22 Vessels in YWAM

YWAM has 22 vessels serving in a wide variety of conditions around the world. We have small cruise ships, river boats and deep-sea yachts all working in a cyclical pattern within their region. Some go out for two weeks at a time, others are deployed for months far from home relying on containers for supplies.

Some are linked to just one YWAM center, while others have the support of several. Most vessels host teams of University of the Nations students on their field assignments alongside crew and medical volunteers. Some vessels look like floating YWAM bases, while others simply carry students to isolated villages like the boat at Outpost Panama serving the Ngobe Indians.

Most YWAMers are unaware of the growth of our fleet that has happened over the last several years. By the time you read this we should have three additional yachts joining our fleet, one each from Germany, Australia and Hawaii.

PNG Asks for a University

Today we are experiencing unprecedented favor in Papua New Guinea (PNG)! As a result of seven years of trust being built up by YWAM Medical Ships Australia serving in PNG, government officials, specifically the Prime Minister and his cabinet, have asked YWAM to come in through the front door of education and establish a university system throughout the nation where only 1% have traditionally had the opportunity to attend higher education.

The University of the Nations and Ships were born to work together in such a partnership as “twins” since 1978. We read all about it in Loren Cunningham’s book Is That Really You God? Serving PNG is an amazing window of opportunity to significantly effect a nation and because of the good will that has been created, other doors are swinging wide open too!

YWAM, this is what we were made for, what we are designed to do and what we train for!

–Brett Curtis, YWAM Ships Kona

Preparation for Prayer:

• Review the map graphic above, noting where our ships are.
• Review the pictures and details about each ship below and recognize the differences in roles that each of these ships have. Usually our larger ships take on ambassadorial functions, opening nations to the spheres we train to impact, as with YWAM PNG. Our smaller ships reach some of the most isolated people in some of the most remote areas in the world. Our ships travel to some of the most beautiful and some of the coldest places on earth. One ship is currently serving refugees in Greece, while another provides hope to small fishing villages, and many provide medical services and supplies.
• Ask God to speak to you regarding how to pray for the Papua New Guinea opportunity.
• Ask God to reveal how to pray for the remaining YWAM fleet: A specific ship? Ships near you? All ships? New ships? One day? For the rest of this month? On an ongoing basis?

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.

Isaiah 42:10, ESV

Suggested Prayer Points:

Papua New Guinea (PNG):

Pray for:

• Key strategies
• Innovative University of Nations courses sending students on field assignments
• Leaders to come walk the land and pray how they should engage
• Resources in the hands of servant-hearted YWAMers
• Partners from around the world
• YWAMers to move in obedience to His words on the “twin” ministries of YWAM
• Continued fruit from this ministry

Twenty Two YWAM vessels:

Pray for:

• Each ship, or particular ships as the Lord leads you.
• Needs all ships have in common:
  • Funding
  • Crew
  • Supplies
  • Teams to deploy with them
• God to engage our hearts for Ship Equipped Ministries
• New ships and the process of receiving the ships
• Security, especially for the ship quietly serving a Muslim country
• Connection with the people being served in a way that they see Jesus

VESSELS SERVING IN YWAM

The largest vessel in the fleet is the M/V (motor vessel) YWAM PNG. She is deployed in Papua New Guinea in the southern region of the country. She is operated out of YWAM Townsville Australia and well known both in PNG and along the east coast of Australia. She has recently been outfitted with new operating rooms and is currently deployed with over 100 volunteers. Reach out to Ken at info@ywamships.org.au

The M/V PACIFIC HOPE is operated by Marine Reach out of Tauranga New Zealand and focuses her efforts primarily on the nation of Vanuatu. She is our second largest ship in the fleet with surgical suites on board and conducts primary health care clinics ashore. You can reach David at info@marinereach.com

The M/V PACIFIC LINK is deployed among the islands of Papua New Guinea in the north. She has been operated by YWAM Ships Kona since October 2015 with an operating room on board and mobile clinics ashore. She has 50 beds and is deployed 10 months of the year in PNG. Reach Brett at info@ywamships.net

The sailing yacht S/Y (sailing yacht) NEXT WAVE – Serving the multitude of Syrian refugees arriving daily in Lesvos, Greece. This schooner is uniquely positioned to host teams as they provide assistance to the 2,000+ refugees pouring into the region close to where the ship is docked. You can reach their office at inquiries@ywamnextwave.org

The M/V AMAZING GRACE is a new vessel that will soon run Homes of Hope as her unique contribution to ministry around the Sea of Cortez – Baja Mexico. She is ideally situated to bring hope to remote fishing villages within a few days sail of Mazatlan. Reach Ikaika at doriandikaika@gmail.com

The S/Y CLOUD NINE works among the remote atolls of the Marshall Islands. She partners with YWAM Ships Kona in the Pacific and conducts clinic work from the Kwajalein Atoll in some of the most beautiful yet isolated locations in the world. Connect with Scott Suderno at scott.suderno@ywamships.net

