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47 YWAMers. 3 Homes. 1 Day.

This week we have the privilege of hosting YWAM's Global Leadership Form at our Tijuana campus.  This group of YWAMers from all over the world serve as the leadership team for this international ministry.  And, in true YWAM San Diego/Baja style, the first thing they did was build a house!


Well, make that three homes in one day, actually.

It began with the sound of power saws and hammers. Regional leaders and international coordinators were carrying sheets of plywood and dipping brushes into containers of paint. The 47 attendees, who had come from countries as far away as Zambia, South Korea and India, had dedicated their first day to building three homes for the poor in Tijuana, Mexico.

The night before, at an opening dinner, Sean Lambert, leader of YWAM’s Homes of Hope ministry, had explained how 3,800 people a month come to this border city looking for work. Many of them struggle to survive through the cold, rainy winter in shacks made of wooden pallets and bits of tin. In 21 years, YWAM’s Homes of Hope program has now built 3,500 homes for people like this.

At one building site, Alma shyly held her one-year-old baby and looked on with excitement as YWAMers clad in yellow tee shirts bustled around to build her new home. “I’m looking forward to having a safe place for my kids,” she said. “This is going to be my future.”

Why would YWAM’s senior leaders spend one whole day of their six-day annual meeting to pound nails together? Steve Goode, ambassador for YWAM mercy ministries, paused for a moment, hammer in hand, to answer this question. “Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed by poverty, unless you just do one thing. Because when you do one thing together, I guarantee you that everybody who is doing this one thing is going to go do another thing. That’s multiplication.”

At the end of the day, as the sun set beyond the hills, Alma wiped a tear from her cheek as she received the keys to her new home. The paint was still wet on the red trim around her front door as she walked inside. She discovered a table set for four, a new stove, and a bed complete with a stuffed animal for her four-year-old son Angel.

To Alma and her family, Edwin Filles, from South Africa, said, “I think the blessing for me has been working together. What really touched me was how you got involved. And I think the most special was to share a meal with you. Muchas gracias!”

As the YWAM bus took the weary YWAM leaders up the hill, they passed two more homes standing where in the morning there had only been cement slabs.

Thanks to YWAM Life and David Donaldson for content and photos.

Zona Norte

Literally, it means 'The North Zone,' or the part of Tijuana right up next to the border.  What you'll find there - homeless, prostitutes, street kids, drug addicts...

...and YWAM.


For over a year YWAM has had a consistent presence in this area of Tijuana.  On Wednesdays, we set up a mobile soup kitchen at a city park where many homeless and drug addicts live.  We provide a meal, share the Gospel in creative ways, and always finish with a time of prayer.

Often we'll walk through the area, praying for the people we see and against the evil that has a hold in this area of town.

On Mondays, we go to a different park in the same neighborhood.  We play games with the kids, teach them Bible stories, and do arts and crafts.

Something we have been doing for the last few weeks is prophesying over one kid per week.  We ask God how He would like to encourage that child, and then share with them.  There have been some incredible talks with those kids as we speak God's truth over their lives.  There are visible changes in them when they come back the next week - they know we're on their side and care for them.  Some of these kids are children of the prostitutes or sex workers that we minister to on Wednesdays.  Our heart is to reach the whole family with the love of Christ.


Thanks to Giezi & Amanda Niño and Jodie MacLean for the inspiration and photos for this blog.

Cambodia

Finally!  Pictures from Scott's trip to Cambodia in August.  We are so thankful for the people who gave generously to make this trip possible.  Scott was able to meet with many organizations who minister to and provide rescue for victims of slave and sex trafficking.  It was an intense two weeks, full of emotional and physical challenges.  Enjoy these photos from his trip.

One of the many temples in Phnom Penh

Scott went to this market every morning to buy breakfast.

A Vacation Bible School that Scott and his team helped with one day.  These kids were jumping and singing and dancing, hence the fuzzy picture.

Read the first sentence of this sign carefully - it helps explain why sex trafficking is such a problem in Cambodia.

Yum - tarantulas!  And no, Scott did not eat it (he'd tried it last time he was in Cambodia).

Many of the team's meals were at restaurants like this one.  These businesses help rescue people out of the slave and sex trade by training them to work as chefs and waiter.

Downtown Phnom Penh - the view from the YWAM campus.

