http://www.ywam.org The RSS for news and stories at Ywam.org en-GB http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-responds-to-flood-disaster-in-Pakistan http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-responds-to-flood-disaster-in-Pakistan The heaviest monsoon rains in 80 years continue to fall on northwest and central Pakistan. Rivers in the Sindh province are bursting their banks, affecting some 5 million people. More rain is forecast, and the region is still only midway through the monsoon season.

According to the BBC at least 1600 people have been killed in the past week and some two million left homeless. The Pakistan authorities have appealed for help from the international community. The most immediate needs are for shelter, food and medicines.

YWAM workers in Pakistan are in a position to help and are organising a rapid response relief effort to help the poorest, most marginalised groups affected by the flood. Sun, 8 Aug 2010 17:59:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Hope-for-Haiti http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Hope-for-Haiti “The city of St Marc erupted with screams and shouts” 



This is how Terry W Snow, YWAM’s national director for Haiti remembered the minutes after the terrible earthquake that was to change Haiti forever.



When the earthquake struck at 16:53 on January 12th 2010, the whole world watched the horror unfold. The full impact of the 7.0 magnitude quake was in Port Au Prince, the capital city some sixty miles away from the main YWAM centre in St Marc. As reports came in, Terry Snow soon realized that the situation was far worse than anyone imagined and Haiti would have many desperate struggles ahead. The international community responded with aid, the media came to report and the world was, for a time, carrying this country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, close to it’s heart.
 
 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:29:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/A-YWAM-base-crippled-by-theft http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/A-YWAM-base-crippled-by-theft On Sunday night, 27th June 2010, thieves entered the Youth With A Mission training centre in Arua, northern Uganda, and stole approximately $27,000 USD and a laptop computer. Early Monday morning, one of their YWAM staff went to the office and discovered the door to the accounting office was open, and the locked cabinet where the money was kept had been broken into.

The police investigation has begun, but so far there are no concrete leads.

“What in the world were they doing with that much cash?” you may be wondering. Good question! Mon, 5 Jul 2010 12:57:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Spiritual-Encounters-at-London-Psychic-Fair http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Spiritual-Encounters-at-London-Psychic-Fair The annual ‘Mind Body Spirit’ Psychic Festival in London, England claims to be at the forefront of innovation in the world of the supernatural, natural healing, and personal growth. Thousands of people who attended this year’s festival were looking for advice, direction in life, healing and new products to make life better – everyone was looking for practical and spiritual solutions.

This year Youth With A Mission had a booth at the festival, staffed by volunteers ready to talk with and pray for festival-goers. The teams were pleasantly surprised by how open people were to talk to them and receive prayers for blessing and healing. Many of the people who received prayer later brought friends back because of the impact of the words of truth and hope spoken to them.
Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:21:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Breaking-the-Cycle http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Breaking-the-Cycle Chaimon’s home is a construction site, the one where his father works. His father came to Ratchaburi in Thailand from Burma, a place Chaimon has never been, so he feels neither fully Thai - something the locals are quick to remind him - nor fully Burmese. Some time ago, Chaimon and some of his friends met a group of YWAMers working in Ratchaburi. This YWAM team were all too aware of the perpetual cycle of poverty experienced by the families living out their lives in and around the construction site that Chaimon calls home. The team began to work among the community, originally part of the Mon people of Burma. They work mostly with the kids and share the message of Jesus, one that is good news to the poor and the oppressed. Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:20:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/For-the-love-of-the-game http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/For-the-love-of-the-game If you are a soccer fan and you are enjoying the FIFA World Cup, you can imagine the sense of excitement in South Africa, the host nation, where streets are filled with fans and their painted faces, blowing their vuvuzelas. The buzz continues despite the home team being knocked out in the first round. And it is here that Youth With A Mission is having our busiest month of the millennium so far.

Kubio (pronounced Ko-boy) is a young African YWAMer who joins others from around the world for an aptly named Kick-Off outreach. These YWAM teams from every corner of the world will soon be on their way to the tip of Africa with the aim of reaching out to international soccer fans who will gather in their thousands to support their teams. The goal is for sports teams, churches, youth groups, and other organizations to unite to bring hope to the people of Africa through all sorts of ministry. The long-term vision is to see partnerships formed with churches across the country through sports. Fri, 21 May 2010 10:54:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Being-the-Bible http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Being-the-Bible There is a phrase that often circulates through Christian circles: You may be the only Bible someone will ever read. Yet while the message of Jesus can be lived out in the lives of Christians or shared through their words, YWAMers at the Patagonia centre are striving to make sure this is not the case. They want to give people in their violence-driven community the opportunity to read Jesus’ message first-hand for themselves.

