A YWAM Worcester promotional video

I would like to share this latest video about YWAM Worcester with you. It gives a very nice summery of our work here at the base, including schools and ministries etc. It was specially done for the opening of the new Lifestyle Christian Academy building on Saturday 6 September 2014.

NEWS FROM THE PIENAARS JUNE 2014

Greetings from Worcester.

With the year fast approaching the halfway point, it is with a grateful heart that we look back on the first half of the year. There are so many stories to be told, miracles that Father God has done in students' lives, and changes that God is bringing on the base. One of the first things that comes to mind is the great financial miracles that the Troubadour DTS saw as God provided for them for their outreach to Brazil. We are currently hearing beautiful testimonies of drug lords that are experiencing the love of God and young people in gangs that are being touched by the testimonies of the students. This is what one of the staff members commented on her social network “Today was an unforgettable day for me. So many emotions, so many revelations, so many realizations..... I'm blown away by God's love for me!” Praise God for what he is doing.

The end of the term is also exam time for the children. What made it a bit different this term for Chané is that she had to write her exam with her left hand due to the fact that she cracked her wrist during hockey practice. Her arm was in plaster and it only came off this week. Something that she is very grateful for.

Rozelle is also busy with her exam, but had the opportunity yesterday during one of her off days to work on a school project “Job Shadowing”. This meant that she spent the day at the christian school on the base following one of the teachers around to get a good idea of exactly what she does. She enjoyed the whole experience tremendously and actually just wants to go back to do it again.

On the topic of the christian school – we are looking forward to the completion of the school building currently being built on the base. The builders are currently in the last phases of the building process and if everything goes well we are planning to have the official opening of the new Lifestyle Christian Academy school building in August.

The BCC Bible school ends this week and that will be the lasts school for this term. The weekend of 6 July will be the start of the next term and we are looking forward to meeting all the new students as they arrive on the base. The schools that will be running next term is: The Family Ministry School, The Primary Health Care school, the Awakening Discipleship Training School and the English Language School. Please pray with us for each one of these students as we continue to disciple the nations. (Matt 28:19)

We would love to hear from you.

Blessings

Arno and Mariska

NUUS VAN DIE PIENAARS Oktober 2013 (Ons Oktober nuusbrief)

Groete hier uit Worcester. Daar het soveel gebeur hierdie laaste paar maande en ons wil graag met julle van die hoogtepunte deel.

Hier by YWAM staan ons aan die begin van 'n nuwe termyn, met studente wat arriveer van so ver as Congo Brazaville, maar ons het ook sopas ons “Awakening DTS” studente uitgestuur op hulle praktiese uitreikfase en weereens was die vreugde groot soos wat ons Hemels Vader wonderwerke gedoen het deur vir die verskillende spanlede te voorsien. Die spanne het vertrek na Mosambiek, Switserland en ook 'n spannetjie wat in Suid-Afrika bly en hulle uitreik afskop in Port Elisabeth. Ander skole wat klaargemaak het hierdie teryn was die “Family Ministry School”, die “Introduction to Primary Healthcare” en soos altyd ook ons Engelse Skool.

Nie net het ons skole aangebied nie, maar ons het ook die voorreg gehad om verskeie uitreikspanne te huisves wat in en om Worcester uitreik gedoen het. Een van die groepe, “Heartbridge”- 'n drama en dans groep- kom al die pad van van Kona Hawaii af. Hulle het wonderlike geleenthede gehad om in skole, kerke en sommer ook net in die opelug optree in die maand wat hulle hier saam met ons was. Huidiglik is daar ook 'n spannetjie studente van Denver Colorado wat ons vir twee weke huisves terwyl hulle in die omgewing werk.

Op die huisfront het ons die vreugde gehad om Rozelle se 16de

verjaarsdag saam te vier. Haar tema was “Om die Wêreld”, en sy en haar maats het die aand heerlik saam geniet. Ons kon 'n hele paar verteenwoordigers betrek van verskillende lande hier op die basis en so het die jongmense dan by ses verskillende lande 'n ietsie ervaar van daardie kultuur - tot almal se genot.

Chané het haar graad drie klavier eksamen gespeel hierdie termyn en al die harde oefening was toe die moeite werd. Sy het eerste in haar klas ge-eindig. Wat dit bietjie anders gemaak het is dat dit haar tweede keer was wat sy hierdie jaar eksamen gespeel het. Haar juffrou het besluit dat sy reg was om twee grade hierdie jaar te doen.

