The Foundations for Counselling Ministry school (FCM) is a course offered by the University of the Nations’ (U of N) College of Counselling and Health Care. The U of N is dedicated to being a multiplier of missions and seeks to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission by equipping students spiritually, culturally, intellectually, and professionally.

Read about the school here.

A new experience. A new day where God reveals his heart in a new way. His heartbeat pounding proudly for the Karen people. A bigger understanding of who God is through this people. To see how different people praise God in a different, but a wonderful way. To understand more of your own culture and what diversity really means.

Wow! It is hard to sum up an amazing month in just a few words. For a Norwegian girl who just turned twenty it is hard to find just one highlight to talk about, cause I am so stuffed with different experiences! My team and I have visited three different villages, worked a lot with children, done some practical work and had a lot of meetings, drama and singing. We also worked as English teachers at Noh Bo Academy, something that was very challenging but a lot of fun. We will never forget all the beautiful faces of the Karen people and their amazing hospitality.

In the second village we visited we really experienced how God is at work through any situation. We were supposed to have a big open air meeting but had to cancel it because John cut himself in the arm with a machete. It worked slightly different from the Norwegian axe. Hsar Moo Paw, John and Laurel went to the hospital. Back in the village were five Norwegian together with a bunch of Karens full of expectance.

After a while we sat down with the guitar and started to sing; Some in Norwegian, some in English and we also somehow got through the three Karen songs that we know. The family we lived with, their relatives and neighbors came to listen to us. After a while we realized that there was a need of extending our repertoire and God challenged Gunhild and me to dance for them. They laughed and clapped. Later they sang a bit for us before they asked us if we had something more to share. We had some dramas but we were missing some of the players and we had no one to explain the dramas. But then we realized that our cook, Saw Oo, knew all these dramas from his DTS so he could share something about each of them.

We hadn’t prepared anything but still this was the best meeting we had during the whole trip because God really was there with His Spirit and His peace. Even though we couldn’t communicate with each other verbally there was something stronger that bound us together: The love for Jesus and each other. In situations like this we really understand what divine appointments mean. We often think that when we’re going to share the Gospel we need to be good at preaching, have a beautiful singing voice or a catchy drama. “If we are clever God can use us!” But God has said in His word that it is when we are weak that we are strong. When we admit that we don’t have anything to give in our selves, God comes with His plan which is far greater than what we can plan ourselves. When He is Lord we might not have the full control over the situation, but God is really in control and He will work with His power and love that exceeds human understanding.

For me this how I really want to live my life. Every hour, every day, a whole lifetime.

Anita, 20, Trøndelag in Norway

I am from Austria, a small country in the Alps. Last fall I went to Norway, another cold country in Europe, to do a DTS. When I applied I did not know that there would be an outreach to Brazil. After a few weeks we heard of this new destination. I asked God if I should go there and his answer was; “Just take the opportunity, you always wanted to go there. I made it for you.”

That’s why I really know that this is the place God wants me to be now. It’s God’s pleasure to fulfil our dreams. His plans are something we really want to do, as we read in Jeremiah 29:11.

We are living here at the YWAM-base in Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia, a state in the North-West of Brazil. We have our own house and many conveniences, like a pool 300 metres from our house, jungle with monkeys in the backyard, very good food 3 times a day…

We are here to serve and to evangelize. We joined the Mission Adventures happening that was taking place here at the base and went together with them on their outreach to a river community, where we helped changing a roof of the school. There we could experience the simple life in the jungle.

On another trip we helped a missionary to build his base in the jungle to serve an Indian tribe. On that trip we could experience frontier mission.

We also joined the carnival in the city and even got the chance to give an interview on the local TV.

The last week we spent in another city. There we stayed with a pastor family. We were amazed by the hospitality they offered us. We were evangelizing at a school, a prison an old people’s home, and sharing at church meetings.

Now we only have a few days left here at the base in Porto Velho and we help wherever it is needed. The last ten days we will spend in Brasilia serving at a farm that offers refuge to Indian(indigenous) families.

I really enjoy my time here in this beautiful country. I am gaining so much personally, more than I can give. I learn to communicate even though we don’t speak the same language. It is not always easy and causes many misunderstandings. However God’s grace is helping us. God is showing me his greater picture and is showing me my heart. I am glad he is working in me and through me.

I can’t tell how grateful I am that my Father in heaven made this dream come through.

Kathryn, 23, Austria.

