What exactly is YWAM?

If you aren't exactly sure what I do- I have created a brief summary of what YWAM is.

YWAM stands for Youth With a mission. It is a global movement of Christians whose aim is to know God- and make him Known. Youth With A Mission is a global movement of Christians from many cultures, age groups and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world.

One of the main schools of YWAM is called a Discipleship Training School - this school you must take to take any secondary schools with YWAM or staff. I took this School back in 2019 and you can read my blog on my experience or check out my Youtube channel.

I love working with this organisation because you find a lot of missionary organisations with just the focus of reaching out. YWAM not just has a focus of reaching out and fulfilling the great commission, but it also has a focus on equipping young people to be who God has created them to be.

This is an international, interdenominational organisation which is incredible because we get to be together from different backgrounds. I have learned so much by being put together and working in a place with people from all around the world.

Check this video out

PAYPAL

MY YWAM EXPERIENCE

On the 17th of January 2019, I began a journey that would transform my life forever. My Discipleship Training School (DTS) with YWAM Rogaland, Norway began.

I almost didn't go. There were several instances I wanted to back out and just give everyone that donated their money back. Yet God confirmed time after time this is the decision he wanted me to step into. I had my life planned out but God told me to lay it down and trust in him, and that's exactly what I did.

If you don't already know, YWAM (Youth With A Mission) is an interdenominational missions organization whose focus is to "Know God, and make Him known." In the Discipleship Training School (DTS) you spend, depending on the base, 3 months in lecture phase, and 3 months on outreach. The first 3 months are dedicated to you learning more about the character of God and your part to play in his kingdom. On outreach you take what you learned and share the love you have experienced with others through evangelism, practical work, sharing testimonies, etc. To learn more about YWAM feel free to visit https://www.ywam.org/about-us/ My specific base which I HIGHLY recommend is https://www.ywamrogaland.no/ . Or you can message me with specific questions :)

Summary of my Lecture Phase:

Lecture phase was both full of breakthrough and challenges. Each week we had a different topic that focused on learning more about God. We had teachings like knowing God & hearing his voice, relationships, lordship, and Identity & spiritual authority. Each week I learned something new about Gods character, people, or myself. I was blown away by how much I didn't know or understand. I came into to my DTS with many doubts about who God was, but realized there are so many reasons to believe in the goodness of God. I came tired and worn out by the church and hearing the same messages over and over, and I found new revelations of Him and was refreshed in his spirit. I came unhappy with myself and my life, and I found explainable joy in his presence. He is so good ya'll! He wants to speak to you, he's just waiting for you to lay down what your holding on to and listen.

I learned a lot about how God is a trustworthy God. We did something called a Faith Trip in my DTS where we are sent off in pairs and go out without a place to stay, food, money, or transportation, and we ask God to provide for us for a day! He did immeasurably more than I could've imagined!! I also learned to find my joy in him. I wasn't alone through all of this, God surrounded me with 36 other incredible students from all over the world whom I quickly became best friends with. I saw how his love shines through his creation.

Summary of my Outreach Phase:

My outreach team which consisted of 9 people in total and ended with 5 (2 team leaders) went to 5 different countries. We traveled to a different part of Norway called Trondheim, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, and had our graduation in Israel. Each country we stayed in for at least 2 weeks with Mexico being the longest at 3 1/2 weeks. It was absolutely incredible to be able to go to different parts of the world and see how God is moving in all the places we went to. Each country was different in a unique way. They all brought challenges that helped me to grow. Outreach was probably my favorite part of my DTS. I was able to meet new people, hear incredible stories of God moving in their life, and worship at a different church every Sunday. We also had a variety of ministries we were apart of like hospital, homeless, kids ministry, evangelism, practical work, and sharing at churches. I saw how the kingdom of God is worldwide and even in countries as different as Mexico is from Russia, God is still SO evident.

He wants to use us, we can be vessels of his light. My favorite outreach location was the Philippines, because I was filled so much with the Joy of the Lord it overflowed out of me! I actually woke up in the morning wanting to spend time with my love. I felt for the first time this pure, genuine love that I HAD to share with others. As our team went out to minister, I looked for any and every opportunity to be able to meet someone, share Gods heart, and pray for them. I saw how when we step out in faith GOD MOVES.

