News from Cambodia

Literacy amongst the Kravet -- in Stung Treng Province -- YWAM Cambodia is providing key connections from adult literacy facilitators for the Kravet people. This is a remote group that is only accessible during the dry season. People who have the skills and resources are able to transfer those to this little known people group in Cambodia.

Malaria Incidence is down in Siempang District -- YWAM Cambodia's malaria program and providing dipped mosquito nets for every family are seeing great results in Siempang district in Stung Treng Province. This has been historically a high place of malaria in the country and thus there were many deaths caused by malaria but YWAM Cambodia's anti-malarial program is showing high impact with only half the level of incidents as in the rest of the Stung Treng province.

Maternal Deaths are down as training of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) goes up -- In 2009 - the maternal death rates are half the national maternal death rates in remote regions where YWAM Cambodia trains TBAs. To date, more than 500 TBAs have been trained by YWAM in Stung Treng province that is providing significant impact on the well being of mothers and families. Due to the remoteness and poverty of Siempang, this should be higher than the national rate, so this good news indeed.

Annual Conference -- This is the time of the annual conference in Stung Treng where local and regional speakers come and give input which is so encouraging. Several hundred people are able to attend meetings where they are taught on literacy, small group interaction, raising of fish, eel and frogs and having more protein in their diet as well as some integrated farming. As these are people from remote areas of the northeast of Cambodia -- this is one of the only times of the year for them to meet all together.

By Adrian Young

YWAM Jubilee Celebrations - Chiang Mai

Day 1

The horns, drums and dancers of host YWAM Northern Thailand welcomed this crowd of 7-800 people from 50 + nations to YWAM's 50th celebration in Chiang Mai. The procession continued with Loren and Darlene dressed in Lanna Thai style clothing, brought in on elevated chairs carried in on the shoulders by 6 Thai leaders each  --  and followed by YWAMers also dressed in Lanna Thai style clothing who had been in the Mission 30 years or more. 

Dances and dancers from every region of Thailand as well as from the region showed the beauty, the hospitality and the culture of Indo-China. Worship flowed freely from YWAM staff, students and friends from the nations to the God of all nations and all peoples. Loren and Darlene and all who have gone before in YWAM were thanked and were objects of thanks to God.

Loren spoke that this is not just a celebration of the past but this is a time of worship to where God is leading us in the future, into every sector of society. This is a time of fulfilling the Great Commission through the Great Commandment. This is the generation that God is going to use every technology to see the Gospel go to every unreached people. Loren spoke there is unprecedented unity with leaders in the Body of Christ is at all time high.  The prayer movement is starting to cover the earth with worship, with prayers,  with intercession and spiritual warfare. It really is possible to see the Great Commission fulfilled in this generation. 

This was just the first night...

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Day 2 

The day started with Dar sharing on gratitude for those who have gone before us. Those we were standing on the shoulders of as we have served God. We had just heard a few hours before that our first YWAMer from Switzerland, Rudy Lack, had just died.  As she shared all of this with our Asian staff, to people present from 48 nations, the session was being translated into five languages.  She asked for those who had been personally impacted by Rudy’s life to stand and many of the leaders who had pioneered the region stood up.  Several shared that Rudy was one of the first people who had told them about YWAM.  We thanked God for Rudy and prayed for Eliane.

It was wonderful for our Asian staff to hear YWAM history from our founders and the impact will be multiplied. We then prayed with each other about those who have influenced our lives and how their lives live on through us and our varied ministries. It was a sober, yet powerful morning where the presence of God was so real.

In the afternoon Incredible reports by video and by story were shared from countries in the region about what God was doing and about the amazing amount of growth that is taking place.  Asian staff and student numbers have increased rapidly over the last few years. Please see some of th ose reports at the YWAM 50th, YWAMconnect, YWAM Thailand and YWAM Mercy websites. There is momentum occurring that happening all through Asia. God is indeed up to something globally and locally.  

In the Evening  -- Loren shared on how to transform nations from his book, “The Book That Transforms Nations” with examples from Korea and the region. He, then shared about the timeline of YWAM history and what has happened highlighting the need for a Bible in every home globally. It was a full day, rich in worship and fellowship, tears and prayer for those who have lost in Switzerland and Haiti.

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Day 3 

Multi-lingual worship and the beautiful Performing Arts dances have been powerful in Chiang Mai -  There have been comments like -
"there is nothing like a group singing simultaneously in English, Chinese, and Thai, along with Khmer, Portuguese and a dozen other languages. "

Darlene continued with how God has taught us His ways over the years. She reminded us of the loss of the ship, "The Maori" in New Zealand, the impact upon our international leaders in humbling in Japan, the repentance tour to pastors and leaders in New Zealand and the year of the Cross. It was a powerful reminder as Tom Hallas shared about the situation in the news for the past few days on Toyota, their recall of vehicles and their lack of transparency.  

