Empowering young leaders to reach their world through discipleship.

A word from our Executive Director, Ash Zook

Friends,

In 2009, I visited the most impoverished village I had seen to that point. YLI board member, Mike Moye was with me. Surrounded by sick children I couldn’t help but imagine my own young kids sitting among them on the dusty ground. It was incredibly unsettling. I said a few words about God’s love which felt useless as they left my mouth. Then I asked Mike if he would share a word with the children. Instead of talking he responded by singing Jesus Loves Me. It felt holy. There was a wrestling match in my heart as we drove out of the village that day. I knew that actual discipleship demanded more than we were doing. YLI could not continue to just teach about discipleship and love evangelism from the comfort of  churches while children around us suffered for lack of water. That village, Kpenchila, became the site of the first YLI water project, and since 2010 we have installed clean water solutions in 40 more villages where YLI trained disciples are ministering.

The work of YLI is focused on Love.

1. We pursue a Love relationship with God (Intimacy with God).

2. We build Loving friendships with people who do not know Jesus (Incarnational Evangelism).

3. We disciple other people out of Love (Spiritual Multiplication).

All of this talk about love may sound happy and free, but in practice love is often uncomfortable and costly. Jesus’ love for us came at an incredible cost. His obedience to God’s love required that he leave the comforts of heaven, endure immense suffering, and die. This is the love He invites us into. 

Because of their participation in Jesus’ divine Love, the YLI Coaches and Interns I am blessed to work with radiate joy in the midst of levels of physical hardship, financial poverty, and threat of persecution that are unknown to us in the United States. I can testify that, like the poor widow from Luke chapter 21, YLI leaders give all they have because Jesus gave all of Himself. We are thankful for what God endured out of love to save us.

And we are grateful to our donors for supporting YLI leaders, who don’t just talk about love, but leave their comfort zones and live it out. 

Glory to God!

Ash Zook, Executive Director