From the time I was physically born my parents Terry, and Jodi Yates took me to Church showing me consistency and the importance of healthy community. My grandmother Maude Yates was a strong spiritual influence during my childhood and helped lay the foundation of my faith. Pleasant Hill Church of Christ in Nashville TN has been my home Church most of my life. They along with other individuals have supported my endeavor to travel and help in various ways outside of the country as I have grown a driving desire for mission work.
I have not always made the right choices, I have stumbled, but God has always led people or me to me to lift me back up and get me back on course. I rely on the Lord’s strength. Without Him and the salvation through Jesus Christ, I am nothing. My life is dedicated to God's will and my mind set on understanding the human condition. In my suffering, I have found patience. It is my desire seek the lost and searching souls.
I’ve seen the eyes of children who long for hope. I’ve watched heroes sacrifice their money and time to care for the medical needs of villages in Belize which were overlooked by modern society. I’ve heard the cries of infants covered with boils as their mothers gently rock them in their loving arms. I’ve smelled poverty. I’ve felt the joy in the hearts of entire communities as the Lord’s servants grace the people with their presence and tend to the needs of the soul.
With WEI (The World English Institute) we stood on the street corners of Podgorica Montenegro for hours passing out flyers written in Serbian for classes in which we used God’s word to teach English. The people who were eager to learn English benefited in spiritual ways as well as intellectual.
After Hurricane Maria devastated the entire country of Dominica, my wife and I traveled there and spent 16 days with Brother Lewis Roman, a local minister with whom I was an apprentice. As we toured the countryside, we heard unbelievable stories and saw entire villages that had been flooded by the rivers with several feet of rock and silt left to tell the story. House after house with blue tarps covering where the roof used to be was visible proof that no one was untouched. Twisted steel and concrete rubble was all that was left of large buildings. Coconut farms reduced to fields of sticks in the ground. An entire rain forest was leveled by winds with speeds of over 210 miles per hour and littered with debris that had been spread by the storm. But the land shows signs of its resilience as do the hearts of the people.
I am Timothy Joshua Yates. My wife of seven years is Jessica Yates, the mother of my beautiful stepson Ryder and beautiful daughter Livi. I have 18 years of experience as a professional photographer, currently working in the dance industry.
My heart is Open to love. My mind is open to learning. My weakness replaced with His strength. My faith is free to share.
