Planet YWAM.net

Evaluate your YWAM website

2008-11-19T10:25:22+00:00

Communication Briefing for a New Team

2008-11-19T08:56:33+00:00

Behind the Walls

2008-11-17T22:31:06+00:00

Behind the Walls: A piece written by Amanda Pelzer in reflection of outreach to Northern Territory, Australia

When driving along Bagot Road, it's easy to feel a certain level of normalcy, especially for "westerners". But not many are aware as they drive along Bagot that there is a whole other world just behind the walls. There are a people that are in desperate need of love and compassion. a people that long for freedom from the bonds that hold them back, alcoholism, fear, sickness, poverty and so much more...

The sun is gracefully setting, drifting off below the sunburnt land of this nation Katie currently calls home, Australia. The Darwin heat continues to leave it's mark as it gathers in beads of sweat upon her brow. She waits in anticipation for the people of Bagot Community to gather for Wednesday evening service, excited to see who will emerge from their homes. She notices in the distance familiar faces faithfully making there way to the church in the centre of this small indigenous community.

It grieves her heart as they arrive, to see the sadness taking residence behind this beautiful families eyes. Katie can tell they are doing their best to greet her with "sister" all the while trying to keep their composure. She enquires after their little one who couldn't be more than 12 months old. The response is simple, "Sickness is taking over her body...please pray for her." Quickly the little one is thrust into Katie's arms with the hope that she will bring healing.

The dogs nearby have begun barking into the darkness due to the screaming that can be heard by all as a woman is getting thrown out of her house by her "partner," now having to find another place to stay. The only thing she can find comfort in is the large mango tree across the street.

Meanwhile, in the other corner of the church others are laying hands on a gentleman whose body has become so reliant on "grog" that he can't even stand up straight any longer without a drink. He is receiving prayer for his addiction. As her eyes do a quick scan of the room, she is aware of the young boy up at the front of the church who is getting prayer for reoccurring nightmares and fear of evil spirits that are haunting him in the night. Katie is surrounded by the needs of so many, wishing she was able to do so much more.

Katie has seen a need, will she be their voice?

More and more I believe that as we become aware of the reality in our world today, it's love that compels us to act. It has to be. After all, who was it that Jesus went to minister to? The prostitutes, the tax collectors, the poor and the needy. What was it that moved him? Love and compassion.

What's moving you?

Kate is currently on a Discipleship Training School at YWAM Reef to Outback and is indeed speaking up for those who have no voice. If this stirs your heart... visit our webpage at www.reeftooutback.com and find out how YOU can make a difference too!

Staff days at Eintroa

2008-11-17T16:41:34+00:00

We have been busy now for 2 weeks, listening and spending time together with Ray and Patty McConnell. They were here for our staff days. The topics were communication, interpersonal relationships, conflict resolution and counselling skills. The 2 weeks went very fast! But we were all challenged! I think that these weeks have been a good foundation for us to work on strenghtening our unity and fellowship. We also had lots of fun and good food.

On Wednesday we ate a nice meal together, and had some great time fellow shipping.

Evangelism & Alcohol

2008-11-17T12:01:07+00:00

Great idea's for reaching men

2008-11-17T11:45:42+00:00

Evangelism and Alcohol

2008-11-17T11:30:57+00:00

Shumi & Ruma : A Story of Hope

2008-11-17T11:00:45+00:00

YWAM Mercy team in Dhaka brings hope and healing to families in crisis.

What DTS suits you?

2008-11-17T00:19:58+00:00

We were all sitting around here at YWAM Reef to Outback thinking about you the other day... the you who's reading this that is wondering how to make a bit of a difference in life and wondering what step to take. You've come to the YWAM Reef to Outback website, you've seen a Discipleship Training School and it looks pretty awesome. But there are so many cool focuses to choose from!! So how do you make a decision?

Now, we are not claiming to be professionals at all... but we made up this fun little quiz to help you figure out what DTS might be good for you. Its not the be all/end all... but it sure is fun and might help you learn a bit about yourself!

So enjoy, quiz away, and if you have any questions, why not send us an email at rto@reeftooutback.com? We'd love to help you get hooked up for an amazing adventure that we call DTS!

http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/personality/quizshowall.php?title=_13114

Ywam ontario canada

2008-11-15T06:19:03+00:00

AA Degree in Missions

2008-11-15T03:18:00+00:00

YWAM Mexico campuses through the nation are collaborating together in order to offer an Associate of Arts Degree in Missions through the University of the Nations (U of N). This means a student can receive

Travel tips for YWAM

2008-11-14T19:08:24+00:00

Ahoy Captain!

2008-11-14T05:13:48+00:00

This week the IPHC joined in with the DTS to hear Captain Jesse from Marine Reach speak on Missions. It was good to have a focus shift and take a break from the medical side of things to remember that God is the reason we do health care. Here are a few things the students said about the week:

“It was intriguing, a time to really examine my heart towards missions.”

