10 Reasons We Love Tijuana and Why You Will Too

Just south of the busiest border crossing in the world lies one of Mexico’s largest cities, Tijuana, Baja California.

This is the city where YWAM San Diego/Baja gets the incredible opportunity to do life and ministry. And with our immersive discipleship training school, DTS, you could live and serve here as well. We love it here and we know you will too!

In the past years, this city has seen incredible growth in local businesses and attractions. From the stretches of beaches to some of the most creative art, to killer coffee, and of course incredible tacos, Tijuana is an epic destination to spend a few months or more!

The Best YWAM Locations

Why is Tijuana one of the best YWAM locations? It goes beyond the incredible experiences you'll have at a YWAM discipleship training school. Many DTS students who attend a DTS at YWAM San Diego/Baja are drawn here due to the unique culture and campus diversity. We are one of the few YWAM DTS locations with two distinct campuses.

Both within walking distance of the beach and vibrant local communities within Tijuana, our Ensenada and San Antonio Del Mar campuses give students even more to explore in their YWAM location.

DTS Programs at Ensenada

An hour and a half south of the U.S./Mexico border, our Ensenada campus houses 200 staff, volunteers, and students. Hosting international conferences as well as local concerts and events such as skateboard competitions, it is a community hub, as well as a YWAM DTS location.

Experience the DTS Campus Phase at San Antonio Del Mar

Our flagship property in Tijuana, San Antonio Del Mar overlooks stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. While you participate in your YWAM school, you'll enjoy God's beautiful creation with natural landscapes, as well as close access to a thriving local culture. Currently, with 200 beds, this YWAM base is expanding to host more than 800 students and staff, and even DTS graduates taking part in University of Nations training schools and Missions Adventures.

But enough about us... here is a list of 10 Must-Do’s in Tijuana, for you to use as a bucket list when you are with us!

1. Telefonica Gastro Park

Telefónica is Tijuana’s favorite Gastro Park. Think of anything you’d want to eat, chances are, it’s here. You’ll find ceviche, pulled pork sandwiches, vegan tacos, ramen, kombucha, and even sushi burritos. You’ll definitely want to try more than one thing. But don't worry, discipleship training schools have free time built in so you'll be able to try every dish on your list.

2. Nativo Coffee Community

This cafe is incredible!

There are two Nativo Cafes here in TJ, the Estacion Federal location is just a block from the walking border crossing, and another on Calle Sexta. Nativo serves excellent coffee and is a beautiful space for reading, meeting, or hanging out with friends. Our favorite drink to order and share with our YWAM community is the Spicy Orange Latte.

3. THE CULTURAL CENTER

In the Zona Río district of Tijuana, you’ll find the Tijuana Cultural Center. This center opens its doors to over a million tourists per year.

Why? Besides the several art and cultural programs for the public, this center has the only IMAX theater in all of Mexico. This cinema has a 360-degree projector, literally surrounding its viewers with the ultimate movie experience. And our YWAM bases are only a short distance away!

4. THE COFFEE SHOPS

One of Mexico’s many gifts to the world is its coffee. We hit on Nativo earlier, but Tijuana is a city full of awesome coffee shops. Be sure to check out:

• B HAUS

• Das Cortez

• Grulla Cafe

• Electric Coffee Roasters

5. THE TACOS

What more can we say? Tacos are everywhere here and they are delicious!

You can sit down in a restaurant or pick some up from a street cart, both are awesome options. Here are the places we recommend to get your taco fix every day, not just on Tuesdays:

• Tacos El Franc

• Taco Nazo

• Tacos Manuel

• Tacos El Yaqui

6. CAESAR’S

Did you know that the Caesar Salad was actually invented in Tijuana?

Caesar Cardini invented the salad in 1924 right here in Tijuana in the Hotel Caesar restaurant. The story is that during a July 4th rush, Cardini had to make do with what was left over to fill orders and he ended up creating what we now know and love as the Caesar salad.