Soos baie van julle reeds weet het ek en Mariska 'n uitdagende klompie maande agter die rug met die afsterwe van my pa sowel as Mariska se ma. Te midde van alles kan ons getuig dat ons Hemelse Vader genoeg genade gee vir elke dag. Arno se ma kuier huidiglik bietjie hier by ons. Baie dankie vir elkeen se gebede en bystand teenoor ons gedurende hierdie tyd.

Ons sien uit na die laaste deel van die jaar. Ons is opgewonde oor wat gebeur hier op die YWAM basis en wat die toekoms inhou. Ons weet dat dit jou gebede en bystand is wat dit help moontlik maak.

Baie liefdegroete
Arno en Mariska

National Braai day in South Africa 24 September.

Getting ready for National Braai day in South Africa - YWAM style :)!!

Friends for Life workshop - a great success.

 

The weekend of the 13-15 September 2013 YWAM Worcester hosted the Friends for Life workshop. The workshop was oranized and run by Christiaan and Tineke Baas, YWAM Worcester staff members and also overseers of REAPP (Relationship Enrichment by Applying Preventive Principles) in South Africa.

Thirty six people attended the workshop. "It was the most diverse group we ever worked with!!" says Tineke. " Awesome put together. Local people from Roodewal, Avian Park and Langerug, YWAM-mers and even a couple that flew in from Nelspuit. Very interesting! God has done an amazing things this weekend in the hearts of many - and in ours."

The workshop is based on preventive principles for building relationships. Practical tools for every day use.

It was a very dynamic weekend with topics such as:

* successful communication

* using conflicts creatively, including the purpose of anger and how to deal with it in a healthy way

* teaching about intimacy and sexuality

This week they will continue to train three people as facilitators to take on the worship in Johannesburg and Potchefstroom and in three weeks time they will also have the opportunity to train the Family Ministry School students to become facilitators. This is good news as it means that REAPP South Africa in multiplying!

The Troubadour DTS arrive back from outreach and graduate.

On the 22nd of AUgust was the Troubadour DTS  graduation. The different teams arrived back on the base and as always the reunion of all the students and the catching up of all the stories was filled with much joy and excitement. The TDTS divided into four outreach groups after the lecture phase. Two of the teams went outside of South Africa , one to Angola and the other to India. The other two teams stayed in South Afirca, one of them working in and around Worcester and the other travelling to Jeffrey's bay and Whiteriver situated just north of Nelspruit in the Mpumalanga province. For some of them it is not the end of their journey with YWAM Worcester, as they will be returning to continue with the XBCC that will be running in September this year. Our prayer is that all the students will continue to build on the foundations that was laid during the TDTS, and we look forward to hearing the stories of how God has used them to make an impact where ever He will send them.

Rozelle and Chané take part in the Troubadour concert

It's the start of our second term of 2013 and Saturday night we had a great celebration organized by the Troubadour Discipleship Training School. This DTS, that has a special focus on the arts, start the term with and exciting event to set the pace and example for the students for the rest of the school. This year did not disappoint as we enjoyed an exciting and talent filled concert. Rozelle and Chané was also privileged to take part. Rozelle coached two of the dances with the smaller children (Chané danced in one of them) and also took part in a dance and a drama. 

News Bites

Click on the images below to have a look at our latest newsletter.

Our latest YWAM Worcester base video

Praying for Worcester

Staff and students from YWAM Worcester were prompted to pray for Worcester in the midst of potential strikes and unrest's promised to take place in our valley. The intercession leaders on the base clearly felt that we should go down to the center of town and pray for our town and the surrounding farms. With expectation in our hearts we went and we had a great time of prayer and intercession during our Wednesday morning base intercession time slot. We proclaimed Gods desires and truths over the Breede valley. I know we serve a God who answers prayer and we trust that his purposes for Worcester and the surrounding areas will be establishment. 

September Holiday Camp

Put ten girls , a YWAM mom (Mariska) and one big sister together and what do you get? A fun time! That is exactly what the girls had as they came together each day during the holiday for different activities and inspiring stories and lessons.

News Bites

Song of Songs 2:11-13

11 See! The winter is past; the rains are over

and gone.12 Flowers appear on the earth;the

season of singing has come,the cooing of

doves is heard in our land.13 The fig tree

forms its early fruit;the blossoming vines

spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my

darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” As

we enter into spring and summer our prayer for

you is that you will hear our Father's voice that

is calling you to a more intimate relationship

with Him. 