Something that was challenging for me and I still hope to grow in is praying for healing. I am always hesitant to ask, but when someone asked for healing over their body, I was willing to pray. As I would pray I felt this huge burden and wanted so badly for that person to be healed because I felt a love for them. Yet, I didn't see the physical healing when I prayed. Through this challenge, I had to remind myself that God DOES heal, it may just not be at the time or the way we expect. That is where you have to let go and know that what you are doing is planting seeds, those seeds will flourish.

In conclusion, YWAM was the greatest decision I could have made. I laid down my desires and picked up what God wanted for me and I found there's so much more to life.

I had the best 6 months of my life. I saw miraculous things and God touched me in incredible way. I'm still a mess, I still have a LOT to work on, but in my weakness God gives me strength.

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

I am blessed to be a blessing, forever.

xx Love always,

Lyl

There is still so much that I can't explain over a blog post or a small talk conversation! So if you would like to learn more about YWAM or just my specific experience, I would love to meet up with you. Whether I know you or not, I'd love to meet with you! Feel free to message me anytime :)

P H I L I P P I N E S

May 9th - May 19th

Friday May 10th

We started off our first morning of ministry here in Manila, Philippines with evangelism where we split up in groups of 2-3 students with a translated. My excitement level was high to pray for people which was exciting for me considering when I was in Mexico I was having a really hard time wanting to evangelize. I think a huge influence on my excitement was that I had a power time that morning and prayed. I was so willing and eager to pray for people that even when the translator was busy, I would go and pray for someone. I was just so eager for people to encounter the same love and joy I had inside of me. (I challenge myself to be that willing to pray for people, even when I’m not feeling the best). Me and Jonathon felt led to go up to this man, as we started a convo we could see that he was really hungry to know more. After we prayed for him, we asked if he had a relationship with Christ. There I got to lead my first *Adult* to Christ! Wow! Someone gets to live in eternity in heaven and I got to be a part!! That morning as I prayed for people, and people came up to me for prayer, I was filled with so much joy and didn’t want to stop. God loves his people so much!

After lunch we had the amazing opportunity to pray for people in a hospital. My heart grew compassion for them. It was heartbreaking to see the conditions they were in yet so encouraging to see the smiles they had after we prayed for them. We also were able to pray for the family members that were with them and saw many brought to tears. It was such an amazing opportunity!

In the night time we got to attend a bible study and each of us got to share a short testimony. What an amazing day! It was a day that reminded me why I had a passion for missions God gave to me when I went to Thailand.

To see people’s life touched, that’s what it’s all about.

Saturday May 11th

In the morning time we got to do my favorite thing- KIDS MINISTRY! Oh how I have I missed it. It sets my soul on fire. We had to plan an 1 1/2 for them. So half an hour kids started arriving, I took my pen and paper and wrote out a schedule. I wrote out in 30 minutes a whole kids service! Me and my team had so much fun getting to love, worship with, and play games with the kids. I also got to share a word about loving your neighbor. It was so fun to teach kids again. My team kept on telling me how great of job I did, but I couldn’t have done it without God planting the gift inside of me.

Later that day we went house to house evangelizing in the shack homes. I was really anxious about it yet Pilipino people are so open and friendly. You don’t see many foreigners here do they really want to listen to what you have to share. It was so amazing to meet new people and to see how encouraged they were after we shared. Later we had fellowship with people from the church we were with. They were so open and loving towards us. Someone noticed that I had a passion for prayer and asked if I could pray for them. It’s crazy how you meet people and instantly fall in love with each other! I love the Philippines.

Sunday May 12th

Mother’s Day. Holidays make me miss home even more. Gen 31:49 “May the Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight.” This is the Bible verse my mom gave me before leaving. Although we are thousands of miles away our love is deep, I trust that God is with her. I love her and she loves me so we both have to be present where we are, knowing that we love each other. Mom if your reading this happy Mother’s Day, I miss and love you. Thank you for supporting me living out my dreams.

