Cigareets & Whuskey . . . and other prohibitions A 1947 hit song partially lists the prohibitions placed on children in God-fearing homes back then. There were slight variations from denomination to denomination, but essentially the litany of sins to be avoided at all costs—starting with the three above—went something …
Selfies Selfies are all the rage today. By definition, a selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. But selfies are not a new invention by the so-called nameless, faceless generation. They’ve been around a long time. Early Selfie (known back then as a ‘Hero’ or ‘Brag’ shot), …
You may find this month’s Sheep2Sheep a bit weighty and out of character to what you might expect. If so, just skip on down the page, and if all you find appealing is Donna’s Corner, so be it. But this subject has been heavy on me for some time and I feel I have to …
Frugal or Cheap? That is the question . . . * Careful or Stingy? * Thrifty or Tight? * Prudent or Parsimonious? A couple of months ago, I decided to find out what it is to be frugal, but not cheap. When we’re home, Donna & I take time to sit down and share breakfast …
February is a short month, and Ed has been a little short of time due to some foreseen circumstances. Your humble servant may be suffering from PWOS (Post Winter Olympics Syndrome.) So you may find to be a little briefer than usual. But powerful things come in small packages, right? Ready for a bang? Give …
Sitting In The Mall, Watching All The Peeps Go By . . . I love to spend an hour or two in this deliciously time-passing, time-wasting, time-waiting-for-my-favorite-shopper, totally blissful way. I learned the art from Donna’s Dad who was a master practitioner. My Dad-in-law, though he never went to university, had his Masters in PO …
Grace “What’ll we do with them? There’s no room at the inn!” sighed Darlene Cunningham, co-founder of YWAM. Soon after our family of six excitedly stepped off the airplane and into our first-ever missions experience, Darlene met with us. In her confident and engaging manner, wearing her flashingly radiant smile, she wanted to discuss our …
Which Would You Prefer? ‘Happy’ or ‘Joyful’? The bumper sticker on the car ahead of me boldly declared, “Happiness is being in Hawaii.” Hmmm. I’ve lived for more than a dozen years in beautiful, tropical Hawaii, and I don’t recall that everyone was happy all the time. And there were times when I wasn’t, …
‘Mama Dar’ (Darlene Cunningham’s Mom), the oldest-ever full time YWAMer, is now enjoying her heavenly reward—along with her husband, Pastor Scratch who used to be a contributor to inTouch magazine. Familyness, Belongingness & Loneliness The Lord is good. Donna and I have been given so very much—back in our early single lives—but especially during the …
Ugly is as Ugly does (Actually that’s a tweaking of Forrest Gump’s life verse which was, “Stupid is as stupid does.”) ‘Ugly’ is an ugly word and it is used sparingly in the Bible (the cows in Pharaoh’s Genesis 41 dream were ugly). The Message version does use the word quite a bit, but never …
I Have Control As a trainee pilot in the air force, I quickly learned how to steer clear of confusion in the cockpit. When my instructor wanted me to fly the airplane, he said clearly, “You have control.” My required response was simply, “I have control.” That’s how it works in the air. Control …
GREAT FALLS! No, this month is not about the great and magnificent Niagara Falls; nor is it about that hospitable little city of Great Falls, Montana. It’s about a Miracle Fall. Let me explain . . . If you’ve been following for a while, you may recall I had a ‘slip-on-the-ice’ fall early this year, …
Grace and Peace . . . that’s the way Paul began each of his letters . . . although it seems that when he wrote to his disciple Timothy, he added ‘mercy.’ I wonder why. So if you’re in need of mercy, receive that too! Ever read The small Print on stuff that people send …
Many Happy Returns – from Mars!” Sadly, that?s a misleading and deceptive greeting—in actual fact there is no possibility of a return to Earth from Mars for space explorers. Drop in at the Boutique (below), and meet YWAM Associate Dr Raye Kass (DTS 1988), who is involved in planning this oneway expedition to Mars—80,000 already …
If you live on the top side of of the Blue Planet, our hopeful greeting these days is, “April showers bring May flowers.” Down Under-ers (who firmly believe that it’s really they who are on top because the map-makers got it wrong), are mostly looking forward to cooler days. And all those in between say, …
Early Easter Greetings! Rejoice during this time of loss and victory; sadness and joy; death and life. Ultimately it’s Victory, Joy & Life! Pastor-of-all-of-YWAM – Jim Dawson – left us for a Better Place on February 24th at the good old age of 90. We dedicate this edition to Jim, who for several years in …
