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!

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.
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— 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.

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. 

Just Say Yes: 3 Reasons to Say Yes to a YWAM DTS

JUST SAY YES

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  I absolutely love leading a Discipleship Training School with YWAM. The more I work with this program, the more I fall in love with it because I see the way the students and staff are impacted and transformed each and every time.  As I talk with students who are interested in applying and doing the school I have noticed a common theme- so many are deeply stirred by the idea of signing up for this adventure, but the voice they hear the loudest is the one telling them all the reasons why they should say no. 

Fear, Finances, Future plans and everything in between causes them to take a step back before ever taking the leap of faith.

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1. Fear Turns to Faith. 

It can be so scary to give up all the comforts and convenience of home, to move to a new city or even a new country. Thinking about doing DTS often brings up all the feels, fears and anxieties within us. Is it worth it? What will happen? How will things be?  While fear is real, stepping out of our norm, however, gives us a chance to encounter God in a new way. God uses the process of us stepping out in Faith to show us more of who He is. 

Fear may be a reality that we face, but it was never meant to be in the driver seat.

Too often we allow it to hinder us from walking towards our calling and our destiny, but once we strip away our comforts and finally face our fears, we get down to the core of really trusting God. This is exactly what God was doing with the Israelites in the wilderness. After bringing them up out of Egypt, He wasn’t keeping them wandering to mess with them or to cause them to suffer.  He was stripping away their fear and slavery mentality. One step at a time, God is introducing himself as a good Father and replacing fear with faith and the identity of slavery with the identity of a chosen son or daughter. In the process of going to DTS, God reshapes our fears into faith and draws us into deeper relationship as we take his hand and take the leap. 

“With unfailing love you will lead this people whom you have ransomed. You will guide them in your strength to the place where your holiness dwells. ”

— Exodus 15:13

2. Financial Worry Turns to Intimate Dependence. 

Tuition costs, flights, supplies- it all adds up and I totally get it. The thoughts flood in- Where will all that money come from? I can’t afford this. I don’t want to look lazy and ask people for money. What will people think of me? It’s dangerously easy to find ourselves looking full force towards the need rather than at the One who meets any and every need we could ever have.

We are created to walk not in independence but in intimate dependence on God.

Thinking about foregoing a job and stable income to do DTS seems counterintuitive and even foolish to the wisdom of the world. In the wilderness, God was intentionally stripping away the Israelite’s ability to control and crafting trust within them. Each day they were to gather only as much manna as their household needed-nothing more, nothing less. They had to learn to trust that their only source of provision was God. The middle of the desert is a great place to learn this because they didn’t have anything else to fall back on or put their trust in. Where do you you look to as a source of provision? There’s a temptation to look towards other things beside God as our source of provision, like a job or a specific person or donor, but ultimately God is our source. Not only when doing fundraising, but in the area of all financial provision- our hopes should always be in our God. It is He who provides. When fundraising He brings us into connection with people to partner with what He wants to do. It is up to Him to touch people’s hearts. The pressure is off, all we need to do is lean in and trust. He really is faithful. 

“In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

— Exodus 16:12

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3. An Unknown Future Turns to Fulfilling Adventure.

Is stressing about career and working towards success keeping you from doing a DTS? I promise you, you are not wasting your time or being frivolous by doing a DTS, even if you feel pressure to be investing in your future and your career now. DTS is the greatest investment you can make because you are not only investing in yourself, you are investing in your relationship with God and the future impact you’ll have on others. 

By overcoming fear and doubt and doing a DTS, you unlock a fulfilling adventure of discovering more about who God is, what His purposes are for you and how you can partner with God to bring heaven on earth.

The DTS is an amazing foundation for the future and a beautiful season of pressing into intimacy with God like never before. Transitioning the Israelites from slavery to the wilderness was not just about the destination of the Promised Land. It was about the process. God is deeply intentional to bring us into the process of healing, of heart transformation and of shifting our perspective and worldview into alignment with Him and who He is. God met with them there, revealed himself and brought transformation to His people. DTS is all about transitioning us towards the Promised Land of walking in our true identity, authority and calling here on earth.  Taking this risk is absolutely worth it. It is trusting the unknown future to a known God and it's the most thrilling adventure. 

