Report from Christmas Island. (7 days sail south from Kona, HI)

One thing that hit me like a brick after talking to nurses here today, in addition to all the others experiencing problems with transportation, is the direct effect on access to medical care.  Not having ships is the single largest limitation for people receiving available treatment.  Every conversation I had with dentists, nurses, medical assistants, the TB nurse, the public health nurse, all of them explained the reason they cannot treat people is that they cannot get to Christmas Island from Fanning and Washington even if they are sick.  The boat only goes a couple of times a year.  So, if someone is sick they have to survive somehow on their isolated island.  Even if they managed get to Christmas Island for treatment, they can¹t get home again for 3 or more months and the hospital has to pay them money for them to live on while the wait and wait for the next ship.

I think God has heard the cries of those suffering in isolation on Fanning and Washington and has lead us directly to them.  This location is the perfect location for what God is calling us to do.  Wow.  If anyone ever needed a reason to be a part of YWAM Ships OC, they should come here and experience this extremely remote corner of the Pacific – then you would understand why God wants 40 ships for YWAM. It is easy to see.

Micronesia

YWAM Ships OC has committed to deploy both vessels the s/y EL ENCUENTRO and the s/y CARIBBEAN REACH into Micronesia over the next few years.  This region is clearly the most isolated area of the liquid continent and consequently the most impoverished.  The strategy is to forward position both vessels, & deploy University of the Nation’s teams on board for a month at a time throughout the year, targeting the most isolated.

Teams are comprised of YWAM DTS field assignments along with specific skilled volunteers embedded among them.  The skilled volunteer crew range from doctors, dentists, opticians, news reporters, mid wives, water specialists, sports ministry personalities, spiritual leadership teachers and bible trainers.  This combination really is our “secret sauce”.

Why Ships and Why Volunteers?

Nothing comes close to the dedication and efficient hard work of a committed volunteer who really believes in going into these hard to reach places to provide hope.  Nothing comes close to the efficiency of using ships that survive on wind propulsion and utilize solar power to deploy and sustain volunteers in remote locations for long periods of time.  We make our own water, bring our own food and of course all the medical and technical supplies needed.  We are not dependent on local resources which is a huge advantage when ministering to an isolated and often depleted economy with restricted availability of resources.

The teams are mostly comprised of young people from 18 years of age on up to older professional volunteers who bring their market place skills to the table.  We train trainers, legitimately up-skill local health workers and ministry personnel.  We try to focus as much as we can on women and children who statistically are the greatest at-risk overall in these isolated Pacific islands with 1 in 7 dying during child birth (PNG STAT), and once born, these children then face a 1 in 13 chance of making it to age 5.  This is unacceptable in our world were answers exist. We can make a difference. Come join us!

Out of the 1,000 inhabited islands of this Pacific region, most are surprised to learn that 700 do not have airports.  The only way to reach these people is via a boat with shallow draft. Many of these locations are atolls without docks and boating facilities.

Once we fly our teams into a location like (for example) Christmas Island which is right on the equator, we embark our outreach personnel onboard and sail 24 hours north to Fanning Island.  We anchor off, put ashore in an inflatable zodiac with all our equipment including the Jesus Film in a backpack, and run a clinic and teach our seminars.  Once we have seen all those in need help during this visit, we cast off for Washington Island (another short 8 hours sail away) and do it all again.

Most outreaches last 2-3 weeks in these extremely beautiful but remote locations, returning to the larger island which has the airport, in order to resupply with fresh supplies and volunteers.  A short few days turn around in port and we are eager to push off and do it all over again.  Perhaps you can volunteer a few short weeks of your vacation to help?  Maybe you have a skill that these islands are waiting for. If you are interested call us.  +1 (949) 444 2131.

Safety First

Getting ready for life at sea, especially deep sea where you may go weeks at a time across oceans, means carrying proven safety equipment. It also means stocking up on spare parts and provisions. Many ports of call may have little or nothing to offer, so the ability to care for our own needs is essential.

