LTS Fruit that Remains  
The purpose of evaluation is not just to see the positive, but to discern areas for adjustment and improvement. The LTS is far from perfect, but it can safely be said the good fruit of the Field-Based LTS far outweighs any negatives. This should be true of all of our U of N courses, if they are based on the beliefs and values God has laid out for us as a Mission and a university. As we looked at the illustration of the tree in Chapter One, we saw that “the roots produce the fruit.” God’s promises always accompany His ways!

The fruit recorded here is only a smattering--a fruit salad--of all the good things God has done that could be reported. But these testimonies to God’s faithfulness are meant to be a taste of what has resulted. As you look back over the schools that you have led, there may be the remembrance of pain and struggles of pioneering. If those are the primary impressions, then there needs to be an assessment of what went wrong and how to readjust for the future. But overriding any hardships, there should be the joy of transformed lives of students and the sweet fruit of ministry that remains.

The LTS has been a womb through which many people have been born again, both directly through ministry out from the school, and indirectly through the LTS projects that have been initiated. New ministries, bases, and missions activities have been conceived and born, and through the LTS, basic beliefs and values have been imparted to those who became key players in these plans.

CHILE:

The first Field-Based LTS, held in Santiago, Chile in 1991, was the forerunner of all the other LTSs we have conducted in the developing world. In one sense, if you read through the things God taught us during the Santiago school (see Appendix B-1: “Excerpts from LTS Santiago, Chile Report”) that we have implemented in all the other Field-Based LTSs, they are all the fruit of Chile.

In addition, the fruit of the Chile LTS Projects has been widespread:

The House of Refuge in Belo Horzonte, Brazil was the LTS Project of a Dutch YWAMer named Carla who came to the Chile school in 1991. She had a heart to reach out to children with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 14 children now live in the house she established, together with a staff of YWAMers from around the globe. Supported solely by donations, they supply the children with AZT, an antiviral for the HIV virus. Most of these children slip directly from the arms of the YWAM workers into the arms of Jesus, in this loving, caring environment. Carla also Co-founded and leads a U of N HIV/AIDS School in Belo once a year to help train workers for the home.


KENYA

Following the LTS that took place in Nairobi, Kenya in 1992, John Kisamwa, YWAM East Africa Director (now the Director of YWAM Sub-Sahara) reported that he could hardly keep up with all the new open doors of opportunity. The LTS brought much favor with churches, other mission organizations, educational institutions, etc. See Appendix A-2: “Excerpt from LTS Nairobi, Kenya Report” for an overview of ministry that took place during the LTS, leading to this gold mine of relationships.

Recently, while sharing at an LTS Jim Stier was running in Indonesia, I had the opportunity to visit the Planning Project of LTS Kenya alumni, Loudy Posumah. When he came to Nairobi in 1992 as a young leader, he had a vision to start a ministry center in Jakarta. By 1993, he had managed to acquire the land and proudly showed the bare earth to Loren and Darlene when they passed through. When I visited in 2001, the plan had become a reality, with several large, beautiful buildings on the of land where they run an orphanage with 90 happy, clean, well-behaved kids (Loudy’s wife’s LTS project), a kindergarten, an elementary school, a Kings Kids ministry, a bookstore/office, and church-planting teams. It brought a thrill to my heart to see such a thriving ministry, born out of an LTS project submitted to God! Loudy has since become the National Director of YWAM Indonesia, and they have grown to have 500 staff at 23 bases, plus 46 operating locations (mostly church plant teams). The orphanage I visited was one of 12 now operated by YWAM, many filled with children orphaned through the religious persecution against Christians in Indonesia.

