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     Mary and I have continued to be internationally active and mobile(!) this year. Following earlier trips to Europe and Thailand, we traveled to India in May, and to South Korea in August.

INDIA: Communications and surprising Noelle
     Several staff from our international communications office traveled to a city near Pune, India, where we were involved in hosting a YWAM annual conference on Communications, Research and Information Technology (CRIT). It was the fourth such gathering, and is part of our effort to model, enhance and teach better communications in YWAM worldwide. These efforts follow a word from God in which He encouraged YWAM to focus much more on this area, comparing it for us to the need for a healthy nervous system.
      We try to organize it in different parts of the world to enable more diverse participation, and to mobilize and form regional communication teams that would serve their regions.
      Following the conference, Mary and I made our way to Darjeeling, an Indian town near Nepal. By that time, Noelle (who had no idea that we were in India as well) had been in the country for a number of weeks (on her DTS outreach from Australia). We were secretly in touch with her outreach team leader, and managed to "run into" the team on a little side street in mountainous Darjeeling. You should have seen her face--total disconnect... and then screams of joy and surprise. It was fun! We spent three days with her and the team, catching up on her life-impacting experiences in India. (Above is a picture of Noelle with a couple street children; everywhere we walked they recognized her and came running up to get hugs--the team had been working with them.)

SOUTH KOREA
     YWAM's annual "Global Leadership Team" (GLT) met this year on Jeju Island off the coast of S Korea. I had not attended one of these leadership meetings for several years. It was great re-connecting with many friends and colleagues (and having Mary with me for first time). They came from around the world representing every region (e.g, a German leading the Pacific, a Samoan leading a region in South Asia, a Brazilian leading a region in India, a Kiwi (NZ) leading Europe, a Dutch leading Central Asia, etc). YWAM's worldwide family represents the vision of the whole church sent to the whole world.

SICKNESS
     Since coming back at the end of August I, Paul, have been sick on and off (today is Oct 7)--it's been weeks. I am on my third course of antibiotic. (I don't think it has anything to do with South Korea.) But it happened during the worst time of the year (i.e., getting ready and mobilizing for the "30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus").
     In addition to my sickness (almost all over it finally), we experienced other unusual problems, including a breakdown of the printing presses during the printing of our initial 70,000 adult-edition booklets (see cover image).
     A few days before Ramadan started, we had to request a rush reprint of 10,000, which were all spoken for before they even arrived. Yes, despite problems and delays, participation grew again this year (we also produced a children's edition for the first time in years, and distributed nearly 10,000); thank you Lord!

COMING UP
     Noelle (she turns 20 in October) returned to Perth, Australia, yesterday, for another YWAM program (Youth Ministries Training), she will be gone for nine months, although there might be a chance she will come home for Christmas.
     Speaking of Christmas, Sean (he turns 25 this month), who is currently in an intensive three-month Bible course (in Heidebeek, near Amsterdam), will come home for three weeks when it is over, also bringing with him Mary's mom, Lura; she is 88, and also is on staff with YWAM in Amsterdam (since 32 years!)
     This week our international communications office here will celebrate our 15th anniversary in Colorado Springs. We will have a staff retreat followed by a banquet to which local friends are invited. Lynn Green our international chairperson will come and speak at a dinner event we are hosting for local friends to celebrate with us.

With loving greetings!
We greatly appreciate your concern, prayers and support.

Paul and Mary (...walking by His grace)

click here for a new video our office produced
(Aug 2007)

    See a summary of our primary ministry activities, our prayer requests and information on how to support our ministry on the bottom of our personal home page.