From the Directors

Praise God from whom all blessings flow: Blessings of health, provision of finances, students in our schools, and visas for our foreign students.

Approximately a month ago our oldest son, Melvin, had an accident with a snowmobile and broke eight ribs and his scapula all on his right side. He has been hurting very much, but we are thankful his life was spared and, in time, he will fully recover.

We are so blessed to have international students and staff in our midst. It is a challenge for them to receive visas from our U.S. Embassy. Our prayer is God will bring those who are destined by Him to come to YWAM Lebanon.

In our last news letter we spoke of our outreach to Ukraine. Once again plans are to go to Ukraine, only later in the year, such as mid-September to the end of September, to take advantage of cheaper air fares.

The summer outreach of 2006 was good in being able to relate and work with two Tatar families who were formerly Muslims and are now Christians. These two families take their keyboard and Christian literature out on the streets and in parks, sharing Jesus with many. We were able to once again visit with our friend Villyia, who came to the Lord a few years ago through our ministry. Villyia was a Muslim, and is bedfast due to a stroke, but loving the Lord just the same. Our friends, Nariman and Lenora, welcomed us with open hearts and arms even though they have not been able to walk away from their Muslim faith as yet. Living in a small Muslim Tatar village is very difficult to take and make the choice of following Jesus. They were receptive for us to pray for them.

Pray about joining us on our Ukraine outreach in September, 2007. As has happened other years, this may be a life changing experience for good.

Whatever your need and situation, God’s love and grace are available. He is an ever present help in trouble. Amen!

Welcome

Sarah Silva joined us last November from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is starting a new youth ministry here called Performing Arts Youth Ministry. Her vision is to reach the community and give evangelistic support to area churches. You are welcome to join them in prayer or come for a visit!

Nancy Aument is teaching the ESL class this year. She is from Lancaster County, but more recently has been part of the leadership team for a discipleship house on the campus of the University of Wisconsin. She joined YWAM in 2002, doing her DTS at Tyler, Texas before moving to the YWAM base in Wisconsin.

TESOL

From 1 Peter chapter 3 are the words “Whoever wants to embrace life and the day fill up with good, here’s what you do: say nothing evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what He’s asked.” From a time of prayer Marlene felt this was the word to the January TESOL class of 14 students and 3 staff and what a wonderful 4 weeks watching this word work out among us all. Included among the 14 young people were 4 young men recently back from Banda Aceh, Indonesia, the area greatly devastated by the tsunami in December 2004. They had been part of a work crew to redevelop the area. We had 3 international students, from Brazil, Puerto Rico and Korea, 2 great young people from Texas and 5 wonderful young ladies from this area, North Carolina and Virginia. Places where they feel God is calling them to are South Korea, Afghanistan, Sudan, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and here in the USA. As a school we thank God for His loving kindness throughout the time and as a staff look forward to our next school commencing March 5th. Thank you for your interest by prayer and care.

ESL

Our next ESL class will start on March 12th. Nancy Aument will be their teacher. Students are still applying for visas from Korea, Nepal, Brazil and Sudan. Students who already have visas will be coming from Colombia and Korea. Please pray for these students as they adjust to a different culture, and that their learning experience here will be successful.

Our previous ESL teacher, Faye Mills will be leading an ESL school in Madagascar this spring.

Mercy in Action

Hugo and Kelly continue in church and community ministries. Mercy in Action winter outreaches to Texas were postponed until spring, expecting a fruitful time of ministry in the Gulf Coast. Hugo coached the New Covenant Christian School middle school boy’s soccer team this fall. He is now developing a soccer training program as an evangelistic outreach and discipleship ministry to begin the spring. Currently he’s in Chile and Argentina ministering in churches with another Mercy in Action partner. Upcoming community ministry events include The Emerging Generation Seminar, a Bible study workshop for teens with Transform Student Ministries, and outreaches to Lebanon and surrounding areas. They are also gearing up for an amazing DTS beginning September 24.

Kitchen Staff

Miwuh is working in the kitchen, keeping the students and staff of our schools well-fed. She also leads an intercession group for the TESOL schools. Her church home in Lebanon is Freedom in Christ Fellowship Church, where she leads prayer meetings two afternoons a week. When there are no schools in session at the base, Miwuh volunteers at the Jubilee Ministry Store sizing and hanging the clothes.