Have you ever been curious about going to a Discipleship Training School but don't know what to expect? In a recent interview, Christy Ellis gives her perspective on the transformation she witnessed God do during her step-daughter Katelyn's DTS experience.
Tyler Tom
Recent posts by Tyler Tom
3 min read
My Stepmom Thinks YWAM Rocks
Topics: Life-Changing Following Jesus Encounter God Hope Get to Know God Transformation discipleship ywam missions DTS
2 min read
The Day I Thanked God For Losing My Job
One morning I sat in the classroom during my training school with YWAM, and I was crying, thanking God for the loss of my job.
Topics: Training School YWAM Tyler Missions Purpose YWAM DTS Thankfulness YWAM Following God Missionary Training Go
2 min read
Sharing The Gospel Isn't Complicated
God has been doing amazing things with our DTS team on outreach in Thailand. As the team has made themselves available, God has opened doors for them to speak the truth and build relationships with people living in local villages. The testimony you are about to read is just a glimpse of how the Lord uses us to be His hands and feet to ensure that those who need Him know they are seen and loved.
Topics: YWAM DTS Thailand YWAM Outreach Gospel Adventure Global Missions Love Community Answered Prayer God's Presence Prayer Go Holy Spirit God's Love
2 min read
Laying Down My Rights
I was sitting in my DTS classroom, my head wrapped in thoughts of a family circumstance that was happening. We had teaching on Lordship and Surrender, which was timed perfectly for what I was struggling with. I had a sense of fear and lack of control over the situation, but throughout the class, God kept reminding me that He has control of the unknown and that I can trust and surrender it all to Him.
Topics: Worship Freedom Hope Faith surrender life lessons relationship intimacy lordship perseverance create
2 min read
Loren Cunningham a Faithful Visionary for God
A Tribute to Loren Cunningham ~ June 30, 1935⎼October 6, 2023
There is a book entitled, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. This captures my thoughts of Loren over a lifetime of knowing him. Many people’s direction with their giftings has a very defined focus of following through on one project. However, with Loren as a visionary, he sees the big picture and is broad-scoped.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Missionary YWAM Vision ywam missions Loren Cunningham Youth With A Mission Leland Paris visionary legends
3 min read
Lessons Learned at YWAM Tyler Continue to Shape My Life
As I awoke again to the sound of the sea surging on the rocks, the scream of the gulls, and the beautiful vista fanning out before me, I was struck with the thought, “However did I end up in Newfoundland?” Me, whose life was going to be happily-ever- after in the nirvana of Beautiful B.C. The chain of events was unexpected, un-sought, and wandering, yet God brought me to my heart’s home in this extraordinary province.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Missions Direction Life-Changing Choice Missionary Missionary Life Discipleship Opportunities Community Faith Missionary Training Dependence on God surrender Called to Mission God's will
2 min read
What I Didn't Expecting During My YWAM DTS
With tears in my eyes, I pulled down the door of the Budget rental truck, said goodbye to my apartment, and heard God say to me one more time, “Will you give up all I’ve given you to receive all I have for you?”
At 26 years old, God was calling me to a Discipleship Training School. I had no idea what to expect other than God was getting ready to stretch me in a way I had never been stretched before. I sold most of my furniture, stored the rest of my belongings, and headed to YWAM Tyler. In faith, I stepped out trusting God, the author of my life, and believing I needed to expect the unexpected from this point on.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Living in Community Relationship with God Following Jesus YWAM DTS Spiritual Growth Journey Perspective Faith Get to Know God Deeper with God friendship
3 min read
Trusting God To Make A Way
Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is tell you to seek Jesus for yourself. In reality, as Christians, we should all be trying our best to seek Him first.
Kaleigh Seliskar helped disciple students while serving SSTs this summer. Listen as she shares an encouraging testimony of how God increased her faith through a student.
Over this summer, I had the honor of working with YWAM Tyler’s teen summer camp called SST. During this time, I had many roles. One of them included guiding and encouraging three teenagers to prepare a teaching. They would have the opportunity to share their teaching at a Vacation Bible School (VBS) they would help with during their outreach in Houston.
