Transforming lives, impacting nations
Vol. 2, 2010
PHOTOGRAPHY BY THEMA BLACK
Celebrating 50 years of YWAM
Miracle in Nigeria pg 20
Kona’s new Global Virtual Studio pg 9
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ywam
JUBILEE YEAR
The journey of their lives... For Loren and Darlene Cunningham this year has been one joyful family reunion. Through 2010 they’ve embarked on six Founders’ Journeys to celebrate the mission’s 50th anniversary with YWAMers in 35 countries. Hundreds—sometimes thousands—have gathered at every location to worship India
By Scott Tompkins
Now in their 70s, Loren and Darlene should have come back from that 15,000-mile trip feeling their age. But it was evident that attending 11 energycharged YWAM Jubilee Celebrations over six weeks made them feel more youthful than ever. It took 20 air flights to get them to all of the locations across Australia and South Asia on that first journey and, amazingly, not one flight was delayed. Starting with a Maori hakka welcome in Tauranga, the Cunninghams were honored in ways that both humbled and delighted them—from a sedan chair entry in Thailand to flower garlands in India to ceremonial robes in Africa to cultural dances, gifts and welcome protocols at almost every venue. “It was such an amazing thing for this couple to see their dream realized, then to see the fruit and be honored in this way,” said YWAM pioneer Tom Hallas, who accompanied them on much of their first journey. “It’s been so satisfying that God would bless them like this.”
Thailand
At each location the Cunninghams, together with the host YWAMers, thanked God for His goodness in the PAST, celebrated His faithfulness in the PRESENT, and looked to the FUTURE with anticipation of all He desires to do through YWAM to complete the Great Commission. At each location, the participants joined a worldwide commitment to help fulfill God’s dreams by signing YWAM’s Jubilee Covenant. The second Founders’ Journey included visits to Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and Mongolia. Darlene took her 96-year-old missionary mother with her on the trip and Enid “Mama Dar” Scratch was honored not only for her age and relationship to the founders but also because of her new book, The Worldwide Wanderings of a YWAM Widow.
God, share stories, celebrate their cultures, and hear the founders’ vision for YWAM past, present and future. “We’ve had the time of our lives,” Loren said after returning from the sixth trip. “At every venue we’ve visited on the six continents there’s been such a spirit of celebration, of unity and of purpose.” The Founders’ Journeys began in January when the Cunninghams traveled from Kona to Tauranga, New Zealand, the first stop on an eight-nation tour.
An estimated 3,000 attended the exuberant celebration in Seoul, South Korea. A much smaller crowd greeted the founders in Mongolia, but it was a special joy because so many staff are first generation Christians. Participants in Manila lit candles in keeping with “The Flame Goes Forward” theme of the anniversary. In Taiwan they worshipped in both Chinese and English, closing with a loud chorus of Hallelujah—a song of heaven that needed no translation.
JUBILEE YEAR
YWAM
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...founders celebrate the 50th in 35 countries Founders’ Journey #3 took them to six locations in Africa where Loren frequently affirmed and encouraged staff for their perseverance for Jesus amid
A legacy that ‘staggers the imagination’ “Loren Cunningham has been one of the most adventuresome visionaries of our time. What he has accomplished staggers the imagination. God gave him a dream and he lived it out—very few of us do that. Wherever I go I seem to run into people who have been discipled into radical discipleship by YWAM. … I can safely say that YWAM is one of the most important and effective movements in Christendom today.” Dr. Tony Campolo, author, professor, Christian social activist many hardships. One highlight for Loren was praying for a group of Nigerian militants who came to know Christ through YWAM ministries there (see story on page 20). All across Africa they were greeted with beating drums, beautiful smiles and exuberant hearts. Darlene spoke about the importance of team—that God Himself is a team—and that we as YWAM could not be what we are without teams. She told stories and gave thanks for all those who through the past 50 years have given their gifts, their skills and their time to YWAM. She also recounted God’s faithfulness in speaking guidance and correction to us. “How do you explain this mission?” she asked. “The only answer is that we are people who believe in a God who speaks.” At every stop she also exhorted YWAMers to have a “never quit” attitude. On August 8, their fourth journey took them first to San Jose, Costa Rica, where they celebrated at a new YWAM base with staff from around Central America. The Cunninghams honored the legacy of their own parents and, as at other celebrations, they closed the event by gathering the children together to bless them. More Latin rhythms greeted them in Cartagena, Colombia, where YWAMers have helped turn the tide in a war with drug traffickers, and at two other locations in Brazil. In Recife, staff and students sang “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel…” as Loren and Darlene entered the tent, this time wearing the simple cotton clothing and straw hats characteristic of Brazilian country people. Nigeria
On Journey #5 they hopped from Mexico to Denver to Canada and on to five countries of Europe and Central Asia. The 6th and final journey is scheduled to carry them to Guadalajara, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Orlando, Florida in early November. Then they head back to Kona for the grand finale from November 29–December 4. “We’re expecting thousands of visitors for that final event,” said Loren. “What a party that will be!” For more details on past 50th Anniversary events or to register for one of the remaining YWAM Jubilee Events, go to www.YWAM50.com
Dedication The success of YWAM has been attributed to many things: the energy of its youth, the openness of its structure, the expansion of air travel, the flexibility of its outreach programs, the DTS training model, its partnering with other organizations, its creativity in presenting the gospel, and the teaching and modeling of its spiritual fathers and mothers. All are true, but more significant than these is the commitment of our founders to hear and obey God’s Word and stay focused on our goal—to disciple all nations. Loren and Darlene Cunningham have modeled this path for 50 years, and we dedicate this special anniversary edition to them. Taiwan
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YWAM Quiz
So you think you know YWAM?
Quiz compiled by Janice Rogers and Scott Tompkins
Take this quiz and see how high your YQ is. Questions are worth four points each. Answers on page 13. 1.
What are the three main ministries of YWAM? a. evangelism, training, mercy ministries b. evangelism, discipleship, worship c. missions, spheres of influence, worship d. intercession, worship, proclamation
2. YWAM’s discipleship program for kids ages 5 to 18 is called: a. Children With A Mission b. King’s Kids c. World Impact Teams d. Kids With A Mission 3.
Loren Cunningham and David Hamilton wrote a book showing the biblical basis for women in ministry and affirming the role of women in YWAM leadership. What is it called? a. Babes in Missionary Lands b. Rise Up Women of God! c. Why Not Women? d. A Woman’s Place Is…In Missions
4. The top leaders of YWAM are called the Global Leadership Team (GLT). What was the group named prior to that? a. International Council b. Global Eldership c. High-up Mukkie Mucks d. International Leadership Team 5.
Where was YWAM’s first outreach at an Olympic Games? a. Lausanne b. Montreal c. Los Angeles d. Munich
6. YWAM has helped start many prayer movements and created numerous resources for intercession. The key prayer book used by thousands of YWAMers is called: a. The Book of Common Prayer b. Principles of Intercession c. The YWAM Prayer Diary and Planner d. 30 Days Prayer for the Muslim World 7.
Who led the first YWAM team across the Sahara Desert? a. Loren Cunningham b. Joe Portale c. Floyd McClung d. Lynn Green
8. Where did YWAM get the idea for Love Feasts? a. Song of Solomon b. Charles Finney c. St. Francis of Assisi d. The Moravians 9.
What do YWAMers mean when they say, “S.R.”? a. Spiritual Reconciliation b. Speak and Release c. Special Relationship d. Soft and Round
10. In 1991, a YWAM team went to the last country, completing Operation 223–an effort to minister in every country on earth. What was the final country? a. Pitcairn b. Libya c. North Korea d. Svalbard 11. In 2010 the Cunninghams are making six Founders’ Journeys to celebrate YWAM’s 50th anniversary. What was their first celebration site? a. Canberra, Australia b. Singapore c. Cheju, South Korea d. Tauranga, New Zealand 12. The deadliest vehicular accident in the mission’s history took the lives of eight YWAMers in December 2005. In what country did it happen? a. Australia b. South Africa c. Brazil d. Nigeria 13. Before it became University of the Nations in 1988 the Kona campus was called: a. Holy Spirit University b. Pacific Missions University c. Pacific & Asia Christian University d. Loren Cunningham University
“Suddenly, I was looking at a map of the world. Only the map was alive, moving! I could see all the continents. Waves were crashing onto their shores … Then the waves became young people – covering all the continents.” Loren Cunningham, describing his YWAM waves vision in Is That Really You, God?
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14. Floyd and Sally McClung ministered to hippies in two cities along the drug pipeline from Asia to Europe. What were those cities? a. Bangkok and Brussels b. Kabul and Amsterdam c. Karachi and Copenhagen d. Istanbul and Rotterdam 15. The Mercy Ship Anastasis drew its name from a Greek word that had special meaning for those in YWAM’s ship ministry. What is it? a. Salvation b. Healing c. Voice of Hope d. Resurrection 16. The Reconciliation Walk that brought a message of repentance along the routes of the Crusades began in what European city? a. Paris b. Cologne c. Rome d. Budapest 17. Who was the first non-white International President of YWAM and one of the first to head any major missions agency? a. John Kisamwa b. Kalafi Moala c. Frank Naea d. Alan Lim 18. YWAM’s efforts to stop the practice of infanticide among Amazon tribal groups prompted the creation of a film. What was it called? a. Hakani b. Point of the Spear c. Saving the Motolone d. Secret Slaughter of the Amazon 19. In 1979 an international YWAM ministry was birthed that introduced the concept and practice of redeeming cultural expressions for Christ. What was it called? a. Peoples International b. New Tribes c. Impact World Tour d. Island Breeze 20. Al Akimoff pioneered YWAM ministries in the Eastern Bloc nations both before and after the fall of communism. The name of the ministry he launched is: a. Far East Evangelism Teams(FEET) b. Slavic Ministries c. Open Doors d. To Russia With Love 21. A humble homemaker from New Zealand emerged in the late 1960s as one of the most influential teachers in YWAM’s history. What is her name? a. Landa Cope b. Elisabeth Cochrane c. Joy Dawson d. Corrie Ten Boom
LorenCunningham.com now online Thousands of YWAMers have their own websites, and now founder Loren Cunningham has one too, thanks to U of N Kona’s CROWN Media team. It’s full of interesting facts about his life and legacy, plus links to missions resources and ministries. It’s all aimed at completing God’s big unfinished dream for humanity—the Great Commission. Check it out at www.lorencunningham.com —and tell a friend! 22. Two YWAM “founding fathers” – Dr. Howard Malmstadt and Rev. T.C. Cunningham – both died in the same month and year. When was it? a. January 2004 b. August 2005 c. July 2003 d. May 2002 23. In 1988 at YWAM’s International Staff Conference a document was introduced and affirmed that became a key statement of the mission’s faith and purpose. What was it called? a. The YWAM Foundational Values b. The Manila Covenant c. The Christian Magna Carta d. The Red Sea Covenant 24. What act of hospitality is considered standard practice for welcoming YWAM students, visitors and speakers? a. Flowers b. A greeting card c. Welcome baskets d. A prayer of blessing 25. In a trial that attracted worldwide attention two YWAM leaders were convicted of “proselytizing” in Greece in 1986. The convictions were later overturned. Who were they? a. Alan Williams and Don Stephens b. Jim and Judy Orred c. Al Akimoff and Peter Ilyin d. Fraser Haug and David Boyd
Big Island Torch Run
King’s Kids
Go Center construction YWAM 25th anniversary
Island Breeze
It Really Was You God!
