Scott has left somewhere in Nepal and is on his way to somewhere in India, and I was SO encouraged to hear that his back is somewhat better. Praise God for answering our prayers! Scott has three scheduled ministry events during his next few days, and he is eager to get home. = )
Friday’s Prayer Requests:
1. God to speak clearly through Scott to those who will be at the DM seminar, the coaches mentoring session, and/or the church service this weekend; Scott to give his very best in each setting no matter what, and finish well.
2. God to be merciful to Scott and continue healing and restoring his lower back – during and in spite of the many hours of travel ahead of him.
3. The Holy Spirit to help the many, many people in several nations our team has ministered to during this trip to A) remember what they have seen and heard in various seminars, summits, and services, B) apply it faithfully and consistently in their own lives, and C) keep “paying it forward” to others they have relationship with.
Friday’s Details:
When I asked Scott how his back was doing, he replied, “The back is still hurting some, but is much better than yesterday. The brace helps.” I am so glad he was willing to take that brace with him. At home he only wears it when playing tennis, and although he knew he wouldn’t be doing that during a mission trip, he did take it. He also has some medicine that is helping. Mostly, I think the improvement is a result of our partners praying for him. Thank you.
I also asked about his meeting with Pastor Gil’s friend, Pastor V. Scott said, “The meeting went well for a blind date with the pastor of a big church and leader of a mostly online seminary. We talked a lot about how the DM process is different from Bible School, so there is a natural rub to it. The main thing is, he has the book and said he would get back with me once he has read it. He even talked about me sharing about disciple-making in one of his online classes.” It sounds like it was a positive interaction; God knows what, if anything, will develop from it, but Scott did his part by meeting with Pastor V, and we did our part by praying.
In India, Scott will be meeting up with our good friend, E. He is not a pastor but is, as he says, “just a normal person.” E is a husband, father, church member, and IT guy. In fact, you might remember seeing a map in a blog post several weeks ago that showed many places in the Philippines where coaches are already leading DM groups, as well as the areas the PDMM is working to expand into. E is the one who created that graphic and numerous other ones for us. Years ago he heard Scott teach about raising disciple-makers, determined to become a DM himself, began leading a group, and is now a Disciple-Maker Indeed several times over!
E has invited a number of people – pastors? church leaders? “normal folks?” – to an all-day vision-casting (DM seminar) on Saturday. Saturday evening, Scott will spend time mentoring the DM coaches E has raised up. This is one of Scott’s favorite ministry opportunities. He loves speaking to people who are actively doing something to raise disciple-makers and who understand firsthand the joys and challenges involved. He is energized by encouraging DM coaches and sharing helpful do’s and don’ts with those who are working in the trenches and have the same heart.
Then on Sunday morning Scott will speak at a church in the area. He may be able to rest some Sunday afternoon and evening before his 2:30 AM Monday (3:00 PM Sunday MO time) flight departs India to start his roughly 28-hour trip home. I’m very much looking forward to seeing him at the airport Monday evening!
More and more disciple-makers are being made in Nepal, and Scott will meet with Pastor V soon! Unfortunately, Scott’s back is causing him significant pain. On Friday he’ll travel to India for the final few days of this mission trip.
Wednesday’s Prayer Requests:
1. The Holy Spirit to lead Scott’s meeting with Pastor V at 8:15 AM Thursday (MO time); favor for a good relationship to begin between them for future kingdom work.
2. Healing for Mohan (“MOE-hahn”), our main leader in Nepal. He has been on the go at an intense pace for quite some time and is now sick.
3. Pain relief for Scott during his travels and teaching sessions over the next several days. Pray for God to enable him to stay focused and finish this mission trip well.
Wednesday’s Details:
As mentioned above, Mohan is our primary contact person, and he’s been in Scott’s online DM group. He is now leading his own group, and now someone in his group is leading a group! When a disciple-maker has disciple-making “grandchildren” (that is, there are two generations of disciple-makers beyond him or her), that person is publicly acknowledged as a “Disciple-Maker Indeed” and given a certificate. That’s always a joyful time, and one of those events happened earlier this week.
