The long road to hope

December 2009

Editorial: Happy Christmas
You Can Depend on Those Church People
Unforgettable Pain – Enduring Love
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Lost at Sea
A Moment in YWAM

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Editorial: Happy Christmas

By Tamara Neely

For me, Christmas is the best holiday! I grant you that in many nations the commercialism has gotten totally out of hand, the consumerism is horrifying, and the political sensitivities regarding whose holiday it actually is borders on the ridiculous.
But, all of that aside…we’re remembering the launching of the THE GREAT PLAN! This is our chance to celebrate the moment God stepped into our history and gave Himself to us in human form so that we could know Him! Imagine – He had been planning it for centuries, working out the optimal moment to enter our time so that He could deal with the separation caused by our shame, and restore His Kingdom. What response should we have to that but joy?

So, I say, bring on the festive meal of your choice! Bring on the music and gift-giving and decorations! We need to feast and rejoice and remember that our God loves us and He sent us His only Son!

And, we need to remember that His purpose in coming is not completed. That’s why we focused this issue on the desperate, ongoing needs of those who have had nothing to celebrate for a long time. Five years ago, thousands of people lost everything in the Indian Ocean tsunami and many of them are still struggling to find hope for the future. We encourage you to make giving to them a part of your celebration this year. Why not share this issue with your friends and encourage them to do the same?

In 2010, YWAM celebrates 50 years of working to share with the world the hope that was foretold by the prophets, confirmed by the angels and spread by the disciples. Why wait – let’s start the party NOW!

Unforgettable Pain – Enduring Love:
The tsunami – 5 years on

By Tamara Neely

“1 642. Care to take a guess at the significance of that number? A few days ago, a young man whom I have known for many years began working with me. 1 642 is the number of corpses he personally stuffed into body bags during the months of January and February 2005.”

“After a dead body has been lying out in the open for two months, the job is…well, I am just not sure how to properly describe it. I have also seen it, handled it and smelled it, but am at a loss for words as to how to describe it. My friend volunteered to work with the military in a program to find dead bodies and remove them from the rubble. When they would find one; they would put it into a body bag and haul it off to a mass grave.”

“What type of counsel can you give to someone like this? What kind of long-term effects will such an experience have on this generation? I certainly don’t have any answers, but we are working with him and trying our best to help him. There are many, many people here just like him.”

So begins the May 2005 newsletter of an aid worker in Indonesia.

Five years ago this month, on December 26, 2004 an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami that killed more than 240,000 people and left more than 600 000 without home or livelihood, and hundreds of thousands more facing the traumatic memories and relentless challenge of redevelopment.

As the fifth anniversary of one of the deadliest natural disasters in history approaches, it is clear that what the tsunami took minutes to destroy will take many, many more years to rebuild.

Youth With A Mission has partnered with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) working in Southeast Asia for many years, and we have staff resident throughout the region. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, YWAM teams responded with typical diversity, offering help with everything from translation and counseling to medical care and burying the dead, working alongside hundreds of other agencies. (Read archived articles about YWAM’s tsunami response at: http://www.ywam.org/articles/article.asp?AID=224.) Enormous amounts of money and effort and determination have accomplished a great deal since 2005 in restoring what was lost. Was it enough?

An Uncertain Future

Five years after the tsunami in Aceh, the most devastated part of Indonesia, the few volunteers who remain report that almost every agency has gone home, and the money raised for development has been spent. Thousands of people here are still living in refugee camps and have little hope of receiving a new home, as the funding for reconstruction has dried up. Thousands more who were employed in reconstruction projects are now without jobs, adding to already high unemployment rates. Education and medical facilities were a priority for reconstruction, with the result that there are more schools and hospitals in this area than before the tsunami – more, in fact, than are needed as there are no teachers, doctors, students or patients to use them.

The tsunami changed more than the landscape of Aceh. With its remote location, poor educational opportunities and years of bloody civil war, the people of this region were very isolated, resulting in a narrow worldview. Since the tsunami, contact with international workers and a vastly improved telecommunications infrastructure have opened their minds to new ideas and new ways of thinking. But where will this take them?

One possibility is towards a more orthodox form of Islam, the dominant religion, say some –laws have recently been passed in this direction, including those which restrict the freedom of women. Another concern is that the slow advancement of redevelopment and continued economic hardship will lead to further political unrest and conflict, which could undo much of the progress. Indonesia was further shaken by earthquakes in Sumatra this September, adding to the burden of need.

Who is My Neighbour?

Christians in Indonesia face overwhelming odds and uncertain progress in their efforts to live out the mandate of Christ to assist the victims of the tsunami. One worker, resident for many years, explains how they cope: “Sometimes, as I stand there in the middle of it all, I wonder – what if I were in this person’s position? What would I want people to do to help me? I ask myself, what does ‘loving my neighbor’ look like in this situation?”

Loving their neighbors often means small steps for the NGOs that remain to complete the task of rebuilding. They tenaciously continue fundraising to complete homes that were built without water, and schools that were built without toilets; offering training and loans for micro-enterprise, enabling victims to move beyond their dependence on aid. These are small efforts that make an enormous difference in the lives of those who have lost everything.

This focus on loving your neighbor has borne fruit in other parts of the region. In Thailand, an alliance of 2,600 Thai Churches and more than 20 Christian relief and development agencies, including YWAM, came together under the banner of “We Love Thailand (WLT).” WLT volunteers responded immediately with much needed relief items. But Christians then did something that many governments and larger organizations find difficulty doing – they listened.

Steve Goode, Vice-President of YWAM, Mercy Ministries/ Relief and Development, was on the steering group for WLT. His observation a year after the tsunami was this: ”After people had their basic needs met, victims had an incredible need to tell their stories. A Christian witness occurred by taking time with people, listening to their stories…People wept together. They prayed together. They remembered losses together. Christians have loved their neighbors by being there and walking with them through each phase of relief, reconstruction and longer term recovery, earning trust all along the way.”

Frozen in Time

The love demonstrated by Christians who continue to serve the victims of the tsunami has not been diminished by time. Today, Steve says, “The believers in Thailand will listen to these stories as long as they have friends who went through the tsunami and lost people they loved.” He shares this example:

It’s not hard to find friends like this in Thailand. In February, Steve was with a group of 50 YWAM Thailand leaders who were considering how they could love the city of Bangkok more effectively. Steve went with a group to a large park where over 500 homeless people sleep every night. The first person they spoke to was Waa, a young man from southern Thailand. He had no fingers on his right hand.

Steve explains, “I asked, ‘Waa, what happened to your hand?’ Waa replied, ‘I ran a tour company with my wife. We were with our daughter and my parents when the tsunami hit. All of them died except me. My fingers got infected as I was holding on to a tree and the doctors finally had to cut them all off to prevent more serious infection.’”

“Waa has been living in the park for the last year. Frozen in time, not able to find himself, he has not returned to his home. He cannot handle the pain, which he tries to stifle with alcohol. We asked if we could pray with him and we all cried together. I held his hand with no fingers – probably the first time anyone has done that. I asked him how old he was. He said, ‘On Valentines day, in two weeks, I will be 27 years old.’”

“A group of us returned on Valentines Day and surprised Waa with his first birthday party in a long time, with cake, presents and singing Happy Birthday at least a dozen times. There was much laughter and some tears.” Steve concludes, “We are keeping in touch with Waa and praying that somehow God will show him His love, His heart and His comfort for a man who has lost everything.”

Back in Indonesia, the writer of our opening story meets survivors like this all the time. “Last week in a mall 1,800 miles away from Aceh while waiting for my wife and kids I began to talk to a couple who had lost everything – home, children, family, business – in the tsunami,” he says. “Just the mention of Aceh brought tears to their eyes. He turned away not wanting to talk; she, I think, would still be talking if I had not excused myself. On one hand they have run away, thousands of miles to a different life, trying to escape the thoughts and memories of the reality of that day, vowing never to go back to Aceh. On the other hand they cannot stop thinking about it – it is in the forefront of their mind all day, every day.”

He reflects on the perseverance required to stay in a disaster zone long after it stops making headlines: “Sometimes it seems like the tsunami just happened yesterday, sometimes it seems like a bad dream from a long, long time ago. I simply move forward to the best of my ability, with the resources I have, believing for the grace that is needed and pray for God’s blessing. There are many seeds that have been planted and a few who have found peace and comfort, which gives us tremendous faith and sense of determination for the future.”

The sense of urgency created in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy of this scale stirs our natural human sympathies, causes us to react, to give – even to sacrifice – to relieve the suffering. As time passes, most of us are occupied with more personal or local needs and we move on. Five years later, with Christmas coming and a string of more current disasters demanding attention around the world, why remember the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004?

Because God has not forgotten. The volunteers who remain long-term to serve the victims of such a catastrophe are an inspiration to those serving in other hard areas to persevere, even for the sake of a little fruit. They give perspective to new mission workers who are wondering just how long it takes to make God known. And they are a reminder to all believers of the faithfulness and enduring goodness of the God who entered humanity.

For the survivors, frozen in the pain of loss, they are simply a testimony to the Love that knows no end.

This Christmas, give hope to victims of the 2004 tsunami!

People who have lost everything should not go another year without hope when the resources exist to help. Please give.

YWAM is partnering with organizations in Indonesia that work with local residents to complete the re-construction of communities and help thousands of victims rebuild their lives with micro-financing and vocational training programs. These provide individuals and families with a source of income, independence and hope. 100% of your donation will go directly to projects that are designed to advance the long-term regeneration of the area hit hardest by the tsunami.

Donations can be made online at https://www.ywam.org/secure/donations/donate.asp?project=9
Or, send a US dollar check made out to ‘Youth With A Mission’ with a note designating it for “Indonesia (Aceh) relief” and send to :

Youth With A Mission
PO Box 26479
Colorado Springs CO 80936, USA

Or call to donate at : 00–1–719–380-0505

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Lost at Sea

By Jill Martin

India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands were one of the areas hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami. The epicenter of the 9.3-magnitude earthquake was only 100 miles away and when it hit, it completely ruptured one of the tectonic plates on which the islands rest. The result of this was that one side of the island chain actually fell vertically nearly six feet from its previous level, permanently changing the coastline and leaving land that was home to thousands of people underwater forever.

Thousands of people were killed, and many thousands more can never return home because the land where their homes once stood is now completely submerged.

Vasanti was a financially well-off widow, living with her son in a comfortable home on the coast of Nicobar Island. She had a church, many friends, and money in the bank. All that changed at 7:58am on December 26, 2004. Vasanti and her son escaped with their lives, but their home, family photos, possessions, and bank records were swept out to sea in a matter of minutes.

Banking was not computerized, so like thousands of others, her money was lost forever when the banks and all their paper records went underwater. Since home owners’ insurance is unknown in India, there was also no compensation for the destruction of her house and possessions. The government gave Vasanti 10,000 rupees – about 200 U.S. dollars.

Like many other residents of the now-uninhabitable Nicobar coast, Vasanti and her son were transported to the city of Port Blair on Andaman Island. There, a local pastor connected her with YWAM, who was building and donating houses to tsunami victims. For the past four years, Vasanti and her son have lived in one of these homes.

It’s still painful for Vasanti to talk about that day and her life since the tsunami. She tells me, “We were very healthy and wealthy and we lost everything.” She covers her face with her sari and weeps. “It’s been difficult to adjust to a new place because we don’t know anyone here.”

Living only on a widow’s pension and the little her son earns as a night watchman has also been a challenge, but she is grateful for the home YWAM provided for them. “No other agencies would help us.” She says. “Only God gave us this house; it’s miraculous”

You Can Depend on Those Church People

by Bronwen Niles

“You’re not just restoring our homes. You’re restoring our lives.”

Over and over again, YWAM New Orleans directors Steve and Bronwen Niles have heard comments like these coming from the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the deadly storm which hit southern Louisiana, USA on August 29, 2005. The most severe loss of life and property was in New Orleans. The YWAM centre was also badly damaged, but with lots of help they were operational within a few months and began using every inch of their available facilities to host relief work teams. To date, they have hosted 350 teams totaling over 7 000 volunteers.

YWAM New Orleans teams have gutted 500 houses: helping to prevent survivors from losing their homes. During one of their jobs, a YWAM team was able to recover some precious belongings for an 87-year-old woman who was relocated to another city after the hurricane.

“Our connection with Miss Hattie began when she contacted our YWAM office about our free house-gutting services.” says Bronwen. “During that initial conversation, Miss Hattie explained that her house had been swamped by ten feet of water during Katrina. She and her daughter were not physically capable of clearing it out.”

“While our team was doing the dirty job of removing all the moldy furniture and belongings from the house, a teenage girl saw something sparkling in the midst of the rubble on the floor. We later discovered it was Miss Hattie’s diamond engagement ring. The other items found that day included silver dishes with gold trim and some silver dollar coins.”

Steve and Bronwen visited Miss Hattie to deliver the diamond engagement ring, the silver dollars, and the dishes. While there, they learned that the recovery of each of these items was a specific answer to prayer.

“Miss Hattie had been praying that God would help our team find these specific items while they were gutting her home.” Bronwen explains. “The ring and the silver dollars had a lot sentimental value to Miss Hattie. And the only thing her daughter had wanted to recover from their house was her wedding dishes.”

“All of us were in tears,” Bronwen says. “When we left she said, “I will never forget you but I know I’ll see you again.”

Hurricane victims throughout New Orleans boast about the Christian volunteers who have helped them during their time of great need. It is said that when people in New Orleans see a van full of young people, they know it is Christians coming to help them.

“You can depend on those church people,” victims say throughout New Orleans. “If it weren’t for the Christians, New Orleans would be at ground zero.”

Find out more about the work of YWAM in New Orleans at : www.ywamneworleans.org

A moment in YWAM

A Moment in YWAM :

Christmas in Australia – Brad and Melissa Davies and their son take part with the rest of YWAM Townsville and local churches in a city wide Christmas festival called “Stable on the Strand,” a walk-through, living nativity scene with activities to help all ages understand the message of Christmas.

Send your “Moment in YWAM” to : iy@ywam.org

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YWAM Grows Up!