7. The Nature!

Believe it or not, this city is surrounded by many majestic scenes. Besides breathtaking ocean views, there are options for those who like to hike, bike, and stroll. La Jolla, pictured above is right outside the city and is the perfect place for a sunset viewing party.

8. La Playa 

Take a moment (or many) to stroll down the boardwalk here in Tijuana.

It starts right at the border wall where you can see, and touch, the actual border wall between Mexico and the U.S. As you walk down you can enjoy the view of the beach as well as many souvenir shops, cafes, and restaurants. We also have a beautiful beach a couple minutes walk from each of our YWAM San Diego/ Baja campuses.

9. THE VIEWS FROM THE CAMPUS CAN’T BE BEAT.

We have an epic view of the ocean and the Coronado Islands from our campus. Imagine going out on your balcony and seeing the ocean every day. It never gets old!

10. THE MARKETS

In the heart of downtown Tijuana lies one of the most famous markets, Mercado El Popo.

Here you can explore and buy Mexican fruits, cheeses, herbs, spices, ceramics, souvenirs, and even piñatas! Bring a little cash and enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds as you walk through.

There is also another great market in Tijuana called Mercado Hidalgo and if you head a couple of minutes south of the campus to Rosarito, a popular beach destination, you can explore the markets there as well. You’ll find rugs, blankets, ceramics, and beautiful jewelry.

Apply for DTS Today

Have you thought about doing a school with us but haven’t applied yet? YWAM San Diego/Baja runs various Discipleship Training Schools and Secondary Courses with the University of the Nations at our San Antonio Del Mar campus located just south of Tijuana.

YWAM ministry extends outside of Tijuana with locations across the world including:

• Orlando, Florida - YWAM Orlando

• Salem, Oregon - YWAM Salem

• Louisville, Kentucky - YWAM Louisville

• Kailua Kona, Hawaii - YWAM Kona

• New Orleans, Louisiana - YWAM New Orleans

• Dallas, Texas - YWAM Dallas

• And so much more!

While every location brings something special to the YWAM family, we believe that Tijuana is one of the best DTS locations. While most students only get to go abroad during the overseas mission trip in the outreach phase, Our DTS students can experience international travel throughout their entire DTS experience.

So, what are you waiting for? Apply for our DTS today!

The FIVE Biggest Questions I Had Before My DTS

So, you’re thinking about doing a DTS! This is awesome, God is about to take you on a beautiful journey full of sweet times, learning more about God's love, and who He made you to be.

Maybe you’re excited, maybe nervous? To help calm the nerves and give you some helpful information, here are answers to the five biggest questions I had before my DTS!

1. WHAT EVEN IS A DTS?

A DTS, or Discipleship Training School, is a five-month program through Youth With A Mission (YWAM). The school consists of two parts, a 12-week campus phase, and an 8-week cross-cultural outreach phase.

You'll spend the campus phase on one of YWAM San Diego/Baja's campuses here in Mexico, either in San Antonio del Mar or Ensenada! For 12 weeks of the campus phase, we are in a classroom setting, learning from speakers from all around the world about different themes like Hearing the Voice of God, the Nature and Character of God, Fear of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit.

Then, after we’ve learned more about God and we’ve pursued knowing Him more, we move out to make Him known!

In the outreach phase, we spend 8 weeks traveling with a team to another culture overseas for evangelistic outreach. You and your team will travel and do a variety of things, depending on where you go, but in any case, get excited!

God could take you anywhere, from sharing the love of God by building homes in Nepal, evangelizing in Hungary, hosting children’s programs in Brazil, and everything in between.

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2. WHO ELSE WILL BE THERE?

In our DTS, we have students from many different backgrounds, nations, and age groups.

Students come from all over the world as every diverse individual can benefit from knowing God. I remember one night at dinner, we soon realized that each person sitting at the table was from a different nation.

You will have classmates and make long-lasting friendships with people from all over the world. This is a super fun part of DTS. Maybe next year you’ll even visit a friend for Christmas in New Zealand or take a summer trip to Colombia!

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3. DO I KNOW ENOUGH? AM I READY?

If you are thinking this, you are not the only one, trust me!

