Living our Calling

Get Invloved!

2010-06-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Get Involved!

With all of the sickness and suffering around us sometimes it can be
overwhelming to figure out how to help. But in placing Esthela in our lives, God’s given us-and you- the chance to be that help for one little girl.

In order to adopt Esthela we need to raise $2,000 to complete the adoption plus an
additional $1,500 a month to be able to give Esthela the care she needs.

Will you join us in fighting for Esthela?
Will you join us in giving her an
opportunity to live?

To get involved write a check out to “YWAM San Diego/Baja” and send it to:

YWAM San Diego/Baja
100 W. 35th St. Ste C
National City, CA 91950

Or Donate online at:

www.ywamsdb.org

All donations tax-deductable.

Thanks for helping change Esthela's life!

Our Journey with Esthela

2010-06-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Just a few days ago Eddie and I sat down with Esthela's transplant doctor, Dr. Ismael. We spoke to him about Esthela's issues and found out some very harding truth.
Esthela's kidney is in chronic failure. Why did this happen? The doctor's best guess is because it wasn't taken care of well enough. While Eddie and I were gone doing DTS in Minnesota and spending the summer with my family she was hospitalized a few times and had trouble taking her medication at the right times.This is the most likely reason for the kidney failure. He says the kidney should have lasted 15-20 years.
Within a year Esthela will most likely have to go on dialysis. When that happens she will be able to be put on the list for a new kidney. The doctor said that if Esthela stays with her mother that no doctor will do the transplant because if the kidney failed due to not being taken care of then a second one will as well. We told him that we are wanting to adopt Esthela and he said that if that was the case then he would do everything possible to make sure that Esthela got another kidney. He wanted us to be aware that there was still a chance of the second kidney to be rejected as well.
We realize that all of our work still could result in Esthela suffering and, possibly passing away, but we know that it is the only chance that Esthela has.
Please be in prayer for us as we continue to work towards the adoption of Esthela

Our Journey with Esthela

2010-04-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Eddie and I have spent a whole lot of time praying, thinking and talking about the issue of adopting Esthela. We both have come to love her over the time we have known her and we both realized that adopting her is something we want. So we began to dig a bit deeper into the process and see how we can move forward. We spoke with DIF (like children services in Mexico) and they told us that if the mother wants us to adopt her daughter the process is very simple, an independent adoption. Then I checked with immigration, and an adoption agency in the US, to see what steps we’d have to take to get to her to be able to cross the border. What I heard was not encouraging for our situation. A new law passed, basically to help prohibit Child Trafficking, which does not allow children who have been adopted by an independent adoption to be taken to the US. This keeps parents from selling their kids. If we did do an independent adoption it looks like we would have to wait a trial 2 years, in Mexico, before we could even apply for her to cross into the states. For us this situation is impossible because Eddie only has a two year permission to be outside of the states because of his green card and the legal process to make the adoption official will take at least 7 months. The other option for us to take us is to move to San Diego, do a home study and get approved through the states to adopt and then carry on with the adoption in Mexico. We are still looking at the whole process, making sure we are clear on the steps we need to take and also making sure that it is for sure what God wants. If we do have to go to San Diego it means major fund-raising and I know God can do miracles but He has to be in the middle of it all in order for it to happen so we are still waiting to make sure that He is in it. Please continue praying for us, for wisdom, for guidance, and for sleep (we’ve not been able to sleep well lately). Thank you.

Esthela

2010-03-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

We ask for your prayers as Eddie and I find ourselves in the middle of having to make an important decision that will change our lives and the life of the little girl we’ve been helping for two years. Esthela has been living in an unhealthy situation with her mother, who has to be taken care of like a young child. Over the course of the time we’ve been with Esthela we’ve only seen the situation become worse and worse. Esthela has suffered verbal and emotional abuse living with her mother. Esthela’s mom has basically said that Esthela could stay in an orphanage while she returns to her family down south. This has put Eddie and me in an interesting situation. Do we place Esthela in an orphanage? Do we adopt? If we adopt how can we afford it if we don’t even have enough support for ourselves? What about Eddie’s green card, would adopting a Mexican in Mexico affect the visa situation? What does this look like for us as a couple? What does it look like for Esthela? We do not want to make a decision out of emotion but really want to find God’s will for Esthela and for us as well. As we are praying we are researching both sides trying to find out the steps to take whether or not she is put into an orphanage adopted by us. So we ask for prayer. We ask that you join with us as we continue to find out what God wants

Living on the edge of water....Tsunami warning!

