News

YWAM Colombia Responds to Massive Flooding

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I recently received this e-mail from YWAM Medellin about the recent flooding and how it’s affecting the nations. Looks like YWAM Medellin is responding to the crisis, and needs our help and prayers…

With this letter we want to share with our friends inside and out of the country, the emergency that the rainy season has caused in Colombia. There is massive flooding that has left thousands of people without food, housing and clothes. Hundreds have perished. Among the victims are 5 evangelical churches that were totally destroyed in the Ayapel & lower Cauca regions.

It is an alarming situation that many Colombian are living through and we want to make the Body of Christ aware of the need. We are receiving donations of non perishable food, portable stoves, clothing, blankets, tents, building materials, Bibles and cash donations to meet the need.

Please help us, help these brothers to find happiness this Christmas in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Enith Diaz

Director, YWAM Medellin

www.ywammedellin.com

If you are interested in finding out more about their response to the crisis, including how you can help, you can contact Enith Diaz via e-mail at ywammed@gmail.com.

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News

Australian YWAMers Establish New YWAM Ministry Centre in Canada

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YWAMers from Australia have established a new ministry location in Canada.

Australian Flag on top of YWAM Ministry Centre in CanadaIn the establishment of the new Youth With A Mission ministry centre the Australians used local, natural and easily available resources to build the new ministry building. It was built very quickly, over a matter of days, and blends in with the local landscape.

The ministry objectives and plans for the Australian YWAMers is still being established by the local staff. The YWAMers are saying that they are there for the long haul, but there are concerns though from the locals in Canada. One of them was overheard saying:

I know that they say they are here for the long term, but the way they built it looks to me like their ministry center will be gone by the time spring rolls around!

Young Australian YWAMers in CanadaApparently some of the locals are concerned about the YWAMers choice of building material; snow.

When approached about it the Australian YWAMer was surprised, responding, “What are you talking about? It’s everywhere, and I really can’t see it going away, this centre will be around for decades!”.

Austalian YWAMers wearing flip flops in the snow!There was also concern expressed by the local Canadians about some of the Australian YWAMers choice of footwear…

Again the Australian YWAMers were indignant in their answer stating, “We wear these things year round everywhere in Australia, including weddings! I’m not going to change just because of local tradition, I’m an Australian!”.

While the longevity of the building materials used for the new Youth With A Mission Ministry Centre in Canada is in doubt, the long-term future of the YWAMers in Canada is also still to be determined. In the mean time though they are plugging away at whatever it is God’s told them to do there…

Lounging on the roof top of the new YWAM Australia Ministry Centre in Canada
Lounging on the roof top of the new YWAM Australia Ministry Centre in Canada

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Outreach

2010 Schoolies Outreach in Australia

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In the coming weeks high school students in Australia will be graduating from grade 12 and descending in droves to beaches and resorts to celebrate.

The revelry usually goes for about 18-days starting on November 19. Tens of thousands of graduates participate in the annual celebration for school leavers. Gold Coast has about 60,000 young people participating, and Byron Bay, the second most popular destination, has about 10,000 people attend.

While most people’s experience at Schoolies is positive and fun, there is often also the misuse of drugs, alcohol and excessive partying. Unfortunately girls and guys are often taken advantage of by their peers and sometime by older predators as well during the event.

Youth With A Mission has had a presence at Schoolies for many decades, providing activities, support, safe places and people to patrol the areas where the youth are partying. I did an outreach with YWAM Sunshine Coast back in 1998 where we spent a lot of time talking with the school leavers, helping them where needed, and pointing them in the right direction if they needed further help.

I’ve contacted numerous YWAM Centres in Australia to see what  schoolies outreach opportunities are available and will be updating this article with that information and talking about it on the next YWAM Podcast when I hear back from the different centres.

Update:

YWAM Byron Bay runs a schoolies outreach every year. Both YWAM Brisbane, YWAM Newcastle and YWAM Sunshine Coast do their outreaches by joining with YWAM Byron Bay. Some of the outreach activities that they engage in are:

  • Hotel Chaplains
  • Organised Sports
  • Free BBQ
  • Street Concerts
  • Drama
  • One on One Evangelism

YWAM Reef to Outback, YWAM Newcastle and YWAM Brisbane usually include the schoolies outreach as a part of their Discipleship Training School (YWAM DTS).

YWAM Sunshine Coast has stopped doing their schoolies outreach to Maroochydore and Mooloolaba, where I did my schoolies outreach, since the Maroochy Shire Council stopped supporting and funding the activities in 2007.

Links:

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Prayer

Pray for Haiti as Tomas Approaches

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I was forwarded this prayer request from YWAM Haiti as they wait for Tomas to arrive.

A late season Hurricane is heading toward Haiti. The  hurricane forecast shows hurricane Tomas just off the south coast of Haiti on Friday heading straight for the country.  We know the heartache and suffering the people of Haiti have been going through with the earthquake and now the cholera outbreak. A hurricane with its associated flooding and wind will heap more misery on the Haitian people.  We know that God is all powerful and that the wind and sea obey his commands.  So let’s pray this storm out to sea.

Terry W. Snow
National Director
Youth With a Mission-Haiti

The latest news that I have read is that Haiti is likely to avoid a direct hit, but forecasters expect heavy rain to last for days. The heavy rain could lead to deadly flooding, and people are being evacuated from some of the tent cities and moved to more solid buildings.

Let’s remember to keep Haiti in our prayers, and you can check back on this site for more news when we know it, and on the YWAM Facebook page.

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News

YWAM Ambulance in Haiti Crashes while Transporting Cholera Patients

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We have confirmed reports that the YWAM Ambulance in Haiti was involved in an roll over accident while transporting cholera patients late last week.

According to updates on Twitter the ambulance crashed and was damaged, but thankfully no one was hurt. Those in the back of the ambulance reported that although the ambulance flipped, the passengers reported that it “felt like they rolled on pillows”.

Although initial reports said that the ambulance flipped and rolled over, those reports were incorrect. The people in Haiti who I spoke to said that there was no indication of a roll over, and the photos below seem to confirm that.

We reported previously about the YWAM Mercy Truck Ambulance being donated to YWAM Haiti after the devastating earthquake that hit the nation in January. Since the earthquake it has been working almost non stop delivering aid and running mobile clinics for the people in Haiti. Only a few days ago we got reports that the ambulance was running strong and saving lives.

When the ambulance was delivered back in February it was reportedly the only ambulance in the nation of Haiti. We can only hope and pray now that they are able to get the ambulance repaired and running again, especially in the wake of the current Cholera outbreak and the approaching Hurricane Thomas. The Haitian mechanics who have looked at the ambulance guess that the repairs will take three weeks, if it is repairable.

We received this statement from YWAM in Haiti after I contacted them to confirm the accident:

The ambulance came a few months after the earthquake and served in Port-au-Prince until emergencies died down. It was then brought to St. Marc to be a part of the New Foundations Clinic. Before it crashed, it brought to the hospital an estimated 40 cholera-hit people that were in critical condition. It also helped volunteers reach an unknown amount of cholera-hit people that were not sick enough to need medical evac.

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