I've been accepted to....

I am very excited to tell you that I have been accepted onto the RescueNet team (an International All-Volunteer Emergency Disaster Rapid Response Team), which is a ministry of Youth With A Mission. You may remember that I took a RescueNet training course in October of 2010 at YWAM San Francisco.

A badly damaged intersection in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Photo taken from a member of the RescueNet
team during their deployment to Haiti in January of 2010.
http://www.rescuenetus.org

What is RescueNet? 
RescueNet is a rapid-deployment disaster response team made up of trained volunteers within YWAM. We aim to be on a disaster site within 24-48 hours of it's outbreak. We take medics, trauma counselors, childcare workers, logicsticians. technicians and more to meet the need of those impacted by some of the worst situations imaginable.







What does this mean for me?
Since I have just been accepted onto the RescueNet team, I am not able to go on a deployment to a disaster zone -- yet! I have to complete a probationary period (since I'm new to the team - to make sure I know my stuff), which means that I have to staff the upcoming RescueNet training course, which will be in Salem, Oregon, in mid-October. So if a disaster hits anytime from now until October and RescueNet is called on to deploy for the relief efforts, I will not be deploying with the RescueNet team. After I complete my probationary period (after October), I will be "deployable".

Are you still a missionary with YWAM?
Yes, I am still a full-time missionary with YWAM Pismo Beach. RescueNet does not replace my role here at YWAM Pismo Beach but it will be an addition to the ministry I am already involved with.

What I Need for RescueNet
I need to raise additional finances on top of my monthly financial support for RescueNet since I have to purchase my own personal protective equipment (which is VERY important), training courses and deployments to disaster zones. I am currently in the process of raising $2,200 (If you want to see the breakdown of that amount to see exactly where the money will go, please let me know) for my initial personal protective equipment I need along with the cost of going to Salem, Oregon to complete my probationary period in October. There is information below on how to partner with me financially to help me start up with RescueNet.

My Heart Behind The Ministry

Patient in St. Marc, Haiti

I have always had a heart to do outreaches geared towards disaster relief and I now have the chance. When I went to Haiti in January right after the earthquake, it opened my eyes so much! It is such a special thing to share Jesus and to help people when they've literally lost everything. Now I will be able to help these people and share Christ's love with them through serving with RescueNet.

I want to help financially. How do I do that?
There are a few different ways that you can help me financially to raise the $2,200 that I need. 

OPTION #1 - DONATE ONLINE WITH YOUR CREDIT/DEBIT CARD
Go to:  http://www.ywampismobeach.org/donate.html
Follow the simple steps to safely and securely complete your donation using Paypal.
**You do not need a PayPal account to donate. After you click donate, you will see "Don't Have a PayPal Account?" Under that, it says continue and you can fill out your information.

Option #2 - DONATE BY CHECK
Write a check made out to YWAM. (Attach a note indicating its for Tyler Dean for RescueNet).
Mail the check to:
YWAM Pismo Beach
791 Price Street #119
Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Thank you in advanced for your prayer and financial support. I am so excited about the adventures to come with RescueNet and am excited to share that with you!

Blessings To You,



Tyler E. Dean



**Every year there are over 350 disasters around the world. 80% of the victims are left without first aid, medicine, child care, shelter and help finding loved ones. They need you like they never thought they could. Learn how to meet a crisis with the Love of Christ."

"Because you can send us we can go; because we go they can live."

A daughter and mother reunited!
Photo taken from a member of the RescueNet team
during their deployment to Haiti in January of 2010.
http://www.rescuenetus.org

RescueNet Website:  http://www.rescuenetus.org

What Is A "DTS"?

Since some of you may not know what a "DTS" is, I wanted to explain it to you!

A DTS is also known as a Discipleship Training School, which is Youth With A Mission's (YWAM's) main training school they offer. A DTS is a requirement for applying as YWAM staff, and serves as a prerequisite to all other training programs within YWAM. The DTS is offered at YWAM locations ALL over the world. Some schools have a special focus on particular areas of ministry or nations.

Similar to the DTS is the Crossroads Discipleship Training School (CDTS) that focuses on the needs and concerns of students over age 30, such as second-career people and families with children.

The Discipleship Training School (DTS) is designed to help you understand God more deeply, live more like Jesus and identify your unique gifts and purpose to use in missions. DTS is an intensive, residential training course which begins with an 11 or 12 week classroom/lecture phase, followed by an 8-12 week outreach phase. DTS emphasizes cross-cultural exposure and global awareness, preparing students to answer the call to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19.

You may be asking, "Where can I do a DTS?"

There are 300+ locations around the world (in over 150 countries) where you could potentially do your DTS. That does not include the bases that don't run training schools. YWAM has over 1,600 bases around the world with over 22,000 full-time missionaries (I think those numbers are correct...?).

I suggest that if you are interested in doing a Discipleship Training School (DTS), that you check out YWAM's main website at: http://www.ywam.org. Here you can search by regions or specific countries in the world as well as the time of year you'd like to do yours at.

My DTS Experience

In January of 2008, I took a leap of faith and did my DTS here at YWAM Pismo Beach, where I am now a full-time missionary with YWAM.

I arrived in California on January 4, 2008, not knowing what the Lord had in store for me. I went to college for one semester in Minnesota but did not like it and didn't know what I wanted to do and I knew that there was something better for me to do. The first week of my DTS, I knew that I was in the right place!

Throughout my DTS, I got grounded in the Word and my relationship with Jesus absolutely exploded. I went to southeast Asia for my two month outreach, which was absolutely incredible.

I recommend a DTS to anyone who isn't sure what he/she wants to do or is called to do. My DTS helped me figure out what I was passionate about, what my strengths were and helped me get rooted in the Word of God.

Once again..."Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19.

God Created You With A Purpose

Throughout the day today, I felt the need to write another post. And again, I had no idea what to write about so I wrote three different rough drafts for posts but none of those seemed right. Let's hope this one does.

This afternoon, a friend stopped by our office and we talked for a while. I asked my friend, "If you could do anything, what would you do? What are you passionate about?" She replied with something like, "Well, I love what I do (she is a hairstylist), but I also love doing women's ministry."

Immediately, the missionary in me came out. I told her of a few ministries that do women's ministry here in the States and around the world.

Then I thought, you can do women's ministry as a hair stylist. You can share about Jesus to your co-workers and clients.

I often remind myself that wherever and whatever you're doing, you are a missionary, even if that's not your official job title.

Now I am NOT saying to not go if you feel like the Lord is calling you to give up everything and move to a third world country. If that is the case though, you better go! Have you ever given it thought? Have you ever prayed and asked the Lord if you are supposed to go?

If He hasn't called you to live in a hut, that is OK! He can and wants to use you with whatever you do, whether you're a hair stylist, a business man, a mechanic, a teacher, a carpenter, a chef, a secretary, a doctor... you get the point.

There is one thing I do know for a fact: God has created you with a purpose and I am truly excited to see how He uses you!