We just redesigned our YWAM Madison website. Now, you can view all our blogs in one place. Check out the YWAM blog at http://blog.ywammadison.org.

See ya on our great new website!

Jen - former YWAM Madison staff

“Here, this is for you!” exclaimed the DTS student as she lovingly handed me her most prized possession.

Coming from an Amish background, I’ve never been one for technology or getting the latest thing. When email first came out I thought that it was ridiculous and I would never need it. Then laptops came out and I wasn’t about to jump on that bandwagon just for the sake of being like everyone else!

But the more I’ve gotten involved in mission work the more I’ve grown to see the need for technology as a necessary, not frivolous, thing. So, for three or four years I prayed for a laptop, putting that request in newsletters and telling people about my need. Unfortunately, there was no laptop on the horizon and I definitely wasn’t able to afford one.

One night would change my life forever! I was on staff with the Children at Risk DTS and we were having a Christmas party. But this was not your typical Christmas party! Instead of buying gifts for each other, we were going to ask God what to give each other — and it had to be something we already owned.

I struggled as I thought about whether to give away my precious shoes that I had just gotten on an outreach to China. I wanted it to be a sacrifice but souvenirs are not easy for me to part with because of their sentimental value.

Amidst the students and staff, there was an explosion of giving — a favorite sweatshirt, some jewelry, a hat and some cash. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. One of the students felt like God was telling her to give a large item, an expensive one that was precious to her–her new Macbook. Surprised, she talked to a classmate for confirmation without telling her the item she was thinking about. Her friend looked at her and said, “I think that God is saying to give your laptop to Jen!”

Jen & her shiny, red laptop!

With the confirmation she needed, this obedient student headed towards me and handed over her laptop! My jawed dropped as I asked her again and again if she was sure about this gift! I was in shock and so moved, almost to the point of tears! We hugged as I took the computer that was a huge answer to prayer. The amazing thing is that I don’t remember ever sharing this need with the class. But God knew my need.

The laptop has been a huge blessing to me. I’ve been able to keep in better contact with family and friends, do Power Point (Keynote) presentations, work from anywhere, put together amazing newsletters and much more! I’m so grateful for this unexpected way that God provided for me.

And every time I use my shiny red laptop I think about God’s goodness to me and one of the best Christmas presents ever! (By the way, red is my favorite color.)

Are people valuable? If so, what gives them value?

As I’ve traveled, I’ve encountered many worldviews that try to answer these questions. Sometimes, the answers show up in the strangest of places. Like a driving test.

In various cities in India, you’ll find a question on their driving test that reads something like this: “You are driving your car and come to a place in the road where there is a cow and a person. You cannot stop and have to hit one of them. Who do you hit?”

Did you answer cow? If so, you just failed the test.

A worldview is your set of beliefs that govern the way you live. In fact, the word “believe” comes from an old English word which means “by life.” In other words, you’ll know what I believe by looking at how I live. So what does the Hindu worldview say about the value of people? Of cows?

If that driver’s test was given in my home country, Germany, the failing answer would be the opposite. Western worldview would say that the person is more valuable than the cow, so by all means, spare the life of the person. It would say that our value is defined by what we do and contribute to society. If asked why we are more valuable than animals, western philosophy will generally answer that we are more valuable because we are at the top of the evolutionary chain, or that we can do more than animals.

One of the ways that people define value is by making a comparison. “A man is more valuable than a woman.”

To many of us, that statement seems absurd. Even insulting. You might wonder whether people still have those beliefs. I can assure you, they do. Just look around.

YWAM Bible School for the Nations class discussion on value

In March 2010, the Economist featured an article called Gendercide. It opens with a story of a woman who visits a peasant Chinese family and witnesses the birth of their child. As soon as the baby is born, the midwife drops it into the slop bucket, head first. “‘It’s a girl baby,’ [explained the midwife.] ‘We can’t keep it. Around these parts, you can’t get by without a son. Girl babies don’t count.’”

Think about modern day slavery – human trafficking. Millions of women are sold into sex slavery every year. Children work in sweatshops for an unliveable wage. How is that possible unless people don’t think the women are worth more than the money they can get for them? Or that their profits are more important than the lives of their workers?

There must be a way to stop these things from happening. Those changes must come from within, from a change in beliefs. I believe that only a Biblical worldview will bring true freedom to a dying world as we are being restored to what God originally created us for. Let’s take a closer look at what God says about our personal value and why we were created.

