Missions

New Event, Life Groups Attract Students in SE Asian Nation

November 6, 2017

God is rewarding the efforts of an Every Nation church in a Southeast Asian nation with open doors to several universities in the country’s education district. This country and its government are notoriously hostile to the gospel, and religious persecution is rampant, especially in rural areas. This has not stopped our Every Nation cross-cultural missionaries on the field, who are combining tried-and-tested strategies with relevant new activities to engage the youth of this nation.

Last September, assisted by a Ten Days team from our Victory churches in Cavite, our missionaries welcomed several dozen university students with a KPop-themed event for their Freshman Night. These young men and women were treated to a night of fun and purpose, as games and other activities helped them build relationship with each other. A few of these universities have stellar academic requirements, and pressure and familial expectations are common, so building relationships that help ease the strain of meeting these requirements can be very important to their overall success.

Our missionaries realize that, and are using our outreach life groups to help them let off steam and build relationships, while still contributing to their academic performance. Since that event, more than 50 students, most of them freshmen, are now plugged in to outreach life groups that meet in milk tea shops and cafes. These groups serve a double purpose: they help students practice speaking and listening skills in English, and, while using topics on leadership, integrity, faith, and excellence (LIFE), teach them about LIFE.

One particular story stands out, that of a strapping young student named *Eric. Two years ago, he was invited to join one of our church’s English club activities. He enjoyed the atmosphere and the opportunity to practice his English so much that he returned to the club regularly. However, he refused to join a life group or attend a worship service, even after being invited by Ten Days teams from the Philippines and Hawaii, USA.

Still, our campus leaders and missionaries continued to build a relationship with him; until a year later, when another Ten Days missioner, also from Hawaii, shared the gospel with him. Since then, he has become one of our most passionate local leaders; recently, he took the pulpit and shared the Word for the first time!

As we continue to do our work in this creative access nation in Southeast Asia, we invite you to stand in faith with us for the following:

Deeper relationships. Ask God to open the hearts of the university students in our life groups to the gospel, and for creativity and wisdom as we build relationships with this nation’s future leaders.
Local leaders. Believe God for more local leaders, especially men, to rise up and take greater responsibility of leading the harvest here.
Open doors. Ask God for more opportunities to reach out to students, young professionals, and families in the city. Ask for provision, protection, and discernment for our missionaries as they engage more people here.

We thank you for your continued support of our Every Nation missionaries! If you would like to partner with us to bring the gospel to every nation, click here.

* Names have been changed to protect from religious persecution the people mentioned in this article. The image featured in this article does not represent our church in the creative access nation featured; it is a royalty-free image from Unsplash.com.

Papua New Guinea Endures Growing Political Unrest

January 9, 2017

University students from Papua New Guinea started a widespread boycott of their classes last May in protest at Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s handling of corruption allegations. The University of Papua New Guinea’s Waigani campus is considered the epicentre of the protest. The government and the university administration have been urging students to return to class to salvage the remaining months in the school year but the students demand one thing: the Prime Minister’s resignation.

Earlier this month, police opened fire on student protesters marching at an anti-corruption rally in their campus, which injured 17 people and sparked riots in the capital Port Moresby. There are conflicting reports of the number of injured, with an opposition member reportedly claiming that four people were killed.

More violence stemmed from this incident, while looting and rioting have been reported in several parts of Papua New Guinea since the unrest began. The students, who now harbor tremendous distrust towards authorities, demand for the university administration to apologise and guarantee their safety before they relent to go back to campus. After seven weeks of boycott, many students reportedly want to resume classes, but they are not confident they will be safe. The unrest has exposed deeper problems of Papua New Guinea.

Today, there are hopes that there will be reconciliation between the students and leading university officials. Let us continue to intercede for our Every Nation church, missionaries and local contacts in this culturally diverse nation. It is truly a test of faith, boldness, and obedience for our incoming missionaries as they prepare to preach the gospel in this country despite the dangers they may face. We are in faith that God is sovereign in Papua New Guinea and that miracles and transformed lives will continue to unfold.

A Life Transformed by World Missions

September 21, 2016

When student Peter Chen* first set foot in a hotel lobby, he was 20 years old. Born and raised in mainland China, he lived most of his life in the countryside. His parents worked in stone quarries for very little income, seven days a week, without holidays or breaks.

“After thirteen years,” Peter says, “my parents realized that they weren’t getting any younger, and quit quarry work to try selling quail, but that didn’t work out either.”

