GO CAMP!

GO CAMP!!!

Do you have a heart for missions? Do you want to experience reaching out across cultures? Do you want to be equipped in your Christian life on how to know God and make Him known? Are you 18 years of age or older? Then YWAM's GO Camp is for you!

There will be one week of training in Arua, with radical cutting edge speakers. Then, followed by two weeks outreach to either Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan or DR Congo!

How much does it cost?
Training and Outreach: 100 000 UGSh

Dates:
Arrival in Arua: 10th January 2010
Leave for Outreach: 17th January 2010
Leave Arua: 29th January 2010

Youth With A Mission

We are an interdenominational Christian mission which has been in Uganda since 1986. YWAM is committed to mobilizing youth to proclaim the gospel through the world.

Would you like to know more?

• Harriet Adania: 0773 440574
• Paul Onomoro: 0773 246548
• Sam Abuku: 0772 571664

E-mail:
ywamarua@yahoo.com

Post to YWAM:
P.O. Box 442
Arua, Uganda

Regina and The SBS

This is Regina, one of our staff, who has just recently moved to the Hopeland base in Jinja to attend the 9 month SBS (School of Biblical Studies). It's been her dream for a long time to attend this school so we're very excited for her! Please pray for her time during this school that she would squeeze everything out of it that she can!

To learn more about the SBS held at Hope Land, click on the link below:

http://www.ywamhopeland.com/pages/sbs

Ang Tulay In Arua

Ang Tulay simply means, “The Bridge” in one of the Filipino languages. It is a week long “journey” over the bridge using steps that help both children and adults work through their grief and trauma. See the link below for more information about Ang Tulay and also Precious Jewels Ministry.

http://www.preciousjewels.org/angtulay.html

What I love about it is the creative nature of the program. It includes stories, music, art, drama, small groups, and activities. I (Nicole) have seen with my own eyes the difference just this one week can make in a child’s life, helping them to share their painful experiences, for some, maybe the first time in their lives.

The implementation has taken place at the Hopeland base in Jinja since June, where a team of staff from Hopeland, Torch and Arua bases have been working alongside the Precious Jewels team to make Ang Tulay relevant to the Ugandan culture.

We held Ang Tulay in Arua in September with all the staff and it was another learning experience for all. I personally love the YWAM Uganda family getting closer and seeing my Arua family part of this journey too! As our mission states, we are called to be "a bridge of healing to the nations." Ang Tulay=The Bridge!

This month we have been evaluating the work so far and looking ahead to the future of Ang Tulay not only in Uganda, but in East Africa and maybe even beyond!

Dorothy explaining the step of "Forgiveness"

Sharon talking about "Love"

Vikki and Edith try out the "Trust"walk

YWAM Arua's own bridge!

Leadership Training begins in Nigeria

(Note...please excuse the layout of this post...I tried and tried to line up the text with the photos but it doesn't want to work. Sorry!)

Vikki Wright and Dorothy Bingi left YWAM Arua on Sept 29th to attend a Leadership Training Course (LTC) at the YWAM base in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

The opening session was a time of celebrating our diversity by entering 'the gates' according to the year we did our Discipleship Training School (DTS), starting with the most recent DTS graduates in 2009.

Loren and Darlene Cunningham were the last to come through, the pioneers of YWAM's DTSs.

The DTS is the formational school for YWAM during which students learn the foundational values of YWAM and are encouraged to go deep in their relationship with God.

Loren has been sharing many stories of how God lead him to pioneer Youth With A Mission, and the new things God is doing in the mission. It's been an encouraging time to hear from our founder first-hand how God has been leading this mission.

Then we gathered around a map of Africa and took time praying for the countries where we come from, and the countries we have been called to.

We spoke blessings over the nations of the world, and then stood on the African nations we represent and prayed for them.

The Nigerians were the largest contingent, and had a joyful time of celebration and prayer as they gathered on the map.

Although Bingi and Vikki were the only representatives from Uganda, several others joined us to stand with us in prayer for 'the pearl of Africa.'

The Leadership Training Course will continue through Oct. 21.

Please pray for Vikki and Bingi and the rest of the LTC staff and students as we seek God's heart for leadership during these days.

Many blessings,

Vikki and Bingi

The DTS team has made it to the Lugot!!

Here are some photos of the Discipleship Training School team that left 2 weeks ago on their 3-month outreach to the Lugot people in Isore, southern Sudan.

For background info about the Lugot people and the plans to help open a road to reach this isolated place, see the stories: The Tragic Reality of the Lugot of Sudan and Following God back to the Lugot.




It took 2 trucks to move the DTS outreach team into the mountains of Upper Talanga in southern Sudan.

The final destination, Isore, is a 5-hour walk from the nearest road, and the plan of the outreach team is to help the Lugot people re-open a road originally built by King George.

Due to the remoteness and isolation of Isore, the team had to carry all of their food, bedding, cooking equipment, etc. to meet their needs over the next 3 months.

The roads became narrower and more overgrown as the journey progressed...