Scott was able to help build a home for a family living in extreme poverty.  It was not something his team had planned on doing.  Another group of missionaries were leaving just as Scott's team arrived, and they had wanted to build a home but couldn't.  Then, within a few days, the money was raised, a family selected, and Scott was able to help make this house a reality.

Everything was cut by hand tools the first day.  The team took an offering that night and were able to purchase a skill saw to help speed things up for the rest of the build.

Houses are built on a platform to help avoid flooding during the rainy season.

This rickshaw was the team's 'tool van' for the week.  Notice the building supplies balanced on top?

The floor is laid.

Walls going up.

Just as the house was being completed, it started to downpour.

The house dedication ceremony was held inside this small tarp structure.  It was so hot in there!

Sharing with the family who received the home.

Around the World and Back Again

Yes, Scott went to Cambodia.

Yes, Jamie and Hunter went to Washington State.

But for now, you get pictures of Kona, Hawaii.


It's tough to keep track of this family of world travelers!

gorgeous view from our hotel

it's a jungle out there!

'i wonder what's down there?'

these beauties were everywhere

surprisingly enough, we also saw license plates from oregon and washington.
that must have been a tough drive.

our reason for being here - a university of the nations conference
hosted by the ywam kona campus.

every morning began with a group bible study on the book of colossians.

each flag represents a nationality currently on staff at ywam kona.

there were over 30 flags!

hunter wants 'more' of something...

...maybe more of these cool dudes?

yes, they smelled amazing.

and yes, they tasted amazing.

digging for treasures.

it took awhile for him to figure out how to walk on the sand.
he got it eventually.

our little surfer dude.

headin' to the water.

a beautiful way to finish our time in hawaii

Over a month of traveling and we are so glad to be back home.  We plan on staying in Mexico for most of the rest of the year, doing what we love and loving what we do here on the YWAM Tijuana del Mar campus.

the times, they are a changin'...

No, not that song.

It's our life.

Over the past six weeks, there has been a lot of change.  Which means a lot of growth, adjustment, flexibility, confusion, and opportunity.

Yes.  It's our life.

We are excited to see two families from our YWAM community pioneer a new YWAM base and ministry.  That change has brought about some major transitions in our day to day life.  One of those families were the leaders of our Tijuana campus, the other family oversaw the operations and resource development of the whole San Diego/Baja base.  Oh, and the couple that led our Ensenada campus?  Yeah, they're also transitioning to a new role within our ministry.

People respond to change differently.  Scott embraces it and runs with it.  Jamie sits back, evaluates, and then tentatively moves forward.  Hunter, well, he's pretty much oblivious to it.  Together, we've been challenged over the past six weeks.  To face some fears.  To embrace the community around us.  To encourage others to step forward and lead.

welcome to leadership

We are humbled and honored to serve on the Tijuana campus leadership team for this season, sharing times of prayer and discussion about what the future holds for our community.  Really, what that means is a lot of meetings with a group of us looking at each other saying, "Um, what do we do now?  Pray?  Ok!"  The Lord has directed us to focus on the core - our relationship with Him and the primary callings that He's given this ministry.  It's brought up a lot of opportunities for growth, some very difficult conversations, and some amazing freedom amongst the staff we serve with.


It's amazing the things that you learn when you're in the midst of a season of change.

Take this paraphrased story from the book of Mark:

Jesus did a lot of preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.  Once, the crowds got so big he had to get on a boat, go out on the lake, and preach from there since there was no more room to stand on the shore.  Imagine the 12 disciples, sitting there, soaking in all this incredible truth.  Then Jesus says, "Let's go over there," pointing to the other side of the lake.  The 13 of them get in the boat, start to sail, and then - BAM - a storm.  The 12 freak out.  The One sleeps...until the 12 wake Him up, desperate for help.  Jesus does His thing, the storm goes away, and the disciples freak out again (in a good way).

So here's the thought:

What was it that Jesus wanted to teach the disciples in the storm

 that they couldn't learn on the shore?

Lately it feels like we've found ourselves in a storm.  Wondering what we are learning, what Jesus is teaching us.  And trying not to freak out.


Change.

We're pretty sure it's a good thing.

Because we can...

....as parents, brag as much as we want about our son's FIRST STEPS!