“Something that stood out to me was about unreached people groups. Finishing the task. There are 540 million people that have never heard about God and there is a sleeping army of Christians who could change that.”

“Delayed obedience is disobedience. We need to be obeying what God tells us to do immediately, not doing it in our own time.”

“A lot of good stories. This really encourage me.”

“I felt like it wasn’t about missions, it was about us and our worldview. Then I realized that we ARE missions. It was good.”

“Our worldview needs to be challenged. We need to examine what we actually believe. Then we need to make sure what we believe lines up with what God believes. His view on the world needs to be our view.”

“I basically learned how to bring christianity to the world. I realized that my understanding of God needs to be solid so that I can present who God really is to those I’m ministering to.”

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

2008-11-14T01:08:48+00:00

Oi! Oi! Oi!

It's so great to immerse yourself in another culture. To learn new things and experience new foods. One of the 'new' things the DTS has experienced here in Australia is thw wonderful game of rugby. What better way to learn a new game then to see it played first hand at the Rugby World Cup where some of the games were here in Townsville! So the DTS and IPHC got on our games faces for Australia vs Papua New Guinea! Although both sides put up a good fight, in the end Australia was victorious!

We got a good dose of the wonderful Australian culture as we chanted and cheered the team to victory. For most of the students it was the first Rugby game they had ever seen. Over the past 5 weeks the DTS has been learning a lot about new cultures. This week in lectures we are discussing missions. We have the wonderful Captian Jesse, from Marine Reach New Zealand, here to share about the importance and biblical foundations for world wide missions. We are being challenged that missions in not just something you do but it has to do with our mindset. So far we have really been enjoying this week of teaching! We can't wait to see what is in store for us the rest of the week.

YWAM issues press release regarding Orissa incident.

2008-11-13T15:00:46+00:00

YWAM corrects a story circulating about attacks in India.

Can young people really make a difference?

2008-11-13T02:27:29+00:00

Who says that because your young you can’t make a difference? On the contrary, it is an advantage that, if utilized, can influence in ways that cannot be described.

Young people guiding young people can quite literally change a generation… and that is what we get to be a part of! We have the privilege of doing this for a living!

Weekly we run a program called Youthstreet. Every Saturday we see youth from all over Townsville come to join in on this venture. Youthstreet provides a safe place for kids to be themselves, enjoy time with other young people and have positive values imparted to them by other young people.

‘Seeing Youthstreet in operation is truly phenomenal… Service delivery for young people is so tricky and… I think the key is involving young people in the building, development and running of these facilities, which is what Youth Street does’ said the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, Elizabeth Shaw.

We have noticed that relationships develop quite easily because of the closeness in age between young adults and the teenage youth. The youth are inclined to be more relational with someone closer to their age.

On the flip side, a lot of young adults tend to have a concern and compassion for the youth because it was not so long ago they were in their shoes. A great example of this is one of our Youthstreet staff members, Fiona Saxby. Fiona (24), has been named one of Young Queensland Volunteers of the Year. Her heart is to see those kids who you might know as “trouble makers” begin to understand who they are and engage in their passions. She believes that if you give those kids a chance, they will be world changers. These are the kids who have no fear and are ready to take on whatever may come up against them.

Can young people make a difference???... Honestly, we see it everyday. And if we continue to give our youth an opportunity to reach out to their peers, we will begin to see a surge of change happen in our homes, schools and neighbourhoods… REMEMBER, these are our future leaders!

OUTREACH SNAPSHOTS

2008-11-13T02:14:11+00:00

In this month’s Outreach Snapshots we hear from the July 2008 Discipleship Training School (DTS).

So what is this thing called outreach, really? If you're considering a DTS, you may be an expert in short term missions or still wondering what the heck this whole missionary thing is all about.

Outreach is one of the most amazing aspects of your DTS... it's the place where everything seems to come together and you figure out just a bit more what life's all about. We send teams from Reef to Outback all over Australia, into the South Pacific and into Southeast Asia.

Our current July DTS has two outreach teams. One team has gone to various places throughout North Queensland and the other has been to Darwin in the Northern Territory and then onto South East Asia. ☺

Here are some of what the DTS has been saying about their time in Darwin…

Often times in prayer we say the phrase to God, “Lord, please bless me to be a blessing”. However, what exactly does this phrase mean and do we truly live it out? The meaning of the phrase is simple, God gives us many things and has blessed us beyond measure, therefore, it is our responsibility to bless others in the same way. But often times we skip out on the second part of the phrase. This was something that God convicted me of and revealed to me through these pass three weeks of outreach.