Today we attended service at the church we’re staying at. It’s amazing to see God moving all over the world. Later that day we did more house to house to evangelism. We did it at the hottest time in the Philippines, from 1-2 it’s common that everyone naps because it’s too hot to do anything else. It was hard, but fulfilling to get to pray for people. We attended a Mother’s Day service afterwards in the community.

Monday May 13th

Our free day. Also the day I realized I was broke and because of the missionary life I can’t buy clothes I want or gifts for people I love. It’s hard, but I do it because life is more fulfilling this way.

Tuesday May 14th

Today we did some more evangelism! I instantly made friends with the pastors and leaders from this new church. This was one of my harder days doing evangelism. Not because we didn’t have anyone to talk to or we didn’t have good experiences but because of prayers for healing. Several people asked to pray for healing over something physical. We saw 5 people who after we prayed for them said they were healed!! Yet, there were 3 we didn’t see healing for. A kind mom and two little boys who all couldn’t walk. One of the little boys we prayed for also had an obvious disordered spine. As we began to pray for healing I was filled with emotion and faith but we didn’t see healing happen. My heart swelled but I encouraged them and said that they are made in Gods image. It was hard because I really wanted to see healing, but I still know and believe that God can still heal. Does the 5 that were healed don’t matter because another three weren’t? No! I will rejoice over those five and know that God will work through the other three - whether or not they are healed, God is still good.

Wednesday May 15th & Thursday May 17th

Highlands Christian church camp six hours away from Manila Philippines. During these two days we got to be a part of a Christian camp here in the Philippines. There were over 1000 kids aged 11 through 25 in attendance this camp is host to a lot of non-Christians who come because of a friend inviting them. We got to see amazing dramas performed one showing that life with Christ is a choice you can choose, he doesn’t force us to love him. The life he has for us isn’t always easy but it is full of good things. Then they did a preaching and shared the gospel. Afterwards there was an altar call where we saw over 85% of the attendees decides to give their lives to Christ. We as counselors, got to re-preach the gospel and praises salvation prayer. I had a group of 10 girls and I got to re-explain the gospel and what it meant for me personally. It was so incredible to be a part of their beginning of new life. I even got questions like what happens when people make fun of you for being Christian? I got to encourage them from personal experience. It’s been so incredible saying that God is powerful and moving all around the world.

Friday May 17th

We had a late start to the morning because of camp. This week me and Tabs were the student leaders in charge of schedule/communication. It’s been fun! Eva Maria from base came for a pastoral visit. Her job is to have one on ones with all of us to see how we are doing. It was very good for me to process all that has happened throughout outreach with someone. We did more house to house evangelism today, and I got to lead more people to Christ! God. Is. Good.

Saturday May 18th

We started off the morning by joining a churches children ministry and doing our Good Samaritan skit I had come up with in Mexico. Afterwards I explain the meaning of the skit to the children. Then we just got to play with the kids and instantly we became best friends. It was so hard to leave them because we had gotten to love each other just by simple interactions. As we left to go evangelize they fight over who got to hold our hands. Then did some more house to house evangelism partnering up with translators as always. I took a different approach on the way I did it and asked more questions about them, and their own faith. That afternoon in the scorching heat of the Philippines, I have the opportunity to lead three people to Christ. Altogether over 38 people came to Christ and even more paid for that afternoon! God is so good! We can see how much he works through the power of prayer and evangelism. Next we traveled to another church and got to do more kids ministry. We all helped out to facilitate games and worship for the kids. I got to share a word with them. The kids were so much fun and loving to be around! Such a great day!

Sunday May 19th

Our last day of ministry here we spent at a church sharing testimonies and leading worship!!

Monday & Tuesday May 20th- 21st

We had a free day and did debriefing since two of our team members can’t get into Russia and will be joining a different team.

Prayer requests:

Rest of outreach to be super amazing and I be bold in my faith in a closed country (Russia)

Transition to Israel joining the other teams to be peaceful.

Finances

God to speak to me about the future!

Venmo: Lyly-Figueroa