The suburb of Puerto Madryn used to be known for its graffiti, drugs and crime. Citizens were afraid to venture outside their houses and drug dealers had just as much control as the police. YWAM staff began to pray. They interceded for the area and began to work with the youth, starting football clubs and going door to door, asking the neighborhood what would draw them from their homes. Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:38:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-makes-history-4-YWAMers-reach-the-summit-of-Aconcagua  http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-makes-history-4-YWAMers-reach-the-summit-of-Aconcagua  Ten YWAMers of different nationalities and members of Youth With A Mission Argentina, began their ascent to the summit of the Aconcagua on February 18th, 2010. 


Overcoming huge challenges and after months of preparation, a multinational group from YWAM Argentina managed to reach the 6,962 meter summit of the Aconcagua - the highest peak on the American continent.
 

Climber Trudy Cooper said "We were ten people with two guides, so we were called the Twelve Apostles and people recognized us because of the cross we carried with us. We made an impact in this "city of 4 months", as they called the Plaza de Mulas base camp.” The guides told the director of the team’s home base in YWAM Mendoza that never in all their years of experience, had they had a team that worked so well together. 
Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:39:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Hope-and-Health-Care-on-Australia-Ship-Tour http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Hope-and-Health-Care-on-Australia-Ship-Tour The nation of Papua New Guinea, located just off the coast of the northern tip of Australia, is in a desperate situation. Though they are Australia’s closest international neighbour, the quality of life between the two nations couldn’t be more opposite.

The statistics are staggering. In the Pacific region, PNG has the highest rate of HIV; it is estimated that by 2015, one in six will be infected. There are approximately 32 dentists in the whole country. In some rural areas, one in seven women will die during childbirth.

How can a few young people help a nation with so much need? YWAM Australia has been given an opportunity to make a difference. Last year, Marine Reach New Zealand felt that they were to give one of their medical ships, the MV Pacific Link, to their neighbours, YWAM Australia. The Pacific Link, equipped with an operating theatre on board, is part of YWAM’s Marine Reach ministry that has been serving the Pacific Region since 1991, offering health services to remote island communities where medical help would not have otherwise been accessible. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 14:48:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/A-Wonderful-Dirty-Job http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/A-Wonderful-Dirty-Job Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, and through the ages since his life, people have pondered and practiced many different methods of fulfilling this command. For Saji and Priya Mathi digging toilets for HIV patients is a practical way to show love.

In of the city of Hyderabad, India in which they work, the perception is that as soon as one is identified as HIV positive, there is no hope. They believe death will follow shortly, and many either ignore or are unaware of the government’s offer of antiretroviral therapy. The Mathi’s and their team do not believe those with HIV are hopeless. They show them how valuable they really are by reaching out in friendship and providing services to help the patients live healthy lifestyles.
Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:23:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Massacre-in-Jos,-Nigeria-tragedy-in-the-lens http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Massacre-in-Jos,-Nigeria-tragedy-in-the-lens Violence has erupted recently in the city of Jos, Nigeria. Since the 7th of March, more than 500 villagers, from the predominantly Christian Berom tribe, have been killed. According to the BBC, more than 200 young Hausa-Fulani speaking males are now under arrest for these attacks.

YWAM have many staff working in the city. All of them are safe, according to local leaders Ansel Pronk and Anne Abok. YWAM staff in Nigeria, many from the Jos area itself, are traumatised by events. Whilst no YWAMers have been killed in the violence, friends and loved ones have been lost. Many people have been displaced by the crisis and are living in hastily built camps run by the Red Cross. The needs there are overwhelming and YWAM has been helping to provide relief aid and clothing. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:13:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/It-all-began-with-a-new-vision http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/It-all-began-with-a-new-vision After hearing at a conference in India that two percent of the country’s population is blind, Sanjeev Thacker couldn’t shake this people group from his mind. He had just started a YWAM centre in Chhattisgarh and had never worked with people with a disability when a local pastor asked him to help at the conference and revealed that life-changing fact.

