Tuesday, July 15, 2014

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