Nehemiah Update 10 School Ministry

It’s Monday and we’re back in the game. It’s 2 o’clock and all the Nehemiah are in their fifth class of the day. We have a green light to be as clear about the gospel as we want. They are doing a great job in building their faith story into their word. Remember, each student has a word which represents a value that they are teaching on. I just walked out of Abbigail‘s class and she has faith. She’s using some great games/illustrations and launching off of Hebrews 11:1. 

This is a big school, and for the three morning sessions all of us had to jump in. We did junior high in the morning and we have senior high in the afternoon. There were so many classes that all of our students had to teach solo except for Colton. I paired him up with Gilmer. But Gilmer told me that Colton did a great job of just diving into the subject and he was so impressed. My word was gratitude and I was able to talk about the power of giving thanks and build in my testimony as well. We have one more class after this and then it’s time for the chapel. We will make it back to the ranch today until around six.

In true Nehemiah fashion transportation is a challenge. The van we rented broke down on the way to us, so we had to improvise and jam into the cab and back of a short-bed pick up. Apparently, we have to do the same thing on the way back. Cozy, but not very comfortable!  

I think the last time I was able to throw out an update was Friday night our time. Saturday was on and off rain all day fortunately because of the changes we made everybody has stayed dry. Yesterday it finally started to clear up and we had sun for the first time since we arrived in the area over a week ago. It felt good. We attended church in the village and then the team had time to prepare for today and do some laundry as well.

The dogs in the village are growing fat. It’s not because we are feeding them, in fact, we are not feeding them at all. But they are skilled ninja raiders. We had to move our garbage bag because even though we could see it at night the dogs would sneak around to the backside and start chewing a hole in it where we couldn’t see them. This morning they got on the stage and grabbed all of our bread that we set aside for lunch. They did that one other time too. It’s not that we’re being negligent. It is just that they are super quick to exploit any vulnerability we show. They know they are more clever than we are. 

I’m hoping that from this point on the schools are a little smaller. Or at least elementary schools. Because the junior high girls here scream anytime they see our guys. I was teaching class this morning when Ollie walked by outside. The whole corner of the classroom by the windows broke out in a large scream, the kind you see in old films of the Beatles,  when they would give concerts. Girls would scream, cry, faint, and otherwise have an emotional meltdown. It’s kinda like that here. So far they aren’t crying or fainting, they certainly scream, and crowd around our guys and constantly ask to take their pictures. I suspect that some of those guys will be the screensaver on some of their phones or laptops at home. Maybe even end up as a poster in some girls room. 

To revisit the transportation theme, we traveled by van bus, train, subway, plane, taxi, flat-bed big truck, and boat to get up here. We’ve since added the pickup truck. Secretly, I’m hoping we end up in a carabao cart (local water buffalo), which would somehow strangely complete the range of transportation possibilities. 

Last night when we gathered together, you could tell the team was just whooped. Their faces reflected it. Sure we had last Wednesday off, but it was a nice break after a very busy week. Thursday, though the school was canceled we still held a ministry at the village, and then we had to wrestle  with the typhoon in setting up camp at the beach. Saturday was a day off, but we finished up some teachings that we had to get done as well as a few other things. So even though Sunday was simply church, they were looking tired. I think it’s the accumulation of the pace we’ve had to keep since arriving at training camp. I think maybe the students have been running out of adrenaline. It didn’t help that they knew this was our last week and some of them in their tiredness were being tempted to think about home. That may seem a bit benign, it’s a minute you start going home in your head you start emotionally distancing yourself from the program. It’s especially hard for the introverts on the team. But I want them to stay focused and finish strong, not only for the ministry, but also so they leave here without any regrets.

I think today, I’ll certainly tearing them out, will re-energize the team because we’re back on task. I believe knowing the character of the team does all rise up and finish off the schools on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday well. There’s rumors of another typhoon spinning up, but so far it’s not scheduled to get here till next week. That’s OK as long as it doesn’t hit us this week!

As well as the students in the high school hearing more about Christ, there’s been another side benefit to our presence here. Like the last two schools, the principal invited us back next year. He then invited Pastor Christian to come back and do values training in the school as a follow up to our work. It would’ve been virtually impossible for him to get into these schools on his own, but because of the visibility and stellar work of the Nehemiah team, he’s been given a lot of open doors. In the last two years we’ve worked with him his ministry has expanded exponentially. I don’t say this on my own, but this is what both Gilmer and Christian have told me

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For the Nehemiah Family,

Tom

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