The Won Family Update

Serving God through Youth With A Mission, University of the Nations

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouraging words as I traveled to Nigeria and back. Many of you are wondering what the purpose of the trip was and also the outcome. Here is my story.

Let me give you the context surrounding my visit. Three years ago, through YWAM Nigeria, the militants in south of Nigeria started laying down their guns and began walking with Jesus! This all started when the government asked for assistance from the faith base leaders of the River state (there are 36 states). At the end of the initial meeting with the influential leaders, the government officials handed out envelope full of money to these leaders as it is custom to do so in this country. Our YWAM Nigerian leader, Paul, respectfully declined the offer. Few days later, in the middle of the night, a small group of militant leaders visited Paul at the YWAM base at Port Harcourt. They shared their admiration of Paul because they had informants at the meeting and witnessed that Paul was the only one who did not take the money. Therefore, they wanted to work with YWAM. On this night, 2 militant leaders gave their lives to Jesus. This started a chain of events that have led to 26,000 militants across the south of Nigeria laying down their guns. YWAM helped negotiate with the government for amnesty for the militants who are coming out of the bushes. Today, the government has setup numerous facilities to take in the militants for re-education into the society. There are many who have given their lives to Jesus, DTS graduates, and have even stayed on as YWAM staff.

My visit was planned because of an African student named Jackson. At one morning service last year, the Holy Spirit told me to walk up to this one student in the crowd of 800 and get to know him. As it turned out, he came to Kona with a vision to start a 100 acre YWAM base in Calabar, Nigeria and was sent by our YWAM Nigeria National Director, Paul. As we developed relationship throughout the year, he asked me to be a part of the Advisory Board for the vision of Calabar.

The purpose of this trip was to visit Calabar and negotiate for a land with 3 other American board members. We all met in Port Harcourt. However, God had another plan! After we arrived, the bombing intensified up in north. Every day, we heard of new church bombings. Since we have many contacts in the government, we checked-in with the head of their Intelligence Agency. They told us the kidnapping in the Southeast (where we are) has increased and the government made a decision not to share with the media due to bad PR. Our contact offered to setup a military escort for the 4 hour drive to Calabar. However, at the last minute, due to lack of time, he could not arrange the escort with his unit. There was another unit he could arrange but he did not “trust” the unit J. Welcome to Nigera….

After much prayer, we had a unanimous concession that the Lord is blocking this trip to Calabar. After we made the hard decision to stay in Port Harcourt, many unscheduled divine appointments began to happen. Paul, who is also the base leader of Port Harcourt, received a call informing him that the Deputy Director of the State was planning to visit the base in few days. After he arrived, our team met with him with his entourage. After a brief meeting, he asked his entourage to leave the room. Soon after, he fell to the ground and asked for prayers. He is a born again Christian and he wanted prayers for the calling on his life in the government, especially for the future. We had a powerful moment of prayer.

Then, we received another call saying the Commissioner of the Land and the Commissioner of Agriculture have set up an appointment with their teams. Paul asked me to join the meeting several times but it was scheduled after I was to leave Nigeria. However, I felt this was an important meeting that I was to be a part of so I rearranged my flight plans.

The realization of being the main presenter to these two commissioners was daunting to say the least. I had my power points and videos of YWAM Kona, but I have never presented to any government officials in my career in YWAM. I held on to the truth “I am measured on my obedience, not on the result”. At the end of the meeting, both commissioners expressed their desire to have YWAM be permanently established in “New Port Harcourt” development plan next to the Int’l airport. They promised they will do all in their power to assist us in bringing the “nations” to their city. They were taken back with the Kona campus. They did not expect a missionary training university would be so big! Before I flew out, Paul received a long text from one of the commissioners. He said he would like to be part of this vision of YWAM and would like to be the first “volunteer” to assist in our vision!

On another import moment, while I at the base, all the YWAM leaders (15) of Nigeria came to Port Harcourt base for a one day meeting with Paul which was scheduled few months prior. During their meeting, I had a brief chance to share God’s faithfulness in Kona. They were greatly encouraged of what God is doing with YWAM around the world. After their time in Port Harcourt, not one of the northern leaders said they wanted to quit (two of them have to remain in hiding due to bounties on their heads by Boko Haram, a militant Muslim group operating in North). They all returned. I was privileged to meet these heroes in faith. Making life and death decision for Christ is an everyday thing for them. It is a lifestyle.

Praise God and thank you for all your support and prayers. I could not have walked this out alone for everything that happened was in the Spirit and of hearing God’s voices. There were many variables during my time in Nigeria. Any wrong choices could have had long term consequences. Thank you all for joining me on this trip. By the way, don’t believe everything you hear on the news, Jesus is winning in Nigeria! There are strategic believers positioned for such time as this. Let’s all stand with Nigerian believers.

Chong Ho

PS. Some interesting facts…..

 I was picked up at the airport by 2 Ex-militant turned YWAM staff and 1 Ex-CIA turned YWAM staff. They serve as the security for visitors. The Ex-CIA was planted into the DTS by the government during the beginning season of the militants surrendering. Half way through the DTS, he confessed he was a spy and gave his life to Jesus. He has been on the YWAM staff ever since.

 During my entry and exit from the airport, every uniformed officer asked for a bribe. Answer: “I’m a missionary, a man of God. I cannot do that”. Worked immediately, every time.

 During our land scouting time, I was in a van full of white people. The tour was led by an Ex-militant leader who gave his life to Jesus and was officially the first YWAM staff from the militants. He took us into the bush to see the land.

· During my time at the base, another militant came in. He only dropped his gun two days ago.

 Last quarter DTS in Port Harcourt had 50% militants as student body.

 A year ago, the commissioner who setup the last week’s meeting challenged a congregation of 10,000 member church to support these militants to do their DTS. They had one of the biggest offering that night.

 Government has saved millions of dollars due to end of the militant fighting in the South. Pray that they would give 120 acre land to establish YWAM Port Harcourt permanently while the story is still fresh in their minds and that the relational favor will continue.

 I shared at a church where Paul, the national director, raised a dead woman last year. She passed away before the service and was declared dead. She was asked to be brought forward before the stage and Paul prayed. She sneezed three times and got up.

 We accomplished nothing of the original plan for Calabar. God had another plan.