Year End Review

I thought I would share some pretty interesting stats with you all. Im not a huge stat guy, but we kind of have to keep some stats for our Board of Directors here so that we can keep growing, improving, etc..  First, Ill just share a few from Gospel Focus, and then below a broader picture of all that happened here at YWAM Salem. Gospel Focus Ministries did at least 5246 hours of evangelism in 2019 collectively. We had around 17,000 gospel focused conversations within those 5246 hours. aw many come to Christ (I don't give numbers on that because time is the only true test of a conversion). 

At YWAM Salem, We had 95 students complete their DTS In 2019. 

We had 59 students completed a Secondary School (FCM, CBCC, SOAM, SOMD)

We had 21 students and 18 staff participate in the B2B this last summer (many of whom will be duplicating the seminar on other YWAM campuses).

We pioneered 2 new Secondary schools: SOAM and SOMD.

We had 180 students come through Mission Adventures.

Ropes had 2966 participants on the course this year.

FAN continued working with international students on 3 college campuses.

Refugee Ministry hosted a weekly gathering of 70-80 refugees in the Salem and coming alongside many of those to assist them in their transition into American life. 

Students Comms had an average of 327 leads,154 successful calls, and 30 applications per month. 

Accounting processed finances for around 135 missionaries from an estimated 4,000 donors. 

Community Life hosted 12 events, put on 24 tea times, tirelessly cleaned all of our buildings, and took good care of hundreds of guests.

Facilities kept our campus running, added a new vehicle to our fleet, put in a new concrete pad, planted over 30 trees to our campus (and way more pretty flowers), overhauled Meadow mobile, put in a new mail system, fixed hundreds of holes, light bulbs, fences, doors, pipes, sinks, windows, and toilets, and oh so much more!

Kitchen prepared (way over) 48,000 meals this year! 

We survived a broken water pipe, a theft of our maintenance shed, and a whopping case of the measles. 

We had 55 people volunteer their time and effort to keep our ministry going. 

We had 11 people join our staff team and two (possibly 3) new babies added to our kiddos. 

We sent out 8 adults and 8 children to be long term missionaries overseas and added two others as Frontliners. 

And we planted a base in Morocco. 

Pilgrims Progress and Gospel Tracts

Every Thursday I lead a book discussion group with the staff of Gospel Focus called "Dead Dudes at the Diner", because we only read books that were written buy authors who are now dead. We just spent 4 months in Pilgrims Progress. What an amazing book. My all time favorite actually. Please pray for our Thursday morning book discussions as this is that time in the busy week where we all can take a breath, relax, and just discuss amazing books, which is coupled with Bible study.

Personal Gospel Tract

One of the requirements of our Face to Face internship is our interns have to write their own personal Gospel Tract. So, I also did the same thing and many times will hand them out after I speak with people, etc... Can I ask you to please pray for each of these little tracts to take root in the hearts of those whom read? Its a simple thing, and to be honest I have never really been a big fan of tracts, but over the years and through experience I have grown to be fond of how useful they can be, especially within the context of giving them to a person you just had a conversation with.

Gospel Focus Podcast

Joe runs our podcast and has done a great job

This year we saw our Gospel Focus podcast really develop into a unique component of our ministry. We officially had 30 podcasts by the end of the year, all very unique. Please subscribe to it via i Tunes, pod-bean, or Spotify if interested.  We would love your feedback! One unique thing about this podcast is how many guests we have regularly, Christian and non Christian.

Speaking in DTS's on Evangelism

YWAM Discovery Bay DTS. They went to Vietnam for their outreach.

This fall I spoke in two DTS's on evangelism. In November I went to YWAM Discovery Bay, WA with Abby and Autumn and taught a week on evangelism. Then in December, I went by myself up to YWAM North Idaho and spoke in the DTS there on evangelism. I love teaching in the DTS's, and seeing students come alive to the gospel and our need to share it with others.

Abby and Autumn on the shores of Discovery Bay

YWAM North Idaho DTS students. They went to Thailand for their outreach.

Face to Face Fall 2019

Face to Face Graduates Fall 2019

We recently completed our 2nd "Face to Face " evangelism internship. We had 5 interns (one could not be at the graduation ceremony so he is not in the picture above) and I cannot express how impacting this internship has been in the lives of our interns. We look forward to starting a new internship in January, as we have 11 interns joining us! Summer we had 4, Fall we had 5, Winter we will have 11! So encouraged by how this is growing and impacting those who do it.

Family Life

As we come to the end of 2019, we ponder all the amazing things that have happened in our lives. God's faithfulness is truly humbling. From the home we are able to live in via the amazing generosity and kindness of our friends, to having groceries in the frig, and seven kids healthy and vibrant are blessings from God. We celebrated our 20th year Anniversary, this past October, as well as our 20th year in full time missions with YWAM. Time has flown bye! This past year we saw my folks as they were here for a month in April, then we saw Sarah's folks in August when we met up with them in Canada for vacation. The kids are all doing great. We still love and enjoy homeschooling, and the kids are doing very well in it. Anders (17) has been very busy flying, and working towards getting his instrument rating. He also stays VERY busy doing house projects for his mom. He is also working 4 days a week on a horse farm to earn some extra cash. Aidan (15) is wrestling 160 as a 10th grader and is loving it. He continues to be our entertainer and loves playing airsoft with his buddies, and is currently in the musical play "Newsies" with a local theater group. Abby (13) can always be found in one of two places...her room reading a book, or in the kitchen baking something. She loves reading and baking, and once a week she gets together with our pastors wife and he grandaughter (Abby's best friend) for Bible study and dinner. She also stays busy a few times a month having a job babysitting some friends toddler. Autumn (10) continues to create plays, circuses, and other forms of entertainment for the family. She is our family 'Dutch Blitz" champion as well. Annie (8) stays busy with school and entertaining her younger brother. This year she started choir and seems to really like it a lot. Alistair (6) enjoys school, playing anything he can with his siblings, and wearing ties....all the time. Adalynn (2) keeps all of us on her toes, and we think may be the most  clever of all the kids, as she has a lot of "teachers".

Five out of the seven went out Trick or Treating in October

Alistair next to our Thanksgiving turkey

Aidan getting ready to cut down our Christmas tree

Abby and Adalynn looking for our Christmas tree

Speaking in Churches

Some staff sharing in a local church

This fall I have been very buys sharing in local churches about Gospel Focus and in particular about our Face to Face evangelism internship. It has been a huge blessing to get the word out more about the ministry and see more local people getting involved. I shared in five different churches this fall, so that got a but tiring, but it was still great!