The third term came quickly to an

end. To tell the truth: our Crossroads

DTS team is still on the base, busy

preparing for their outreach to

Swaziland , while our new students

have arrived for the term. Mariska

and I were at the welcoming

ceremony of the Compassion DTS

that will be running this term, and it

is encouraging to see so many

different countries represented on one

school.

Other schools that will be running

this term, is our Bible School

(XBCC). We are especially thankful

for the 22 students that will be attending this school, and – like always – they already started

with the first Bible book after they had spent the weekend with orientation and team building.

The “Introduction to Primary Healthcare” (IPHC) and the English Language School are the two

other schools that will be running this term.

Both Rozelle and Chanè also had a busy term,

as both of them played their UNISA music

Exam. Rozelle played Grade 5 piano, while

Chanè did her Grade 1. Chanè also went on her

first SOS camp near Villiersdorp, where they

spent three days in nature and did all kinds of

exciting activities, like canoeing and rock

climbing. She really enjoyed the camp. Rozelle

celebrated her 15th birthday in August, and we

also had the responsibility of deciding next

year's subjects in Grade 10. Can you believe

it?!

Mariska is planning a “mini” holiday camp for

the 10-12 year old girls (there's a whole bunch

of them) on the base. Please pray for her and

that it will be a fruitful and life changing time

for the girls.

We are thankful towards our heavenly Father

for His faithful care and we also regularly thank

Him for everyone that stands with us and

support us to fulfil our mission. May you, as we

mentioned earlier, hear His call in your life in

the coming months, but MORE than that: we

pray that you will experience His presence in

your life as you respond to his call.

News Bites

Some events and happenings around our life during the second quarter of  2012

Outing on our 20^th wedding anniversary in April

Combined prayer time for the world on the world map

YWAM Worcester busy with an outreach as part of the “Global Day of Outreach”. We did a clean-up of the area by picking up papers, had individual prayer for those that wanted prayer and did open air evangelism through dance, singing, drama and sharing the gospel. There was a nice testimony of a girl that saw the YWAMers picking up papers and also saw one of her former friends whose life has been completely changed. It touched her so much that she decided to also turn back to Jesus and give her life to Him. (Rozelle is also dancing together with the current DTS: back left-hand corner)

 

This terms Troubadour Discipleship training school students. They are on their way to England for their outreach. Part of their outreach will be at the Olympic Games where they will be reaching out to the nations attending the Games.

 Creative Arts Seminar students busy with their practical after their three weeks course here on the YWAM base. Rozelle also attended the seminar.

 

YWAM leaders from Southern Africa attending our regional leadership conference that is held every second year.

Great Healing Testimony

I would like to share this story of a miracle that happened on the base during this term. Actually it is the testimony of one of our Family Ministry School students that he told during a corporate meeting here on the base. I thought that this is such and amazing testimony of Gods healing power when I heard it.
From the beginning of the term he has had tremendous back pain. On this particular morning during worship time he told his wife that he was going to go outside and walk around a bit because his back is to painful. He walked up to the cross that is planted on our lawn and stood against it with his back. He did this as a way to support his back but as he stood there he felt God speak to him and say that he should stay standing there until the sun breaks through the clouds. When that happens he will be healed. He obeyed and about an hour and a half later the sun did break through the clouds. When he walked away from the cross he could feel the pain stay behind. From that moment of he has been healed.

Ons nuutste doen en late hier by YWAM

Sewe-en- twintig nasionaliteite, vyf-en-tagtig studente en honderd-en-twintig personeel. Dit is wie almal die begin van die termyn bymekaarkom by ons eerste gesamentlike byeenkoms, en in ons harte is 'n verwagting dat baie mense se lewens deur die liefde van Jesus verander gaan word in hierdie jaar wat voorlê. Ek kan werklik sê dat dit dan ook juis die geval is: nou dat ons al 'n paar maande gevorder het met hierdie jaar, is dit vir my so bemoedigend om te sien hoe oop die studente is om te leer en alles te ontvang wat Jesus vir hulle het vir hierdie seisoen van hulle lewens. Ek kan getuig dat ons sien hoedat die krag van die Heilige Gees in mense werk en hulle kom genees en bedien met Vader God se liefde en hoedat mense se lewens weekliks verander word soos wat die Heilige Gees openbaring bring.

Nog 'n hoogtepunt van hierdie termyn is die “Marriage Week” wat deur ons Familie bediening gereël is. Dit is 'n internasionale byeenkoms wat reeds in 25 ander lande gehou word , maar wat hierdie jaar vir die eerste keer in Suid- Afrika aangebied is. Die byeenkoms is ge-open deur Worcester se Burgermeester en sy vrou hier in ons saal op die YWAM Basis. Ons het ook die geleentheid gehad om vir hulle te bid.