TONGA:

“The [1993] LTS definitely made a lasting impact into the nation of Tonga. Almost EVERYONE in Tonga knows the University of the Nations at Lafalafa, and we are enjoying the favor of the government and other institutions in the nation because of the public awareness created during the LTS.” Hinrich Kranzlin, U of N Tonga Director

“The LTS had a wonderful impact in displaying who we are. I praise God that the campus was NOT ready in time [for the start of the school], forcing us to start in [the village of] Mu’a. It shocked many in their traditional perspective of what a university should be. The [help to construct the] campus was an incredible blessing through the LTS. A facility was left behind with great potential. Eight years later, we are now pushing the limits of our facility with the schools.” Thomas Grunder, Director of Operations, U of N Tonga Campus

In addition to the founding LTS and School of Intercession, Worship & Spiritual Warfare, since 1993, the Tonga Campus has run two additional SOIWSWs, ten Discipleship Training Schools, four Construction and Technology Schools, one Principles in Child and Youth Ministries School, one Communication Core Course, one Introduction to Primary Health Care School, and one Principles of Redeeming Culture School. Since its inception, the campus has trained more than 500 U of N students, mostly islanders. They’ve also offered seminars to the community on communication, construction, aqua-culture, family issues, learning issues, addictive behavior counseling and personnel management and other topics. The ministries associated with U of N Tonga include evangelism outreach ministries, hosting outreach teams, Shekinah boat ministry (mobilizing islanders from small outlying islands in the Pacific into missions), Kings Kids, a fish farm, pig farm and produce farm.

Though the LTS certainly is not responsible for all of these wonderful schools and ministries, it was a major catalyst and contributor to seeing the Tonga Campus birthed, and the many who came afterwards have continued its pioneering efforts into new arenas.

INDIA/SOUTH ASIA

“Many times it takes a few years to really be able to evaluate the long term fruit of a school or project. Five years is a good parameter to look at how people are doing and how goals have been acomplished. It has been more than five years now since the Leadership Training School was held in Pune, India. With 151 students from 35 nations [including 56 Koreans and 11 Nepalis], the sheer size alone of the school was overwhelming.

But in hearing the stories and impact of the school on so many leaders lives, it is apparent that it did leave a lasting and long term imprint. There were many key values imparted or reaffirmed of the core of YWAM (and more than that, God's kingdom), and of course so many teachings that left ongoing opportunities for growth and heart change. YWAM South Asia...was bonded in a greater to the principles and values of the Mission, and individual leaders received specific input into their ministries and families.

Perhaps the easiest and most measurable ‘yardstick’ of leaders' growth was the LTS project, which all of the students needed to complete based on their vision for their future ministry or something they were already involved in.

As I have traveled in South Asia and other parts of the world these last five+ years, I have consistently met students from the Pune LTS who have told me with big grins that they are not only doing their projects, but that some have grown way beyond their dreams! Let me give two examples of many:

In western Nepal there is a YWAM leader named Karak who, with his wife Premi, were in the India LTS. They did their project on establishing a training centre for Nepalis and other nations that would go out from there all over Nepal and the world. (This project had already begun but was only in the formative stage.) Through the LTS Project, Karak was able to really shape the goals and objectives with others from the leadership team that came with him. Today this training centre is mostly built and holds several key training schools that are multiplying workers throughout the region.

Vijay is another Nepali brother, working in North India with his Korean wife to develop a church planting movement among Nepalis in the north of India. The LTS gave him solid skills and help to provide a foundation for his work. Now this church planting movement has over 10 churches, one of them having over 100 members. Vijay is now the area leader for YWAM in Northwest India.

Anu Dongardive’s LTS project was to begin a home for orphans and widows. She herself grew up in an orphanage, and was recently widowed. The home, Vanita Ashray, today is up-and-running with four orphan girls and about 3 widows connected with it. It is beautiful to see these girls look healthy, after coming from such malnourished backgrounds, and to see them respond to the love of the staff. The ministry has been planted on a firm foundation and the plan is to continue to grow slowly, but steadily.

Truly, all the time, investment and hard work that went in to the LTS is worth it in light of these eternal gains and the greater depth in leaders’ lives. The LTS continues worldwide to impact a new generation of leaders in YWAM but also has a lot to offer the ‘golden oldies’ as well.” Steve and Elisabeth Cochrane, YWAM South Asia Directors.

There were 11 Nepalese nationals who took the India LTS in Nepali, with LTS-Tonga alumni Kishor Rana translating. Lee Baker reports “Our Nepali staff have benfitted so much from the LTS. They have a much a better understanding of who they are and why YWAM does things certain ways. A very influential pastor recently...suggested that they leave YWAM and work with a local church. They graciously thanked him and stated they cared very much for the local church, but they had a call to missions and to serve many churches and to reach the unreached. This is a big step of growth. I believe it is fruit from the time in the LTS.” These young leaders have ALL since come to hold major leadership roles throughout the nation.

