Disciple[ship]

This past week has been filled with lectures, work duties, and some fun adventures in and around Harpenden. The time is flying by fast and I am really glad that I am here.

The lectures this week were all focused on the topic of discipleship and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. I was reminded of things I already knew but was also challenged with a lot of new ideas of what it means to be a disciple. It's hard to condense a week's worth of teachings into a few paragraphs so I'll just write about the points that really stuck out to me.

The disciples of Jesus were all ordinary men and had ordinary lives; they were challenged by Jesus to follow Him and to give up their daily routines. By making the decision to follow Jesus they lived a life of unknowns. They didn't always know where they were going, what to do or what to say. They got things wrong and had to learn continually from the teachings of Jesus. But they were still willing to give everything to Jesus. They learned along the way and depended on Jesus for guidance.

This commitment that the disciples made really challenged me to give my whole life to Jesus and trust that He can take care of my dreams, plans and future. The question isn't where I'm going in life but who I'm following. I'm bound to get things wrong along the way and realize somethings I need to change but Jesus will be my guide. If I listen to His guidance and truly seek Him out He will show me where to go and provide me with the means to get there.

I really look forward to learning more this week and getting to know my fellow students better! All of us have connected really well already. We all shared our testimonies in the week which really brought us together more. We've had a lot of fun as a group with random games, exploring the town, dance parties and just hanging out!

Thanks for reading and all of your prayers!

The Oval

The "Oval" or YWAM Base

From left: BB Hall, Church and Clock Building

One of these cozy houses is where I live!

A Map of the Oval: I live in #9

I'm Finally Here!

So after many months of preparation the adventure has finally begun. For those of you who don't know I graduated from high school in June and did not know where to go next. I decided not to go to university but I wanted to do something more then work for the following year. I felt God pushing me to do something that would allow me to develop my relationship with Him and also something that would stretch my faith. I know a few people who have done a DTS program with YWAM and had heard that it was both challenging and rewarding. I prayed about the decision a lot and really felt that God was leading me to Harpenden. There have been many challenges in the journey towards YWAM both physical and emotional but I am very grateful to be here now. I know I will be challenged in my ideas of faith and my relationship with God but I hope to grow through the program and really experience God's presence.

I flew into Heathrow airport early on January 15th. As I was driving back to the YWAM base in Harpenden, England I was able to see some very 'English' scenery which is gorgeous. There are twenty people in my DTS program and over ten different nationalities are represented within the group. Everyone is really amazing and I'm looking forward to getting to know them all. There are also other YWAM programs going on at the same time as mine so I have the opportunity to meet many more people all of which share the same love for Jesus.

The first twelve weeks of the DTS will consist of lectures and guest speakers. Through this time I hope to really strengthen my relationship with God and get to know Him better. This week's lecture focus is on Discipleship and what it means. I'm really looking forward to learning a lot and being reminded of things that I may already know.

Hopefully I will be able to update this blog every couple weeks to keep everyone up to date on what is happening here in Harpenden! To finish off I'll leave you with some verses that have really stood out to me this week:
"Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him-but some of them doubted. Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always even to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:16-20