Darlene also spoke about the spirit of generosity that we are called to and reminded us that in the midst of such humbling of our loss of a ship, God gave resurrection. She talked about our conference in Eagle River, Wisconsin and the outrageous generosity and monies being given to Operation Mobilization for their purchase of a ship.  Darlene's last session was a wonderful reminder of who Jesus is and how He has modeled every aspect of life for us.   The conference finished with the signing of the Jubliee Covenant and remembering Jesus and all He has done for us through taking communion together.

We had a celebration in Chiang Mai

- G Stephen Goode

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By Adrian Young

Welcome to the Trash

Last year, my friends and I were travelling to the capital city of Addis Ababa after our outreach to the Karo people in the south of Ethiopia.The drive north had taken three days and we were finally back in an urban setting.As we drove into the city, we noticed on the left-hand side of the road a huge garbage dump shrouded by the fumes of smouldering fires.An unbearable smell assaulted us and between the dark smoke clouds we saw a group of children and young people sitting on the garbage.

We questioned our driver, wanting to know if children really worked or lived over there.We were shocked that he told us...

To continue reading, please download the full newsletter from YWAM Herrnhut.

By Adrian Young

Haiti Earthquake Response

Message from Hope Force International:

"Please join us in praying for the people of Haiti,one of the poorest nations on earth. By now, most of us are aware of the powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the island nation of Haiti at approximately 4:00 PM CST Tuesday afternoon. The devastation has been overwhelming, and the suffering beyond comprehension. The fullness of the death toll and destruction is still yet to be determined, but is undoubtedly on a scale unlike anything this impoverished nation has endured in recent history."

The following agencies are helping in the relief effort in Haiti following the devastation of the earthquake:
Mercy Works
YWAM-Haiti
Hope Force Internaitonal
Rescuenet 

Donations

You can give online to YWAM's contribution to the relief effort in Haiti at: Haiti Relief Donations

 

By Adrian Young

Freedom Sunday

Jesus was the original Abolitionist and His message of freedom will be proclaimed around the world. There are still 27 million people living in captivity. The church needs to lead the movement to set the captives free.

On February 21, 2010 churches around the globe will be singing redemption songs and preaching on the subject of “freedom.” Many churches are prayerfully considering a special offering during services to benefit the global projects of the NFSC.

Download PDF with more information.

By Adrian Young

The Forgotten Killer

 

Poor water, sanitation and hygiene is the world's forgotten issue. It is the second biggest killer of children, taking the lives of 5,000 across the globe each day. At any given time, almost half the populations of the developing world suffer from diseases associated with inadequate water and sanitation. One in every two girls who drop out of primary school in Africa do so because they must walk long distances to collect drinking water or because the school has no toilet. Across the world, a lack of sanitation leaves girls vulnerable to attack, sexual assault and HIV transmission. It is predicted that the UN will miss by decades its 2015 target to halve the proportion of people without access to these basic necessities. [TEARFUND]

 

By Adrian Young

Christian Aid goodwill ambassador 'humbled' by award

Summary:
The Rev Canon Gideon B Byamugisha says he is overwhelmed, excited and humbled to have been named as this year's recipient of the prestigious Niwano Peace Prize  - the Nobel Peace Prize of the faith community.

Click here to read the full article: Christian Aid goodwill ambassador humbled by award

Source: Christian Today 

By Adrian Young

Training - Addictive behavior and Impact upon Development Stages

Developmental Cycles / Stages

Birth - One Year Bonging Stage (The Power of Being)

Developmental Tasks:
*To form a strong bond with another human being.
*To be taken care of.
*To build the foundations of a self, an identity.
*To accept touch.
*To accept nurture.
*To be sensual.

The self is formed by reflection off another human being. One can't develop self alone. The baby can establish a basic sense of trust in self and others, a sense that the world is a safe place. From the bonded position the infant can proceed with the task of separating, individuating and becoming an independent and autonomous person.

Core Questions:
Can I be safe? This is a trust issue.
Can I be me ? This is an identity issue.
Can I be accepted? This is an attachment issue.

Needs:
1) to be provided with a calm, predictable, consistent and loving environment.
2) eye contact
3) meaningful, loving touch
4) verbal communication with loving intonation and playful intonation

Affirmations for being:
*I'm glad you're here.
*Your needs are OK with me.
*I'm glad you're a boy or a girl.
*You don't have to hurry.
*I like to hold you.
* You can have all your feelings.
*I love you and care for you willingly.

IMPACT OF ADDICTION or being reared in a dysfunctional family
*Alcoholism causes personality changes which result in parents not being predictable.
*Infants have difficulty being calm and anticipating their needs will be met.
*Unpredictable responses to needs: a loving response / no response / an angry, rejecting response, or worse.
*Infant has a defense against pain if negative responses, may learn to split off awareness of needs and feelings, stop taking initiative to meet his needs, wait passively for any caretaking . Later on this becomes "Don't feel" "Don't be selfish"
*Difficulty trusting
*May later not believe the world is a safe place or that relationships can be reliable. Predictability is not rigidity.