Scott congratulating Mohan on being a Disciple-Maker Indeed!
For the safety of all involved, it has been (by design) a little confusing to keep up with what’s been happening where, but I believe Mohan was acknowledged in #3. Mohan lives in #2, and Samuel, another of our key leaders in Nepal, lives several hours away in #4 where he leads a DM group. Samuel’s brother, Kamal (“KAH-mull”), also leads a DM group in that area. The four of them (Mohan, Samuel, Kamal, and Scott) have been traveling together and held a DM seminar (introducing the DM process to new people) in one place on Tuesday and a DM Summit (encouraging allthose currently in DM groups) in another place on Wednesday. Here are our Fearless Four. = )
L to R: Samuel, Mohan, Scott, Kamal
In this picture of the DM seminar where Mohan was teaching, notice the seating arrangement and furnishings, or lack thereof. This is typical in Nepali churches.
Explaining how Jesus made disciples
During their drive from one place to another, our Fearless Four hit a traffic jam.
Yielding to oncoming traffic!
And then ANOTHER traffic jam.
Even in Branson, we don’t see traffic like this!
For today’s DM Summit, Scott had to teach sitting down because standing and walking were too painful, but he said it was a friendly audience, and the people were really glad he was there.
Scott also said, “I will be meeting Pastor V at 8 pm on Thursday (8:15 AM Thursday MO time) in #1. That is an answer to prayer.” That would be an answer to YOUR prayers, and he will be able to give Pastor V a copy of the Raising Disciple-Makers book, so thank you! Scott continued, “I have the Saturday vision-casting [DM seminar] in south India. Pray I can stay fully present and engaged for the remainder of my ministry events.” I have assured him that we will. = )
And in case you’re wondering about the title of this blog post, that first word, the one you probably can’t read, is pronounced “NAH-muss-tay,” which means “Hello” in Nepali. Here’s what wikipedia says: “Nepal uses the Devanagari script to write the Nepali language. This same script is also used for other languages like Hindi and Sanskrit. The Devanagari script is written from left to right and has a top horizontal line that connects the letters of a word. The Nepali alphabet is a phonetic system, meaning the pronunciation is very close to the spelling. It consists of 12 vowels and 36 consonants.”
So, for those of you who love to learn something every day, you’ve already accomplished today’s task! Thank you also for praying for My Hero.
In Nepal, Scott, Mohan, and Samuel are being driven three hours from #2 to #4 where they will hold a DM seminar and a DM summit, and where Scott is praying to be able to make an important connection with Pastor V. on Thursday evening (details below).
In the Philippines, our friends are fine, but the nation has been hit hard by Typhoon Uwan (a.k.a. Fung-wong; details below).
Following one more DM seminar in Villasis on Wednesday, Mark’s family will begin their long trip home on Thursday.
Monday’s Prayer Requests:
1. In the Philippines, Pastor Gil’s surgery has been postponed yet again. Pray for God to oversee every detail of his medical care, provide clear and helpful results on all tests, and HEAL Pastor Gil’s body.
2. Pray for an excellent DM seminar in Villasis on Wednesday, and for our team to debrief well later this week.
3. In Nepal, pray for Mohan and Samuel, as for the first time they each lead one of the sessions of Tuesday’s DM seminar in #4. Pray for them to cover all the material well and for the attendees to grasp the reason for raising disciple-makers and understand Jesus’s process for making disciples.
4. Pray for God, who does impossible things all the time(!), to facilitate a warm and productive in-person meeting between Scott and Pastor V.
Monday’s Details:
Concerning the typhoon in the Philippines, [this Associated Press article] gives quite a bit of information. I was stunned and saddened to read of three children’s deaths in Nueva Vizcaya, a place where Scott held a DM seminar just a week ago on November 3rd. In our base city of Villasis, the worst weather has passed, but it is still raining.
Concerning Pastor Gil’s surgery, we understand it has been postponed because he needs to see a cardiovascular specialist. Evidently his situation is quite serious. The emotional whiplash of all this has been quite draining, but his faith remains strong, and he seriously requests our prayers.