Determined to provide for his family, Peter’s father learned how to fix a motorcycle, and started a motorcycle repair business. Peter helped out after school and during weekends by washing motorcycles and cars. “Making money was a serious mission for us,” he says, “Fortunately, I was able to go to middle school and high school.”

To send him to college, Peter’s parents had to sell goat milk on top of their garage business. Every day before dawn, his mother would milk the goats and sell the milk in the morning wet market, and then deliver it to customers’ houses later in the day. Even when it rained or when she was sick, her mother would still sell goat milk to earn money. “I learned what it meant to live a sacrificial life from my parents,” Peter reveals, “For them, hardship was worthwhile, just so they could send me to college.” And they did, at a great price.

Fast forward to May 1999. It was a week of firsts for Peter. The day before, he braved speaking in English to several foreigners he spotted in his university, despite his weak grasp of the language. He had learned that they were from the Philippines, a country that he had never heard of, until that day.

“I volunteered to tour them around in our city,” he shares, “Simply because I wanted to practice my English.” Peter was so excited to meet his new Filipino friends, he even invited two of his friends. The group agreed to meet at the hotel inside the university, somewhere Peter had never been before.

“I felt so embarrassed because the floor was even cleaner than my shoes,” he shares. “It was my very first time to be in a hotel lobby. It was also my first time to go on an elevator. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen!”

Peter had no idea his new friends were cross-cultural missionaries from the Philippines. One of them was Pastor Jonathan Bocobo, the man who would become his first foreign friend. They ended up talking about faith and when he was asked who he believed in, Peter replied, “I believe in myself.” His new friends said, “We believe in Jesus. Jesus is God.” These were strange words for Peter. He had never heard of Jesus nor God before. This was another first for him.

After the missionaries went back to the Philippines, Peter became friends with Gio, a long-term Filipino missionary stationed in his city. His new friend, a pastor, watered the seed that had been planted in Peter’s heart. He preached the gospel to him, met with him regularly, and answered his questions.

“I didn’t understand many things he said since they were not in Chinese and my English at that time was very limited,” Peter reveals, “I had two reasons why I kept meeting Pastor Gio: to practice my English, and to get free McDonald’s meals.”

After several months of preaching the gospel to him, Pastor Gio almost gave up because the atheistic views implanted in Peter’s mind were so strong that the concept of believing in God seemed so far away. One day, however, something strange happened. Without explanation, half of Pastor Gio’s face got paralyzed, making it hard for him to talk. He still continued sharing God’s word to Peter by letting him watch a video of three Chinese overseas giving their salvation testimonies.

“Tears began to flow, and right there in the living room, in front of a TV with no witnesses, I surrendered my life to Jesus,” Peter gushes, “I still had a million questions in my mind about who God is, but my heart was strangely touched just knowing that there is a God.”

Pastor Gio soon recovered, and never had that sickness again. When Peter would look back on that day, he found it interesting that he came to believe in Jesus at a time that Pastor Gio couldn’t talk. It was a fitting reminder that nothing could hinder God’s love touching a person’s heart.

On December 1999, Peter was baptized in a bathtub at the same university hotel Peter had been in earlier. He also preached the gospel to his mother, and seeing the obvious change in Peter, she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior, too. It was a different story with his father, who disapproved of their faith. “He invited a group of relatives to our house and hurled curses at me and my mother. I cried so much, I felt I lost myself that day,” Peter shares. It was one of the hardest tests of his new faith, but Peter continued showing love to his father despite his persecution.

After graduating from college, Peter went to the Philippines to enroll in a one-year Ministry Leadership program at the Every Nation School of World Missions. He faced many challenges, in his finances and his limited understanding of English, but God directed Peter’s steps and provided for him throughout his schooling. He kept a record of each one of these blessings, large and small. By the end of the year, he had recorded a total of 92 instances, and 38 people who had helped him during his one-year stay in Manila. To this day, he keeps the journal to remind him of God’s faithfulness.

Peter has gone back to China, where he is now serving as a house pastor. He still faces many challenges in this restricted nation, but he knows in his heart that his life is devoted to sharing the love of God in China.

____________

*Names have been changed to protect the persons’ identities.

Join Us at the 2016 Every Nation World Conference!

August 30, 2016

“Every so often we need to sound a trumpet and gather together to rekindle the vision, renew relationships, and reaffirm the commitments we have made to one another.” ~ Pastor Steve Murrell, President of Every Nation

Every three years, the Every Nation global family celebrates where God has led us and what God has done through us as we reach every nation in our generation. At the 2010 conference, we broke a Guinness world record. In 2013, we celebrated our twentieth anniversary. This 2016, we’re boldly going where God tells us to go!