Behalwe die skole wat hierdie termyn aangebied word, het ons ook 'n drie weke lange “Troubadoer Arts Seminar” aangebied met studente wat van so ver as Namibië gekom het om hulself daardeur te kom toerus. Rozelle het ook die drie weke kurses bygewoon en dit baie geniet. Die hoogtepunt van die seminaar was die laaste Saterdag toe al die studente saam op 'n uitreik Somersetstrand toe gegaan het en op die strand die danse en dramas gedoen het en so die evangelie verkondig het.

Ons Dissipelskap uitreikspanne wat teruggekom het van onder adere Brazil en Malawi getuig hoedat hulle die krag van die Here sien werk het. By 'n geleentheid in Malawi het hulle die Jesus film gewys en toe dit kom by die deel van die kruisiging het hulle die film gestop en mense genooi wat wil vorentoe kom vir gebed. Een van die gevalle was 'n man wat blind was wat vorentoe gekom het en toe hulle vir hom bid het sy oë oopgegaan en kon hy weer sien. Prys Jesus vir die krag van Sy naam!

Die kinders is ook nou al weer goed aan die gang met al hulle skool aktiwiteite. Altwee geniet hulle dansklasse en ons is veral dankbaar dat ons vir Chané kon laat inskakel by “Vibrant”- 'n christen dansskool in die dorp.

Ons is dankbaar vir jou gebed en ondersteuning. Ons is opgewonde oor wat Vader doen hier by YWAM Worcester en ons prys die Here vir jou aandeel in ons lewens wat die werk hier help moontlik maak.

Baie liefdegroete Arno , Mariska en kinders. 

a. Arno word verras met 'n sjokeladekoek tydens 'n werksvergadering op sy   verjaarsdag

b. Gebed vir die Burgermeester met die opening van die Huweliksweek

c. "Compassion DTS" studente word uitgestuur na hulle skool.

d. Die drie vrouens in my lewe by 'n uitstappie in Kirstenbosch

e. Mansstudente direk na hulle terugkeer van hul uitreik in Brazil.

f. Pretfoto op die uitstalbord van die huidige DTS Studente.

 

Marriage week

One of the highlights of the past two weeks was the opening of the marriage week here on the YWAM Worcester base by the Mayor of Worcester , Basil Kivedo. Although Marriage week is celebrated in 25 countries around the world, this was the firs time it has been celebrated in South Africa and specifically , Worcester. The event was organized by YWAM Worcester's Family Ministry Department. The plan is to continue to build on this years event and that it will be celebrated every year, not only in Worcester but also in other parts of South Africa. 

Great expectations

Twenty seven nationalities, eighty five students and hundred and twenty staff. This is how we start this year at YWAM Worcester. As we fill up the Glory Hall at our first meeting of the year,  we have an expectation of great things that we believe God wants to do in the lives of every one involved with YWAM Worcester. The schools that we have running currently is the Discipleship Training school, Family Ministry School and English Language school. Then there is also a three week Troubadour  performing Arts Seminar that has been running with students coming from as far as Namibia to come and join in this time of equipping. Rozelle my oldest daughter has also been doing the seminar that has been running mainly in the evenings and over weekends and she has been enjoying it tremendously. Join with us in prayer for each one of the students that are with us us this term. Pray that their lives will be impacted and changed forever as the grow in the knowledge of who God is and his love for them.

Troubadoer DTS students talk about their experience on the school

Attending the 3ed term ELS Graduation

This term has come to an end and yesterday Mariska and I  had the privilege to attend our English Language School (ELS) graduation for the third term. With students from Angola , Korea, Chile and Brazil it was a fun affair with much bubbling and talking as we sat down for a lovely breakfast. The school had about 40 plus students divided between four levels and  is very popular for those wanting to learn English . Many of the students are on their way to the mission field and learning English is the next step they need to take to reach their goal.  Certificates were handed out and good buys where said to those finishing their fourth and final level. Students had the opportunity to introduce fellow students and teachers , all in English, of course and it was great to see them step out and speak in public in their newly acquired language. I commended them for their courage and encouraged them to go on and accomplish everything that God has called them to do.  Soon the new term will start and the new intake of students will start to arrive.

Girls choir School Eisteddfod

Both Rozelle and Chané have been part of their schools Choirs this term taking part in the school Eisteddfod. Below are the two choirs performing. Both Choirs got above 90% for their performances on the day.