When Water Brings Eternal Hope [March Prayer Focus]

TEAM – The Evangelical Alliance Mission • Mar 01, 2018

There’s a reason Jesus used water as a metaphor to describe salvation in John 4:14. Simply put, we can’t survive without it.

Yet, in many parts of the world, clean, life-giving water is difficult — or impossible — to come by.

That’s why so many missionaries strive to meet this physical need — and use it as a tool to share the Gospel.

Through water-based ministries, missionaries are finding ways to build relationships with those they are trying to reach. They also have the chance to show God’s love and mercy in a very real, tangible way.

This March, will you pray with us for water ministries and the missionaries running them?

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1. Pray for favor with local municipalities.

world water day

The water-bottling factory in Port Shepstone, South Africa, provides clean water and jobs for orphaned teenagers — but it needs the government’s permission to make an important update. Photo by TEAM

The Rehoboth Children’s Village has a water-bottling factory that provides clean water and jobs for orphaned teenagers affected by HIV . There are few jobs in South Africa , but these teenagers graduate with valuable work experience and job references that give them an edge in the adult job market.

Right now, the water-bottling factory needs a storm drainage system. But first, TEAM missionaries Brett and Kara Richstone must submit building plans to the local government for review.

The Richstones aren’t alone. Many water-based projects involve construction and tapping into a country’s natural resources. Both of these things often require government approval and special permits.

Please pray that water ministries will obtain all the permits necessary to continue. Pray that government officials will understand the benefits of these projects and be willing to guide missionaries through the permit processes.

2. Pray for abundant resources and funding.

Drilling wells, setting up water taps and other water projects call for expensive, heavy-duty equipment. And when cash flow for the projects is low, missionaries often pull from their personal support.

A TEAM missionary in South Asia is working to restore one village’s water system. A recent earthquake wiped out the existing system, which has left local women and girls especially vulnerable.

They now have to travel long distances to gather water and bathe in secluded streams, where predators may attack.

But to restore the village’s water system, the missionary and her team must raise enough funds to cover labor, equipment and maintenance.

Ask God to supply the necessary resources for each water project. Ask Him to also give missionaries wisdom as they search for good deals in equipment and labor. Pray that they will have funds for high-quality work.

3. Pray for knowledgeable, skilled workers.

World Water Day

Providing clean water to a new region like Chad is a very detailed process that requires skilled workers — many of whom we pray God will provide soon! Photo by TEAM

A lot of expertise goes into bottling water, restoring water systems and drilling wells. From engineers to marketers, water projects often require very specific skill sets.

In TEAM missionary Scott Downing’s case, his well-drilling ministry in Chad needs a full-time technical person.

“I am interested in partnering with someone who could map aquifers and their depths — especially in areas where we’ve not succeeded in finding water,” he says.

Pray that God will provide the right workers with the right know-how for ministries like well-drilling. Pray that these future workers will be receptive to His calling.

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer! Click here to get a print-out of this month’s Prayer Focus requests and praise reports.

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
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.
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