Jesus calls us to Him, exactly as we are, with no requirements except being open to learning from Him! Don’t worry about what you do or don’t know, you’re here to learn. So come hungry to learn and you will be ready.

Along with being in class, you will get to spend time being involved in and learning about local ministries, intercession, worship, evangelism, and many other activities! You will learn and grow alongside the staff and the campus community. It is an amazing season to grow in the Lord.

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4. WHERE EXACTLY AM I GOING?

Our base, YWAM San Diego/Baja, is one base with three locations! We have offices in San Diego, and two campuses with schools and ministries in two different cities here in Baja California, Mexico.

If you’re doing your DTS at our San Antonio Del Mar campus, you’ll be about 30 minutes from the US border between Rosarito and Tijuana. If you’re going to our Ensenada campus you will be about an hour and a half drive south of the U.S. border. But luckily, both Campuses are located only minutes from the beach!

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5. WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

What do I wear? This was a HUGE question for me, and honestly, I didn’t do it right. To avoid the regret, here’s my best packing advice:

Don’t get too ahead of yourself like I did. Outreach was definitely on my mind while packing and boy, was I shocked being the only one wearing Chaco’s in the classroom. While these are awesome for hiking, they are not so comfortable to wear in the classroom.

Pack for the campus phase as well as the outreach phase. For the first 12 weeks, you will be in a classroom setting, so whatever you would wear to class, bring that. Also, remember that space is limited, so limit what you bring, but bring things to layer and mix as it can get chilly near the coast.

Depending on when you come and do your DTS, the weather changes. Bring a light jacket, but leave the boots at home. (Pro tip: Bring a bathing suit, the beach is nearby for study breaks at both campuses.)

Toiletries? There is a Walmart near both campuses, so don’t worry about packing so many bottles of your favorite shampoo, you can get it all here. Save the room in your bag for something better.

How about for Outreach? If you have a hiking backpack, bring it. You’ll have time before outreach to prepare and finalize what you will bring. There is a storage unit where you can leave a bag throughout the outreach phase.

Don’t forget to bring a Bible and a notebook, but remember, anything you forget you can buy here- except your Passport. Whatever you do, remember to bring your Passport! It should have validity for more than 6 months from the time of your return home date.

Need more packing advice? Check out our super detailed blog, The Art of Packing for YWAM DTS here.

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BEFORE YOU COME TO DTS

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DTS, like any experience in life, is what you make of it. If you go into your missions training and immersive mission trip with confidence and curiosity about God and your relationship with him, you will succeed.

What does success look like at DTS? Letting go of your fear and anxiety and throwing yourself full force into a community environment full of other young people yearning to share the love of Jesus Christ with the nations. Youth With a Mission is a global movement, but God speaks through the individual. Serve God's kingdom and step into your Christian life of missions without doubt when you experience a DTS.

Now that you've received answers to your basic informative questions, let me help you get in the right mindset before you come to your DTS with a little self-reflection.

Ask yourself the following questions before your DTS and come up with your own answers. Write them down, record them well, then re-answer them afterward and see how your answers changed. Be as honest as you can:

1. Why am I doing this?

2. Who is God to me right now?

3. Do I have any dreams? What are they?

4. What do I want God to show me?

5. What do I want out of this school? What do I want to learn or gain?

We’re so excited you are looking into doing a DTS with YWAM San Diego/Baja! If you want more information about the different DTS focuses we offer or still need to apply click HERE!