...until they were little more than foot paths
through the forest.

At the end of the passable road, the team unloaded the trucks and prepared to make camp here for the start of the outreach.

After dropping off the DTS team, Yolam and John made the slow, mud-bogged journey back home.

The Isore mountains where our team will minister the love of God to the Lugot people.









Please continue to pray for our DTS team and the Lugot people:

That they will be able to build relationships as they work together to reopen the road.

That God will work in the hearts of the Lugot and make Himself known to them.

That the students and staff will see God work in new and wonderful ways that will build their faith and draw them closer to Him.

That they will be protected from disease and accidents throughout their stay in Isore.

Following God back to the Lugot

In February of this year, a team of YWAMers from Arua, Uganda and Yei, Southern Sudan set out on a journey to find the Lugot…the ‘People of the Mountain’. This isolated group lives in a cluster of seven villages in a place called Isore, in Upper Talanga, Southern Sudan near the border of Uganda.










Our team drove to the end of the nearest road, parked the car, and hiked for 5 hours to reach Isore. What they found there broke their hearts.


With an estimated population of 6,850 people, there is not one pit latrine. There are no hospitals, no clinics; not even a little shop selling soap or sugar. The Lugot people walk 12 hours to the nearest town to buy salt.









The lack of pit latrines means that every time it rains, feces is washed downhill to pollute the river where the Lugot collect water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing. Instead of using the beautiful, fertile ground to grow food crops, it is used mainly for growing cassava and sorghum that are harvested, fermented and made into a local brew. Alcoholism is rampant. The locals live on wild greens, honey and bush meat. (For the full story, see The Tragic Reality of the Lugot of Sudan)


Our team returned from that initial visit with intestinal diseases and a heavy burden to do something to help these people. Through prayer, it was decided that this year’s Discipleship Training School (DTS) would use their 3-month outreach to go back to Isore and help the community reopen an access road originally built by King George.




To set things up, two of our DTS staff went back to Isore last month (August 09) and men with the Lugot Chief to discuss the possibility of our DTS team coming to work with them. This time, what they found made their spirits soar.






Where before there had been a spirit of despair and hopelessness, now there seemed to be a new attitude of optimism and possibility. Evidence of this was the building of

Isore’s first classroom,

a simple structure of poles and grass, but a structure nevertheless.








Previously there were no classrooms.
















Not only that, but the land was covered with tall, strong maize stalks that the people will enjoy for many months.

YWAMer Mario walks through the maize 'forest'

When our DTS staff members met with the Chief (Patrick Olweny), they were amazed by his warm reception and positive attitude. His words give us many insights into the World View and ideas of these people:

“Isore has been highly favored by God,” Olweny said, “because ever since the time of our ancestors, when King George lived here and built a road for us, we have continued to see his favor to date. We would have all been dead by now because the LRA were very active here, and neither the UPDF (the Ugandan army) nor the SPLA (South Sudanese army) could manage them, but God, through these young men here, managed to flush them out. You see, we don’t even have any health facility here and we are drinking dirty water from the stream, yet God has provided our people with such immunity that none of them die easily. Our women are not like yours in Uganda; ours deliver like goats without any complications at all.





“We are so grateful for your coming because it has opened the eyes of our people,” Olweny continued. “Now we have no threat of famine like they do in the neighboring villages. Our people were able to cultivate maize and, thank God, rain has never disappointed us ever since your coming. And now that you are coming again we can totally remain assured of God’s love for us. You are like his angel whom he sends to open the eyes of those he loves.”

Roasting maize (Mario on the right)





Though the living conditions may seem quite acceptable to them, there are great needs in this place: the need for safe drinking water, primary health care, education (including adult literacy), proper farming practices and, of course, evangelism. But at the moment the greatest need is for an access road where vehicles could reach at least one of the seven villages in Isore.

Please pray for the DTS outreach team and the Lugot people as they work together to reopen the road and practically demonstrate the love of God.

The DTS team left for Isore on the 14th of September. Stay posted for more photos and updates of their outreach! Also, look for this story on YWAM’s international website: www.ywam.org in the next couple of weeks.

Hi! My name is Felicity - I have just come back from an amazing 2 weeks at the Arua base and have been asked to write a short post giving a visitors perspective…so here we go…!

During my first week at the base I learnt that wherever you are in the world there is always a need for people who are fanatical about organising and tidying! And the office is looking loads better as a result! It was good fun to be able to do odd jobs and be useful on the base. During my second week, Firestarters, a church youth group from Coventry arrived so I joined their programme to help them settle in and plan outreach in a local village – their blogpost

will be coming up soon so look out for stories of their adventures and all God has done in and through them!

This was actually my second visit to Arua, my first visit was in 2007 as part of a student mission team. When I arrived this time I was really struck by how much the base had grown and how there is a constant pressing forwards of their vision. In 2 years it has changed so much – new buildings, new bridges (a good addition – I nearly fell in the river so many times on my last visit!), new people, new ideas and new ministries. I felt so at home and settled there – in fact I didn’t really want to leave! It is an inspiring place – their attitude of looking forwards and seeking the opportunities God is creating rubs off on you – I have been challenged in my walk with God and in the plans I had made for my future. It makes you realise that through God all things are possible and so much more than you can imagine.