	Contents October 2009 Editorial: Mums, Dads and Missions An Abnormal, Extraordinary Life The Physics of YWAM YWAM’s GLT : In Their Own Words Book Review: A Moment in YWAM Editorial: Mums, Dads and Missions By Tamara Neely Since we are all getting excited about the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2010, the IY is reflecting on growing up! (Some would say, it’s about time!) Thousands of parents are raising kids in our unique YWAM lifestyle which comes with enormous privileges and incredible challenges. In this issue we hope to reassure those of you raising kids in YWAM that they might just turn out ok. We also highlight a resource that you’ll find useful. But it’s not just the kids that are growing! We are following up the reports from the latest Global Leadership Team (GLT) meeting which were posted on www.ywam.org and getting more insight from participants about the important issues being discussed regarding the future structure and expansion of YWAM and how it will affect you. More insight into this important question will be circulated in upcoming leaders letters and prayer days and all of it will be highlighted on YWAM’s facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/youthwithamission where International Chairman, Lynn Green, recently participated in a live question-and-answer session! Read the transcript at our page and join the next one! Finally, it’s been a season of tragedy as natural disasters in Indonesia, Samoa, American Samoa and the Philippines have wreaked extensive damage and taken many lives. We thank God that none of our YWAM family members in these locations were injured in these disasters, but they are all contributing to relief efforts. Find out more and help with donations at:ywam.org/articles/article.asp?AID=748 An Abnormal, Extraordinary Life — The Perks and Perils of Raising Kids in YWAM By Jill Martin Anyone who’s brought up children on the mission field will tell you it’s not easy. The truth is that anyone who has raised children in any environment will say the same. Still, there is no denying that raising kids in YWAM carries its own set of challenges—but can there be blessings as well? The IY interviewed two families who have raised their children in YWAM. Indians, Simon and Anima Martins have been with the mission for over 25 years, serving in India apart from two years with YWAM Australia. Their three teenage sons, Abhishek, Vijay and Roshan, have lived their entire lives in the mission. “The biggest challenge for me was learning to balance home and ministry,” said Anima. “If I stayed at home with my children I felt like I wasn’t doing enough ministry, and if I was involved with the ministry I felt like I was neglecting my children.” Anima found equilibrium in following a strict schedule, and eventually learned to balance motherhood and ministry. Simon believes the travel, cross-cultural experiences and homeschooling involved in raising their kids in YWAM was a real benefit for their boys. “Our kids had more opportunities to be with their families, travel, and interact with a variety of people.” The downside, he says, was being unable to provide certain basics for their kids during seasons when finances were tight. The positive side, says Simon, is that, “Our kids saw and experienced God’s faithfulness as they saw over the years how the Lord provided for us in our difficulties.” Surprisingly, 15-year-old Vijay remembers it differently. “I never really felt deprived of material things. Sometimes the shifting and being away from friends was difficult, but still now when I look back on it I see it was not that bad.” The Martin family traveled a lot, shifted locations and was frequently involved in outreach, but being homeschooled gave Vijay stability. “I could move to another city without bothering to think about having school friends or how the school would be and if I would adjust, plus homeschooling has helped me develop my other talents like writing, painting, photography and skateboarding. And I get to be around my family 24/7.” 15-year-old British YWAMer Naomi Bishop grew up in Costa Rica and Argentina and moved back to YWAM England’s Harpenden base two years ago. Soon after arriving in Costa Rica at the age of four, Naomi was thrown into a Spanish-speaking kindergarten where she learned the language quickly. Although there were challenges, she is positive about her family’s YWAM lifestyle. “I saw so many examples of miracles and blessings that made it really obvious that God existed. And it was great being able to experience a different culture and learn another language.” Not all of it was easy, though. “In Argentina, my non-YWAM friends would date and go to clubs, but we couldn’t because the YWAM culture was very strict about that. I think my parents would have been more open to us doing that if they weren’t in YWAM.” Moving back to England was tough, too. “I was so used to Argentina and I couldn’t remember anything but that, so moving to England was really hard. Since coming back I’ve had to make new friends. Also, I don’t know what people are talking about—famous songs, TV shows, that kind of cultural thing. It’s not important, but when people talk about those things I don’t have the shared memories that everyone else has.” But when all is said and done, these two YWAM teens wouldn’t change a thing. “Growing up in YWAM is a blast,” says Vijay Simons. “The people you live around, the miracles you see happening around you, meeting people from different places, traveling to villages, towns, big cities, and living in rooms which range from comfortable to literally a wooden hut in the middle of nowhere.” His advice to other YWAM kids? “You will never regret growing up in YWAM; it’s a once in a lifetime experience.” Naomi is equally positive. “I have a strong Christian foundation. It’s made me realize that whatever I do has purpose. When I go to live away from home that’ll be quite an adjustment, but I’ve always attended non-Christian schools so I know more about what to expect. But I can’t imagine myself not being in YWAM!” She has a piece of advice for YWAM parents as well: “Make sure your kids know what your purpose is and why you’re there; communicate with them about what you do and why and encourage them to be part of the YWAM ministry you’re in. Involve them in the decisions you make about what to do and where to go.” Perhaps Simon Martins sums it up best. “I would say in the end, that even though it was difficult at times over the years raising our kids in the mission field, I would not trade it for anything. What better way to teach one’s child the ways of God than by walking along with them?” Want to talk more about raising kids in YWAM? Start a discussion on YWAM’s facebook page – www.facebook.com/youthwithamission Book Review: “Families in Ministry – How to Thrive, Not Just Survive” Finally! A book has been released for YWAMers that addresses the issue of balancing family and ministry. “Families in Ministry-How to Thrive, Not just Survive” by Andreas and Angela Fresz, European directors of YWAM Family Ministries, can be used as a personal resource or group study. Topics covered in the eight chapters include: My vision, your vision, our vision – who has priority? Dealing with community life The challenges of pioneering situations Living in an international community. Testimonies between the chapters bring the teaching to life and each chapter comes with practical suggestions for spouse or group dialogue, as well as ideas on how to implement the ideas in your own family. The regular price for this book is €14,95. But if you order 3 or more copies by October 31st you pay only €11,95 per book, plus receive free shipping anywhere in the world. Order from YWAM Publishing in Europe sales@ywampublishing.eu or in the USA: sales@ywampublishing.com The Physics of YWAM by Michael Green Michael Green is on staff at YWAM Harpenden. He is the son of International Chairman, Lynn Green, and he reports here from the Youth Track of the GLT. I’m writing this on the 40th Anniversary of YWAM in Lausanne, Switzerland – at the base which also happens to be the place where my parents, Lynn and Marti Green, first met, fell in love, and with a little helpful pressure from Loren Cunningham, got engaged. YWAM back then was a little known, mainly American missionary organisation with the then crazy idea that young people could go into all the world and make disciples. With only a handful of students and staff, there wasn’t much formal structure and YWAM depended upon each person hearing from God and obeying. Forty years on and a few things have changed. We’re not so small anymore and we are also getting to be fairly well known. But some things haven’t changed. We still have some crazy ideas and we still depend upon each person hearing the voice of God and obeying. There is some formal structure, although people outside of YWAM grapple with exactly how an organisation could be so big and yet so decentralized. And incredibly, YWAM seems to be on the threshold of dramatic growth and it is how we prepare for and structure ourselves in preparation for this growth that was the main agenda item for the Global Leadership Team (GLT) this last week. As part of the group of young leaders that were invited to attend this time, I was able to sit in on a number of the GLT sessions and share informal conversations over coffee breaks and meal times. One of my most interesting conversations was inspired by Tom Hallas explaining Quantum Entanglement to the GLT! For those of you who haven’t studied physics, it is possible to link together two quantum particles (atoms, for example) in a special way that makes them effectively two parts of the same entity. You can then separate them as far as you like, and a change in one is instantly reflected in the other. That is quantum entanglement. The famous physicist, Albert Einstein, called this “spooky action at a distance.” He didn’t understand it and truth be told, I don’t think Tom does either. Nevertheless, at the very core of our universe, when you break it down into its smallest sub-atomic particles, is the foundation of relationship. Quantum Entanglement sounds a little like the incredible stories of faith that YWAM is famous for. We have heard many stories of recent miracles over the week, but this afternoon, at the 40th celebration, Loren and Darlene told the story of how God provided for the purchase of the Lausanne campus. On the day they were to purchase the property, YWAM was still ten thousand dollars short on the down payment and were facing losing the substantial deposit they had put down. Nevertheless, Loren went to the meeting that was pre-arranged at the bank. On the way, he dropped by the post office and discovered a number of cheques (posted days and even weeks previously) that totaled the missing ten thousand dollars – “spooky action at a distance”. At the other end of the scale, as chemists and physicists study more, they conclude that the beginning of our universe can only be described as a miracle (which isn’t a surprise to most of us). Nobel laureate and high energy physicist Steven Weinberg writes, “Life as we know it would be impossible if any one of several physical quantities had slightly different values.” For example, as Weinberg calculates, the energy of the Big Bang (which cannot yet be explained) is tuned to one part in 10 to the 120th power. Meaning, if the energy of the big bang were different by more than one part out of a 10, with a 120 zeros behind it (this is a pretty big number), there would be no life anywhere in the universe. In the beginning, God. In the beginning, relationship. You probably see where I am going with this. As you break down YWAM into it’s smallest parts, you find that it is relationship that holds it together and that it is relationship that holds YWAM together at a global level. Every YWAMer has freedom in the Spirit to hear and obey the word of the Lord, under the covering of spiritual eldership all operating under the word and the will of the Lord. At every level there is relationship. Which is how we can arrive at a GLT, a representation of the eldership of YWAM, to discover that God has been speaking the same message to so many people at the same time all around the world. Just as scientists have been unable to find a unifying theory between quantum physics and cosmology, exactly how YWAM works will still tend to be a bit of a mystery. In the end, it all comes back to relationship and love, which neatly brings us right back to where we started and I suppose, without going into too much detail, to where I started . . . YWAM’s Global Leadership Team : In Their Own Words The International YWAMer asked some of this years’ GLT representatives what they thought was significant about their September meeting in Lausanne. Here is what they had to say… What do you think was the most important outcome of this GLT meeting? Method Kamanze (East Africa): Seeking the Lord together, hearing, processing and praying together. All these make it very real that we are part of one big family of God. Alan Lim (SouthEast Asia and Australia): Our future! How we see ourselves now, how we make necessary changes and move towards what we see from God in the future will determine if we finish well or if we plateau and potentially decline. Ricardo Ignacio Rodriguez (North South America): That we, as a mission, are moving towards a different leadership structure, not yet known. The role of our fathers in the faith – our elders – will define much of our future leadership in all levels of the mission. Jean-Patrick Perrin (West Africa): That we were able to decide together that we have to rethink the leadership of YWAM…on the one side to recognize the good leadership we have had until now, and on the other side to say we need to make room for more. Joshua Tanaami (West/Central South Asia): I believe that one of the most important outcomes of this meeting was the renewal of our commitment and trust in God and in Team 3+ * through times of open dialogue and seeking the Word of the Lord, for this transition phase in our history. * Team 3 is YWAM’s most senior leadership trio. This team convenes the Global Leadership Team and consists of Lynn Green (chairman), Iain Muir (director) and John Dawson (president). ‘Team 3 plus’ adds founders, Loren and Darlene Cunningham; senior field leader, Tom Hallas; and former chairman, Jim Stier to form a global leadership executive. How will local ministry leaders be affected by what happened at this meeting? Joshua: God is emphasizing the need to provide true eldership throughout the mission rather than building the organization. Structures and guidelines will continue to exist as we comply ourselves to local laws, but I believe local leaders will be positively affected by a growing network of elders who will provide them with spiritual covering, pastoral care and wisdom. Alan: If base and local leaders see their place of leadership as a point of control, territory or jurisdiction, it will only be a matter of time before they will diminish. More and more we are not looking at geographical empowerment but more a calling and anointing empowerment. Jean Patrick: The challenge is to build up the deep trust like we have in the GLT – its takes time and humility…we have to grow in those areas locally. What will you be doing differently as a result of this meeting? Method: Giving more encouragement to younger, emerging leaders, talking and spending intentional time with them. Ricardo: I will embrace with greater strength this call to prepare ourselves for the greater things God has stored for us in the future and to invest myself in the new generation of leaders. Joshua: I was challenged to strengthen the prophetic ministry in our regional leadership team. Jean Patrick: I have to grow in the area of humility and lead others in this way too, as demonstrated by Lynn and John. Any other comments about this GLT? Method: For me, the GLT is very important – it helps me feel less isolated, and encouraged by what God is doing around the world. Alan: One of the best GLT meetings I have been to. It was great to have the younger leaders among us – we should encourage more of their participation Ricardo: It was great to see people like Joshua Tanaami involved in facilitating the GLT meeting and I think this is the way to go in the future. I hope to see YWAM become more and more truly international in their scope, even in the GLT meetings. Joshua: It was a wonderful mix of senior GLT members, young leaders and prayer warriors : a wonderful representation of who we are – possibly the most diverse and decentralized worldwide organization that ever existed? There were difficult issues to address, particularly related to where we are heading to as a mission movement, but God met with us! Jean Patrick: It is a great team and I’m proud to be part of it, great unity and tremendous love. I think it is a foretaste of the Kingdom! Watch for more discussion on YWAM’s future structure in upcoming IY editions and leadership letters. Join the discussions on YWAM’s facebook page : www.facebook.com/youthwithamission A moment in YWAM YWAM staff in the Philippines pause to pray as they pass out essential supplies to victims of Typhoon Ondoy which hit the Philippines on September 26, causing widespread flooding and mudslides. Information on YWAM’s response to the disasters in Philippines, Samoa and Indonesia and how you can help are available on: www.ywam.org

	www.internationalywamer.org \| www.ywam.org Forward the IY to all your YWAM friends! Subscribe for free at ywam.org! You are currently subscribed to %%list.name%% as: %%emailaddr%% To unsubscribe click here The International YWAMer is a publication of YWAM International. Views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the views of Youth With A Mission. © Youth With A Mission 2008

