Going Into All The World
With excitement, some trepidation, and prayer, Jim phoned the YWAM center in Goulburn and requested an application. Arriving a few days later, he filled out all the necessary information and immediately returned the forms. It was now a waiting game. He had no idea how long the process would take for him to hear back. Checking the mailbox every day for a response filled him with uncertainty. He did not know what to expect. Had he made the right decision? What if there was no room for him—what would he do then? Jim tried to keep busy, fixing cars, doing odd jobs, and visiting friends and family he hadn't seen during the months he'd been away. He’d even subconsciously began to plan things he could do should this school thing not pan out.
One chilly autumn afternoon, he held his breath as he walked to the mailbox once again to check. After three weeks of biding his time, a large manila envelope appeared in the mailbox. Grabbing it, Jim turned and immediately went to his bedroom to open it in private.
Ripping the flap open and nearly tearing the contents as well, a letter fell out along with other papers. As his eyes skimmed the letter, an exultant "Slava Bogu!" came rushing out of his mouth. He found it interesting his first response to be Russian for "Praise God!" His application was accepted, and the school would begin in three weeks. There was only one change, and it didn't make much difference to him. The school typically started with the lecture phase and the outreach following. This program would instead begin with outreach at an athletic event. After three weeks of ministry, they would return to the school location to have their lecture phase. Jim didn't care, which came first. He just knew he wanted to go. Letter in hand, he ran to find Mum and prepare her for his departure.
He found her in the kitchen and, not surprisingly, baking. Small round pastries, bubliki, adorned the baking sheets and the counters covered in flour. Bubliki were similar to donuts but not as puffy and cakey. They were firmer in texture, nearly hard, and dunking them into a hot cup of tea was an afternoon treat. They were also a perfect snack for a young child to nibble and even teeth on.
Jim grabbed a freshly baked one, and despite feeling the desire to run and jump with excitement, he plugged in the kettle to boil water for tea. Conversations in a Russian home center around tea. Mum was humming as she worked, which was a good sign of her mood.
With his cuppa of hot chai in hand, he settled in a chair and waved the letter at his mum. “Look, it finally came! My acceptance into the school! It begins in three weeks!” Jokingly, and wisely, he added and winked, “Plenty of time for you to cook up all my favorites.”
As it dawned on her the time had come, she smiled and shoved a plate of five more bubliki in front of Jim, saying, "Well, Mitya, you better get started.” “I plan to cook and cook and cook. I’ll also pray because I know God is with you.”
The next weeks flew by in a flurry of activity as Jim prepared to leave—selling some belongings to help pay for the school, wrapping up loose ends, and letting his extended family know what he was doing. As the school was only three hours away, he decided to keep his car. It made sense to have his own means of transportation. The days shot ahead, and he was soon packed and driving to Goulburn in New South Wales.
Driving south on that beautiful sunny day, he prayed for peace. He was nervous, yet giddy with anticipation. He had no idea what to expect when he arrived. With sweaty palms gripping the steering wheel, he turned into a long driveway leading to an impressive red brick building and saw young people milling about. Some appeared to be students arriving as suitcases and backpacks lined the walkway. Parking his car, he grabbed his backpack and walked toward the group at the building entrance. The staff received him warmly, and his nervousness began to subside. He quickly concluded that this was his leap of faith to grow and learn even with all the unknowns.
The YWAM base in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia, rented between 1979-1994. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 2015.
After settling into his dorm room of 15 bunk beds, he realized he would have 29 roommates. Well, I grew up with five siblings and a full house, this shouldn’t be too hard. He dumped his backpack on one of the beds and followed others down the hall into a classroom. Maps of the world covered two of the walls. The words, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, Mark 16:15," were painted on the front wall above a large blackboard. As students were meeting one another, Jim found a seat next to a young man who, like himself, looked as if he was not quite sure what to do next.
Jim taking a deep breath, introduced himself, “G’day, mate, I’m Jim.”
The young man offered a smile, “Hi, Jim, I’m Ben. Where are you from?”
“I’m from Orange, just north of here. What about you?”
“I came up from Melbourne. I heard about YWAM from a friend who had done one of their schools. I wanted to get away so I could focus on this time. It’s not always easy with a job and stuff to concentrate on growing with God.”
“Well,” Jim chuckled, “It’s bound to be quite the learning experience for us all.”
Leaning forward in his chair and lowering his voice, Ben responded, “Are you by any chance a bit nervous? Have you ever done anything like this before?”