2010-03-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

I'm sure we've all thought about what'd we'd grab if our house was burning down. I thought about it a lot too thinking that I'd grab pictures (memories) and my Bible (what else would a Christian want?) and other small sentimental things...well Saturday morning Eddie and I got a chance to experience this and find out what we'd REALLY bring.

Around 10:30 we were awoken (sleepy Saturday off) by a hard rushed knock on our door. The first thought that jumped into both of our heads was that there was some sort of accident and they needed Eddie as the nurse. When the door was opened we saw one of our fellow YWAMers there looking panicked.

"There is a Tsunami Warning for here, we are all evacuating. You need to grab your passports and leave NOW!"

We ran back into our rooms to get dressed. I ran down a few doors down to where my sister, Aliza and Eddie's brother, Bobby, live (yes, brothers married sisters and are neighbors. It's great). Because they aren't YWAMers YWAM hadn't contacted them. They too started the hustle of grabbing a few things and running to their car. Bobby's response was "well, we gotta go!"

What did we bring? Eddie first grabbed our little file box of legal papers then started getting the cat's stuff (food and litter) and our laptops while I run around like crazy trying to figure out what to do. My first thought was "clothes" but when I went to grab a suitcase I thought "WHAT AM I DOING" and grabbed a plastic bag and ran for the bathroom. I grabbed our toothbrushes (who wants to be stranded without a home and no toothbrush?) and a few other toiletries. We jumped in the car and drove off to my mother-in-law who lives up in the hills.

While driving away my mind rushed back to all the things we had left. Eddie forgot his wedding rings and my mind wanders to our wedding albums and my Bible - the things I always said I'd grab first.

Obviously nothing happened, no Tsunami praise God. We had a bit of an exciting experience finding out what our reaction would be to an immediate evacuation!

Back in Mexico!

2009-09-23T12:04:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

We are back in Ensenada Mexico! The summer was absolutely wonderful but now we are starting the next step of our life. We arrived two weeks before our Biblical Core Course starts because this year there is a Foundation School and because this was my old position with YWAM I am training the staff before the school starts. I'm so excited for this family that is coming down to do their Discipleship Training School. They have four girls, ages 11, 9, 5 and 4. We are opening up a Preschool and a grade school Foundation School. Please be praying for the staff, Ximena, William and Lizzie as they take on the responsibility of discipling these great children.

Our Biblical Core Course starts on Sunday. There are many rumors that this course is a very intense school with a lot of studying and homework. I haven't been in school for almost 6 years so I am trying to prepare myself mentally for all the work but I know that this is going to be a huge time of growth for both of us in the Word of God.

Please continue your prayers for us. We are very grateful for each of you!

God bless,

Mexican Dinner Night!

2009-08-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Come and help support Eddie and Tammy Villavicencio and eat some delicious food!

Tammy and Eddie Villavicencio are going to the Biblical Core Course in Ensenada, Mexico and then going on staff with youth with a mission in san diego, california.

When: September 3rd, 6:30-8:00 pm

(Come when you can, Tammy and Eddie will be giving an up-date at 7:15)

Where: New Hope

“A Biblical Community”

1340 Haslett Rd.

Haslett, mi 48840

Costs: Suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.

Proceeds go to support Tammy and Eddie´s BBC and staff fees.

We’ll be serving Tamales and Tacos, rice and beans, spicy and mild options to please everyone!

Bring family and friends, it will be an event to remember!

Please RSVP by commenting on this blog.

Information on our NEXT STEP!

2009-08-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

What is Youth With A Mission?

