Feeling isolated...?

It is always good when you feel needed! In our eagerness to get out there and help others, share the gospel and generally reach out to others, we can often become islands, feeling isolated and alone. Jesus gave thanks to the father when the 72 "returned with joy..." (Luke 10:17). We are meant to share in the joys and share in the sorrows of our fellow missionaries, and give all thanks and praise to God. However, for many, there is a feeling of isolation and loneliness and efforts are made to press on with little-to-no feeling of support from the rest of the mission.
You would think that this only applies to individuals in remote places, but this can happen to whole schools and training establishments. It can happen to students and staff alike. It can happen to anyone and it creeps up on you. Just yesterday, we had a visit from a YWAM leader into our office. He was reporting on what God is doing and wanted to hear about some of the things that were going on around the continent. We welcomed him in, and he shared of the isolation that his family felt out 'on the mission field'. He said that they didn't have a visitor for 2 years and during that time they felt like they were forgotten. He brought this feeling to the regional leader, who encouraged him to be pro-active; he encouraged him to 'be the change'. And he did. Along with a team of young people, they are travelling around South Africa, visiting YWAM locations and hearing the stories, and sharing their own stories. There is mutual encouragement, which will be taken back with them to report on the great things that God is doing.
This is part of the vision of YWAM AfriCom and it is so good to see friends like this, who recognise the isolation that can be felt and can see the importance of sharing information and stories. We know that we cannot share all the stories or be in all the places where YWAM works across this vast continent. That is why we are encouraged by friends like this, who embrace the need to hear from others and the willingness to listen and learn. God is doing something in this continent to connect mission work. It's certainly an exciting time!

Connecting Africa

Imagine working for years in isolated circumstances. Your calling is to reach tribes in rural Africa with the gospel. Faithfully you go and serve, build relationships and work in a people group that is not your own, adopting customs and cultures that are alien to you and embrace life there. Your contact with the 'outside world' is limited to visits back to the big cities for meetings with other missionaries, or the ocassional visit from a leader. However, your knowledge of what is happening in the broader picture for the mission is limited. Easily you start to question what you are doing in relation to others.

Is anyone else out there doing what I'm doing?
Does anyone else have the difficulties I'm facing?

All too often, missionaries leave their 'posts' because of burnout or isolation. That isolation is not usually because there aren't people around them, it is because they are not connected with others who are doing and feeling the same way.

That is why it is so important to build a communications network where those working across Africa in places away from their 'home' and extended family can feel connected to others in similar circumstance. They need a place to share their stories outside of their immediate circumstance and they need to be valued by others in the mission.



God has laid on our hearts, in AfriCom, the vision to support all who serve in YWAM. We visit projects in far-flung places, we collect stories and share them, we make videos to champion the work done by the unsung heroes of faith and we teach the wider body of the mission how to build their own links with each other.

It is our vision that every ministry location in Africa should be connected to one another and thereby feel valued and part of wider work of the mission.

It might not seem like much to many of us, but the magazine we produce bi-annually, known as Djembe, is highly prized by those that receive it. Our running costs are relatively low, but to distribute a few copies of each magazine to some of the remotest locations is a costly exercise. But something that, from our own experience is well worth doing. People donate their time and energy into gathering stories, writing, designing, translating and producing the magazine. In other contexts we could just publicise it online. However, in our context, a physical magazine showcasing the work done by YWAMers on this continent is invaluable and something that we cannot compromise on. However, it does lead to the problem of printing and distribution costs. This is usually around $3,000 per edition. We would value, so much, if friends could pledge a donation today to support us in the production of the current edition which has been produced and is just waiting to be printed. We have raised a third of our costs so far, so we are just asking anyone to donate to enable this to happen.

In YWAM AfriCom we work to serve YWAM any and every YWAMer who lives and works in Africa. We do not receive corporate funding; we get our support from friends who value what we do.

By sponsoring this magazine, YOU can know that you are helping connect ministries together and build a holistic mission to fulfil the Great Commission together.