January - March Update

Hello, I am excited to send you an update on what happened in the last three months here in YWAM Lausanne and also what I was able to see and experience, and what is coming up in the new season. Thank you so much for taking the time and reading through my newsletter. Your support in prayer and giving is much appreciated and I will never take it for granted.

What is happening in our community

We had a wonderful start to our first quarter in 2023. This quarter we have the honor and privilege to run 4 different Schools, a discipleship school, a bible school, a communication and creative school, and an English school for missions. We have around 50 students on campus and we are over 27 nations represented. I feel so blessed to live in such a diversity of community where we can learn and grow together. In less than a week we will celebrate the graduation and commissioning of these different schools! Seeing how the students learned and grow in these last couple of months is so wonderful and makes me beyond blessed to know that I can be part of it.

Missionary Anthem, Song by YWAM Kona Music The harvest is ready We have to go We won't stop till the whole world knows The power in Your blood To save every soul We're not ashamed of the gospel

Next Wednesday, 29.3.23, we will send 3 outreach teams to go and share what they learned as they got trained here in Lausanne. We will have teams going to Togo, North Africa, and Lebanon. Please pray for protection, open doors, and God's guidance as they will be on the field for 2 months while they will share the Gospel through several ministry opportunities like home visits, kids ministries, and mercy ministry.

At the beginning of this year, I had the honor to speak on Intercession and how our prayers have an impact and can change and transform lives and circumstances. In my preparation and as I was sharing, I realized once more how much I love to be in constant communication with our God, in prayer. Reflecting on that I truly can see him answering my prayers in several ways and how he is changing circumstances as we stand in the cup for others in our prayers.

Jeremiah 33:3

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

God wants to have a close partnership with us, his desire is to cooperate with us and not do things on his own. Let's seek him through our prayers!

I was also able to help organize our quarterly prayer day. This time we felt to pray for Switzerland and Europe. It was an incredible day where the whole community came together and we set 24 hours aside to truly focus on God and what he has for us. We had times of worship prayer, prophetic acts, reading the scripture or just being silent in his presence and letting him minister to us. God was touching and moving our hearts in different ways. We were truly able to see how a huge hunger starting to grow in our community. We also started on a regular basis a prayer room, where people can come and seek the presence of the Lord. It is s beautiful to see of how our community loves to spend time in the presence of God.

European Leadership Gathering

Beginning of February, I was able to go to the UK, Harpenden, where we had a European leadership gathering conference. Over 300 leaders from all the different YWAM bases in Europa came together for one week. Our theme was "WITH; together advancing God's kingdom". It was a very inspiring time to hear and learn from one another and to get to know people. Hearing from the different bases of how they equip their people and serve in different areas, locally but also overseas was very touching and inspiring. We had a teaching of how lives can be transformed through our giving and serving in the area of hospitality. This teaching was very eye-opening for me and I was able to understand on a deeper level how I can use my passion for sharing God's love through my hospitality. SeongEun and I love to host people and invest in them by giving them a place to be, to rest, and where they can share their stories. So we are super excited about how God wants to use our passion even more for his kingdom. In this sense, we are trusting for a housing opportunity after our marriage, where we are able to host even more people and serve them with our hospitality.

We also learned more about Generation Z and how we can walk alongside them in discipleship. The fact that so many Christians in Europe have the same heart to know God and to make him known lets me just be in awe.

New responsibilities

To be honest, this season was not the easiest for me, as I was very sick. I was often in bed as I had no energy and it was not only easy doing ministry while having not a lot of energy. At the same time, I felt the Lord was telling me that a new season is coming, with new things to happen. As I was in this season of waiting as a lot of things were unclear, I was able to hold on to God's promises that he is constantly near.

Psalm 23, 4

Even when I walk through the darkest valley I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Even in seasons of change, in seasons of uncertainty, in seasons of not knowing what is coming next, stay close to God as he knows the best. In the most difficult storms, he is near and he will never leave you. In the most challenging season, we are able to see growth and transformation happening in our lives. Are you ready to let God transform you, no matter what it costs?