Jim answered, also in a whisper, “No – I'm as nervous as you. But yet there's a peace in me that I am in the right place, at the right time, and God has something for me. Something I don't quite know yet. It's kind of exciting, but scary!"
“Well, I hope we both grow and find what we are looking for.”
Suddenly, someone flicked the lights and shouted above the noise. They were about to begin.
Students quickly found seats, and the first orientation meeting began. As the staff introduced themselves and described the daily routine, they reminded the students of the change to the usual school structure.
Fred, one of the center's leaders, explained, "The Discipleship Training Schools normally begin with a three-month lecture phase, followed by two months of outreach ministry. However, for your particular school—instead of beginning with lectures, the course will start with outreach up in Brisbane, Queensland.”
It was September 1982, and the Commonwealth Games (Australia's version of the Olympics) were taking place in Brisbane and Youth With A Mission would be having an outreach at the games.
Fred shared, “In the early days of YWAM, we held outreaches at major sporting events, beginning with the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. Young people from all over the world are trained in what we call street and friendship evangelism, and, subsequently, they fan out to all areas of the city and sporting venues to meet people. Friendships hopefully develop and even last far after the games conclude. They share their love for God and how He has changed their lives, including personal testimonies of forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation with God. If someone is genuinely interested, we give them a tract or Bible and local churches' addresses. Since these are international events, opportunities often arise to share with foreign athletes or visitors who might not have ready access to the Gospel back in their home countries. The Commonwealth Games in Brisbane will offer incredible opportunities to share your love of God.”
Murmurs rolled through the crowd of students. Since this was their first experience with YWAM, they seemed to take the change in stride. Fred shared they would be leaving in a few days to join hundreds of other Ywammers who would be converging on Brisbane.
Brisbane, capital of Queensland with a population of 2.5 million people
Inwardly, Jim felt that familiar sense of insecurity and fear. He was, for the most part, shy and not aggressive or comfortable with meeting new people. He had to force himself at times to engage in conversation. This outreach idea was daunting and very new to him. All he knew from church and sharing the Gospel was to preach in front of many people. There is no way I can do that. I break out into a cold sweat, just talking to more than one person. But I've come this far, and all I can do now is jump in with both feet. It's sink or swim. He was hoping he was not the only one in the room feeling this way.
In the days to come, Jim and hundreds of other eager young people made their way to Brisbane. His thoughts focused on the upcoming adventure. This will be fun even if it is out of my comfort zone. But he had no idea a conversation he'd had before leaving for the school would play a significant part in what lay ahead. God's providential hand was about to invade Jim's life and lead him down a road he did not expect.
Before leaving for Goulburn, Jim was at a farewell lunch with his older brother, Wally, and his wife, Louise. Over a meal of grilled chicken and potato salad, Louise threw a question out to Jim, which he was not expecting.
“So…Jim, are you going to see your father while you are up in Queensland?”
Confused, Jim responded, “What makes you think he’s there, of all places?”
"Didn't you know? He returned to Australia after living in Canada for seven years. He's living somewhere in north Queensland. We've heard from him and assumed you also had."
Casting a furtive glance at Wally, Jim retorted, "No, I have absolutely no intention of seeing or speaking with Dad. Ever. Let him live his life, and I'll live mine. You guys do what you want with him. I've moved on and learned to live my life without him."
Shifting in her seat, Louise did not follow-up with a comment, and Wally, filling the awkward moment, picked up a plate and asked, “Who wants more chicken?”
Later that afternoon, disturbed by the conversation and an ever-growing discontent within, Jim paced the floor. Growing up, he'd always loved and respected his father. Now he kept pushing down the feelings of how much his father's love was needed and wanted. It was a feeling he did not want to feel.
“God’s best often waits behind the doors marked ‘Never.’”
Jim was wounded more than he cared to admit when his dad left all those years ago. All his running away, and even his conversion experience hadn't dispelled the feelings of abandonment. It dawned on him that he'd never completely recovered from his father’s abandonment. And he felt as if he was no longer of any value to his father. But, since Jim was not the one who did the abandoning, he assumed all was right in his life. The words came back to taunt him; let him live his life, and I'll live mine. They'd become almost a justifiable mantra for him. After a few moments, he straightened his shoulders and with a determined look upon his face said to himself, Well, it's too late now to change anything, and I have a life to live ahead of me. Deciding to put the afternoon's conversation behind him, saying farewells to everyone and hugging his family good-bye, Jim headed to the school and then to Brisbane with a seemingly clear conscience and without taking his father’s address.