friendships for hanging out and for celebrating birthdays and holidays.

In New Orleans, this aspect was taken to another level. Not only did these team members work together, worship together and spend fun time with each other, but they also lived together! In the school-turnedmakeshift-apartment complex, they were never further than a couple doors down from each other. There would be times when this would be a gift, but this type of setting can stretch the limits of any relationship.

One of the greatest things that they learned from this situation was how to live in community. Learning this biblical mentality of community would prove to be valuable for the next stages of the ministry.

St. BERNARD PARISH

eral years focusing on the relief effort, they turned their attention to the long-term vision, taking into account the lessons learned about the biblical concepts of community.

Their staff is now comprised of Woodward, Aaron Johnson, Abbey Flaherty, Ron Koval and Kate Williams. Aside from staff, they have a larger team of leaders in their community. Their desire is to raise a “Kingdom of Priests” (Exodus 19). This concept takes away the hierarchal model of church and ministry.

They continue to be involved in area projects, youth outreach, worship events, even taking youth for mission trips overseas.

They turned the focus from crisis response to long-term spiritual growth and stability.

One priority in the past few years has been the renovation of a bowling alley. They are changing it, though. It was a bowling alley; now it’s The Gathering Place.

THE GATHERING PLACE

The Gathering Place is ultimately just what it says – a place for the community to gather. Woodward says they believe that the most impactful way to bring long-term,

The parish, or county, of St. Bernard is southeast of New Orleans. Before Katrina, the St. Bernard parish had been ranked as one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, with a population of 67,000. The population now rests at 33,000 and virtually every building was damaged in the historic storm.

This parish is where Woodward’s team has landed. After sev-

(Top right) Woodward and his sons help paint a wall in The Gathering Place. (Right) The Gathering Place’s renovations near completion.

new orleans

33

(Left) A college group from Iowa installs posts at a local park.

(Above) Two youth group girls canoe on a wilderness trip.

sustainable change to a community is through relationships. He argues, “If our mission is to teach people how to walk with God and how to be a spiritual community that lived as Jesus lives, then it must first be displayed in our own lives. It’s through our lives that the community reads the Scriptures and sees Jesus.”

This idea of creating community-driven opportunities and outreach is a combination of Woodward’s understanding of Israel with the Orthodox Jewish community, his application of Scripture and from visiting churches around the world.

There are churches that do a great job of impacting their community. Sadly, there are many others that just “do church” on Sunday.

Woodward’s team wants to have more impact of actual change in the culture by being part of the community.

MISSION

The team’s mission statement is, “To create a spiritual community that lives as Jesus lived.”

Woodward expands this statement by explaining, “Our community is defined not by a creed or what we think. Instead, our mission is to be defined by what we do and how we live. John teaches us that if we call ourselves disciples of Jesus that we are to walk as he walked (1 John 2:6). God gave Moses His teachings on how this walk is to look (Exodus 19:3-20:21). God himself then came in the form of a man, Jesus, and displayed for us exactly what this walk was to look like ( John 1). God’s plan was for his followers to be a Kingdom of Priests who daily displayed in their words and deeds exactly how to follow God (Colossians 3:12-17). This life is a life of worship and love (Matthew 22:36-40). This lifestyle then permeates our community, which eventually affects the culture.”

OPPORTUNITY

Many volunteers still come. Some work on renovating the Gathering Place and others are in the community. If someone were interested in volunteering or giving generously, they could go directly to the website.

For more information: www. thegatheringcc.com

34

fall 2011 • tell

2011-2012

Full-Time Opportunities Where can I go?

What can I do?

New openings and opportunities are created every day. Contact us today to learn more information about these or other ministries.

es h

e

Transforming Communities

chu rc

ea unr ched

nting pla

l ica bl bi

among

th

Eastern Europe: Teachers for high school math and science Italy: Team leaders for Verona team, additional team members of various talents for both Rome and Verona teams Peru: Team members who are gifted in managing people and are detail-oriented Spain: Team members willing to serve long-term evangelizing in a resistant field South Asia: Assistant for family with a special-needs child, especially in administering physical therapy Mexico: Church planters who will work among the Huichol unreached people group Middle East: Team members for existing fields, pioneers to recruit new teams and launch new fields in this region of the world U.S. or abroad: Experienced couples to transition into Field Coordinator roles U.S.: Campus Partnership Coordinator to oversee Team Expansion’s campus representation Worldwide: Pioneers to initiate church planting movements among unreached peoples

get started today

Step 1: Fill out a profile on our website–www.teamexpansion.org

Team Expansion

Team Expansion 4112 Old Routt Road Louisville, KY 40299

Address Service Requested

NonProfit Organization U.S. Postage Paid SO FL A FL

PERMIT #375

www.teamexpansion.org 800-447-0800 Team Expansion is a 501 (c) 3 organization. Any inquiries should be directed to: 1-800-447-0800.