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‘Now It’s Our Turn’: A Papuan’s Call to Reach Papuans

Papuan pastor Nimbrot preaches at a baptismal service

Nimbrot (left) knows the Gospel because of Western missionaries. Now he's calling his people to continue Christ's mission.

Sep 14 2021

Nimbrot was a kid when white, Western missionaries came to his part of Papua, Indonesia. “Now,” Nimbrot says, “it’s our turn.” It’s a rare attitude in Nimbrot’s tribe, the Auyu. Since the first missionaries came to and left South Papua, the Church there has struggled with discipleship and growth. Nimbrot decided to become a pastor in his 20s and was quickly sucked into a leadership vacuum. Without any Bible training, he became a regional leader for his denomination. But Nimbrot was already thinking beyond his region. He knew there were many tribes, deep inside Papua’s jungles, who hadn’t heard the…

A group of men in Honduras consult their Bibles.

Every church needs to train leaders for the future. Join us this month in praying for missionaries who train local church leaders and missionaries.

Sep 01 2021

For Jose, it was just another normal run around the park. He didn’t know that he would end up having a conversation that would change his life and his family. But that day at the park, Jose met members of TEAM missionaries Ralph and Ellen’s church plant in Mexico. They invited Jose and his wife, Amilia, to be a part of one of their house churches. Soon, Jose put his faith in Christ and was baptized. Since then, he has been actively sharing his faith with everyone he meets! The change in Jose was so apparent that his wife and…

Sibo attended Bible college under TEAM missionaries

Thanks to supporters like you, Sibo got to to pursue God's call on her life at Swaziland Evangelical Bible College.

Jul 19 2019

Growing up in the southern African nation of eSwatini, Sibonginkhosi (Sibo) had two kinds of dreams. She had goals and aspirations for what she would do and become as she prepared to launch into her future. But the dreams she experienced during sleep were quite different. Sometimes she saw herself teaching God’s Word, or singing in a church, or praying for the sick. In other dreams, a spiritual mentor urged her, “Choose the calling!” And during her waking hours, Sibo kept hearing the same message from trusted friends and leaders. A Childhood of Scarcity The middle child of seven children,…

Joseph used to think he didn't need God. But when he started attending a local church plant, TEAM missionaries gave him a whole new perspective!

Oct 16 2018

It was a typical growth group meeting with a simple assignment: Make a list of three people to pray for. But when TEAM church planter Kathy North heard her husband’s list, she couldn’t help but feel doubtful. There, at the top of David’s list, was Joseph. This was the guy who visited their growth group, was moved to tears, told them he’d be a regular — and then disappeared for three months. When he came back a second time, the same thing happened. And now they hadn’t seen him in half a year. “I thought, Why him? He hasn’t been…

Kwenzo had a mom and nine siblings to support. So when God called him to ministry, he thought it was impossible.

Aug 07 2018

Kwenzo’s father was dead. His mother had eight other children to support. And as the oldest son, Kwenzo couldn’t just watch his family struggle. Ever since high school, he’d wanted to be an electrical engineer. It wasn’t just interesting. It could provide for his family! So when God called Kwenzo to a livelihood of ministry, he resisted. What about school? Kwenzo thought. How can I take care of my family on a minister’s salary? But then came the dreams. A Savior He Had to Follow Kwenzo was in high school when he met Jesus. A friend invited him to church,…

When Liyana enrolled in Bible college, her mom kicked her out of the house. But that didn't stop her from pursuing her missionary calling. Photo by TEAM

Feb 22 2018

When Liyana* decided to go to Bible college, she knew her ancestor-worshipping father probably wouldn’t take it well. But she didn’t expect her Christian mother to disapprove. She certainly didn’t expect to be kicked out of the house! In a flash, she went from living in a nice neighborhood to worrying about having bus money — or running water. All that, just because she wanted to share the Gospel with her fellow South Africans. Raised in Two Religions Liyana grew up between two different spiritual worlds. Her mother came from a strong Christian background. Her father came from Zionism —…

When Elina told her religious leader she was going to kill herself, he said: I don't have time for you. Photo by TEAM

Feb 15 2018

As the phone rang on the other end, Elina* didn’t know what to expect. How would her Hindu priest react when she told him she was planning to take her own life? That she was at the end of her rope? That even the thought of her three kids wasn’t enough to stop her? She longed for words of comfort and direction. Instead, the priest promptly told her he was too busy to deal with her. So when her friend had suggested Elina call their Christian pastor before doing anything, she had nothing to lose. But Simon Kumaresal is no…

Tag - Training Church Leaders

‘Now It’s Our Turn’: A Papuan’s Call to Reach Papuans

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