Tribute - Operation Mobilization

Dear Darlene,

I am writing to express my heartfelt sympathy to you on the passing of your beloved Loren, and extend condolences from my family to yours.

Please also know that love and prayers are sent from OM globally to our brothers and sisters in the YWAM family.

I remember meeting you and Loren onboard the LOGOS II in the Caribbean back in the early 2000’s. You visited the ship along with a team of dedicated YWAMers, and I had the honour of giving you a tour of the ship. While Loren's reputation as a revered and renowned mission leader preceded him, I was deeply impressed by his unassuming nature, his ability to connect on a personal level, and his genuine interest in our ministry and the work we were undertaking.

Ours truly has been partnership in the gospel from the earliest days. The friendship Loren and George Verwer formed in the sixties, through their shared passion to see young people reach the world with the Word of God, has indeed been used mightily. I believe they changed the course of mission in the last century. We give great thanks for these trailblazers and the legacy they leave us to build on, by God’s grace.

It is wonderful to reflect that George and Loren exchanged memories and encouraged one another earlier this year, just before George’s passing, and now they are worshipping the Saviour together; along with brothers and sisters from every tribe and tongue and nation – even those who came to a saving knowledge of Christ through the work of YWAM and OM! Their mission is accomplished.

Still, this will not be an easy time for you, Karen, David and your grandchildren. You can be assured we are upholding you before the throne as you mourn, while taking heart that we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13).

May the Lord lavish you with His peace during this time.

-Lawrence

Lawrence Tong  董仕明

CEO/International Director