Purpose

The Bible tells us that God made us in His image because He wanted to shower us with his love. He made us so that we can live in relationship with him and with others. In Genesis 1 and 2 we see God evaluate his creation and he says: “it’s good, it’s good, it’s good, it’s good.”

Then God makes man in Genesis 2 and he says “it’s not good…. It’s not good for man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.” If you do a study on the word “helper” this is not talking about somebody who is made to serve, do laundry, clean, etc. The word helper is used almost exclusively for God throughout the rest of the Bible. It’s usually used to describe a hero who comes and rescues someone from deepest trouble!

It is after the creation of woman that God evaluates everything again and pronounces his creation very good. This shows so clearly that God made man for relationship and that it is not good to live without relationship.

Value

If I tried to auction off my guitar to help the earthquake victims in Haiti, how much money could I raise? Not much. What if I auctioned a guitar owned and played by Carlos Santana? A lot. Value is given to an object depending upon who it belongs to.

What if I auctioned off a handwritten book about my experiences in Bhutan? I would probably not get a whole lot for that. But what if I auctioned off a handwritten manuscript of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”? This would raise thousands of dollars. Value is directly affected by the creator (or author) of the object created.

Another thing that gives something value is rarity or uniqueness. When I collected stamps, I wanted the rare misprints because they were worth so much more. Humans are unique in the sense that even though there are six billion of us we can be identified by our fingerprints. You can think your own thoughts, thoughts I may never think. We are wonderfully and uniquely made to fulfill our design – to live in relationship with God and others.

Because God made us and made all of us unique with the purpose to live in a wonderful relationship with him and others, every single person whether male or female, black or white, healthy or handicapped, straight or gay is of infinite value.

If we started living like this is true and treat people for the infinitely valuable treasure they are, this world would look very different. This simple truth of the infinite value of people will end human trafficking and infanticide.

As we learn how God created this world and decide to live according to how he made the world, our lives will change.

How do we do that? Well, that will be discussed in another blog!

Before I came to YWAM three years ago I had never heard of intercession. (Intercession is praying for others, and especially listening to God as He gives us insight so we can pray more effectively.) It was such an exciting new thing to pray for nations and to receive images and words from God about islands and countries I’d never even thought about.

But over time, intercession became monotonous and dry. I no longer anticipated it and struggled through sessions.

When I came to BSN, we spent time talking about intercession — what it is and what it isn’t. Then it occurred to me that I had totally missed a vital point to intercession: God doesn’t just want us to intercede so that we can understand what’s ahead of us on outreach, or so that we get a better understanding of what is happening somewhere spiritually. God wants our prayers so that He can act!

I was amazed to realize that I had not grasped that prayer actually makes a difference – it isn’t just a good spiritual discipline or done out of duty. It is inviting God to bring real change in this world.

This understanding has radically changed my perspective on how to intercede. Now I’m inspired to ask God to show me His heart for the nations, so that I can pray and He can act.

Children at Risk DTS - Madison, WI USA 2010

The stories of children around the world are staggering. Throughout the world millions of children are orphaned through war, through AIDS, through extreme poverty. Every seven seconds a child dies from a preventable disease. Drug addiction runs rampant. Children are sold into prostitution or forced to become child soldiers. They’re lost and they have no place to live. These children have no hope. And these are the ones that are on the heart of God.

Rescue Ops DTS will focus on the needs of children around the world and the issues that put them at risk. We will also focus on the heart of God who promises to be a “Father to the fatherless, who sets the lonely in families.” (Psalm 68:5,6)

For three months (Sept-Dec), we will examine strategies to help these kids and pursue ways to assist poor communities around the world. And then we will go, spending two months (Jan-Feb 2011) overseas (potentially in Thailand and Myanmar). We will work with street kids, AIDS orphans and slum communities, as well as reach out to people of all ages through evangelism.

If you are interested in receiving more information or attending, please contact dts@ywammadison.org

Learn more about the Children at Risk DTS at YWAM Madison.

by Manuel, Bible School for the Nations leader

I’ve been talking to a guy I met at the gym a few weeks ago. The first thing he said to me was a lecture that it wasn’t good to shower right before going into the sauna. I just smiled and we kept talking.

We talked about saunas and Germany (I’m German). Then he told me about how stupid Americans are — especially those 50% (his statistic) who believe in Noah’s Ark and a young world.

“God is a mad black woman who is coming back to destroy everything,” he said.

“That’s interesting that you’d say that,”  I said. “I’m an interdenominational missionary.”