Zion Mountain Band
Pitcairn Island trip
M/V Anastasis
King’s Mansion
DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING
u of n
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DTS changing... still thriving after 36 years Where did you do your DTS? That is often the opening question any two YWAMers ask when they meet for the first time. Why? Because the Discipleship Training School is the great common denominator in YWAM. Everyone does a DTS before becoming a staff person or a continuing student in YWAM. And almost everyone finds it life-transforming. DTSs are open to people between the ages of 18 and 80 who want to know God and make Him known in the world. DTS is where we impart our values as a mission (see the YWAM Foundational Values) to students; it’s where we receive core teachings about hearing and obeying God’s voice, the Father heart of God, living by faith and the ministry of the Word and Spirit; and it’s where we get God’s heart for the nations, which is usually learned on the required cross-cultural outreach. Because YWAM is not big on rules and structure, these shared values and experiences become the glue that holds us together. And because we’re such a diverse family of ages, cultures, denominations and social background, having shared values and purpose is critical to our lifestyle and mission. The first YWAM course was the School of Evangelism (1969 in Switzerland), but Loren and Darlene Cunningham soon realized that many young people needed discipling before going into ministry. So Leland and Fran Paris worked up the core DTS curriculum and introduced it at the Hammonton, NJ, base in 1974. It was approved by international leadership later that year.
focused DTS programs that connect students with their interests and passions. For the first two decades in Kona, students had basically two choices—King’s Mansion DTS for younger students and Crossroads DTS for older students and families on the U of N Kona campus. Since Loren and Darlene Cunningham returned to campus leadership in 2004, Kona has begun offering many DTS options. In 2009 students had 15 DTS choices, including three bilingual schools. More are offered every year. The 2010-2011 YWAM GO Manual lists hundreds of DTS offerings in 98 countries and 40 languages. The types of focus schools are as varied as the countries. The International DTS Centre in Cape Town, South Africa has the challenging job of monitoring all these schools for content. “We want them to be free to adapt to culture and areas of passion, but to remain true to the core DTS content,” said International DTS Director Maureen Menard.
DTS has undergone many changes since, but its core teaching hasn’t varied. The biggest change was a move toward
DTS
2011 Kona DTS January quarter All Nations, All Generations DTS Call2All DTS Fire & Fragrance DTS
April quarter Asia Pacific DTS Crossroads DTS GO Asia! DTS PhotogenX DTS
July quarter Classic DTS
Performing Arts DTS These school dates may be subject to change. Please check the website at
www.uofnkona.edu for the latest on which schools are happening each quarter.
PhotogrAPhy by ruth NeilSoN
September quarter All Nations (Korean) DTS Compassion DTS Community Transformations DTS Crossroads DTS Justice DTS
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LEGACY
The scientist who shaped YWAM’s global university Dr. Howard V Malmstadt, one of the world’s leading scientists and academic innovators, shaped what is now the University of the Nations. At the height of his brilliant career, he left his chemistry lab and classroom at the University of Illinois and came to Kona—without pay, just as all YWAMers do—to work with Loren Cunningham. Why? Because he heard God say, “Help YWAM build a university.” He helped structure U of N and expand it around the world. From 1989 until his death in 2003, he served as U of N International Provost. Dr. Malmstadt was known as “High Voltage Malmstadt” to his chemistry students and colleagues at the University of Illinois (1951-1978), where his prolific ideas and energy were legendary. He applied to the fields of analytical chemistry and spectroscopy the new electronics technology he helped invent. His involvement in electronics began as a naval radar officer during World War II. He was on the cutting edge of scientific measurement for years after that, winning awards in chemistry and education, teaching innovative courses, and co-authoring a series of important textbooks which are used to teach scientific measurement worldwide.
the Holy Spirit, not just because they are a good idea,” Howard often said. When major construction started in 1983, the Kona campus consisted of one new building and a few dilapidated ones. About three years later the major roads and four new buildings were completed, along with the flags and fountain at the Plaza of the Nations. The Mission Builders program, Howard’s innovation in 1980, expedited construction. Many of the volunteers were drawn into full-time service. Later on, in his role as International Provost and International Chancellor, Howard coordinated the development of U of N’s worldwide network of about 500 branch locations in over 100 nations offering hundreds of different courses. Howard is widely credited with guiding the development of the academic structure of the new university, including its modular education system (focusing on one intensive course per quarter), its live-learn model (staff and students living and working together in campus villages), and the seven colleges and centers that form U of N’s primary areas of training.
Dr. Howard V Malmstadt
One momentous day at a seminar in 1974, Howard met Loren Cunningham. They began to give educational seminars together. Three years later, Howard set aside his distinguished U of I career and moved with his wife Carolyn to Hawaii. His vision and academic experience soon began to shape what was to become Pacific and Asia Christian University, forerunner of the worldwide University of the Nations. The master planning stage for the Kona campus (1978-1981) involved hundreds of meetings where Howard, Loren, architect Jim Miller, civil engineer David Ross and other leaders prayed and hammered out the vision. “As a mission we are called to form projects and courses under the direction of
“He was a gift from God to YWAM,” declared Loren at Howard’s memorial. The scientific community also considered him a gift, and his academic and scientific legacy was honored at the 2004 Pittcon Conference on Analytical Chemistry. To learn more about this amazing YWAM pioneer, read Into The Light: The Academic and Spiritual Legacy of Dr. Howard Malmstadt by John Feaver.
Mary T. Vreeland, Scott Tompkins and John Feaver contributed to this report.
INNOVATION
education
Global Virtual Studio is shaping the world of digital media
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By Kris Richards
U of N’s new Global Virtual Studio (globalvirtualstudio.com) is bringing together and training YWAMers involved in film-making and other digital media to keep them on the cutting edge of innovation and excellence. In May the GVS hosted a cross-disciplinary forum to present the newest advancements from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference in Las Vegas.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY THEMA BLACK
Uli Kimmich, Jeremy Pyhala, Urban Skargren and Felipe Zamora attended the conference, and all agreed that this was a pivotal time to be exposed to the leading edge of media technology. Their “Convergence” forum attracted participants from U of N’s School of Digital Filmmaking, School for Acting on the Screen, and CROWN Media, plus writers, photographers and designers. One speaker noted the shift toward 3-D filmmaking and said “stereographers” will be the new digital editors and will find themselves highly sought after. He taught about new 3-D technologies but also challenged those going into the film industry to create quality stories. “They’re screaming for content in Hollywood, and we as Christians have a story to tell.” “Hollywood has taken notice that there is a strong market for stories of redemption and hope,” said film director David Cunningham, who is working on Day of War, based on King David and his mighty men.
uofnkona.edu/gvs
Jeremy Pyhala spoke about Faith in Film, Media, and Technology, emphasizing the importance of storytelling with excellence. Uli Kimmich summarized Cloud Technology, which refers to both applications delivered as services over the Internet and the hardware and software in the data centers that provide those services. This system enables film editors to work from any location without expensive equipment or software. Urban Skargren summarized “Broader-casting,” a trend
whereby content once limited to TV screens is now on HDTV, Web-TV, IPTV, laptops, tablets and smartphones. “Dream big in what you can create,” David said, “because the sky’s the limit now with the state of technology.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY THEMA BLACK
University of the Nations should always be a place of Spirit-inspired innovation and excellence. U of N Co-Founder Dr. Howard Malmstadt
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development
VOLUNTEERS
The blessing of Mission Builders
By Becky Hefty
The University of the Nations Kona campus is not only a miracle of vision, but an enormous testimony to thousands of hearty volunteers called Mission Builders who have volunteered their skills and bent their backs to see God’s Kingdom multiplied. The concept of mission building was birthed in Kona, but has gone global and now helps YWAM campuses worldwide. Kona Mission Builders and Mission Builders International, are volunteer work forces that help shoulder the practical burdens of full-time YWAM missionaries. Just as Hur and Aaron held up Moses’ arms in battle (Exodus 17:8-13), Mission Builders do what the missionaries cannot, strengthening and enabling them to stay focused on fulltime ministry. Mission Builders helped complete the Counseling & Health Care Center
“You look across the landscape of the campus,” recalled Kona’s former MB coordinators Gayle and John Strantz, “and see Mission Builders involved in every project and department. They brought stability, experience, knowledge and enthusiasm.” And while people painted or put up a wall, their lives were changed. Lasting friendships were forged, older people mentored young folk, and volunteers returned home full of vision and “ruined for the ordinary.” “Whatever we did,” former Director of Development Gregg Scott said, “we did to the glory of God. The legacy of the volunteers will live on.”
Multiplying the model Envisioning a method by which to train visionary YWAM leaders worldwide in the practice of campus development, Dr. Malmstadt launched the yearly Project Development Leadership Seminar (PDLS) in Kona in the late 80’s.