A training centre has been established in Kathmandu that runs DTSs, SBSs, IBCs, etc... Currently 60 Nepalis and one Tibetan are staffing this training centre.

“We have been very blessed by the LTS. One thing that is a direct result is the first ever in the history of the hcurch of Nepal–a walk across the nation from East to West. About 3,000-4,000 Christians participated in this nationwise event. It was absolutely amazing.” Dan Bushy

HUNGARY

“The first thing that strikes me as the fruit of the Budapest LTS is the impact it had on the whole region, especially the Eastern European staff. It gave them wonderful tools for their personal and ministry life. Some work with greater confidence, and feel more part of YWAM now. It also really bonded us as staff in the region--no matter where I have gone, there is one or more familiar face and a wonderful friendship among everyone who has been in the LTS.” Wolfgang Jani, National Leader, YWAM Bulgaria

Al Akimoff, Director of YWAM Slavic Ministries reports, “We are now finalizing our plans for an Eastern Europe LTS to be held in Kiev in the fall of 2002. We are expecting a good new crop of leaders, we hope to have a 100 students. The reason for this school is obviously the success of the last school--so just the fact that we want and need another LTS is testimony to the effectiveness of the ‘96 school in Budapest.

The immediate results of the Hungary LTS were a shifting of responsibilities and release of new leaders into positions of responsibility right after the school. Some of our larger bases like Kiev were able to reorganize their bases and create new departments and ministries based on the things learned at the school.

[My wife and I] have seen a real release of young leaders as we have traveled across Eastern Europe these past two years. I think the things they saw modeled and what they learned at the LTS gave a number of the young leaders a new confidence that they could do it, and they have gone out and done it! As we met many of these [LTS Budapest almni] on this trip, we were very impressed by their growth--we were relating to them as leaders rather than just staff.

Another area that is a tremendous blessing is the greater cohesiveness [Eastern Europe came to have] as an area. Because the students and staff had so much time to relate together during the school, there is now a greater feeling of being one with each other in our area. There is a lot more relationship now, with sharing of staff between countries and bases and working on projects together. Even the buying of properties has become much more a joint effort. There is far more interest now in getting together for conferences and other events than we saw before [the LTS].

Everywhere we travel, we have seen the fruits of the school through the projects that are being lived out:

Marie had a vision for a coffee house in Budapest. She oversaw the beginning of one that was very successful, but they outgrew their facilities. Now they are in the process of renovating a beautiful place right in the center of Budapest. We stood with her recently in the middle of that building, giving thanks to God for the fulfilment of this dream, her LTS Project.

Nurlan, our dear brother from Kazakstan, had to present his LTS Project to the border guards when leaving Hungary as proof that he had actually been attending a school in Budapest. Their hearts melted as they read the project and learned of his desire to establish a center to minister to street kids. He and his wife and small staff are now renovating a shelter in Kiev [where they run day programs, distribute food and clothing, and teach the children life skills.] They are walking through the project step-by-step and seeing it all come to reality. Talk about a dream come true: this is a Kazak who is now a missionary, seeing his vision come to pass! His stories of God's faithfulness in provision and miracles are wonderful.

Then, there is Laura, who prayed and worked for a long time toward her vision of a preschool that would help to rebuild the foundations of Ukraine. That school in Kiev is now running full speed, [with a group of Ukranian kids from mostly non-christian bakgrounds]. To watch Laura share Jesus’ love; to hear the testimonies of the mothers and fathers who are required to meet together with the staff to have input into the school; and to see the changes taking place in these families where there was so little hope; is a testimony to a wonderful God who does miracles today and uses LTS projects to propel them to reality. [One mom commented that she is grateful that her child is taught about God, as she does not know how to do that.]

There is Andrei, from the Ukraine, working on his discipleship project down in the Crimea...and Mario, from Bulgaria, working with a skate church, preparing to launch into his project of outreach to skaters. All across Eastern Europe we are seeing new ministries launched and along with them, we often hear the words, ‘you know, this was my LTS Project.’” Al Akimoff, Director, Slavic Ministries, July 16, 2001 E-mail report with inserts from Wolfgang Jani, YWAM Bulgaria National Leader.