But then, I was able to see the spring coming, I started to step into new responsibilities, I am able to see how my faith and confidence in God got stronger and how I am able to rely more and more on him and his faithfulness.

I started to help and serve in the area of housing and staff involvement.

Before I got invited for these new responsibilities, I felt more and more the heart and desire to invest in students, who have a long-term vision with YWAM Lausanne. Seeing now how these new responsibilities are going together with what is on my heart is so wonderful and incredible. In this new season of taking on more responsibilities, I was also able to develop further friendships. God is so good!

Luke 16:10

He that is faithful with little things is faithful with big things also. He that is not honest with little things is not honest with big things.

Honestly, I never imagined stepping into the responsibilities which I have now, I did not know where the journey will lead me when I decided to move to YWAM Lausanne to serve and train young people. But I truly can see God's guidance and blessing in everything. What I am able to do today, is so much more than I was dreaming of, new doors are starting to open up and I am looking so much forward to how I can even more partner with God.

a weekend in Zurich with friends and family.

God hears our prayers and cares about our desires!

SeongEun and I were praying for a car for a longer period of time. But we both felt to just give this desire of having a car into God's hands and to trust him with the right car at the right time. As we are also planning for our wedding to come, we both knew that we also have to fundraise for our wedding and therefore we were not really sure if it is the right timing for us to invest towards a car even though we had the desire to have one as it makes our lives much easier and flexible. But then one day, as we were visiting my family in Zurich the opportunity came up for us to buy a car. As we were praying for the offer we felt it is the right timing for us to go and buy the car. In this process of praying and calculating the costs, we received donations from both of our families as they felt to give some donations to bless us so that we are able to buy the car. The remaining amount which we still need to pay is 25%! This car is truly representing God's faithfulness and provision in our lives! Thank you, God!

John 14, 13-14

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

What's next

In a bit more than 2 weeks, I will serve again in the bilingual, Korean-English discipleship and training school, which we will run in the upcoming quarter from April - August. For now, we have around 45 students who applied for the school and I am super excited to meet them soon in person and to get to know them and listen to their stories! In our preparations, we had a time of worship where we laid down all our fears and worries for this upcoming school.

We also started to pray for every individual student who applied and is getting ready to come to YWAM Lausanne. I am looking very much forward to this new season to come.

We are a team of 10 staff members who will serve in this school.

During the school, I will keep serving in other areas, like housing and staff involvement. As well, SeongEun and I are in planning our wedding which is happening this coming September! :-)!

As I was praying for this new season to come, I felt the Lord telling me that it will be a season of spring, a season where a lot of new things start to bloom but also a season where I will be able to testify his faithfulness and goodness as I Trust him in his perfect timing! Starting this new season of being a part of this school but also keeping going in what I am already doing with his promise on it, makes me super excited!

John 14, 27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

prayer requests

As we receive the application from the students we also have some students who are still trusting God for their financial needs to be covered so that they will be able to come and be a part of this school. We have one student who is a North Korean defector, who lives now in South Korea. But the person went through a very hard time, losing both of his parents and struggling with health issues. The person applied for the school with the desire to get to know God on a personal level. Another student is from Albania and grew up in a Muslim family. A few years ago, the mother accepted Jesus as her savior, and out of that, the student accepted Jesus as well. This student also felt the guidance to come to YWAM Lausanne to get trained and to learn more about who God is. Both of them are still trusting for God's provision as they do not have the money to cover the school. In one of our staff meetings, we prayed for the students and at the same time, we received a text message that the aunt blessed the student from Albania with a donation of 2000.-. As we keep praying and trusting God for the funds to come forth, I would love to invite you to pray with us. If you feel the desire to give a donation to this student, then please feel free to reach out to me.

The upcoming season will be exciting but also stretching as I will serve in the school and other areas, and at the same time, we have the honor to prepare for our wedding!

SeongEun and I are still trusting for God's provision when it comes to our wedding budget and as well for more regular supporters.

Prayers for wisdom, strength, and energy are much appreciated.

Thank you so much for all you support! Much love Jana!

some pictures of us enjoying the snowy mountains!