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In for the Long-Term



	Contents August 2009 Editorial :How Long Are You In For? Grandparenting for YWAMers ! The Whole Gospel : a holistic approach to the communities of Madagascar Youth is a state of mind! A Moment in YWAM Editorial : How Long Are You In For? By Tamara Neely When I first joined YWAM I would meet people who had been working full-time with the organisation for 10, or even 20 years, and I would think, as all teenagers do, “Wow! I can’t imagine being in your place – what a cool life you’ve had!” (I assumed, of course, that being over 30, they were nearing the end of their life). Now I’m on the other side of that conversation, and I can say, “Yeah, I have had a seriously cool life…but it’s not close to over!” This issue of the International YWAMer is not about growing old – it’s about commitment. It’s about realising that sometimes God calls you on a journey that is going to take you the rest of your life. It’s about learning from, and paying tribute to YWAM teams who put their hand to the plough and never looked back in the effort to restore the Kingdom of God, not just among their generation, but the next and the one after that. (Luke 9:62) YWAM is well known for its short-term opportunities, the opportunities that change lives and perspectives, and often kick-start or help maintain sustained ministry efforts. But as we grow older as a mission, we are also rightly developing a reputation as a long-term career agency, able to model the results of commitment and determination and experience. The beauty of the long-term view gives newcomers like I was even more inspiration to keep going. I was so encouraged and inspired by the achievements described below from our teams in Uganda and Madagascar. Do you have similar experiences? Tell us at : iy@ywam.org. And I loved the story of Bill Lemke’s life – is he YWAM’s oldest staff member? YWAM is celebrating its first 50 years in 2010! Let us know how you are marking the event – or how you think YWAM should be celebrating. Send us an email at : iy@ywam.org, or join the discussion on our Facebook page : www.facebook.com/youthwithamission If I live to Bill’s age, I’ll see what happens in the next 50 years! Grandparenting for YWAMers ! by Tim Heathcote This year Sam Abuku will turn fifty. He can look back on over twenty-five years in full time ministry in Uganda, but knows that he must prepare carefully for his future. There are few grandparents in YWAM Africa, and Sam reflects on the reason – as people enter their forties the rising costs of children’s educations, weddings, and fears for the future forces many to leave the mission at this stage. “If we are to do all that God has put in our hearts we need to think and prepare. I have two hands and a head, I have to creatively think about how to sustain my family in the future, or I could become bitter at the Church if my support dries up. This is the biggest challenge facing us in YWAM Africa.” Sam and his wife Agnes pastored churches in Soroti for twenty years. After years of partnering with YWAMers they did a CDTS in Harpenden in 2002. Upon their return to Uganda they spent six months in Soroti, processing with their church their desire to join YWAM. The church released them to help pioneer the YWAM Arua base, and has supported them financially ever since. With their years of experience, and having raised seven children, Sam and Agnes are now a backbone to the thriving Arua base. Their heart for leadership development and family ministries is seen in all that they do and teach. The Abuku family have talked openly about the challenges of living long term in YWAM. Together they have come up with a family plan to build security for their future and influence other families. The financial support from the Soroti church covers the Abuku’s staff fees and children’s schooling. Any extra gifts have been used to slowly build the family home in Soroti town. “We have never been in a position to save money, but have chosen instead to invest in land and houses.” Now that the town house is nearing completion it can be rented out. The finances from this will start to fund the real family vision, which lies 40km out of town in the village. Here Sam has bought over 60 acres of fertile land, and begun to build the family farm. They are calling it ‘Mairomu Kaga’ (Christ family concern program). Five acres of maize have recently been planted, and this year they hope to plant three acres of pineapples, an acre of orange trees, and develop some beehives. In the town house the Abukus will stockpile maize bought in the village, later in the year when prices have risen they plan to sell at a profit to the UN. If all goes to plan several huts will be completed on the land to house workers. Whilst Sam and Agnes continue to live and minister in Arua, their eldest sons, who have diplomas in Development Studies and Business Administration, will work at establishing the family farm. In the future they dream of poultry, a large fruit orchard, and a family home. The farm should provide a secure income for the family, a solid investment for the future, and be a model for how the extended family can live and work. Sam and Agnes have already run Holy Trinity Brompton’s ‘Marriage Course’ in Arua, and plan to use it on the farm. They envision the farm as a place where families and couples can stay, be discipled in marriage and family life, and learn about sustainable development within the rural African context. Outreach teams from Community Development schools could teach and invest in the lives of local leaders and rural farmers. This holistic vision for the extended family to disciple other families within the home environment has come after years of discussion and prayer within the Abuku family. With hard work and God’s favour it has the potential to provide a YWAM family with long term financial security, and be a rich source of blessing to others. Sam and Agnes will also have modelled how to wisely and intentionally grow into grandparents within YWAM Africa. The Whole Gospel : A Holistic Approach to the Communities of Madagascar by Martine Fritsch I was finding out about my new country. After more than 20 years in sub-Saharan Africa, I was going to live on the east coast of Madagascar, one of the wettest areas in the world: an area where 90% of the population lives in rural areas and where no-one has access to clean drinking water. Use of latrines is just about non-existent. 80% of people are so isolated, living up in the mountains or deep in the bush, that they have no access to basic healthcare services. The sadness in the villages was striking. It seemed as if the only times of feasting and celebration were the annual visits to the tombs to re-clothe the dead when ancestors’ remains are removed from the ground, washed, put back into shrouds and carried in a long procession amidst cheers and acclamations. Cows are sacrificed in order to gain the favour of the ancestors: one of the rare occasions in the year when meat is eaten. How could we bring about change, a lasting development and see the Kingdom of God being established in these villages? That was March, 2004. We had just done a presentation to the Malagasy government of a community healthcare programme for the Tamatave region and were officially starting up an NGO called Mercy Ministries in the country, supported by the YWAM Mercy Ministries office in Switzerland. Along with my family, I was joining a small team of 3 Malagasy YWAMers in the area. This is “Mission Impossible,” we were told again and again in the first two years! It will be impossible to see these simple rural folk taking the responsibility themselves and for their health and development! Impossible for them to work together! Impossible for them to change their way of thinking! … But God is so passionate is about seeing these villagers getting to know Him, passionate about them having a better life; passionate about seeing His Kingdom manifest to the ends of the earth. So He made it possible. 5 years later, through the work of YWAM Tamatave/Mercy Ministries: 100 000 new people have access to primary healthcare service. Where sick people used to have to walk for 2 days to receive care, often dying en route during the gruelling journey; today they are able to receive care in their own villages with some amazing results. 23 clinics have been set up in very remote areas with the active involvement of the indigenous community. Agricultural folk have been trained as primary healthcare workers by YWAM/Mercy Ministries. Others have been trained to educate the villagers on hygiene, development and good management. The results in terms of health have been so obvious, that our project was the inspiration in 2008 for a new national policy, based on the principle of local communities taking charge of their healthcare. In a culture where so much fear and suspicion exists, we have to work very carefully to create the right atmosphere for people to learn and to change their thinking and their hearts. We combine stories about health issues, games, and skits with times of sharing, Bible stories and praying… and barriers fall. The more the villagers realise that God is concerned about their health and development and that He has set out principles to follow in these areas, the more their hearts open up and then they ask us to come in and help them understand His Word. Many of those who believed in the Lord and decided to obey Him have started meeting together in their villages and have started up churches. The first 25 churches which started in this way are in the process of forming other churches and thus a church-planting movement has begun. Leaders and churches which are concerned about global development, as much spiritual as physical, are bringing about visible changes in these villages. We have realised how committed God is, working alongside His children, to the battle against poverty and disease. We cannot achieve the impossible on our own – we work in partnership with the Ministry of Health, other NGO’s and business people. When we started, malaria was the main cause of death in our area but it has now dropped down to third place. We are grateful for these partnerships and appreciate their input, as they allow fruitful change to occur and this allows the Kingdom of God to advance as well in other areas of society. What’s next? After 25 years of field work in community health, I have realised that I can do this and therefore I have a responsibility to pass it on – to train up those who can, in turn, train up others and I am busy setting up curriculums which incorporate Biblical principles that others can use in the country. After our uncertain beginning, it gives me great joy to see other people using these tools, including many in the government itself. It is our privilege to speak about Salvation in Jesus. When men and women are taught to live according to Kingdom of God principles in the different areas of society and to become disciples of Jesus, we will see nations transformed. “Biblical” community development and church-planting work hand-in-hand, complementing each other perfectly. That is our experience and our battle! Dr. Martine Fritsch, director of Mercy Ministries, Madagascar, is married to Jean-Marc and has 2 children. They have been together in YWAM since 1984. Contact: fritsch@moov.mg Youth is a state of mind! by Christopher Coryell Is Youth With A Mission a misnomer, or should be just remember the old adage “never judge a book by its cover”? Many people characterize YWAM by an abundance of zealous young people eager to stream into the nations, but that’s not the whole story! 90-year old William Lemke is a great example of the youthful spirit of Youth With A Mission! Deep in the heart of Wisconsin, USA, lies the YWAM Northwoods campus. The campus here was founded in 1973, and became part of YWAM in 1985. Bill was here long before Northwoods was founded, however. He moved onto the property that is now our campus in 1973, in order to continue a Discipleship School that he had helped start two years earlier under Daystar Ministries. His original location ran out of room and when the Daystar facility transitioned to YWAM in 1985, Bill and his wife completed a DTS and became YWAM staff. Bill was married twice to godly women: Lavonne and Lou Lemke who have both gone on to be with the Lord. When each wife died, Bill was able to be with her and have the opportunity to commit her into the Lord’s hands. He also has three sons who have served in missions. Over the past 20 years in YWAM, Bill has served as campus director and taught in YWAM schools across the U.S. and Europe. He prays for and encourages the younger staff and students, who affectionately refer to him as “Grandpa Bill”. One of his most noteworthy traits is that he is constantly making it a point to encourage and uplift those around him. A life well lived has many stories of God’s faithfulness. A favourite of Bills’ concerns the time when a tornado was heading for the campus and everyone prayed, asking God to change the course of the storm. They watched as it shifted north within a few blocks of the girl’s dormitory. 500 trees were damaged and one tree fell onto a small cottage, but other than that, no major damage or injuries occurred. One of my most memorable moments with Bill was when I first joined YWAM staff in 2006. At that point he was 87 years old. I was 20 years old and walking by his house when I saw him outside painting his porch. This took me by surprise because I don’t know any other 87 year olds who paint their own porches. I asked if he needed any help (a little begrudgingly, if I’m being honest. I had a lot to do that day and didn’t want to spend my time working on a porch). Bill simply said something to the effect of, “Thanks for the offer, but I only have one brush.” At age 90 Bill still helps maintain the grounds here at YWAM Northwoods. In April 2009, Bill celebrated his 90th birthday. More than 300 people swarmed the campus to celebrate the life of a man who has touched so many. People from Daystar ministry and YWAM alike were present. It was a chance for Bill to see many of the people that he had poured himself into over the past 3 decades and for them to thank and bless him for his years of faithful service. Want to share an inspiring story about a serving YWAMer you know who is old in years but young at heart? Visit our YWAM Facebook page <www.facebook.com/youthwithamission> and join the discussion “YWAM – it’s not just for young people!” A Moment in YWAM Everyone loves baby pictures! This little missionary-in-training, David Forbes, belongs to a Canadian-Ukranian family working in England! Special thanks also to three generations of the McAdams/Couper family (YWAM Solomon Islands and UK) for posing for the header photo! Send your special “Moments in YWAM” to : iy@ywam.org

	www.internationalywamer.org \| www.ywam.org Forward the IY to all your YWAM friends! Subscribe for free at ywam.org! The International YWAMer is a publication of YWAM International. Views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the views of Youth With A Mission. © Youth With A Mission 2008

