22 nationalities, 38 languages spoken and over 150 YWAM staff equals 1 conference with a heart for the nations. Welcome to the DNA Conference hosted at the Chiang Rai base in Thailand. This week, YWAM co-founder, Darlene Cunningham spoke with her team of DNA staffers about the history and vision of YWAM. She is such a down to earth person. She speaks with bold authority and truth using her own experiences she faced with her husband, Loren, and how God has led them on crazy kingdom adventures over the years. Although the Cunninghams have circumnavigated the globe many times to answer their apostolic call to all nations, Darlene would just be so content to fold your laundry, make you lunch and be your adopted grandmother.

David and I have learned so much in just 5 days. We are seeing servant leadership, hospitality, visionary thinking and encouragement being modeled. We have had amazing worship and intercessory prayer. This means that we, as a body, spent time hearing from the Lord about what He wanted us to pray about. Then we focused our prayer time on the things that God brought to mind. We saw immediate fruit from the prayer when an individual from Burma asked forgiveness of the Thai people here for a 1,000 year old history of strife and war. We have met so many people and heard so many amazing stories about God’s provision and faithfulness.

God is showing Himself faithful through the people that we are meeting. I have often heard the statement “the light shines brightest in the dark”. With the stories of ministries to prostitutes in Pattaya, orphans in the slums of Bangkok and direct ministries to refugees of the continuing war in Burma, we see the truth. In some of the darkest places of earth Jesus is moving in the most incredible ways (there are many more stories, just ask). God keeps bringing to mind so many of our friends back home who would fit in really well with the vision of YWAM (ahem….Adam & Lindsay, Erin Young, Rick, Michael Parker, the list goes on …)

David Hamilton taught on “The 5-Fold Ministries” this week (Ephesians 5) and he explained how YWAM has an apostolic calling. This means they operate in many different ways with evangelism, training and mercy ministries being the focus. In fulfilling this calling, YWAM works alongside other international/inter-denominational mission organizations to reach every people group and sub-culture in every way imaginable. We have felt really blessed and privileged to have been allowed to join YWAMs leaders at this conference. The goodness continues next week as Loren Cunningham comes from Korea to speak before traveling to India.

BE PRAYING FOR BANGKOK THIS WEEK!