Concerning Scott, Mohan, and Samuel’s current time in Nepal, a little TTC background may be helpful.
As TTC expands in various countries, Scott sometimes finds himself “feeling his way.” We’ve never done all this before, and since we want everything we do to be reproducible and sustainable for the long term, Scott is now working to solve problems, establish policies, and set up systems, whereas in the past “all” he had to do was teach and disciple. = )
Scott has worked with and personally mentored our national leaders in Kenya, as well as Wilson and Angelica in the Philippines, for quite a few years. In those nations, those leaders are well-trained and have proven themselves way more than capable of doing the hands-on discipleship that Scott has done personally for so long. In fact, sometimes they tell him, “Pastor, we don’t need you to come lead DM seminars; we can do that ourselves!” And they do it with excellence and amazing results!
Scott’s relationships with Mohan and Samuel, two key leaders in Nepal, are “younger” but also strong, meaning that Scott is gradually giving them more responsibility and opportunities to practice, so that they will be able to run well and accomplish even more in his absence. That’s why it’s a big deal that for this DM seminar on Tuesday in City #4, of the six sessions, Scott will lead only three or four of them. “You’re no success without a successor.”
Also, Pastor Gil in the Philippines knows many pastors all over the world, including Pastor V in Nepal. He has told Pastor V about Scott and is very eager for the two of them to meet, because Pastor Gil’s whole approach to ministry in a very large network of churches is being transformed by what he has experienced by being a DM group and experiencing Jesus’ discipleship principles firsthand. He and Scott both want to Pastor V to read Scott’s Raising Disciple-Makers book, because they believe that that book may be a key to launching DM groups in City #1. For various reasons, Pastor V has suggested a Zoom meeting, but Scott really wants to meet in person so he can leave a book with him.
If you’ve followed all that, give yourself a gold star…
Oh, wait! Scott JUST NOW sent this: “There was a person killed by a tiger on the road to #3. I’m thankful we are not traveling by motorcycle. Samuel’s brother will be riding home by motorcycle. Please pray.” Scott and our small but mighty Nepali team have all been in #2 for a few days, but while Mohan, Samuel, and Scott are now driving in a car to #4, Samuel’s brother is riding home to #3 on a motorcycle. Tigers are a problem in that area of Nepal; they have been known to drag people away and kill them. So yes, our prayers can mean life or death for fellow members of God’s family members that we have never met.
Thank you for reading all of this and for PRAYING now for Samuel’s brother and our other requests above.
Following the evacuation of nearly 1 million people, Typhoon Uwan is now moving across Luzon (the most populous island of the Philippines) where two people have been killed. Our team has experienced very heavy rain and high winds, but they are all safe and well. In Nepal, many of those who are currently in DM groups are stepping up to become coaches of new groups! Our missions folks are facing another very full week, including – but not limited to! – these specifics.
Tuesday and Wednesday – Scott holds a DM Summit and a DM seminar in Nepali City #4.
Wednesday – Pastor Gil has thyroid surgery in Manila.
Thursday – Mark’s family arrives home from the Philippines.
Friday – Scott travels to India.
Sunday’s Prayer Requests:
1. God’s merciful protection for the nation of the Philippines in the path of Typhoon Uwan.
2. Scott to have wisdom in adapting his presentations in Nepali City #4; those meetings to make significant impacts on the hearts of all those present.
3. The final few days of the Phillips family’s time in the Philippines to maximally productive, helpful, and clarifying.
4. Good health for all our team members (Filipino and Nepali national directors and DM coaches; Mark, Whitney, and their sons; Edwin’s family in India; and Scott) and a successful surgery and recovery for Pastor Gil.
Sunday’s Details:
I have not been able to find out a great deal of information about the typhoon in the Philippines, but I know that it made landfall with sustained winds of 115 mph, that the tide rose somewhat but not terribly, that over 900,000 people were evacuated (roughly the population of San Francisco!), and that the greatest concern as of a few hours ago was flooding.