After co-founding what was then the Pacific and Asian Christian University with Loren Cunningham in 1978, the late Dr. Howard Malmstadt asked his friend and former University of Illinois colleague, Jim Miller, to prepare a campus master plan. What began as a brief advising commitment for Jim turned into a calling and precipitated the mission-building phenomena. “I learned about YWAMers’ sacrificial giving,” Jim said. “They raised their own support while donating their time to the University. I was led to donate my time, also. It was as though the Lord said, ‘I have provided you with unique international experiences designing secular universities, and it is time for you to work for me in building my Kingdom.’” Jim’s mindset and almost continuous 28 years of work since caused Loren to call him “the first Mission Builder.” Since then, the Mission Builders program that started here has continued to attract multitudes of volunteers to Kona. Their collective efforts have not only helped produce the U of N’s first-class campus facility but have also saved half the standard labor costs on average.
To prepare for the seminar, engineer and Kona Mission Builder Lynn Battermann visited international YWAM bases to assess sites and gather information. At the PDLS, Jim gathered information, assessed the needs and purposes and put together a master plan. Lynn then taught leaders how to institute that model at their location. YWAM campuses worldwide were ripe for Mission Builders. The problem was how to effectively raise a mission-building force and get the two together. YWAMer and construction worker Troy Stremler had seen firsthand that “there was tremendous ministry available, but terrible coordination of potential skills,” leading him to believe that “there had to be ways to organize the resources and the manpower.” Then U of N Kona Chancellor David Boyd encouraged Troy to establish an international Mission Builders office to help recruit for YWAM projects worldwide. Through pluck and persistence, skilled teams mobilized by Troy and Lynn helped build U of N facilities in Thailand, India and Nepal.
continued on page 15
KEITH GREEN MEMORIAL
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28-28-28—YWAM celebrates his legacy The 28th of July marked a special milestone in YWAM history—the 28th anniversary of the tragic death of gospel singer Keith Green, who was only 28 when he died in a fiery Texas plane crash. Melody Green and a host of friends made the trip to Kona for a memorial concert honoring her late husband, an ablaze-for-God musical apostle who recruited thousands into missions both before and after his death. By Kris Richards PhoToGrAPhY BY TheMA BLAcK
This 28-28-28 gathering not only included a packed audience at Ohana Court, but was livestreamed using the uofnkona.edu and keithgreen.com websites. During the event 14,500 people visited the Kona site from 97 different countries. Hours after the event 1,500 people still chatted online about what they had just experienced! Melody, along with Loren Cunningham and current YWAM President John Dawson, imparted something of Keith’s spirit to the young men and women of the Kona campus and beyond. They mentioned his death, but that was not the focus of this memorial concert—his love for Jesus and his continuing influence was. If the audience of mainly under-30-yearold YWAMers did not know Keith before the 28th, they do now. They saw him on rare video, brought to life at his last three concerts in California. They heard him challenge the audience through his Scripture-woven songs, as well as the strong challenges between those songs.
“Do you see, do you see, all the people sinking down, Don’t you care, don’t you care, are you gonna let them drown, ... Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of your bed.” – From “Asleep in the Light,” by Keith Green, courtesy of the Sparrow Corporation
Melody recounted how they decided to continue the original Keith Green Concert tour in spite of his death. Just a few weeks after July 28th, 1982, Melody and friends—including forerunners in Christian contemporary music 2nd Chapter of Acts—renamed their tour the Keith Green Memorial Concert tour. At every concert site, they shared his passion for missions and YWAM. As happened at the original memorial concerts, Melody again stumped the live audience: Keith looked right at the camera and began to introduce his “good friend who was making waves around the world with missions.” As the video continued,
heads began to turn. Loren stepped onto the stage—and a much younger Loren stepped onto the stage in the video. Same beaming smile, same timeless message. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all nations. ‘Go’ means a change of location.” Loren said that stepping onto that stage was hugely moving for him and recalled clearly his doing so 28 years earlier. “We went to 250 cities around “Make my life a prayer to you, the country before taking I want to do what you want me to, it overseas. I was at 50 of No empty words and no white lies those memorial concerts.” No token prayers, no compromise! ” continued on page 29 – Keith Green
The day Keith died… “I was leader of King’s Kids on the M/V Anastasis and Keith and Melody had just been visiting the ship, where he told me to use any of his songs we wanted for the King’s Kids ministry. A month or two had passed and this day we were practicing his song ‘Jesus is Lord of All.’ The practice went very well and the children were excited about doing that number. I walked out toward the reception area of the ship when a special announcement was made: ‘Keith Green has been in a fatal plane accident.’ I was so shocked—more so because we had been listening to him sing over and over.” By Fay Williams
PhoToGrAPhY BY TheMA BLAcK
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legacy
JUBILEE TESTIMONIES
A little child shall lead them
By Fraser H. Haug
A newborn child, who lived just a few minutes, helped bring new life to one the largest unreached people groups in West Africa. And what was a personal tragedy for a young YWAM couple has created the most unprecedented opening for the gospel in 50 years of Protestant missions in Guinea-Bissau. João and Solange Oliveira are part of a YWAM evangelism team from Brazil which came to Guinea-Bissau in 1990 to reach the Fula, one of the largest Muslim tribes in Africa. The outreach was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Solange, who first heard about Guinea-Bissau as a child and always wanted to live there. Soon after the YWAM team arrived there, Solange became pregnant. There was little medical care available in the poverty-stricken nation, and almost none when the team moved inland to the remote town of Gabu. Amid these primitive living conditions, Solange went into labor a month early. On February 1, 1991, after a night of difficult labor, she gave birth to a daughter, Rebecca. The infant was unable to sustain her own breathing and died soon after birth. The loss of the baby was a great shock and grief to the parents as well as the team. In prayer, God spoke clearly that He, as Redeemer, would bring life from death and produce great fruitfulness from this baby’s life. Solange’s response was immediate, exhibiting profound faith in God, as she fully relinquished her child to Him. In prayer, João felt impressed to have their daughter buried in the Fula cemetery in Gabu. This was highly unusual because it is exclusively Muslim. To do so, João had to ask permission of the “Big Man” who is both the Muslim spiritual leader and the community leader.
As the team gathered that same afternoon for a funeral service for Rebecca, we were surprised to see many of the Muslim spiritual leaders in Gabu arriving to be part of the service. We had a most unusual opportunity to acknowledge God’s goodness and to testify about our hope in Christ as the assurance of eternal life to about 20 of these leaders. The sun was about to set as the funeral party of about 60 walked single file through the grasslands of the West African savannah to a small grove of trees where Rebecca would be buried. At the front of the line was an African man who was carrying the casket, followed by black and white, Muslim and Christian. As I watched this procession, I was reminded of Isaiah 11:6 “…and a little child shall lead them.” Even in death, this little child was leading the way for those who sit in darkness to see a great light. God had already begun his redemptive work.
The request was unusual for another reason. In Guinea-Bissau, white people typically have a much higher standard of living than native Africans. The Brazilians had already made quite an impact because they were living as humbly as their African neighbors. It made a deep impression when João arrived at the Big Man’s house to ask permission to bury his daughter with the Africans.
Two days later, the team went ahead with plans to visit a village called Casambé, about an hour and a half walk from Gabu. Clarice, the 23-year-old team leader, made contact with the village’s two Big Men and introduced herself and the team. To the team’s surprise, these leaders sent runners
The Big Man generously responded, not only granting permission, but allowing them to do it “according to our own custom” (i.e. Christian).
continued on page 29
Guinea-Bissau
Reprinted from the summer 1991 edition of Kona’s Online magazine
TESTIMONIES
education
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U of N early childhood curriculum adopted in Vanuatu education reform
By Karen Hesseberg
How do you transform a nation? By starting with the children! The South Pacific nation of Vanuatu is seeking to make education available to all its children and has reached out to the church for help.
Photography by Louis Staples
YWAM has been working with the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV), the country’s largest denomination, which has been asked by the national Department of Education to manage many of their schools in an effort to bring Christian values back into education. “Last year we presented the education department of the church with the [University of the Nations] Early Childhood Curriculum, initially thinking it would be a help with a school they were starting here in Port Vila,” said YWAM Vanuatu leader Amanda Ogilvie. “At last year’s National Assembly of the church, the PCV Director of Education asked that our preschool curriculum be approved for use nationally, which it was.” Amanda, who served as a teacher and King’s Kids leader in her native Australia, led the first teacher training in Vanuatu on March 15-19. The participants represented 30 preschools from towns and villages of Efate and other islands. Anna Ware, Director of Kona’s U of N preschool, where the curriculum was created, was thrilled by these developments. “YWAM’s teacher training program started here, and our goal is multiplication. This is beyond what we had hoped and prayed for. I am looking forward to seeing how God is going to use Vanuatu, as other governments … see the importance of starting with young children if they want to see their nation changed.” Vanuatu has the Pacific region’s highest proportion of children who have never attended school. A major factor has been a requirement that all students pay nominal school fees. “This has represented an enormous obstacle for families who have no financial means to invest in their children’s education,” according to the Center for Pacific Islands Development website. Through grants from Australia, New Zealand and UNICEF, Vanuatu this year declared that education will be free for all primary school students. Vanuatu leaders not only want to expand school access but to improve its quality. That’s where YWAM and the PCV come in. “This year in negotiations with the church, the government is looking at handing over 66 schools, starting with the island of Santo,” Amanda Ogilvie
said. “[PCV leaders] asked that we run more training weeks for them.” The U of N early childhood curriculum, which has been translated into six languages, is widely used at YWAM preschools around the world. “The curriculum is God-inspired,” said Kona’s Anna Ware. “It’s both international and timeless and will be relevant for generations to come.” For more information on Vanuatu opportunities email Amanda at info@lovevanuatu.org. For information on the curriculum, contact its cocreator Barb Nizza at bnizza@gmail.com Join our Early Childhood Education Program - uofnkona.edu
YWAM Quiz answers There are 25 questions and each correct answer is worth four points. A perfect score is 100 points. Rankings: 90% or higher—long-term YWAMer; 80% or higher—seasoned veteran; 70% or higher—short term staff; 60% or higher—student. Below 60%—you need to read Is That Really You, God? again.