Al Final de la Cueva

Una cueva es un hueco en un terreno
que puede producirse a partir de la acción de la
naturaleza, dicho sitio puede ser húmedo o demasiado seco, pero en cualquiera de los casos, dicho sitio está siempre cubierto por una obscuridad. Algunos protagonistas de la biblia, tuvieron que pasar un duelo personal en una cueva. David huyó de Saul cuando éste lo persiguió, y fue a
la cueva de Adulam (1 Samuel 22:1) cuyo significado es “refugio”, un sitio popularmente conocido porque
ahí habitaban los endeudados, los depresivos y los que qué habían perdido todo lo que tenían. David permanecía en esa cueva porque tenía miedo de ser encontrado por Saúl, el error de David en esta historia fue que él en sus fuerzas de hombre buscó refugio en una cueva, cuando Dios lo había puesto en esa situación para que él encontrara refugio en Dios, y no en una cueva junto con los que vivían su vida con miedo y lamentaciones, Dios quería ser el refugio de David en medio de su desánimo, pero David tenía un temor mayor por el hombre que por Dios mismo. Afortunadamente David se percató de esta condición y pidió a Dios misericordia y lo reconoció como aquel que cuida de su vida (Salmo 142), es aquí donde David encuentra nuevas fuerzas y sale de la cueva animado para cumplir con la profecía que Dios le había dado a Samuel en el pasado. No fue la cueva la que le quitó el miedo a David, fue Dios quien puso a David en esa condición de temor para que depositara su confianza en Él.

Otro ejemplo del temor del hombre hacia el hombre lo encontramos en 1 de Reyes 19, cuando Elias se entera que Jezabel lo buscaba para quitarle la vida, este se llenó de temor, huyó de la ciudad e incluso le pidió a Dios que le quitara la vida (1 Reyes 19:4), más Dios, movido en misericordia, envió un ángel para que lo alimentase, y aun siendo fortalecido, Elias tenía mucho miedo para volver a la ciudad, por lo que huyó al monte Horeb y se escondió ahí, por lo que Jehova tuvo que intervenir en medio del temor de Elias preguntandole directamente “¿Qué haces aquí, Elías?”, a lo que este buscaba justificar su miedo a Jezabel, al final de la historia vemos como Dios lo manda a una ciudad donde encuentra a Eliseo, su sucesor, a quien no hubiera encontrado de no haber sido porque él venció su miedo y salió de la cueva.

Muchas veces, como jóvenes, vemos más cercano las amenazas del hombre que el plan que Dios tiene para nosotros, se nos es más fácil escuchar la voz del hombre que omitimos la de Dios, aun cuando Dios nos ha dado profecía, tenemos miedo del mañana, de nuestros enemigos e incluso de nosotros mismos, pero Dios, a pesar de todos nuestros defectos, sigue preocupándose por sus hijos, y los anima a confiar en Él, la palabra de Dios dice: “No se angustien por nada. Más bien, en cualquier situación, mediante oraciones y ruegos y dando gracias, háganle saber a Dios sus peticiones” (Filipenses 4:6), por tanto, si le cedemos a Dios nuestras batallas, él peleará por nosotros y no tendremos que caminar con miedo nunca más. Muchos de nosotros, por miedo a la crítica o a la desaprobación, nos alejamos de la voluntad de Dios y nos aislamos de nuestros prójimos, nos adentramos en una cueva espiritual en la que no queremos salir, un sitio de confort donde solo nos sentimos mal con nosotros mismos.

Si tu eres un joven que se siente adentrado en una cueva de la que no puede salir, te invito a que pongas tu mirada en Dios, a que hables con él y medites acerca de qué piensa Dios sobre tus imperfecciones y cual es la voluntad de Dios para ti. Afuera de la cueva hay un propósito para ti, Dios quiere usarte, y para ello debes estar dispuesto a ser usado por Él. Quizá tu tengas un concepto limitado de ti mismo, pero Dios, no te ve como la persona imperfecta que eres ahora, el te ve como la persona que estás destinada a ser si sigues su perfecta voluntad. Joven, sal de la cueva lo más pronto posible, sigue la luz que está fuera de ella y responde al llamado que Dios ha puesto en tu vida.

Coming Back to the Heart of Worship: Faith in the Face of the Coronavirus

The world is truly reeling under the effects of this pandemic. Many people are suffering and families have lost loved ones. Our day-to-day lives have been uprooted and it feels like fear and anxiety are ramping up in the face of so many uncertainties. How long will this last? What does this mean for the world moving forward?