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The Changing Face of DTS…



	Contents June 2009 DTS – but not as you know it! YWAM and the DTS: Imagining our future! Gospel Gadgets: your new outreach essential! Extreme Makeover: DTS edition! “Say What?” A Moment in YWAM DTS – but not as you know it! By Tamara Neely Don’t freak out – no one is suggesting that we change the DTS! At least, not in a way that will make it less transformational or less YWAM. But all over the world, YWAM leaders are re-evaluating a program which has changed thousands of lives, to see how it can be more effective at changing thousands more! They are re-packaging the DTS to make it more relevant to a culture, or more effective in outreach, or more accessible to a certain group. This issue will highlight some unique approaches to DTS, but of course we did not have room for all of them. I’m intrigued by those bases looking at how to use technology and social networking as part of the DTS experience – both before and after the school. But even a technophobe has to love the “Gospel Gadgets” idea – the article below introduces you to some seriously must-have equipment for your DTS outreach that won’t even take up much room in those notoriously small outreach bags! And, speaking of social networking, if you are on Facebook, why not become a fan of YWAM and visit our page – www.facebook.com/youthwithamission – you’ll get updates on major YWAM events and the opportunity to participate in discussions about issues we are thinking about, such as the changing face of DTS. YWAM and the DTS: Imagining our future! by Carl Tinnion When we consider YWAM’s future there is a tendency to look to the “good old days” of the past. We can have a nostalgic desire to return to those early expressions of YWAM. However, as we are facing potential exponential growth, I don’t believe that our future will be a bigger version of what we are now. It won’t be about finding more DTS leaders, or running bigger schools. Nor will it be a return to the early decades of our YWAM history. I think that as we look to the future of structures such as the DTS we are looking not to restore, but to rebuild. Often when we look at our familiar structures we use the term “rebuild” as a challenge to return to our foundational values and core words from God. I am not challenging these things as they cause us to be YWAM in our identity and anointing. When I say “rebuild” I am referring to our practical application or the expression of those values. When we look at a ruined building, it can be very hard to conceive of rebuilding it in any other way than according to the original design. The mind wanders along the contours of the ruin and imagines a restored wall here, a window there. We look to the blueprint of what once was, and it screams to us to restore it the same way. But as we look to YWAM’s future and particularly how we shape our DTSes, we have to ask – do we want to rebuild our walls according to the original design? Weren’t those designs or contexts given to us from God for moment in our history, according to the needs and issues society faced during that time? Or is our challenge to re-think and re-imagine the future that is fast approaching us. If we are talking about mass multiplication, sustainable growth and, most of all, an influential voice into the engine rooms of culture and society, we need to keep changing. We need many new expressions of YWAM including YWAM missional communities that act as boiler rooms of prayer, expansive outreach to the poor and needy, transformational discipleship training and much more. This month’s Global Day of Prayer referenced Tim Svoboda’s brilliant article about planting more urban teams (see www.prayerday.org ) as one example. Urban centres are part of our mandate to disciple the nations. It is where you find the people who need discipling the most. So what do urban-centred DTSs look like? To imagine new forms of ministry or expressions of YWAM community, we must first look upon the new cultural landscapes surrounding us. We must taste them and experience them apart from the structures of the past so that we can truly create new discipleship formats and new ways of reaching society. These landscapes will influence how and what we will build. In re-building and re-imagining the DTS and other traditional YWAM forms, I am not suggesting that we remove the foundations. This is where our anointing lies, the platform that our fathers and mothers faithfully laid down for us to launch from. These foundations are precious to us, they allow us to move forward into our destiny. Still, we must look around, in the context of where God has placed us, and focus beyond what was to what is. This will come from our prayerful engagement in the darkness of society and as we do this, we will hear God’s heart for what He wants to create. The act of engaging prayerfully in today’s society will determine how, what and where we will build a new future. Carl leads YWAM York and is one of the Co-Directors for YWAM Western Europe. Gospel Gadgets: your new outreach essential! by Calvin Conkey Every year, thousands of teams set off on short term mission trips to share the gospel. Language and cultural barriers can make clear communication of the gospel incredibly difficult. What if teams could easily be equipped to witness in an engaging and culturally relevant way? Through “Equip”, Create International (a ministry of Youth With A Mission) provides outreach teams with the tools and information necessary for them to be as effective as possible for the short time they are on the field. During the twentieth century, pioneers began to equip teams with tracts and hand powered cassette tape players. Today, teams can fill their ipods, laptops, “Gospel Gadgets” mp4 players and mobile phones with evangelistic films and gospel messages. Effective, culturally relevant evangelistic films are available from Create International in many languages and can be easily taken to the most remote locations with new technology. Eliza, an Australian missionary, testifies to the effectiveness of using “Gospel Gadgets”: “On our recent outreach to Indonesia, we spent one day with a family in a slum. We showed them the ‘More than Dreams’ video of a young Muslim lady who had a vision of Isa Al Masih (Jesus) and became a believer. Two of the ladies decided to give their lives to Christ.” There are a number of options available for playing evangelistic films when you are on outreach. If you are looking for an inexpensive video player, that can also take pictures as well as display the Bible in many different languages, check out “Gospel Gadgets” from Indigitech. Gospel Gadgets such as the “GodPod” are small but powerful. This mp3/mp4 player with 2GB of internal memory can easily hold four or five full length movies and has the latest 1.8″ TFT LCD screen with resolutions up to 128 x 160 pixels for fine personal video playback and a built-in speaker for sharing your movies or music with others If you want to share your faith in the language of the people you are visiting, and gather stories of what God is doing there, then the “GodPod Touch” is the mobile device for you. With a 2.8″ hi res LCD screen and a built-in speaker you won’t have a problem grabbing attention. Go on to capture God’s stories with the built-in video camera and audio recording function. Technology has become an essential tool in completing the task of taking the good news of Jesus to all nations. Consider giving your next team the means to share the story of Jesus clearly in another culture. Find out more: Through the “Equip” initiative, you can now download all of Create International’s evangelistic films for free! You can also find links to thousands of ministry resources for cross-cultural missions on their Indigitech website: www.indigitech.net Calvin Conkey is the director of Create International Extreme Makeover : DTS edition! by Tamara Neely “Where did you do your DTS?” is one of the first questions YWAMers ask each other on being introduced. For all our variety, the Discipleship Training School program is the one thing that (almost) every YWAMer has in common (the School of Evangelism was an early alternative). DTS is a classic, and our research indicates that no one is thinking about messing with the core curriculum. But the post-modern generation has upgraded everything from the way we communicate to the way we go to church. Therefore, as the pre-requisite to entry in a youth movement, DTS will always be in line for a makeover. Franchesca Andrades, a DTS leader in Buenos Aires, says, “Of course the DTS is changing – YWAM is a living organism, it’s alive, therefore it will be in continual change.” What does that change look like? One of the most obvious developments is the Focused DTS – a DTS which targets a particular demographic. Location and language used to be the major options for your school. Today, however, the theme of your DTS can be tailored to your specific interests, talents and ministry calling. For example, Paul at YWAM Harpenden in England is developing a Sports and Development DTS starting in February 2010. It is aimed at students with a passion for playing sport and an interest in pursuing sports ministry in a missions context. He explains, “Sport is one of the best developmental tools around. It can be used to further discipleship, community development, even peace-making. This DTS is for people who want to use sport to impact lives and communities around the world.” Paul exemplifies YWAM’s “do first, then teach” principle – he has spent the last few years developing a sport for development charity which takes qualified cricket coaches to coach children in developing nations both in their game and in areas such as HIV/AIDS awareness and healthcare. The Sports in Ministry DTS will take students through the discipleship program with practical education alongside which will result in coaching qualifications. These qualifications will be put to use on outreach at the Soccer World Cup in South Africa. Find out more about this DTS at: www.ywamharpenden.org “Do first, then teach” is a foundational principle and an important characteristic of emerging DTS programs – for the students. YWAM Australia has been purposeful about involving their DTS in outreach at their successful “Youth Street” ministry, right from the beginning of the school Youth Street leadership team member, Daniel Norris says, “The DTS has a weekly involvement with our “Youth Street” program as staff, not as students and they are given staff responsibilities to help out the team. This allows them to put into practice the things they are learning each week. For example, if they are learning about hearing God’s voice, they have the opportunity to share the revelations they have been getting with the kids that are being discipled through Youth Street; as disciples, they are discipling others.” Is this an effective strategy? Ryan Booker, also on this team, says, “From our last two Youth Focused DTS’s we have seen two Youth Street programs planted. I want to see DTS take on outreaches with a very clear purpose, and for the lectures to help them minister to that focus. ” For more information, go to: www.ywam.org.au This principle is applied with even greater impact at the Hindu-focused DTS in Varanasi, India. This DTS is contextual to the Hindu culture and community and was birthed to disciple Christian believers who come from a Hindu background, and also to prepare those who are called to minister among Hindu people groups. “The DTS is adapted to share the love of Jesus among unreached Hindu people groups. Students experience contextual immersion in the Hindu community that they have come from, or which they wish to work in,” says Enoch Prem – DTS co-leader. “While DTS centre values say a DTS should be run in the cultural context of the nation it is in, we mainly see that DTS looks like a western import, particularly with the linear monologue teaching. Hence, there is a high failure rate in this culture,” he explains. “We were more interactive with the teaching – the students went on a mini-outreach every two weeks. They sat on the floor in a traditional Indian learning posture, and used the local style of worship, incorporating common symbols such as incense, lamps and flowers. The students also ran their own house fellowship in preparation for outreach among the unreached”. For more information, see : www.hindustudy.com DTS was always designed to equip students for long-term ministry. What seems to be emerging are DTSs equipping students for a specific ministry. DTSs like this, which “engage their passion and engage the spheres of society” will be on the increase in the future, according to DTS leader, Jared Hoover from Townsville, Australia, where they run a 4-Wheel Drive Adventure DTS which meets the need for outreach in the remote outback communities of northern Queensland (see www.reeftooutback.com ). Focused school are not the only developments in DTS. There will, of course, always be lots of room for students who are in the process of discovering their calling. This is the kind of school offered in Cimarron, USA where the traditional DTS operates, but its schedule stretches to accommodate college students or working people whose situations do not allow them to attend a full-time program for 6 months. The ONEDTS takes a year : the lecture phase takes place over one summer and the overseas outreach picks up the following summer. In the meantime, students live out the lectures by actively serving in their local community and continue in close relationship with the other participants through prayer and worship. More information is at : www.ywamcimarron.org Hellen Santos da Guia, from the DTS Centre in Brazil comments on the future of the DTS this way – “Today, we have a challenge in our DTSs : to practice missions in the post-modern world. It is not possible to walk to the future using the same way as the past. Men like William Carey, Hudson Taylor and Cameron Townsend answered the challenges of their time in an innovative way. We must do the same.” YWAM’s organic, innovative nature will lead us to give new shape to the DTS without compromising the essence of what it is. The future of the DTS, and of YWAM, will undoubtedly involve changes to the outside shape – the way we communicate truth; but not the inside essence – the values that transform lives. “Say What?” “The original purpose for the DTS was to make missionaries. We wanted to give students the equipment to be able to serve God: to give them the tools, but also to give them the character. We wanted people to know God and learn how to make Him known. We recognised that the learning process was speeded up by living together, by learning from people who actually were walking in faith, working in some category of service to the Lord. Part of the goal was to have a cross-cultural experience, to be able to know how to share the gospel cross-culturally, but the bottom line of this was always to make missionaries, that was the purpose of the DTS and so the best way possible to equip them.” - Darlene Cunningham A Moment in YWAM DTS students in North India celebrating the meaning of Easter through redeeming the Hindu festival Holi by throwing coloured paint and water at each other celebrating Christ’s victory over evil.’ Send pictures of your interesting moments in YWAM to : iy@ywam.org

	www.internationalywamer.org \| www.ywam.org Forward the IY to all your YWAM friends! Subscribe for free at ywam.org! The International YWAMer is a publication of YWAM International. Views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the views of Youth With A Mission. © Youth With A Mission 2008

