22 lives ready to get to know God more…

Here they are, our new DTS September 2018 Students, all 22 of them!! A new quarter has begun. With a wonderful dinner and worship unto the Lord we started with another DTS group, ready to embark on the adventure of knowing God and making Him known!

As we move forward with the vision the Lord has given to YWAM San Jose to make disciples of Jesus we see God hand picks those He brings to us. Not just the students but also those who get to walk alongside of them during the next 5 months.

Together with an awesome staff team, I (Marjolein) have the amazing privilege to lead this September DTS. Walking alongside these 22 young people into getting to know God more and together making Him known will require your prayers and intercession, will you join us?

All this does not go without a battle. We are not only starting another quarter but we are also very busy fundraising for the development of the new land that we have now been on for the past 2 months. Giacomo has been keeping busy with this and it is obvious the enemy does not like this.

This past Friday Giacomo had a small accident and fell, causing him to fracture one of his ribs and now been on bed rest!! None of this was anticipated and we ask that you would pray for his recovery as we move into this new season of training, fundraising, property development and building more Homes of Hope. A busy three months ahead.

Thank you for walking this with us in prayer and financial support. Our family need is great at this time and we are trusting the Lord for His provision for some big needs.

Sending them out

Every 3 months we receive a new group of students who come and take our Discipleship Training School (DTS).

A five month adventure into the heart of God, getting to know Him more deeply and making Him known.

This week we had another graduation of 8 beautiful young ladies who came with a desire to change and encounter God!

Some came broken in need of Love and they received it.

God is at work in the lives of this generation and we are privileged to be a part of this.

September DTS

This coming September 21st, I (Marjolein) have the amazing privilege to direct the DTS with an amazing staff team. The Staff team alone is from 4 different nationalities and we have an amazing group of 22 studnets arriving to go deeper with God!!

Serving the Lord in YWAM is living in a diverse community with people from around the world, all sharing the message of Jesus! What an amazing privilege…

Thank you for being part of this, pray for our ladies who are on their way home into the next thing the Lord is leading them to do!

Pray for our 7 students who are finishing class soon and will be going to Uganda with this message.

And finally pray for the upcoming 22 students getting ready to step into this adventure.

Bibles and a BBQ frog

The YWAM Together conference taking place in Pattaya, Thailand this year has seen close to 4000 participants, from 1000 nations and with 77 languages…wow!!

Can you imagine all those people together in one room, must feel like heaven on earth! I had to sit this one out, but Giacomo was able to attend and will be coming home this weekend.

Not only did they get to join together in praise and worship, intercession for the nations and do bible distribution, street ministry and school ministry, Giacomo also got to try the local delicacy, BBQ frog…….

Not sure I would have been so brave to eat BBQ frog, especially seeing the before and after, but Giacomo is the hero in trying new things in new places. It comes with being a missionary. There must be a reason why I sat this one out, haha!!

What an amazing time for fresh vision, words of the Lord to our mission and reminders of Darlene to not take up an offense.

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May your day be blessed and we thank you for standing with us as we serve to raise up and equip relevant leaders from Costa Rica into the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!

Stay tuned for more updates soon on 7 DTS students graduating this Friday September 7th, a new DTS starting on September 22nd and 7 DTS Students going on outreach to Uganda!!!! Lots is happening in YWAM San Jose.

Expansion into the nation

The Lord has spoken to us about multiplication many times and last year October we sent out a team from YWAM San Jose, to the province of Limon to the city of Puerto Viejo where a new YWAM work was started. For more information click on this link YWAM Puerto Viejo.

The work is led by our two very good friends Johan and Elsi Simarra, who are originally from Colombia but who have been long term residents in this beautiful nation of Costa Rica and long to see the Caribbean side of Costa Rica transformed with the truth of Jesus.

Going north

Ofcourse we can’t stop there and over many years the Lord has spoken to Tony and Rossela to start a YWAM work in the city where they are from, Liberia, in the province of Guanacaste.