Predictability for infants means that when they cry, they will be comforted.

Consistency is also not rigidity. Consistency means that there are limits that nurturing falls within and that it always falls within these limits.

Calm is not the absence of stimulation. Calm is stimulation which the child can absorb, stimulation that does not overpower the child and frighten him or her.

*Conrad Lorenz - Nobel prize for research on bonding - with geese
*Tom Brewster - Bonding and the Missionary Task

Nine To 18 Months The Power Of Doing

Developmental Tasks:
*To explore the environment without having to think about it.
*Develop sensory awareness by doing.
*Continues forming secure attachments with parents.
*Gets help in times of stress.
*Develops initiative.

Read On...

Source: http://www.darvsmith.com/dox/developmentalissues.html

 

By Adrian Young

"Crawl Across The Floor!"

 

by John Bills

I was led down a rugged pathway by our friend Ana and her outreach team in Ethiopia.  

It was hot and I was tired by the time we were ushered into a small 8’ by 8’ room where we were greeted by two men.  One of these men was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of AIDS.  The other was a young man who was blind in one eye because of a cyst that had developed also from having AIDS.  The younger man was caring for the other man any way he could. We listened to their painful story of rejection and suffering.  Recently the older one had been hospitalized, and his sister had found out he had AIDS. Consequently she rejected him and he was told never to contact her again.  

This man had invited his priest on three different occasions to come and pray with him, each time an excuse had been made.  He told us that all he wanted was someone to pray for him. Upon hearing this, the Spirit of God spoke to me and said that I was to pray over his life.  

As I began to stand and walk over to him, I felt impressed instead, to crawl across the floor.  It didn’t make much sense to me, but I know it is better to obey than not. So, on my hands and knees, I crawled across the filthy floor to where he was lying in his bed.  When I reached him, I laid my hands on him and began to pray.  During that prayer, he welled up with tears and began to say, “I am a broken man, I am a broken man.”  And with this, he turned his head to the wall.   I then held him in my arms and gently comforted him saying that Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and bind up all of their wounds.  

By then I needed to go outside for a good cry.   My translator came out to explain to me why the man was weeping so much. This man had not been shown any form of acceptance by anyone other than his one friend.  The man said that although his priest had not come and pray for him, God had sent someone from as far away as America to love him and pray for him. I was also told that culturally, to crawl on the floor, to someone standing or seated is showing tremendous respect and honor to them.  I then understood why God had impressed upon me to crawl to this man.  God will go to great depths to reveal His heart for those who are broken.  

 

By Adrian Young

Connecting for the Commission

Over 600 YWAMers recently participated in the Call 2 All event in Hong Kong. YWAM’s Mercy Ministries Director, Steve Goode, was there and he shares this report.  For more information about Call 2 All please visit : www.call2all.org  Editor

On the first morning, I went early to the hall in the Asian Expo centre, 10 minutes from the new Hong Kong airport, to see where we were meeting. The hall was set up with four huge screens and hundreds of round tables. Over 3000 participants from 100 countries were attending during the day, and the evening meetings swelled to over 5000 participants. There was a section that was already filled with people so I walked over there. It was the Chinese delegation already reading their material in Mandarin, some were praying and I was overwhelmed. 

I went from table to table welcoming them to Call2All and saying thank you for coming. I could not hold back the tears as I shook hands with the next generation of missionaries! They came from the poor places of Inner Mongolia. They came from the boomtowns of the coastlands and they had one thing in common…they were hungry to be met by God. They were the first to arrive and the last to leave in the evening. They wanted to be prayed for and they were so ready to pray for others. 

The day before at the Global Day of Prayer, participants honored the 9 generations of the missionary family of Hudson Taylor for his impact in China. Repentance was a theme throughout the Congress – Hong Kong Chinese and asking forgiveness of their mainland Chinese family, British business people repenting to the Chinese for the Opium Wars and unrighteous trade. 

One of the main things that I was doing behind the scenes was helping to launch the Global Compassion Network as well as connecting with the Call 2 All Business Network.  The Global Compassion executive team met daily – a group that represent hundreds of organizations serving God amongst the poor.  Connecting with people, organizations, missions and businesses was indeed fruitful and will continue with new e-forums and groups that are preparing implementation plans toward fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. 

Another implication for YWAM is related to our work in opposing human trafficking and slavery issues. Several YWAM leaders from Mercy Ministries, the DTS Center, Nations2Nations, and Media Village met with David Batstone of Not For Sale (check out www.notforsalecampaign.org  www.free2work.org and www.slaverymap.org ) to see how we as a Mission could have better impact with this critical global issue. 

This was a historic gathering – God is indeed up to something in our midst that will help YWAM play our part in fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment in this generation.

By Adrian Young
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Bangkok 10501, Thailand
ywammmi@loxinfo.co.th