YWAM Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City

Before YWAM Carmen–CDO was established, my wife, Fronie Pearl, and I had been serving with Youth With A Mission in Antipolo City for two years. It should be noted that Fronie and I served with YWAM Dagupan while we were still single. Fronie then went to work with YWAM Bukidnon for 2 years before going back to YWAM Dagupan after we got married before us launching to YWAM Antipolo City from 2017-2019.

It was during the latter part of our time there that the Lord began stirring my heart about returning to my own “Jerusalem.” One passage continually came to mind: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” — Acts 1:8, NKJV

I began to see this passage not merely as a geographical progression in the book of Acts, but as a pattern for our own obedience to the Great Commission.

There was a Jerusalem that God was calling us to.
There was a Judea.
There was a Samaria.
And there were still the ends of the earth.

The Lord began placing a burden in my heart to return home and establish a ministry that would reach people locally while continuing to carry a vision for the nations.

At the same time, God was speaking powerfully to me through the life of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and its gates had been burned with fire. Instead of simply accepting the condition of the city, he allowed the need to become a burden before God.

He prayed. He fasted.
He sought the Lord.
And eventually, he arose and acted.

His words became deeply significant: “Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” — Nehemiah 2:17, NKJV.  The picture of rebuilding the wall became part of what God was speaking to us.

We believed that God was calling us to participate in rebuilding lives—strengthening believers, discipling young people, preaching the Gospel, equipping workers, strengthening churches, and mobilizing Christians toward the Great Commission. These two biblical pictures began to converge: Acts 1:8 — reaching Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Nehemiah — arising and rebuilding what had been broken down.

Out of that burden, the vision that would eventually become YWAM Carmen–CDO began to take shape.