RSA

David Hamilton, International Associate Provost, traveled with his family throughout Africa and other continents from the end of 1998 through 2001. “As my family and I have been ministering throughout Africa since the South Africa LTS, I think one of the most notable things I’ve observed is growth of ministry locations, a new entrepreneurial thrust and a new level of pioneering. I don’t claim that the LTS did this, but it certainly contributed. Just a few examples: during the LTS, we drew a map on a whiteboard with Loren. We studied the current situation with South Africa--where YWAM was and where it wasn’t–identifying the ‘empty places.’ At that time, we had seven operating locations in South Africa; two years later there were 15--so they had more than doubled. A number of those were begun directly from the LTS; others were started by different individuals, but the LTS launched a whole new initiative of growth across South Africa.

Similarly in other nations, YWAM bases and locations have begun as a result of the LTS: in Kinchasa, Congo, Bienvenue began a ministry; from Uganda started a ministry in southern Sudan; the Mumbis have begun a base in Livingston, Zambia near Victoria Falls. All were based on LTS Projects. Throughout the continent, we find a lot of exciting initiatives that trace back to the encouragement that was given to pioneering and launching out on new ventures of faith during the LTS. That is the most measurable and immediately visible result of the LTS.

The pioneering of the new base in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, was the thing that sparked many of these other initiatives, because J-Bay was actually launched during the LTS. It was prayed into existence, the properties came together and the leadership team was commissioned by the LTS. The core of the J-Bay staff was made up of people who worked and prayer together in LTS. Some had been friends a long time previous, but others from the LTS were added to the team in key leadership roles. God has given them great favor with the local churches and government officials. And they are expanding notably–they have gone from not even existing as a base two years ago, to having multiple ministries in evangelism, training and mercy ministries in full operation.

Besides the pioneering aspect, there was a whole new level of networking and relationships across the continent in places like Mozambique and Madagascar--and around the world. Relationships forged during the LTS are very deliberately and intentionally being followed up by many, to the benefit of the ministry.

There wouldn’t have been a University of the Nations Africa Workshop without the LTS, I don’t think. So many of the key people in leadership on each site were able to work together because they sat in the classroom and got to know each other over the three months of the LTS. Not everyone involved in the Workshop was there, but enough were there that it created a sense of continental identity...people now look beyond the borders of their own base, or nation or region...they began crying out in intercession for the bigger picture of the whole continent and world. Without the LTS and later the IFCDs which followed up, we wouldn’t have been able to have a Workshop here in Africa. (The IFCD is the Introduction to Foundations in Community Development School. Chris Colby has led two such schools mega-schools in Africa, the first direcly following the LTS in Worcester and the second was one school held in South Africa and Uganda, linked together via GENESIS, in part, to help pioneer the technology for the 2001 U of N Africa Workshop.)

YWAM J’Bay was the first YWAM base pioneered and led by people of color in South Africa, where a majojrity of the leadership team were people of color. In two years, it has gone from having three vamilies to almost 50 staff from ten nations. It is the only YWAM base in RSA where the majority of the staff are people of color. Wilson Goeda, who attended the Kenya LTS as a young leader in ‘92, served on the leadership of the South Africa LTS in ‘98 and helped to pioneer the J-Bay base. He has since been named the National Director of YWAM South Africa. Many see this progression as a direct results of the LTS in terms of bringing a shift in beliefs and values, and focusing on extracting the potential of indigenous peoples.

NZ-LTS

Frank Naea, YWAM’s President, says of the 2000 New Zealand LTS, “One of the greatest gifts/blessings of the LTS was the international, multi-cultural aspect. We would not have been the same with all Polynesians–the gifts of different cultures were a great blessing. As a base, the LTS in New Zealand allowed us to reevaluate our leadership and identify where we had not been clear in establishing the YWAM values. It enabled us to redefine and implement the necessary changes. Those who attended the LTS became scattered throughout all the ministries and leadership teams on the Mangere campus. The greatest ramification of this was in beginning to think implicationally--asking ‘what needs to happen?...what will result if it doesn’t happen?...and who should do it?’ The leaders are taking more responsibility and asking more questions. We also began to do more networking and integration among the campus ministries, which led to greater UNITY. As new ministries and offices have been established, each began to pray and give to others. Because of the focus in the LTS on beliefs and values as the basis of all our dealings, our leadership team we came up with new criteria for what we can accept ethically and morally, not just legally and financial.