The local outreach here, in Darwin, truly opened up my eyes to the kingdom of God. Our outreach’s focus through these past weeks has been Youth Street. Youth Street is an event held on Saturdays to bring the youth of Darwin out and to have a fun day with them. However, more than that, the focus point is to build relationships with these young people and ultimately draw them closer to God. This event, I believe, taught each of us to learn to value the individual. We also promoted this event during the weeks by going to different schools and hanging out with the youth during their lunch break. I believe that this too was very essential in building relationships and, as a result, Youth Street has grown little by little every week. It’s just amazing to me and I can’t wait to see what the Lord is going to do in the city of Darwin through the youth.

Although Youth Street has been our main focus of this outreach, the group also got involved in other areas such as, feeding the homeless and spreading God’s love in the Bagot Community, which is an aboriginal community here. Each of these, for me personally, was a real eye-opener. It was during these times that God revealed to me how truly blessed I am. “We never know where our next meal is coming from, so thank you all so much”. A lady said this to me on one Tuesday night while feeding the hungry. It really stuck with me because so often I take my “necessities” for granted. Things such as, food, clothing, drinks, and many other things. I expect to have these things and these people are just so thankful for their one fulfilling meal that they receive that week. I was also really moved by these times of fellowship because I felt like it was my time to bless others like God has blessed me. But, in actuality, I was the one being blessed. Te worship that occurred in these times, the relationships that were built, the prayers of blessing among each other, and just everything that took place was a great encouragement and blessing for me. I also saw this displayed in the church in the Bagot Community!

The Bagot Community church is an aboriginal church that gathers once or twice during the week and on Sundays to do what you’re supposed to do at church, praise God! During these times, I felt a real revelation from God, yet again, about how blessed I am. The people that live here are in poverty and yet have come together to lift each other up. I was completely moved by many of the testimonies, worship, prayers, and of course, the youth in this area. During the services, I was really spoken to by the testimonies and corporate worship times and prayer. The message that kept coming back to me was that in everything we must give thanks to God. Many of these people have very little or no material things, but they continually thank God for what he has given them and know that their reward is in heaven. This too was something that I felt convicted of. This also came to mind when hanging out with the youth of this area. So many of them expressed goals to me that involved being a celebrity in America. I hope and pray that in being amongst our group these past few weeks have challenged their perspectives. However, being a young person living like that, why wouldn’t that be your goal? But, to reiterate, over the past few weeks, relationships between our group and the youth of this area were built and I trust that we, as a group, have made a difference.

All in all, outreach has been great! At times, I was down and did not feel like doing anything, but at these times God said, “count your blessings and now go and be a blessing!” Our outreach team also grew really close to each other during this time and it is sad that it’s all about to end. Outreach is about to end, but God’s calling for us has not, which is to seek and save the lost!

Bryan Dixon, Darwin DTS

The First comment that stuck out to me that was made about Darwin for outreach, Was "Don't Make Darwin A Pit stop" and I can confidently tell you its been anything but a pit stop. The last 4 weeks have been incredible and at times you think where has that time gone. Our Mission, to bring Youth Street to Darwin, along with a few other minor missions in between. And when asked to write a story about something it becomes difficult when there is so many different things to talk about. Whether that is parents commenting that their kids think Youth Street is the greatest thing ever, or a crew tells you that youthstreet is the highlight of your week, or you are learning your name in aboriginal dialect at one of the churches feeding the homeless program. So the question I ask myself is which story do I tell?

Ok so for myself, my personal mission was to Not Make Darwin A Pit stop, which I feel like I have achieved, because I love it here, and their is such a need for God in this city, and their is plenty of opportunity for that. Personally for me the greatest satisfaction is when I can make someone else happy, or brighten up their day and week. So the last couple of weeks, each week we have been going into schools, doing lunchtime programs and once you go their a couple of times in a row, you begin to start to know kids and they want you to do stuff that you cannot do like tricks on a skateboard, however that has not stopped me yet. But I get joy out of doing stuff that I wouldn't usually do, why because its about learning to selfless and dying to yourself, and besides stacking 10 times in a lunch break keeps kids entertained.

For me personally its just incredible to see Youth Street Darwin grow every week since the beginning and its going to be sad to end for this season until it goes full time in 2009, its incredible to see young people from different churches and people not from churches come together on a Saturday to hang out and do cool stuff together, its just a huge encouragement that our work that we are doing is not going to waste, and everything we do is important especially into the lives of young people, and especially to the lives of young people in Darwin.

Michael Cusack, Townsville DTS

4 WEEKS ALREADY??!!

2008-11-13T01:48:11+00:00

For the past month the October Discipleship Training School has begun a captivating journey of learning more about God and deepening their relationship with Him.

Although it has only been 4 weeks, the DTS Student's have built great friendships and are expressing their excitement for the upcoming months.

Some of the students took the time to share some thoughts on DTS so far...

