YWAM School of Evangelism in Chateau d'Oex, Switzerland (winter of 1969 black and white photo)

Front row (left to right): Darlene Cunningham, Lee Kiffiak, Carolyn (Shook) Akimoff, Eloise Rocha, Dodie Gunderson, Ramona (Jensen)Musch

Second row: Loren Cunningham, Harry Conn (visiting speaker), Judy (Davis) Belfance, Elaine (Voigt) Neal, Chrystal Thee, Donna Hawes, Betty Sawyer, Sue-Ann (Ness) Anderson,Judy (Johnson) Tyler, Nova (Goodwin)Pierson,Ann (Carrington) Tedrow, Connie (Holderbein) Roche

Third row: Richard Kress, Judd Stevens, Jim Woodhall, Dan Roche, Art Medina, Joe McNerny, Dennis Kiffiak and Elwin Mack

Back row: John Kraintz, Denny Gunderson, Al Moen, Dennis Sawyer, and Ron Cantrell

YWAM's "FIRST" SCHOOL HAS REUNION by Ramona Musch

In June of 2011, the graduates of the first YWAM school (winter of 1969 in Chateau d'Oex, Switzerland) gathered together in Seattle, Washington for their first class reunion. Former students came from as far away as England and Atlanta to re-connect with friends that had lived, studied, and traveled together over 42 years ago. Our lives had been forever changed and we were about to hear the stories of those that participated in the historic YWAM school in Switzerland.

"The School of Evangelism is a laboratory--a place of learning by doing--for those who want to serve God as layman, missionary, pastor or evangelist. In the classroom at Hotel Rosat, the Motive, Methods, and Message" of evangelism will be studied. The program will begin with one half of the week in the classroom and one half in evangelism. Students will work all over Europe and, at certain times of the year, in the Middle East. During the summer full time will be spent on the field..."

The concept of visiting lecturers was new to many of us. Our brochure stated, "Rather than collect a full time faculty and pull them from active service, men of God will come for one, two or three weeks and share. Then students will go out and put these suggestions into immediate practice. ... Duncan Campbell of Scotland will share regarding the Hebrides revival where thousands were saved. Leonard Ravenhill of Ireland, author and evangelist, will teach from his experience of a life in evangelism and revivals world-wide...and many others will participate." (We were also blessed to have Francis A. Schaeffer.)

Our orientation continued. "Each student will be required to take a language other than his own at the School of Evangelism. Conversational French, German, and Spanish ...will be offered. For the first six weeks many hours each day will be spent in language study. Following weeks of Biblical study and language classes, students will travel to the Holy Land to study the methods of Christ in evangelism at a camp on the shores of Galilee. They will visit and evangelize in the areas where Christ preached. The Apostle Paul's methods will be studied right where he preached as students retrace his missionary journeys. Returning to Europe will mean immediate application of this training. Summers will be spent throughout Europe in a Summer of Service as new recruits join with those finishing their term for a summer of saturation evangelism."

Following our Field Trip to Israel and upon our return to Chateau d'Oex, Darlene Cunningham wrote to the international YWAM office: "It was a grand trip, but after 5 weeks on the road it felt great to unpack! None of us realized how much "home" Chateau d'Oex and Switzerland were...From the Sea of Galilee we came back to Jerusalem and camped at a campsite outside of the city...by this time everyone was pretty tired physically and emotionally too--we'd been living awfully close for a long time. We spent that first morning in Jerusalem waiting on God and the Lord took care of the problems...While there we visited Jericho, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Bethany, the Dead Sea and the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found...

After existing on peanut butter and liver paste sandwiches for the last few days, it was a great joy to board the luxurious Greek ship. We almost ate ourselves silly! We arrived in Athens, were met by the missionaries and returned to the Bible School for a day. This time instead of driving through Yugoslavia, we took the Sea route and took a 12 hour ship ride to Italy. Our first stop in Italy was Naples. We stayed in a large apartment above the church. Sunday we ministered in two different churches. The kids (team) were well received and we had good services--oh--the girls had a special treat--in Naples at the church there's a family which owns a shoe factory--they gave us a tour and each girl a lovely pair of shoes!! And, I forgot to mention that on the ship a man who had been given some purses from a factory gave us all two and three purses each. We really got all fixed up! Isn't the Lord good...