1. A 4. A 7. B 10. A 13. C 16. B 19. D 22. C 25. A
2. B 5. D 8. D 11. D 14. B 17. C 20. B 23. B
3. C 6. C 9. C 12. D 15. D 18. A 21. C 24. C
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DISCIPLING NATIONS
The astounding intent of Jesus’ final command ...And U of N’s commitment to follow it Reprinted from the March 1998 edition of U of N’s Online Magazine Imagine the stunned silence of Jesus’ disciples when, in His final words to them, He commanded that they “go and make disciples of all nations…” “Surely not us, Jesus! How do we begin such a task? We don’t even understand what you mean.” In all of recorded literature, it was the first time anyone had linked the action of discipling with the term nation. Jesus carefully chose this moment to bring Korean Leaders Seminar PHOTOGRAPHY BY THEMA BLACK
forth this staggering concept. He wanted to tell them earlier but they simply couldn’t grasp it (see John 16:12). When He told them about His coming resurrection they dismissed it. The implications of such a thing were simply beyond their understanding. Jesus first had to “wow” them with the awesome demonstration of His power and authority before He could speak to them about something even more inconceivable: His desire—cherished since the beginning of time—to see all the created order reshaped by the transforming revelation of the gospel. Two thousand years later, we see much fruit from the disciples’ obedience to go. But many believers still puzzle over what Jesus intended when He commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations. As with a good mystery, you can’t figure out the ending until you get there. Once there, the clues scattered throughout the preceding pages seem so obvious and numerous that you can’t imagine how you missed them all the first time through! God has been dropping clues in His dealings with humanity since Abraham, and Jesus began to walk out God’s strategy as He focused on ministering to the nation of Israel.
By David J. Hamilton U of N International Vice President for Strategic Innovation
The term nations can be a bit misleading to the modern Western mind, as we link it to political entities such as the United States, Poland or Afghanistan. These did not exist when Jesus used this word. Today we identify with our nation; people of antiquity usually identified with their city. In another contrast with current Western thinking, we perceive ourselves primarily as individuals, while the Hebrew mind viewed the individual as part of the larger whole. Individuals’ transformation would of course impact the whole, including the city of which they were a part. Jesus calls us to the same expectation: Our personal salvation will transform us into sources of influence in our cities, and in turn in our nations. Therefore, the gospel presents a dual challenge. God wants us to proclaim His good news of salvation to individuals (Mark 16:15) and to make disciples of (not just in) all nations (Matt 28:19). Our goal in the University of the Nations is to equip students to carry out both aspects of this great mandate. We begin by teaching them to know God. Our foundational course, the Discipleship Training School, instructs students in the nature and character of our Father God, challenging them to develop a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the commands of Scripture. Once we help students get a personal revelation of God, we send them to the nations “to make God known.” Evangelism is absolutely critical in the process of discipling a nation. But it is by no means the only aspect. The final words of Jesus include the command to teach the nations “to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Therefore, U of N teaches students to apply to their lives the principles Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God. These include teachings on socialization (values and ethics), economics (generosity and stewardship), leadership (integrity and continued on page 29
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Discussions at a Ugandan village
YWAM by the numbers One Lord One Commission 171 countries with YWAM bases 1,200 ministry locations 16,590 total YWAM staff Africa 1,434 stafff 134 locations 21 countries offering DTS 10 languages
Community Development School returns to Kona The Foundations in Community Development School (FCDS) is starting up again in Kona this January, teaching students how to help communities (both rural and urban) move towards health and prosperity. “The foundation is a biblical understanding of the root causes of poverty and underdevelopment,” said school leader Arnold Rottier. “The world has seen that top-down intervention of government and global organizations has failed to bring lasting development. Christians have a vital role to play in showing that development is about changing society by reflecting God’s heart. The key is people—changing hearts and minds.” The school’s 12-week lecture phase teaches biblical principles of community transformation, team and group dynamics, community assessment, infrastructure systems (food, water and sanitation), primary health care, project planning, micro-enterprise and environmental stewardship. For more details on the school and online registration go to www.uofnkona.edu
Mission Builders
from page 10
Mission Builders International (MBI) was officially incorporated in 1996 as a separate YWAM entity functioning under the YWAM Foundational Values. In 2000, Troy passed the MBI baton to John Briggs of YWAM Montana, who relocated the office next door to the Montana campus. John recognized that “not all ministries had buildings in mind” when they requested Mission Builders and that gearing MBI to meet a broader range of needs also meant mustering an army of volunteers with a comprehensive array of skills and interests. “The predominant theme is mobilizing volunteers,” John said, “to come alongside ministries at their particular point of need, whether planning,
Americas 5,111 staff 273 locations 22 countries offering DTS 7 languages
Asia & Pacific 7,539 staff 575 locations 27 countries offering DTS 28 languages Europe/Middle East 2,506 staff 200 locations 29 countries offering DTS 19 languages U of N courses 120 countries offering U of N courses 155 different U of N courses 23 major transnational ministries 2.5 million – estimated number who have served in some way with YWAM Lives forever changed -- incalculable *Source: 2010-2011 GO Manual construction, office, kitchen, hospitality, housekeeping, gardening, or child care. The list is endless.” Now, MBI actively pursues volunteers from every walk of life—professionals, housewives, college students, retirees, whoever—and connects them to frontline missions where they can contribute to what God is doing in and through YWAM. For more information on Kona Mission Builders, go to: www.uofnkona.edu For more information on Mission Builders International go to: www.missionbuilders.org
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CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT
Thanksgiving for a year of Jubilee By Loren Cunningham I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. (Psalms 69:30, NIV) Darlene and I would like to personally thank all of those who have prayed and given toward the YWAM/UofN Kona Hualalai Village “Project Staff Housing.” We are so grateful for YOU - you have listened to God’s voice and stood by us like family in your commitment to us and to the purposes of God, even in these financially challenging times! You have been part of a miracle in progress during this, YWAM’s “Jubilee Year.” At the end of December 2009, we needed 10.5 million dollars, or we faced the possibility of losing the Hualalai Village staff housing condos, and the 62 acres adjoining our campus. The bank gave us a deadline with incremental goals throughout 2010 to see this money come in. This amount seemed impossible to raise, but thanks to your help and the graciousness of our God, WE HAVE MET ALL THE DEADLINES thus far. More than 5 million dollars has come in through gifts, sales of condos to YWAMers, etc. When no condos have been selling in the city of Kona, we have been buying, and each purchase has been a miracle from God to provide for our staff! Let me explain to you why your gift has been so important: Eventually, when completed, this project will provide for 60 YWAM families and singles to own a home in a Land Trust, so it will always “stay in the YWAM/UofN family.” The Lord has clearly spoken that we are to make affordable staff housing a priority, as the stability of our core staff is so important for the multiplication of missions! And this project will also provide for the UofN to have 62 more acres
for a K-12 school, more university dormitories and classes, a sports complex, a Communication/ Media, Arts & Culture Complex…all of which will greatly increase our global outreach. Your generosity has opened the way for so many of the dreams in God’s heart to be fulfilled! We are believing that, with God’s continuing favor and the help of His people, by December 31st, this property will be fully released to us “free and clear” for His purposes. In a time when a world in recession says “it can’t be done,” God is allowing us to “arise and shine” that the world may see our good works and glorify the one true and generous God (Isaiah 60). Thank you again for standing with us that the world may know Him, Loren Cunningham
Reasons to rejoice • Sept. 2010 - largest quarter in YWAM Kona history - over 1100 staff and students with thousands more arriving for the 50th • 500+ students • 80+ Mission Builders maxing out housing • 37 nations represented as students, 29 on staff
NEW BIBLE
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YWAM’s 50th: more than a birthday! In the spring of 2008, the Lord stirred something in my heart about YWAM’s 50th anniversary year in 2010. I felt that He said it should be not just a birthday, but a Jubilee year.
By Dr. Tom Bloomer, U of N International Provost
What does that mean? One of the most detailed Bible passages about the Jubilee is Leviticus 25, which includes themes such as the proclamation of liberty, freedom from debt, and freedom from slavery. In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read the first verses of Isaiah 61. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). I believe that the Lord wants to grant us freedom and favor. But there are conditions to receive His blessings. One is prayer. I felt the Lord indicating that we would get the blessings we prayed for, but only if we reached out our hands to Him for them. A second condition? I felt the Lord saying that we need to cancel debts owed to us. In other words, if I think someone should have done something and they didn’t, or they owe me money, or they used up my time, I need to let go of that and forgive them. I need to get to the place where I really believe that nobody owes me anything. Forgiveness is where we often get hung up. Yet how can we expect God to forgive us when we won’t forgive others? Jesus is very clear on this, giving us
the parable of the forgiven servant who wouldn’t forgive the debt owed to him. In Matthew 18:2335 Jesus underlines that unforgiveness leads to imprisonment...our own. “‘You wicked servant,’ he [the master] said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.” How will we be able to live in the freedom, prosperity, and favor of God unless we first release all debts owed to us? Practically, some people are saying that they believe the Lord wants YWAM to be totally debtfree, that is, all YWAMers free of monetary debt and also our mortgages on YWAM properties paid off. We can be thankful that many of our bases and centers are already debt-free, but others are not. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see this happen? Let’s pray for God’s blessing on our finances this year. We are also trusting God for the release of thousands of new missionaries to come into YWAM and go out into the world, but we need to be ready to receive them. Please take time in prayer to apply God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you have anything against anyone else. If He shows you something, confess it right away and get on with God! And let’s pray that YWAM will enter into God’s conditions to have a real Jubilee! Not just a birthday.