If somebody told me that 28 people would come from all over the world to live together for six months and that within the first two weeks they would already feel like family to one another, I would have said – impossible! Coincidentally, I would have been wrong. In the past two weeks I have been able to laugh and joke with these people – to cry with these people. I have been real with this new family. Even more shocking than that, I have been accepted for who I really am! I am excited to see already how God is knitting our hearts together with each other and for His common purpose. I would be lying to say I haven’t had a moment where I thought, “Oh my gosh, what was I thinking when I signed up for this!?” But I CAN say that in those moments I have never been left alone. We all support each other through all the growth and change. I have only just begun and I already know that this going to be on of the most incredible experiences of my life. God is so faithful!
Jami Michele,USA

I’ve been enjoying the DTS so far. Although my mother language is not English (and there are a lot of Americans on my DTS) I have already built some cool friendships. The DTS mates make me excited about the following months. Even in the first week God touched a lot of our hearts. Mine too. Its great to have a lot of time for worship and prayer but I still long to have more time with God.

Don’t expect a DTS that you would live like a monk! We still have a lot of fun stuff to do! For example, I learned to bake chocolate chip cookies for over 100 people – it is my job here to bake and book with a great team. And on our day off,w e love to spend time on the beach together.

I love it here, the staff create a lovely atmosphere. I’m sure you’d love it too!

Malin Daginnus, Germany

Even as an outgoing and confident person I had many fears about coming to Australia to do a DTS. I was afraid no one would like me or even worse – I wouldn’t like them! I was afraid of getting lost at the airport and missing a flight. I was afraid of losing my luggage and everyone would laugh at me. Imagine what they shy and nervous people were thinking! Then I realised why I was coming: God. It didn’t matter if I liked people, what happened with my flights or how many clothes I had left when I got here because He was in control. And guess what!? I got here and people were awesome, my flights went great and I have more clothes than I need. Nick Adams, Canada

Leaders guide to managing a website

2008-11-12T15:18:16+00:00

Week Four on the IPHC

2008-11-12T07:19:26+00:00

Coughing, fever, malnutrition, vomiting, swelling, infection, and… the list could go on. These are just a few signs & symptoms of Target Diseases. Yes, this is what we have been studying this week as our amazing school leader Hannah has been teaching. There are the diseases caused by a bacteria (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, tuberculosis, etc.) and then ones caused by a virus (measles, mumps, polio, hepatitis b, etc.) As we studied each of these diseases through lectures, pictures and even a rap song (yes we like to have fun while learning) we got a better understanding of how these disease are spread, what the signs & symptoms are, how to treat them and most important, how to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Most of the prevention comes from immunizations, so with a lot of excitement and nervousness in the room, out came the needles & syringes and we practiced giving injections. This period of hands on learning really helped in each student becoming confident in the knowledge we’ve learned this week during lectures. We also covered what clinics will look like on outreach; how they will be set up, what actually happens during clinics, etc. It was a good time of equipping and preparing for outreach as we glimpsed a bit of what running a clinic looks like on the field.

We broke things up in the middle of the week with a guest speaker coming in to talk on ears, nose and throat. This was a fun time as we went a bit deeper with the function of these parts of our bodies as well as learning what to look for if something is wrong. Out came the otoscopes and we practiced looking at healthy eardrums and throats so on outreach we will know what is normal and what is not. This was a really fun time as each student grasped the concept of how to work these medical instruments and what to look for. Good times for sure. So this week was a time of hands on fun and really getting equipped for what is to come.

Crocodiles, Kangaroos and Snakes Oh My!

2008-11-12T07:17:48+00:00

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore! The DTS and IPHC students get a first look at Australian animals at the Billabong Sanctuary. We spent last Sunday learning about how Crocodiles can hold their breathe for 3 hours or the three deadliest snakes in the world or how to cute and cuddly the koalas are. The kangaroos came up and ate right out of our hands. And we got a chance to hold all other kinds of wildlife. From snakes (not the poisonous ones) to crocodiles to koalas and wombats! It was great to just spend some time together as a school outside of the classroom too.

So if your interested in some Steve Irwin adventures, make your way to Townsville. The pictures really speak for themselves, so take a look!

Evangelism or Discipleship Scale

2008-11-11T20:43:36+00:00

Evangelism or Discipelship Scale

2008-11-11T20:41:59+00:00

Homes of Hope Starts in the Dominican Republic

2008-11-11T11:38:00+00:00

The Homes of Hope ministry has now been adopted by the YWAM Center in the Dominican Republic. The vision for starting the Homes of Hope ministry in the DR was born in 2000 when Kent Norell, National Director, heard of

Uganda Outreach Update

2008-11-11T11:02:05+00:00

Hello From Uganda. We are doing great as a team. We have shared the Lord with so many people and seen many come to the Lord as well. The team dynamics have been great and the team is doing well adjusting to cold showers, rice and beans, outdoor squaties, and much more. They are loving the people and we are doing our best to make an impact. We have been preaching in churches, prisons, university groups, going door to door, and doing open-airs. So good to be in Africa

The Ugandan Outreach Team

Taking Attendance

2008-11-11T09:20:37+00:00

It is week three and things have been full on for the October DTS students at YWAM Reef to Outback. Whether is has been in the lecture room, at Youth Street, outreach prep, or hanging out with the community, everyone has dove in head first to all that God has for them!

