Lecture Phase- D.T.S.

Wow! Where do I even start? D.T.S. was definitely a life changing experience! Six months ago I would never have pictured myself living in Mexico, working as a missionary, and trusting God to provide for my daily needs but here I am, working with YWAM in Tijuana building houses for people in need.

D.T.S. was five months long, three of which were called "lecture phase". There were 19 students that made up our school; 3 Americans, 1 Canadian, and 15 Mexicans. We also had two married couples, one of which had a child named Fabiola...the cutest little Mexican girl i've ever seen! Our school was diverse, and we all grew closer to eachother, learned about our different cultures, and how learned how to comunicate with eachother. In my case it was a little challenging. I knew no Spanish before coming here and my roomates (five mexicans) spoke no English, so communication was difficult at times, but amusing... somewhat like charades :) Definitely something I will not forget.

The lecture phase consisted of 12 weeks each week being a different topic. some of the topics we had were; the father heart of God, biblical world view, evangelism, spiritual warfare, identity in Christ, and hearing the voice of God. We also spent time learning intesessory prayer, a personal relationship with Christ, and doing local ministry.
One of the opportunities we had was a with several local churches doing an event called "Operation Light." This took place during Halloween in which we helped provide an alternative to trick or treating for kids, were we could spread the message of Christ. We performed songs, puppet shows, and dramas, and of course a healthy amount of candy :)
I also had a chance to organize a prayer day in which we went into downtown TJ to the redlight district. We broke up into groups and went into the streets to intercede on behalf of city of Tijuana and for the people of the streets. From this time of intercession, a weekly ministry has sprung up in the same area that we prayed, in which people from our base hand out sweet bread and hot chocolate and pray with prostitutes and homeless people.
As a school we also had a chance to build a house with one our ministries called Homes of Hope (which I now work for). The build was amazing! We were able to physically provide a house for a family that barely had shelter. It was an incredible blessing to be able to provide for someone in that way. The build took two days. When we arrived the first day the foundation and the materials were there waiting for us. We spent some time getting to know the family we were building for, we prayed to start the day, then it was off to the race (or a los caballos) as Abraham, one of our students frequently said. We did all the framing, trusses, and some of the drywall. The second day we finished the roof, exterior and interior painting, drywall, electrical, and trim. At the end of the second day we had a small dedication ceremony for the family in which we shared our experience with them, prayed for them and over the house, then handed over the keys. The joy and grattitude that I saw that day was something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. There's just something about seeing a grown man cry out of grattitude. God is truley great! It's amazing to watch a situation that God has put together, and the love that all involved feel as a result.
It's extremely hard to put into words the personal transformation that takes place in a setting such as this, but I know I can speak for all of us when I say that our lives are forever changed. Even if it's a memory or ends up as a remnant of God's glory none of us will forget this five months that we got to share.
I just want to thank all of you who have/are supporting me through prayer and finance. Thank you for help providing me an experience like this for me, and helping God do his will for my life.