Meanwhile, a couple mornings ago, Scott (then in Nepal, City #2) sent this picture.
“Check out my breakfast Jeremy made me!”
When I asked who Jeremy was, he said, “Mohan’s son!” I am impressed.
Jeremy, right, with his mom
Scott traveled with Mohan to #3, where they held a DM seminar on Friday and then a DM Summit (for all those in DM groups) after church on Saturday.
Geographically speaking, Nepal’s shape is longer and skinnier than Arkansas’, but their areas are about the same. Arkansas has a population of 3 million, of whom 79% identify as Christians, but Nepal has a population of 29 million, of whom only about 2% are Christians. = { The nation is approximately 81% Hindu, 9% Buddhist, and 5% Muslim.
Here are all the current disciple-makers (those now in DM groups) in central Nepal
From those in the picture above, the ones shown below have committed to be DM coaches! Scott said, “Just finished our first Disciple-makers Summit. All of those (below) are in DM groups and have said they are ready and willing to lay down their lives to become a DM coach for others here in Nepal. In this picture, I am passing them the baton so they can run! Please pray for them as they begin their leg of the race!”
DM coaches-to-be!
Finally, Scott sent this picture, saying, “These people live high in the mountains where the couple on the right pastor a village church. There is no school there, so they had to send their young kids (7 years old) to a boarding school near City #2. They came down the mountain to visit their young kids. They send them away as young as 4, and [the children] never go back home until they graduate high school. 😥
Down from the mountains to visit their children
I’m looking at the two ladies on the left who each have a child on their back and wondering how their hearts must ache to be separated for YEARS just so their children can be educated. This really gives me perspective; I really have no problems.
We can’t solve all the cultural and logistical problems of people in other nations, but we can bring the gospel to them and then coach them to become disciples, who raise more disciples, who raise more disciples… Your prayers today are helping us do that very thing. Thank you so much!
Although they are now about 2,500 miles apart, things are going well for our wonderful team in the Philippines and for Scott in Nepal!
Friday’s Prayer Requests:
1. Saturday’s Filipino vision-casting DM Seminar in Isabella to be as well-received and productive as the Friday one in Tarlac was!
2. God to give Scott clear direction on what to preach in Saturday’s church service in City #3, and the DM summit late Sartuday and early Sunday to be great encouragement for the disciples there.
3. Favor, health, strength, and discernment for our all of our missionaries and DM coaches in the Philippines in Nepal.
Friday’s Details:
Mark and his family have a little over a week more in the Philippines with national directors Wilson and Angelica and the rest of the team there. Concerning their Friday DM seminar, Mark said “Today we held a vision casting in Tarlac City. It went great. I think we had about 30 that came and 14 pastors signed up to do groups. The coaches have already placed them in groups, and they will start meeting next week. This is a city of almost 500,000, and these pastors are all part of groups of churches, and they want to be found faithful raising up disciples! Very exciting.”
Here are some photos from that seminar. First, Mark explaining the difference between believers and disciples.
It’s always an eye-opening and challenging messageFolks seriously considering Jesus’ true ministry focusMarcelo, one of our DM coaches, acting out Wilson’s lesson on the need for “drivers” to take disciples where God wants them to go (Note his car keys and pretended grip on a steering wheel)
Meanwhile, Scott arrived in Nepal, and while I know this may be hard to believe, the truth is that not everyone in that country is thrilled about TTC’s passion for raising disciple-makers. So, for the sake of the Nepali coaches, disciples, and believers there, I will just use numbers instead of city names in that nation. Scott landed in #1 and spent the night in a hotel there before flying on to #2, where he met our friend and coordinator, Mohan (“MOE-hahn”). He sent us a few interesting “culture” pictures. = )
The view from Scott’s hotel room in #1He captioned this one “Power grid in Nepal!”
Scott knows I collect funny signs, so he sent me the following. It looks like it was a decal on a window, maybe on a shuttle bus at the airport in #1 or #2.