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HEALTH CARE SCHOOLS
The amazing journey of 2 healers
By Lisa Oldenburg
Two young women–from completely different worlds but with a similar passion—came to receive health care training at the University of the Nations Kona campus and are now teamed up, battling adversity to make a difference in a world full of disease, despair and hopelessness. Rachel Pierre Louis of Haiti and Nyamsaikhan Chuluunbat of Mongolia met while taking the Introduction to Primary Health Care School (IPHC) in Kona last year. This school trains students to take God’s heart for mercy ministries through health care to the nations. It is quite unlikely that these two would ever have met and become such fast friends in any setting outside of YWAM. Their friendship has endured a lot and, by the grace and goodness of God, that friendship will last lifetime. Each woman has learned from her own experience, education and healing that God desires to use her to bring His healing and transformation to others. Rachel Pierre Louis grew up in a low-middle class Haitian family. In a nation known for its voodoo practices and poverty, her Christian parents struggled to provide for and educate their four children. Rachel attended university, as well as a YWAM Discipleship Training School. While in DTS, God birthed in her a deeper love for her own people, particularly those living in the mountains without health care. That compassion led her to attend the IPHC School in Kona, followed by a three-month medical outreach to Cambodia and Thailand. While on outreach Rachel heard that her nation suffered a 7.1 earthquake and that more than 230,000 people died. Her own sister was missing and thought
www.uofnkona.edu/iphc
to be dead, until two weeks later when her family found her alive. After returning home in mid-March and seeing the devastation herself, she said, “I love my people and I want to help them!” She particularly wanted to be part of long-term solutions for Haiti, so she returned to U of N Kona to attend the Community Health Development (CHD) School. That school equips students to help bring God’s transformation to communities through assisting local people in taking ownership of their health care needs and solutions. Nyamsaikhan Chuluunbat (known as Saikhnaa) grew up in Mongolia. Proudly and lovingly she tells people, “I have three families!” Although there has been much pain in her journey, now at age 22, she sees her life as a unique redemptive story of God’s goodness and faithfulness. After birth, she was left at a Mongolian orphanage.
Saikhnaa, right, works with CHD team in Haiti
Today she is thankful that her birth parents chose life for her. She said, “Had my birth father known the sex of their baby before I was born, he may have chosen to end my life. When he saw that I was a girl, he chose instead to abandon me to the orphanage. I spent the first two years lying in a cold
“These students are my inspiration!” cradle, feeling all alone, no one to love me…today I know that Jesus was there with me…holding me, loving me and making me strong.” At age 2, Saikhnaa was adopted by a Mongolian family. She says her grandfather, a Buddhist leader, was about the only one to speak life and hope into her. However, he died when she was only 7 years old. At 14, her adoptive father and brother also died, making her feel more alone and abandoned. When she was 16 years old, she went to work in the home of a Canadian missionary family serving in Mongolia. They adopted her into their lives and hearts and she began to call them “Mom and Dad.” Through them she found Jesus, and her life has never been the same. After seeing the desperate needs of the poor in Mongolia, China and India she wanted to bring physical and spiritual healing to people just like she had received. So Saikhnaa also attended the IPHC school, went to Cambodia and Thailand, and then attended the CHD school. Saikhnaa’s school leaders say God has had her on “a fast missionary training track,” both spiritually and knowledge-wise, giving her confidence and leadership skills during her time at U of N. The CHD team, which also included students Kelsie Bosman and Shelby Ohlin, chose to do their internship in Haiti. They experienced life as it is for Haitian quake victims. They joined the 1.5 million homeless people still living in tents at the onset of the rainy season. In this environment, they quickly saw the problems locals face in remaining healthy. While living alongside the Haitians, each team member suffered one or more diseases…malaria, typhoid, dengue fever, infections, dysentery, and diarrhea. All of that deepened their compassion for the sick and dying. They chose, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, to continue serving and loving the people, in spite of their own setbacks. “These students are my inspiration!” Lisa Oldenburg, a staff member with Kona’s health care schools and ministries, stated, “In my 20 years as a missionary, my time walking alongside these young women of God and serving together in Haiti was one of my greatest ministry highlights! All four or them— Shelby, Kelsie, Saikhnaa and Rachel—have overcome so many obstacles, persevering in hard times even in their personal relationships and family dynamics. They have proven themselves faithful, strong and committed to their calling. Not only do they each hold a love in their hearts to bring healing to the nations, and a passion for transformation of communities, but also a passion for souls yet unsaved!” While serving on their CHD internship in Haiti, Rachel and Saikhnaa have trained many groups of leaders who have all been hungry to learn from them. They have already seen lasting multiplication and fruit from their training of local Haitian leaders.
Rachel Pierre Louis of Haiti and Nyamsaikhan Chuluunbat of Mongolia
In one village, a key informant revealed that many children under the age of 5 years were dying every year from dehydration due to diarrhea. Rachel and Saikhnaa decided to do teachings for this community on diarrhea, hygiene and O.R.S. (oral rehydration solution). “The teachings were so well received we went back again to teach the next day on other health concerns,” said Saikhnaa. “An old man told the class, ‘I ran into my friend yesterday and he and his children all had diarrhea. So I told him what he can do by simply making O.R.S. with salt and sugar as well as using a sugar replacement of oats, bananas and rice for his young children.’” Saikhnaa continued, “Everyone was so surprised that the old man had received teaching and was now multiplying the message of health. It was encouraging to all of us that we were seeing changes in this community so quickly, and lives are being saved!”
Help international students like these Both Rachel and Saikhnaa were helped in their education through U of N’s Developing Nations Student Fund. If you want to help others like them to take God’s message of hope to the nations, send your gift to: U of N Financial Aid, 75-5851 Kuakini Hwy #433, Kailua Kona, HI 96740-2199.
Loren blesses staff and former militants at Nigeria event
Miracle in Nigeria When Paul Dangtoumda was a student at U of N Kona in 1990, God gave him a vision to start YWAM Nigeria, where he is now National Director. He told this story at Nigeria’s 50th anniversary celebration in May. Oil-rich Nigeria has been swirling with ethnic, political and religious clashes for decades, but in recent months the YWAM base in Port Harcourt, which Paul leads, has shown the West African nation a way toward God-inspired reconciliation. .
YWAMers help hundreds of Nigerian rebels turn to Christ In the past two years, hundreds of anti-government rebels in southern Nigeria have embraced Jesus Christ and set aside their arms to participate in YWAM Discipleship Training Schools. At Port Harcourt’s YWAM 50th anniversary celebration in May, Paul told stories of how God led them to enter the militants’ camp and share Jesus with the notoriously violent men. Paul introduced Nature, now a YWAMer in Port Harcourt, who told of how the Lord saved him out of a life of occultism, murder, drugs, kidnapping, and many other crimes. “After being discipled, the Lord spoke to me about going back to the rebels’ camp to tell others about Jesus. It was very difficult, but I obeyed, and many came to faith in Christ.” God also led Nature to speak with government officials in Abuja, where he obtained permission to start an amnesty work among the militants. Through this process he saw God’s faithfulness when most of the militants laid down their arms to receive amnesty. Among them was a rebel leader named Solomon, known as “Bin Laden of Nigeria,” who gave his life to the Lord. Today YWAM has a mini-base in the ex-militant camp with 30 YWAMers working alongside 300 ex-militants per session. Andrew and Ansel, YWAM leaders in Jos, recounted how the government sent
300 militants there for a retreat last year. About 100 of them gave their lives to Christ and about 45 were baptized into Christ. Paul also invited another ex-militant called Samson to share his story of transformation. After his DTS outreach, Samson returned to the gangs to share about his new life in Christ. “I never thought I would be the one standing confidently before people and testifying of the goodness and deliverance of God in my life. Though the militants knew my former life very well, it was incredible to see how they opened their hearts to receive God’s word through me,” Samson said. All three ex-militants moved the crowd with their testimonies—especially YWAM founder Loren Cunningham, who warmly embraced Nature, Samson and Solomon and prayed for them one by one. It was a special moment and the whole atmosphere was charged with the “God is able” spirit. Adapted from a report by: Anne Abok, Media Village Nigeria, for AFRICOM West; Photographer: Alex Abok, Media Village Nigeria and YWAM Pismo outreach team from USA.
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Fresh view of Scripture U of N leader’s innovation offers new approach to Bible study The SourceView™ Bible is being launched at YWAM’s 50th celebration in Kona. A five book sampler of the SourceView™ Bible (including Genesis, Song of Songs, Jonah, Mark and Acts) is being given out free to all those who attend the 50th celebrations. This new Bible is the 13-year project of Kona’s David Joel Hamilton, U of N International Vice President for Strategic Innovation. He explained how he came up with the idea for this entirely new format of the Scriptures. “My journey that led to the development of the SourceView™ Bible began in 1997,” David said. “I was leading a group of eager students at the U of N in Richmond, Virginia as part of the three-month Bible Core Course. One day we were scheduled to read three of the four Gospels aloud. Each one took a turn reading a chapter out loud while the others listened. Isn’t that how it’s always done? It took two and half hours to make it through Matthew. A similar time frame was needed to read through John. I could tell that the group was wearying from the exercise and knew something had to be done to spark up the process or the students would check out before making it through Luke. “How could I make the reading more interesting, more dynamic, more alive?” I wondered. Then an idea popped into his mind: divide the students into groups of three and assign to each a particular role to read. One read the words of Jesus. Another read the words of the Gospel writer and the third read everything else. As students began reading Luke with this new set of instructions, a renewed interest and excitement began to build. The inflections of their voices changed as they identified with their characters and the dramatic nature of the narrative took on fresh vigor! It was exciting to observe the change that came over the students.” This experience eventually led to the development of the SourceView™ Bible, which is the first major formatting innovation in biblical text since the introduction of verses into the Scriptures during the Reformation—nearly five hundred years ago! This new layout highlights the dramatic narrative of the original manuscripts and greatly enhances the reader’s ability to understand the story. The reader can clearly see who is speaking the words recorded in the Bible at all times. The natural flow of the story comes to life as the drama unfolds with no artificial breaks. The multicolored text reads much like a movie script,
The SourceView™ Bible is the first major formatting innovation in biblical text since the introduction of verses into the Scriptures 500 years ago!
engaging the reader in the interplay of those who form the speaking cast of God’s story. Readers are drawn into the story of the Bible like never before with the help of: •
a new reference system built on the natural dialogue found within the biblical text
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the multicolored text layout—the words of the narrator are in black, God’s are in red, those of the lead part are in green, and everyone else is in blue
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a left-hand column with character subtitles informs the reader who is speaking, so that he will never again feel lost in the text.
