We could hardly take in what we were seeing. Fear and turmoil seemed to permeate the atmosphere when our YWAM Tyler team arrived in McAllen, Texas. We saw masses of displaced people without hope, searching for a future.
Young people from all over the world flock here to YWAM Tyler for discipleship and to discover their God-given passions. Our friend, Matthew Nocas, was one of those youths. Riding a specially modified adventure motorcycle, he brings awareness to human trafficking and finding unreached people groups across the globe.
A YWAM outreach definitely opens your eyes to what's happening in the world around you. We love taking students on two month outreaches as part of their Discipleship Training School. It's in moments on busy downtown streets, a remote dusty village, on a crowded college campus, where God shows his love for the world.
I was texting with a student on who is currently on outreach and decided to blog our conversation here for you to read. When God opens our eyes, there's just no going back.
"I don’t know the first thing about talking to people⏤much less to someone who believes differently than me," I thought to myself.
My mind was racing as we stepped out into the neighborhood for the first time to talk to Muslims about Jesus. My first thoughts were, “What will I say? What if I don’t know the answer?
5 a.m. on the dot, an eager anticipation for adventure abruptly woke me from my deep sleep. I vividly recall a joyous light-weight atmosphere all around a group of children and myself while we danced to piano keys and a foreign upbeat song. It must've been an African tribe I was standing in the midst of, with nothing but love in my heart for them.
At this time, I never would've imagine this dream would determine and direct the next 3 years of my life.
As believers, we understand that part of the commission given to us by Jesus is to go into all nations. With the times we are living in today, it’s not always possible to do what's on our hearts in following Jesus' command.
In late November of 2019, my Dad and I stayed at a hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana. As we arrived to check-in, I noticed a man with crutches sitting on a couch in the lobby. As we approached the front desk, I heard a voice in my mind say, Go and pray for his knee.
When I first came into missions, I thought I might end up working with the people who lived in garbage dumps in the Philippines, thousands of miles from my home.
When I said yes to God, that’s what I thought He would have me do.
There is a global prayer movement afoot. God's people are interacting with each other like never before as they share needs, concerns, and victories.
The rain couldn't stop 140,000 barefoot Brazilians from saying, "I WILL GO!" last weekend at THE SEND gathering...lifting their shoes up as a symbol of surrender to Jesus. We were there. We saw it first hand⎼a move of God calling people with sweet conviction to walk closer, draw nearer, and go further. It was received with reckless enthusiasm.
It's crazy how God can change things in your life so fast. This time last year I was doing nothing but wasting my life. Now, I’m living with a purpose and get to have new exciting experiences with God everyday. Setting an example and manifesting God's image in all the things I do brings me great joy.
Josh Barnes and his wife Faraday came to YWAM Tyler, Texas, for the Family DTS. They came with five kids in tow: three boys⎼12, 11, and 9 and two girls⎼7 and 4. Living in community, diving into their relationship with Jesus, and growing stronger as a family was just the beginning of their experience.