As we hunker down and self-quarantine, there is a great temptation in front of us. A temptation to simply ignore the situation and pass the time, to disengage and just entertain. There’s a chance the screen time on your IPhone has gone up exorbitant amounts and you may be asking yourself, what’s the latest show to binge on Netflix? While it’s not wrong to watch a show once in a while, I believe that the Lord is giving us an invitation to come back to the heart of worship, an invitation to greater intimacy. So much of our normal life has been disrupted. Everything- every comfort we cling to in our day-to-day lives is getting stripped away. Sports, trips, events, schools, ministries, and even just the usual freedom of going to the store and being able to buy toilet paper when we need it are all cancelled for the un-foreseeable future. Where does that leave us? When all the busyness is stripped away, what do we have left? It feels strange and foreign but I can’t help but feel thankful, like God is using this, to awaken us back to our first love. We have time now more than ever to enter into deeper relationship.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
”

— Psalm 23

We must have faith in the sovereignty and goodness of our Lord. Faith, that even in the midst of a horrible pandemic, He will work something good out of this time. We are in an unprecedented season where we have been forced to slow down. In the presence of our enemies, in the presence of the chaos of a global pandemic, He prepares a table for us. At that table, is the provision for anything we could ever need.  At that table is the provision of grace, peace and rest. At that table is relationship. Will you accept this invitation to the table? In his kindness he has pulled us out of our busyness and is beckoning us into the rhythm of grace, as He makes us lie down in green pastures. Where distraction and striving has reigned, may Jesus reign. The Lord is taking us back to the beginning. Let’s take this chance to be still and know that He is God. Let’s use this time to take a seat at the table. When all is stripped away, what remains? May we seek the peace and presence of God in this time as we come back to the heart of worship.

It goes without saying that as the Body of Christ- we should have a response to this crisis. As you come back to the heart of worship- ask the Lord, what should your response be? Be it intercession, picking up groceries for a neighbor, calling someone who may be lonely or donating to a food bank. We should show up in a tangible way to demonstrate the love of Jesus during this time of suffering!

The Joy of Surrender: My Experience in the School of Worship

There’s been a handful of moments throughout my walk with God where I’ve felt like I was lacking direction. The door to one season would close, and I would be left staring blankly ahead, not sure which way to walk, not sure which door to knock on next. I feel like we all experience those moments of uncertainty. Maybe we don’t hear God clearly about what He wants from us moving forward, or maybe He opens a door for us that we least expected, or for some of us, a door is opened that don’t even want opened. But it’s in those moments where we have to trust Him. These are the moments where we take those baby steps in faith, and in obedience. More often than not, God knows what we need before we do ourselves. And then after the fact, we find ourselves looking back and being amazed at all God has done, all He has spoken, simply because we said “yes.”

For me, this was my experience with the School of Worship. 

I was at that point of staring blankly into the future, wondering what was next for me in my YWAM walk. And that was when the idea was presented to me of doing the school. Worship is my heart, and I know it’s something I was to pursue further in my life. Though I’m still figuring out exactly what that looks like, I figured the school would be a good place to start that journey and along the way, further my skills and deepen my knowledge. 

Little did I know how much I would “need” the school, how much God would use it to speak to me, and how it would be my refuge through what was about to become a very broken season in my life. God was walking ahead of me. He was preparing the way for me to be wrecked and to grow, to be changed, and challenged in my heart and in my mind throughout the journey of this school.

And what a journey it was.

I didn’t realize a secondary school could impact my life just as much as a DTS had, if not more, in some areas. God moved weekly through the different teachers that came to pour into us. Each topic was unique and God continued to speak into the areas in my life where I needed to grow, or needed something to be awakened. There was something special about the teachers that came throughout the school. Each of them were so in-tune with the Lord and it was amazing to see each of their giftings being used to impact our lives, and it wasn’t just  during class time. They spent their meal times with us, they attended our open-mic nights, they came to our workshops to teach us more practical skills. Every week there was something God wanted to hit on personally for me, but also for the other students involved. We were challenged in our knowledge, in our faith, and in our practical skills.