The Classroom: We have covered topics such as, 'Hearing the Voice of God', 'Clear Conscience', and this weeks 'Identity'. It has been great to see people really finding freedom in Christ as individuals and also to see God uniting us and taking us deeper as a school together. We have seen so much breakthrough in the last two weeks and we just can't wait to see what God has in store for the future as He prepares our hearts for the tasks ahead!

Outreach prep: Games, team building, outreach locations and Impact summer! Our first couple of prep nights we spent working on some great team building games. Ones the students sometimes found more frustrating then fun, but also learned about their teammates and how to work together. We have also split into our three outreach teams!!! The three teams are Palm Island/Mt. Isa, Darwin/ East Timor, and Thailand. More updates to come about each team!

As a school so many great friendships have been built as we are running together towards all God has for us!

Let us know what you think family and friends!

We would love to hear from you!

Every YWAMer can plant a church

2008-11-10T13:44:34+00:00

Video conferencing with Skype

2008-11-10T11:37:31+00:00

A 9th Streeet BBQ

2008-11-10T01:44:00+00:00

Follow this link below to pictures from our BBQ on Sat night, Nov 8th

11/08/08 BBQ

Welcome

2008-11-08T11:05:00+00:00

A BIG welcome greeting to you! Each year through the hard work and dedication of our staff and over 6,500 volunteers we are able to provide 270 poor Mexican families shelter from the elements with a free home. We

ECHO Agricultural Conference

2008-11-08T08:35:09+00:00

The 2nd ECHO Agricultural Conference will be held at the Empress Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand fromSeptember 21-25, 2009. Geared towards enabling persons serving Asia’s poor to network solutions related to alleviating hunger and poverty, this ECHO conference will offer: Three mornings of plenary sessions featuring knowledgeable and experienced speakers. Slated speakers include Dr. Norman Uphoff [...]

The Defender Hospitality Center Ready To Go

2008-11-07T18:04:00+00:00

One of the central connection points for all staff, students and visitors on our Tijuana Del Mar campus will be the Defender Hospitality Center. This is an artist's rendition of the center from the parking lot next

Definition of a YWAM Operating Location

2008-11-07T11:04:53+00:00

Pioneering New Ministries in YWAM

2008-11-06T16:05:56+00:00

YWAM Leadership in the 21st Century

2008-11-06T15:57:59+00:00

Painted Phase One Accomodations

2008-11-05T14:36:00+00:00

We are now painting the buildings and finishing the courtyard in the first of our four village settings on campus. These are our Phase 1-A dormitory buildings nearing completion. Corion counter tops and shower

School of Worship in Ensenada - April 09

2008-11-05T11:33:00+00:00

Eager to worship God more? Learn how to lead others in worship? Learn how to play/sing in a team in step with the Holy Spirit? Click here to contact the school

We Are YWAM

2008-11-05T11:33:00+00:00

Ever wonder who YWAM is? It is made up of over 16,000 missionaries in some of the most unusual places on the plant, as well as some of the more well known. Check out this video to see some of our co-workers.

School of Ministry Development in Tijuana - Sep 09

2008-11-05T11:33:00+00:00

School of Ministry Development (SOMD) One of the goals here at YWAM San Diego/Baja is to develop our staff into leaders and challenge them that they can go further than any of us ever have.

Biblical Core Course in Ensenada - Sep 09

2008-11-05T11:32:00+00:00

Need help? Chat to us live? Biblical Core Course (BCC) One of the goals here at YWAM

GENESIS Seminar at Ensenada Campus

2008-11-05T03:02:00+00:00

Youth With A Mission bases are taking advantage of video conferencing systems as a way of running operations and bringing world class speakers to training classrooms around the world. A two week seminar will be

VidCast #25 - The future of the Internet? Man or Machine?

2008-11-01T21:40:28+00:00

Kevin Kelly gives his vision for the future of the Internet. Is this the future that you envision? What do you think our lives will be like in the future of Internet and other technologies? How will this impact on the spreading of the gospel message to those who have never heard of Jesus? Please let me know what you think! Stay subscribed!Digg our podcast Please stay tuned and remember to vote for our podcast at: and Also, support this podcast by buying your domain names from: Subscribe to this podcast: View with

Tuition Costs

2008-11-01T03:32:00+00:00

All schools for countries listed as A countries will be $3100 for the three month lecture phase. If you are from countries that are listed below in catagories B or C it will be $1200. Have questions? Email

Welcome to San Diego/Baja

2008-10-30T17:56:00+00:00

DTS Tijuana - from our past to God's future

2008-10-30T17:45:00+00:00

It was a long week but worth it!Sometimes our pasts hold us back from where God wants to take us in the future. The DTS students in Tijuana spent the past week reflecting on where they came from, where they are now,

Graham Powell seminar

2008-10-30T17:08:11+00:00

11.-14. november (torsdag til fredag) arrangerer vi pa Eintroa et 4 dager seminar med den anerkjente taleren Graham Powell, forfatter av boken "Christian, Set Yourself Free". Temaet er "Frihet i Kristus".

