ABOUT THE MISSION
(✨For information on donations and financial support, scroll to the bottom of the page✨).
I just spent the last six months of my life (September 2024-March 2025) learning and serving with YWAM in the nations.
Ok, but what does this mean? What is YWAM anyway? Why is the mission important? And why should I be supported in returning to serve in missions with YWAM this fall?
WHAT IS YWAM, AND THEIR MISSION?
YWAM (Youth With A Mission) is a global missions movement, founded in the 1970s. Today, they have hundreds of bases and thousands of volunteers worldwide.
The mission is twofold:
1. TO KNOW GOD
2. TO MAKE GOD KNOWN
There are so many ministries which come out of YWAM globally, and they are doing much to expand the Kingdom of God TODAY, right here, right now. We are seeing real transformation in the lives of young people— the Lord is doing a real thing, and inviting us to partner with him!
One of the ways YWAM is expanding the Kingdom is by running six-month schools called DTS, (Discipleship Training School), which is the program I was a part of in a YWAM base in Ålesund, Norway.
WHAT WAS MY EXPERIENCE WITH YWAM?
In Ålesund, I spent twelve weeks in what they call Lecture Phase; the first half of the DTS which is focused on KNOWING GOD. During these twelve weeks, we were taught by lecturers, teachers, and missionaries from all over the world. We learned topics such as Hearing God’s Voice, Lordship, Identity, Calling, Healthy Relationships, Biblical Foundations, Evangelism, and Missions.
Lecture phase was a greenhouse of spiritual growth; a time to deepen our faith, wrestle with the big questions, and seek God for ourselves in a safe environment to do so.
During this time I grew in my faith and the Lord continually met me through teaching, through his Word, through worship, and conversations with the people around me.
Then we went out to the Nations for 10 weeks. My team was sent to Japan. In Japan, we focused on the second half of the mission; TO MAKE GOD KNOWN. We did this in many ways, but the focus was simple: to love the people in front of us with the Love of Christ.
During these ten weeks, I had the opportunity to do street evangelism, teaching, leading worship, prayer walks, and sharing my testimony and the Gospel through one-on-one conversation. It was a crazy ten weeks, and my experience taught me so much about trusting the Lord and his strength when I felt incredibly weak.
I gained so much perspective on global missions and saw firsthand the need for God’s love in the nations— the need for the Kingdom of God here on earth, and the part that we as disciples of Jesus play in the Great Commission.
We give the Lord our YES, and he takes our tiny offerings and brings it further than we ever thought possible.
It was not easy, by any means, but it was so worth it! What a privilege to be able to share the incredible love of Jesus in the nations!
How wonderful is it that the Lord can use anybody who has the willingness to say “Here I am, Lord, send me.”
HERE I AM, LORD, SEND ME
So where does this all lead? I just arrived home after the wildest six months of my life. The exciting thing is that this is not the end of my involvement with YWAM missions! I felt the Lord inviting me to return to Ålesund this fall and spend the next two years of my life in missions, serving in Norway.
I applied for a staffing position in February, and soon afterwards found out that I have been accepted. What does this mean? This August, I am going back to Norway, which I will call my home until 2027. I will serve in missions as a YWAM staff member, and get to be a small part of the larger mission of YWAM Ålesund, of YWAM, and overall, the Kingdom of God.
I sense that this is just the beginning of an exciting new season which the Lord is inviting me into; not only to grow more personally in my faith, but also to be a part of his work in the lives of others.
However, this is not something that I can do alone. In fact this isn’t even about me! This is so much bigger than myself; it’s so humbling.
All YWAM missionaries are unpaid, meaning that I will rely on the support of the Body and the provision of the Lord for all my financial needs. One of YWAM’s fundamental values is to rely on the Lord’s provision in all areas, specifically finances.
As staff I will have financial obligations such as room and board which I will have to pay monthly, as well as expenses such as plane tickets, food and travel.
And so this is where I invite YOU to join in this mission, to come alongside what the Lord is doing in my life, in YWAM Ålesund, in Norway and in the nations.
HOW CAN YOU COME ALONGSIDE THE MISSION?
Starting right away, I will be fundraising and gathering support so that I will be able to return to Norway in August. I mean it when I say that I can’t do this by myself; it would be impossible.
The Lord is teaching me a few things…. How he is my provider, how I can trust him with my finances, and also how to step out in humility to ask for help, and to realize I can’t do it alone. I absolutely can’t do it myself.
So here is where you can become involved!
If you are interested in supporting me and the mission, I would like to invite you to become a financial supporter.
My goal is to raise between $750-$800 in MONTHLY support. (Just under $10,000 per year).
There are a couple ways you can do this.
1. You can make a one-time donation. Every bit counts! Whether you are able to donate $10 or $100 or more, everything helps. I am so, so grateful for those of you who have already supported me in the past, and I’m in awe of your generosity and willingness to give!
2. You can commit to becoming a monthly supporter. How this works: you commit to donating a set amount monthly— whether that is $10 or $50 or $100 or more, whatever you feel led to commit to. The monthly support is what I am most looking for, because over the next two years, it will be important for me to have the steady income of support so I can be assured of being able to pay for my monthly expenses such as room and board.
And most importantly, I would like to invite you to join me in prayer! Your prayers are POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE and prayer is the most important way that I can prepare to return to Norway this fall, and beyond.
So whether you are able to support me financially or not, THANK YOU for your support and your prayers and for cheering me on.
How truly incredible to know I am only one part of the Body of Christ! We need each other. So truly, thank you.
If you have any questions or just want to get in touch, please done hesitate to reach out!
May the Peace of Christ rest upon you.
Blessings,
Abby
