Our Heart
Transforming and Developing
Hello friends and family,
It is a blessing to be able to share with you what the Lord has been doing here in Lausanne recently. Just this past week we had the privilege of welcoming many new students into our community for the three schools we are running this quarter: Discipleship Training School, Discipleship Bible School, and School Of Worship. Through the changing of quarters it is important to remember and honor God for all the wondrous deeds He has done, while simultaneously holding onto hope for the fresh new things God wants to begin. Psalm 77:11–12, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.”
Since the very beginning of the Bible we see story after story of God showing up powerfully to His people, yet humanity forgetting so quickly — falling back into fear and doubting whether or not He would show up again. This past quarter we saw God show up time and time again through the transformation of students’ lives. We step into this new quarter trusting that He will do the same.
God is not only transforming lives, but He is also developing vision. It is encouraging to see many of our staff pioneering new ministries and not only dreaming with God, but taking action. Recently, we sent a team to Papua New Guinea for three weeks in order to build connections and to share the Word in the Pacific. Here, a few of our staff joined an outreach team of about 80 people on a medical ship, where they attended to the physical and spiritual needs of the locals. This looked like inviting them for an examination and to be treated by the doctors aboard. While this was happening on the ship, there was a group of them going down into the villages getting to know the locals, their stories, and sharing with them the hope of the gospel. This was a powerful time for the regions reached, but as well, for those who were sent. Looking at what God is doing there, it’s definitely a place where we would love to partner with.
Starting next quarter, we will begin the Way DTS as an opportunity for more French speakers to be trained in their mother tongue and to join the mission field. This upcoming week, we will be receiving over 20 teens from around the globe to attend our first summer youth camp. During their time here, they will experience living in a missional community — being immersed in worship, prayer, and evangelism. Some of their sessions together include going deeper in the knowledge of God’s character and nature as seen in Scripture, understanding their identity in Him, and learning the importance of spiritual disciplines. We are trusting that we will see each participant grow in a deeper relationship with the Lord. God is beginning so many new, beautiful things.
Forging The Future
Upcoming Outreach Opportunity
As a base, our heart is also in North Africa, where we have had the opportunity to invest in what the Lord is doing there — the transformation being poured into this area of the world, and the training and championing of missionaries from this region who are called to be sent, to bring the Lord to the ends of the earth, to be trained as leaders, and to transform their nations from the inside. We would love to invite you to join our outreach in the coming weeks. If you would like to be part of any of our Mediterranean schools, please contact us and we will share all the information with you.
Outreach Testimony
Our Team in Cambodia
One day, during our home visits ministry, we met a mother named Sabry. She shared that she lived with constant fear. She owned a small shop, but she was so afraid that someone might steal from it that she could hardly leave the shop and often couldn’t sleep at night.
She told us that she had attended church in the past, but she didn’t really know who Jesus was, and she was no longer going to church. We sang “God, You’re So Good” to her in Khmer and shared the Gospel using the Four Spiritual Laws. We explained that when we receive Jesus as our Savior, God becomes our Father, and we become His beloved children, who are completely safe, loved, and protected in Him. As we shared this truth, she said that she wanted to receive Jesus. Right there in her home, she prayed to accept Christ. We also encouraged her to attend a local church, and she did that very week.
Even more encouraging, her daughter is one of the students in our school ministry. Later, while talking with her daughter, she told us that she and her mother had been singing the worship song we sang at home. She also shared that the two of them had read through the entire Bible storybook that we had given them together. This was the very first family we visited in our home visitation ministry, and we were amazed to see God move so powerfully from the very beginning. God is alive!
In Closing
Thank You
Thank you all for contributing either in prayer or financially, or both. Your support does not only bless this community, but it is impacting the lives of so many. In Ecclesiastes 11:1 it states, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” Sometimes when you generously give you are unaware of who all will perceive the blessing of your generosity, and if you will receive a blessing in return. This verse serves as a beautiful reminder that even a small piece of bread can serve as provision to someone down the stream. And although we might not see immediate fruit, we can trust that the Lord will use our generosity to bless others in ways we couldn’t even imagine. As mentioned, in August, we will run our summer workshops for Sudanese Refugees. We have consistently run these fruitful workshops for hundreds of participants. With challenging times for our friends in Egypt this year, it will prove to be an important moment for our ministry.
If you would like to give towards the outreach, you can do so here.
If you would like to partner with us, you can do so here.
On behalf of the whole YWAM Lausanne family — thank you for partnering with us.
Markus & Anita Steffen · Emeline Soto · Jordan Weatherson
Base Leadership Team