During this school I learned so much more about the heart of worship and all the different elements encompassed in leading worship than I have leading worship and being part of music ministries during my entire Christian walk. I grew in confidence, and was truly able to get my heart in line with worship and wrestle with God about what worship truly looked like and how, through my personal worship and quiet times with Him, I could grow as a worship leader leading a whole community.

To be honest it wasn’t always easy and there were moments I wanted to quit, but it was definitely worth it. Half way through the school, I was ready to leave and be done with YWAM. But God spoke to me and told me I needed to stay. I remember feeling so far from Him at that point, so to hear His voice after being somewhat in the “desert,” I knew I had to listen and obey. He asked me to stay, and write a song for my people, for New Zealand. I argued and wrestled with Him about it. There was no part of me that wanted to do that. I was struggling with doubt and comparison and I didn’t think I had it in me to write a song for something as big as that. But there was something in the process of surrendering in that battle, where God came alongside me and gave me the lyrics and the melody. I found myself sitting at the piano writing an anthem of sorts for my country. I didn’t enjoy the process of song writing up to that point. But I knew that this song had something special about it, because I’d allowed God into that process and had written it with Him. I had allowed Him to give me His heart for my nation and to write, and then sing it out for my people. I was so challenged, but to then see how it had already started making waves in New Zealand before it was even released, I knew that God was doing something. I knew that God was honoring my decision to say yes and stay in the school to complete what He wanted to do in me and through me. He knows us so much better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need, and He knows our capabilities, and it’s incredible to see how He helps us harness all these things when we are willing to surrender our own desires and follow His. 

I learned this lesson over and over again during the School of Worship, and each time I surrendered to Him, there was something so beautiful that came out of it. A renewed heart, a joyful spirit, a closer relationship with my Father, and something I’m most proud of: Kia Kaha. My song, God’s heart for my people. 

I left this school a completely different person than I started, in the best way.

Healed. Whole. Changed. Challenged. With a fresh view of God and worship. And really, that’s all I could have asked for.

Want to check out our Torch: School of Worship album on Spotify? Click HERE.

Interested in doing the School of Worship? For more information about The Torch: School of Worship click HERE.

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Kristy Lagarto, our author is staff with YWAM San Diego/ Baja at our Ensenada campus.

The Good Shepherd

Have you ever been through one of those seasons where everything just feels hard? Those seasons of pressing, of crushing, where everything feels outside of your comfort zone and outside of your control? You may just become numb or want to run away. It can feel incredibly lonely and incredibly confusing. Yet those seasons aren’t marked by God’s absence or lack of concern. It’s quite the opposite actually- they are especially marked by His faithful and steadfast character. If we let Him, He uses those times to draw us in, to refine and to mold us. 

He is a Good Shepherd who takes care of everything and what we need to learn is how to be a good sheep. We need to learn how to trust, how to rest, how to receive His loving care and affection, rather than relying on ourselves or our own control.  He wants to meet our every need, yet sometimes we kick and flail and make wild efforts to get in the way of that. Don’t run along to other pastures on your own accord, assuming you know best. Taking charge, striving to control the outcome, and working to create something for yourself has a way of backfiring, trust me. Well, trust God on this one. I’m learning how to be that little sheep, who can lie down and rest, even in the face of uncertainty. While I can’t see what is next, I can see the one who sees it all. I’m learning to look to Him. I’m learning how to wait and trust as He goes ahead and prepares a place of abundance for me. He truly is the Good Shepherd, and He is worthy of all our trust and confidence. He has never failed, and He won’t start now. 

Dear little sheep, rest, be still. For the Greatest Shepherd who laid down His life for you, is taking care of it all.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”

— John 10:27

God is Not Afraid of Our Questions: How the BCC Transformed My Life

God is not afraid of our questions.

My season of studying the Bible in the Chronological Biblical Core Course was incredibly challenging and life transformational all at the same time. I went into this school terrified that I was going to get overwhelmed with the amount of work it was going to require of me, but while it was challenging it was absolutely worth it. I walked out of the school overwhelmed, not with the workload but with the incredible love of God. I grew to know Him so much deeper throughout those three months studying the Bible.

