Mission Trip Blog Archives

Lonely? Discouraged? Tired?

Lonely? Discouraged? Tired? – Sometimes this is how I feel as a traveling missionary evangelist! But testimonies like this help fuel my passion to continue preaching for Jesus!
Brian Chu – Now Hope Missionary

GOD BLESS NOW HOPE & PASTOR BRIAN CHU

I have just been reflecting on the impact that you had this time round in our City of Limuru and I really thank God for you. This time you truly blessed us, taught us the Word and we grew. Each of my members have at least one word to quote you through the messages you released.

The messages on Kingdom living, the Dominion we have in Christ and God colonizing humanity were so real and we appreciate. I personally loved your ministration and I pray that God blesses you.

All our contacts like Alpha Joy Orphage were so touched, Teachers and Students in Murengeti Primary School and the Living Revival Church truly appreciated the power of the Word.

We bless God for you and look forward to your coming back in the near future.
– Pastor Peter WOMA Church Limuru

2017 Outreach Report

Our mission: evangelism and discipleship in developing nations!

2017 OUTREACH REPORT – Thanks to the generous financial support from businesses, churches and friends, together we shared the love of Jesus in 7 nations: TANZANIA, INDIA, SRI LANKA, MONGOLIA, KENYA, HONDURAS & USA.
– Many children & adults dedicated their lives to Jesus.
– Food & clothing outreach to orphans & people living in poverty.
– Provided biblical training to believers, church & business leaders.

Dear Brian & Melissa,
This was a great outreach at Alpha Joy Orphanage that I will always remember. I saw such excitement on the children’s faces as we cooked and fed them! You taught me a lot this season. – Pastor Peter in Limuru, Kenya

2018 OUTREACH GOALS – In 2018, we are planning to host 8 outreaches in small rural villages where few or no American ministries ever go to including INDIA, HONDURAS, MONGOLIA, BRAZIL, KENYA & NEPAL. We look forward to seeing people dedicate their lives to Jesus, training & equipping church leaders, feeding orphans, providing bibles and helping people in developing nations.

Financial Timeline: $32,000 budget for 8 outreaches
– raise $12,000 by December 15th, 2017 *we have already raised $7,025
– raise remaining $20,000 by June 1st, 2018

Please consider donating today and you will help reach the lost and make disciples!

Thank you!
Brian Chu – Missionary of NOW HOPE

You can simply donate:

Online: www.nowhope.org Donate Now
Phone: 719-964-4254
Check: Payable to Now Hope & mail to PO Box 62776, Colorado Springs, CO 80962

Now Hope is a non-profit 501c3 organization. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by USA IRS regulations. Federal ID# 20-1462045.

Greetings from Mongolia…

Peak:

I was honored to speak at a small satellite church plant this morning. A couple things about the experience really stood out to me…

Me and my interpreter, Nada. I told her that her name in Spanish means ’zero/ nothing’ we laughed our heads off!

Size really doesn’t matter: It would be easy to expect that flying half way around the globe should warrant large crowds and speaking to the multitudes. After all, it’s got to be worth the while, right? However, I’ve learned that the number of folks who show up is completely irrelevant and insignificant. In fact, the smaller the more significant to me. It means that God cares so much about those ‘chosen few’ that he would fly me half way around the world just because He has something very specific to say to them personally. Beyond humbled that I get to be the voice on His behalf.
Raw Worship: Before we arrived the Pastor apologized for their worship. They have all of the instruments necessary for a full band…but no body who knows how to play the instruments? The worship was 3 ladies singing acapella. I’ve been to large churches all over the world with talented, professional musicians. But i’m telling you, the anointing on the simple and raw worship I experienced in this small church ushered in the presence of God unlike any other church I’ve been to. I told the pastor afterwards to never again apologize for his worship 🙂

Pit:

Jesus took the wheel: I’m so glad I spent hours, and hours, and hours laboring (and fretting) over my notes – creating an outline and ‘perfecting’ my messages. Because, once they handed me the microphone I was ‘off-script’ and barely glanced at my notes. Apparently the Lord had something else to say them 🙂

xo,

Mel

P.S. I’m fighting a pretty miserable head cold and sleep has been rough and very little 🙁

P.S.S. My blow dryer bit the dust. Haven’t washed my hair in 4 days. I need a hair dryer miracle before it get’s real ugly real soon. #firstworldproblems

18th Street Gang meets Suburban Mom

Love at first sight: We stepped into the isolated area of the women’s prison and the gate locked behind us. We were on our own. No guards. Not in this area. I looked into each of their eyes. About 40 of them. Some looked like they belonged. Others looked drastically out of place. One hour of daylight per day for this special group of ladies. 18th Street Gang Members. And, one hour a week with their “Mama Ty”. My friend. My hero. Who has devoted over 17 years of her life meeting with the ‘homies’ every Wednesday. No other visitors. Not ever.

My mind began to race:

How did they all get here?
Will they ever leave this place?
What do you think about at night before you sleep?

It was love at first sight. I was smitten. I wanted to sit with each and every one. Here there stories. Hug ‘em. Learn their struggles. Love ‘em. Listen to their hearts. Instead I was handed the portable microphone. I began to speak the group …

I shared about how 4 walls does not determine their freedom…

Forgiveness is what sets us free.
Forgiving ourselves. Forgiving others.
Freedom is worth fighting for.
It gets complicated.
Pursue the peace. It’s a battle worth fighting.

Is there anyone you need to forgive today? I can only pray it brought a glimmer of hope to their broken hearts. I won’t know until I return again. Someday. I’ll be back. Sooner rather than later. Lord let it be.

XO,

Mel

P.S. While I was in prison for the day, Bella was off splashing in the stream with her shoes and clothes on. It was her favorite day of the trip. Hanging out with her ‘Honduran sisters’. The Carrette girls. John and Tarah Carrette are two of our most favorite people on planet earth. This American couple adopted 23 kids! Yes, ‘TLC’ take that and make it into a reality show. The world needs to meet this extraordinary family. But first, you and your family need to join us on our next trip to Honduras. Who’s in?

Greetings from Melissa and Bella in Honduras!

Our 9 year old daughter Bella in Central America

PIT: Delayed flights, waiting around, early mornings, long days, late nights, long bumpy & hot car rides, funny foods, more waiting around…a missionary life is far from glamorous. There is a reason certain countries are deemed 3rd world. They lack modern conveniences and luxuries. Welcome to Honduras…there’s no place we’d rather be.

God in the small places: First stop was a women’s bible study in the ‘hood’. Why would over 30 women cram into a very small room? They were hungry. Not physically. Not for food. But spirtually. For God. I was honored to share with them the possibilities of what God may do in their lives..if they allow God to interrupt their day, their schedule, and their life.

After, I was fascinated with how this bible study came about and inquired about it. I was touched to learn that it was because one woman, Tyanne, allowed God to interrupt her day each week to drive into this hood and take one woman as her spiritual daughter. Tyanne saw the potential in her. She saw her the way God saw her. She loved on her. She spent time with her. She shared her life with her. And she taught her about Jesus. Faithfully. For over 14 years.

Now, I get to see the fruit. Now this one woman is replicating what Tyanne did for her to the women in her community (the hood). When I finished speaking I did an alter call to give the women an opportunity to accept Jesus. It was a bust. Silence. No takers. No need. ALL of them were already saved! Because one woman allowed God to interrupt her day.

Are you making yourself available to God today? God has Big plans and He needs your help to accomplish them.

Love and Hugs,

Melissa and Bella

P.S. Bella got to play with the kids in the hood. All was well until a fist fight broke out between two young boys. Mission aborted. But, not failed. It left her time to wander through the skinny paths between the shanty-houses. She was able to peek into some of the ‘homes’. She now has a new appreciation for her house, bed, washing machine and toilet. Mission accomplished!

