2023 March

Honor Carol Owens

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There are people that God will put in your path that make a great impact on your future. The ministry that you do together, and the people that you meet because of them, can set the course for your journey for the next season, or maybe even for the rest of your life.

Carol Owens was one of those people for me. Carol, along with her husband Jimmy, founded the School of Music Ministry International. I was a student in their first school in the USA. SMMI was a 6 week training school that became a template for all the worship schools that started after that worldwide. I was working full time, as the Director of Marketing for Pacific Bell, at the time. I had not taken a vacation for over a year, so I was able to take 6 weeks of vacation to attend the school.  I was also the volunteer director of worship at my church, working with five different worship teams. I was simply hoping to become a better worship leader for my local church.

While attending the school, Jimmy and Carol asked me to pray about coming to work for them to help establish Worship Schools all over the world. I did. Because of their obedience to start the school, and to ask me to help, I left my six figure corporate job to become a missionary. I moved into their spare bedroom, and helped them set up worship schools. I have now been a full time missionary, with no salary, for over 30 years. It has been the best adventure with God you could ever hope for. I have traveled to over 60 countries. I have taught students from over 100 countries. I have lived overseas several times. I have never wanted for anything. God has blessed me abundantly. I am forever grateful to Jimmy and Carol for SMMI, and all the lifelong friends I met by knowing them. They opened up their home, and shared their lives with me, and others in our ministry.

Carol passed away this week. She was a great lover of God. She and Jimmy wrote hundreds of songs, and their music, and musicals, (Like “The Witness”, “Come Together,” “If My People” “Heal Our Land”) sparked prayer movements and revivals worldwide. Their fun children’s musicals (Like grammy nominated Ants’hillvania) delighted young saints through the years. They also wrote a wonderful book about how to write, “God Songs.” I am certain that her mansion in heaven is amazing and filled to the brim with ‘treasures in heaven’ that she has stored up because of her faithful service to the Jesus. I love Jimmy and Carol like family. She will be missed until I see her again in heaven.

I encourage you today, to take time to thank God for the wonderful people He has used to connect you to your destiny. And, while you’re at it, contact them, and let them know what a blessing they have been in your life!

Loren Cunningham Update

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Loren Cunningham at March 2023 Kona Meeting

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16b  NIV

Some you may know that Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM International ministries, has been having health issues. Yesterday, I received this email update from his wife, and co-founder of YWAM, Darlene. I wanted to share it with you today. Please pray for Loren, and his health. Pray too, for Darlene, and their grown children, David and Karen, and their extended family.

 


From Darlene – An Update on Loren’s Health Dear Friends…

Thank you so much for your prayers for Loren and his health. As you know, the doctors did a biopsy on some very slow-growing nodules in his lungs earlier this month, when they got large enough to biopsy. They turned out to be cancerous, which led us back to Honolulu for a full body scan on February 22nd. The results from that scan have just come in, revealing that there is extensive cancer in Loren’s lungs, bones and lymph system (stage 4 cancer).

One miracle is, the cancer cells have not spread to his brain. Another is that Loren is able to be quite active at this time!

We believe with all our hearts that these miracles are an answer to the prayers of the Saints. Everything about this case has been unusual. The oncologist said that usually, lesions in the lungs grow very quickly; Loren’s have grown very slowly. We don’t know whether that will be characteristic of the growth of the other lesions as well? But what we DO know is that he is in God’s hands.

Revelation has been flowing for Loren like never before – and that is saying something! The joy of God’s dream of getting the Bible orally into every mother tongue on earth is the passion that fuels him every day, all day!

A Brazilian YWAMer told Loren that when he went to pray for him, he felt God say “don’t pray for health – pray for what I’m going to do through him that’s even greater than the start of YWAM!”

We have already decided as a family to prioritize Loren’s QUALITY of life over trying to extend the length of time, through chemo or other treatments that could reduce his energy and productiveness.

He has Jesus, family, friends and vision. Who could ask for more? And all of them continue on the other side…

Thank you for your continuing love and prayers through the season ahead.

Love and blessings, Darlene


Thanks for praying for our dear friends, the Cunningham family.

P.S. Loren is unable to keep up with the overflow of love and prayers via texts and emails being sent to him in this season. Please send your comments and responses to the following email address and they will make sure they get to him: LnD.GLT@gmail.com