After a fun-filled arrival day, (where 650 new students arrived at the campus) the University of the Nations looks much busier than it has in several years. Students from over 30 nations, and from every continent, converge here for a quarter of study, worship, and passionate pursuit of our heavenly father. I have the great privilege this quarter of teaching in several of the training schools we run here, as well as assist and coach several new staff as they learn to teach the word of God. I am also facilitating some of the community outreach projects for the students to serve our local mission field here in Kona, I'm hoping this will include outreaches like feeding the homeless, street evangelism and community service projects. At the end of this month I have the opportunity to preach at a local church here in Kona, please pray that God would speak through me to bring a message that encourages and blesses the Kona Coast Chaplaincy.
A hula dancer performs at a welcoming ceremony for the students at the U of N
Students present the flags of their nations for their classmates
YWAM 50th year celebration comes to Kona
It is Youth With A Mission’s Jubilee (50th; Leviticus 25:8) Year, and we are celebrating with all the colors and cultures as only a multinational group can. All across the globe YWAM Bases have been celebrating 50 years of world missions, launched by Loren Cunningham's vision of waves of young people taking nations for Jesus, and in late November the party will all culminate with the final celebration here at YWAM Kona. Our Kona community is preparing for a swell of close to 5,000 as people from over 100 countries come to celebrate what God is doing in this world. PhotogenX’s will be launching a number of new initiatives at the celebration, as well as holding a seminar on creative media in missions. Our Biblical studies department is hoping to connect with many of our co-workers, who are doing similar things around the world. FOR MORE INFO VISIT - www.ywam50.com/kona.
Are you an Ironman?
This past week, our little town of Kona was host to the world championship of Ironman triathlons. Staff and students from the U of N volunteered in areas of security, water safety and athlete aid stations, helping everything run smoothly for the athletes who complete 2.4 miles swimming, then a 112 mile bike race, followed by a 26.2 mile marathon, under the scorching Hawaiian sun. For me, the race is always motivational on several levels. On one hand, I am motivated in the area of physical exercise (which usually lasts a few weeks) and on the other, I can't help but be reminded of the spiritual parallels the apostle Paul draws from the task of an athlete. For Ironman athletes, training is only part of what goes into completing the race. All the runs, bike training and swimming lead up to this event, but unless their body is properly hydrated, given proper nutrition, and protected from the sun, their big race day will more than likely end in disappointment. As a Christian, I hope to continually learn from this illustration, and remember to constantly seek nourishment from the Word, hydration from the Holy Spirit, the source of living water, and protection in the fellowship of other believers and in the equipping of the armor of God (Ephesians 6).
2010 Ironman world Champion
On the bike for 112 miles.
Prayer for Nations: Afghanistan
No nation has been in more of a constant state of uncertainty and chaos the past decade than Afghanistan. It's government has been replaced, it's loyalties questioned and tested, its culture and religion blamed for atrocities, and it's people overlooked and marginalized. I have a student this quarter from Afghanistan, and talking with him about his home has put a burden on my heart to see God work in the way only he can to bring breakthrough to that nation. In the past few months YWAM missionaries and Christians from other groups have paid the ultimate price for bringing the Gospel to Afghanistan, and it was the sad duty of one of our most recent DTS outreach teams to facilitate a memorial service there for some of the long term workers who had been killed for the Gospel. When you read this, please say a prayer for the protection of our workers still there, who will remain nameless for security purposes. I have several good friends currently serving the Lord in Afghanistan, and I'm praying that the Lord gives them supernatural protection and wisdom in how to minister, but also supernatural boldness, that His kingdom may go forth in that nation!
A hula dancer performs at a welcoming ceremony for the students at the U of N
Students present the flags of their nations for their classmatesYWAM 50th year celebration comes to Kona
It is Youth With A Mission’s Jubilee (50th; Leviticus 25:8) Year, and we are celebrating with all the colors and cultures as only a multinational group can. All across the globe YWAM Bases have been celebrating 50 years of world missions, launched by Loren Cunningham's vision of waves of young people taking nations for Jesus, and in late November the party will all culminate with the final celebration here at YWAM Kona. Our Kona community is preparing for a swell of close to 5,000 as people from over 100 countries come to celebrate what God is doing in this world. PhotogenX’s will be launching a number of new initiatives at the celebration, as well as holding a seminar on creative media in missions. Our Biblical studies department is hoping to connect with many of our co-workers, who are doing similar things around the world. FOR MORE INFO VISIT - www.ywam50.com/kona.
Are you an Ironman?
This past week, our little town of Kona was host to the world championship of Ironman triathlons. Staff and students from the U of N volunteered in areas of security, water safety and athlete aid stations, helping everything run smoothly for the athletes who complete 2.4 miles swimming, then a 112 mile bike race, followed by a 26.2 mile marathon, under the scorching Hawaiian sun. For me, the race is always motivational on several levels. On one hand, I am motivated in the area of physical exercise (which usually lasts a few weeks) and on the other, I can't help but be reminded of the spiritual parallels the apostle Paul draws from the task of an athlete. For Ironman athletes, training is only part of what goes into completing the race. All the runs, bike training and swimming lead up to this event, but unless their body is properly hydrated, given proper nutrition, and protected from the sun, their big race day will more than likely end in disappointment. As a Christian, I hope to continually learn from this illustration, and remember to constantly seek nourishment from the Word, hydration from the Holy Spirit, the source of living water, and protection in the fellowship of other believers and in the equipping of the armor of God (Ephesians 6).
2010 Ironman world Champion
On the bike for 112 miles.Prayer for Nations: Afghanistan
No nation has been in more of a constant state of uncertainty and chaos the past decade than Afghanistan. It's government has been replaced, it's loyalties questioned and tested, its culture and religion blamed for atrocities, and it's people overlooked and marginalized. I have a student this quarter from Afghanistan, and talking with him about his home has put a burden on my heart to see God work in the way only he can to bring breakthrough to that nation. In the past few months YWAM missionaries and Christians from other groups have paid the ultimate price for bringing the Gospel to Afghanistan, and it was the sad duty of one of our most recent DTS outreach teams to facilitate a memorial service there for some of the long term workers who had been killed for the Gospel. When you read this, please say a prayer for the protection of our workers still there, who will remain nameless for security purposes. I have several good friends currently serving the Lord in Afghanistan, and I'm praying that the Lord gives them supernatural protection and wisdom in how to minister, but also supernatural boldness, that His kingdom may go forth in that nation!