Youth With A Mission is an international movement of Christians from many denominations dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Also known as YWAM (pronounced "WYE-wam"), our calling is to know God and to make Him known. Back when we began in 1960, our main focus was to get youth into short-term mission work and to give them opportunities to reach out in Jesus' name. Today, we still focus on youth, and we also involve people of all ages. Our many ministries fit into three main categories: evangelism, training and mercy ministries. We are currently operating in more than 1000 locations in over 149 countries, with a staff of nearly 16,000.

What is the Biblical Core Course?

This course is designed to give a thorough understanding of the inductive approach to Bible study, equipping students with many tools for integrating the Word of God into their personal lives, and using it as a foundation for ministry. During the course students will study many individual books in depth from both the Old and New Testaments. We will equip students to work with every form of literature in the Bible, including the Gospels, the Epistles, New Testament narratives, the Torah, Prophetic and Poetical books, and Old Testament narratives thus providing a holistic overview.

Find out more at:

Www.ywam.org and

Why are you raising money to be on staff in San Diego?

Every YWAM worker, including the founder, Loren Cunningham, raises enough funds to meet his or her own financial needs. For most people in YWAM, these funds come from friends, family and churches who contribute financially. Other YWAMers rely on their own savings, part-time jobs, foreign employment, small businesses or even--in the case of some of our older staff--pension income.

YWAM has purposely chosen to emphasize personal support raising as the primary means of funding for our staff. Although we recognize there are many other valid ways of financing ministry, the way we have chosen is based on Biblical principles and has enabled us to include tens of thousands of people each year from over 130 countries in the task of fulfilling the Great Commission.

It's also a financial model that enables many important ministries to exist in our world today. Just as the staff of a church or a community service organization relies on donations to pay their salary, so our staff also rely on financial partners to meet their financial needs.

We believe, and have experienced over and over, that personal support raising provides many benefits to our staff. It often creates a close bond between the financial partner and the worker on the field, it helps our workers experience God's faithfulness in tangible ways, and when combined with a commitment to pray as well as to give, it provides powerful teamwork that results in encouragement for our workers and supernatural blessing on our ministries.

Our time in Ecuador

2009-08-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

All through Ecuador

Two months in beautiful Ecuador has changed our lives. We traveled all around Ecuador from the coast to the mountains to the jungle. During that time we were in 10 cities, did 55 programs, ministered to over 5,000 people and 30 people came to Christ. All of you were a part of what God did there through your prayers and financial support.

God’s Hand

Before we left for Ecuador we spent many hours in prayer and intercession for our trip. God spoke to us and promised us many things. He promised He’d use us to start a domino affect in Ecuador and that God would rain down His living water. We knew that it was possible that we’d never see the results but we had to have faith that God was going to do all that He promised. But our God is faithful and good to us and we were able to see results in every place we went. God’s spirit filled our meetings and ministry times. We meet people who were thirsty for the Living Water and God poured His Living

Water over them. We ministered in a small town called Baños for two days. God moved, we prayed and cried along with the people then left. Two weeks later the Pastor found where we were staying to tell us of all the things God is doing in his church because of what happened while we were there. The youth are forming outreach groups to travel to the surrounding areas and minister to those around them, a small revival has begun. We praised God and gave Him the glory for all that He did in Baños and in Ecuador. God not only showed up but He showed us that He was doing all He had promised.

Hungry for the Word of God

In the small village of Benitez Ecuador people are hungry, some even starving. Even though Benitez is a poor village the starvation isn’t a physical one, the people here are starving for spiritual food, the Word of God. As we walked through the town going door to door we encountered many people with lots of questions, open and ready to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and longing for discipleship. As we finished our last church service I ministered to Grace, a new believer. After we finished praying together I walked away to gather my things and she came to me once again. “Can you do me a favor?” she asked with a desperate look in her face. “Of course, what can I do for you?” I replied. “Can you get me a Bible , I really want to study the Word of God,” she said and I could see that hunger, spiritual starvation in her face. My heart dropped, we had already given away all of the Bibles we had brought and Eddie had given away his personal Bible as well. I promised her that she would get one, even if I had to send it from the US I would get her the Word of God. I wished my personal Bible was in Spanish so I could give it to her but there was nothing I could do. Thank God that I was able to find one for her before we left Ecuador but I keep remembering the countless others who were asking for Bibles.

