17 young people on Nehemiah Teams headed to the unreached and hard to reach people of Samar

8+ Outreach Bible Studies being conducted by members of LCM Church in Ormoc City

1 Filipino missionary couple

1 American volunteer

1 American missionary couple

30+ pastors and leaders

What do they all have in common? They are some of the laborers God has thrust forth to work in the harvest fields of Leyte and Samar. Praise Him for answering our prayers for more workers among the Cebuano and Waray people. The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Please continue to pray for more laborers.

Last week, the Nehemiah Teams arrived in Samar to begin their work on the Dolores and Can-Avid Rivers. The American teams are joined by several Filipinos who will be helping with translation and other logistics as they work together to share the gospel with hundreds of people living on these river systems. One young couple was with the group last year, but as singles. They were married on May 22, and returned to Samar with the team to spend at least 8 weeks in the area helping Nehemiah Teams. Please pray for Arceli and Arnel as they adjust to married life, and serve the Lord on the rivers of Samar.

For updates on the Nehemiah Teams, you may link to their website: www.nehemiahteams.blogspot.com/2008

To pray for them by name, here is a list:

Dolores Team:

Team Leader: Felicia recently graduated from the University of South Alabama in May with an English degree.

Matt D. is a junior at Mississippi College.

Amanda is a junior at North Greenville University.

Megan is a third year architecture major at Louisiana Tech University.

Timothy is a third year music major at Pearl River Community College

Berna is a native Filipino of Tacloban.

Arnel & Arceli, a Filipino couple from Butuan City, have accompanied the Americans on the Dolores team. They were recently married and have been serving the Lord by sharing the gospel.

Filipinos - Wyndale and Marlon, are also traveling with the Americans to help translate and share God's love with the Waray people in the Dolores barangays (villages).

Please pray for the Dolores team as it goes to the barangays on this river and shares the gospel.
Pray that God would soften the hearts of the people of influence, so that churches may be built and continue to grow after the team leaves

Can-Avid Team:

Team Leader: Matt H. is a senior at Virginia Commonwealth.

Mary Cameron is a junior at Mississippi State University.

Kimberly is a sophomore, also at Mississippi State.

Filipinos - Kaycee, Rudy, Ja and Cecil, are going with the Can-avid team to translate and share the gospel with the barangays (villages) in the Can-avid area.

Please pray for safe travel and that the mayor will allow them to go up the river to the barangays.
Also, pray for the people of the Can-avid area, that their hearts will be open to hearing God's promises of love!
Pray that God will break the language barriers and culture barriers that could otherwise hinder them from hearing the truth.

In the Bible Studies that Suzie and 3 other women are leading, 7 people have accepted Christ in the last month. Please pray for these new believers that they will grow in their faith and understand what it really means to have God's free gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. Pray for them as they read God's word and learn how to be a disciple and to lead others to be disciples.

Pastor S and L, his wife, are planning to move to Eastern Samar in order to work with the small group of believers there. They will also be around to help with follow-up after the Nehemiah Teams leave. We praise the Lord for this precious couple who have left their home and family to come to a new place, live by faith, and be obedient to their call to reach the Waray. Please pray for an affordable house for them so that they will be able to move soon. Praise the Lord for the church they started in Payapay, Tacloban and for leaders to take over there once they leave. Pray for them and G as they work together to evangelize, strengthen believers, and train new believers.

Praise the Lord for Pastor V and the work he has been doing in training the Outreach pastors in the Ormoc area. Because of this, more Bible studies have been started and we have seen an increase in baptisms over the last years. Please pray that these new believers will be discipled and will be challenged to fulfill the Great Commission. Pray for materials to use in follow-up and ongoing discipleship.

Thank you for your partnership with us as you pray for the Waray and Cebuano people, and as you pray for us as we work here. God has called His church to be on mission and we praise Him for you, the people he has raised up to be part of His ministry here in this part of the Philippines through prayer and your giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program.

Blessings

Carl and Suzie Miller and family