“For your funny signs collection. 🙂”
From #2, they had a short, 30-minute drive on Friday to #3, where they held a DM seminar. That night they returned to where they are staying in #2.
Unlike the U.S. with our five-day work week, Nepal has a six-day work week that runs Sunday through Friday, so churches hold their weekly services on Saturday. This Saturday (Friday night MO time), Scott will preach at their regular church service in the morning and then hold a DM Summit Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. This summit will be a special time for everyone in that area who is in a DM group to join together for encouragement and training. As was the pattern in the Philippines (and in Kenya for that matter) the disciples will leave after the DM summit, but the coaches will stay on for a more intimate and more advanced Coaches Summit on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.
Don’t feel pressured to remember all those details; God knows them! I just wanted to try to explain what we think will be going on in Nepal over the next few days. Of course, schedules and details are subject to change, and we know the Holy Spirit is the ultimate project planner!
Thank you for your encouragement and prayers during this mission trip. If you want to get a message to Scott, Mark, or any of our team members, you can reply to the email or text that notified you about this blog post, and I will pass your message on to whomever.
Scott is on his way to Nepal, our team in the Philippines is planning for their next DM seminar in Tarlac, we have an update from our team member, Pastor Gil, and we’ve included some fun flying pictures. = )
Thursday’s Prayer Requests:
1. Scott to safely connect with Mohan in Nepal; details to be finalized and attendees confirmed for Friday’s DM seminar there.
2. Our team in the Philippines to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as they interact with the pastors and leaders at Friday’s DM seminar in Tarlac; the right people to join DM groups and the right coaches to lead those groups.
3. God to enable Pastor Gil’s (“Hill’s) throat surgery on November 12 to go well and accomplish every goal; his recovery to be speedy and complete, and everything necessary to be provided (money, lodging, post-surgical therapies and meds, etc.).
Thursday’s Details:
The Philippines is 14 hours ahead of U,S. Central time, but Nepal is a curious 11 hours, 45 minutes ahead of us, and this always makes the math interesting. That said, I’m pretty sure that Scott should be landing in Nepal soon. As always he will hit the ground running, and we appreciate your prayers for him and our Nepali leader, Mohan, as they prepare to lead a DM seminar in a few hours.
Back in the Philippines, our team will also be holding a Friday DM seminar, this one in Tarlac, a new area about an hour from our base in Villasis. We believe God wants the Philippines Disciple-Makers Movement (PDMM) to expand there, so we plan to establish a DM outpost with a group of pastors there, and we are trusting the Lord to direct our steps (Proverbs 16:9).
We have previously mentioned Pastor Gil (“Hill”) and asked you to pray for his upcoming throat surgery. He is a key member of our Filipino leadership team and has been instrumental in introducing the PDMM to eager pastors in far-flung places. After numerous delays for various tests, Pastor Gil will be having a major operation on his thyroid next week, and he sent Scott this update:
“All laboratory test results are good and evaluated. The surgeon gave clearance. My schedule for surgery is on Wednesday Nov 12, morning – it is also the birthday of my wife Emy . I will be admitted on Tuesday at HEALTHWAY FEU MEDICAL CENTER- Regalado Ave, Novaliches, QC. Please kindly pray for successful thyroid operation, wisdom of doctors, peace and comfort from the Lord, quick recovery and healing, and financial provision. Operation cost is P300,000.00 [$5,086.00 USD] . We are trusting God.”
We are trusting God too!
While typing this I got news that Scott has landed in the Nepal, so that was one kind of flying.
These three wild guys also did some other flying on the Pugo Adventure Park’s zipline the other day.
Mark, Scott, and Wilson preparing for take-off… or maybe this is their post-flight photo?Mark, soaring joyfully above the canopy!My Hero, reducing drag with his aerodynamic pose!Two thumbs up for Wilson, scoring a perfect 10.0 on form!
Of course, only Jesus truly is perfect. He has given us authority to pray in his name, and 1 John 5:14-15 promises us confidence as we bring our requests to God. Thank you for taking time today to pray for our high flyers and the specific requests above. We really appreciate you!
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