Leaning into Experience

As we prepare El Encuentro for her life at sea, and she was designed for deep sea voyages, we enter a phase where we are leaning into experienced sailors who have travsersed the Pacific for a life time. Their knowledge, wisdom and advice is priceless. One thing is for sure, you don’t know what you dont know, so being humble and asking a lot of question is key in a process like this.

Our Current Needs – If you would like to help

Current estimates are approx $25,000 for additional equipment.  Everything from life rafts, additional electronic equipment, spare parts (everything from sails to bilge pumps).  If you would like to donate toward El Encuentro’s deep sea outfit click here.  And thank you!

The first thing one learns when launching a new boat is that there is always one more thing to do before she is ready for sea! At least, that’s how it has seemed as we have prepared to sail. Yet the promise of the sailing and the purpose that brings us all together in these compact quarters, away from family and friends, keeps us motivated and brings focus to each day.

In addition to outfitting El Encuentro, we have daily lessons to continue preparation for sailing. This, too, is an ongoing progression of concepts and rules, navigational challenges, tidal streams, bearing calculations and hazard awareness. The complexities of safely operating a sail boat are vast and being Master of a vessel requires intimate knowledge of every inch of the vessel, every system she depends upon, and every aspect of moving a boat like El Encuentro from Los Angeles to, say, Catalina Island.

So to all who have donated and prayed El Encuentro into this YWAM Ships family, thank you! Your partnership is as important to her safe operation as our labor and training. Without the generous giving and the power of prayer, no village could be reached by El Encuentro and her crew. No student could be trained to crew her and other vessels. And not a single nautical mile would be traversed in pursuit of the lost, who so desperately need to know their loving father in heaven.

Those of us who are a part of the crew of El Encuentro, and those who are in Hawaii or Orange County, wishing they could be here with us, are all committed to this vision. A vision which is best summed up by our YWAM motto, “To Know God and To Make Him Known”. El Encuentro is a tool. She is a tool that God has given to extend His reach to the ends of the earth, until “…the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14

Preparing to leave, checking charts

Hoisting the sails!

One down two to go

Sammy swabbing decks before voyage

Jon Hausermann finishing up the cockpit

Paul Cleath getting ready for El Encuentro to set sail

Leaving on maiden voyage!

Sarah Malcomson – steward on board maiden voyage

Matthew West – skipper

First shot out at sea!

Thank you Jim Pollard for being so generous to YWAM Ships. May God richly bless you dear friend for your kindness to YWAM.  This beautiful new ocean going ketch yacht is beautiful.  She will be used to train students on board in seamanship, launching them into God’s navy, bringing evangelism and mercy ministries to isolated communities around the Pacific Rim.

By Katherine Devorak

One out of every thirteen babies die right off Australia’s northern shores. It is not hard to imagine why this is so little known. Because of the remoteness, media coverage is difficult to access in the province of a nation that ranks lower in poverty than countries like Ghana and Kenya.

Approximately 220 km’s from Australia’s mainland lies a country where one child in every thirteen will die before the age of five years, a rate far greater than any other in the Pacific region. Today approximately 7.15 million people live in Papua New Guinea.

“I have eight children”, one mother said. But only four children played together in the yard. When asked where the other four played, she answered, “They died”.

RN and midwife, Naomi Colwell, is currently on the YWAM Medical Ship in the Western Province of PNG helping teach mothers how to care for their babies.

Naomi visits villages teaching local health care workers and mothers. In addition to attending to health concerns and treating patients, she and others set up day and week long clinics to equip and train locals.

Naomi’s first patient this trip was little Umi. Umi’s family live in the village of Bami. Umi was eight weeks old and weighed just 1.7 kilos. A healthy baby at the same age should weigh about 4.7 kilos. Umi’s mother had to leave her baby in the care of her husband or a neighbour while she worked in the fields making sago (a local food source from trees) each day, but she did not let the neighbouring women feed her baby for fear of disease.

Naomi was able to explain to Umi’s family and the women in the village that it is safe for different women to nurse the same baby. Simple education like this makes a difference between life and death.

A volunteer who assisted Nurse Colwell, Nathaniel Baldock said, “It seems that death is so common that it was strange for us to suggest changing the way things are done so that Umi can live.”