Seminaret koster kr. 2.000 (inkl. lost og losji). Pamelding pa tlf. 72490100, 90825145 eller info@eintroa.no

11-14 november (Tuesday to Friday) we at Eintroa will arrange a 4 day seminar with the acknowledged speaker Graham Powell, author of the book "Christian, Set Yourself Free". The theme is "Freedom in Christ".

The cost of the seminar is kr. 2.000 (incl. food and accomodation). Please register on phone 72490100 or 90825145 or e-mail info@eintroa.no

Vacation Without Limits

2008-10-30T13:41:04+00:00

God said in His Word: “But you will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Therefore this summer 10 Christians decided to take an unusual vacation.

Special

2008-10-29T12:02:56+00:00

Telepresence Technology Connects Us To The World

2008-10-28T02:37:00+00:00

As missionaries working in a large global YWAM family, we can become isolated from one another. Each of us, no matter what role we find ourselves in, have much to do, more than the hours in our day, man power

Top Five Positions Needed at each Base

2008-10-28T02:36:00+00:00

The positions listed below are the most urgent needs for long term staff. There are of course many more open positions being prayed for here at YWAM San Diego/Baja. Please contact hr@ywamsdbaja.org

Sandnes trip

2008-10-27T14:22:30+00:00

We have now been on the road (or on the "train-tracks") for almost a week. We stayed with Jan Torland and family in their wonderful house in Sandnes. During the stay there we visited Sola kristne senter, Vigrestad misjonshus and the Baptist church in Sandnes. We met a lot of wonderful people, and we talked about Eintrøa and our work there.

Gunn-Mari talking about the importance of reading
and studying the Bible

The youths studying Philemon diligently

Visiting the Sandnes Baptist church

Kristin made a delicious apple cake for the open
house for people with connected to Eintrøa

The long dining room table was the heart of
the fellowship at the Torlands

Reconciliation Discipleship Training School...by Tom Tate

2008-10-27T09:57:00+00:00

In no less than 4 days time the first of 12 students will be arriving in one of Belfast's two airports. Laden down with luggage, we will welcome them into our community here in YWAM Belfast.

Next Monday begins the 7th DTS to be run in Belfast (at least this time around! I keep hearing rumour about a DTS that was run here in the 1970's….) and I think the 4th to have a distinctly Reconciliation focus.

So what's that all about? Why "reconciliation"? In many ways, reconciliation is becoming one of those buzz words, thrown out there to sound impressive though no one really knows what it means. Here in Belfast, we long to be serious about it. In a world where anger, violence and revenge are often the "go-to" tactics in conflict situations, we wonder whether there is another way?

We believe yes, and we're going to be spending the next 7 months exploring this idea with this group of 12 students. YWAM's motto is "To know God and make Him known" and one of our foundational values is "Do first, then teach". There's something special about knowing something personally before you move on to ministering out of that. In this time, we want to share with the students the God who came to them, who has reconciled Himself to them, and from that place of knowing God as a reconciler we can move on to trying to mirror His image and be peacemakers in these situations that surround us.

During the DTS students will have lectures, be involved in local outreach in the local community, have a chance to hear stories from people affected by conflict and learn from them, and also engage in a 10 week trip to a post or current conflict area to put what they are learning into practice.

Our vision is for a group of people to emerge from this DTS, trained in both discipleship and an awareness of their relationship to God, but also skilled to speak into conflict situations, to speak out "this is NOT the will of God!" To cry peace in a land of war, and forgiveness in the midst of revenge.

After all, we've been told to get on with it: "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:18). We have a mandate…. This DTS exists to raise a generation of people willing to live it… Those willing to give up everything to see it come into being.

From Poetry to Bats (yes, the rodent) - Meet this Month's Featured Staff

2008-10-27T06:37:37+00:00

With a voice that speaks with authority and a humility to match, this month’s featured staff takes us on a journey from a small Island village all the way to New Zealand before finally landing in Australia. Find out why his parents called him “Grandpa,” what bat (yes, as in the rodent that flies) tastes like and a secret that you probably didn’t know about this month’s featured staff… Amenatave Tuibua.

RTO: Mena, where are you from?
MT: I was born in Fiji… I’m from the Northern part. From Waivunia – it’s a little village. The region is Savu Savu. I grew up there until I was about 14. Then I moved to New Zealand for 7 years and then I moved to Australia and have been here since.

