“Six teenage girls, seven weeks, and no drama!"

These words were spoken as the Nehemiah team looked back at what we had seen God do during our mission trip, and what He had also done in us. It sounds like a funny statement (which it is), but it was a profound reflection on the deep respect, trust, and community that developed among the girls during the trip.

I was in church last Sunday in Zhuqi (Chew Chee) and our team was about to be introduced to the congregation when I found myself laughing out loud as I thought about my circumstances. Here I was, a 67-year-old guy leading six teenage girls (and two older leaders…thankfully), on an eight-week mission trip to two countries! Some would question how I’d survive the trip with my sanity intact.

But these are good girls, quality young women. In my 41 years of leading trips I cannot think of a team I have led (or know about) that did more traveling, more planning, took on more ministry, in more basic conditions, and with such little downtime in between programs as this group. This mission trip was probably the “hardest” team I have led due to ministry partner expectations, pace, and the physical environments we were working in. It was a situation ripe for conflict and drama. Yes, there was tension and yes, there was also conflict, but it’s what they did with the conflict (which wasn't much) that made the difference. They were upfront about it, they talked it through, each took responsibility for their part, and they moved beyond it, still friends and able to laugh together! No hurt feelings, no broken relationships, and no drama.

To be honest, there were times I questioned (maybe even doubted) whether this team would come through it well, but they did. In fact, they flourished! Instead of getting sick of each other, they grew steadily closer as they tackled each trial together and their trust and understanding of one another deepened. The bottom line…they did good.

Now, back to the mission work.

It feels good to be an answer to prayer. Little San Jose is a village that only has electricity that comes from a generator from 6:00-10:00 each night, and aside from the generator, the streets are pretty quiet at night. It didn’t used to be. We were told there was lots of drunkenness and the town was pretty nasty. But then a group of people from a church with no doors or running water decided to share the Gospel (they love using that phrase), by going door-to-door and talking about Christ. It transformed the village into the peaceful place it is now. But, there are other isolated villages that can only be reached by boat that are in the same situation San Jose was. For the last three years, the pastor has been praying for help to do just that. And that was us. We were Pastor Sam’s answer to prayer.

Pastor Christian moved to Pangulatan a year and a half ago. It’s a small collection of bamboo huts set on stilts and roofed with grass and leaves. And while there is electricity most of each day (the electricity was in the church, we were in tents), water is from a small hose laid in the river that comes from the mountains. Sometimes it flows…sometimes it doesn’t. Most of the time it’s somewhat clean and you have to boil it before drinking. But during big rains (which were frequent) it was often cloudy and you had to wait a while before using it. Pastor Christian told me he had been praying for help to evangelize the surrounding villages. And that’s what we did. He enjoyed the team so much and was so moved by the work the girls did, that he was too emotional to say goodbye in person. So he asked me to do so for him. He told me we were the answer to his prayer.

And Taiwan?  The church in Zhuqi hosted mission teams each year to help them host a VBS program, but since before Covid (it has been 8 years) they haven’t had any help. And then we showed up! The young Nehemiah women put together a dynamic, flexible, fun, and Christ-focused VBS program that ran 7 ½ hours, Monday through Thursday. We also organized the youth group each Friday night (2). With tears in her eyes, Miya (we worked with her and her Taiwanese husband, Stephen) told Holly how moved she was to see all the youth sitting around so comfortably, playing games and laughing. It was the most their youth group has ever interacted together. And we were the catalyst. And an answer to prayer. Yesterday, the church leadership took the team out for a big and beautiful traditional Taiwanese lunch. It was an amazing and painful (we ate too much) experience.

Our debriefing process included three extended Bible studies on the topics of trust, choices, and community. Each was followed up with a group discussion. The Nehemiah girls did a leadership reflection, recapping what they learned about leadership and themselves in the areas of endurance, planning, communication, trust, teamwork, decision-making, patience, conflict (and resolution), expectations, flexibility, responsibility, communication, caring, discouragement, failure, and success. I know it’s a long list, but it was a long mission trip and they experienced an extremely in-depth leadership challenge. Whether it was putting together a day’s schedule and leading the team during village ministry days, to planning all the three VBS programs, to getting the team from Taipei’s airport to the subway, then to the train station, to the bus station in Chiayi, and then by bus to our ministry location in Madou…and more. They learned by doing, and since they did a lot, they learned a lot!

It’s now Monday and we are finished with our ministry and we’ve also completed our debriefing process. I am typing this on the train as we speed towards Taipei, where we have a hotel reserved for the next two nights. It’s time to relax and play! Because we were so isolated in the Philippines, the girls had nowhere to use their spending dollars. And being so busy in Taiwan, we had limited time to shop for souvenirs. So the girls have money in their pockets and they are ready to shop! We will head to the night market after we arrive in Taipei and get settled into the hotel. And tomorrow we will just tour the city and…shop!

And on Wednesday morning we head to the airport. We fly from Taipei to Manila and then fly back to Taipei (don’t ask, it’s complicated). Then it’s off to San Francisco and our last connection to Chicago. We’ll arrive at O’Hare (Lord willing) at 06:30 on Thursday morning, ready for the next adventure. At home.

Summary.

Wow, I’m not sure how! It’s been a long, hard, exhausting, wonderful, Christ-focused, experience. Each of us on the team saw God using us in incredible ways. He met all our needs; He sustained us, strengthened us, encouraged us, deepened our trust and increased our faith in Him. What could be better than that?

And I can say without reservation that this was an amazing group of young women who did extraordinary Kingdom work. They worked hard, laughed much, and loved well. If you are a mom or dad reading this you can and should be proud. I am. It was a privilege to be given the opportunity to lead this fine team of…teenage girls! Seven weeks, no drama!!

For The Nehemiah Team,

Tom

For the record:

·       Nehemiah read through and discussed – chapter by chapter – 17 books of the Bible, along with touching on numerous other books of Scripture

·       We traveled to and “lived” in seven locations; we journeyed by plane, train, subway, bus, boat, van, Uber, and logged 6 hours (x 2 there and back) on a wood plank in the back of a flatbed truck (undoubtedly the most painful)

·       We ministered in 14 villages in Palawan and two small towns in Taiwan, and hundreds of children and adults heard a clear presentation of the Gospel

·       Other than ourselves and those working with us we only saw one white person in those seven weeks before arriving in Taipei two days before flying home

·       And most experienced their first typhoon for the first time…a rare three-day typhoon at that!

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