This year, we’re heading to South Africa for the 2016 Every Nation World Conference, to be held at the Grandwest Arena in Cape Town from October 3rd to 7th. Registration began last February 15th, and is still ongoing!

Why should we go? Because we’re family. We belong to a spiritual family that spans the entire globe. Joining the world conference will let us see the bigger picture, and give us front row seats to how our organization impacts lives all over the world.

Because we’re called. Our mission calls us to reach every nation in our generation. God has called us to this family to achieve that mission.

Because we can. As children of God and followers of Christ, we can follow that calling to the ends of the earth. If you have the heart to go, then you should be there! God has commissioned us to go and we all have a role to play to reach the nations. Let us be in faith that everyone joining the conference will hear and respond to God’s call to honor God and make disciples, at their home, and to the ends of the earth. You know what that means; book your plane tickets, plan vacation time, and get your family ready! There are only five weeks to go, so register now at http://www.en2016.org/registration. See you in South Africa!

Watch the 2016 Every Nation World Conference promo video here!

Youth worship service launches in restricted nation

July 4, 2016

As a movement, Every Nation has always given emphasis on making disciples of the next generation. We believe in reaching the campuses because we believe that every student has a chance to change their lives through the gospel, and in the future, positively change the world too.

That is why we celebrate this recent milestone for one of our churches in a restricted nation in South Asia. Last June 30, they launched their first youth service, which is also the first worship service catering to young people that happens on a weekly basis. Typically, churches in this nation can only hold a youth service once a month. Scheduled at 7:30 PM, the service aims to accommodate students after their classes, before they end their day.

We believe that God is opening new doors into the mission field for the next generation. We are in faith that many young people will receive Jesus as their Savior, and will be discipled through these services. Let us intercede for our Every Nation church in this restricted nation as they break barriers and boldly preach the gospel.

Pray for the worship team and other young people serving as volunteers to the worship services, that they may delight in their work and be refreshed as they serve.
Pray for new volunteers and leaders to step out, so that the current teams will be spared from exhaustion and fatigue.
Pray for new preachers among the youth, so that the gospel may be preached in a manner that will resonate most with their fellow young people.
Pray for protection against any kind of attack–be it physical or spiritual–as our missionaries continue to serve in this restricted nation.

Together, we believe that we can reach every student, on every campus, in every nation.

Our Every Nation missionaries in this creative access nation continue to boldly preach the gospel, disciple locals and raise leaders. If you would like to support our missionaries with monthly or one-time gifts, please click here.

Note: The image used here is from a Buddhist temple in Thailand. It does not represent the nation referred to in this missions update.

Sons’ prayer comes true on Father’s Day

June 20, 2016

“I will never forget this Father’s Day,” says 19-year-old Ateef, “because on this day, my father first walked through the doors of our church. It is proof to me that the God I worship is truly a God of miracles.”

Ateef and his brother Masheer attend an Every Nation church in a creative access nation in South Asia. Both students in a prominent university here, they were connected to our church by their uncle Sayeed, who was, in turn, discipled by Kevin, one of our cross-cultural missionaries. Despite the challenges faced by the church–daily blackouts and soaring heat are frequent problems here–the church community is tightly bonded and supportive of its members’ situations. As a result, members like Ateef and Masheer do not hesitate to give of their time and resources; both brothers volunteer for the church’s technical support and ushering teams.

“We really wanted our parents to experience what we are experiencing,” Ateef says. “The warmth and friendship we receive here, feels like family. So we were hoping our family would see and feel it too, and so we prayed quite earnestly for them.”

The entire church joined Ateef, Masheer, and Sayeed, in praying for the brothers’ parents to join them at a Sunday worship service. They prayed daily for a month and a half, which was the duration of time that the two brothers went through ONE 2 ONE. As the two brothers completed the booklet, God prepared a special surprise for them.

“We finished Chapter 6 of ONE 2 ONE,” Ateef says proudly, “and our prayer was for my father and mother to join us at church. Yesterday, June 19, was Father’s Day, and my parents joined us at church! Our prayer came true! It was a great weekend!”

Sayeed, the young professional who invited his nephews to church, was equally excited.

“Even my father joined one of our worship services,” he says. “We are so blessed and encouraged to see how God moves and works on our behalf.” Sayeed is so passionate about seeing more of his countrymen get saved that he has decided to attend the Every Nation School of World Missions in Manila in 2017, much to the delight of Pastor Kevin.

“I recently read Revelation 3:8,” Pastor Kevin says, “and it encourages me very much. It says, “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.'”

