June Update ~ John Kuperus

Kuperus Update June 2011

Our family and friends are watching us from a distance and wondering about us.  We first take five months off to do a Discipleship Training School in Kona, Hawaii with two months of the training as outreach in India.  We returned back to Ontario and NJ after our training and shared a little about our experience.  Then we returned to the University to be on staff for the new Crossroad School for three months.  Now we are returning to Ontario and NJ for about six weeks and then returning to Hawaii to staff for two years. 

           

How did we come to this place?  Why in the world would we commit to the University and have to raise our own support?  What is the attraction to the University/Youth With A Mission (YWAM)? 

To answer this question, I’d like to give a little insight into YWAM.  YWAM started 50 years ago and has sent out more than 5 million missionaries to every country in the world.  This all began with a God-given vision to the founder of YWAM, Loren Cunningham, who says “I saw waves on a topographical map of the world.  The waves came in and out, always advancing.  Then the waves became young people from all nations of the world going to share God’s love to all the nations of the world.”  This is so remarkable that God has used one man and his anointing to bless so many people. 

In addition to the God-given vision, I hear Darlene Cunningham, Loren’s wife state, “Our vision is to send out thousands of men and women whose reference points are the Word and Will of God, who have Christ’s love for all peoples, and the skills and passion needed to win people to Jesus and to disciple nations, in His ways.”  It is inspiring that the God-given and the stated vision has lead to the establishing of 1200 YWAM bases with 18,000 staff in 50 years around the world impacting millions of people. 

These visions align with my heart’s desire that no one should perish but that everyone would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  YWAM’S stated vision is significant, but to support the vision are the Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) that equip and prepare students to go to the nations.  We engaged with YWAM by going through a discipleship training school.  We were so blessed by the teaching and by the ministry we received that we were hungry to experience more of the Lord. 

 

In addition to being drawn to vision and being blessed by the teaching, I wanted to come back to staff a DTS so I could receive the teaching a second time.  The first time we received the teaching, I felt like I was on the end of a fire hose and was able only to drink a little of all the wonderful teaching.  Coming back as a staff person would allow me to walk along side of others to disciple them and be blessed in the process.  I was excited to be with others who were committing 12 weeks of their lives to the Lord.

Okay, that was for three months, but why commit for two years?  I wrestled with this for some time.  One voice I was hearing was from my mom.  She told me that I needed to have a paying job to support my family.  Being involved with missions was okay for a short term but then I needed to settle down in a real job.  I heard another voice when we came back to the university.  A short, eighty year old lady, named Ruth, who said to me “John, you need to commit for two years, not three months.  There are a lot of benefits that come with committing for two years instead of three months.”  She had no idea if we were committed for three months or two years.  What motivated her to make those statements?  About six weeks after she made those statements, Ruth was leaving for five months to go to the main land.  I asked her, “Ruth, when you told me to stay for two years, was that God speaking or was that Ruth speaking?”  She immediately answered “That was God speaking.”  Then she chuckled and followed it up by saying “I see so many people come for these short term commitments and then they stay for the long term.  It is better to commit to the long term right away and experience the benefits.”  So how do we decide if that was God’s voice or simply Ruth giving her opinion?  I felt that was not just Ruth speaking, but God sending me a clear message.  

Another very important voice in this process was Helen’s voice.  She was very clear that she wanted to be back in New Jersey to be near our parents and to have a stable place for our children.  Yet when I proposed we go back to Hawaii, she was excited about going back.  She feels that God has prepared us both for the work of discipleship making.  Now the teaching time has come to an end and our school is about to go to Cambodia on outreach, she is inspired to hear mature Christians testify how they are blessed with the teaching and practical application of what Jesus calls us to do.  Helen is excited about investing our family with YWAM to further God’s kingdom.

If we are going to commit two years, I figured I would get our school leader’s opinion too.  So I asked Robert Hopkins, “If we experienced so much transformation in five months of our Discipleship Training, what will happen if we commit to two years at the university?”  He responded “You have to stay the two years and find out.” 

I was not ready to make the commitment right away.  My biggest concern was about how to handle this financially.  One morning I was praying and the question came up, what is holding you back?  I felt like money was my biggest concern.  Could God provide for that need?  I decided if God wants us here then the financial issue will work itself out.

I received some encouragement in this area from a man in Pennsylvania.  He had contacted the university and wanted to support our family.  He wanted to do it through our mission account but I did not have one set up yet.  I was holding back from getting a mission account because that meant making the more than one year commitment to YWAM.  I was truly amazed that God was inspiring a man who had met us briefly to want to support us.  That encouragement raised my faith. 

The decision to stay here impacts our children as well.  One Saturday morning I had a conversation with my brother Miles and I asked for his advice.  He said “I normally have an opinion but not in this situation.”  He followed it up with a question, “What are your kids saying?”  I was aware of a little rumbling amongst our children about not being content in Hawaii.  In fact, one of our children was very much opposed to staying in Hawaii.  She wanted to have a house in New Jersey and live a normal life.  I shared with our children that I was seriously considering staying here for two years and wanted their input.  Their response was reserved and took some time to process the idea.  Then about two week later three of our children responded that they thought it was a good idea that we invest two years with YWAM.  The one child that was really opposed to staying changed her mind too.  I asked her “Why did you change your mind?”  She answered “I do not know, Abba.”  From my perspective, her changing her mind was a miracle.  She was so opposed to staying and then to think it was a good idea was massive change.  I believe that was a God-given sign that He wanted us to stay. 

Once the commitment was made, we had to address where our children would be educated.  On the base we have an International Christian School (ICS) which is registered as a home school.  There are about 60 students in this school and it is parent run and taught.  The cost is about $450/year per student.  We also investigated the Christian grade school and high school in our community.  We decided to send them to ICS.   

The other issue we have to address is our housing.  We can live on campus with two rooms and lofts.  This is very convenient to get to class, for our meals and there is a nice area for our children to play outside.  The down side to being on campus is that it can be noisy, we are around people all the time, and as staff we are being requested to be building managers or assistant managers.  The University only wants about 35% of staff to be on campus, because there is not enough housing for everyone.  From our perspective, we have our hands full with the school and our family and we do not want to overload ourselves.  Campus housing cost is $1400/month.  The other option is to pursue housing off campus.  I would really like to buy a house and I identified that I would like to live on Oni Oni Street and on the left hand side of the road.  I chose this street because there is only a field between our house and the university.  If we cut a way through the field then it is easy to get back and forth.  In addition, the university has plans to develop that 65 acre field.  We will have to see if a house becomes available. 

In closing, we are making our home here.  We appreciate the vision and the work that is taking place here.  We also sense that God is doing a new thing.  A stirring is taking place around the world and we are anticipating incredible growth on this base.  We are moving forward in faith and trusting God will work the details out for us.