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A Fortune In Faith



	Contents April 2009 Putting the Fun back in Fundraising Are you a Levite Getting Down to Business Keeping Your Support Up Book Review Reader Feedback A Moment in YWAM Putting the Fun back in Fundraising! By Tamara Neely When I presented the idea of an IY theme on ‘living by faith in a recession’ to a YWAMer in southern Africa, she laughed and asked, “What recession?” Here in England, headlines are exclaiming over a financial crisis which pales in comparison to the financial norm of many nations. But finances are on everyone’s mind – even if you live in a comparatively wealthy nation, the threat of economic collapse has made everyone feel a little insecure. Or has it? In this issue we wanted to explore how YWAMers approach fund raising in very different situations because it is too easy to think that your experience is the only experience when it comes to such a sensitive topic. We also hear from YWAM International Chairman, Lynn Green about why YWAM persists in structuring itself as a “faith mission” and offer some practical advice on raising support. Thanks to all of you who responded to the last IY! We love to hear from you and welcome you to tell us your thoughts about anything you read in the IY at: iy@ywam.org. We are also working on developing a new website for the International YWAMer which will give you online opportunities for feedback and even more news and views from YWAMers around the world. We hope to have that up and running before the next issue, but just in case there are any unemployed IT professionals out there: we could use your help. The salary is unbelievable! Are You A Levite? by Lynn Green Is money an issue for you? Do you sometimes feel that life in YWAM is one long financial struggle? Do you sometimes feel that you would like to put the financial issue behind you and just get on with your ministry? I know how you feel. But recently I have been studying God’s call on the tribe of Levi and I think we can learn a lot from them – in fact more than I can write in this brief article. So, later I will write some more on this subject and send it to our leadership letters mailing list. If you do not receive that letter, please subscribe by sending your name and email address to : ict@ywam.org I am convinced that YWAMers are a people living in the tradition of the Levites. They were a tribe that was set apart from all the others and they were called to: Serve the Lord without other distractions or obligations. Live a life of holiness. Understand God’s ways and teach them to all of God’s people. Joyfully accept that their inheritance was the Lord himself, not land and material wealth like the other tribes. When Israel strayed from the ways of God, the Levites suffered because they were dependent on the tithes and giving of the other tribes. So their well-being was directly linked to the spiritual state of the nation. When Israel fell away from the Lord, the Levites suffered. When Israel was restored, the Levitical service was restored. You can draw the parallels with our calling to live by faith and our relationship to the wider Body of Christ. As they prosper, we prosper. We are not called to find other ways and means of finding the money or material things we need, we are called to pray and work towards the restoration of the Church and one of the fruits of that is their generosity. When the Church has vibrant spiritual life, then missionary work is also vibrant and growing. I don’t mean to make this an exact equation: The Church Prospers=More Missionary Activity – or – The Church Declines= The Death of Missions. God is still our provider and he is able to provide even when the Church is in decline. A study of the Levites will show that God wanted them to be doing their ministry regardless of what the others were doing. He was also faithful to them when others were faithless. Take Jeremiah 33 as an illustration. In verse 22 God says, “I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” When we come to the New Testament, Jesus was the fulfilment of all of the ways of God as illustrated in the Old Testament. So, Jesus and his disciples were “Levites of the heart”. They weren’t born into the tribe of Levi, but they set their lives aside to serve God, giving up other normal pursuits, trusting God for their provision (and receiving it via those to whom they ministered), and joyfully accepting the Lord as their inheritance. My point is this: Our calling is both a sacrifice and a great privilege. Only a small minority of believers are called to this life of “living by faith” and it is sometimes a struggle. We will have times where we don’t know where the next meal will come from and sometimes, like the Apostle Paul, YWAMers can be led to temporarily earn a living. But this life of faith is more than worth it! The Lord is our inheritance. So, serve Him joyfully and without distractions, whether you have much or little. The life of the New Testament Levite is described by Jesus in Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Lynn Green is the International Chairman of Youth With A Mission Getting Down to Business… by Tamara Neely It has been said that three subjects to avoid in polite conversation are money, politics and religion. We’ll have to apologise later, because we asked a number of YWAM staff what their experiences are when it comes to raising funds. Working Together in Africa… Team leaders, Ismael and Sibeli Mendes, a Brazilian couple working in Angola were faced with the question of how to raise finances for their church planting ministry in a nation which had been isolated by 30 years of civil war. Although rich in resources, most Angolans live in poverty, but there was a small Christian population who were ready to engage in mission to the unreached peoples of that nation. The Mendes’ realised the only way to survive was to work together with the local church. Their goal in making relationship with the church was not to raise funds, but to partner together in ministry. They ran DTS’s at night, so church members could attend lectures, organised mission trips, and became leaders in the church ministries. The congregation had no expectation that the foreign workers would fund any of the ministry – they were all in need together. An observer notes that years of isolation and the challenges of war pushed church and mission leaders to truly, practically care for one another. In such a challenging location, it was also vital that YWAM leaders were actively engaged in assisting new staff with support raising. Ismael and other YWAM leaders became very involved in facilitating their staff to find support – not taking responsibility to do it, but advising and providing opportunities for new staff to get involved in ministry where they could meet people. The fruit of these efforts is that all staff members who have been in YWAM Angola for more than four years all have support sufficient to their needs! A notable achievement, indeed, which they credit to two key factors : meaningful relationship with the local church and leadership commitment to guiding staff through support raising efforts. On the other side of Africa, similar principles are followed by Sam Abuku from Arua, Uganda, who left a salaried position as a pastor to join YWAM but kept his relationship with the church who supports his new ministry. YWAM leaders in Arua agree that the lack of close relationship with local churches in this region creates isolation and financial challenges. Many other YWAM centres in Africa have relied on strong relationships with bases in Europe or North America for their financial support. Jon Armstrong, former base and national leader in Uganda says, “I tried all sorts of things as a leader to help people raise funds. Some were successful with small income generating schemes but in many cases this left people with no time for ministry. There are no easy answers.” Jon goes on to explain that “cross-cultural friend-raising” doesn’t always work when there is not time to build genuine relationships. “Sometimes the staff person who worked the hardest was the least well supported because he did not put himself forward when the money was available.” Jon says. “In many cases I have seen a leader make sure his team is supported, but often be without funds for himself and his family.” Overcoming Unbelief in India… YWAM Member Care leader Ah Kie Lim, who is from Malaysia and works in India has spent a lot of time helping South Asian YWAMers raise the support they need. She says, “Many South Asian YWAMers believe they would not be able to receive any support from their local church and friends. Two years ago I asked one of our workers to write to her church and friends from her hometown to support her ministry in YWAM. Her response was, “My church only support missionaries sent out from the church. They will not support me. Even if they support me it will only be a minimal amount of 500 rupees (US$11) monthly. I do not have friends who are able to give me monthly support, unlike the westerners, because they have money. We Indians do not have the resources that they do.” I encouraged her to write to her pastor regularly. As her leader, I also began to write to her pastor to establish a relationship with the church. To her surprise, her pastor wrote to her and said that the church would give her 2000 rupees (US$44) monthly support and since then they have increased that to 4000 rupees (US$85).” “I believe as leaders in the mission we have a role to play in helping the South Asian missionaries overcome their negativity towards raising support from their own sending church and local friends. This same worker today has also begun to receive some support from her friends in the church. I believe these small victories teach our national workers to take the first step of raising financial and prayer support locally. Often they tend to look outside without looking at the resources that are available in their own country.” (Taken from “On-field Member Care For YWAM South Asia,” MA Thesis, Ah Kie, Lim. 2002. Fuller Theological Seminary: Pasadena, CA.) Miracles in Latin America… Latin America is a source for a lot of amazing stories about God’s miraculous provision (read about the founding of YWAM Brazil in the book, “Against All Odds” by Jim Stier – YWAM Publishing). From the newest student to the regional leaders, almost everyone can tell you a remarkable story about faith in finances. Alejandro Cruz, who leads a communications ministry in his native Argentina tells us one of his: “A long time ago, I started to understand God’s strategy for finances. I used to be part of a travelling art team and I found myself in Thailand without my ticket to return home. We were quite desperate, and we tried every possible way to collect the money we needed. We brainstormed and we made budgets. Then I went to God in prayer and He spoke to me: “Your strategies are good, but it is for Me to provide.” I cried and I asked forgiveness for my independence and I started to ask God for His perfect plan.” The next day in the afternoon, the elevator I was in stopped suddenly. The doors opened and a stranger looked in and said, “Are you Alejandro? God told me to give you this money.” I said goodbye to this person as the doors of the elevator closed. My ticket to return home was in my hand.” Alejandro says, “The real challenge is not finances, but to understand what God wants for my life. The challenge is to trust that His strategy is the key to walking on water and to see miracles happen.” Partnership – relationship – persistence – prayer. These are all elements in the economic plan God has for YWAM : the challenge and the privilege of serving in a mission which has over 17,000 staff but no payroll. What is your story? Share it with us at: iy@ywam.org Keeping Your Support Up When the Economy is Down by Terry Sherman Whether you follow the news through television, internet or newspaper, you can’t avoid being overwhelmed with the headlines of one financial crisis after another. Maybe you, like me, have found yourself being tested in the source of your security. As in every time of struggle or crisis, we need to look at what God says and live out of His truth rather than what the headlines are telling us. Just doing a word study on “provide” has already reminded me how faithful He is in providing for ALL of my needs. And Philippians 4 helps me again realize that God’s ability to sustain us remains the same no matter what our circumstances. Below are some practical things we can be doing during this season of global crisis to help keep our focus on Him and our support going strong. 1) Review your calling and what God has said. Our calling isn’t dependent upon the ups and downs of our financial situation. It will test our calling, though, which is not a bad thing. 2) Don’t panic and start sending out crisis letters. This only communicates a lack of faith and doesn’t motivate people to partner with you. Seek God and His perspective. 3) Broaden your base of support. It’s healthier to have many people giving smaller amounts than a few who give a large amount. Be as personal as possible in asking people to partner with you in ministry. 4) Keep the ministry vision central. Remember, you’re inviting supporters to advance the Kingdom, not merely meet your personal needs. For more on this, an excellent article is : www.scribd.com/doc/13621366/THE-SPIRITUALITY-OF-FUNDRAISING-Henry-Nouwen 5) Keep up your personal communication with supporters. Empathize with them, ask how you can be praying for them and send a card telling them how God led you to pray. 6) Focus on the essentials. Get rid of debt; build up your savings; repair things rather than replace; work together, and just like your struggling supporters, prayerfully distinguish between your wants and your needs. 7) Let this be a wake up call. Get your finances in order; ask for help if needed. Learn from the ant in Proverbs 6:8. Adapted by Terry Sherman, from YWAM Heidebeek (Netherlands) and used with permission from Steve Shadrach, December 2008 issue of Support Raising Solutions. Would you like to see more training developed in how to raise support for YWAMers internationally? If you’d like to network about this, please email Terry at tsherman@solcon.nl Book Review: Towards an Institutional or Apostolic Vision by Alejandro Rodriguez by Michele Hernandez “Budgets are good, but they should never govern the decision of our ministries. They help us, but they don’t govern us.” That is one of the impacting quotes from Alejandro Rodriguez’s new book “Towards an Institutional or Apostolic Vision?.” This challenging book, oriented to YWAMers from all over the world, discusses relevant issues such as base development, leadership, financial dependency on God, and much more. It responds to many situations lived by workers and leaders and it encourages readers to think, pray and believe beyond the security of our institutional structures and walk towards an apostolic vision and lifestyle. Loren Cunningham affirms in his foreword that this book “will bring you understanding, revelation perhaps even, and help equip you to better serve in the ministry that God has given to you.” Free for a donation if you order 10 or more. Email: oficinanacional1@yahoo.com.ar for details. Reader Feedback Thanks to everyone who wrote to tell the IY about their creative evangelism experiences. Here’s some of our favorites… Joshua and Caleb carry “Jesus bags” when they go to the park with their mom and dad, filled with a small gift and a kid-friendly message about Jesus to pass out to new friends they make. Mom Sarah says it works in any nation. Katherine asks God “Who do you want me to meet next?” and finds someone everywhere she goes. She says, “During my DTS I injured my foot. As I was limping up a road, I saw a guy wearing clothes the same colour as mine and limping as well. We struck up a conversation. I shared God’s love for him then prayed for his healing.” Kristen and Devon left YWAM but couldn’t stop giving Love Feasts! They host them for anyone – homeless people, skateboarders…read their delicious blog at : lovefeasttable.com/blog/category/love-feast-underground Write to us anytime at : iy@ywam.org A Moment in YWAM YWAM teams in Myanmar made a super-human effort to help rebuild villages after the devastation of Cyclone Nargis one year ago. Their heroic efforts have resulted in over 137 new houses, food distribution for thousands and a lot more! Find this story and more in the YWAM news archives : http://ywam.org/articles/article.asp?AID=658. Send pictures of your interesting moments in YWAM to : iy@ywam.org