Over the past years they have been faithfully sowing the seeds together with a team and this year they are being released to be their very own YWAM location!

Exciting things are happening! The Gospel of Jesus is reaching the nation and young people are being discipled, equipped and trained as new leaders into their communities, cities and nations!

Want to know more about YWAM Liberia click on the link.

What is church?

Just recently my husband and I took an anniversary trip and visited this little island.

On that little island stood this little chapel, church, house of prayer….! It was said to be the smallest of the island, I agreed.

As the tour guide explained to us its importance, he then proceeded to ask us if there were any sinners in the group…

“Well if there are, you can now take a moment to pray and repent!”

Funny enough, as we all stumbled towards the little chapel in the heat of the day it was as if time stood still, it seemed some people actually felt like responding to this funny offer to pray.

With great reverence did people walk inside this little chapel, some sitting down and kneeling at the provided benches, while candles were burning in the front under a big crucifix.

There was complete silence in this itty bitty chapel, church building, why? Reverence for who?

I kept looking around the building and enjoyed seeing its design and architecture. I sat down on the benches provided outside as, obviously there was no space inside.

Do you have to be inside the building to be at church? Here they had to sit outside due to lack of space.

What is church?

The dictionary gives me several meanings; a building for public worship (especially Christian worship), the officialdom of a religious body, an organization of religious believers….

Is it the place we meet at or, if the church is a body of believers, are we encouraged to continue to ‘meet together to encourage one another’ (Hebrews 10:25).

Or like Colossians 3:16 so beautifully tells us: “when we let the message of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through Psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in our hearts.”

As I stared at this little church or chapel if you will, I could not help but think of that question. What is church? Here we were a bunch of tourist, sinners, who were given the opportunity to repent (ok maybe the tour guide was a little sarcastic, nevertheless some people did pray and respond). I guess you could say the tour guide encouraged us to live a lie of repentance and forgiveness even while on a tour, we had church, right?

Whether you think of a building or a group of believers, the message is clear:

Meet together, encourage one another, admonish one another with wisdom through songs, expressing our gratitude to God in our hearts, giving ourselves time to let the message of Christ dwell in us richly…

Romans 10:17 says:

“…faith comes from hearing, hearing the word of God..”

Where do you go to ‘hear’ the message, to encourage others, to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving…

That day outside of that itty, bitty island church, I took a moment to give thanks, praise my father in Heaven for his gift, for calling me His daughter and reminding me to walk as His church, listening to His message, following His ways and to never stop meeting together with others to allow for encouragement, gratitude and praise, for His glory alone.

Acts 9:32-32 says:

“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit.”

Be the church – live in the fear of the Lord – be encouraged by the Holy Spirit!

Is that really you God?

If you know YWAM, you know that this is something we learned to ask God from our very beginnings?

Loren Cunningham wrote a book about it with exactly that title, because it seemed that what God was showing Loren in 1956 was so big and amazing that he had to ask “Is that really you God?”

It sure was God!

The vision was clear, waves of young people, missionaries, crashing as waves on the shores of all the continents of the world, bringing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today 58 years later the waves are still growing and young people are still going out with the gospel in new and creative ways.

This book tells our story as a mission. It talks about our DNA, the thing God told us that makes us who we are….YWAM!

This book contains the principles on which God guided us as a mission and how He still does that today.

This adventure of hearing and obeying the voice of God can’t be more simple than that.

Giacomo and I have lived our lives like this for the past 22 years. We have been part of YWAM all these years and it is being part of this family that has shown us that hearing God and radically obeying Him definetely is an adventure.

Us with co-founder of YWAM Darlene Cunningham

Not always easy or without its challenges but worth it, absolutely.

We don’t plan to stop any time soon or ‘go home’. We are home, we are right where we are supposed to be.

Serving in YWAM is where God called us to be and there is no doubt that this really was God!!

Want to read this book? You can order your copy at YWAM Publishing!!

A great and easy read and wonderful gift to give away!

Who does not want to be challenged in hearing and obeying God?