Mongolia Update :: Planes, trains and sex?!?!

Hi Friends,

Just a quick update that I made it to Mongolia safe and sound. Phew!

I haven’t traveled overseas in a couple years…and I’m reminded of a couple things:

1) 38 hours from point A to point B is HARD! Traveling is not for the faint at heart.

2) I absolutely LOVE being here and I may need to do this more often 🙂

Peaks and Pits (the best and worst parts of my day):

Peak: We hit the ground running. Just a few short hours after arriving we went straight to the church to speak at a singles conference. Can you say, ‘Disoriented’? Nothing like being the only white girl looking around at a theater full of Asian people who sound like they are speaking Russian, feeling half asleep with blurred eyes, while seeds of doubt dance in your head saying ‘What in the world are you doing here?’, only to have a microphone promptly shoved in your face to ‘preach’. Giddy up, game on, it’s show time! Thankfully we serve a Big God who shows up… in-spite of ourselves! The young folks were so fun, full of energy and super curious with lots of questions. It was a blast from the past to share lessons learned from my good ‘ol single days and bit about my courtship with Brian:

Don’t do anything with each other that you wouldn’t do in front of your own father (Gulp)
Your past is not your future – God can restore your mistakes (can I get an Amen)
Sexual tension is a good thing (Yikes). It’s a gift from God. It’s how you act on that tension that matters.

PIT: Waking up from a long fit-ful nap on the flight from LAX to Beijing and realizing I still had 6 hours and 45 minutes still to go, the only in-flight movies were Chinese films, and I had to use the restroom but couldn’t get out because the man next to me was out cold (CPAP mask and all)?!?! With legs crossed, it was almost enough to make a grown woman cry (Ha)!

With a grateful heart and much love,

Melissa

P.S. Talking about sex in church makes everyone giggle, include myself

P.S.S. I’m really glad I’m married!

Man from IRAN

We were teaching in Tanzania on the key role of business men and women in spreading the gospel. This man next to me was raised Muslim in Iran and he was invited by a businessman to hear us speak. At the end of the session the Man from IRAN came to us and asked for prayer to receive Jesus as Lord & Savior!

We are so thankful for all our friends in BUSINESS that are sharing the gospel in the marketplace!

Obey Your Heavenly Vision

Talminadu, India Over the last few weeks I’ve been meditating on what the apostle Paul said to King Agrippa . . . “I had this vision from heaven and I obeyed it” Acts 26:19.

God gave me a vision 20 years ago to be a “missionary to the nations” and I’m so thankful that I obeyed it. I just returned from preaching in India and many Hindu’s gave their lives to Jesus, people were healed and believers were encouraged to continue in the faith.

I believe staying focused on your heavenly vision pleases the Lord and it will also help you through the difficulties and challenges in life!

Brazil Mission Trip

We wrapped up our 2015 ministry tour by visiting our dear friends Renato & Michelle Cassula in Fortaleza, Brazil. Brian trained church leaders for two days and he challenged the believers to put God first in their lives.

Renato and Michelle have planted a new church and also minister to people living in the water drought regions of Brazil. We look forward to going back soon!

The Dynamic Duo in Argentina

A dear friend of ours refers to Melissa and I as the “Dynamic Duo”. We are humbled by that name but actually we are more effective for the Kingdom when we minister together. In June 2015, we both ventured down to Argentina and trained church leaders in two cities for two days.

 WATCH VIDEO FROM ARGENTINA

This was a significant trip because evangelical church leaders in Argentina are being persecuted by the government. New rules are going in effect that requires all church pastors to have formal Bible training. We responded by training their church leaders and providing a certificate of training for their records.

The church leaders were so thankful that we came to their country. It was a wonderful time of teaching, prayer, prophetic words and fellowship with the believers. We look forward to many more years of ministering together as the “Dynamic Duo” in the nations for Jesus!

Brian & Melissa Chu