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Let Me Tell You About Jesus



	Contents February 2009 Flowers and Feedback… What’s Your Style? Taking it to the Streets JESUSFREAKS A Moment in YWAM Flowers and Feedback… By Tamara Neely I once ate a pink carnation on the streets of Germany in an attempt to draw a crowd to listen to our DTS outreach. It was a dramatic illustration that led into an evangelistic message and I cannot recall if it was effective, but it did give me indigestion. That was a number (that shall remain unspoken) of years ago, when YWAM was still best known as the missions organisation that did street dramas. This edition of the International YWAMer focuses on how YWAM is approaching evangelism today. Recognising the changes in culture and attitude towards Christianity, YWAMer’s have applied their innate resourcefulness to the task of drawing the attention of this generation to the timeless message of the gospel on any street corner, in any nation. Sure, we’re still doing street drama where it is effective, but we’ve been able to highlight a few other intriguing ideas in this edition. What about you? What are you doing to meet people who don’t know Jesus and bring Him up in conversation? Email us at iy@ywam.org to tell us. Your idea could inspire others. And while you’re doing that, give us some feedback on the International YWAMer – what can we do to make it reflect your YWAM life and connect you with the rest of the mission more effectively? And, if you’d like to try the pink carnation strategy, email me at the IY for details! What’s Your Style? by Danny Lehmann I once saw a cartoon depicting an “Evangelism Research Laboratory” where computer-genius type people were running around inputting and receiving data, consulting in backrooms and busily searching for the latest, greatest, creative ways to “do” evangelism. Suddenly one bright looking young fellow came running in from a back room enthusiastically reporting that he had found the answer to all their research. “We’ve got it! We’ve discovered it! Evangelism is telling people about Jesus!” YWAM by its very nature and calling is “visionary” – seeking to do new things in new ways (YWAM values #5). Consequently, we will always be looking for creative ways to arrest the attention of those we are trying to reach with our message. However, we must always strive to have a synthesis of what Jesus called “new and old treasures” (Matt. 13:52). In other words, while changing the wineskin – don’t mess with the wine! (Matt. 9:16-17) With the above in mind, let me suggest that your “wineskin” could take at least 7 different shapes into what I will call witnessing “styles” (thanks to Mark Middleburg for getting me started on this). In YWAM, we have multiple examples about how each of these approaches can effectively help people meet Jesus. 1. The Intentional Style – Our Impact World Tour ministry (see www.impactworldtour.com) is a great example of the synthesis described above. While making no apologies about communicating crucial issues like the cross, the blood, the resurrection and the need for repentance and faith, they combine their outreaches with creative approaches using dance, drama, bike & skate demonstrations and feats of strength. These all function as “interest doors” through which we can walk with the Gospel. I would like to take this opportunity to put in a word of support for good, old-fashioned street evangelism. There is a rumour going around that street evangelism “doesn’t work” anymore. I find, however, that simply going on the streets and meeting new people will give me the chance to walk through the doors of the other 6 evangelism styles. (See following article for a glimpse at new street evangelism strategies – Ed.) 2. The Interpersonal Style – Also known as “friendship evangelism”. Many YWAMers suffer from “staff infection”! This is the disease of being so busy doing ministry work that we forget about our purpose which is to see people come to Christ! If you are too busy in your ministry to make friends with non-believers than you are too busy! I have heard many glorious examples of people in the neighbourhoods of YWAM bases come to Christ because YWAMers were involved in things they were interested in – sports, schools, local politics. In other words, live like normalpeople as Christ ambassadors in the world. 3. The Invitational Style – This is simply inviting people to an event that may draw them to an interest in the Lord. Many YWAM ministries host their own events (like a concert, play, meal, etc.) but there are many options. Several recent mainstream movies have provided thought provoking questions about the issues of life which can lead to important conversations. The invitational style is a bit less threatening and can be used by the shyer among us. 4. The Intellectual Style – YWAM needs to return to campuses! I was recently visiting an American university and I found it fascinating to interact with Muslims, agnostics, atheists and others who had intellectual objections to the Gospel. I found that many of their objections could easily be answered by some simple research and basic apologetics. Like Paul did with the Greeks at the Areopogus (Acts 17), we need to use our minds to engage the intellectual challenges people have to the faith. 5. The Testimonial Style – Sociologists are alerting us to the fact that young people today would rather listen to a story than hear a proposition. Not only is the Bible full of stories but we have our own story as well. We need to tell it! You never know when your story may relate to the story of the person that you are engaging in conversation. Our testimony, in addition to engaging people on a personal level, is a weapon in spiritual warfare (Rev. 12:11). 6. The Demonstrational Style – One of our workers in South East Asia was seeking to serve the village to which God had sent her. As she searched for the “felt needs” of the community she found that a large percentage of the annual rice crop was being eaten by rats. As she sought the Lord for a solution to this dilemma the Lord simply spoke to her to go out and buy some cats. To make a long story short: the cats ate the rats, the rice crop multiplied and many people were hungry to know her God as a result of the wisdom that she showed. “He that is wise, wins souls.” (Proverbs 11:30). Often times it is by demonstrating the love of God either before or in addition to explaining about the love of God that we show the wisdom that it takes to win people to Christ. 7. The Supernatural Style – According to the apostle Paul, the good news about Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). My son, Daniel, was on an Impact World Tour outreach in Fiji a few months ago and was leading worship. After the session, he noticed two young Indian men that had come for prayer but were not engaged by counsellors. He jumped off the platform, started talking to them, and immediately had several “words of knowledge” come into his mind with some privileged information regarding these two men, who were brothers. God spoke to him about the men’s childhood, their relationship with their father and their fears of the repercussions of what would happen if they were to become Christians. He gave them the gospel, told them to go home and to count the cost and come back the next night to the meeting. They did, were reconciled to their father, came back to the meeting and received Jesus Christ into their lives. Paul said, “we did not come to you with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power so that your faith does not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” We need to be creative, innovative and open to the Holy Spirit showing us how to do new things in new ways. But the bottom line in all styles of evangelism is the question that was brought up in our opening cartoon; when was the last time you told someone about Jesus? Danny is YWAM’s International Ministries director for Evangelism and the Dean of the College of Christian Ministries for the University of the Nations. ” Say What? “ American evangelist D.L. Moody (1837-1899) said about evangelism, “I like the way I’m doing it better than the way you are not doing it!” So, what are you doing? How are you and your base making opportunities to talk to people about Jesus? Tell us at : iy@ywam.org Taking it to the Streets by Yan Nicholls Street evangelism in the 1970s was fairly easy. All you had to do was grab a guitar and a bunch of YWAMers and hit the streets. It worked because of three things: God said to do it, there were very few others on the street performing so it was easy to get a crowd and the culture was more Christian. Times have changed. We’ve shifted from entirely event-based evangelism to a balance of relational evangelism and event evangelism. We have recognized that people come to Christ through a process. It has been said that the average western person hears the gospel seven times over a period of two years before they respond. Of those responding, 84% do so through relationship with a friend or relative. Young people today want to see, touch and smell Christianity working in our lives. Paul said “be challenged by the good qualities you see in me.” (1 Cor 4:16). If we want people to be challenged by our faith, we need to be authentic. Yet, as culture changes some core values never do. We don’t do evangelism with numbers and targets in mind; it’s about personal relationships with people and with Jesus. And we should always hear and obey God’s voice in evangelism opportunities. So, what are we doing now? As YWAM we need to constantly be looking to do new things in new ways. YWAMers today have no less passion for Jesus and their desire to share His love with others is inspiring creative new evangelism strategies. Here are a few things we are trying in the UK… YWAM Harpenden operates in a town which is home to many employees from the financial district in London. Concerned for their neighbors who were suffering with fear and anxiety over debt or unemployment in the current economic recession, YWAMers delivered invitations to come and talk or pray with someone who cares. A YWAM Scotland team is finding opportunities to introduce people seeking a new kind of spiritual encounter to the spirit of Jesus by offering prayer for healing, guidance and a better understanding of how God sees them through pictures and words of knowledge. They offer their services free at community fairs, coffee shops and healthcare shows. See www.lightlife.org.uk for more information. Dave Nevard, a YWAMer from York was so impacted by the faith of an impoverished Christian pastor whom he met on outreach at a leper colony in China that he drew a 2-meter high drawing of the man and exhibited it at a university campus in that nation. “The response was powerful,” says Dave. “As students engaged with the work, I shared the story of a man who, having nothing, possessed an incredible freedom and joy that could exist in the midst of isolation, disability and poverty.” Some students were moved to give money to help the village, and five students were moved to give their lives over to God. Dave comments on the use of art in evangelism, “I began to see the incredible power my art had to communicate a story, to touch lives of both the poor and the rich and to build a bridge between the two.” (see a more detailed version of this incredible story on www.ywam.org in the news section – Ed.) As we pursue new means of sharing the gospel and hold onto eternal values we hope to see missions in the future have even more radical impact than in the 1970’s. Yan is the director of ETEAM, a ministry of YWAM England. www.eteam.org JESUSFREAKS: DTS Uncut by Stephanie Ward “Most people are used to hearing the Gospel from a preacher in a black suit, but God can use any vessel for His work, even ones who are broken and full of tattoos,” said Peter Warren, base director of YWAM Denver, Colorado, USA. This revolutionary vision laid the groundwork for Circle of Belief’s latest production JESUSFREAKS, a compelling documentary that traces the lives of the 45 students of the 2008 Snowboard DTS. The film starts with recordings of the 911 calls on December 9, 2007, when a gunman entered a dorm at the YWAM centre and opened fire, killing two people and injuring two others. The film then follows the boarders through their school as they wrestle not only with God, but also with each other on a five-month journey of finding themselves in Christ. “JESUSFREAKS is raw and in your face but it shows the transformation that takes place in a DTS. It really brings glory to God,” Warren said. Co-producers Katherine and Charles Cobb started the project in January 2006 with a vision to reach today’s “millennial generation” and show them that following Jesus is not necessarily about long skirts and button-up shirts. The Cobbs had no previous snowboarding or producing experience. In fact, they didn’t even own a computer three years ago. “We had no idea what we were doing,” Katherine said, “but God chose us because we didn’t have fear. That’s the culture of boarders. They’re risk-takers. I mean, they’ll jump off the side of a mountain! That’s what it’s like with Jesus, you just have to jump in and have no fear.” The film features the rough counterculture of snowboarding with “disarming” honesty. The students struggle through substance abuse, broken relationships, homosexuality and trauma, boldly sharing their testimonies on camera. There is no hero, no sugarcoating, just the realness of Jesus. John Murphy, the DTS director, said, “That’s what it’s all about…Being real with God, real with ourselves, and real with each other.” To him, this DTS stood out because the boarders refused to settle for mediocrity. They reached out and seized the victories God gave them. Murphy said, as leaders, “We wouldn’t let them just be because we wanted to see them reach their full potential and see them be the people God had intended them to be.” JESUSFREAKS will be opening at the University of the Nations-Kona on February 27, 2009. The film will start out being shown at YWAM bases and churches, with the goal of making it to the big screen and secular media. “We think it will shake up the church, and we hope that it will,” said Warren. There are also plans in the making to develop JESUSFREAKS into a reality TV series. For more information, visit www.jesusfreaksmovie.com C.R.I.T. 2009 “We all are potential communicators.” For six year the C.R.I.T. (Communications, Research & Information Technology) network has been focused on improving communication throughout YWAM and to the public by training and connecting people. CRIT events bring about new communications platforms and launch new initiatives both locally and internationally. Interested in exploring your potential as a communicator? C.R.I.T. will be hosting an event at YWAM Hopeland in Jinja, Uganda, from 26 April to 02 May. E-mail ywamafricom@gmail.com for more information, or go to www.crit.ywamcommunication.org What Does YWAM Think? Do you have ideas for future issues of the IY or great stories to post on ywam.org news? How about photos of YWAMers doing something other than grinning at a camara? Don’t keep them to yourself! Email us at iy@ywam.org. In the April issue of the IY we will be looking at the challenge of “earning a living by faith” in a global recession…tell us your experiences and help YWAM stay connected! A Moment in YWAM Students and crew of YWAM England’s floating training vessel, the Next Wave, preach just like Jesus used to do it – from a boat docked in the Mediterranean Sea! Photo: Kelsey Davis Send your interesting photos to the IY at : iy@ywam.org

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The Right to Life



	Contents Behold! I Bring You Good Tidings…! The Kingdom is Here! The Human Rights Controversy Giving the Gospel With Two Hands Hope and Help to Earthquake Victims Why not Women – in Pakistan? A Moment in YWAM Behold! I Bring You Good Tidings…! By Tamara Neely YWAM Americas Field Director, Jim Stier, inspired this edition of the IY when he told me that he thought the Christian Magna Carta presented a perfect strategy for our goal of making disciples of all nations – it starts by changing lives and ends up changing nations. A few months ago, YWAM’s Global Day of Prayer (www.prayerday.org) focused on the Christian Magna Carta, a document which declares YWAM’s commitment to work on behalf of all people that they might obtain those human rights which are implicit in the gospel. This includes the right of all people to hear the gospel of Jesus and to have a Bible translated into their own language, have fellowship with other believers, and acquire the basic necessities of life – food, water, clothing, shelter and health care, as well as the right to lead a productive, fulfilling life. (For the full text, see the documents library on www.ywam.org) This issue of the IY explores how YWAM teams are keeping that commitment and demonstrating how God’s Kingdom comes on earth when His work is done. It was impossible to keep it short! Every submission was inspiring – each one will make you proud to be a YWAMer! These stories echo in my head. When self-pity circles, they remind me how blessed I am to be in a position to serve others. When despair threatens, they throw hope at me. When doubt whispers, they shout FAITH! They bear witness to the fulfillment of God’s promise in Isaiah 9:2 – “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned!” Merry Christmas! The Kingdom is Here! The Right to a Healthy Community by G. Stephen Goode. Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s kingdom would come. He answered, “God’s kingdom isn’t something you can see. There is no use saying, `Look! Here it is’ or `Look! There it is.’ God’s kingdom is here with you.” Luke 17:20-21 What do the values of the Kingdom of God look like in a country where freedom of religion is restricted… with a government that is Communist… where the International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) reports that 17.7 % of the population of 86 million people live on less than 1 US dollar per day … or where women have less education, little voice and fewer opportunities than men despite bearing heavy responsibilities? YWAM team leader JR meets regularly with government leaders and local families in the Southeast Asia nation where she serves. Their goal is to assess the needs of the community, with the people who live in the community, and to empower them to pursue solutions. This is what Kingdom living looks like there… …Animal excrement flowed openly through the village in one of the most polluted communes I have ever seen. JR and her team showed families how to turn this awful situation around through the use of more than 800 bio-gas units. Clean stalls for animals prevent disease and provide free methane gas for cooking. Other villages are learning from them as women and children save hours every day by not having to cut and transport wood. …The team is also committed to influencing local families through early child care and development, whether their children are in school or not. The local preschool teachers organise concerts about early childhood care where the whole community takes part. Most of the village turned up for a recent concert where humour was used in songs, skits and dances to address difficult issues affecting families in the area. JR was delighted when the teachers came on stage in their beautiful national dress, singing, “YWAM is investing in our future. YWAM is helping us care for our children!” …In a rubbish-strewn village which seemed to be beyond help, it was the village drunk who had a solution. He shared about his dream of making this village a clean village. I simply encouraged him in his dream while JR and the team facilitated a model of waste management which turned this into the cleanest village in the area, profiled on national TV. The village drunk is now a respected man who has shown the power of a dream being fulfilled. JR recently had lunch with high government leaders from her nation and the nation in Southeast Asia where she serves. Their conversation was about the poor, women and children and the vulnerable and about what JR and YWAM are accomplishing as they champion the dreams and ideas of local people to help alleviate poverty in this country. When I visit JR and her team, when I meet with government officials and community leaders who want to help their nations, I see the Kingdom of God has come and is coming. Through Kingdom living people feel valuable and empowered and they become a part of the process of improving their own lives. A simple idea but one that Jesus modeled. Steve Goode is YWAM’s International Director for Mercy Ministries. “ Say What? ” “Preach the gospel at all times — If necessary, use words.” St. Francis of Assisi The Human Rights Controversy The Right to Human Rights by Philip S. Powell On 23rd June 2007, a 43-year-old Indian woman from a Dalit (untouchable) caste background was beaten to death in the Indian state of Bihar. The crime she committed was resisting the theft of her crops by two upper caste men. A few months earlier in the same state, an upper caste man chopped off the fingers of a young Dalit girl because she had stolen some spinach from his field. What should our response be to such barbarous acts of cruelty? Should the fight against oppression and the inhumane treatment of people be the concern of every Christian? Our Lord Jesus commanded us to love our neighbours as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). We must ask ourselves – does the Bible make any exceptions to loving our neighbours? No. Can the act of protecting the life of another be considered an act of love? Yes. One of the ways we can love our neighbours, therefore, is by advocating for the protection and promotion of their human rights. The idea of human rights is based on the notion that all human beings everywhere have inherent dignity and worth given to them by God, and no human being, institution or state should ever be allowed to violate the human rights of a person. Proverbs 31:9 declares “Defend the rights of the poor and needy.” A friend of mine once said in frustration, “Human rights are a great idea, it is just that humans get in the way of it.” In today’s world advocating for human rights has become a religion without god, and there is a real danger in using a human rights framework in the struggle against social injustice. So is the only option for Christians to reject advocating for human rights as idolatrous and a distraction from missionary work? The only Christians I have met who would agree are those who come from nations which enjoy the highest levels of civil and political rights. The concept of human rights is a powerful tool, and as YWAM we must not be afraid of using it to fulfil the Great Commission. The Christian message to the world is that only God has the power to save us from our sin and only God is able to make it possible for us to live the ideals of human rights for all. As YWAMers, let us not simply make it our mission to reject the false religion of human rights, but instead let us make known to the world the God who became human to save humans, and let us be known in the world as people who love our neighbours as ourselves through advocating for the basic rights of all human beings. In 1948, against the backdrop of the terrible devastations of World War II, all the nations of the world came together to affirm the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings. They adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the highest international standard for how governments and other institutions should treat people irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity or religion. This year is the 60th anniversary of the UDHR. YWAM’s Centre for International Justice and Reconciliation (CIJR) is hosting a day-long conference on December 13th to celebrate the achievements of the UDHR, and also to critically engage with the failures of human rights worldwide. Over 100 years ago, Scottish author and minister, George MacDonald wrote, “Justice to be truly justice must be more than justice. Love is the law of our condition, without which we can no more render justice than a man can keep a straight line walking in the dark.” (From ‘Love Thine Enemies’, Unspoken Sermons, First Series, 1867). May God use YWAM as an instrument to bring His justice into our world. Philip Powell is the Director of the Centre for International Justice and Reconciliation (CIJR). CIJR is the public policy and advocacy ministry of Youth With A Mission – England, focused on being a voice for the voiceless at the United Nations. Visit their website at : www.cijr.org Giving The Gospel With Two Hands The Right to Water and the Gospel by Richard Malabon The idea of presenting the gospel in a rural part of Central Asia with two hands – meeting physical needs with one hand, and spiritual needs with the other – was our vision. So when God opened the door for our team to design and implement a drinking water and health education project we went through it, keeping in the front of our minds that God was interested in helping people physically and spiritually together. We were not drilling wells in order to share the gospel; we were drilling wells as part of sharing the gospel. And through prayer, words and deeds we tried to show that good news went far beyond clean water, pointing to Jesus himself. Through this project we brought safer and more accessible drinking water to 25,000 people and provided relevant health education as well. The YWAM team consisted of both expat and national workers who established a working office which hired a number of local residents to help implement the project. None of them were believers in the beginning, but we saw God working through us, first among these local staff and then among the people who benefited from the project. From the beginning, we emphasized to the staff that God wanted to help people through us and that their lives were important to him. So we prayed at staff meetings with believers and non-believers together. The local staff commented on how the atmosphere in the office was different and how they felt valued; they appreciated that their ideas were listened to. Other trainers came from the capital city to the site for the drilling and health education, all of whom were national believers. They too interacted with the local staff with respect and love. At times the trainers were able to openly share the gospel one-on-one and pray with some staff. Over time, a number of these local people came to know Jesus and were able to continue in the same ministry they had been doing, but now with the experience of God’s forgiveness. In this way, many were discipled in the faith, prior to accepting the Lord. In the project work itself, we emphasized that good health involved our whole being: physical, mental, social and spiritual, and we facilitated many discussions about this. Due to the political situation in the country we were working in, we could not teach openly about Jesus, but we could introduce biblical truths along with lessons in physical health. We addressed topics such as disease transmission and basic hygiene, as well as gossip, forgiveness and good relationships. Participants commented that the spiritual lessons were the most interesting, as they had never really discussed these ideas before. One woman, after participating in the discussion on forgiveness announced that she had been estranged from her mother for 18 years, but that she would go to her that very day and be reconciled – and she was! By introducing such important topics we had opportunities to talk with participants outside of the formal lessons and we saw a handful of them come to know Christ. We know many others were touched by the truth of the gospel. After a few years this project was forced to end, and the YWAM team eventually had to move out. But those that had come to the Lord were already formed into a growing house church with a vision to continue serving their community both physically as well as spiritually. The two-handed gospel lives on through them. Richard (not his real name) serves with a YWAM team in Central Asia. Hope and Help to Earthquake Victims The Right to Clothing, Food and Lip Balm. by Barbara Russell On October 5th, 2008, an earthquake shattered the village of Nura in southern Kyrgyzstan. 75 people died and over 150 were injured. A YWAM response team partnered with other large international NGO’s who were overseeing the broad relief efforts in Nura. Their goal was to express the compassion of Jesus with hands and with words. The response team has several years of experience in community development and relief work in this region and was able to respond quickly to the earthquake and also receive emergency donations. A member of the team sends this report: “The Lord had put it on my heart to buy 200 outfits. We didn’t have enough money for that, but each of the team kept coming back from the shops with the items required plus money left over! So we ended up with the 200 outfits plus extra vests, shampoos, soaps, and face cream and lip balm because I remembered how chapped the faces and lips of the ladies became when exposed to the cold weather. We also distributed food packages and cooking utensils.” “We arrived in Nura and began to distribute the supplies. A local believer working with us spoke to the survivors, began to pray for them, and tell them the gifts were from Christians who care and who know what happened to them. Everyone was touched, particularly by the face cream and lip balm, which showed we had remembered their needs. “ “We spent time with the survivors in their village – they were living now in storage containers provided by the government. We prayed with them, and spoke to them of the love of God. The people were so thankful, and hungry for hope as much as the supplies, and were blessed as much by the Bibles as anything.” “As we prepared to go, the village leader spoke to me. With tears in his eyes, he thanked us for coming. Then he said that they had received relief from other people, but only material goods. He said we were the only people who brought them spiritual food. He thanked me for the Bibles, and said that his wish and prayer was that every person would read the books we brought and would live by them.” Teams in this region are engaged in other development projects. For information, please contact: CARO@ywam.org Barbara (not her real name) serves with a YWAM team in Central Asia. What Does YWAM Think? How is your YWAM ministry changing lives and changing nations? Your story can inspire others – tell it to us at : iy@ywam.org Why not Women – in Pakistan? The Right to Education and Fulfilment by Rosemary James God loves women and wants to respond to the injustice and oppression many of them experience in nations like Pakistan where many women struggle to survive. Our YWAM Pakistan DTS started in September and it is evident that God wants to restore women into their sense of significance and destiny. Not that the young men are left out! Rather, they witness the way God respects, honours and blesses ALL people, including women. Women leaders are few and far between in Pakistan, especially from the Christian community. Women are born into their religious group and suffer as members of a minority religion. They are told they are responsible for the sins of Adam and blamed for numerous problems. In some regions, domestic violence afflicts at least 80% of households and is held to be the ‘norm’. Health care and education for women are insufficient, resulting in a legacy of suffering for their children. But times are changing. God is reaching out to a new generation. Saira, a DTS student, is someone who is responding to God’s love. Born into a very poor family with an abusive father who wanted her to work as a seamstress from age 10 to earn money to support his drug habit, Saira was sponsored by YWAM’s House of Shelter team in London, England. They provided finances for her school fees and other needs. Saira worked hard and excelled in her studies, despite the prejudice of educators and fellow students who believed that Christians did not pursue higher education – and certainly not women! Saira struggled on, taking notes for her studies in the empty spaces of a neighbour’s newspaper when paper was unaffordable. She rose at 4am every day to pray, help her mother and study. Saira was accepted for a Master’s degree program in chemistry and qualified with distinction. She says, “Daily I was taunted by fellow students. They were all Muslim young men. They kept telling me women, particularly Christian women, should not study nuclear sciences. They insulted my faith and harassed me daily. I am so grateful to God who helped me through the YWAM team and allowed me to achieve my best. I held onto my God. Now I am learning other things. The DTS has taught me God’s character, filled me with confidence and shown me the value of being a woman. I have already stood before crowds and managed small groups or work duty crews. I have put the boys to work!” In addition to the DTS and her chemistry degree, Saira has been studying the new revision of the Gospel of Matthew in Urdu, with explanatory notes, which was completed last year by YWAM Pakistan chairman, Zafar Francis, and published by the UofN Press, UK. Saira says, “I now finally understand the Kingdom of God, I have forgiven my father and been healed inside. Women here do not believe they can be leaders, but God has a plan for each of us and I am included!” *YWAM Pakistan is a registered Christian social welfare Society in Pakistan* For information on how you can help YWAM Pakistan invest in the lives of women in Pakistan, email : mail@ywampakistan.com or visit : www.ywampakistan.com Links You’ll Like: www.cpcoaches.com resources for church planting. www.ywam-mercy.org be inspired to serve! www.businessasmissionnetwork.com impressive collection of resources for using business in mission. www.ywam.org updated weekly with more inspiring YWAM news stories! A Moment in YWAM – The January 1972 School of Evangelism admires the winter scenery at Chalet à Gobet, Lausanne, Switzerland. Were you in this SOE? Where are you now? Tell us about it at iy@ywam.org Send your interesting photos to the IY at : iy@ywam.org The International YWAMer remembers the anniversary of the YWAM Denver shootings on December 9, 2007. Please see related articles at www.ywam.org