One of the LTS Projects we worked on was the HUI 2000. As an [international YWAM] event, it proved to be fruitful in influencing our worship in other nations and other gatherings that followed it by demonstrating the ‘spirit of the mission.’ This [influence] came primarily from the times we had together in the LTS where we were learning to follow the Lord in our corporate times of prayer and worship.” (Drawn from a mid-2000 interview with Frank Naea and July 15, 2001 E-mail.)

David Cole, International YWAM Urban Missions Director, returned to New Zealand just following the LTS to develop a nationwide Impact World Tour. Several LTS students have joined him in pioneering this effort. Dave says, “I have been blessed with two of our key leaders in Impact World Tour NZ and believe that the LTS here has had good input into their lives as leaders and future nation changers. I am deeply grateful to all that you and Darlene and others have done here in NZ with the LTS and believe there will be 'much fruit that remains'".

LTS INFLUENCE ON MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

As I ponered this question “what are the fruits that remain” from the LTS, I was struck with the magnitude of five major events which the LTS has strongly influenced. Again, certainly, these are not the result of the LTS alone...but God has given us the privilege of having some degree of influence, and thereby serving and impacting the Mission. They are:

–The re-pioneering of the Lausanne YWAM base
–GENESIS
–The HUI 2000
–The U of N Africa Workshop
–40 Hours of Prayer for the Future of YWAM

Loren Cunningham shared the following “off the top of his heart” with the staff of the South Africa LTS on October 14, 1998:

“The LTS influences the heart and life of YWAM. God has called us to ‘transformational leadership.” Other institutions are studying us hard, trying to find out why we work--especially our nonwestern growth; our call to the radical and new. The LTS is touching upcoming, younger, nonwestern generations. In this, we are pioneers within the Body of Christ.

The LTS is one of the most influential things in YWAM because of the length of time we have together with these young leaders, coupled with the international leaders God brings together. Teaching, worship, prayer and celebration are all part of what will be multiplied through the LTS to the world. The LTS multiplies the heart of what YWAM is.

It is also grassroots--that is what makes it so powerful...it takes place IN Africa...IN the South Pacific, etc. We are taking the world of YWAM international on location.

This is both a great privilege, and a great responsibility!

–Re-pioneering of the Lausanne, Switzerland base

There was a strong link between the LTS and the repioneering (starting in 1994) of the Lausanne Campus, YWAM’s first training base. LTS alumni-now-staff came from Egypt, the South Pacific, West Africa, South Africa, Singapore, the USA, India, Korea, Brazil and more to help re-establish Lausanne on a strong foundation, so it could once again serve and influence others. Along with this came the Korean Connection--a vision for Lausanne to provide a stepping stone for Koreans wanting to move into international and intercultural missions, which has also been spearheaded by LTS staff.

--GENESIS
As mentioned in Chapter Twelve: “GENESIS: No Boundaries,” there has been a very strong link between the development of GENESIS and the LTS, especially in the early stages. Without the support and encouragement of the LTS and the Lausanne Campus, GENESIS would have had a much slower launch.

–HUI 2000

Frank Naea mentioned above the involvement LTSers had in making HUI 2000 happen. The HUI (a Maori word meaning “gathering”) was attended by over 1,000 YWAMers from 72 nations in New Zealand, while others participated via GENESIS in Kona, Latvia, Los Angeles, Switzerland, South Africa and India. The event was marked by multi-national expressions of worship, dance cultural protocol, as YWAM celebrated its 40th anniversary, along with the inauguration of Jim Stier as Chairman and Frank Naea as President. There was a pace and flow to it all–the balance of the western content with the Polynesian celebration and processing–that was quite refreshing LTS alumni from the New Zealand school were the at core and heartbeat of the event planning and facilitation. There were many words from the Lord that had to do with crossing over the Jordan at this juncture in our history and not staying in the comfort of the old and familiar, but returning to our first love and moving out in the new and radical.

