As of right now I’m preparing to return to New Zealand, August 7th, to staff a Backpacker’s Discipleship Training School for Youth With A Mission at the Oxford base. Their website is www.ywamoxford.org. This trip will consist of two months for leadership training then the school which lasts 5 months. As staff I will sit through the classes and learn along side the students but be in a position of counseling or small group leader. My job will be to help the students through the lecture phase and then lead an outreach team.
What is YWAM and a DTS anyway?!
Let’s cover some common questions before I go any farther. Youth With a Mission (YWAM) is a non-profit, non-denominational, international organization whose goal is to raise up the youth of every generation to jump head long into missions work… to discipline them, equipping them, and sending them out. The YWAM motto is “To know God and to make Him known.”
Discipleship Training School (DTS)
DTS is a preparatory school for doing anything else within YWAM. A DTS lasts 5 months long in which the first half is the lecture phase. During the lecture phase a new subject is taught typically with a different teacher each week. The lecture phase equips the students for missions work, pushes their personal relationships with God further and simply is a time to work out any strongholds in their lives. The second half of the school is an outreach which typically lasts 2 months. On my outreach we did many things, including open air worship and preaching, teaching in schools and churches, and relational evangelism.
Backpackers DTS
Now a Backpacker’s DTS is simply the same thing as a normal DTS but with the twist of being backpacker specific. This means that most of the students with have some sort of backpacker culture that they come from and will use that to share the gospel with the HUGE amount of backpackers throughout New Zealand. This means that on our weekends and outreaches we will intentionally go where other backpackers are to get the opportunity to share the gospel. This may be at backpacking hostels, cabins or even just on the trails.
A very important thing to me is knowing that those at home know my heart behind doing this missions work. I honestly believe God has called me at this stage in my life to New Zealand to serve Him as well as be trained for the future. I’m excited for this opportunity God has given me but understand that it comes with sacrifice. I would return to Colorado any day because it is the one place on this earth that will always feel like home and I LOVE my friends and family who are so supportive of this calling.
I will admit it is not missions work that I love so much yet the daily opportunity to grow closer to my Creator is what drives me on in this work. There is no greater place to be than in God’s calling for your life. No greater love have I ever experienced than when in line with His will. Anything that this calling has and will cost me is still NOTHING in comparison to the blessing God has and does give me every day as I meet with Him. I praise God for every opportunity I’ve had to grow that much closer to Him! It has been my life’s delight.
I have been working these past few months in an incredible job that God has blessed me with trying to raise money for this trip. Selling my Jeep, I have been able to purchase a ticket and have the money to cover myself for a short while but I will need more to complete this trip. The base has informed me to prepare for $800 a month of support during the DTS and the typical outreach is around $3000-4000. So as of right now I still need around a total of $6500. If God leads you to join me in this ministry through financial support please contact me or you can send a check to my church, New Hope Community Church at 13814 Dahlia St. Thornton, CO 80602 with my name on the memo line. I know some of you may have already shown interest in supporting me monthly and I would love to speak with you in person so feel free to call me at any time or write me back.
I would LOVE to answer any questions you may have so please ask because if your wondering about something theirs probably someone else out there that has the same question. I will make sure to answer it in the next news letter or on this webpage. If you would like to be added to an e-mailing list, I will create one that will send you a notice every time I make a new entry on my page or post new pictures. I’m excited to stay in contact with all of you and please contact me at ANY TIME. I’d love to hear from you.
Mark it in your Calander:
I Leave Colorado: August 7, 2007
Backpacker DTS: October 7, 2007 - March 7, 2008
Return Home: March 25, 2008
Keep this ministry in your prayers and ask for the Lords prevision and protection. Thank you very much! God Bless
