Health Update - May 2023

Dear YWAM Family....

Thank you again for the outpouring of love, support and PRAYER that Loren and I are experiencing in this “going home” season of his journey. He was sharing with some people just the other night how he was in excruciating pain last November when this cancer was first diagnosed. It was painful to even touch many parts of his body and he could not adjust his position in bed without severe pain. But when the news went out and people began praying, the pain totally went away. He is still pain free today, though the cancer is advancing. We are so grateful for the power of prayer!!!

Loren has been faithfully “running the race” God has set before him, doing continental and regional Zoom teachings to the mission at large, sharing his passion to get the Bible translated orally into every Mother Tongue on earth (OMT). Many of you may have participated in those Zoom events. The feedback I keep hearing over and over is one of surprise and gratefulness: Loren looks so good, his teaching is so clear and his mind is more focused than ever as he delivers these “final words” to the global YWAM family.

In mid-April Loren shared OMT with some “next generation” YWAM leaders attending “Strengthen the Steel,” an event called by Lynn Green which took place in Kona (see the attached document “Stakes in the Ground”). 242 leaders from 118 YWAM locations in 52 nations participated – representative of the thousands God is raising up. It was a significant gathering, purposed to make sure we have strong foundations as YWAM grows into the future. At the end, we sealed the time with Communion, and Loren prayed a blessing over each person. Just as he is running his race to the end, he commissioned them to run the race that God has set before each of them.

And Loren has been Zooming around the globe, with the help of his OMT ministry partner, Chong Ho Won, and multiple tech teams. In April, he did OMT Zooms with Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Panama and others. Here are some of the May gatherings:

- On May 4th, he Zoomed with JUCUM Americas: 2500 people from 36 nations, translated into Spanish, Portuguese and French.

- On May 8th, he shared his OMT message via Zoom with South Asia: 3500+ people viewed on 1000 screens across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Andamans, translated into Hindi, Tamil, Nepali and Bengali.

- On May 9th, he Zoomed with YWAMers across the African continent, with thousands online.

- On May 10th, he shared on OMT via Zoom with YWAMers in 10 nations of Central Asia.

- On May 20th he met via zoom with 300+ YWAM missionaries in Germany.

- On May 24th he Zoomed with YWAM Pacific and Asia with 3000+ attendees from 120 locations in 42 countries. That night he Zoomed with the Global Accreditation Association board meeting in Switzerland.

So you can see, Loren really has been quite lazy these days (smile)! Though he is not boarding airplanes to go to far-away places (he only leaves the house for medical appointments), he’s still zooming around the world to share the OMT vision! There has been a huge global response, committing to carry the vision to fulfillment, which has so encouraged him. Thank you!

In addition to these large gatherings, he has been meeting daily with key individuals and groups here in Kona to share the OMT vision and pray blessings over them.

YWAMers in Brazil holding a list of the 8000+ Mother Tongues known to NOT have a Bible in their language He recently met for 4+ hours with an amazing Korean/Chinese woman who has planted churches all across China and North Korea and has been imprisoned for her faith in both nations. She nearly froze to death in prison – but God miraculously spared her life. As she engaged with Loren and the vision of OMT, she excitedly identified scores of Mother Tongue languages she is aware of across China that don’t have the Bible and would benefit from OMT. To say the least, she and Loren energized each other surrounding this vision! And yesterday Loren met with a medical doctor, who lived and ministered in Pakistan for 20 years. He is fully engaged with the OMT vision and is headed tomorrow to join Paul Dangtoumda, Chong Ho Won and a team of people in Port Harcourt to film and document the OMT process so that it can be multiplied in other locations. YWAM Nairobi has committed to do oral Bible translation into 35 Bibleless Mother Tongue languages.

Unknown to me, Loren decided he wanted to “surprise” me by taking me on a 6-day inter-island Hawaii cruise for our 60th anniversary, which is in June. He asked someone to help him make the reservations, but the only cabin available in the immediate future was very high priced. So he said “let me think about it and get back to you.” In the meantime, the person helping Loren mentioned at a meeting of the Kona leadership team (The 30) that he was wanting to surprise me with a cruise for our 60th. Spontaneously, various ones started handing the person their credit cards, saying “I want to give $_____ toward the cruise.” The whole fare was covered within minutes!!! And then, the booking agent discovered who the cruise was for and the occasion. She had evidently been deeply ministered to by the Lord through YWAM at some point. She said, “Let me put you on hold for a minute.” When she came back on the phone, she said, “there has been a cancellation and we have a discounted upgrade available for the Cunninghams!” They will have some of the best accommodations on the ship!

So Loren and I will set sail tonight for a cruise around the islands. We are both so excited and feel so loved! This is a very meaningful gift, especially at this season in our lives together. We are so grateful to everyone who made this possible – and to our great God, whom we can never out-give!!

Please DO continue to pray for Loren to have the strength to complete his assignment from God. We are very aware that it is God’s response to your prayers that is sustaining us in these days!

Blessings and love,

Darlene

P.S. Loren and I have been so blessed reading greetings from YWAMers and former YWAMers from around the world! Feel free to send prayers, greetings and photos of you with Loren to: LorenDarleneC@gmail.com