What does it take to become a courageous individual? William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, observed that "some of my best men are women." During the last few years two brave women, who trained at YWAM Tyler, went to the Middle East to make an impact on people and point them to Jesus.  We recently touched base with "Sarah and Mary" to get an update on their ministries. 

From as far back as my junior high school, I remember struggling to find happiness. I felt like I didn’t fit in and lost confidence in myself.  School was difficult and friendships evaded me. I wondered if I would ever be happy.  My high school years continued to be a challenge and I was looking for happiness in all the wrong places.   My Mom tried everything, even sending me to Wilderness camps to help me find my footing. Eventually, I went to a private therapeutic school for my senior year.  Unfortunately, my life continued to be shrouded in darkness.

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.

My name is Matheus Barros and I am from Brazil. I completed my DTS in 2019, and it was an amazing, life-changing experience of growing in my relationship with God.   

By the end of the Discipleship Training School, God started speaking to me about attending the School of Evangelism (SOE). I felt God prompting me to do the school, but I resisted the idea because I didn't have the tuition. I had a month long break between the two schools and I began to pray to see if this was even going to be possible.

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.

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.

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!"

Our team partnered up with a local church to do evangelism in our city. I was paired with a couple and their eight year old son.

Sometimes it can be difficult in East Texas to share the gospel or pray with people because they give responses like, “No thanks, I don’t want prayer. I prayed on Sunday.” But today was different!