welcome!
Hello from a very wet Queensland. Brisbane (where we are) just went through our first cyclone in 50 years! There were many preparations made, lots of waiting. And in the end it wasn’t too bad. Minor damage around the YWAM property and electricity was out for about 5 hours. In that time I got out the camp stove so I could make breakfast. Much more improvisations were needed for the rest of the YWAM community but we got through it. Knowing others go through so much worse natural disasters we’re grateful were spared anything too bad.
We’re doing well getting through the busy summer as is typical for this time of year. Here’s some bits of what’s been happening here in the ministry the last few months. If you’d like to get short prayer updates more regularly than this longer, more sporadic update let me know. I send out a short update every 2-3 weeks via WhatsApp or Messenger. 
Evangelism encounters
Most Fridays teams head into the city to find people to share Jesus with. Conversations start in many ways, sometimes it’s about helping someone out, or sharing a personal testimony of something God has done, praying for them, or sharing the gospel message. They’re planting seeds in people’s lives. Sometimes they can go back to the same people the following week, sometimes connect with them online. And some even meet up again at church or a coffee shop. Chloe - She was in the prayer room asking God to go with her in the evangelism time to make a natural and “easy” conversation. While out, they saw a guy with a “sword” and decided to talk to him. They walked up to discover a group giving lessons in lightsaber dueling 😆. She found it so simple to talk to them and shared with one girl in particular who used to go to church and told them her story. Chloe was surprised and grateful that God would use her in her own awkwardness and shyness to reach others as well. Payton - “Before leaving I asked God to talk to 1 person for 45 minutes. Talked to a guy at the markets, he was so hungry to ask questions about my own experience of meeting God.” Grace - “I met a Mongolian woman visiting Australia. I shared with her the gospel message, and I asked if she wanted to accept Jesus and she said yes! She’s going to come to church with me next week!” Vanessa - “I met Lance from PNG who had recently become homeless having lost his job. He had a Christian background but not a relationship with God. I shared with him and he accepted Jesus.” Bernice - “During prayer, God gave me the impression of a black cat, and tattoos. We went into a convenience store to talk to the worker there, and we were there the whole time. A lady (with tattoos) walked in asking for cat food. I started a conversation with her about her cat - the cat in her picture is the one I saw in my head last week! I shared with her that God gave me a picture of her cat . We told her God cared about her. She shared that the past 12 months have been really tough. We offered to pray for her and she was very touched that someone would think of her. Ben - “In one night we spoke to 10 people, able to pray for 5 of them. Bought a homeless guy a drink. Planted seeds and encouraged them all.” He is feeling more confident to share with people and share the gospel with them |
Youth Ministries
Bible Studies - Our team has had the opportunity to run a Youth Alpha course with some girls from the high school that WANTED to get to understand the Bible more. This then turned into a regular Bible study group, with our team meeting with the girls, discipling them through the Bible. Due to programs like this and others in partnership with the school chaplain, more and more kids are showing an interest in God!
Youth camp - In January we ran our youth camp on the YWAM Campus. The camp leader, Bree said this: Through tons of prayer, a whole lot of sugar & caffeine and a
the faithfulness of God, a group of students learned what it looks like to live as children of God and each individual left with personal breakthrough and new freedom in life! I’ve never known the faithfulness of God like I saw and experienced through this week. Wowie, He’s good!
Vanuatu mission trip - We sent a youth outreach team to Vanuatu for 2 weeks. The team, including 5 youth aged 16-18, were Jesus’ hands & feet — sharing His love through prayer, skits, service projects & simply connecting. They prayed for over 100 people, seeing 7 people commit or recommit their lives to Jesus! In addition to that the youth gained an even deeper heart for the Lord and for His mission! It wasn’t easy, with most of the team battling sickness for the first few days, but they pressed in, depended on God & saw His power move through their weakness.
Bible Studies - Our team has had the opportunity to run a Youth Alpha course with some girls from the high school that WANTED to get to understand the Bible more. This then turned into a regular Bible study group, with our team meeting with the girls, discipling them through the Bible. Due to programs like this and others in partnership with the school chaplain, more and more kids are showing an interest in God!
Youth camp - In January we ran our youth camp on the YWAM Campus. The camp leader, Bree said this: Through tons of prayer, a whole lot of sugar & caffeine and a
the faithfulness of God, a group of students learned what it looks like to live as children of God and each individual left with personal breakthrough and new freedom in life! I’ve never known the faithfulness of God like I saw and experienced through this week. Wowie, He’s good!
