“We awaken hearts to Jesus through long-term mentorship of indigenous and international missionaries- so they thrive and multiply Kingdom impact.”
Jean & Teisa Nicole
Our Mission
From our 25+ years of ministry/missions, we’ve learned this: one of the greatest threats to the Great Commission isn’t opposition from the outside. It’s missionaries breaking down on the inside. That’s why we’ve given our lives to walking closely with leaders and missionaries across multiple nations…Through regular mentoring calls, on-site visits, and leadership intensives, we walk with +20 international workers and +20 leaders based right here in Manila- most of whom oversee thriving ministry bases, churches, and outreach initiatives across multiple nations.
Over the past five years, we’ve watched God multiply this investment in ways that leave us undone:
In South Africa, a couple we mentored planted a church in a region marked by crushing poverty. Today, that church is flourishing, with a preschool serving local families and leaders throughout the region being strengthened.
In Europe, we've mentored leaders overseeing a ministry base in Krakow, Poland- hosting Spirit-filled camps marked by genuine life transformation and pioneering Gospel initiatives into surrounding nations.
In Japan, a missionary we've mentored and supported grew a simple English outreach into a real evangelistic bridge into her community and provides vital support to her local Japanese church.
In a highly persecuted, unreached nation, we stand with a couple pioneering in one of the most oppressive environments. Consistent spiritual care and faithful intercession have helped this family build the resilience to remain and keep going.
We also regularly walk missionaries through seasons of burnout and deep depletion- helping them find their footing again so they can return to their calling with renewed strength. Some of the most powerful stories aren’t about church plants (which we love). They’re about a missionary who almost quit- and didn’t.
Awaken Hearts is affiliated with Iris Global and is led by a devoted Board of Directors who provide spiritual oversight and financial accountability.
Our Journey & Calling
Jean
Jean’s journey with Jesus began in 1990 with a radical, life-changing encounter that marked him forever. Years later, while on a missions trip to the Philippines, God stirred
his heart with a clear call to the nations- one that led him to leave his career, step into Bible school, and say yes to a life of faith and obedience.
Teisa
Teisa also encountered Jesus at a young age and quickly found her heart drawn to those on the margins. She spent years serving in home missions through Teen Challenge and School of Urban Missions before receiving a clear word from the Lord to move to southern Africa. There, she joined Iris Global, serving under Heidi and Rolland
Baker and giving her life to prayer, discipleship, and caring for the poor.
A Legacy in Africa
God wove our stories together on the mission field in Mozambique, and soon after our marriage, we were invited to serve with Iris Global in South Africa. For the next 15 years, we had the privilege of helping lead and build ministry rooted in prayer, discipleship, and spiritual family. During this season, we served as base directors in the White River/Nelspruit area and helped pioneer Michael’s Children’s Village- a family- based residential center dedicated to restoring orphaned and abused children into sons and daughters of the King. These years deeply shaped our calling- not just to build ministries, but to build people. God formed in us a passion to walk with leaders over time, helping them encounter His love, discover their identity, and step fully into their God-given destinies.
Our Family
The Nicole girls each carry the fingerprints of God in their own beautiful way; born in South Africa, now rooted and flourishing in Asia. Two are fiercely at home on the sports field, one is coming alive through drama and the arts, and all three are walking deeper into their God-given identity every single day. We thank God for a school and community that sees them, champions them, and points them straight to Jesus.