RTO: What is your full name?
MT: Amenatave (Ah-men-uh-ta-vay) Naulu (Now-oo-loo) Tuibua (Too-im-boo-uh) But everyone calls me something different. Mena, Amena. My parents call me “Tukai” (Too-kai) which means “Grandpa”

RTO: (Shocked) Your parents call you grandpa!?
MT: Well, I’m named for my grandpa. It’s a pretty common thing in Fiji if the son is named for his grandfather, the parents would nickname him Tukai (which means Grandpa)

RTO: What’s your favourite thing about Fiji?
MT: Family. What else? I don’t know how to explain it. Its so care free. You can have fun – go hunting. I love hunting.

RTO: What’s the best thing you’ve ever caught?
MT: Oh. We catch so much good stuff. I like to go bat hunting at night. They’re good food. They have to be marinated… soy sauce…garlic… ginger. It has a real pungent, fruity taste since they eat so much fruit.

RTO: Pungent is quite the descriptive word – do you have a secret passion you want to tell us all about?
MT: Poetry. I like poetry. I started it in high school and really loved it. In the islands, we do a sort of poetry as song writing. Its part of our culture… I learned that skill in Fiji to paint a picture of something. I admired that and I saw a similarity in Western Poetry that I really loved.

RTO: Do you have a favourite author?
MT: John Grisham

RTO: What about music?
MT: I like laid back, island music – reggae… Jack Johnson… something chill. A little hip hop R&B. I don’t mind a little bit of rock but mostly I love my island beats.

RTO: Do you play any instruments?
MT: No. I’m keen to learn though. I’ve picked up the guitar a bit but not fully.

RTO: What’s your favourite food?
I like tons. Seafood. Especially when I catch it.

RTO: How do you relax?
Fishing. Playing sport. Hunting.

RTO: Do you have a favourite scripture?
Isaiah 49 – A lot of people share it with me and it’s the Scripture that brought Shey & I together as well. Its something that I hold on to being here, remembering God’s calling. I feel like now is the time that its making sense for what I’ve been holding on to.

RTO: You got married earlier this year. What did you like best about Shey?
MT: I appreciated how blunt she was. She’s good at pulling me into line.

RTO: So when did you start dancing?
MT: I started dancing a very young age. The first year of school. My first time dancing with Island Breeze was 2003 at Stable on the Strand in Townsville.

RTO: Why did you do a DTS?
MT: I had done Kings Kids. My parents did a DTS. It was inevitable that I would do one. My dad talked me into it. So did my friends. I just sort of said, “What the heck. I’ll do it for the fun of it.” I enjoyed it thoroughly.

RTO: That was several years ago. What’s your vision for being here still?
MT: My heart is to see a lot of the Indigenous and Pacific Islanders released into missions and leadership in the areas God’s called them into. Also redeeming culture alongside of it.

RTO: What is a good strength of yours?
MT: Patience. Its something that I have a lot of. Sometimes its my strength and sometimes its my weakness (laughing).

RTO: What’s your embarrassing moment?
MT: Being on tour in Cape York earlier this year. We were all dancing so I had a grass skirt on. We start off standing up and the kneel down and shuffle around. While I was doing this, I didn’t realize I had stood on the edge of the grass skirt. I stood up and off it came. Everyone started whistling. It was really embarrassing. I was still wearing a lava lava (sarong) around my middle but everyone was whistling and carrying on so I felt naked.

The Truth About Aids

2008-10-27T05:52:14+00:00

In YWAM Reef to Outback's Primary Health Care School Week 2, the class covered a range of laughter to tears this week as we learned about teaching and learning styles and then studied about HIV/AIDS.

An understanding of learning styles and how each person learns differently was shared, bringing hope & freedom to those who have been told that they can’t learn. A new perspective and light was shined on learning types. This was a incredibly fun and hands on time as we also learned proper teaching methods and put these into practice.

Watching a video on HIV/AIDS broke our hearts as we saw that:

“AIDS is a war against humanity. We need to break the silence, banish the stigma and discrimination and ensure total inclusiveness within the struggle against AIDS. If we discard the people living with HIV/AIDS, we can no longer call ourselves human.” -Nelson Mandela

We found out that Papua New Guinea is on the verge of an HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is predicted that one in every five PNG citizens will be infected with HIV within the next decade unless radical action is taken. Education is the big key in this. If we don’t educate, then people won’t know how to prevent HIV. Once you have this virus you can’t get rid of it, but it is so simple to prevent it if you know what precautions to take. As our team travels into PNG later this year we will be educating the communities on prevention methods and precautions they can take to guard themselves and others from HIV.

As we educate, our main goal is to bring hope. Hope that comes from Jesus, that Christ brings healing, redemption and freedom. That they are wanted and loved. “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.” –Mother Teresa

So with a new perspective and a better understanding of God’s heart for HIV/AIDS we continue this journey of seeing people and situations through a new lens and learning what it means to share Christ through health care.