“Really!”

I could tell I had sparked his interest and that he wanted to ask me questions. But by that time, it was just too hot to keep talking. We were in a sauna, after all.

Two weeks later I saw him at the sauna again. We continued our conversation right where we had left off.

“I’m a  Jewish, Buddhist, atheist,” he said. “I like to get Evangelicals to yell at me and lose their temper. I tell them that if God came down right now and told me to accept the blood of his son or go to hell I would spit in his eye and say f-you.”

It wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before. My missionary work has taken me to some rough places. And I was a little like him before I met Jesus. So he and I talked about the atonement. We talked about justice.

“Remember your comment about the ark earlier?” I asked. “Why are you so passionate about it? What would you do if I believed in the ark?”

“I don’t want to offend you,” he said, looking uncomfortable.

“Hey, I don’t mind if you think I’m stupid.” I told him about the healings and supernatural works of God I’ve seen in my life. “Those things made it easy for me to believe what I read in the Bible.”

“You’re a better man than me,” he said after a while, when I didn’t lose my temper or get upset at him for his ideas or language.

This Jewish-Buddhist-Atheist and I kept talking. We talked about love and God, that love is a choice. That love is choosing the highest good for God, others and yourself.

He told me about his life and some of the struggles he’s going through. He’s taking a break from his job right now and is in therapy because of severe depression.

“I’ve gotta go,” he finally said, sweat pouring down his face. (Remember, this is all happening in the sauna.) “I enjoyed our conversation. It was really nice to meet you.”

Right before he walked out, he turned to me and said, “God sends me people like you.”

Not bad coming from a man who 10 minutes earlier told me that he was an atheist.

Manuel keeps a personal blog at http://rammingersworld.blogspot.com, which is where this post initially appeared. His Facebook profile states that his interest is “To make a lasting impact on individuals around me.”

Job's family waited for us under the shade of the mango tree

Our pickup truck bounced down the dirt road, kicking up a trail of red dust clouds. The truck swerved around a giant termite mound and I grabbed the side of the truck bed. We finally pulled to a stop between two mud huts, where a dozen people waited beneath a cluster of mango trees.

I glanced at Job, the man who brought us to Pader. He looked nervous. Would his twenty-five year prayer be answered today?

“Jall,” an elderly man greeted us. Hello. He led us to a circle of wooden chairs in the shade. The man was Job’s father.

“Apoyo matec,” I said shaking his hand. Thanks so much for having us.

“We are so honored that you came today,” he said in Luo. He introduced each of his family members who sat with us in the circle.

Job gestured for me to stand and for our team to introduce ourselves.

“We are so happy to be here,” I said. “When we were in America, we were praying and God told us to come to northern Uganda to tell you that He has not forgotten you.”

War had engulfed northern Uganda for the past twenty-five years. The Lord’s Resistance Army had swept through the countryside murdering thousands, raping women and forcing children to become soldiers. Job fled south and his family moved into the refugee camps after their homes were burned. For twenty-five years, Job prayed for his family. Of the 300 people in his clan, only two were Christians.

In 2007, he received some very encouraging news. His friend saw a vision of a missionary team visiting his family and of a church being planted.

Were we that team? I wondered.

Our team of ten split into pairs and set out in different directions to visit each of the homes in Job’s village. Jaedn and I stayed with Job and his family under the mango trees. My mind raced with thoughts of a message God had just given me.

“I’ve learned much about honor since I came to Uganda,” I began. “Last night I was given a chicken’s back (a great honor in Pader). Everywhere we go, people welcome us into their homes. You also honored us greatly today.” I paused, glancing around the circle. “But there is someone more worthy of honor than I. He is the one who made these mango trees under which we sit and the sun from which they shade us.”

I told Job’s family the story of creation. I told them of the fall, when men stopped honoring God. I told them of Israel, who were enslaved and refugees in Egypt when God rescued them and brought them back to their lands. And I told them of Jesus who came to restore our relationship with God.

“This God deserves your honor. Are you ready to honor him today?”

My gaze slowly moved around the circle.

“My mother wants to give her life to God,” Job said, his eyes glassy with tears. “And my father, grandmother, niece and nephew.”

They bowed their heads, waiting for God to show them any sins that had separated them from him. Silently, they asked God’s forgiveness for whatever sins He reminded them of.

“There’s one last thing we should do,” I said, a smile spreading across my face. “Each of us should publicly honor God.”

I stood to model what they would do. “I thank God for bringing me here so I could learn what true honor is.”

