The Willson Tribe: West Coast/Best Coast Willson Update 2016

Salem has blessed our family so much these past two years. We know that what the Lord is doing here in this community of disciple makers is precious, and a part of the transformation of Salem for God’s glory.

Gospel Guy is engaging the people of Salem daily on street corners and is uniting the local church for the purposes of evangelism and engaging a city together. Now in it’s first quarter, Outward Apologetics School is in full swing, being the natural progression of Gospel Guy’s ministry here and the first ever apologetics course offered by YWAM! The Foundations of Counseling School is training leaders to operate in Spirit led wisdom and biblical principles to bring healing to a hurting world. In fact they just finished up two months of ministry and training in Brazil, running training and seminars to equip and strengthen the body of Christ there. Our Discipleship schools have been stirring up vision and destinies in Christ for young people and unleashing them on Turkey, France, Thailand and beyond as bright lights burning with the Gospel and pointing whole villages and refugee communities to Jesus. Salem will be part of a joint outreach to refugees in the Mediterranean with several other discipleship schools as a part of our Fall program. God is doing the great work, and I just get to break the news!

Our Korean DTS is now in week two with our good friends Namwoong and Hanbi at the helm. They’ve asked our family to continue to help both with the fall schools but also to continuing fostering international community and to work as a bridge for the growing Korean ministry here. Daniel, one of our students from last year is now leading the 40+ youth in his Korean-America church near Portland. His sister Jinkyung just graduated from her DTS a couple weeks ago and is reentering Oregon life after three months outreach in Thailand. Our base just the other week housed and fed Daniel and his churches’ 40 teens for a weeklong Mission Adventure camp where they learned about God’s heart for missions and immediately engaged Salem with street outreach and evangelism. Getting to journey with people, and seeing the affect that one DTS graduate can have on his family, church and the nations is a constant reminder of why YWAM is precious to the Lord and how the DTS is still an invaluable instrument in the hand of our Father God

I was able to complete a Chronological Bible Core Course this past spring. It was a three month trek through the entire story of Scripture, using the inductive method of study. It was exhausting, I’m a really bad student and trying to focus with kids screaming in the next room was difficult, but it was such an important time for me. Tracing God’s lovingkindness from Genesis to Revelation, and seeing his desire for joyful worshipers and His care for the sojourners and marginalized has ignited something in my spirit. I’m still processing much of what the Spirit taught me on those three months.

Bora got her driver’s license and is now both able to do errand with ease but also is using her new freedom and nobility to extend hospitality to the many single and carless staff on campus. Sure, she doesn’t know how to pick quality ice cream, but her being able to grocery shop without me frees me up for important activities like playing Xbox.

We celebrated out 10^th Anniversary this summer with an awesome weekend in Seattle. God has used Bora to grow me in more areas than I thought possible, and she is still my best friend and beautiful treasure. Maybe in another 10 years she’ll have me almost presentable. God is good and full of grace and passion, and that is displayed through a marriage rooted in grace and truth. Thank you Bora for your beauty, your faith, and your fire.

Jinha continues in his obsession with anything truck and airplane related. He loves Bob the Builder and Chuck the Truck, and also sings a lot. He is more spontaneous with his lyrics than his sister, which gives me so much joy…even if his gruff little voice isn’t the most graceful sound! I think he’s going to be an artist, a creator, not sure how this will manifest but I sure hope he’s more handy than I am! He is quick to apologize, to forgive, and is such a graceful little kid. He is his sister’s shadow, but he no longer let’s her walk all over him J He trolls her for a rise and it’s hilarious to hear.

Jubilee will likely be the President, or at least president of something. She draws all the time, and has a gifting in administration. She plans everything, draws maps and makes checklists and loves to collect data. She’ll make surveys of yes/no questions and walk around the cafeteria surveying people on whether they have brothers or sisters, ect. She plans on marrying a boy from Sunday School, and she wants to be a rockstar. She always says she loves me and mom and loves Jesus best. She’s very sensitive, which makes criticism and conflict often lead to hurt feelings and an attitude, but I also see her empathy and care for people and situations around her. She has insight beyond her years, she will obliterate plans of the enemy and advance the Kingdom of God.

