it's hard to believe i've already been here six months. much has changed since i've last written, so please accept my deepest apologies for the speed at which i will try to catch you up.
As i mentioned in my last post, I've entered into a different position here on the base and now get to be involved directly in the lives of the students as DTS staff. The Summer DTS (Discipleship Training School) started early June as 12 students mostly from the States, with the exceptions of one Canadian, one Phillipina and one Australian, all of which the pinnacle of awesome = ) ; nonetheless, the young missionaries arrived and the six-month journey began.
The DTS program consists of two three month chapters: lecture phase and outreach.
In the lecture phase, the students as well as the staff (myself, my coleader Chelsea, two other team leaders, and our school leaders: Tik, a fiery Thai girl and Isaac, the quintessential man's man) are challenged to go deeper in our walks with the Lord as we bring in speakers from all over the world to teach on various topics ranging from Hearing the Voice of God to Biblical Overview (4 years of seminarial bible study crammed neatly into 5 days).
It's been amazing to see the students grow and their beliefs be challenged and i can confidently say that for myself and the other DTS staff it's no less challenging the second time around. We have seen the Lord at work in big ways already and we're only a few weeks into the school.
(the school, 12 students and 6 staff)
There's a myriad more to lecture phase than just lectures however. When not in lecture, the students are either engaging the community of Maui in local outreaches (helping local businesses, picking up trash in Paia or going down into the city and letting the Holy Spirit lead them), serving in local churches alongside YWAM staff, or in Outreach Preparatory classes. In the meantime, Chelsea and I serve alongside them, pray with them and help bring the lectures from the head to the heart, teach in small group times, and scramble to set up the upcoming outreach.
The students were prayerfully broken up into two teams, each with 6 students and both headed to separate locations in Asia short-term to serve for long-term missionaries there. Chelsea, myself, and our wonderful team will be off to the multi-national island of Borneo. The island, half Malaysia and half Indonesia, will be pretty much everything you'd stereotype about a mission trip overseas. We will be sleeping on the ground, sheltered by mosquito nets and makeshift houses, jungle-trekking through villages in increasing degrees of isolation from the outside world, eating rice accompanied by obscure parts of obscure animals. All of our laundry, bathing, and a huge chunk of ministry and recreation will be centered around a river running through the country's wooded green labyrinth. I'll fill you in more on outreach in the weeks to come as it's still in planning stages.
(Benaiah and i after a ridiculous three day camping trip known affectionately as Exodus, slightly on the dirty side)
(Doug, Kristolyn and Matt, three of the Borneo team students)
Our team, some of which in the pictures above, is everything i've prayed for. I've been so encouraged them, they each have such a hunger for the Lord that is so refreshing. Our team consists of four ladies, and two strapping young gentlemen (insane yet strapping nonetheless). It's so good to see the Lord working on each of them individually and getting to be a small part of guiding them towards the person the Lord is drawing them into.
These are definitely exciting times on the base, I'll be sure to fill you in more in the upcoming weeks about how the students are, how i am, outreach details and more of what God is doing. In the meantime, please pray for us. Pray for Chelsea and I, that the Lord would give us wisdom as we lead and unity. Our team, for the Lord to continue to mature us and give us His heart for eachother and the island of Borneo. Finances: the first $2ooo of our 3,300 dollar outreach was due yesterday and a large portion of it has yet to come on my end, Chelsea's and a few of the student's. God will provide and i'm not worried but please be praying with me. Health and protection. And above all the God is glorified in and through me, this team, this base, the nations.
I love and miss you all so much. I pray for you each time i think of you and i love hearing from you. Your prayers, packages, letters, and funds have helped me so much and allowed me to continue in the Lord's call on my life.
feel free always to call, write, facebook... or hey come and visit!