“Through the SourceView™ Bible,” Loren Cunningham says, “you will rediscover the original drama in a way that increases your understanding and makes it easier for you to apply the truths of God’s Word today for both personal and societal transformation.” The entire Bible will be available in April, 2011. Check it out at www.sourceviewbible.com
David and Christine Hamilton
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CHILDREN IN MISSIONS
Raising children as part of a missions team by Darlene Cunningham
I grew up as part of a ministry team, serving and contributing throughout my growing up years as my father and mother pastored churches in Canada and the USA. Loren was raised in the same way, doing ministry outreach with his parents across the southwestern United States and singing duets with his sister Phyllis from the age of three. And we raised our own kids, Karen and David, to be part of our family missionary team. We taught them to listen to the voice of God and obey Him; to be generous in giving whatever they had—money, toys, time, talents; we taught them biblical principles for wise decision-making. We watched for the unique gifts God had given them, and encouraged and invested in the development of those gifts. Karen obviously had a call to teach children. David was entrepreneurial and had a gift for visual storytelling. We were also blessed that our children were shaped by the extended YWAM family—godly men and women who invested in them and shared their gifts and talents. That is true to this day. For a long time I would say, “The verdict is still out on our kids, but it looks like they’re going to turn out all right.” Well, now the verdict is in. Karen and David have turned out to be a woman and a man of God with their own strong missions calls: Karen in teaching preschool and training preschool teachers and David in leadership and filmmaking. And of course I’m hoping the same for my grandchildren! I have encouraged YWAM families around the globe to include their children in ministry as contributing members of their team. During YWAM’s 50th anniversary year, we have visited YWAM families in Australia/New Zealand, southern Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe. I can say without a doubt that raising children on the mission field and calling forth their own gifts and missionary call works! I have seen many second generation YWAM kids doing a whole lot more of what they were raised in and taking us to new levels. I also see many who are called to work within other spheres of society but who still have a clear understanding of their missionary call to disciple the nations. So many missionaries struggle with cultural norms and even well-meaning relatives and Christian friends Loren blesses YWAM kids in Japan who say, “You need to put your family first—give your children a good education and keep them near their grandparents.” But I do not believe in the “God first, family second and ministry third” philosophy. I believe in “God first….God
second…God third…God over everything.” As we put obedience to God first, He is far more committed to our families and our ministries than we are, and His will is always the highest and best for everyone and everything. If we seek Him and obey Him in detail, He will never call us to do something that will harm the family. If we as parents obey the call of God and teach our children to listen to His voice and obey His call, they will be far richer and better equipped to function in this 21st century global world. They will gain an education that equips them for life. They will have the modeling of their parents’ obedience and that of a diverse community. They will gain intercultural skills—maybe even some foreign languages—plus they will have networks of international friends. All these things are invaluable for 21st century leadership. God is a debtor to no person. He is faithful and committed to family, the basic building block of society that He initiated. When we obey His call, there is no end to the ways He pours out His blessing and grace.
YWAM Foundational Value #10: YWAM is called to function in teams in all aspects of ministry and leadership. We believe that a combination of complementary gifts, callings, perspectives, ministries and generations working together in unity at all levels of our mission provides wisdom and safety. Seeking God’s will and making decisions in a team context allows accountability and contributes to greater relationship, motivation, responsibility and ownership of the vision. YWAM Foundational value #15: YWAM affirms the importance of families serving God together in missions, not just the father and/or mother. We encourage the development of strong and healthy family units, with each member sharing the call to missions and contributing their gifts in unique and complementary ways.
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The priceless value of a YWAM education
By Kris Richards
“The first-grade year sets the course for a child’s whole school experience.”
Jo Jo and his mama in Tonga
So said one of my education professors. I stored that away, but it would be over two decades before I had my own child in first grade. My second son Josiah’s features are remarkably similar to his mama at age seven. While I got a solid education at a public elementary school in a desirable neighborhood in Washington State, Jo Jo’s first-grade year has been quite different. You see, our family is in YWAM. I recently began thinking how different his firstgrade experience is from mine.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RANDY RICHARDS
My first grade teacher, Mrs. Moat, would ring a little bell to get our attention. Josiah’s teacher also rings a bell at recess, but she is Korean. His art teacher is a New Zealander, his math teacher Canadian, and his reading teacher, American. Other than one Filipina friend, my first grade class was all white. Jo Jo’s friends are New Zealanders, Canadian, Danish, Korean, Swiss-German, and American. I learned a bit of Spanish at seven watching weekly TV shows on PBS. Josiah spoke to me the other day in Tongan, Latin, Fijian, and English. In PE we learned kickball; Jo Jo is learning cricket and field hockey. My mom often read to me and encouraged me to read. I remember taking home my little Lippincott Reader, which I’d read curled up on the couch with Mom. “Run, rat, run! Run to a red sun.” When Jo Jo and I curl up to read, we devour the biographies of Hudson Taylor, Jim Eliot, and Eric Liddell. He sees the stories of these great missionaries in a different light. On our outreach in Tonga he saw waist-high grass similar to what David Livingstone had to cut through in Africa and a flood like the one that caused Jim Eliot to lose his home in Ecuador.
hemisphere. When I was seven, a family outing may have been hiking on Mt. Rainier, a dormant volcano. Jo Jo also hikes a volcano, but his has gurgling lava! I’d climb the jungle gym in our backyard, while Jo Jo has climbed coconut trees and flagpoles on YWAM bases.
Dramatic performances when I was seven consisted of narrating the class play, “Adventures in Storybook Land,” on a stage in front of the whole school. Josiah has performed evangelistic skits and shared his testimony in front of Tongan churches, on military bases, at schools and on the radio.
YWAM is Jo Jo’s first-grade year. It is the foundation for not just his education, but for his life. He has character qualities I never imagined for him—compassion to pray for a Tongan boy riddled with cancer. Endurance to spend hours clearing piles of brush in a cyclone-ravaged village. Patience to listen intently to friends at ICS school who may not speak English at home. Confidence to share prophetic pictures with our team of adults. Jo Jo’s first-grade education cannot be quantified. It is first-rate and ordered by God. Jo Jo signing autographs after skit at Tonga Side School
Adventure for me was riding my bike around our cul de sac. Adventure for Josiah has been standing up in the back of a crowded pick-up truck between Daddy and brother Evan, marveling at the vast stars in the southern
Writer Kris Richards was a school teacher in Vancouver WA before she and husband Randy moved their family to Kona to join YWAM.
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outreach
COMMUNITY
Deep and Beyond
By Thema Black
South African YWAMer helps the disabled experience freedom at sea “They are angels!” That’s how one wheelchair-bound woman named Jill described volunteers from U of N Kona’s Deep and Beyond ministry after they helped her experience Kona’s undersea wonders for the first time at the July Snorkel Day. Jill, who had never snorkeled before, saw a flyer for Snorkel Day and called Annamari Fuls, the South African YWAMer who founded Deep and Beyond, to congratulate her for the initiative to help disabled people swim and snorkel. Jill confided that she couldn’t come, because it would be too difficult. But with Annamari’s encouragement, she showed up at the Kahalu’u Beach event Annamari Fuls helps the anyway and loved it. “I disabled enjoy the sea. stopped walking three years ago. Deep and Beyond allowed me to be a part of the real world again,” Jill said. About 25 elderly or disabled people participated in the most recent Deep and Beyond event. YWAM volunteers lifted Jill from her wheelchair into a mobi-chair sitting atop a blue mobi-mat that allows wheelchair access right to the water’s edge. There they transferred her to a specialized blue floatie, and later added another flotation device after getting into deeper water. After these four transfers, Jill saw her first fish below the ocean surface. Annamari would spot a fish and say, “There! At one o’clock is a yellow tang.” Jill would hold her breath and see it for herself through goggles. After experiencing all that motion and color, they came safely ashore, filled with wonder at God’s creation. Annamari exulted at each person’s discovery of the ocean. Several eager blind participants were eager to handle starfish, tiny crabs and other sea creatures found for them by Annamari and her peers. It took 11 years for Annamari’s vision to become reality. As a child she told her kindergarten teacher, “I’m going to be a missionary.” But while growing up among South African farms and villages, a passion for water sports also emerged. “I scrimped and saved for my first scuba lessons. On my first dive I felt total freedom and peace, like being surrounded by God’s love.”
That experience ignited a passion to teach and encourage others, especially the disabled, to experience water sports. After earning a degree in environmental science, Annamari joined YWAM in New Zealand, then came to Kona to staff the 2007 All Nations, All Generations DTS. All the while, she dreamt of helping disabled people get into the water. “Many people told me it is too difficult, so I tried to push it away for a while. Then I took the Destiny by Design seminar at U of N and saw how my lifelong love for swimming and sharing God were all in the Lord’s design.” Developing the Deep and Beyond concept, Annamari worked through red tape to get beach access, gathered potential participants, held fundraisers for snorkeling and safety equipment, and trained to become a scuba diving instructor. Nine months later, the first Snorkel Day took place. Her contact at Parks and Recreation, Alisa Mitchener, became a key advocate of ocean access for the handicapped, providing safety equipment, a special wheelchair, and mats— all free of charge. Alisa is impressed by the many U of N Kona staff who have helped with Snorkel Day and wept when she saw the joy on the faces of disabled kids when they snorkeled for the first time ever. Annamari also reaches out to the mentally disabled. “I was honored when a family said ‘We will trust you with our daughter,’” Annamari said. “No one should be left behind.” Deep and Beyond also takes young people on boats to tidal pools and into a bay with freshwater lava tubes. “One 12-year-old had a profound insight while exploring the lava tube,” Annamari said. “He contrasted the diversity and color of marine life in the sunlight with nearly zero life inside a dark cave. He said that when he hid bad stuff, there was no life. He came to understand what it means that Jesus is the light of the world … in His light, we have life.”
TESTIMONIES
Jailhouse journey
outreach
25
By Charlene Malnor
Island Breeze team reaches out to Kentucky women An Island Breeze team from Kona brought a taste of the islands and a message of hope to 50 women held at a detention center in Kentucky this April. The women, who wore striped and solid-colored jail outfits indicating the type of crimes they had committed, lined up to enter a small windowless room where the meeting was to be held. Correction officers were positioned in each corner. Once the women were seated in rows on the floor, their journey to the Pacific Islands began with a warm welcome and a song that speaks of the word Aloha. Rudy Valle, leader of Island Breeze Impact World Tour (IWT), introduced the team and emceed the event. Dancers accompanied the musicians and singers with a joyful hula. The musical voyage continued to the islands of Tahiti, Samoa, Hawaii, and finally Aotearoa (New Zealand). One of the Hawaiian dancers shared her story with the prisoners. Tears streamed from their faces as she talked about her violent family background, relatives involved in gangs, cutting herself, and not having a father figure in her life. The message of hope and love she delivered afterward brightened the faces of women who now identified with her. “Having a personal relationship with Jesus is what has changed my life,” she told them. Rudy wrapped up the show by sharing his story of a broken past. “Jesus is the only answer!” he concluded.