What we are currently doing

Eddie and I are now in Michigan. We are hoping to work for the summer to raise money to attend the Biblical Core Course in Ensenada, Mexico. The Biblical Core Course is a three-month course teaches an inductive approach to Bible Study. We are excited to dig deeper into the Bible. During our time in Michigan we hope to meet up with all of you. One of our goals for the summer is to reconnect with our friends.

Reflections on my time in Mexico

2009-08-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

The same mirror that I saw my reflection in five years ago now shows me a completely different reflection. These past five years have changed me forever. I came here not knowing what to expect but full of passion to help. I’ve built houses, worked in kitchens, done dramas, trained youth, hosted teams, prayed with and discipled people, taught children, and overall seen lives change. I’ve passed through many hard times, but with God on my side I made it. I wanted to give up but God had His hand on me to stay. With reason too, if I had left I would have never met and married the man who has made my life so much better. God has brought me through this and used it to refine me, like gold. I still have many blemishes but the process is underway. I have grown to trust in Him, I have seen His faithfulness firsthand, I’ve seen Him do miracles, and so much more. I would never trade the days I’ve had here for anything. I have so many memories, memories of mothers crying as we hand them the keys to their home, of children running, laughing and smiling as they see were their bed is, seeing lives changed. But most important thing I will bring from this experience is closeness to God, an intimate life changing friendship with the Creator of the World.

Continuing our Training

2008-12-28T18:08:00.000-08:00

Burr, Michigan is just a bit colder then Mexico (except for that freak warm day we had yesterday where it was almost 60 degrees and it was in the 40s in Mexico). On January 9th we are heading to Minnesota to join with the Youth With A Mission base by the twin cities. Why such a drastic change? We are continuing our training for what God is calling us to do, reach out to those who are less fortunate. We are doing a Discipleship Training School, a five month intense program that helps us grow in our relationship with God and teaches us how to use our relationship with God to bless people, either physically or spiritually.
We are trying to raise around $5,000 to help us pay for the tuition for our school. Please join with us in prayer for these funds. If you'd like to help us with donations of pop cans or buying our homemade canned salsa, let us know.

What or who controls us?

2008-09-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Fear is a curious thing. This one thing can can hold us back, freeze us, manipulate our choices, and ultimately control us.
This is the case for Isabella, the mother of Esthela. She has lived all of her life in fear allowing, it to control her and her decisions. Not until her daughter´s life was at stake she started over coming her fear. She came to the city to seek medical care. She overcame the fear of surgery to donate her own kidney to help her daughter get better.
Another fear that has been controlling her is the fear of teachers. This fear has kept her from getting the education she needs to raise out of the poverty level she has found herself in all of her life. This fear was rooted into her life when she was just a young girl and went to school for the first time. The teacher was easily angered and scared young Isabella into never wanting to go to school again.
But fear wasn´t the only thing controlling Isabella´s life. Insecurity also has taken a hold her. She believes that she cannot do things. She believes that she is inferior to her daughter because her daughter learns faster then shes does. She honestly thinks she is stupid and dumb and that she will never amount to anything.
This was all reflexed when the opportunity came for her to go to an adult school to learn how to read and write. We could see a small spark of interest but then the fear started taking over. She told us she didn´t want to go, that she couldn´t do it and that teachers scared her. This battle lasted about a week with us trying to convince Isabella that she can and that it would be better for her daughter, and for her, if she does thisand learns how to read and write. Finally we convinced her to go and see the school. Once she walked into the classroom and met the teachers her attitude changed. ¨You can do it, and you should. For your daughter¨said the director of the school. We signed her up that day. The next day I dropped her off at her new school. As she walked out of the classroom when I picked her up, I looked at her and asked her how it was. Her face beamed with joy as she told me that it was good. She continued to explain how she liked the teacher and how it was different this school to the one that she went to for a week when she was little.