Hello Friends, It’s good to be back with you in this short month of February. Pour a cup of tea or coffee and join us for a read. Remember this? Pride Comes . . . Have you ever felt as though you were a total failure? And what is worse, a failure in the very …
Welcome to the 25th year of continued contact with our great big, wonderful and worldwide extended family, which includes all those of us who have served in YWAM as well as those who simply served alongside in the ministry of friendship. Remember this? The War of the Words Does it make sense to fight in …
Christmas in China It was my worst Christmas. Our missionary family had been invited to stay in a swanky mansion in bitterly-cold northeast China while the wealthy owners were away. The house was set on a snowy hill overlooking the vast Yellow Sea, not yellow but a colorless and wintry slate-grey, with its shoreline littered …
Happy Holidays America! (We’re trying to stay ahead of the times and be Politically Correct . . . just not sure how much longer “Happy Thanksgiving” will remain PC. In any case, have a blessed Family Time. Oh dear, is it still OK to talk about family?) Seriously, here’s some fun. dis·abil·i·ties; noun Face it, …
Hi & Welcome! This month we have something old, something new, something borrowed . . . and we’ll start off with something blue. Tender Times As I pondered what to call this little piece, I quickly ruled out ‘Troubling Times,’ ‘Terrible Times,’ ‘Testing Times,’ ‘Trauma Times’ and ‘Trying Times.’ As I pondered, what settled it …
“G’Day Digger! Owergoin’mateorrite?” “Grouse Mate! I’m off to a Refresh. “So what’s a Refresh?” If you’re an Aussie—or not—you can find out what is all about! “It’s Down Under Digger . . . down ‘ere ↓ near the bottom.” Tom Bloomer is a YWAM treasure. What follows moved me and I think it will move …
First this month, an Apology: Humor Can Hurt Two months ago we ran a photo of an unnamed woman (actually a well-known YWAM leader) who was holding a weapon of war. In retrospect and after receiving a couple of rebukes, I realize it was wrong and I’m very sorry, especially to those who were offended. …
“Happy Holidays!” to those who are enjoying summer in the northern slice of our planet . . . and ”Warmest Greetings” to those underneath. is intended for the strengthening, encouragement and comfort of your soul and spirit; with a little lightheartedness thrown in. Enjoy! Feel free to use anything from , in whole or in …
“Mucho Gusto!” One of the Spanish meanings of this greeting is, “With much pleasure!” And here as well, is a different kind of greeting . . . is intended for the strengthening, encouragement and comfort of your soul and spirit; with a little lightheartedness thrown in. Enjoy! Used, User or Useful? Being the youngest …
“Comment ça va?” How goes it? In French, to which we hope you can reply, “Ça va bien,”—It goes well is intended for the strengthening, encouragement and comfort of your soul and spirit; with a little lightheartedness thrown in. Enjoy! Nobody Wants to Lose Their Reputation but sometimes when you truly do things totally …
“Waramutse!” or “Waramutse ho!” Our greeting this month comes from Rwanda, and the one for you depends on the time of day you read this—am or pm. is brought to you by a few folks at YWAM Associates International, and is written and designed for your pleasure. So, as you read, keep in mind that …
“”Wotcher! Awright?” is a greeting you might receive from someone born within the sound of Bow Bells in London. These are Cockneys, and they have a fascinating history going back at least to Chaucer. Interested? Google ‘Cockney’ then look at the Wikipedia page.. is brought to you by a few folks at YWAM Associates International, …
“Bonjour, comment ça va?” roughly translated meaning, “G’day mate, how’re ya goin’?” which of course is Aussie-talk. is brought to you by the folks at YWAM Associates International, and is written and designed for your pleasure, strengthening, encouragement and comfort; enjoy! Home Sweet Home A couple of weeks ago, just before leaving Singapore, a friend …
“PIE-vah!” or “Hello!” from the home of Angry Birds, mobile phones, wintry-dips-in-icy-lakes . . . and lots of kind and warm people who call themselves Finns. is brought to you by the folks at YWAM Associates International, and is written and designed for your strengthening, encouragement and comfort; and we hope, for your pleasure. Firsts …
Donna & I & bring Christmas Greetings from Polynesian Islands we have had the privilege of ministering in . . . Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian) Meri Kirihimete (Maori, NZ) Ia manuia le Kerisimasi (Samoan) Kilisimasi Fiefia (Tongan) Kia orana e kia manuia rava i teia Kiritime (Cooks Islander) Hope you don’t mind, but we’re really going …