Prior to my BCC-C my knowledge of the Bible was surface level. I have been a believer all my life, following Jesus since way back, when I was a kid growing up on a YWAM base. But through those 20 years of following Christ I never found the time or motivation to dive deep into the Bible until I did my BCC-C. During the school I read through the whole Bible for the first time. My mind was opened to so much I had never understood before.

I like to explain it like this… Imagine you meet a new friend and never hear about their past life experiences or life story. All you do know of them is the information you learn about them from then on and the experiences you share with this person. Your relationship would be so shallow and not built on any kind of foundation. But the moment you share with each other your history, the way you grew up, what high school was like for you, or the incredible ways God has worked in your life, that is when depth is brought into your relationship. This is what it would be like having a relationship with Jesus without knowing the scripture. It would lack depth and foundation. Your relationship would be shallow, but once you choose to open that door to learning and wrestling with what the Bible has to say about who Jesus is, you can see this massive shift in the way you know Jesus. Throughout the process of the BCC-C, my relationship with Christ was finally built on a foundation of truth.

One of the biggest lessons I learned while studying the Bible was the importance of questioning and discovering truth for myself. I had been so afraid to question things I learned or beliefs that I had. God is God why would I dare to question who He is? I felt that it wasn’t my place. I was also scared of not liking the answers to questions, but the truth is He wants us to wrestle and question, that way we know why we believe what we believe. God met me in all of my questions and I got to know Him so much more through these discoveries.

I encourage you to dive in deep and discover what the Bible has to offer. The BCC-C was only the kickstarter for my continual study of the Bible, a foundation for a future of growing and discovering more of who God is. Allow yourself to question, don’t be afraid of finding new ways of thinking. God is not afraid of our questions, he meets us there and brings transformation.

For more information about the Chronological Biblical Core Course and the link to apply- click HERE.

The author Mikah is an alumni of our BCC-C and is currently on staff at our Ensenada campus.

Come Up To Me On This Mountain

Over the last year, I’ve written “I trust you” in my journal more times than I can count. It’s funny how I need to write it over and over again. Somehow the act of writing it etches it into my soul. It takes it deeper. “Jesus, I trust you.” There’s so many things I don’t understand yet I feel this inexplicable peace that beckons me, “be still, you can trust Jesus”.

It’s so easy to make our relationship with God less of a relationship and more of a transaction. I find myself wanting to have the what, when, where + why before I’ll settle into God’s presence. There’s too much to do, too much to understand, yet God is ever patient with me in my messiness. He waits there for me on the mountain. Waiting for me to put down my list and just rest in Him. Waiting for me to receive His love and His relationship that He gave everything to have. He waits there for me to simply be with Him.

You see, God is faithful and worthy of my trust. He is ever working for me, going before me and staying so near, intentionally pursuing my heart. We were never meant to be robots, mindlessly following a God shouting out instructions to us. From the very beginning of creation, it was always about relationship. We cannot miss this part!

Being able to trust God with my everything, my hopes, my dreams, my futures, my days and my finances, doesn’t happen on accident, it all comes out of relationship. We can’t spend so much time searching for the will of God for our lives, for our calling, that we miss out on knowing Him. While I press in to knowing Him, to being with Him- there comes the breakthrough of my trust beyond circumstance.

So I will spend my days, waking up and pursuing the heart of God. I will learn to trust slowly but surely, as I discover more about Him and His character. The greatest adventure we have at our fingertips is walking in intimacy with God. He’s asking us to come up on the mountain to meet with him. So I’m embracing this adventure with everything I have. I will meet with you there my God.

JESUS, I TRUST YOU.

“COME UP TO ME ON THIS MOUNTAIN…”

EXODUS 24:1

WORDS + PHOTOS BY TIFFANY LAMBERT.

TIFFANY IS FULL TIME WITH YWAM SAN DIEGO/BAJA AND LEADS THE PHOTO-STORYTELLING DTS. 

