What Is YWAM anyways?
Youth With A Mission is an international movement of Christians from many denominations dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Also known as YWAM (pronounced "WYE-wam"), our calling is to know God and to make Him known. Back when we began in 1960, our main focus was to get youth into short-term mission work and to give them opportunities to reach out in Jesus' name. Today, we still focus on youth, and we also involve people of almost every age (even many people who choose to spend their "retirement" in active service), from over 130 countries. Our many ministries fit into three main categories: evangelism, training and mercy ministry. We are currently operating in more than 900 locations in over 140 countries, with a staff of over 11,000.
WHAT IS A “DTS”? Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) aim to prepare messengers of the gospel, helping students to know God in depth. The goal is to form Christian character and establish Biblical relationships while developing a daily walk with God. This intensive Christian training course begins with an 11 or 12 week classroom phase followed by a typically 12 week outreach.
The DTS is designed to encourage students to develop in personal character, to cultivate a living relationship with God, and to identify their unique individual gifts and callings in God. Cross-cultural exposure and global awareness are special emphases throughout these courses, preparing the students to reach current and future generations and answer the call to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19.
Today is June 3rd.
Us @ Gasworks Park with our Turkish Friends
.... and that means that today myself and some friends took a few of the Turkish Women (& their children) we work with @ World Relief to Seattle (as they live in Kent, WA; 45 min. outside of the City) for a day out!
When we arrived at one of the apartment complexes we found our friend Nadir who then took us to his apartment where his wife Zakkiya & their 4 children were. We thought we were just picking them up but they made us sit down, they turned on music, and next thing we know we're being fed tons of food and given our choice of coffee, water, or cola! Zakkiya had a permanent smile on. I think she was excited to go to Seattle. It was very sweet.
We took them to Gasworks Park and they brought Turkish food to feed us! We also took them to Seattle Center to see the Space Needle and we went on a few rides at the carnival there. We took a bazillion pictures and had a really great time!
I am constantly overwhelmed by the hospitality of these people!!! It seems like everytime we try to bless them we end up more blessed by them! I cannot express how much I love seeing them each week and how inspired I am by all that they have been faced with in coming to America. English is a terribly difficult language to learn, especially for people their age. Not only that, but the culture is just so different and they miss their family back in Russia so much. I wonder how it must feel to watch their children become "Americanized", I wonder how it feels to be stared at, I wonder if they're sad a lot of the time. Mayura was sad today - she said she was homesick. Even I remember being in Thailand and getting to the point where I was sick of using their money, eating their food, speaking their language and longed for the familiarity of home. But they don't get to go home because they're refugees. I can't imagine how the reality of that must feel. They have never "fit in" anywhere, not even in their "home" (Russia) because they're Turkish and Russia didn't accept them either. The government takes care of them only for a certain time and then they have to provide for their families, and I'm sure that some of them had already retired back in Russia. Now they have to work for a living all over again! ... and still they're some of the most thankful people I've ever met.
sheesh...writing this I realize how much I care about them and desire their happiness, to make them feel loved and like they belong.
