International Adventures

Why Values Matter... Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is a Christian missions movement like no other. Since 1960, it has launched wave after wave of young missionaries now into the millions who have impacted every nation on earth by simply listening to and obeying the voice of God. In Values Matter, YWAM Co-founder Darlene Cunningham shares inspiring stories of how God shaped YWAM into what it is today a large and effective wave-maker for missions through the spiritual DNA carried within its Core Beliefs and 18 Foundational Values. Darlene has lived, taught and led discoveries into these essential beliefs and values for decades on six continents. Her passion is to impart them into future generations of YWAM missionaries. This extraordinary book does just that. Darlene Cunningham is the Co-founder of Youth With A Mission, together with husband Loren -- an ever-expanding global missions movement currently serving in more than 200 countries. She is also the International Vice-Chancellor of YWAM's University of the Nations. In the same way that Loren is the big-picture visionary, Darlene is the hands and heart of YWAM -- the implementer of vision, and people developer. When YWAM turned 25, Darlene began identifying, clarifying and teaching YWAM's Foundational Beliefs and Values, which fueled her passion to pass on the spiritual "DNA" of the mission to new generations. She has led scores of multi-lingual YWAM leadership training events on six continents, creating opportunity for those who did not have access due to geographic, linguistic, or financial barriers. One of her greatest joys is discovering untapped leadership gifts in young men and women and helping them to reach their full potential in God. Close friends describe Darlene as "Spirit natural" -- totally non-religious, but always principled and godly. She is a lover of Jesus and will always, in every situation, point people to His great faithfulness. Darlene and Loren live in Kona, Hawaii, and are continuing their multi-generational missions legacy through daughter Karen, son David and his wife Judy, and their three grandchildren.

Ever since you started Christianizing Muslims, you have walked a dangerous path! Today we burned your car and part of your house. Tomorrow, we will surely burn you and your family if you don’t immediately stop trying to convert people. Just leave! Leaving Western culture and their German home far behind, Amiira Ann and her husband, Chris, responded to the prompting of God to move to one of the most thoroughly Muslim cultures on earth, Yemen. The 9/11 attacks in the United States created the dangerous backdrop for reaching out to their Yemeni hosts with the love of Christ. With a commitment to work in relief and development, they would find, despite the threat of death, that their hearts would be forever knit together with this people so different from themselves. Amiira Ann will take you on a rare and personal journey into Muslim life in Yemen. Amiira Ann and her family lived in Yemen for seven years, working in aid and development. Integrating themselves deeply into the culture, they established a credible Christian witness through their work and personal lives. Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband-and-wife writing team with more than twenty years of writing experience. Janet is a former elementary-school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges spent ten years serving with Youth with A Mission.

"It's strange," said one of the guards. "I stand by his cell sometimes, and I hear him praying for us! He's doing all this for love? We know nothing about this God of love, but it sounds very right." God's love is stronger than fear! This book chronicles Dan Baumann's experience in Iran in 1997, when he was wrongfully accused of espionage and thrown into the most infamous high-security prison in Iran. Imprisonment in Iran, the threat of execution, and God's hand moving in the lives of the guards make this a thrilling addition to the International Adventures series. While traveling in Iran, Dan Baumann was wrongly accused of espionage and thrown into a high-security prison, being detained for nine weeks. Dan is presently serving with Youth With A Mission at YWAM Trinidad, Colorado.

Slowly the boat pushed us forward, away from a certain shipwreck, and gained the upper hand in its struggle against the surging current. The victory did not spark spontaneous celebration; rather, we spent the next moments in a trembling recovery. Kent, an American, and Josephine, an Australian, journeyed to an unfamiliar continent and set out to live on a riverboat deep in the jungle. With their four young children and ministry team, they served on the Purus River in the Amazon, bringing education, health care, and the love of God to remote communities. The result is an unforgettable story of sacrifice, adventure, and transformation. Kent and Josephine Truehl helped pioneer three ministry bases in the Brazilian Amazon. Today they travel internationally, teaching seminars on all aspects of Christian discipleship, missions, and development.

"What we did in taking on this giant in our Promised Land would define our lives and ministry. Either we would run away defeated or we would be courageous and victorious with God s help." Hearing God's call to serve as a missionary in the French-speaking world, Joe Portale responded with excitement, boldness, and humility. His lifelong dreams were being fulfilled, and the land God had promised was within reach. But the journey was not easy. From spiritual forces in France to the perilous Sahara Desert to war and poverty in Southeast Asia, Joe and his ministry team persevered through many challenges. Their successes and failures provide a roadmap for all who would respond to God's call, an instructive account of pursuing one's life vocation and ministry. There are currently 17 books in this International Adventures series.

Many people had warned us and said it was too dangerous to enter Afghanistan, but we knew that if we would not go into a country where we were recruiting people to serve, we had no right to recruit them. Steve Goode and Marie Bentley, high-school sweethearts from Tennessee, couldn't have imagined all they would see through multiple decades of service to the poor and oppressed. Never shying away from God's call, they have served in refugee camps and war zones and lived through personal illnesses and struggles. As long-term leaders of Youth With A Mission's mercy ministries and efforts against human trafficking in Southeast Asia and beyond, Steve and Marie have brought healing and hope to thousands of people and continue to inspire others to do the same. Steve and Marie are champions for YWAM Mercy - Bangkok, Thailand: 1980 - present. Steve's strategic, consulting and governance experience provides many opportunities to engage on numerous Board of Directors/Trustees including Not For Sale, Children's House, C2A Compassion/Justice, Project LIFE, IAM-CH, California Corporation and MM-Suisse. Marie is a mentor, a coach and a debriefer. Steve graduated from the University of Memphis in August 1973 in Radio, TV and Film with a minor in Journalism. Steve and Marie left for Europe and joined Ecole La Foret training school in Lausanne, Switzerland in January 1974 and for their internship served the historic Lausanne Congress sponsored by the BGA organization. They continued serving in Lausanne till 1980 co-founding Procla Media and providing leadership for English-speaking training schools. Marie also served as a PA to the Director of Europe, Middle-East and Africa. Steve is a contributing Writer and Editor: Steve and Marie have just completed an auto-biographical book, "Bring Your Eyes and See... Our Journey into Justice, Compassion and Action" that was released on 5 December 2014. Steve also contributed in writing the book, "His Kingdom Come" by Jim Stier and Richly Poor. Steve has also written for United Prayer for Europe, Fast for Freedom, 2015 YWAM Personal Prayer Diary and 2014 Christ Church Bangkok Devotional - YT Weekly, Freedom Sunday/ Not For Sale, YWAM Relief & Development 1994- 2002; and Articles: for In Touch, FM Magazine, Catalyst and Windows on Asia, as well as other articles in Indonesia, Philippines and Korea. Steve and Marie are international teachers and speak on the following subjects in schools, seminars and conferences: integral mission to the poor and needy; Leadership that lasts, our responsibility to the poor; opportunities to serve in the 2/3rd's world amongst the vulnerable; Micro-Enterprise Development; Microfinance; Modern-Day Slavery and human trafficking, Crisis Management; Decision-making, Planning, Problem-Solving, The art of asking questions, leadership development and organizational growth. Steve is a member and Director of Development for PROJECT LIFE FOUNDATION Thailand Board: 1990 - present through Fund-raising for PROJECT LIFE projects. LIFE operates income-generating projects amongst slum-dwellers in Bangkok; rehabilitation projects among child prostitutes in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Pattaya; drug rehab projects in Bangkok, rural development projects, HIV/AIDS projects and provides educational sponsorships for children throughout the country.