I drove the bus all through the night to Chicago for a week of city outreach with one of YWAM Tyler’s training schools. I thought I was just a bus driver, but God had some things to teach me about Urban America.

Nestled in the rolling hills of East Texas, the YWAM Tyler campus is gorgeous, and with over 500 acres, there are a lot of outdoor activities to enjoy! Let's take a look at the top 10 outdoor activities at YWAM Tyler.

During this season of my life, very few things are more gratifying than seeing people I have cried for, prayed for, laughed with, counseled, and shared life with for months say “YES” to God. And that is exactly what I have experienced this month with Jonna, Brody, and Landon coming to YWAM Tyler for a Discipleship Training School (DTS).

I met these three in Lubbock on a recent trip where I planted a seed, then watched God lead them over the course of eight months to YWAM. This is exactly what I was hoping for when I went to South Texas on outreach with a team of committed friends from YWAM Tyler.

When Jesus looked at His followers and told them to "Go into all the world and make disciples," He wasn't joking. Getting the word out about His love and grace would involve men and women traversing the globe, and for centuries that's not changed. The call to "Go" remains the same! Youth With a Mission has been dedicated for nearly six decades to train men and women, young and old, to know God and make Him known in every nation. These are my top five reasons why EVERYONE should do a Discipleship Training School (DTS)!

YWAM TYLER VIRTUAL CAMPUS TOUR

Have you been to our sprawling Twin Oaks campus? If not you are in luck! Come take a virtual tour with Anthony through some of the areas of our ranch. 

If you're coming to do a Discipleship Training School or any of our training programs, we hope this little tour will give you perspective on where you will be during your time with us. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments!

The Chapel at YWAM Tyler started as a 12' by 15' well house which was converted to a small place to pray. Years later, volunteers came and built a space for many to gather. Whether it's in groups coming together for focused prayer or a single person kneeling at the cross, countless of people have encountered the Lord in this space. Here are a few stories of such moments...

"Oh Lord, please don't ever ask me to go to Africa," I uttered quietly as the missionary spoke from the pulpit about his own experiences in that faraway land. As a young girl, fear gripped my heart when I heard his missions' stories about creepy crawlers and deadly pestilence. I didn't hear emphasis on how God had miraculously cared for him. The snakes, spiders, and malaria were the only things haunting my mind. From that moment on, I vowed never to leave America.

My husband came in from work carrying a laundry basket. The white plastic sides were stretched out of shape and cracked in a few places, but neatly folded inside was a stack of blue jeans Alejandra had sent to me for my grandsons. Tears came to my eyes when I saw those little garments because that basket could have been empty.

It was 1983 when I took a job as a clerical worker for an oil company in Houston to fill the time. I had a college degree and aspirations to teach, but after two years of working in the office,  I didn’t want to teach anymore. I also didn’t want to climb the corporate ladder at the oil company. In fact, I had no idea what I wanted to do next! I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 The first time I heard about a Gap Year was when my son graduated high school and decided jumping into college wasn't on his agenda. Since then I've talked with a whole bunch of students wanting to take a Gap Year and many who already did it.

It was about a month and a half before I came to do a Discipleship Training School (DTS) at YWAM Tyler in 2015. I had already applied and visited the YWAM Tyler campus from New York! I decided to do a training school for two sole reasons: I wanted to find God and find myself.