The men smile. “We am convinced,” says Sayeed, “that we will see even more people come to know Christ here.”

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Our church in this creative access nation is believing God for a new meeting facility. Because our worship services are being held in the house of one of our missionaries, they arouse the curiosity and suspicion of neighbors and local authorities, who are curious as to why so many people come and go into the house every week. Please join us in prayer for divine protection for our work, favor from the neighbors, and provision for our church.

If you would like to support our ministry here with a one-time gift or monthly gifts so we can secure a new meeting facility, please click here.

Expanding God’s Kingdom in Canberra, Australia

June 13, 2016

In July 2012, Rolando Sulit, a former radio jock more popularly known as Joe d’ Mango, and his entire family responded to an altar call in Victory Greenhills and surrendered their lives to Christ. They went through ONE 2 ONE, and then, eight months after their Victory Weekend, received an email from the Australian Department of Immigration granting them permanent visas for Canberra. They were given three months to prepare for their big move.

Big may be an understatement, because Canberra is located in Australia, which is literally an ocean away from Manila. It would take eleven hours of air travel to get there. Apart from the distance, the transition would affect every aspect of their life. The Sulits prepared to leave their home, their jobs, their loved ones, and their new church family in Victory Greenhills. They were sent off with prayers and well wishes, and the family started their new life in a country unknown to them.

Fast forward to 2016, and Rolando has nothing but praises for God’s faithfulness to his family. From the first day they set foot in Australia, they experienced His sufficient grace. After living contentedly in a small apartment, the Sulits were blessed with a beautiful new home. “We were surrounded by His amazing creation–flowers, trees, fresh air and clear blue skies, animals and birds,” Rolando shares, “It’s just one big beautiful picture of God’s majesty.”

The family knew that it was not just for them to enjoy, but for them to share with other people. They decided that their home would be used to honor God and live out the Great Commission to make disciples. They then started to hold Victory group meetings with Filipinos and Australians in their home, even extending the invitation to young adults and children. Soon, they had to schedule different meetings in different parts of the house because they could no longer fit. More and more people started experiencing God’s blessing through their generosity and hospitality.

“This house has been purposed to advance the kingdom of God,” Rolando declares, “And the Holy Spirit continues to empower us to do this work for His glory.”

The family would take time out to intentionally do ONE 2 ONE to everyone who has opened their hearts and are hungry for the truth. Last 2014, they held their first water baptism right on their backyard with Victory Greenhills senior pastor Dennis Sy officiating. They’re looking forward to another water baptism this year when Pastor Dennis visits Canberra again.

Always looking for ways to connect not just with Christians, but with the rest of their community, the family also reached out to their neighbors who hadn’t heard the gospel yet. They arranged worship nights and events like outdoor Christian movie nights, themed cookouts and food celebrations. “We wanted to show them and make them feel that Christ loves everyone,” Rolando explains, “That He died, not for us to have a religion, but to restore our relationship with His Father.”

Sometimes, the Sulits would get visitors from all over the world. Their friends and family from different Victory and Every Nation locations would visit them and generously offer their time and talent to minister to their community.

This year, Rolando, along with his wife Bing, went back to Manila for four months to study at the School of World Missions with the purpose of equipping himself better as they continue to preach the gospel in Canberra. Having developed a heart and burden for their new hometown, the couple bravely left their daughters and entrusted their Victory groups to the leaders they’ve been discipling.

Last May, Rolando finally graduated from the School of World Missions and he and his wife headed back home to reunite with their daughters and continue their work in Canberra, now that they’re more equipped and refreshed. “Our family would just like to encourage everyone that wherever God brings you, He brings you there for a reason,” Rolando shares, “And if we are obedient, the love of Christ will shine in our lives and glorify the Father, who is in Him.”

Together with their community in Canberra, the Sulits are in faith for an Every Nation church plant in their area. They’re also praying for more workers who have a heart for Jesus to help in their ministry work. As they train young leaders, they are believing that God will empower this next generation of disciple-makers who will boldly preach the gospel, not only in Canberra, but to the rest of Australia. Despite challenges and the occasional homesickness, Rolando knows that their family is right where God wants them to be. “We know that God will finish and put into completion everything that began here in Canberra,” he declares, “We cannot claim anything for ourselves, the glory belongs to Him forever.”

Macau and Hongkong Hold Discipleship Conference

June 6, 2016

Last month, leaders from our churches in Every Nation Macau and Every Nation Hong Kong converged for their first Discipleship Conference. Following the theme, “Charge!” the event aimed to empower our current and upcoming leaders to be missional in honoring God and making disciples in their respective territories.