You are invited to join in the FCM for the following weeks:

April 26 – 30

Topic: Active Listening and Renewing the Mind using material from Equipping Ministries International (Telios).

Speaker: Kjell Aanansen from Bryne. He is educated as a deacon and been working with preaching, teaching and counseling all his life, first in two Christian organizations. Kjell was the leader of Teleios Norway for  16 years. Today he has his own little ministry, working with teaching within Churches, firms and organizations, and also still with counseling of persons, couples and families. He is teaching mostly in Norway, but also in Denmark and Sweden, and he has been four times to Mongolia, teaching. He believes that good change is possible, in persons and relations and that God can change us, if we let Him, and if we cooperate with Him in the process.

Cost: Kr. 800 course fee + fee for books (approx. Kr. 200)
Kr. 800 lodging and meals from Monday morning to Friday lunch

Send us an e-mail to fcm@heimen.org before 16. of April to sign up!

May 3 – 7

Topic: Gender identity

Photo: Private

Speaker: Pat Caven from Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Cost: Kr. 800 course fee

Kr. 800 lodging and meals from Monday morning to Friday lunch

Send us an e-mail to fcm@heimen.org before 16. of April to sign up!

What an adventure! A few days ago I was sitting in a tiny airplane taking me above Central America’s largest rain forest. I had a bumpy bus experience on my way to an orphanage in Tocoa. Who would expect that an ordinary girl form the west coast of Norway should be able to try out life on outreach among the Misquito Indians in the middle of Honduras – a country I hardly even knew that existed on beforehand?

We are half way through the outreach. Time just flies away! This far we have been able to take part in a youth camp at the YWAM base in Ahuas, preached the Word of God in several churches and lived together with local families in their homes.

Right now the team is separated for a while. The two boys are still in the bush helping to build a primary school – finishing it before the school shall start. Some of the girls are at a girls’ home where they minister among abused girls. For myself I am at an orphanage. Wonderful children are running around and colouring the days, filling them with laughter and games.

To be here at the orphanage is very different from out in the bush. Snakes, cockroaches, mud, spiders, travelling by canoe, outhouse, well, cows, horses and hens running loose, Bonanza style living and aggregate running only three hours a day, is now exchanged with a more western environment here in town. In this way we get to see that being a missionary doesn’t necessarily just have to do with crawling over obstacles in the jungle. We are introduced to the varieties of missions. I feel blessed by the opportunity finally to be able to take a more or less normal shower and have a choice of variation in eating. But still the same I miss La Mosquitia; The warm smiles, the fact of the Law of Jante being absent, the passionate worship, the wonderful children and the simple way of living. But in about a week’s time we get going again. Then we are heading out into the jungle again. This time we’re going together with an American missionary her in Honduras. That will be exciting. My prayer is that we will be a blessing to everyone we meet.

Irmelin, 19 years old, from Rogaland

Photo: YWAM Skjærgårdsheimen
Music: Marcos Witt – Se Oye en las Naciones

Click here to view the embedded video.

Let’s Keep in Touch!

We welcome you to an inTouch Summer Renewal Camp at Skjærgårdsheimen, a YWAM base located in the southernmost part of Norway.

If you have been a YWAMer anywhere in the world, or if you have had any kind of relationship with YWAM, you are very much invited.

Maybe you have had no relationship with YWAM in the past, but are interested in getting to know more about YWAM? This camp gives a good opportunity for this.

We want this gathering to be an event where participants of all ages can relax and enjoy time with one another.

There will be plenty of time to fellowship with old friends and to make new acquaintances, as well. You will also be able to enjoy excellent teaching. The teaching sessions will take place in the mornings. The evenings will be filled with different activities ranging from barbeques to love feast and preaching.

We pray that everyone will experience the presence of God and hear His voice.

Skjærgårdsheimen is situated at the idyllic island of Flekkerøy in a wonderful and sunny costal landscape, 15 minutes drive from Kristiansand.

To find out more, you can download the full brochure in PDF format here:

Here, below, you can fill in the form and sign up to join us:

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Here is a short movie from the lecture phase Fall DTS 09.

Click here to view the embedded video.

All the DTS Students and staff have left for outreach just a few days ago. We have sent out teams to Thailand, south-east Asia, Brasil and Honduras.  They are all doing good, and we are looking forward to hear more from them later on.

Photo: YWAM Skjærgårdsheimen

We have nice and cold winter weather at Flekkerøy these days. Here are some glimpse of how Skjærgårdsheimen looks right now covered by snow and ice.

Photo: YWAM Skjærgårdsheimen