Vanuatu mission trip - We sent a youth outreach team to Vanuatu for 2 weeks. The team, including 5 youth aged 16-18, were Jesus’ hands & feet — sharing His love through prayer, skits, service projects & simply connecting. They prayed for over 100 people, seeing 7 people commit or recommit their lives to Jesus! In addition to that the youth gained an even deeper heart for the Lord and for His mission! It wasn’t easy, with most of the team battling sickness for the first few days, but they pressed in, depended on God & saw His power move through their weakness.
Bible Testimony - Lilli
Recently our Bible Core Course (BCC) students graduated from their intensive 3 month study course. Here is a brief testimony from Lilli about the program:
"The Course totally changed my perspective on the Bible and has been by far one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done for my relationship with God. In just three months, so many things I knew to be true about God came completely alive within me, and the living word of God is now my whole source of strength.
A couple weeks before my course ended, one of my closest family members got really sick, really fast. As soon as I arrived home after the course, I was faced with the news that he was gone. Things were sad, hard, and honestly totally sucky. In the not so long ago past, my response to something like this would've been weeks of panic attacks, hopelessness and frustration. And while I can’t say I wasn’t frustrated, I was taken aback by my response - all I wanted to do was pick up the bible. For days, I constantly read through the word of God and his promises to us. During this time of being physically alone, I felt the presence of God like never before. He filled me with hope and gave me a peace and a joy that were beyond my understanding. Somehow, even though things seemed bad here on earth, it was like none of it mattered. I had my God, and due to this simple fact (with a rooted understanding of his faithfulness), I was unshakeable. It was at that point that I knew I had been completely transformed by and rooted in the word of God. Since truly experiencing first hand the heart of God through the Bible, stuff just doesn’t shake me the way it once did.
Recently our Bible Core Course (BCC) students graduated from their intensive 3 month study course. Here is a brief testimony from Lilli about the program:
"The Course totally changed my perspective on the Bible and has been by far one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done for my relationship with God. In just three months, so many things I knew to be true about God came completely alive within me, and the living word of God is now my whole source of strength.
A couple weeks before my course ended, one of my closest family members got really sick, really fast. As soon as I arrived home after the course, I was faced with the news that he was gone. Things were sad, hard, and honestly totally sucky. In the not so long ago past, my response to something like this would've been weeks of panic attacks, hopelessness and frustration. And while I can’t say I wasn’t frustrated, I was taken aback by my response - all I wanted to do was pick up the bible. For days, I constantly read through the word of God and his promises to us. During this time of being physically alone, I felt the presence of God like never before. He filled me with hope and gave me a peace and a joy that were beyond my understanding. Somehow, even though things seemed bad here on earth, it was like none of it mattered. I had my God, and due to this simple fact (with a rooted understanding of his faithfulness), I was unshakeable. It was at that point that I knew I had been completely transformed by and rooted in the word of God. Since truly experiencing first hand the heart of God through the Bible, stuff just doesn’t shake me the way it once did.
Missions Teams
We currently have teams in Japan, Solomon Islands (Pacific islands), South Asia and Southeast Asia (undisclosed for security reasons).
Here is what our team in Southeast Asia has to say briefly:
We went to one village where no YWAM team has been before, and some people had never seen westerners before. It was a busy week that included fishing with locals, hospital visit, morning devotions around 5am, prayer, and sharing the Gospel. We went on house visits and led a youth service every day. At one of the house visits, a whole family gave their lives to Christ! Praise God!
We had an unexpected dance night, which connected us and the youth well. We felt the Lord wanting to teach the kids about prayer and praying out loud and champion the youth to serve, and many of them grew a lot while we were there!
We currently have teams in Japan, Solomon Islands (Pacific islands), South Asia and Southeast Asia (undisclosed for security reasons).
Here is what our team in Southeast Asia has to say briefly:
We went to one village where no YWAM team has been before, and some people had never seen westerners before. It was a busy week that included fishing with locals, hospital visit, morning devotions around 5am, prayer, and sharing the Gospel. We went on house visits and led a youth service every day. At one of the house visits, a whole family gave their lives to Christ! Praise God!
We had an unexpected dance night, which connected us and the youth well. We felt the Lord wanting to teach the kids about prayer and praying out loud and champion the youth to serve, and many of them grew a lot while we were there!