Halo Mafren! is our warm Solomon Islands ‘pijin’ greeting to you this month. What a nice affectionate feeling it has! Kona in February! Proud Pride & I’m-So-Humble Pride Early on in life I learned never to say (or even think!) that I’m gifted at this or talented at that, because that would be pride—or …
“Ciao!”—and for good measure—“Buon Giorno!” the greeting you’d receive in Italy. Ahhh Italy, such a romantic place (pun intended). is DNA-ish of Youth With A Mission and is brought to you by the folks at YWAM Associates International. It is for all who know us and still love us (to know us is to love …
“Have you eaten?” is often the “Hi-how-are-you?” greeting in Singapore, and your polite answer would be, “Yes I have, thanks.” It is said that Singapore is the world’s capital for seafood (every time you see food, you eat). This tiny (20×14 miles) island/city/nation, with a population of 5,000,000, is to most people, one great big …
“Cka po bë?” is how you say , “What’s up?” in Kosova (at three years old on Feb 17, one of the world’s newest nations). eTouch is an unmushy loveletter, something to spice up your day with encouragement, challenge and we hope, with the flavor of the Fruit of the Spirit. Even though eTouch is a …
“Sup bro” (or sis) – is our South African hello this month, to which you might answer, “What say, what say.” eTouch is a cybric loveletter, something to spice up your day with encouragement, challenge and hope . . . with the flavor of the Fruit of the Spirit. Even though eTouch is a YWAM-y thing, …
“Ow de body?” is Sierra Leone’s greeting this month, and to which your reply could be, “De body fine.” eTouch is a loveletter, an encouragement to you through words—and a few pictures—that have the flavor of the Fruit of the Spirit. Though eTouch is intended for those who have served—or are serving—with YWAM, all are welcome. …
Kuhreestos harryav ee merrelotz! “Christ is risen from the dead” ~ an Armenian Easter Greeting to you. eTouch is a loveletter to all who read it. Our intention is to be an encouragement to you by means of words and pictures that reflect the fruit of the Spirit. Though originally intended for those who have served—or …
“Sawaddee!” is once again our greeting, this time from Myanmar (formerly Burma), and the actual meaning is, “Where are you going?” Good question. This edition is somewhat “Jordan-family-oriented.” You may be forgiven if you skip these stories about our tribe – but quite frankly, this is the only family we have! And so far, we …
(Pozdravi) – or Tung, Serbian and Albanian greetings . . . both being languages of Kosova, the three-year old country which is one of the six nations carved out of the old Yugoslavia. In this month’s loveletter, Mark Herringshaw, who we introduced last month, is our guest columnist. After 25 years of pastoral ministry, Mark …
“Sawadee” is the gracious greeting from Thailand that we extend to you. So, here comes this month’s loveletter . . . and we begin with a wonderful welcome to some new faces. Mark & Jill Herringshaw are re-joining YWAM full time as Coordinators for YWAM Associates North America. For many years they pastored in Minneapolis/St …
“Glória a Deus nas alturas!” Sort of, “Wow God!” (Actually, it means “Glory to God in the highest!”) This was part of the message delivered in Angelspeak to a bunch of shepherds near Bethlehem. We like to think that is a love letter rather than a newsletter (you won’t find much news, but love is …
Oi gente! Tudo bom?”That’s Portuguese for, “Hey guys, how’s it going?” eTouch is written mainly for the 4 to 5 million-strong family of former YWAMers ~ plus all of our many friends who love and support the mission. Following is a little taste of the exposé that you’ve been waiting for, the book that names …
Help Me God, I’m All By Myself By Jeff Herringshaw I’m an introvert. And unlike some of my extroverted friends and family, I can handle being alone for extended periods of time quite well. In fact, I look for and sometimes long for more times to just be a hermit. A five-day personal retreat with …
Costa Rica UofN Report: JoEllyn Wright God has really been speaking to us as a Mission and there have been some significant shifts because of it. You will rejoice to hear that one major shift was a corporate revelation that EVERY believer is a missionary, sent by God into his or her specific sphere of …
“One Little Vowel” A Love Story from Africa (from Wycliffe Bible Translators) Translator Lee Bramlett was confident that God had left His mark on the Hdi culture somewhere, but though he searched, he could not find it. Where was the footprint of God in the history or daily life of these Cameroonian people? What clue …
In 1989, I served for several months at a Christian Rehab center in North Carolina. The kids in the program had come to Christ but needed help getting over addictions of all kinds. One week, they tried to figure out the best way to fight a spiritual battle. Praying for hours, fasting and prayer, or …