November Prayer Focus: Praises Heard ‘Round the World

Suzanne Pearson • Nov 01, 2022

As the holiday season approaches, we reflect on all that took place in the passing year. For TEAM, 2022 has been a year with its own share of challenges and trials, but also its joys and triumphs. In short, we see the ever-faithful hand of God, and we know we have much to be thankful for.

We reached out to TEAM’s 500+ global workers around the world and asked them to share praises of how God has moved this year. What encouraging reports we received! Truly we can say, “How Great is Our God!” As we read through various testimonials, we saw common themes surface of how God has blessed and answered the prayers of these faithful servants of the Lord.

For this month’s Prayer Focus, we invite you to join us in lifting up PRAISE and ADORATION to our God for these blessings…


We Praise God for Progress in Ministry Initiatives

TEAM workers from every region of the globe reported that the Lord has been abundantly good in advancing ministry initiatives and special projects to further His kingdom. These reports are far too numerous to mention them all, but they include:

  • South Africa : Durban Bible College has wanted to relocate for about 20 years. Praise God that a new location has been found and that the college should be able to move next year.
  • Italy : After years of preparation and prayer, a safe house and recovery program opened this year, providing survivors of trafficking with the first place in the country where they can receive biblically-based, trauma-informed care.
  • Ukraine : The Russian invasion necessitated the evacuation of TEAM Ukraine’s two workers. However, both have remained steadfast in serving Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries, and recently one of the workers has been able to return to service inside Ukraine’s borders.
  • Guatemala : An online Bible training program is thriving and TEAM workers report being very encouraged by the students’ learning and progress.
  • East Asia : In a closed country, after many years of faithful work, God is drawing together believers in a “house club” group. This project is gaining momentum among hard-to-reach and pre-literate villagers.
  • Middle East : People come from nearly 200 different nations to live and work in middle eastern countries. TEAM is involved in an expatriate ministry that reaches this diverse group, sharing the Gospel and making disciples “among the nations” in a unique way.

Durban Bible College students walk downstairs.

Students at Durban Bible College in South Africa thank God for His provision of a new location.

We Praise God for Reconnection After COVID

Each of us felt the isolation the pandemic brought for upwards of two years, but global workers were arguably among those most deeply impacted. Many countries experienced significant travel restrictions if not complete lockdowns. For missionaries living abroad, this meant long stretches of time with no opportunities for furlough, visits from family, or even to connect with fellow workers in the field.

Thankfully, 2022 brought a degree of normalcy, and many global workers rejoiced in reunion with family and friends through:

  • Long awaited home assignments/furloughs in their sending country.
  • Attendance at conferences and events, including TEAM gatherings in Slovenia and the Middle East.
  • Field visits from TEAM Member Care Specialists who were finally able to provide face-to-face care, encouragement, and spiritual guidance.

We Praise God for Church Partnerships

Another prevailing theme that arose from these praise reports was how thankful TEAM workers are for their sending churches . Despite the economic downturn and social isolation caused by COVID, TEAM workers praise the Lord for the faithful churches that continue to support them both financially and in prayer.

It is no surprise that the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of people around the world continue to increase, and the support of sending churches is more crucial than ever. If you are a part of a missionary-sending congregation, we praise God for you! You are impacting the world for Christ!

We Praise God for Healing and Resolution of Medical Needs

One of the many challenges of serving on the mission field is when health issues arise for workers or their families. Professional medical care may be difficult to find, particularly when diagnostic testing or specialists are required to address a medical issue.

Several TEAM workers reported instances of how God provided medical personnel, supplies, and even miraculous healing to resolve ongoing medical issues. Others spoke of God’s faithfulness, comfort, and peace in the midst of unresolved health challenges. We join these families in praising God who is our Great Physician .

We Praise God for Raising Up the Global Church

As we’ve shared often in recent TEAM communications, an exciting shift is occurring in global missions. A time is coming when the U.S. and Canada will no longer be the primary sending countries for global workers. Instead, God is raising up workers from all over the globe, sending them to reach other nations in fulfilling His Great Commission.

In collecting these praise reports from TEAM workers, examples of the globalization of missions abounded. Here are just a few:

  • Latin America: God is raising up a generation of Latin American believers who are ready to deploy to the far corners of the globe to further the Gospel. (See a great video about it here .)
  • Pakistan : Zarephath Bible Seminary celebrated 40 years of training local and national church leaders to impact their community for Christ, and the pandemic has even opened up new doors through remote learning.
  • France (and beyond): TEAM workers in France, as well as other parts of Europe and in the U.S., serve displaced Muslim populations , sharing Christ with them in their new context. This opens the door for new believers to impact others within their culture.
  • Czech Republic : Workers from multiple countries and three continents came together to renovate a farmhouse for Ukrainian refugees.
  • Indonesia : Hatam families, transformed by Christ , are now traveling to other remote villages and tribes to share the saving knowledge of Jesus.
  • Asia : A leadership training program identifies potential leaders and trainers among Asian believers. Those trainers then oversee the preparation and sending of national workers to enter closed regions of Asia.
  • Japan : Outreach ministries in a busy Tokyo park touch lives daily, through the work of Japanese churches, assisted by believers and global workers from Korea as well as western countries.

Thank you for joining us in praising our gracious Heavenly Father for all He has done and is doing! We are so thankful for YOU!

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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