	www.internationalywamer.org \| www.ywam.org The International YWAMer is a publication of YWAM International. Views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the views of Youth With A Mission. © Youth With A Mission 2008

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Is That Still Really You God?



	October 2008 In This Edition To YWAM, With Love Dreaming in Delhi… Social Networking & The Great Commission What Does YWAM Think? A Moment in YWAM Say What? How can I possibly describe to anyone who has not had the experience himself, the unspeakable joy of watching the Lord as He works with fallible human beings, guiding them into something as precious as a dream fulfilled by God Himself? Loren Cunningham Is that really you God? NEWS UPDATE Persecution continues in India At the end of September, YWAM joined Christians in India for three days of prayer and fasting for believers in that nation who have been suffering under violent persecution by Hindu extremists. Over a dozen YWAMers have been hurt, as thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in the state of Orissa. Persecution continues while some YWAM teams are engaged in assisting refugees. News updates are available at : www.efionline.org. Further news from our teams will be published on www.ywam.org. Links you’ll like… GLT Videos short video updates from each day of the GLT / IPS event in Kona! ywamfm.com the home of YWAM Frontier Missions indigitech.net creative and useful tools to prepare you for cross-cultural ministry. You really can do it!
To YWAM, With Love I’m an implementer, personally. I hear a good idea and I start thinking, “How can we make that happen..?” So how I respond to a meeting like the International Prayer and Strategy conference in Kona last month presents a challenge for me. One thing YWAM is not short of is vision. As YWAM Field Director for the Americas, Jim Stier, commented wryly, “I think we’ve narrowed down YWAM’s vision to the planet Earth and every human need.” I hear about growth and the revival of old vision and the development of new vision and the voices in my head start considering implications and resource limitations and any number of practical and reasonable excuses not to start anything new. After almost 20 years in YWAM, I’m learning to ignore the voices in my head. Faced with a gaggle of YWAMers in the throes of birthing new vision, criticism is an inevitable temptation. Undoubtedly, there is much to criticize. But the critic in me is confronted with the reality that my fellow YWAMers are sincerely seeking God, trusting His word, and desperate to do His will – just like I am. Flawed, like me, yet each one represents a different part of God’s heart for His world. As I read the stories below which demonstrate the vastly different means by which we are pursuing the vision God has given to YWAM, I realize that my arms alone are not big enough to embrace all the things He loves. But together – what a miracle He has wrought among us! Is That Still Really You God? By Tamara Neely At the end of August, nearly 50 senior YWAM leaders met at the University of the Nations campus in Kona, Hawaii for their annual Global Leadership Team meeting. The GLT merged after only two days with the International Prayer and Strategy Conference (IPS), an event with over 200 participants from the six continents who represented a broad variety of YWAM ministries. They came to reflect on the direction our mission is going in response to recent prophetic words, and make sure we are on the right track. Prior to the GLT, a newly-formed “Operations and Obligations” group had met to deal with some of the business of the mission. “This group of GLT members processes our legal issues, policies and business decisions such as leadership roles, communications and financial matters and makes clear recommendations to the rest of the GLT,” explained YWAM Chairman, Lynn Green. “This frees up time for the wider group of global leaders to focus on prayer and listening to God.” This focus was carried into the strategy conference, a new type of gathering where global and local leaders joined together to hear from God about the future of Youth With A Mission. As stories of miraculous breakthroughs in healing, direction and provision were shared from around the world, the group was repeatedly led to prayer for some of the most challenging situations ever faced by our YWAM teams. YWAM founder, Loren Cunningham, unapologetically called it “audacious asking” for participants to cry out to God to calm the hurricanes in the southern part of the USA and Caribbean islands, to bring peace to the unrest in Zimbabwe and to halt the persecution of Christians in India. As the group reflected on words God has spoken to YWAM in the past, an unexpected development was a return to the vision for a large maritime ministry which would enable YWAM teams to approach port cities and remote coastal peoples with the love of Christ. Participants affirmed this word with an offering towards one of YWAM’s new training ships, the Next Wave, which is launched out of England. (For more information on the Next Wave please visit www.marinereach.info) International Director of Frontier Missions, Gina Fadely, gave an inspirational reminder of the heart of our calling – that of taking the news of redemption through Jesus to all people. Frontier missions regional director, Shephen Mbewe, echoed this with a moving story about the extreme challenges his teams face in southern Africa just in reaching their destinations at remote tribal villages. In one particular story, a team struggled for days to get to a hidden tribe only to find the people waiting for them, with songs of welcome, saying, “We have been waiting for you – you are the only people who come to see us!” Says Shephen, “We are committed to reach the unreached, because they are there waiting for us.” Chairman Lynn Green challenged each representative to consider how this calling applied to them. Carl Tinnion, a leader of a small centre in York, England was excited to apply this challenge to a word his team received a few months ago about committing their efforts to love a remote tribal group in East Asia. He says, “We are sending a team to their nation this fall, but we want to work out how we can intentionally pray, resource and continually send teams out there. It would be really cool to empower a group from England to actually go there and stay…” On the final day of the strategy conference, a physical reminder of our call to the unreached was given in a 50’ X 70’ map of the world provided by 4K – a YWAM tool for mobilising the Church to all peoples. Participants scattered over the map seeking the Lord for clarity on His word that they would indeed reach the ends of the earth. Many leaders committed to send teams from their centres to pray and gather information about the people located outside of the reach of the gospel. (For more information on 4K please visit: www.4kworldmap.com) Audacious asking…new vision…the ends of the earth! The recurrent theme of the 2008 Prayer and Strategy conference was new revelation, and even more vision! As YWAM approaches its 50th year, it remains an organisation which is going to cling firmly to its belief that God speaks to all of us. The evidence at this meeting suggests that those who hear and obey Him will see great things happen! For more information on the GLT meetings, see the daily reports from the GLT/IPS meetings available at www.ywam.org/articles/article.asp?aid=549 Full details on the outcomes of the GLT meetings are available for staff from your YWAM Regional office. Dreaming in Delhi… By Tamara Neely How do you respond to an enormous vision like YWAM’s commitment to reach all peoples? If you are part of YWAM’s team working in Delhi, India, you respond with passion, determination and patience. In the wake of the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim world, when believers around the globe sought God for His blessing and revelation to Muslims, (see www.30-days.net) the vision to share the message of hope found in Christ with the Muslims of North India is particularly pertinent. Boasting a larger Muslim population than Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen combined, India is a great place to go if you love Muslim people! “Our dream is to remove Muslim unreached people groups from the list of people groups yet unreached.” declares the team leader, a national who has worked in this city for 9 years. He and his four team members are not discouraged at the task before them. “My personal understanding is that God promised us that we have an inheritance among the Muslim world as an organisation and everyone is included in that great call of God…God’s dreams and promises are God-sized, so it is very clear to me that it is possible to pursue that dream.” The team’s plan includes specialised training, including a DTS for people who share their passion and recruitment throughout the body of Christ. The team has found many local Christian leaders who share their vision. The vision to demonstrate God’s love through Christ to those who have never heard it is original, and ever-new. The challenges in this region are manifest. “We have over 60 Muslim unreached people groups in North India and reaching North Indian Muslims will probably be the touchstone of our success or failure in completing world evangelism in our generation.” says the team leader. “However, our inward peace, ever increasing hope and the support of our leaders confirm that this initiative is from God and we are on the right track.” For more information contact : www.delhiteam.org Social Networking & The Great Commission by Rebekah Hoover In light of the recent Prayer and Strategy meetings and the surge of Call to All and 4K, it is obvious that God is stirring us afresh to engage in the nations. The jet engine plane transformed the way the Church engaged in missions and YWAM has pioneered much as a forerunner in global missions. What is the jet engine of the 21st century? Could it be the internet? Currently, 1.4 billion people are using the internet. That’s more than one-fifth of the world population. Since 2000, internet usage has grown by over 1,000% in the least reached regions of the world including Africa and the Middle East. What keys and strategies can we implement to further our discipleship, mercy ministry and evangelism endeavours? Today’s young people want a place to belong. With over 50% of the world’s population under the age of 25, that’s a huge demographic and a huge opportunity. Relationship has always been YWAM’s strength, so how could a social network serve our mission? We have YWAM groups on Facebook and MySpace; but in a world where over 1,000 new social networks are being created every day, perhaps it is part of YWAM’s future to have its own social network. Some of us with ministry websites find that a website doesn’t offer young people anything to come back for. A social network could help. Instead of having a place where an 18 year old who is interested in mission can just find the dates and cost of a Discipleship Training School, we could invite them to an online community where they are immediately introduced to other YWAMers. It could become a dynamic place where we are literally evangelising, discipling and calling people to mission on comment walls, discussion groups and message boards. Consider the implications for outreaches and events. As we bring in a team of evangelists and see people respond to Christ, we can link them to an online discipleship community. We have never seen these opportunities! Our websites could literally become a hive for people hungry for community, hungry to be believed in and hungry to engage their faith! YWAM has a history of pioneering the use of new technologies to further the cause of missions – we only need to think of how GENESIS has allowed the classroom to go global. Is God preparing us for something greater within the area of electronic communications and social networking? As we consider our future there are many areas to look at but the reality remains – millions of young people online want to know where they belong and THAT is an opportunity we don’t want to miss! Do you share the vision for a virtual YWAM? Talk about social networking and mission here What Does YWAM Think? Thanks to everyone who sent feedback from our first issue of the IY ezine! Here’s a selection of your comments… “We’re a small outreach team and we don’t have much of a budget so we don’t often make it to bigger conferences…it’s nice to get things like the IY to sense our part in a greater whole… I am so encouraged when I read about the creative people who innovate new kinds of ways to reach out.” – Chris (USA) “I am thankful that YWAM is trying to establish more ways for YWAMers to connect. I have been YWAM staff for 5 years and recently had to take a break from it…seeing email in my box from YWAM and getting to read the news, really helps me to feel not so alone.” – Dawn (USA) “I like to read more when it’s in paper, but I understand that by email is quicker and cheaper. Thanks for sending me this gift of information. Let us know how we can help you from here.” – Marcos (Chile) “Thank you for this first version and for thinking about those of us who have difficulties to connect via email. What I would like to see in the ezine is reports from the GLT to the mission. For example, the words and happenings that took place in Kona during the prayer and strategy conference.” – Annette (Togo) What do you think of this issue? Are you excited about the new vision that just keeps on coming in YWAM or are you finding it hard to know how to respond when you already have so much going on? What new vision is God giving you and can we write an article about it? Send us your comments at : iy@ywam.org . A Moment in YWAM Team 3 plus members share a joke with YWAM Founder, Loren Cunningham at the International Prayer and Strategy Conference in Kona. Left to Right : Jim Stier, Tom Hallas, Lynn Green, Loren Cunningham.