The M/V WILDERNESS EXPLORER is operated by YWAM Ships Catalina Island, 26 miles off the Los Angeles coast running schools and camps at Emerald Bay and Avalon. Outreaches are to Baja Mexico. Reach Fran at frantablas@gmail.com

The S/Y MANDOLIN serves out of New Zealand up into Fiji carrying Bibles and conducting water testing on wells with an onboard lab as she sails from island to island. She is in her first year of service within the liquid continent. You may reach out to Hinrich at hkraenzlin@gmail.com

From the YWAM Mendocino base comes MAKING WAVES.  She is a boat ideally suited to gain access to the Ngobe Indian tribes living along the rivers and inner coastal waters of northern Panama (Caribbean Sea). She makes day trips from YWAM’s Outpost Panama base. There are over 50 Ngobe tribes living within a day’s sail. Access otherwise means at least two days in a four wheeled drive vehicle then hiking a day to reach some of them. Reach Tom at Thomas.schmidt@ywamships.net or Nathan at wagnern@azlearn.org

The river boat NADEZHDA serves on the 3400 mile Ob River in Siberia. The climate is harsh enough that they can only serve for a small number of months each year before stopping for the annual freeze. These places are VERY isolated and cold. Andy would love to hear from you: andyfrecka@gmail.com

There are three river boats at the Iquitos base on the Amazon River. Their first boat is called FILIPE. They run volunteers up tributaries deep into the Amazon and are situated in Peru. These long fast boats are ideal for their environment serving some of the most challenged villages you can find. You can reach Clark at clarkbarnard@gmail.com.

The river boat SAO MATEUS is a familiar sight on the Amazon carrying medical teams up and down the river for years. She is situated at the base in Manaus 1,000 miles from the ocean. You may reach Belino at the Manaus base at belinojocum@yahoo.com.br

The river boat AUSTRALIA II also works on the Amazon from Manaus. She is an aluminum boat taking day trips along the tributaries of the Amazon with teams of volunteers and students. You can reach the Manaus base concerning this vessel by contacting Belino at belinojocum@yahoo.com.br

The river boat BETESADA works at the mouth of the Amazon and takes medical teams for two weeks at a time deep up the tributaries ministering to the tribes along the river banks. You sleep in the villages and move to new locations during the day. Amazon Reach is in the process of adding an additional boat for work from the same location. Email Joe at jnovelo@mac.com

The river boats LETICIA. There are two boats that work along the banks of the Amazon river in southern Colombia reaching villages that are remote with their students and volunteers. Reach out to Jamie at ywamleticia@gmail.com

In South East Asia there is a medical river boat that serves quietly in a Muslim nation out of YWAM. Her crew are all heroes. Pray for their safety and funding needs.

Take Action:

• Contact Brett Curtis or Ken Mulligan for more information if you sense God leading you to investigate ministry opportunities in Papua New Guinea.
• Seek the Lord for how He may be calling you or your location to serve, pray for, or partner with one of the ministries associated with one of YWAM’s 22 and growing number of vessels. Contact the appropriate resource person provided.
• Find out more about YWAM ships and opportunities to serve: http://ywamships.net/global (You can even find out where the YWAM ships currently are!)
• Visit the YWAM Ships Kona Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ywamships and view the March 21 post to read about the first 100 days at PNG.
• Reread Loren’s book Is That Really You God? to learn more about the “twin” partnership between the University of Nations and YWAM Ships and how they were born at the same time to our mission.
• Share how God spoke to you.
  • Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, find the post for April 14, and add a comment about how you prayed.
  • Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture.
  • Send an email to prayer@ywam.org.
  • Share with other YWAMers in person or through other channels.

How We Prayed:

March 2016 – Area – Ending Bible Poverty

• YWAM – Blantyre, Malawi started distributing the Gospel of Mark on March 15 and provided this map showing all of the homes where God’s Word was distributed: http://batchgeo.com/map/b32e8ccf04dfd40a6418bdc62096dfe6
• YWAM – San Jose, Costa Rica prayed to End Bible Poverty in specific counties and shared notes from their prayer time. God revealed several verses from Psalms and the book of John as they prayed.
• YWAM – Create Thailand posted on Facebook and prayed for the village near Chiang Rai, for further discipleship after the Bible distribution and for God’s word to catch in their hearts.
• YWAM – Hong Kong National Office posted on Facebook and spent time praying for a One Story team close by, and repenting of distractions that keep them from His Word. They also obtained more ideas on distribution strategies.
• YWAM – Harbour City, Hong Kong prayed and tweeted Psalm 119:160 All your words are true.
• YWAM – Seamill, Scotland prayed and tweeted that ending Bible poverty is possible in our generation!

February 2016 – Local – Governments

• YWAM – Island Breeze, and YWAM – Constanta, Romania prayed for their government as a community.

Upcoming topics for The Invitation:

• May 12, 2016 – Praying for Local Concerns (Location and Community)
• June 9, 2016 – Area Topic

The second Thursday is just a suggestion. Feel free to pray close to that date at a time that works well for your location’s schedule.

Don’t Miss The Invitation

• Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
• Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go toywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, or request other languages.)
• Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook post on the second Thursday atfacebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hash tag #praywithywam.
• If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.