Giacomo translating for Loren Cunningham – founder of YWAM

What is a DTS?

In Youth With a Mission the Lord called us to train our missionaries. In 1968 the very first training school was offered in Lausanne, Switzerland. Why you might ask? Because the Lord directed our founders Loren and Darlene Cunningham to do so and we have learned over the 58 years of YWAM that when the Lord speaks we radically obey. Not only did God speak to us to train our missionaries, but He also spoke to have a University and so in 1978 the University of the Nations was called into existence. (Click on the links for more info).

Ok, great, training, but what is DTS?

What started out as the School of Evangelism of almost one year was later shortened to a more concise discipleship training school, thus DTS, of 20-24 weeks long. The first 12 weeks would be spend in the classroom, receiving solid biblical teaching from teachers from around the world on a variety of topics that would help the student to grow in their personal relationship with God, their understanding of God’s character, nature and ways as well as how to walk in their identity as a follower of Jesus.

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Speakers from around the world teaching you about the ways of God

It is then followed by a 8-12 weeks field assignment, all part of the DTS course. The first phase which we often call “Lecture phase”, can’t exist without the proper field assignment, which we also call “Outreach phase”. The two phases go together and must be completed before calling yourself a true “ywam-er”.

The Discipleship Training School is an intense time of learning both during lecture time as well as in the live-learn environment. All students live together on our YWAM Campus, share meals with the full time missionaries serving with YWAM and will have several corporate times of worship, intercession and family nights during their time with us. It is all part of the process of learning, growing in our relationship with the Lord, while also growing in our relationship with God’s people and with God’s world as we go on the field assignment together after our lecture phase is completed.

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Living and learning together with people from around the world

After the Field Assignment is completed we then return to the YWAM Campus where we initiated our journey and will have another few days of ‘debrief’ or ‘evaluation’ before we have a ‘graduation’ night in which we commission our students into the next thing the Lord has called them to do to expand His kingdom.

Some students stay on as full time missionaries with either their host location, where they completed their DTS or another YWAM Campus around the globe. You are now officially part of the YWAM Family and are able to join any YWAM location that the Lord would call you to.

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Fun is part of the DTS, learning new languages and getting to know new cultures

Others hear the call from the Lord to return to their home town, either for education purposes or to enter into a sphere of society and bring the kingdom of God in the area of their degree.

No matter what your goal is for doing a DTS with YWAM, it can serve many different purpose, but keep in mind that this course is designed to challenge and grow you in your relationship with the Lord, with others and with God’s world. It is meant to inspire and cultivate that relationship towards growth resulting a Christ like character, which is based on a solid Biblical foundation, the Holy Spirit and a personal application of Biblical truth. It seeks to equip you in further service and respond to the heart cry of God to make Him known among the nations.

What does it require?

Not much really! Do you have a desire to grow in your relationship with God and your understanding of God. Are you willing to take 6 months of your life to invest in this, go deeper, grow in a Biblical Worldview, being inspired on how to make God known in new and creative ways? Have you finished high school and are not sure where to go in life or simply want to lay more foundation in your faith before heading out into the world, then this is something you might want to consider.

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Celebrating the nations every day while your are in DTS

Does it cost me something?

Yes, it will cost you something, besides time you will need to cover the tuition of the course, which is different based on the YWAM location where you take the course. You will cover food, housing, travel (field assignment) and operational costs of the course. If you live far away from the location you choose, you will have to cover your airfare there and back.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely! God is raising up a new generation that walks with Him, talks with Him and is led by His Holy Spirit and is willing to radically obey what He calls them to do. Doing DTS can be the first step in the process of becoming a full time missionary either with YWAM or another organization. Putting aside 6 months of our lives to go deeper with God, know His ways, obey His ways, love His people and go out and spread the good news of the Gospel is more than worth it, don’t you think?

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Where can I sign up?

Every trimester (January, April, July, September), YWAM San José starts a brand new DTS with new students!! You can sign up by visiting our website www.ywamsj.org or by visiting us on the YWAM SJ Facebook or you can write us by filling out the form below or write an email to dts@ywamsj.org.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR – APPLY TODAY!!