“And He has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. ”

— Deuteronomy 26:9

Join us for a DTS!  YWAM San Diego/ Baja offers a variety of Discipleship Training Schools with focuses so you can grow in your passions while going deeper with God.

 

The author, Tiffany Lambert, is full time with YWAM San Diego/Baja and leads the Photo-Storytelling DTS. 

Hope Continues

David and Daisy (front and center) celebrating with the children and families that take part in their feeding center. 

At the dedication ceremony of a Homes of Hope house, the families are encouraged to find ways to bless others with what they’ve been given. David and Daisy Ortiz received their home in 2016. Since then, they’ve done just that. 

Three mornings a week, the Ortiz family opens the front door of their home, transforming it into a feeding center for neighborhood children. Around 50 children receive meals in their home each week. Local vendors partner with the Ortiz Family to provide supplies and food. 

As David and Daisy began to interact with these children each week, they realized that there was more to the equation. The parents of these young ones needed help, too. So they partnered with another Homes of Hope recipient, named Felipe, to run a six-week marriage enrichment course. Felipe hosted the classes in his home and David and Daisy developed the curriculum and taught each week. 

The graduation celebration was recently held at the YWAM San Antonio del Mar campus for the families who completed the marriage course. Claudia, one of the participants, came forward to share her story. No one was prepared for what happened next. 

“Pablo and I were discussing separation,” she began. “We didn’t want to live together any longer. We knew it would be difficult for the children but we couldn’t continue on. When David and Daisy came to our house to invite us to the marriage study, we reluctantly went.” She shared how the course transformed their relationship, and how their hearts turned towards each other once again. 

“And I want to surprise Pablo with something here at this graduation. Something that Pablo has always wanted but I have refused.” Claudia paused, emotion filling her voice. 

"Pablo, will you marry me?"

Gasps of surprise and joy were heard around the room. While common-law marriages are a prevailing custom in many developing nations, Claudia knew that she and Pablo needed to take the next step. 

She didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Pablo responded with “YES!” and the room erupted in celebration! Then, once the excitement died down, two more couples declared their commitment to marriage by getting engaged, too. 

The influence of Homes of Hope goes far beyond boundaries of four walls and a roof. When families like the Ortizes open their doors to those around them, the impact can reach to the next generation and beyond. 

Are you interested in bringing a team to do a Home of Hope build? Click HERE for more info! 

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Look Again.

We have faith. With God, the impossible is possible. We got this. We got this... and then the storm hits and we are back at it again with all the feels, our fears and our scrambling for control. 

In reality, there is a fine line between faith and doubt and I’ve faltered between the two more than I care to admit. 

When we fix our eyes on Jesus- We can conquer anything.  But when our eyes are diverted, we sink. It is a pretty simple formula. One minute confidently walking on water, the next- a terror filled, spiral out of control. It’s funny how life is like that. 

When will we learn to remember?

When will we learn, that we were never the ones in control?

We will, when we learn to look again. 

Peter confidently cried out to Jesus to call him out on the water. At this point, the storm and the depth of the sea were inconsequential, they were nothing compared to the glory of looking Jesus in the face. He was on a faith high, ready to face anything, until the wind and the waves, began to beckon, picking up speed and dragging his attention away from the gaze of Jesus and onto the danger. He immediately begins to sink.

Did you catch that? When we focus on the circumstances, we sink. When we look at the storm instead of Jesus, we sink. When we look anywhere but Jesus, you guessed it- we sink. 

It only takes a split second, but it has dire consequences. 

Praise Jesus, we aren’t doomed to our sinking. Praise Jesus, we aren’t doomed to our circumstances or our sadness or even our unraveling. For even though we are a fickle people and we look away- we can look again. The minute we do, that storm doesn’t seem so intense any more.  It’s about focus. It's about perspective. It's about our gaze.  

Where are you looking to- your circumstances, or your Savior? 

Are you interested in taking a season to go deeper in your faith? Check out the DTS and Secondary Course options offered at YWAM San Diego/ Baja. 

words + photos by Tiffany Lambert.
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Tiffany is full time staff with YWAM SDB and leads our Photo-Storytelling DTS.