Our History
Why Nicaragua?
¿Can God use a generation that has been devastated by civil wars, natural disasters, and extreme poverty? YES, HE CAN! God has given special gifts to the people of Nicaragua. The young people of Nicaragua are intelligent, visionary, and hardworking. God’s desire is to raise them up and equip them with biblical truth so that they can disciple their own nation and other nations.
Our Beginnings
YWAM Nicaragua began in December 1989 when God called Don and Barbara Johnson, along with their young family. The pioneering phase involved extensive discipleship, evangelism, and the distribution of Bibles in homes, as well as writing and distributing literature on biblical worldview and engaging in community development. The first Discipleship and Missionary Training School began in 1993.
The goal of the Discipleship and Missionary Training School is to develop a new army of Nicaraguans and other young people with a Christian worldview, Christian character, and biblical truth to disciple Nicaragua and other nations. Students have ministered to indigenous groups in Mexico and Central America. Missionaries trained in Nicaragua have ministered throughout Central America, Cuba, Morocco, Colombia, Greece, Brazil, and India.
The mission of YWAM Diriamba is:
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Model missions,
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Multiply the Biblical principles in our training programs, and
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Mobilize missionaries to other areas.
Model, Multiply, and Mobilize Missionaries
MODEL
The Johnson family and their staff are influencing a generation of Nicaraguans. They have introduced sports and mime performances at universities and high schools, as well as in children’s ministries.
They write and distribute literature based on a biblical worldview and help the poor start their own businesses.
MULTIPLY
YWAM Nicaragua held its first mission school in 1993. Eight of the nine students who attended that school are still in ministry today. The students have demonstrated incredible adaptability on the most challenging mission trips in order to see the lost come to Christ. The following tools have been used to multiply workers for the harvest:
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Discipleship Training Schools
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Condensed Bible School
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Schools of Evangelism and Development
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Church Seminars
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King’s Kids Ministry
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Children’s Ministry
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Staff Internship Program
MOBILIZE
The church in Nicaragua has faced many challenges. YWAM is working to make Nicaragua a blessing to the nations. Some of the workers who have been trained in Nicaragua are serving in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico. Our goal is to establish a permanent team in North Africa and, at the same time, send more short-term teams to Cuba. These workers will need a prayer force as well as a financial support team to be able to mobilize.