Fear has been conquered. Insecurity is broken. For the first time, 47 year-old Isabella is attending school and believes that she can learn how to read and write.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Esthela goes to school

2008-09-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Last Monday Esthela started school for the very first time in her life. As they saluted the flag she stumbled over the words she still did not know. Nervously she said goodbye to her mother and I as she followed her teacher to her classroom. Hours later when we picked her up we could hardly get a word in as she explained her new friends and her teacher.
This is such a huge step for Esthela and her mother. She is the first one in her family to attend school in a long time, if she keeps at it she will be able to excel out of the poverty level that her family has been stuck in for several generation.
This is just the beginning. Please continue to pray for Esthela.

Discipling Esthela and Isabella

2008-09-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Taking care of their physical and mental are so importnat but above all else we’d like to take care of their spiritual needs. We wanted our lives to show God’s love and not force anything on them. When Esthela asked us if we could take her to church with us, our spirits rejoiced. She is really enjoying Sunday school. Victory happened on Tuesday night. Eddie and I took her to the base and we watched the passion play during Mission Adventures. Afterwards we spoke about it and explained the gift that God wants to freely give us all. They talked about how often at night they have fear and we told them that God wanted to take that away from them. We prayed and they accepted Christ. The next day they told me that they slept without any fear that night. Praise God.
Please continue praying for them as we try to disciple them and allow them to heal and grow not only physically and mentally but spiritually as well. Pray that we can find someone willing to help us disciple Isabela in her mother language. It's hard for us to really connect with her in a way that she really understands.

Living Our Calling - Education and Healthcare

2008-09-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

Esthela and Isabel are in so much more need then the obvious healthcare. Our hope is to help Esthela and her mother raise out of the poverty that they have been in for such a long time. There is the old saying "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat forever." That is our heart, to lead them to a higher standard of life. This takes some time though and isn't an over-night process. Neither Esthela nor her mother read or write Spanish. Although I have experience in teaching, I have never taught someone to read and write in Spanish. It is one thing to teach it as a second language, to someone who already knows how to read and write English, but completely another thing to teach a grown woman and a 10 yr. old girl how to read and write their own language (when it is my second language). In God's faithfulness He has brought along an elementary school teacher here in Ensenada that is willing to come and help us educate them! She will direct us in where to start and we will work with them throughout the week. Esthela already knows her vowels and is starting on the consonants. Her mother however is harder. She loves and cares for Esthela a great deal, but her entire life has, in one way or another, been secluded from the world. She never attended school, but isn't only uneducated academically. We had to teach her how to put a seat belt on in the car, show her how to use the electric stove, how to wash clothes in a washing machine and explain to them the concept of what a country is and that they are indeed Mexicans. For us as Americans sometimes it is hard for us to really believe that there are people so secluded from basic education. It's mind boggling to me, but that is because of our culture and where we grow up. Another challenge that we have is helping her mother gain confidence in this city, which is much larger then the small village she grew up in. The best thing for Esthela would be if they both moved to Ensenada permanently. If they moved back to the little town they currently live in Esthela won't have easy access to the doctors that she will need to visit all her life. Little by little we are educating her. Little by little we are taking small steps to improve their lifestyle. It takes patience and much repeating of things that I consider "basic knowledge".

Our "Adopted Daughter" - Esthela Sanchez

2008-09-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

We arrived back from Michigan with the news that Esthela, the girl who had the kidney transplant, was ready to come with us! What a surprise! We thought that she would be in the hospital for another week after we got back - if everything went well. The doctors said that she was recovering so fast that she was ready to come with us, much sooner then expected. Praise God. This also meant that we had a bit of work cut out for us. Esthela has a special diet plus many medications she has to take throughout the day. The first couple months we had to arrange people to give her medicine at the correct time. But now that she is in a routine she is able to take the medicine on her own. Her mother, who is living with her here at YWAM, is still healing from the surgery of donating her kidney but is also recovering quickly. This precious 10 year old looks like a different girl then when we met her in the hospital only a few months back. Along with the chubby cheeks that came along with the couple pounds she's gained, her face also has the new look of a smile. She is full of energy and excited that the doctor has given her permission to go out more. We’ve been able to take her to new places and see her experience things that are “normal” for a child in the states. We’ve been able to take her to the park for the first time, to the movie theater, and now her favorite activity, going to the beach.