From Naples we went to Rome. There we stayed in a lovely Bible School, and had an excellent service with the students. In Rome we visited the catacombs, the forum (where Christians were tortured), the Vatican, Paul's prison, and the place where Paul was beheaded. From Rome, the group broke into teams to go to their language areas for 1-2 week..."

Well, the rest is history. During the Summer of Service and school outreach in 1969, the students went to France, Germany, and Spain. Three of the students (Ramona, Nova, and Dan) headed off to Kenya, East Africa to join up with the first Around the World Team led by Jim and Jan Rogers for their outreach and then returned to Switzerland for the completion of their SOE

What do you do at a YWAM school reunion?

You spend hours renewing friendships, reminiscing the experiences of your school- both positive and negative, sharing your life's history since the SOE, looking at photos and memorabilia related to the school, worshiping and singing familiar songs of the school period, skyping with Loren and Darlene Cunningham (our school leaders) and having the students appear in front of the computer for Loren and Dar to identify after 42+ years (not fair). Ramona and others that have remained in YWAM gave updates on the mission and we all discussed how YWAM has forever changed our lives.

So, what are we all doing now?

There were 28 students in the first school. Two of us have remained with YWAM for the past 42+ years. Caroloyn (Shook)Akimoff and her husband, Al, serve as the YWAM leaders of YWAM Slavic Ministries (Eastern Europe). Ramona (Jensen)Musch is the YWAM-Atlanta director and serves on the YWAM North American Council. She married Greg and two of their adult children are full-time with YWAM. Denny and Dodie Gunderson served with YWAM for 33 years. Their daughter was born in Morocco and years later their two kids attended a YWAM school. They are presently pastoring a Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Seattle. Denny also serves as a marital therapist. Following our school, Dennis and Lee Kiffiak worked in Liberia and also with World Vision in Malawi. Lee is presently involved with the women's ministry in B.C., Canada and a counselor for Divorce Care . Jud Stevens worked with YWAM for a season and then drove the bus for David Wilkerson for 10 years. He now works for FYMCA in Tennessee. John Kraintz has lived in Nevada for 31 years and is pastoring in Eldo. Elaine Voight Neal has served as a producer for CBN, and presently works in her husband's medical office. She goes on medical mission trips to third world countries. Dennis Sawyer pastored for 35 years in Oregon, Chicago, and Seattle. He is now a substitute teacher. Betty is a wonderful pastor's wife and has raised two daughters. Joe McNerney came from a Catholic family to SOE. Following his training with YWAM, he applied his training where he could have a great influence. He is presently a Parish Priest in the south of England. He is in charge of 3 churches, and serves as a hospital chaplain. Connie (Holderbein) Roche met her husband, Dan, in the SOE and together they have owned a tire business, and Connie started a maid service. Dan works for the Dept. of Education and makes presentations to school districts on how to use the internet to access the library services. Sue-Ann Ness Anderson taught in public schools for 10 years and worked for the CBN for 12 years as a producer. She and her husband now have a business and also is a head of a ministry to high school children. Nova Goodwin Pierson has worked with YWAM in the Middle East and Teen Challenge in Germany. Nova and her husband have been pastoring in West Texas for a number of years. Elwin Mack went back to Bible School following the SOE and has been a youth pastor and senior pastor of Faith A/G in Phoenix, Arizona since 1990.

And, what did they all say?

"I probably do not have a week in my life go by without remembering experiences and or principles I learned in my 7 months with YWAM". ..Sue-Ann

"I met Connie in the SOE--the next best thing to Jesus"....Dan Roche

"YWAM most influential besides parents"....Elaine Neal

"We lived together, prayed, studied, worshiped and traveled for only 7 months, but we bonded for a lifetime!"...Dodie Gunderson

"Although I had desired to be in missions most of my life, my YWAM school gave the tools to equip my life's ambition--to be a missionary"....Ramona Musch

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As we departed from the reunion, I noticed numerous hugs and embraces, teary eyes, last minute personal prayers for one another, and a genuine concern for the well-being of friends that met 42+years ago in a new country to all of us--Switzerland. It did not seem that long ago as we quickly reminisced the experiences that brought us together. We had celebrated God's character and faithfulness in life's journey.

Ramona Musch