Pastor Jun Escosar, Every Nation World Missions Asia director, kicked off the conference by encouraging our leaders and interns to be more missional in preaching the gospel, especially to the locals of Macau and Hong Kong. Our leaders, tent-makers and full-time ministers were also reminded to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit when they reach out to the people in these two cities. The participants also heard from Victory executive director Pastor Gilbert Foliente, who talked about the role of the Holy Spirit as we evangelize people and reach out to the lost.

The conference also emphasized the importance of going to the campuses and reaching the next generation because we believe that the youth of Macau and Hong Kong will lead their country to be missionary-sending nations in the future. The participants also listened to updates regarding the progress of missionary efforts in Macau and Hong Kong. The 4Es–Engage, Establish, Equip, and Empower–were also discussed in the context of the lifestyle and culture in the two cities.

The conference was also an opportune time for our leaders in our two congregations to fellowship and enjoy each other’s company during breaks and meal times by taking photos, sharing snacks and exchanging stories. At the end of the event, our leaders and interns were recharged and refreshed to preach the gospel as they go back to their respective communities.

Lives Transformed In Restricted Nation

May 30, 2016

We’re excited to bring you the stories of three people who have encountered Christ in their nation–a country in South Asia with a population that is mostly Hindu. The lives of these disciples show the transforming power of the gospel, no matter the language, the culture or the race.

Sintha used to battle depression, and often felt lonely and aimless. She felt the need to perform to gain other people’s approval. One day, she heard the gospel through our missionaries, and realized that her deepest desires to be selfless and please other people comes from a place that is still self-serving. “I came to the decision to follow Jesus after realizing my need for Him,” she shares. Sintha discovered that it is only through Him that she can have true hope and joy, not through her deeds or actions. Now, she wakes up everyday with a sense of purpose, knowing fully well that there is no other way but Jesus.

Ramyu grew up learning about the gods and goddesses of Hinduism. As a child, he had many questions about his family’s faith that were left unanswered. Until he found the Bible, and started reading it. To his surprise, the questions that he had been asking for so long were answered by the gospel. It was that revelation that made him decide to follow Jesus. “It is only through Him that I understood the love of God, to the extent that He gave His life for me,” Ramyu explains, “no other Hindu gods did that for me.”

Theeba was dealing with unbelief and some trust issues when she experienced a miracle in her life. It was not a flashy showcase of power but an intimate revelation of God’s sovereignty in her life. She heard the voice of God telling her to get to know Him first before she turns her back on Christianity. One day she needed a ride to a prayer meeting, but couldn’t get one because all the public vehicles were full. Theeba became desperate and she started questioning God’s lack of provision. A while late, a bus going to the opposite direction broke down a few meters from where she stood waiting. All the passengers had to get off and the bus had to turn around, allowing Theeba to ride the bus all to herself, and to the destination she’s headed. This small miraculous incident completely overwhelmed her with the knowledge that God loves her. “As I got to know more about Jesus, I began to feel His presence and workings in my life,” she says.

As more locals are reached out in this South Asian nation, let us pray for more disciples to be raised up as leaders. These changed lives are testaments to the work that God is doing in the nations. As this restricted nation continues to open up to the gospel, let us continue to hold the ropes for our missionaries and pray for their safety, provision and protection.

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* The image in this article features K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen, and Chhogori Balti, the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest, but K2 is not found in the nation mentioned in this article. For security reasons, we have changed the names of the locals in this article. If you would like to contribute to our efforts to bring the gospel to creative access nations like this one, please click here.

School of World Missions Gears Up For Graduation

May 18, 2016

The 23rd batch of the Every Nation School of World Missions is set to graduate on May 19 in ceremonies at the Every Nation Building facility in Bonifacio Global City.

Trained by the School of World Missions to effectively engage communities, disciple individuals, plant churches, and train local leaders in their selected nations, the 20 female and 21 male graduates represent seventeen nations in five continents. They successfully completed a four-month curriculum designed to help them live out their calling to serve in cross-cultural ministry.

The Every Nation School of World Missions aims to develop cross-cultural missionaries who exemplify consistent spiritual disciplines and excellent leadership and discipleship skills necessary to engage and adapt to any given culture. Its alumni now serve as pastors, missionaries, and leaders in key ministries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.

As the 41 graduates of the 23rd batch are sent out to 26 different nations, we are expectant that God will use them to preach the gospel. Please stand with us in prayer for their continued protection and provision, and for God to give them wisdom and understanding as they live out their calling to be salt and light to the ends of the earth.