What Happened During DTS Outreach?

I apoligize for the late blog updates, I am now a student in the School of Biblical Studies, we have completed our first month and already covered five books! Its much work, but so worth it.

Here are some of the major events that happened in my outreach phase of DTS:

First we went to Uganda, in the Lugazi Sugarcane District. We started at a school called Hands of Grace. This was a primary and Secondary school, they also had a nursery. We spent an entire week teaching the students, playing games and growing in our relationship with the staff/leadership.

Sundays we would preach in church, I was lucky, and also nervous to preach, so I did not preach during these three Sundays; but my time was coming soon!

Easter Sunday I encountered my first demon! There was a young boy who was overtaken by a demon when we layed hands on him to pray for deliverance from bad dreams. I couldn't beleive what was before my eyes, the boy kicked and screamed, he ran out of the church into the sugercane feild! A few ran after him, but our leader encouraged us to stay in church, this was an attempt from the enemy to distract us from our service. Later that day, about an hour after the service the men brought the boy back tied in ropes. He was screaming out "the boy is mine," words of that sort. He was prayed for for a long time, eventually he fell tired and went still. He was delivered! Later that afternoon he accepted Jesus!

We did home visits during this time and also did practical work playing in the mud and helping an old woman build her mud walls.

We went to two other locations in Uganda, the people were lovely, many accepted Jesus, and our team was strengthened!

We had a few days to relax, then we traveled back to the northern part of Rwanda! My heart was so glad to be back :)

We spent the first three weeks in a place called Gatsibo. This was a fairytale land, too beautiful for words! Surrounded by mountains, farmlands and a lake; I woke up in the morning and wished to call this place home!

We were pushed to our limits in this location! Not only did we sleep on the dirt ground of a food celar, but it was freezing cold and was infested with rats and frogs; some nights I didn't sleep! But the days were perfect and it made up for the nights!

We spent many days hiking up mountains to cut down trees for a widow building a home. We preached at different locations miles apart and we walked by foot; our time here was amazing and I finally had the opportunity to preach!

My favorite part of Gatsibo were the children :)

Hundreds of children would gather around us and sing to God! I would go back in a heartbeat.... :)

There were testimonies of healing from our team and also a lame man from the village. God began to show me how powerful He is to heal.

The last weeks we spent in a very nice area of Rwanda, I preached again but this time in a HUGE congregation verse the village church. I actually really enjoyed it!

We worked with Compassion International children and visited many churches during this time.

Overall outreach was wonderful. I grew in my realtionship with God and He continues to teach me new things everyday. I recommend for everyone to do a DTS no matter your age.

January to March

From January to March I was a student in the YWAM Discipleship Training School, located in Kigali, Rwanda.

Each week guest speakers from all over Africa came in to teach us about God and His character, some topics included learning God's father heart, about forgivness, reconcilation, sin, realtionships, culture, missions, etc.

There were 14 students in total; 2 Amercians, 1 Tanzanian, 2 from Burundi, 3 from Rwanda and the rest from Kenya. All the girls stayed in one room and the boys in another! We lived together for six months and all survived!

After three months of training we were excited to go out into the mission field, wherever God would lead us to share with His people! We really had no idea what was to come, what challeneges we would face as we left our comfort zones. Preaching.... teaching.... leading worship.... quiet time with God.... hearing His voice.... Trusting Him to provide..... Not to mention we had no idea we would run into spiritual warfare!

Major Events:

Studying Word of God

Spending Intentional Quiet Time with God

Learning to Hear His Voice

Learning to trust Him

Learning to live in a Community of very different People

Things I Did For Fun:

Joined a Rwandan Choir

Played Guitar

Went for Coffee and African Tea with friends

Joined a Fitness Club where I was the only white person!

Recorded a song in a Recording Studio 

Explored the City on Moto

Culture Shocks:

Eating soup and sticky ugali together on one plate...... with their fingers (no forks or spoons)!

Bucket Showers

No Washing Machines!

DTS- YWAM Discipleship Training School

Wow!

The last six months of my life have been wild! Let me start you from the beginning...

Last year, August 2013 I visited the beautiful Rwanda on a nine day mission trip with City Church (please read about the trip on Heisalwayswithme.com, my website). On this trip all of our lives were transformed as we experienced true worship and Rwandan culture. Our worship band and Pastor minstered all over the provinces of Rwanda, many of the team were privledged to minister in schools and refuge camps. This short term mission trip left me passionate to return for a longer period of time. Originally I thought I would return as a teacher in the Primary Schools of Africa New Life, God had other plans :)

After returning to Connecticut, months went by in preperation for the return trip. The doors to teaching seemed to close as doors to an organiztion called YWAM (Youth with a Mission) opened. A missionary couple recommened I reach out to this organization in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. A teaching position was open starting in January, I truly thought this was the position God was calling me to! But again... God had other plans!

DTS is a school designed to strengthen and deepen your relationship with God. Its a unique school that challenges you into His likeness as you study in the classroom and then take your knowledge and apply it practically through outreach; this is what God wanted me to do :)

Hello to all my friends and family!!

Dear friends and family,

Thank you so much for supporting me on this mission for Jesus in Rwanda! Over the last six months my relationship with God has bloomed, I have experienced the love  of Christ and His faithfulness like never before. Please follow along in this blog and read about my journey. Thank you all again for your love and support! 

You are blessed