Join the global movement to finish the Great Commission
www.call2all.org
A few amens came from the crowd. But the biggest response occurred when Rudy asked the women for forgiveness on behalf of the husbands, fathers, and other men who had hurt them. All across the room, heads bowed as if the words had touched the core of their hearts. Even the correction officers could not suppress their expressions of joy and watery eyes. Rudy then gave the women an opportunity to embark on a new journey for the rest of their lives. He shared the good news of Jesus’ love and hope and led them into a prayer of personal relationship with the One who has the answer to all things. More than half the women raised their hands and opened their hearts to receive Jesus. The Island Breeze team recently completed an IWT campaign in Korea. For more information go to www.ywamcampaigns.org
An offering of worship At our final YWAM 50th celebration in Kona, HI, we will host an event at which representatives from various nations will bring worship “offerings” to King Jesus through cultural expressions of honor. We intend that these and other acts of worship prepare us as a living sanctuary for the Lord’s presence and launch us into this next season of global harvest. One other element included when the temple was built, was the giving of free-will offerings from all of God’s people. God says in Exodus 25:2, “bring me an offering… from everyone whose heart prompts them to give…” We would like to produce a (CD/DVD) from this event that includes our worship offering through the arts, as well as YWAM leaders telling our 50-year story and casting vision for our future. If you would like to give to this project, send your offerings to U of N Cashier, 75-5851 Kuakini Hwy #433, Kailua Kona HI 96740 .
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the guide
TESTIMONIES
Pioneering God’s Dream
By Fay Williams
Faith and hard work birthed the Kona campus and other ministries When our Williams family of five came from New Zealand to join YWAM in Kona, Hawaii, in 1975, it was like slipping on a perfectly fitting glove. My late husband Alan and I both had pioneering DNA in our gene pool. Just two years earlier in New Zealand, we had walked through the loss of a ship called The M/V Maori—YWAM’s first attempt to buy a ship to serve the nations. It was a crushing loss for the mission and us personally, but through it the Lord taught us how important it is to keep our eyes fixed on Him. The little we knew when we arrived was that YWAM had moved from Hilo to Kona on the west side of the Big Island to form a new YWAM base. It was all just a dream. We had no base and the staff was living in rented homes all over Kona. However, they were praying hard about purchasing a dilapidated, bankrupt hotel called the Pacific Empress. Soon more staff gathered. Then students came to enroll in a School of Evangelism, a Leadership Training School and later in Discipleship Training Schools. We first leased a farm property 12 miles north of Kona, where a few people opted to live in tents. Later we rented rooms in an industrial part of town to house our schools and to eat as one big family. For nearly two years we continued in intense prayer and spiritual warfare, often till the wee hours of the morning. We gave generously everything we had, seeking to break the spirit of greed that had permeated the Hawaiian islands in the past. Sound like hard times? Yes! But it was also glorious! Staff and students, who numbered between 40 and 200 depending on who was on outreach, bonded together as we shared things in common. Amazing times of generosity often broke out in meetings. After our money was gone, we gave away jewelry, clothes, and beloved musical instruments. Finally, after losing the bid for the hotel twice, God intervened and allowed us to buy it in 1977. Evangelizing Alan and Fay Williams style
Alan and Rod Wilson were the first to come onto the property. They found piles of garbage, beer bottles and squatters camping in two of the four original hotel buildings. When one squatter threatened to barricade himself in a room with a gun, they prayed hard. In the end God won out and all the squatters left peacefully, leaving the mess behind. A few days later all the staff and students gathered along the top of the long driveway behind building one and we worshipped and danced with all our might. As I watched the glowing faces of my many friends that night, a Scripture came to mind from Psalm 126. “When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” The initial time of sacrificial living had ended with great victory! We had all grown so much spiritually, and now we were ready for the next challenge and challenge it would be! Stories from those years, 1975-78, still float around in the YWAM world: • • • • •
Eating marlin every day for about six months Finding that the property included a pool when someone fell into it through the undergrowth Washing dinner dishes in a old bath tub with cold water and lots of bleach Mushrooms growing on the carpet in the rooms The overflowing septic tank with the ghastly odor behind the Pavilion continued on page 27
BOOKS
The Finisher By Jan Kinne Conway
To order go to www.imprbooks.com and search for The Finisher.
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Taking on Giants
A New Path for Your Second Half This book challenges Christians in midlife and beyond to step out for God, rather than playing away their latter years. Dr. Doug Kinne was just such a man. He had built a successful medical practice in Michigan, but in his late 40s he felt restless to do more with his life. He and his wife Jan came to University of the Nations in Kona and launched into a new career in missions. “The first half of my life I made a living; the second half I made a difference,” said Dr. Kinne, who gave away his medical skills to the poor and needy in places like Albania and eventually became dean of U of N Kona’s College of Counseling and Health Care. Dr. Kinne died in 2000 from a brain tumor, but wife Jan carries on his inspirational message of making your life count for the Kingdom of God.
resources
By Joe Portale This new book by the man known as the father of YWAM’s French-speaking ministries teaches principles of missions pioneering while telling of his perilous journeys. Travel with him through the streets of France, to remote Pacific islands, through the jungles of West Africa and beyond. Each international adventure that emerges is a dramatic episode that could be directed only by the hand of God. Joe and his team persevered through many challenges—facing spiritual forces in France, crossing the perilous Sahara desert, and ministering amidst Southeast Asia’s war and poverty. Their successes and failures provide a roadmap for all who would respond to God’s call. The book is alternately touching and funny, but also the perfect instruction manual for anyone who wants to pursue God’s dream of discipling the nations. To order go to www.ywampublishing.com or call 1-800-922-2143.
Fire and Fragrance From the Great Commandment to the Great Commission By Andy Byrd and Sean Feucht One of YWAM Kona’s newest leaders, Andy Byrd, has partnered with fellow prayer ministry leader Sean Feucht to write a book that tells the story of their generation of young Christians in whom God is releasing a groan for fervent prayer and a devotion to unabashed worship that leads to simple service and great exploits. The book is a call to action for a new generation of prayer warriors. From America’s heartland to Nepal and almost all points between, you will explore lands and realms beyond imagination. The book tells of people who are fascinated with the beauty of Jesus, whose hearts are in sync with the yearnings of His heart, and who are giving their lives to see the fragrance of Christ spread to remote corners of the earth. The name Fire and Fragrance comes from the fire of God bringing revival across the earth and the fragrance of Jesus spread by those who heed His call to all nations. To order go to www.fireandfragrancebook.com
Pioneering... • •
from page 26
Porch railings that swung in the wind Weeds so high that they brushed our chests
Alan first coined the phrase “work is worship” to inspire us to work hard on Saturday work days. Armed with machetes and rakes, we chopped weeds, moved rocks, drove out mice, rats, centipedes, scorpions, bugs and spiders. But if you are born to be a pioneer, this is exactly what makes you thrive. Our three children had been with us in the Cook Islands mission field, two were born there, so they never cared about roughing it. They loved their friends and were in the first International Christian School and King’s Kids ministry. In pioneering the acceptance of constant change and difficulty is a necessity, but the pluses are too many to count. Pioneering with God—where He shares His heart and His dream with you and you work to see that come into being, is the greatest pioneering experience there is! Read more about Fay’s early days of pioneering in her book, The World in our Hearts, which is available for $7.00 USD plus $4.00 shipping in the USA ($8.30 internationally). Contact her at:
Fay Williams, 75-5851 Kuakini Hwy # 48, Kailua Kona, HI 96740 or faywilliamshawaii@gmail.com
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u of n
INNOVATIONS
Learning Center takes education to next level LCCY first & second graders use donated ipads™ to help them become mobile and modular in their learning process.
April 2011 Writing for Publication Workshops The University of the Nations invites you to participate in one or more of three outstanding Writers’ Workshop weeks coming up in April 2011. April 4-8 – Fundamentals of Writing Fiction Taught by BODIE AND BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee), authors of over 50 works of historical fiction which have sold more than 10 million copies. This workshop teaches students how to think and write creatively, how to draw on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the creative process and how to use techniques of fiction to heighten the tension in your writing.
One of Loren Cunningham’s long-held dreams for education has come true this September at U of N Kona with the launch of The Learning Center for Children and Youth (LCCY). The international initiative, which was guided by YWAM’s Global Leadership Team, purposes to meet one principle of the Christian Magna Carta: “Everyone on earth has the right to have a Christian education available for their children.” “Our vision is to make Christian education made available to our global YWAM family and the world at large,” said LCCY lead teacher Kris Won. “We plan to accomplish this goal by providing teacher training to launch educators to the nations, create curriculum that is both mobile and modular with a biblical foundation, and use the latest technology as a tool to connect the nations virtually.” Kris and her team of Judy Cunningham, Judy Kim, and Monica Choe, were blessed and prayed over by both international YWAM leaders as well as the Kona Council members. As LCCY came together to start a model school, the team began to grow. Shauna Flores and Jorianna Mueller joined this pioneering ministry as teachers to the first and second graders. “We believe that God will give us new revelation to reshape the model of education which incorporates technology, diversity of culture and the individual,” said Kris. “We hope to bring transformation to the nations by transforming the lives of children!”
New Worship Development Course This one year, post-DTS, certificate course will develop and train those who are called to serve in the area of worship, whether as singers, musicians or worship leaders. Led by Daniel Lehmann and Kevin Norris, this school begins in the July Quarter 2011. Go to www.uofnkona.edu to register.
April 11-15 – Elements of Non-Fiction Writing Taught by JANICE ROGERS, who has trained hundreds of writers from more than 30 nations. She has written and edited a number of books, including five with her brother, YWAM founder Loren Cunningham. This workshop will teach you how to create gripping non-fiction stories, how to emphasize the dramatic scene, as well as going more in-depth in character, setting, and sustaining forward movement. April 18-April 22 -- Magazine Article Writing Taught by SANDI TOMPKINS, award-winning writer, editor and leader of the weekly U of N Writers Group for 18 years. From print magazines to online publications, blogs, e-zines and more, you can reach thousands more by writing magazine articles instead of (or along with) a book. This workshop teaches strategy for research, techniques for getting great interviews, story structure and writing style. The workshop cost is $225 per week; not including housing (YWAM staff, $125 and kama’aina, $175 per week). For details, email workshop leader Sandi Tompkins at s.tompkins3@hawaiiantel.net or go to www.uofnkona.edu under Seminars.