In the Waiting

Does a delayed response or fulfillment of a promise from the Lord signify a closed door? The well meaning and often used expression rings loudly “If God closes a door, he will open a window.” This can be true, but not all the time. God truly does know best, and sometimes His best for us looks different then the door we attempt to go through at first. Other times this is not the case. Often, God will wait until circumstances look impossible to do the impossible and prove His sovereignty. He works for His glory and our good. He doesn’t speak things in advance to mess with us or discourage us. He speaks in advance to build up our faith, to refine our trust and to prove to us that He really is who He says He is and His word does not come back void. He does not delay and He is not impatient, but rather He is so specific when he implements things, not just in the scriptures but also in the lives of all those who believe in him in faith.  Just because things look unlikely or unrealistic, does not mean that God is not going to move. Out of intimacy and knowing God, we can navigate when a door closed means move on or when it means keep knocking.  That is the nature of walking with God. He is the Good Shepherd, gently guiding us even when we fear or don’t understand. He is cultivating our faith and our trust. 

25 years after God promised Abraham descendants as many as the stars, Isaac, the child of promise, was born. It had seemed impossible. Sarah’s womb was dry + barren. There was no hope for an heir, yet God had a miracle in mind. Sarah and Abraham were able to rejoice in the fulfillment of the promise and God working in their lives in miraculous ways. God had done as he promised and in her old age, Sarah nursed her very own son. Abraham’s faith had grown  as he discovered more of who God was in the waiting. At the perfect time, as Abraham’s character had developed and he had come to have fear of the Lord, the promise was fulfilled. Years later, when the testing came and God asked for Abraham to sacrifice his only heir, the fulfillment of his promise and the source of great joy and redemption, he did not hesitate to sacrifice. He trusted in His God, because He had gotten to know him in the mean time.

The question is not so much about when the fulfillment of things will come but what are God’s purposes in the waiting. God’s timing is different than ours and His ways are above our ways. He is not casual or unconcerned with timing, rather He moves in intentionality and sovereignty over His people. We may not always understand but we have the beautiful opportunity to have a response of faith in the waiting. 

What are the things God is asking you to believe for? What will you do in the waiting? 

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 

Words + Photos by TIFFANY LAMBERT.

TIFFANY IS FULL TIME WITH YWAM SAN DIEGO/BAJA AND LEADS THE PHOTO-STORYTELLING DTS. 

Fear Not.

Fear, for each of us, it has a different face, a different name. It is a darkness, that creeps up on us. It ties us up with ropes and before we know it, it starts to dictate our decisions. It laughs in the face of our dreams. It dims the light of our future.

Fear is real and how much power it has in our lives is determined by how much power we give it. We are not meant to live captive to this fear and there is hope. You see, we have already been set free. We are adopted as sons & daughters, washed & purified by the blood of Jesus. We have an authority over fear and a God who moves beyond it. God intended us to live fully in freedom, but if we are not careful- captives are exactly what we become. We simply cannot afford to allow fear to cripple us, to keep us sitting, to keep us stationary, to keep us out of the game. All God is wanting is for us to run to Him & fear hinders that.                                                                      

IN ORDER TO OVERCOME FEAR: WE MUST RISK.

Lately more & more, I feel God beckoning me: to stand in the face of my fears, to face them head on, to run towards Him with all I have and all I am, risking it all and holding nothing back. When we face our fears there will be uncertainty, but I can promise you, you can be certain about this one thing: God is faithful.             

FAITHFUL:

LOYAL, CONSTANT, STEADFAST.

That is who God is. God's perspective is bigger than ours. He sees you, He knows your heart. Outside of time & unhindered by circumstances-He works for your good. To have fear in itself is not wrong, but letting it constrain you, letting it chain & contain you-that is wrong. In the end it is really not about the fear itself-it is about who you are facing the fear with. 

 

 

Are you willing to face fear and risk for more or are you content with staying captive? Dear one, do not fear, for God has overcome the world. 

 

 

WORDS + PHOTOS by Tiffany Lambert. 

Tiffany is full time staff with YWAM San Diego/Baja and leads the Photo-Storytelling DTS.