Nathaniel said, “It must be difficult, it seems to have always been like this and from their perspective how could it ever change?”

Experts debate the reasons. Is the cause of poverty lack of knowledge? Many people agree education plays a big role in bringing people out of poverty. Regardless of the reasons why Papua New Guinean babies are dying, at least part of the solution is empowering local mothers with knowledge and hope.

Interested?  email us registrar@ywamships.net

Click here for more information http://ywamships.net/train/ears_seminar/

Eliana, Mitch and one of our translators, Eline, were out inviting people to our evangelistic movie night in the community of Trambioca. They spotted a papaya tree with ripe papayas and went to ask the owner if they could pick it. The owner, Solangie, was very hesitant to open the door, and simply nodded in approval. While trying to lean on the tree to pick the fruit, the base of the tree snapped, and the team propped it up with a stick. When they walked by later, the tree had come down with a crash, so the team went and apologized to the “Papaya Tree House” owner (Solangie), who asked them to come back the next day to hear about why we were here. At the movie that night, the children of that house came, but Solangie refused to come. While she was getting ready for bed, she felt like she needed to go and check on the kids at the movie. She came at the end of the movie and was moved by both the speaker and the translator, feeling like these “strangers” we’re much more like family.

The next day, the team stopped by the house that was very bare and met Solangie, her husband and their 5 children that were severely malnourished. As they shared with her family, they learned that this family was very poor and at one point, the husband was catching nothing (a fisherman by trade), she had had a stroke and they had nothing to eat, so she had tried to poison the whole family with a local root. However, a neighbor intervened, and she had felt a huge burden of shame and guilt for the past years. The team spoke encouragement, life, and specific words of knowledge over the family. The whole family ended up giving their lives to the Lord and were freed from the burdens of sin, guilt and shame.

They found out later that although many many missionaries had come by (including Jehovah’s Witnesses), our team that she had welcomed in. Her reason? Even from a distance, they seemed like the first ones that might actually have an answer and a hope for the lives of their family.

She said, “yes”. He asked if she needed to use special words or do anything and she said, “No, I’ll just ask God to heal you.” So, she did and then asked him how his back felt and if he wanted to see how badly it hurt now. He moved his back around and he said that “I’m trying to make it hurt like before, but it doesn’t hurt at all any more.

Contact us +1 949 444 2131, registrar@ywamships.net

Study, Sail, Serve!

One of the things that makes this DTS so unique is that you will get to learn to sail during your lecture phase, then during outreach you will have opportunity to minister to some of the most isolated villages on earth.

When can I start?

We have four options:
January, April, June and September

Contact us NOW, so we can help you find out more about our YWAM Ships Discipleship Training School.
In just a few months, you could be embarking on a whole new adventure in God!

Join us for a YWAM DTS with a difference

Have you ever dreamed of adventure, doing something that counts with your life, helping people, seeing your life change, learning new skills, developing deep friendships along the way while encountering God and deepening your faith?

During your Discipleship Training School you will receive life-changing teaching from a variety of international speakers who travel to join us during the lecture phase. You will also have the opportunity to put your learning into action as you help in ministry, relate to those serving longterm in YWAM, experiencing new cultures, and building a Godly global perspective.

Not Your Average Classroom

On your YWAM Ships DTS, training happens both outside and inside the classroom. Lectures will open your heart, challenge your mind and inspire you to act.  With lecturers from all around the world, every week will be an adventure of it’s own. You will rub shoulders with YWAM staff and leaders from around the globe who will encourage you and broaden your understanding of missions.

Where do you wanna go?

Head out on adventure with us and you’ll find yourself face to face with images from the pages of National Geographic.

Taste the rainforests of the Amazon, or Papua New Guinea the cyrstal blue waters of the Caribbean or isolated villages of the South Pacific.

Outreach (your feild assignment) is where you live out everything you heard during the lecture phase and put it into practice.  You will get to choose at least one of these locations and have the chance to bring hope and life to those who are in great need.

Contact us +1 949 444 2131, registrar@ywamships.net

Find Out More