But aside from all the festivities, I believe that two really significant things for the Mission took place at the Hui.
1) Throughout history, many mighty ministries and missions have "died" because the founder would not release the leadership to newer, younger leaders. Loren released the role of President of YWAM to Jim Stier several years back; he now released the role of Chairman. I believe this is absolutely key for the future and growth of YWAM. (Loren maintains the role, together with Darlene, of “co-founder” of YWAM. He also currently holds the role of President of U of N.).

2) At the HUI, our 40th anniversary mark, Jim Stier passed the role of the Presidency on to a person from the "two-thirds" world, Samoan-Maori Frank Naea. This was not tokenism, but I believe a major mile-marker in YWAM making the transition to be led by a man who represents the constituency of over one-half of the Mission. As mentioned in Chapter One, Loren has believed from the outset of YWAM that when Jesus said "Go into all the world...." He was not just speaking prophetically to North Americans and Europeans, but that Latins, Asians, Africans and Islanders were to be channeled through YWAM as missionaries too. Though the much of the HUI may have seemed that it didn't have a quantifiable, productive outcome to a linear-thinking mind, it was the FIRST time many, many members of our family felt "at home" with recognizable forms of protocol, honoring, story-telling, and celebration that made them feel "I fit this Mission; YWAM is mine!" I believe that this, too, is key for the future and growth of YWAM into the next 40 years and beyond.....

U of N Workshop....
David Hamilton, Coordinator of the 2001 U of N Africa Workshop, stated above that he does not believe the Workshop could have happened without the forerunners of the South Africa LTS and the Introduction to Community Development schools. The U of N Workshop was an historic event, in bringing uniting four corners of the continent–Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa–together in ONE Workshop via GENESIS. LTS alumni played key roles in the preparation and leadership of the overall event, as well as at each of the four sites.

40 Hours of Prayer...
The New Zealand LTS was the catalyst for the 40 Hours of Prayer for the Future of YWAM that took place 40 days into the new millennium (marking YWAM’s 40th anniversary). See Appendix B-5: LTS Mangere, Auckland, New Zealand Report. I believe this event was crucial for the future of the Mission.

As we consider the fruit of our schools, it is important to remember that our ongoing PRAYER may well affect the quality of the fruit. Following is a summary of what was prayed among the seven locations that participated in the 40 Hours of Prayer event via GENESIS. (See the end of Appendix B-5)

Let us continue to watch and pray that God will answer these petitions, and reward them with fruit that remains....

40 HOURS OF PRAYER: WHAT GOD SPOKE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF YWAM
--The structure of YWAM may look different, but the foundation stones are to remain; we must restore the godly foundations of YWAM and repair any faulty foundations, in order to support future expansion
--Make room for familiar and unfamiliar ways of reaching out
--A corporate embracing of the “mind molders," into which God has sewn the seeds for the future
--New openness to get into closed nations
--More freedom for creative and indigenous expressions of worship
--Battle for our inheritance; fight shoulder-to-shoulder against the enemy
--Purposeful mentoring, the older coming alongside the younger, equipping and releasing them
--The future will be more and more cross-generational and multi-cultural, with men, women, old and young honored and involved in God speaking and moving among us; youth will take more leadership and be more prominent in the Mission, but all ages will play key roles
--The future will be the result of the prayers prayed in the past
--Technology will allow us as a decentralized Mission to be more unified; GENESIS will participation in more diverse expressions of group worship and assist us in hearing the voice of God globally
--We are to do God's will in ways never done before; new expressions of creative prayer and fasting
--God has given us the 87 nations where YWAM training does not yet exist: we are to take spiritual possession of these lands (Jesus said to disciple ALL nations - YWAM must take up this challenge)
--God will give us strategic, connected intercession for whole regions of the globe
--Restoration of the Biblical Christian mind: we need to know what we believe and why
--Greater emphasis on the Muslim world
--We are to reach every sphere, every people
--In crossing over the Jordan from the past to the future, the dichotomy between the U of N and other parts of the YWAM Family of Ministries will dissolve: the U of N will provide keys for frontier missions and reaching the hard places
--The arts will take a prominent lead
--Gen-X, a "pay-the-price, go-for-it" generation, will reach their destiny!