www.internationalywamer.org \| www.ywam.org The International YWAMer is a publication of YWAM International. Views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the views of Youth With A Mission. © Youth With A Mission 2008

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YWAM’s Nervous System: The Doctor is IN!



	August 2008 In This Edition Welcome to the IY! Communications Therapy Let the Healing Begin A Moment in YWAM Say What? The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it. Edward R. Murrow What does YWAM think? Are you grateful that YWAM is creating more opportunities to connect, or are you feeling information overload? What are your opinions about the new International YWAMer e-zine, and what content would you like to see in future editions? Which is better – Mac or PC? We want to know what YWAM thinks! Email us at : iy@ywam.org Links You’ll Like… YWAM Communications A site dedicated to helping YWAMers Value Communication. YWAMIT.com Improving YWAM through technology. YWAMKB The YWAM Knowledge Base: info on all things YWAM. YWAMICT.org Resources from the office of the International Chairman.
Welcome to the New International YWAMer E-zine! By Tamara Neely OK, I’m just very excited about the new IY e-zine! I’m trying to think of a much more impressive way to say it, but I can’t. I love being in YWAM. I love YWAM stories. I love working with the fun people who make this e-zine. I love that it’s my (albeit unpaid!) job to find out more about what God is doing through this extraordinary movement and report it. I’m not so keen on learning how the distribution software works, but fortunately, we have other people on staff who do love that! My name is Tamara and I’m the new editor. I’ve worked for 19 years in YWAM with Discipleship Training Schools (the longest hours!), frontier missions (the best locations!), local and international administration (someone has to do it!) and, more recently, as one of the base leaders in Harpenden, England with a sideline in communications for the International Chairman’s Team. Your average YWAM career. I began working with YWAM global communications when Lynn Green became chairman. I vividly recall a meeting on the third floor of our admin building when he explained that a major focus of his term was going to be bringing restoration to our communications systems and he challenged a motley assortment of YWAMers to join him in bringing healing to our nervous system. Five years on we are launching the IY e-zine with the question – are we succeeding? That is a question which only you can answer. The IY e-zine is just one of a number of initiatives which are transforming the way YWAM talks to itself. There is so much we haven’t mentioned in the articles below but we have tried to include web links wherever possible which will take you deeper into the topic. We also plan to work closely with regional communications teams to make sure the content of the IY is easy for your teams to access and is relevant to you. But we rely on you to use our feedback options to tell us how we’re doing. So…with a deep breath and a sigh of relief, together with former editor, Bryan Bishop, and managing editor, Stacey Jillson, a design and distribution team from Harpenden and a host (hopefully!) of regional contributors, I welcome you to the new International YWAMer. You’re gonna’ love it! Communications Therapy: Healing For YWAM Nerves by Tamara Neely “To know God and make Him known” is a challenge to communicate well on behalf of heaven. It is the calling of every YWAMer. If you have read any YWAM global publication in the last 5 years, you have probably seen the phrase “healing the nervous system.” This image, which refers to the restoration of communications systems in YWAM, was powerfully delivered to YWAM’s Global Leadership Team (GLT) at their annual meetings in Singapore in 2003. God’s word was that YWAM was suffering from a diseased central nervous system – the system which tells our nerves what to do in order to enable our body to move. Since then, International Chairman, Lynn Green, has made communications development a major platform of his term of leadership. Why is this so important? Lynn answers, “Our poor communications have left many YWAM teams feeling isolated and forgotten. When our nervous system is healed, we will see efficient and relational communication throughout YWAM globally…we will find that God can speak to the whole body of YWAM and we will have the means to circulate His words. This will inevitably improve our relationships – when one hurts, we will all be able to help, and when one rejoices, we can all rejoice together.” Lynn goes on to emphasize the need to not overwhelm bases with a flood of information, and so he is encouraging the development of both local and international teams which will be able to manage communication which are relevant to each region. It would appear that YWAM was lying in wait for that word, because since receiving it, a flood of new communications initiatives have sprung up all over the mission! Shortly after the GLT, Lynn called together a gathering of YWAMers engaged in Communications, Research and Information Technology and, in true YWAM style, they labeled the gathering “CRIT.” Since then, CRIT coordinators have hosted four more international events for YWAM staff who are working to improve communication from and within YWAM, the latest in Buenos Aires. You can read about it on the CRIT web site: www.crit.ywamcoms.net. CRIT has been instrumental in forming regional communications teams in Latin America, Europe and Africa (see article below) which are transforming the way YWAM talks to itself. CRIT organiser, Rob Abraham enthused about the most recent CRIT gathering. A memorable calling of the CRIT is the drive to “mind the gap” – to recognise the diversity of YWAM team environments and make certain that none are cut off from receiving vital information because of language, internet access or security challenges. CRIT 08 was completely bi-lingual and group-led, in a move to model this awareness and Rob notes that it was highly successful. He says, “CRITs seem to have become a great platform for casting vision, training and empowering new regional communications teams. We want to continue to build networks of communications people (designers, photographers, videographers, writers, programmers etc.) to partner better together all across the globe. CRIT is a loose network to help provide solutions at grassroots levels – as that is where all the action is in YWAM anyway…!” From grassroots to global and from YWAM to the rest of the world – communications initiatives such as the Global Day of Prayer (www.prayerday.org) are regularly bringing YWAM together, but the most important part of our communications is outward! The GLT recently appointed a Global Communications Team (GCT) to advise them on the growing global presence of YWAM in the public eye. Events of wide interest, such as the tragic shootings in YWAM Denver last December highlighted YWAM’s need for crisis communications structures which are also being developed. Healing YWAM’s nervous system is essential to our health and to our effectiveness. Lynn Green says, “One of our great challenges is to keep pace with the changes in the world of communications and also discern how to use the new tools available. And we must – it is not only, or even primarily, about communications within YWAM, but how we communicate with people who need to know about Jesus and how to reach the world with His message.” Mission is communication and YWAM is getting better at it every day. Let the Healing Begin By Stacey Jillson If Youth With A Mission’s central nervous system is ill, then YWAM Field Communication Teams like AfriCom are the cure. AfriCom leader, Miranda Heathcote and her team have connected YWAMers in Africa – a continent where many would say connection is impossible. AfriCom is one of YWAM’s Field Communication Teams (FCTs) – ministries designed to serve their region through communications coordination, the dissemination of important information, and championing the work YWAM is doing in the region in order to mobilize people, prayer and resources. In addition to AfriCom, Com Teams are located in South Asia, Southeast Asia/Pacific, and Europe (EuroCom). They are part of an international YWAM strategy, as Miranda explains. “They’re to bring cohesion to our broad-structured and decentralized organization working in almost every nation.” AfriCom was birthed out of the felt need of YWAM Africa leadership to draw people together to improve communications across the continent. Miranda recalls those early days. “Primarily, there was a desire to bring a feeling of family identity and belonging to the diverse expressions of YWAM across Africa. As a step toward that we started writing and publishing a quarterly newsletter, featuring stories from around the continent and seeking to be as representative of our variety as possible.” Published in English, French and Portuguese, some YWAM leaders said the newsletter was the only YWAM publication they received in their nation’s official language. Since its formation in 2001, AfriCom has made tremendous strides in improving YWAM communications in Africa. After the newsletter was up and running, AfriCom published the first edition of their 30 Days of Prayer for Africa, an annual prayer guide covering a diversity of issues throughout the continent. “We’ve used the newsletter and prayer guide as vehicles to share information that the whole YWAM Africa family needs to hear, such as who the current members of the Africa Leadership Team are and what they do, or what the HIV/AIDS policy for bases is and how to implement it,” Miranda explains. Along with the YWAM Africa website (www.ywamafrica.com), AfriCom provides an opportunity for YWAMers there to share their stories, needs and successes. But FCTs are about more than information gathering and dissemination. AfriCom helped raise finances for a satellite phone needed by an isolated team in Mozambique—a phone that was instrumental in saving the life of a staff member who needed to be airlifted from their remote location. They also assisted in the production of a promotional video that enabled an African YWAM base to get the resources and prayer support they needed to reach an unreached people. “It’s an awesome privilege to use our communications skills to help these frontline teams!” says Miranda. AfriCom has recently revolutionized the way YWAMers in Africa are notified of important events. Since cell phones are much more common and affordable in Africa than computers and internet, AfriCom uses SMS to inform YWAMers across the continent of what is going on, such as the monthly YWAM prayer days. They are also producing a print version of this e-zine for their region. “It takes several years of faithfully doing the little things to tell that the ministry is having an impact, but the perseverance is worth it,” says Miranda. AfriCom is proof of that. For more information about AfriCom, please contact ywamafricom@gmail.com. For more information on Field Communications Teams, please contact bbishop@intlcom.org A Moment in YWAM A UK DTS outreach team confronts the realities of the communications gap among a Masai tribe in Tanzania. Send your pictures of unique YWAM moments to iy@ywam.org.

www.internationalywamer.org \| www.ywam.org The International YWAMer is a publication of YWAM International. Views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the views of Youth With A Mission. © Youth With A Mission 2008

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Contents

Editorial: Happy Christmas

Unforgettable Pain – Enduring Love: The tsunami – 5 years on

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Lost at Sea

You Can Depend on Those Church People

A moment in YWAM

Contents

Editorial: Mums, Dads and Missions

An Abnormal, Extraordinary Life — The Perks and Perils of Raising Kids in YWAM

Book Review: “Families in Ministry – How to Thrive, Not Just Survive”

The Physics of YWAM

YWAM’s Global Leadership Team : In Their Own Words

A moment in YWAM

Contents

Editorial : How Long Are You In For?

Grandparenting for YWAMers !

The Whole Gospel : A Holistic Approach to the Communities of Madagascar

Youth is a state of mind!

A Moment in YWAM

Contents

DTS – but not as you know it!

YWAM and the DTS: Imagining our future!

Gospel Gadgets: your new outreach essential!

Extreme Makeover : DTS edition!

“Say What?”

A Moment in YWAM

Contents

Putting the Fun back in Fundraising!

Are You A Levite?

Getting Down to Business…

Keeping Your Support Up When the Economy is Down

Book Review: Towards an Institutional or Apostolic Vision by Alejandro Rodriguez

Reader Feedback

A Moment in YWAM

Contents

Flowers and Feedback…

What’s Your Style?

” Say What? “

Taking it to the Streets

JESUSFREAKS: DTS Uncut

C.R.I.T. 2009

What Does YWAM Think?

A Moment in YWAM

Contents

Behold! I Bring You Good Tidings…!

The Kingdom is Here!

“ Say What? ”

The Human Rights Controversy

Giving The Gospel With Two Hands

Hope and Help to Earthquake Victims

What Does YWAM Think?

Why not Women – in Pakistan?

Links You’ll Like:

A Moment in YWAM –

In This Edition

To YWAM, With Love

Dreaming in Delhi…

Social Networking & The Great Commission

What Does YWAM Think?

A Moment in YWAM

Say What?

NEWS UPDATE

Links you’ll like…

To YWAM, With Love

Is That Still Really You God?

Dreaming in Delhi…

Social Networking & The Great Commission

What Does YWAM Think?

A Moment in YWAM

In This Edition

Welcome to the IY!

Communications Therapy

Let the Healing Begin

A Moment in YWAM

Say What?

What does YWAM think?

Links You’ll Like…

Welcome to the New International YWAMer E-zine!

Communications Therapy:Healing For YWAM Nerves

Let the Healing Begin

Unforgettable Pain – Enduring Love:
The tsunami – 5 years on

An Abnormal, Extraordinary Life —

The Perks and Perils of Raising Kids in YWAM

Social Networking

& The Great Commission

Communications Therapy:
Healing For YWAM Nerves