A new wave of missionaries

Can you see it? Can you perceive it? There is a new wave, a new generation of missionaries about to come forth that will sweep across the nations.

Here in Costa Rica we are seeing it, believing for it and perceiving it.

Giacomo was able to share with close to 40 young people about what it means to have a Biblical Worldview. Several in the crowd have either done a Discipleship Training School with YWAM or are about to join YWAM all over the world. These are young people from Costa Rica!!!

Several others are young professionals serving in different spheres of society, bringing the kingdom of God into every are of life as we saw in many nations around the world when the Bible got into the hands of the people.

When people receive the Word of God in their language, started believing what it said and gave their lives to Jesus, whole communities, cities and nations started being transformed as Biblical truth was applied in life, in business, in science, in education and more.

It is that time again when a new generation of missionaries will arise to take their communities, cities and Nations back for the Kingdom of God.

It is time for a new wave of Bible believing, Bible practicing followers of Jesus Christ, led by His Spirit to sweep across the Nations with the Truth of the Gospel, the Love of God in every sphere of society.

They are rising up, here in Costa Rica and around the world…

What a privilege to be part of equipping, training and releasing them.

Will you join us to pray for them, support them and sending them?

Growing in faith

Many times the road up ahead is long, windy and you have no idea what is around the corner, yet faith in who is leading us will keep us on the road, walking straight ahead, trusting that where it leads is where He wants you to end up.

Faith is to have confidence of what you hope for and assurance of the things you can’t see. How you ask? How can I be certain that what is ahead is good, or what is head will not bite me in the back later on.

Faith is not something we can achieve on our own, faith comes through looking at a person called Jesus Christ. Without Jesus there is no faith. The Bible says He is the author and perfecter of our faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

We are a family that has said long time ago that wherever He leads us we would go, even without knowing the path ahead, whether it makes a turn, whether there are obstacles in the road or not. If Jesus it the one that is leading us, the One who authors our faith than we will obey without doubting because it gives us the confidence of the things hoped for and the assurance of things not yet seen.

YWAM San Jose is at a crucial turning point where we need to see our faith increase, and we are all challenged to hold on for the ride on the road ahead. But faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. So we hold on to Jesus and walk closely to Him, listening to what the Spirit has to say to us and move forward with confidence that He will show us the details of what this is supposed to look like.

These are exciting and yet challenging times, but so was it for Abraham when he was asked to go “to the land God would show him.” So was it for Noah who build the ark in faith and in Holy fear to the Lord.

That is where we are at, ready to build in obedience to what the Lord told us many years ago, building in the fear of the Lord, cause nothing is for our glory, it is for His and for the expansion of His kingdom.

Thank you for standing with our family and with the ministry that God has entrusted into our hands. Without you as our partners we would not be able move forward as fast as we are. We need you. May this weekend be blessed and filled with revelation from our Lord.

New roof, no leaks

Over the past week we have been so very blessed by the team from Jessup Church in Maryland. This was their 5th year comin over the summer and blessing our nation with their service.

This year they came to help install new roofs on our containerville housing!

About 9 years ago we purchased containers for relief work during the aftermath of the earthquake about an hour away from the capital.

After the relief work was done, we brought the containers to our facility and turned them into staff and student housing.

One of our missionaries officially named it “Containerville” and even made a sign for it.

The roof since it’s beginnings has been needing some much needed upgrade and this past week our containers have now received this upgrade.

We are so grateful as our containers will now officially go into their version 2.0!!!

But for version 2.0 to be completed we still need the inside done also. Want to come give us a hand and give our male missionaries a nicer home before we build our new dorms? Send us a note and come down to help for a few weeks…

Missionaries don’t only preach the gospel through evangelism they also preach it through serving in the most practical needs! Wether we build a house for a needy family or fix a roof to house more missionaries, it’s all for the expansion of His kingdom.

Come and join us for a few weeks…

Email us today!