Growing in closeness and involvement with our local church has been a necessary joy. Our growing relationships at Outward have been crucial to our success here in Salem, and I’m so thankful for the individual members of the worship team especially. Recently Bora and I had the opportunity to lead worship at the annual Christian Game Developer’s Conference along with two worship leaders from Outward and it was a monumental time for the event and for me personally. I’m more and more inspired to lead worship and play music outside of the 4 walls of our church and our YWAM campus, and this summer I’ve had a couple opportunities through Outward to do so, including a set for the Walk for Hope. I’m praying and brainstorming with the Lord as to how my schedule can allow for more local outreaches in and around Oregon. At the same time our friendships with our YWAM team are growing and our abilities to flow and be spontaneous and Spirit led at Monday Morning worship has led to very significant times of corporate worship and ministry. I’m trying to be more intentional in widening the circle of prophet musicians, and I’m excited to see the Lord start to bring more songwriters to YWAM Salem. Bora wrote her first song this past Spring, and Jacob our worship department leader just wrote a song on outreach. There’s a growing desire to be creative and sing new songs, both in YWAM and at Outward, and it’ll be exciting to see where this desire takes us. My fellow New Englander Ryan and I have been leading instrumentally on Thursdays for our hour of intercessory prayer, and the combination of prayer and music has been dynamic. Just another example of the growing creativity and desire to create that’s happening here in Salem.

What’s immediately next? We’re negotiating with our campus about being released for 6 weeks in 2017 to both become TESOL certified English instructors. This will make us more useful here in Salem with a growing international community, and give us more tools and experience for our journey back to Asia to serve Koreans. We are also excited to announce our plans for a trip to Korea this December! We have gotten together and sought the Lord twice specifically for this trip, and we’re really anticipating on making some really important contacts for our ministry and calling to disciple Koreans young people. Also, Bora hasn’t been home in over six years, and I really miss sweet potato pizza. We will spend 2+ weeks in another East Asian Country along with our DTS students involved with ministry and performing pastoral care for the team.

Prayer requests:

· Please pray for Jubilee’s kindergarten class and her developing personality and identity in Christ. It’s been a good practice to talk about what she’s learning, and it’s led to many good conversations about being made in the image of God and the Gospel.

· Pray for our family to be able to determine in the Spirit what opportunities and ministries to say no to and what to prioritize while in this preparation season in Salem. Pray for me to learn more Korean. Seriously it’s embarrassing, Jubilee speaks more than me…and I don’t want her and Jinha to have a secret, covert language that I can’t understand.

· Bora and I are are feeling drained physically these days…a combination of busyness, having kids, needing exercise and needing more time on our faces in worship with Jesus. Leading worship all the times can be taxing, especially when you realize that you’ve mostly been leading others and haven’t had enough time being led into ministry yourselves.

Please bring our needs to the Father in prayer, and to your local churches and circles of fellowship. We covet your prayers. Thank you for being a part of our lives, we couldn’t serve in this capacity without the gifts and monthly support of so many of you. Blessings

Photo Stories:

Visiting Maine in Feb was really refreshing, especially for my relationships. Having drinks with bros from four different churches in this pic! I love unity in the Body of Christ!

Our therapy...this cheap Wal-Mart fire pit has brought countless hours of refreshing fellowship and prayer and food. When it's not rainy, Oregon weather generally favors gathering around a fire :)

Ministry time in CBCC, praying for breakthrough

Had a precious visit with my Dad, need more photos like this!

Summertime backyard fun!

February 2016 marked a huge transition for my amazing sister Sarah....she moved to Salem!

New Years 2016 at Disneyland with the family! Everyone loved Jinha's Pooh Bear costume

In the off-season when we're not involved with training schools Bora and I serve in different roles around campus. These jobs include kitchen, facilities, transportation, ect.

Our friends Nick and John from Outward Church joined us for a worship event for the Christian Game Developer's Conference in Portland! In 15 years it was the first worship service they've hosted, and we had the honor of putting it together! We were told it was a highlight for many of the attendees. Excited to lead worship again in 2017!

Jinha Waiting for his big sister at the school bus stop. He's enjoying the exclusive daddy time this quarter while I'm home and Bora translates full time.

Bora translating for our 11 new Korean international students at a corporate gathering for the campus.

The newest member of the Willson Musical Family...an Alex Acuna cajon! I was drawn to it's beautiful craftsmanship and high-quality sound, and recently found out it was created by a worshiper who played with Phil Keaggy and led worship in California during the Jesus Movement! Built for worship!

First time having both sets of parents together since our wedding 10 years ago! Added bonus having Sarah and Grandma Willson with us, too! Standing under the waterfall of the Father's love!