Thacker and his team prayed. They learned there were not many Christians working to help the blind and they felt God challenging them to take on that task. The Bible occasionally uses the metaphor of our spiritual eyes being opened to show how truth can be revealed; the team in Chhattisgarh knew they were not called to open the physical eyes of the blind, but were called to share spiritual truths: their vision for vision. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:34:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Warming-Hearts-at-the-Winter-Olympics http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Warming-Hearts-at-the-Winter-Olympics As millions of people across the world watched stories of teamwork and achievement unfold during the winter Olympics worldwide, YWAM teams were creating their own stories of success and partnership.

YWAM teams worked with one another, with other Christian organizations and with social concern groups to bring their vision for radical hospitality to the city.

Under the umbrella of More Than Gold, an organisation dedicated to bringing Christians together for effective ministry during the Olympic games, more than 200 YWAM members provided prayer, hot chocolate, performances and thought-provoking messages. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 13:01:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Finding-God-Amid-the-Garbage http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Finding-God-Amid-the-Garbage Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, has a garbage heap where a group of children and young people live; they are labeled “monsters” by the locals. My friends and I from the YWAM centre in Herrnhut, Germany first noticed this group of children and young people squatting in the garbage on our return from outreach.

We returned with our next Discipleship Training School (DTS) a few months later, and found much more than we had expected. The locals informed us this group was a violent gang whose members were addicted to alcohol and drugs. Many warned us not to go to this dangerous place; one person even said, “Those people are monsters, they are covered in tattoos, sleep in the filth, eat garbage, drink poison and do not die!” Fri, 5 Mar 2010 12:08:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/News-Update-From-YWAM-in-Chile http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/News-Update-From-YWAM-in-Chile Update : confirmation that all YWAMers are safe in Chile.

The powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the central region of Chile on the morning of Saturday, February 27 has caused widespread damage and left tens of thousands homeless.

Telephone and cell phone coverage is erratic or unavailable and much of the nation is without electricity, hampering communications with the most damaged regions. Youth With A Mission regional leader for the Southern Cone, Ricardo Rodriguez, reports from Santiago that this northern centre is undamaged but they have not been able to get to some other YWAM centres, which have been cut off due to damaged roads and bridges. Tue, 2 Mar 2010 13:29:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-Argentina-carries-out-humanitarian-aid-in-Haiti http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-Argentina-carries-out-humanitarian-aid-in-Haiti YWAM Argentina’s first relief team to Haiti left on February 6, travelling with the Argentinean humanitarian aid and peace-keeping agency "White Helmets".

YWAM accompanied the White Helmets on a one-week rescue trip and were able to take with them medical supplies they gathered following the earthquake.



The White Helmets, presided over by Gabriel Marcelo Fuks and reporting to the National Government, worked with YWAM in 1994 when the two teams traveled to Rwanda during what later became known as the Rwandan Genocide. Ninety YWAM volunteers traveled with the White Helmets and made camp inside the conflict zone for three months, providing help of incalculable value.

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:23:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-Angola-and-the-School-That-Time-Forgot http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-Angola-and-the-School-That-Time-Forgot You know that a people group are isolated if they don’t even turn up on a Google search.

YWAM Huambo in Angola have focused their efforts on three locations in their nation where the tribes are so remote, so inaccessible, that the government has not yet made plans to address such basic human rights as literacy and primary education.

The Kamakoyo region of Angola is one of those locations, and is home to several tribes who scrape a living from an inhospitable landscape. A small team began working among different people groups in the area and found that they were responsive to the message of the gospel and have already seen a fellowship of believers start. Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:34:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Rebuilding-Hope-in-Haiti http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Rebuilding-Hope-in-Haiti As the immediate shock of Jan. 12’s devastating earthquake in Haiti fades, the nation has begun to appraise the future with a fresh eye. Terry Snow, national director for YWAM Haiti, says he and his team are shifting from temporary and instant relief to implementing long-term plans that will help refugees reclaim and rebuild their lives from the ground up. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:07:00 GMT http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Celebrating-50-Extraordinary-Years! http://www.ywam.org/News-Stories/news/Celebrating-50-Extraordinary-Years! 2010 marks the 50th anniversary year of Youth With A Mission. Global celebrations will reflect the diversity of the mission and it’s activities.

YWAM began with a dream which young college student, Loren Cunningham, had of waves crashing on the shores and spreading to the interior of all the continents of the world. In his dream, the waves turned into young people who were sharing the message of Jesus to all nations. Mon, 8 Feb 2010 06:37:00 GMT