June update

Hello friends and family,

 

I hope y’all are doing well, I know I’ve gotten to contact some of y’all over the course of the last month months which has been such a blessing and encouragement to me.

 

Monday worship

Base life

In this update I really wanted to help those of you who haven’t visited or been apart of YWAM to get an idea of what YWAM is about and what life in YWAM Perth is like for me.

Summery of vision, values and goals of YWAM and YWAM Perth

Youth with a mission or YWAM (gotta get those acronyms) based is based on the goal of a international movement of Christians from as many denominations, dedicated to presenting Jesus to this and future generations, to mobilize as many as possible to help in this task. To the training and equipping of believers for their part in the fulfilling the great commission. There are some very basic values that YWAM has that YWAM Perth fully agrees with, you’re welcome to check them out here.

YWAM Perth has the goal of being a modern day Antioch, impacting the different spheres of society and reaching the Indian Ocean Gate Way (IOG- 😉)

  There are certain things we do as a base that happens every day, one of those things is family chores: we want to be good stewards of the properties/buildings that God has entrusted us with and we see ourselves as a big family- to act our stewardship and work as a family in starting the morning with 30 minutes of fellowship and cleaning. Another thing we do together is have lunch and dinner together: we have an amazing kitchen ministry, they prepare food for gluten and dairy free, and set out meals for about 200-550 people twice a day. They’re truly incredible. We do our meals family styled so that once again we’re mixing as a community and doing things as a family. Another thing is Monday morning worship, it’s the perfect way to start the week, praising God all together, then there is staff meeting on Wednesday afternoons, we have some worship and then a word from leaders in the base and/or get to hear testimonies from different outreaches. Another base favorite event is Friday night meeting, it’s an open meeting that people in the city can come to, with worship and a word from a guest speaker or base leader, it’s a great way to finish off the week.

My week generally looks like the below:

Monday- 8am Family chores, 8:30am Monday morning worship, ministry stuff, 12:30pm lunch, staff school, dinner, whatever evening plans you have

Tuesday- 8am Family chores, 8:30am base intercession, ministry, 12:30pm lunch, dinner, whatever evening plans you have

Wednesday- 8am Family chores, ministry, 12:30pm lunch, 1:30pm staff meeting, ministry, dinner, whatever evening plans you have

Thursday- 8am Family chores, 8:30am base intercession, ministry, 12:30pm lunch, ministry, dinner, whatever evening plans you have

Friday- 8am Family chores, ministry, 12:30pm lunch, evangelism, free time or ministry, take home dinner, 7:30-9pm Friday night meeting

 

Ministry everyday ministry looks different ministry to ministry, and projects within the ministries. In health care there are long term projects like simple healthcare teachings, seminars and translation. There is also the medical truck that we have a vision of sending up to the Kimberley’s. Then there are schools that different people head up and prepare for, along with donations, an inner city ministry that works with social workers to practically help get people on their feet during hard times. Health care in it’s own way influences and impacts many spheres of society and parts of the world.

TDT

What does ministry look like for me? In this season I was asked to temporarily join another ministry, the ministry is called Training Development Team (TDT because we love our acronyms). This ministries goal is to help establish a university of the nations in Perth, but it’s also part of the group that makes sure the schools that we’ve registered with the Australian government align with the standards they’ve set up. Giving quality training that equips people well, to impact nations!

Right now we’re in the process of rewriting a lot of the old school curriculums to fit the standards, which means I spend a good deal of writing on a computer. I can’t say this work as always been a passion of mine (I cried the first week of training for it in December, lets say I didn’t know I was going to be recruited to join later haha), but the heart behind it is very much something I’m passionate about. Training people with practical skills along side discipleship, so they can impact different spheres of society for the glory of God. SIGN ME UP! God’s heart is so much in the teach and growing of the skills and giftings He has given us or called us to, why wouldn’t I want to help set people up for the best possible road to success?!

MDS

MDS is one of the school that the base offers staff, it helps them be able to get visas while continuing to be developed and grown into a more effective missionary. We have class once a week on Mondays and then turn in homework at the end of the month. It allows us to get a two year visa which is most staff commitments!

BAS

Before I was asked to help with TDT I was asked to staff the next Birth Attendant School (BAS 😉), because of lockdown we aren’t sure when the next school will get to run, I prayed about it and felt like God said to staff it! The school already has lovely women ready to do the school as soon as the opening date is announced, I’m so excited to get the staff the school I was called to do when I was 11, and finally did three years ago.

Financial needs

The BAS is eleven months long with two lecture phase and two outreaches, as staff there will be seasons of being off to rest and not be directly part of the school but there will be a lot of back to back moments. I will be needing finances for outreach, which could be up to $7,000USD (that is counting both outreaches) while also taking care of my staff fees and saving up to head home to see my family and y’all!

New flat we're moving into

Prayer

I would love prayer, I’m currently in the middle of getting ready to move flats, moving actually makes me feel quiet vulnerable and want to withdraw from people, but that it isn’t a good response, plus I still want to continuing to give my best for TDT. So I’d love prayer for those, and just to be ready for when the boarders open up and the school starts!

 

Love you guys, feel free to send me questions or thoughts and prayer,

Joannah Zimmerman