YWAM East Africa Regional Staff Conference 2009

Our East Africa Regional Staff Conference was held at YWAM Arusha base in Tanzania last week.


The theme for our conference was: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Prov 3:5)

Approximately 300 YWAMers gathered from the countries in the region including Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Other YWAMers came from South Africa and South Korea to bless us with their presence.

It was great to catch up with old friends, and see the Body of Christ in YWAM in all its unique colors and nationalities.

Our keynote speaker was Sung Gun Hong, the Regional Director for YWAM East Asia. He's been in YWAM for more than 30 years, and his testimonies were very encouraging. He challenged us to stay in the presence of God, to cling to our Father and not go out of His will. He reminded us to be faithful in everything, and to pass on the baton of Faith, Obedience and Vision to the next generation. He concluded by exhorting us to be a blessing to the nations, just as we are blessed as we follow God.








Edwin Phillis on the right (Base Leader of Muizenberg, South Africa) declared that God wants to restore the Identity, Dignity and Destiny of Nations. He led us in an exuberant time of praise and worship that celebrated the national diversity within our gathering.

John Mukolwe on the left (Base Leader of Arusha, Tanzania) translated for Edwin.








Our East Africa Regional Directors, Method and Mary Kamanzi from Rwanda, gave lots of input into the conference. Method reminded us that the righteous shall live by faith, and talked about the challenges and rewards of trusting God for everything, and Mary led a workshop on HIV/Aids, and Families at Risk.



Here Method and Mary honor 'Baba' Choi from South Korea who is the founder of YWAM Arusha base.





Sitini on the left (Base Leader of YWAM Morogoro, TZ) translated for Jeremiah (National Director of YWAM TZ and Base Leader of YWAM Dar es Salaam). Jeremiah showed great humility and transparency with his testimonies on the struggles he has faced in YWAM and God's faithfulness through each of those struggles. He challenged us to a life of Christ-like servanthood, and encouraged us that tusting in the Lord means REST from our anxieties, fears and selfish ambitions.




Sitini also translated for Sam Kisolo on the right (National Director of YWAM Uganda) who exhorted us to unity and humility. He reminded us that humility is generous and selfless, and it opens the doors for others to excel.















Each day YWAMers from different nations led the whole assembly in worship.

The team from YWAM Tanzania
led us the first day.

Rwanda led us on Day 2...

...and Uganda took over on Day 3.

Edwin, Jeremiah, and Leo enjoy the worship.

The kids caught the spirit of worship and
joined the Rwandan team on stage.

John Wright (Base Leader YWAM Arua, Uganda) dances with his daughter, Keziah.

Baba Choi praises the Lord.

Sitini kneels in
worship to
God.





The conference ended with a 'Love Feast' followed by a blessed time of communion and prayer for the nations.

It was a very special week that we are still feeling the blessings of.

Many thanks go out to the team in YWAM Arusha for their hard work, commitment and excellent standard of service and hospitality. They were a big blessing to all of YWAM East Africa. May God bless you all!!

Emerge Team from Colorado

The team that we have been preparing for has finally arrived. It is a team of 9 girls from all over the States. For most of the girls on this team, this is their first time being over seas and for some their first experience with missions. They will spend 12 days here in Arua. Please pray that God uses this team to be a blessing here to both the base and to the people we meet in Arua. Also, pray that these girls' hearts are broken for what God is doing in Africa and in missions.


So far, they have already visited a local village called Vurra, where they lead VBS for the nursery school there. They put together many skits, songs, dances, and much more. It was a great time for them to share the love of God with the children here in Uganda. It was such a blessing to see how excited the children were to play with bubbles and balls.


We also had the opportunity to pass out over 150 Mosquito nets to families in need. These nets were paid for by some college students from the States, who heard about the Malaria problem here in Uganda and raised money to buy mosquito nets. We like to think of them as the hands that raised the money and our team as the feet that delivered the nets. Please pray that God brings an end to Malaria in Uganda and all of Africa.

Hello,

This is Amanda(the visitor from the United States) writing again. My husband and I have been having a great time getting to know all of the amazing families on the Arua base. Here is a photograph of my husband playing with some of the babies on base. He is now proud to say that the babies no longer shriek in terror at the mere sight of him! Please pray that God continues to bring families to do His work here in Arua.

It has also been a blessing to be on base while the Discipleship Training School has been in session. They are currently on their sixth week and learning about relationships and marriage. It challenges me to be around believers, who are so eager to go deeper in their walk with the Lord.

It is so exciting to have students from so many different African nations coming together to study. There are students from Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, and the Congo.

Please pray that these students continue to grow and mature in their faith. Also, pray that God prepares these students to go to the nations and share the unfailing love of Christ.