Job’s father stood next. “I thank God for giving me a son like Job.”

A few minutes later, my teammates returned with similar stories of people giving their lives to God. In all, eighteen people became Christians. And now, those new believers want to start a church under the mango trees.

Huts in the Pader refugee camps

The hot afternoon sun beat down on me as I followed our translator down the narrow path of the remote village in Pader, Uganda. We were right behind Evynn and a villager we’d just met. In the distance, a cluster of mud huts peaked out of the tall African grass. Twenty minutes later, we finally reached our destination. What would we discover in the village? Would the villagers want us to pray for them? And how would God answer our prayers?

A middle-aged woman stood outside the first hut. Several chickens strutted about and pecked at the ground. Our translator explained to her that we wanted to pray for people. He asked if she or someone in her family would like prayer. The woman beckoned us inside her home to meet her father.

I followed her, avoiding the chickens and ducking my head to clear the doorway.

“Jall,” an elderly man greeted us. Hello, how are you?

The man’s limp body slumped onto a small stool. “I’m sorry I cannot do more to welcome you,” he told us through our translator. His voice was weak, raspy. “A few weeks ago, a group of thieves attacked me and left me for dead. Please, please pray for me.”

Evynn and I knelt beside the old man, gently resting our hands on his shoulders. We prayed that God would take away his pain. And we prayed that his heart would be free from bitterness so he could experience the healing power of forgiveness.

As I prayed, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude sweep over me. I felt like God was showing me how He’d cradled the old man on the night of the attack, how He’d sent angels to protect him and ensure his rescue. I remembered the verses that talk about giving thanks in all circumstances.

And then it struck me how much this man really could be grateful for: God had preserved his life!

After we prayed with the man, we said goodbye and turned to leave. We had just stepped outside when the woman stopped us.

“Please don’t leave yet!” she called out.

She hurried past me and snuck up behind a plump hen. Before I knew what was happening, she snatched the hen’s legs, her hands a blur.

“Take this,” she said, lifting the chicken into the air. “It’s our gift to you. We only wish we could give you more.”

Our translator grabbed the struggling, noisy chicken and I chuckled to myself. Isn’t that just how God works? He sent us to bring hope to an injured old man. He taught me how to give thanks no matter what the circumstance. And now He gave our team a chicken for dinner!

Hallah shows off her boarding pass.

Just a quick hello from Shillong! Our 1 1/2 day trip took 3 days, but we have finally arrived – safely, in pretty good health, and with all of our bags!

Very heavy fog in Delhi resulted in many cancelled and delayed flights. So the resulting backlog made it difficult for us to find a new connecting flight. As we were stranded, many strangers showed us kindness. God provided us with free hotels and food in both Abu Dhabi and Delhi during our delays! We were even able to hire taxis for the 3 hour drive to Shillong at 10pm after being told it was impossible.

Ayophy warmly welcomed us when we finally arrived in Shillong at 1:30 this morning. In an hour we’ll meet with the YWAM leader here in Shillong and then at 2:30 we’ll go to Uncle Miller’s church. I’ll be preaching.

Tomorrow I begin teaching in the DTS and we’ll also get acclimated to our surroundings a bit.

We’ll write more soon. Thanks for praying for us during our adventures in travel. God is truly faithful!

Evynn & Talasi love playing with the school children in southern Uganda.

“Mzungu! Mzungu!”

No matter where I go, happy little voices call out after me “Mzungu! Mzungu!” I never tire of it; in fact, it enchants me every time.

Mzungu is a Swahili word. They use it here in Africa to describe us Westerners. It is not a negative or derogatory term at all. In fact, most times I hear it spoken with great excitement. As we travel down the dusty Ugandan roads, children wave from their homes or run out to greet us and shriek with delight, “Hey, Mzungu!”

While I love the sound of it, I can say that my excitement is not about the word itself. Instead, I’m enchanted by the faces of the children who shout this out to us when they see us coming. It’s the way they laugh and smile when an intriguing stranger waves to them and says “hello!” Their enthralled voices, their innocent enthusiasm, their vibrant smiles… they bring such pure and perfect joy to my heart.

I don’t know all of their stories, I am blessed to know that God’s eye is upon these children, and He calls each one by name.

Thank you, God, for these precious children. Thank you for preserving their innocence in such a hard world.

I will miss being called “Mzungu” when I return to North America. This word, and all that comes with it, has become a part of me here. My heart will treasure it always.