The major oceans of the world are all connected. We’ve had a chance to see that first hand over the years. When we the Toney family, accepted God’s invitation to join him in His mission to the last, lost and least of the world, our kids were 4, 2 and just 1 year old. Now they are 23, 21 and 19 and each following God’s call on their own lives. God has taken us to some very exciting and wonderful places. Following our initial 5 months of training and preparations in our own DTS program, we set off for the Pacific and our first assignment with YWAM. Since then, we have received many assignments all over the world, most recently to found and build a dynamic and highly effective YWAM training center in Belize on the Caribbean Sea. Over the past couple of years, God’s been speaking to us about a new assignment with YWAM- one that will see us return to the Pacific where this journey began.
The full version of this story will continue to unfold over the coming months but the primary highlight involves one of the most significant values present in the training center we’ve been developing since 2003; that is to help people understand their strengths, gifts,calling, and passions in life and then help each one walk in them. As God has lead amazing emerging leaders to serve with YWAM DP, we have invested in them and began to delegate much of the operational leadership responsibilities of the campus to them. We now have fully functioning eldership and leadership circles. Having strong and effective leadership in place at YWAM DP means that we can begin to see ourselves also walk more fully and specifically in our own individual strengths, gifts, calling and in what we are passionate about.
As YWAM DP has grown, we have certainly done just that by exercising our leadership, strategic, organizational, administrative, counseling, teaching, motivational, entrepreneurial, and spiritual gifts to the best of our abilities. It is now time for us to concentrate specifically on our primary strengths and in the process become even more effective as our focus goes from the activities surrounding one YWAM training center to global YWAM and U of N (University of the Nations) activities. The U of N is an accredited, degree offering university run by and in concert with YWAM. The University of the Nations is based in Kona Hawaii, but very many YWAM operating locations (such as YWAM DP in Belize and hundreds of others around the world) serve as satelite campuses for the U of N.
We are currently living and serving at YWAM DP in Belize Central America but we still own a home in Washington State as our permanent residence. This call to serve in and through Kona means repositioning our permanent residence from Washington State to Kona, Hawaii. Our house on Whidbey Island north of Seattle is now for sale (please pray that we do well on the sale and that it occurs quickly) and we’ll purchase a home on the Big Island when we can. We will not disconnect from YWAM DP but we will continue to delegate all operational leadership of the campus. We’ll remain an active part of the eldership of the campus and provide various means of support, mentorship, encouragement, legal and financial oversight, and prayer cover for YWAM DP well into the future. Our personal support will continue to be processed through YWAM DP indefinitely. When the time is right, perhaps 6 to 9 months from now, we’ll relocate to Kona and continue in effective missionary service with YWAM and the U of N.
We’ll share more details about the various roles we’ve humbly accepted as well as other specifics and possibilities as we move forward in this transition. We are very blessed that you are joining us in missions through your prayers and support. We pray that you are blessed as you most certainly bless us. Thank you, God bless you and we look forward to talking with you or hearing from you soon.
-Chris and Lynn
Beautiful family. how thankful we are to see God moving you into position. Chris you are just SO smart! Love you guys
Roy and Barbara