Kona

UofN Kona Campus

base directorLoren Cunningham
countryUnited States
joined in1998
ministriesGENESIS, Communications, Evangelism, Training, Water for Life
languagesEnglish, Korean
schoolsDTS, SBS, IBC
websitehttp://www.uofnkona.edu

Twenty-five years ago the first wave of Youth With A Mission staff and students took possession of Kailua-Kona's old Pacific Empress Hotel which was to become the eventual home of the first University of the Nations campus. That event was commemorated during an October 10-11 celebration at the campus, featuring a Hawaiian luau, music from the nations, and messages from YWAM founder Loren Cunningham and Kona Chancellor David Boyd. The celebration was a way of honoring those who pioneered the university, educating current students in the mission's history, and welcoming friends from the community. "At our 20th anniversary there was a symbolic passing of the torch to the next generation," said campus pioneer Fay Williams. "We wanted this generation of YWAMers to carry that torch, celebrating our future as well as our past." "The Lord clearly directed us to Kona after several of our staff and students received visions or prophetic words during an all-night prayer meeting in Kaneohe," said Loren. "These included the word "Kona" and images of a farm, a white house on a hill, a white ship in a bay, and a lighthouse beaming across the Pacific toward Asia."One by one those visions came true as YWAMers in Kona acquired by faith a 40-acre farm, King's Mansion (a splendid white historic home in Kealakekua), and the 45-acre Pacific Empress property, a derelict hotel that would become its new university (a lighthouse to Asia). Later on the gleaming white YWAM Mercy Ship Anastasis sailed into Kailua, fulfilling the other prophetic In "The World in Our Hearts," Fay Williams describes their joyous arrival on the Pacific Empress property in August of 1977: "When we and other families drove onto the property with our belongings, I happily took note that four buildings, 99 rooms and a total of 45 acres now belonged to Youth With A Mission. Tropical grasses had overgrown the property, railings hung from sides of buildings badly needing repair, and old bottles, tin cans and wads of paper littered the ground -- but to pioneers like us, it was a sight to behold..." A year later Loren and Dr. Howard Malmstadt, a distinguished professor from the University of Illinois, took another step of faith in creating YWAM's new Pacific and Asia Christian University. In 1988, the name was changed to reflect the university's growing global vision. In the 25 years since YWAM acquired the Kona property thousands of volunteers have donated their skills as well as money and materials to renovate those dilapidated buildings, build seven more large buildings and turn the land into a showplace of tropical beauty. An estimated 20,000 students from over 100 nations have come to the campus for training in those 25 years as well as thousands of visitors, Mission Builders and volunteer staff. Their legacy in the nations will be felt for generations to come.