The Cono Norte Conference took place at the YWAM/JUCUM base in Leticia, Colombia from December 8-12th. Bases came from Colombia, Venezuela and Peru (Ecuador was absent this time). Craig Hill was the keynote speaker, focusing on covenant relationship we have with Father God that carries over into our marriages or relationships with other people, our kids and families and our finances. How do we bless our families? What does that look like? How can changing our mind-set of how we bless our families change a nation?

The first night we had a time of inner-healing prayer (called “Sendas Antiguas” or “Ancient Paths”). We worshiped, prayed and heard reports of all of the bases in attendance and heard about their ministry opportunities and needs. For the record, a lot of bases in all of these countries need volunteers to help with children’s ministries, maintenance work and staffing YWAM schools (if you’re interested). It was very encouraging to meet new friends with ministries and leaders and to practice our Spanish. We felt lost trying to comprehend the meeting announcements, but we noticed that we are faster at responding with answers to questions. Some points that stuck out for us (and these don’t just apply to marriage, but any relationship):

⇒As (future) parents, we shouldn’t rule over our (future) kids with control, but with the holy authority given by God. Depending on age appropriateness determined by the parents we should offer our kids choices and a consequence (good or bad) follows that choice. Ex. “eat peas and watch TV”, or “don’t eat peas and don’t watch TV”
⇒ Ways to bless your family: 1) meet once a week for a meal with real conversation, 2) forgive them 3) affirm them with words, 4) pray with your kids and bless them at least once a week (raises their identity and value), 5) pray with your spouse every night, 6) invite other friends and family to see how you’re doing it
⇒When you pray with your spouse every night, you can keep it simple: 1) forgiving each other, 2) sharing what you’re thankful for, 3) blessing and affirming one another (ex. Numbers 6). Pray together for the next 30 days. After that it becomes habit.
⇒Every person is looking for value. Even asking “how are you?” can be a blessing to that one person because they know that they are being cared about.
⇒ Deuteronomy 5 – honor your parents. If you bless them, call them, love them (even if it’s hard), you will heal wounds. And form relationship.
⇒Keep covenant with your marriage. It was never a contract. (Heb. 13:5) (Rom. 5:8) (Mark 10:1-12). (Craig wasn’t bashing divorced people in the room, but he was saying that from this point on, look at every relationship in covenant as unconditional, irrevocable and unilateral).
⇒ We are seeing that when divorce and remarriage happens in one generation, adultery, abuse, abortion and abandonment follow in the next generation. People believe the lies that 1) God cannot redeem a broken marriage and that He cannot restore and 2) creates a cycle of performance basis to earn love (ex. THIS IS A LIE. “My dad left my mom so how do I know that God will not one day leave me too?).
⇒ Keep covenant with God: if God says, “All that I have is yours!” (Deut. 9), then find out what He has. If you don’t know what you can ask for, you won’t ask. God is a promise-maker and a promise-keeper. Read David vs. Goliath. David is successful because he knows what it is to be in relationship with the Father, he knows the provisions of that covenant (if God tells you that you will one day be King, hold fast to that word) and has the confidence to force that covenant into action (all he really had to do was show up, but he chose to fight the giant)
⇒ Keep covenant with your finances: (Matthew 6:24) “give to God what is holy”. Yes, tithing is good. Do it. (Lev. 25 – The Year of Jubilee) God set it up to have a debt purge every 50 years…Craig made a point of how we see this “involuntary debt purge” in the world’s economies every 70-80 years. It’s called a depression. The last “Jubilee” was in 1930s. (Prov. 13:22) talks about the wealth transfer. (Psalm 37:21) God gives to the generous and those who show mercy. (Matt. 5:5) (Proverbs 22:6). Do what these words say. Be generous, meek (Meek: not weakness but a fruit of power; when a person has power/resources, but when prompted by the Holy Spirit will use less than 100% in action), set up investments, give to offerings (ex. Spread your money out, don’t hoard it all in one place). Eliminate your debt. Ask God what to do with the money you have. Steward it well.
⇒ God loves to multiply! But he can’t multiply nothing, as in 0. He turned a little boy’s lunch into a feast for 5,000. He turned one jar of oil into many. You have to give, even if it’s only a little bit (the widow’s 2 cents) and God can do miracles with it.

At least 10-15 people came up to us and told us that back when YWAM Cusco existed in the 1980s-1990s (it puttered out after 10 years) that they had pioneered work in Cusco, or done a DTS there. Now they were in YWAM for 20-30 years later still doing work in South America and around the world on outreaches! People seemed very excited and interested in Cusco having a YWAM presence again. We are honored to have listened to their stories about what the base and Cusco was like in the past and to continue their momentum in praying and worshipping over the city. Read “Peggy’s Story” to hear one story we heard about YWAM Cusco’s past.