Hello again!
A few weeks ago I was talking with one of the staff members about what I expected or didn’t expect about this DTS. The truth is, I didn’t really have any expectations. I had no idea what we would be doing. I can’t believe so few of the YWAMers I’ve met warned me about how emotionally involving it could be. I somehow literally thought that I would just be learning things and somehow not be emotionally affected at all. I really do not know what I was thinking.
The teachings I’ve had since I last wrote were Inductive Bible Study, the Holy Spirit, and the Kingdom of God. The Inductive Bible Study week was interesting, but not very exciting, which actually made for a nice break. Holy Spirit week was probably my favorite week so far. Many Christians sometimes talk about The Holy Spirit as if he were a thing rather than a person, and although that was never what I believed, it was really refreshing to learn more about God from that perspective, especially using verses from the Bible that talk about the Holy Spirit that are often neglected. Kingdom of God week was really interesting, and made me think a lot about what life will be like for me when I go back home.
One of the things the students are involved in as part of our DTS is some of the local Outreaches. One group goes to Ikebukuro to worship for a couple hours. This is the most dramatic outreach, as they’ve had some people hear their music and have meaningful conversations because of it. One group does homeless ministry, and another group alternates between helping a local church with their youth group and meeting with METS, the Metropolitan English Talking Society. My group is involved with a youth group organization called Hi-BA, or High School Born-Againers. We’re involved with the international one, so most of the students can speak English. It’s been really wonderful to get to know the people there, especially as some of the children are very strong in their faith.
Another outreach, on that all the students are involved in, is Living Room, where we have a worship session for two hours (or longer sometimes.) It sounds pretty simple and maybe a bit dull if you’ve never experienced a worship ministry where God’s presence is genuinely involved, but it’s really fun, and I know I’m going to miss it when I leave.
In mid-December, we’re going to depart for our International Outreach locations. Two groups will go to the Philippines and one group, including me, will be going to Thailand. I’ve learned so much already, and I’m not entirely sure what it’ll be like when the time that we leave to put our lessons into practice finally comes around, but I’m excited to see God work through me, as I trust he will.
We’re almost halfway through the lecture phase. I can’t quite believe it. I’m trying hard not to think to much about the future, and just enjoy my life in the beautiful season where it’s currently at. But even if the thought of parting ways with all these fantastic people makes me sad, as I start to see things a little more clearly and become closer to God, I’ve become really excited about what my days after DTS might have in store.
Thanks for reading!