Meet this year IPHC Staff

April

Casey

Corey

Hannah

Journey Through the Islands of the Pacific

2008-10-27T05:48:21+00:00

The scent of island food in the air and music drifting through the clamor of people greeting each other surrounded YWAM Reef to Outback this Wednesday evening as we celebrated a momentous evening here in Townsville. The evening was about: “Jumping into the canoe and journeying together to see a glimpse of what Island Breeze is.”

Island Breeze focuses on the restoration and redemption of peoples and their cultures - "To know God and make Him known through His inherent gifts and expressions within the nations." Island Breeze is about bringing unity between cultures.

As we went on this quest for the meaning of life, we traveled through Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Samoa, and many other islands. Through cultural expressions of dance & music, it expresses part of the picture of who God is. The gospel story of Christ is told through dancing and song. Hope, joy and fulfillment are brought as God stirs hearts through these expressions. This brings cultural redemption to communities and personal redemption to many individuals.

Chanting, singing and the sounds of didgeridoos and drums were heard throughout the paddock as we focused on the intense movement of dance happening right before our eyes. It was powerful. Many islands were represented as the cultures came together using their gifts with one purpose in mind: to make Christ known.

We would love to see an Island expression start here at YWAM Reef to Outback to reach out to Islanders and Indigenous Australians and beyond. As we process with local and international leaders, we would love to invite your thoughts as well! Please email us at rto@reeftooutback.com.

And, meet some of our Pacific Islanders -
Aisea

Amenatave

Meesi

Facebook

2008-10-26T14:09:44+00:00

Justice Needs a Voice

2008-10-24T07:05:01+00:00

Justice Needs a Voice. This was the message heard by an auditorium full of high school students as they watched, listened, and were dynamically challenged by an entertaining and enlightening presentation by the A Voice in the Dark team.

As a combined media and music ministry effort, YWAM Reef to Outback staff combined videos, stories and live music to create a stimulating way to tell students about issues of injustice from around the world.

Through the multi-media effort, students were taken from looking at the lack of health care in Papua, to abuse in Indigenous Australia to the sex trade in Thailand.

As they looked at the issues and some of the tragedies going on the world, the message of hope began to emerge. There is hope for the world and for the individuals who are suffering… but hope requires action.

Students saw and heard from people who were actually in these places and actually doing something to change the conditions for people and challenged with the thought – if justice needs a voice… could it be me?

The presentation ended with the challenge: Justice Needs a You. Many of the students were quite stirred with the thought that they could actually do something to change the world.

And that’s what we’re all about at YWAM Reef to Outback… championing young people. We love get our hands dirty reaching out to the poor and needy… but we also love to make a way for people to get involved in doing justice around the world because the reality is… justice needs all of us.

Meet the Team!:
Sara

Shey

Anna

Joanna

Stephen

Jason

Rebecca

One BIG Birthday Party

2008-10-24T06:46:58+00:00

With over 152 people in attendance, we hosted a huge 10th birthday bash for Stable on the Strand, Townsville's annual Christmas Festival. With the unveiling of this year's plan and promo video, an inspiring message from some of the event coordinators and heap of party games and food, the night was a blast.

Birthday party attendants came with generosity too! Pin the Money on the Donkey (which was is in a Stable) - Pass the Parcel (requiring some intense participation from the crowd) and more!

Everyone was encouraged to be a part of Stable on the Strand - one of the most fun and largest outreaches around! Last year the event attracted over 40,000 people so there is definitely a person or two to talk to and help out.

Youth are encouraged to get involved with Impact Summer which involves some great teaching, fun memories and lots of community service at Stable on the Strand.

The Month of October in Pictures

2008-10-24T04:35:46+00:00

Our month began with a truly momentous occasion. For the first time in the entire history of Youth Street, three centres collaborated and came together for the Epic Annual Event - Five Day Escape (5DE). Now, we've done 5 Day Escapes before and they are awesome - but mix in the teams from Mount Isa and Newcastle and it was a recipe for lifetime memories.

Another dream come true for us was a collaborative effort from the media and music ministries here at YWAM Reef to Outback. We developed a seminar for high school students called A Voice in the Dark. Combining videos, stories, and live music, its a dynamic message - Justice Needs a Voice. Justice Needs You.

Christmas Celebrations can never begin too early. This month we kicked off the festivities and preparation for Stable on the Strand with a 10th birthday party! Heaps of community groups got involved in this year's promotions. Here the Surf Lifesavers celebrate good times at the beach.

Lots of introductions... lots of new friends... and so many group photos... It must be the start of a new DTS. Yep - we just kicked off with our new October quarter! We're running a Justice DTS, a Primary Health Care School AND welcomed two new staff interns.

October was very progressive for us in many ways... including a progressive dinner with staff. We went to each others homes for yummy food and ended up staying so late just enjoying one another. It was really nice and refreshing to have a bit of quiet fun together before we launched into all that is to come toward the end of this year!

Registering your YWAM Location

2008-10-23T10:21:29+00:00