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On July 28th in Kona—as believers around the world watched—John, Loren and Melody asked who else is willing to go into the field. This time the bar was raised. They were hoping for 200,000 missionaries—long-term this time. Before the Kona concert was over, young and older people streamed forward, filling the front section and aisles. They raised their hands and repeated a vow to “Go wherever you tell me to go, Lord.” While people made this commitment, Daniel Lehmann and Brad Owens led the crowd in Keith Green songs. YWAM President John Dawson and worship leader David Garrett share a laugh with Melody Green
Keith Green Memorial continued from page 11 John Dawson also shared memories. He had a close friendship with Keith and Melody, which he and his wife Julie share with Melody to this day. He recalled the story of Loren praying with Keith on the floor of a little home in Ventura, California. Keith pounded his fist on the floor, calling out to God for 100,000 young people to go into short-term missions. Referring to that now-famous memory, John said, “Keith got what he prayed for that day.”
A little child...
from page 12
through the village and called people to gather together to hear what Clarice had to say. She gave a brief but clear presentation of the Gospel, speaking in Crioulo, a Portuguese creole. It was interpreted into Fula by a high school-age boy who was a recent convert with an evangelistic heart for his people. Clarice then asked who might want to respond (to receive Christ). Much to her surprise, 54 men (including both Big Men), women and children responded. At that point, she explained everything again. The response was the same. Still uncertain that these Muslims understood correctly, Clarice presented the Gospel for the third time. Again, 54 people responded—the largest single group of Fula to respond to the Gospel in the history of Protestant missions in GuineaBissau, as far as any of us could determine. The team returned the next Sunday and launched a community development project in Casambé. One of the primary goals is to plant a church, identify
Discipling Nations
Brad’s grandparents, Jimmie and Carol Owens, stood with David and Dale Garrett to conclude the event with a special impartation. Together with Melody, Loren, and John Dawson, these giants in Christian songwriting from the 70s through the 90s prayed for an anointing to rest on present and future singers and songwriters, on poets and journalists. They prayed for people to accept “No Compromise” in their gifts as they offer them to the Lord in whatever location He may direct.
potential Christian leaders among the converts, build a meeting house, launch a discipleship program, and then close the year with a baptismal service. God has opened an effective door of ministry amongst one of the largest, most closed, resistant groups of unreached people in Africa. He did it through the faith of a small team of young Brazilians who believed the Fula could be reached. He did it through the special faith and courage and costly sacrifice of a young couple. And He did it through a small seed that fell to the ground and died, but which is already bringing forth a miraculous and abundant harvest for the King
from page 14
These include teachings on socialization (values and ethics), economics (generosity and stewardship), leadership (integrity and servanthood) and conflict resolution (humility and justice). Believers who model these standards exert a prophetic influence that challenges and influences the culture around them. Jesus used two culinary metaphors to demonstrate this. He likened us to salt (Matt. 5:13) and to leaven (Matt. 13:33) which eventually works its way all through the dough, causing it to rise.
His heart’s desire is for us to reach individuals with the gospel so they can be salt and leaven, shaping and flavoring every sphere of society. The U of N equips people with the skills, strategies and spiritual tools necessary to accelerate this process. We are a tool God uses to help accomplish His age old dream—saturating the earth with the gospel so that “the Kingdoms of this world may become the Kingdom of our God” (Rev. 11:15).
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the editor
TESTIMONIES
The transformation of our Transformations editor
By Shirley Walston Carroll
For the past five years it’s been my privilege to write and edit stories for this magazine about the transforming power of God. Now as I wrap up my final edition as managing editor, I want to tell how this great God has transformed my life and launched me in a new–and quite unexpected–direction. Before I took this position in 2005, I’d been a single parent for 20 years. I’d lost my daughter to leukemia and my son, who lived on the Kona campus with me during my first YWAM stint in the early 90s, had gone off to college. I had a decent job and thought I’d grow old in the comfortable house I’d just bought. Then God called. I received an invitation to come back to Kona to edit Transformations. Initially, I scoffed. But when my mainland job was eliminated only weeks later, it made me wonder: Is That Really You, God? When I flew over to check out the possibilities, He made it clear. One night during a Kona worship service, God felt so close that I knew if I reached out I could touch the hem of His garment. The question, “Why would you want to live anywhere else?” popped into my head. I immediately decided to sell my house and return to U of N Kona. I got to work again with my mentors, Executive Editor Scott Tompkins and his wife Sandi. I began attending Sandi’s U of N Writers group. For 20 years I’d been working on a book about the miracles God did when my daughter was so sick. Just couldn’t finish it. Sandi and her group helped me tie together the loose ends, and every week God poured out encouragement. Within months I held the published book, Kristal’s Wedding, in my hands. On another occasion, God challenged me to begin taking better care of myself. Tough. I’d been overeating for decades, but slowly I began to exercise and eat healthier. In one year, I took off 60 pounds. However, as I did, other decades-old issues surfaced. One was my attitude about men. I hadn’t dated for 20 years, and had no desire to be married because two divorces had left me with a big fat disrespect for men. God dealt with that, too. In a staff meeting one day, He challenged me to be open to anything He brought into my life—even if it was a man. I confessed my lousy attitude, then went on my way, not expecting anything. After all, no 60-year-old has a boatload of guys sitting at her dock. Then one day Larry, a 40-year friend of Scott and Sandi’s, came to volunteer in our office. He’d recently lost his wife, so we spent lots of time talking about grief. After he left, we emailed for nearly a year before we saw each other again. When we said goodbye that time, he gave me a hug that felt so warm, so comforting, I just knew God was in it. One incredible thing led to another, and this July, at age 61, I became a bride! Larry is so caring and considerate that I’m STILL in shock over God’s goodness. Decades ago, I lost my daughter to cancer, but now God has given me Larry’s two gracious and wonderful girls. And as a bonus, one comes with two darling grandsons!
I want to thank God for allowing me to tell the stories of His mighty transforming power through YWAMers across the globe. I’ve learned that every single person Jesus touches has an inspirational story to tell! Just ask them!
Transformations Board Loren Cunningham Scott Tompkins La Prelle Martin Jim Orred Andrew Dutton Executive Editor Scott Tompkins Managing Editor
Shirley Walston Carroll
Staff Writers Kris Richards Fay Williams Photography Thema Black Design and Layout Bernie Kay Joshua Read Transformations
is a publication of Youth With A Mission/ University of the Nations, Kona campus. University of the Nations
75-5851 Kuakini Hwy, #198 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA Phone: 808.326.4471 Website: www.uofnkona.edu University of the Nations is called to equip Christian men and women for roles of leadership and service throughout the world. U of N teaches the ways of God as well as skills necessary to serve effectively in the major spheres of society represented by its seven colleges. The global university currently has 400 branches in more than 120 countries. Youth With A Mission, the university’s parent organization, is a multi-denominational Christian mission with a three-fold emphasis: evangelism, training and mercy ministries. YWAM, founded in 1960, currently has more than 900 operating locations in 171 countries. YWAM is open to people of all ages, races and social backgrounds. Our mission is to represent the good news of Jesus Christ to all nations, making disciples and teaching them to follow God’s Way.
education
Go to www.uofnkona.edu for more details and online registration
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
starting January 6
starting April 7
All Nations All Generations DTS*
PhotogenX DTS*
Fire & Fragrance DTS*
GO Asia! DTS*
School of Biblical Studies 2
Crossroads DTS*
Biblical Teaching & Preaching School*
Call2All DTS*
English as a Second Language
Performing Arts DTS*
English Language & Culture
Asia-Pacific DTS*
Call2All Church Pioneering School
School of Digital Filmmaking
Foundations for Counseling Ministry*
School of Acting for the Screen
School of Photography 1
Addictive Behavior Counseling
School of Illustration
School of Biblical Studies 1, 3
PhotogenX Around the World Track
English as a Second Language
Foundations in Community Development
English Language & Culture
TESOL (February 16 start)
Foundations in Education Worship School
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
starting July 7
starting September 29
Summer DTS*
Compassion DTS*
School of Biblical Studies 2
Crossroads DTS*
Principles of Redeeming Cultures
Asia Pacific DTS*
School of Early Childhood Education
School of Biblical Studies 1, 3
TESOL (August 10 start)
English as a Second Language
English as a Second Language
English Language & Culture
English Language & Culture
Foundations for Counseling Ministry*
School of Revival & Reformation
Introduction to Primary Health Care*
Community Technology Seminars
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2011 Schools To register online or get more information go to uofnkona.edu or call 1-808-326-4433 * Indicates a required field assignment THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS IS NOT ACCREDITED BY AN ACCREDITING AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. Admission to the University of the Nations (U of N) and any of its sponsored programs is open to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, and educationally unrelated handicaps. U of N reserves the right to change schedules and course offerings as deemed necessary.
Transformations Magazine University of the Nations 75-5851 Kuakini Hwy #198 Kailua Kona HI 96740
The Flame goes forward YWAM’s final 50th anniversary event 29 November – 4 December 2010 Kona, Hawaii, USA This will be the ultimate 50th celebration. Six days with our founders, multiple stages for concerts, numerous cultural food areas, movies, cultural presentations, sports events, dining and coffee shops - all on the newly revamped Kona campus, the perfect setting to hang out with your YWAM family. Come join us as we celebrate these past 50 years of God’s love and faithfulness to Youth With a Mission while we look ahead to what He has in store. Join with past, present and future YWAMers from every corner of the globe as we see God’s purposes fulfilled and that “the flame goes forward” for the next generations. All YWAM friends and alumni are invited.
Register at www.ywam50.com/kona
YWAM Jubilee Torch Run Preceding the Kona celebration will be a Torch Run around the Big Island. It will be run in 10 legs over three days (27 to 29 November). If you would like to form a team to participate please email konasportsnetwork@gmail.com
Non-profit Org. US Postage PAID Salem Or Permit No. 526