YWAM's 50th Jubilee Celebration

Loren Cunningham- the founder of Youth With A Mission

     For 3 days, we had the honor of joining with hundreds of other YWAMers from Mexico, California, Texas, and beyond, to celebrate YWAM's 50th year.  Loren and Darlene Cunningham have been spending all of 2010 traveling around the globe to key locations where YWAMers could gather together to celebrate.  YWAM San Diego/Baja hosted this one at their new Tijuana base in Rosarito, Mexico.  The property is half done, and half still in development.  But whew!  It was gorgeous.  The property sits up on a hill, overlooking the Pacific, and the facilities are excellently designed and built.  They even have plans for a soccer field and swimming pool.
     But enough about that, back to the celebration:  Sunday kicked it off with worship and a joyous welcome from Loren and Darlene.  It was touching to hear from them personally.  Then all day Monday and Tuesday we heard about God's goodness in the past within YWAM, His faithfulness in the present, and His vision for the future.  Looking back at the history of YWAM is always very encouraging.  It felt kinda like the days when I'd be sitting at my grandparents house and all of a sudden one of them would tell me a story from their younger days.  I loved hearing about what their life was like, what they did, and what their struggles were back then.  So, looking back at YWAM's history and hearing the stories straight from Loren and Darlene's mouth was very entertaining, and it gave me a perspective of just how truly good God has been as the many people of YWAM multiplied and reached into the corners of the world.
     Then we got to hear about what God has been faithfully doing at each of the bases represented.  So Will and Lori Barrow got to share about our base, and the things that God is activly doing.  Things like, our current DTS, Project 61 ministry's outreach to Haiti this November, and Brandon and my SFMI ministry to reach surfers and take them into missions.  You can check out more about our base at www.ywampismobeach.org .
     Lastly Loren spoke on some of the vision of what God is opening up for us as a mission to be involved with in the future.  Some of the most groundbreaking technology has been patented by YWAM and is going to be launching over the rest of this year and the next.  Technology to teach illiterate people how to read in 2 weeks.  That way they can then read the gospel message in their native language.  Technology to link surgeons with missionaries deep in the jungles.  Technology to bring together people from all over the world in a virtual classroom.  And its crazy to think that little ol' YWAM, a group of Christian believers, are pioneering this technology!
     The whole 50th celebration was very encouraging.  To meet fellow YWAMers from other places, and also to hear stories of how people's lives have been changed because of the Lord, touched my heart and encouraged me to grow in faith and trust.

All our staff, DTS students, and the Cunninghams

     A short little story..... Because of housing shortages during the 50th celebration, Brandon and I shared a room with another family on staff.  Their two little boys were super fun to live with for 3 days.  And Shiloh, as always, was a big hit with them.  One of the days I stayed back in our room as Shiloh and the boys were taking their afternoon naps.  When the older one woke up, he crawled up on the bed to sit with Shiloh.  He said to me, "I think she is telling me, 'I love you'." Hahaha.  Then he said, "You know what?  I think she wants me to sing her a song."  He then proceeds to sing in a quiet and sweet voice, "Batman, Batman, Baaaatman."  Too cute!