Building a Bridge of Hope

Suzanne Pearson • Nov 17, 2022

Life in the sub-Saharan country of Chad is not easy. In this landlocked African nation twice the size of Texas, there is only one major airport and few paved roads. With problems such as water-borne illness and poor sanitation, Chad has one of the lowest life expectancies of any nation in the world.

And yet Chad is a harvest field that is desperate for the Light. For TEAM global workers Scott and Eric, as well as their wives and families, Chad is home. Here among nomadic Muslim people groups in southeastern Chad, God uses TEAM’s holistic approach to ministry to save lives physically as well as spiritually.

Why Holistic Community Development?

Scott explains that a holistic approach is key to TEAM Chad ’s work. “Believers start out way behind the eight ball,” says Scott. “[The people] have a preconceived notion of what Christianity is. We’re in an unreached or under-engaged area, but they all watch television and movies. So they think Christianity is what they see in Hollywood, which we know is far from the truth. They’re also very suspicious of why we would come here. For a long time, people would think we’re CIA or that we have a direct phone number to the US President.”

He continues. “Doing holistic ministry and engaging with people on multiple levels – physical and spiritual – has helped people see that we’re here because we love them, and we love them because Christ has loved us and given us that heart for the people. That gives us great joy to express God’s love for them in such tangible ways. When they see God’s power and God’s love shown through the work, it touches the heart.”


A River Runs Through It

TEAM’s roots in Chad go all the way back to 1927 when another group, the Sudan United Mission, first entered the region. That organization later joined forces with TEAM and now nearly 100 years later, TEAM’s work in Chad is still going strong. Over the years, many TEAM workers have shown God’s love through community development ministries including clean water wells, community health education, and other ongoing initiatives.

In 2019, a new and dire need became evident. The Barh-Azoum River cuts through the Salamat region where Scott, Eric, and their families live. The riverbed lies dry and unthreatening for half of the year, but during the rainy season, the waters rise to swift and dangerous levels.

Eric says dozens of lives are lost every year as people attempt to cross the river on foot or in canoes. “People die just trying to get to market,” he explains. “Kids cross over to go to school; people try to access emergency healthcare, especially at night when there are no canoes operating.”


Scott tells one particularly heartbreaking story of a woman whose body was pulled from the river after she attempted to cross in a canoe to sell her vegetables at the market. Her newborn infant was still strapped to her back.


Also greatly impacted are the nomadic people groups who twice a year must migrate with their herds to find grazing land. This is significant because 90% of Chad’s nomadic herds pass through this region each year. Their options are to attempt a life-threatening crossing or to seek alternative routes to grazing land – an option that often leads them to venture illegally into environmentally-protected land or into areas where they encounter conflict with farmers and other tribes.

In 2019, Scott and Eric began praying about TEAM’s response to this crisis, and by the end of that year when another dozen people and over 1,900 cattle drowned, they had their answer. God was calling TEAM Chad to action.


A Bridge of Hope

The answer to the problem was both simple and daunting. We need to build a bridge. Beyond the obvious benefit of decreasing the loss of life, a bridge also brings tremendous economic security to a community that relies on crossing the river to sell, trade, and move herds. The bridge will also alleviate the need for nomadic groups to go elsewhere, avoiding territorial conflict and environmental problems.

So Scott, Eric, and their team put the wheels in motion for a bridge to accommodate pedestrian and livestock traffic. Eric is a medical doctor and Scott has a background in construction management, so they knew that God had uniquely positioned them to approach the project with the utmost safety and care in mind. God also connected them with a Chadian believer named Sazoulang. This energetic and enthusiastic brother is not only a gifted engineer himself but also, as Scott says, “he knows all the right players.” Sazoulang enlisted two others – a professor of structural engineering and another gentleman who has a doctorate in bridge engineering – to complete the bridge design.

Building a bridge benefits.

Unfortunately, the Chad Bridge Project hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Since the idea’s inception in 2019, the Salamat region has had five different governors. Also, the President of Chad was killed during a rebel attack in April 2021. As a result, the proper government approvals slowed down considerably before the project was finally approved on September 2, 2022.

All that remains now is to find the funds to build the bridge, and the clock is ticking before the rainy season returns.


Raising the Funds: “Our God is a big God.”

With the structural designs and government approvals in place, TEAM looks ahead with big hopes in our big God. The bridge must be built during the dry season, which takes place between January and June each year. After much prayer and contemplation, a goal has been set to raise the $1.1 million dollars needed to build the bridge by December 2022 so that construction can begin in January 2023.

Amazingly, the Lord has opened doors within Chad to partner with local benefactors to help fund the Bridge of Hope Project. The goal is for 50% of the overall cost to be raised from within Chad (10% from direct beneficiaries, 40% raised by the community from organizations within Chad). A globalized partnership of this magnitude is largely unprecedented and is a huge testament to the commitment of the Chadian people to bring the bridge to fruition.

The remaining 50%, or $550,000, is TEAM’s fundraising goal for this life-saving project . If the Lord sees fit, 2022 could be the last year that lives are lost in dangerous and desperate river crossings in the Salamat region.

Scott says that the bridge project has attracted the attention of many. “People all the way down into Central African Republic all the way over to the western border of Chad with Cameroon and up in the desert are all keeping their eyes on this bridge project,” he says. And further, the nomadic people themselves are full of gratitude and hopeful expectation.

TEAM Advancement Officer Doug Batchelder is encouraged by correspondence from a nomadic association that is close to the bridge project. “They expressed their gratitude for the help of TEAM for this project and the recognition of what God’s people represent. They see people of peace who bring blessing to this community and that really gives voice to the Gospel. This bridge is really going to move that forward.”

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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