One of the students, "Josh", was preparing a teaching on Moses and the Red Sea. He came to me on the last day of preparation and said to me “Kaleigh, I want to give an altar call at the end of my teaching but I don’t know how to do that. Can you help me?” I asked him to pray about it and then come to me later and we could talk about how to do it. He never come back, so I assumed that he either decided to skip it all together, or that he went to another leader and talked about it.
The next week we were in Houston and Josh gave his teaching on the final day of VBS. The kids in the group were engaged the whole time, and consumed by what Josh had to say. Towards the end of his teaching, he began looking around the stage like he was missing something. At this point, I was pretty confused because his teaching appeared to be going as planned and he hadn’t missed anything. Suddenly, he stopped looking around the stage and seemed very excited and he did something that the other leaders and I had not expected. He asked the kids in the VBS if they wanted to accept Jesus, and if they did to raise their hand. Twelve of the nineteen kids responded immediately.
Josh ran to the side of the stage and pulled two cases of water to the center of the stage, got back on the mic and said, “If you just raised your hand, come onto the stage and walk between these cases of water like the Israelites did through the Red Sea to show everyone that you are going to follow Jesus.” All twelve of those kids got up and ran to the stage to declare their dedication to follow Jesus.
As a staff member for these SST students, I was so impressed with Josh's creativity and on-the-spot thinking. This is just one of the few ways that the teenagers in the SST were able to impact the people of Houston. Not only did they touch the people of Houston but I was also personally affected by them. At times I felt that I was too young or just didn't have enough experience to share my faith. The SST students blew those thoughts away. Their fearlessness and resilience showed me that age has nothing to do with my ability to talk about Jesus.
Did it ever occur to you that when you were all grown up the next generation would look up to you? It doesn't matter what you think you are capable of, God can and will use those with willing hearts to fulfill His plans. If you open yourself up and follow wherever the Lord may lead, He will amaze you every time. Seek Him first and He will always be there to help you.
Topics: Trust Knowing God Making Him Known Discipleship Opportunities Freedom Faith Teenagers SST Leadership Youth With A Mission ministry youth Red Sea
2 min read
Hope for Maui Amid the Fire
As news spread across America about the wildfires in Maui, we have been postured in prayer for our friends and family affected by this devastation. We've come together and lifted up prayers to God on behalf of the people affected by these wildfires. Missionary staff here at YWAM Tyler, Kaina and Brandee Lee are from Hawaii and give us a feet on the ground testimony of what's happening.
In a recent interview to see how we could come alongside the people of Maui, here is what they shared with us⏤
Topics: Trust God Rebuilding Hope Peace Together faithfulness wildfires
3 min read
I Am Not Disqualified.
It is well with my soul . . . Really?
I’ve heard these words many times. Something about them stands out to me, but can I say it is well with my soul and really believe it is? Loving God is one thing, but living with Him fully enthroned can be difficult sometimes because it's not about me anymore.
It’s hard. I desire. I fear. I feel.
Topics: Purpose Trust God Belief Life-Changing Spiritual Growth Freedom Hope No Fear Overcoming surrender Called to Mission God's will perseverance
2 min read
Fear Doesn't Have To Derail You From Fulfilling Your Purpose
Is God calling you to step out in faith and apply for a Discipleship Training School (DTS), but fear keeps kicking you in the guts? What if this turns out to be the biggest mistake of your life? What if you're asked to do something way out of your comfort zone? What if you don't fit in? Run out of money? Or fail everyone's expectations? What if you're not really hearing God's voice after all? Something is gnawing away inside your head saying, "I just don't think I can do this!"
Topics: Purpose Following Jesus YWAM DTS Calling Destiny Overcoming Fear Hope No Fear Hearing God's Voice Faith discipleship fear jesus
2 min read
Trusting God for the Impossible
With little to no money towards her outreach, Emma Hamlin experiences a financial miracle. There is freedom that comes with trusting the Lord, but nobody said it was going to be easy!
Even when His ways don’t seem logical to us, remember He is faithful! Read and see how Emma was able to believe what God said above all else.
