Our Response to the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

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Since the beginning of the war, upwards of 20,000 Ukrainians have traveled through Tijuana with the hopes of gaining asylum in the USA. Some of our YWAM San Diego/ Baja staff have been partnering with other organizations locally to serve those that are passing through. We've been working to organize supplies and donations, creating a space for the kids to play and feel a sense of normalcy as well as helping out the main organizers however is needed. It is amazing to see the body of Christ come together in unity to help those in need.

As they wait for their paperwork to go through, the refugees have been housed in a sports park right near the US- Mexico border here in Tijuana. The sports park is the same park that our Hope Zone ministry began out of 12 years ago!! This past Sunday, to celebrate Orthodox Easter, a group of our staff went to put on a children’s program for the kids, sharing the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus through Easter eggs and games, as well as doing an Easter egg hunt in the park.

Many of the eggs were “hidden” on a playground set that we were able to donate and install 3 years ago through the help of sponsors. Our prayer is that God is restoring hope in the lives of these Ukrainians, through acts of kindness and service, even though they may not be here long. The refugee camp is set to close on May 5th, but in the meantime we are thankful for the opportunity to be a light and share love and hope with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters as they go through such a difficult time. There is a hope beyond the difficulties of the world and His name is Jesus. We celebrate the hope that Jesus died to give us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope” 1 Peter 1:3

As For Me and My House

Brian Villarruel has been on staff with YWAM San Diego/ Baja for almost three years, serving in different capacities as well as staffing Homes of Hope builds. Throughout this time the situation of his family loomed in the back of his mind. While he was spending his days building homes for other families, his mom, Rocia, sister, Michelle and her children lived in another part of Tijuana in dire circumstances. Crammed in a small shelter, built over 35 years ago, their kitchen would flood every time it rained. They prayed and waited for a miracle but had issues making ends meet each month and didn’t have enough to pay to be able to get the proper paperwork to own their land.

Brian’s grandpa had first moved to Tijuana from the south of Mexico, 40 years ago, looking for a better future, all 7 of his kids ended up in drug use. One day, someone handed them a card for a Christian rehabilitation center- Brian’s mom and one of her sisters decided to enter and it turned their life around. They encountered God and were able to get clean! 

In all the ups and downs and even in the midst of a global pandemic, the Villarruel family held on to hope and God showed up for them in a miraculous way! After getting the rights to their land, they received one of the first Homes of Hope that we were able to build after almost 7 months of not being able to build any homes. 

At the dedication of the home, Brian led the family in declaring scripture, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).  What a beautiful declaration. As they dedicated their lives to the Lord, they were claiming a new future, rather than a future plagued by drugs and poverty- they were claiming a future brimming with hope.  

Sustaining Hope

This year's #GivingTuesday is next week and we would like to invite you to be a part of it. Here at YWAM San Diego Baja we are in the business of giving HOPE. While 2020 has thrown us all some major curve balls, we are more convinced than ever that HOPE is a powerful force to sustain us, even in the most difficult of times.

This year because of your generosity we were able to give 4000 life sustaining food packages to families in Baja California as well as train 159 world changers through our University of the Nations program!

We want to continue bringing hope to those in need but in order to do that we need your help!

This year we find ourselves with a budget shortfall due to the cancellation of all our teams once the pandemic hit. In response, we have created a Hope Fund that will help us sustain our ministry and to give us the ability to continue meeting the needs of the communities around us.

Would you consider giving to the Hope Fund this Giving Tuesday? Your gift will help us in 3 areas:

1. Baja Food Relief - we want to continue serving the hardest hit communities in this time providing much needed food to those who have lost their income.

2. Student Scholarships- this is a great time for young people to be trained to make a difference. We are able to host students on our ywam campuses and we want to help our students from Mexico with a scholarship to cover their room and board while they learn with us. We believe that the young adults we are able to train will go on to be world changers!

3. Sustain- Help us keep the doors of YWAM San Diego/Baja open for service so that we can be equipped and prepared once we are able to operate at full capacity again.

Please join us in giving this #GivingTuesday - December 1, 2020 to see hope sustained here in Mexico!