Whew! Over a month has passed since the Discipleship Training School began here in Oliver. The time is flying by! My apologies for not updating you last month...
Staffing and learning to co-lead the DTS has been more rewarding--and more challenging--than I imagined. Our schedule is packed with lectures, maintaining the base, serving the local community, building friendships within our team, and time to practice spiritual disciplines like prayer, worship, and bible meditation. We also spend time processing all that we have learned through journaling, small groups, and one-on-one time. As DTS Staff I have the privilege of meeting with our female students and getting to know them more deeply during one-on-one time. I am often surprised at the way God uses this time to help both me and the students grow in our understanding of Him and His ways. A student tells a story or asks a question and a verse or analogy just pops into my head...something I had never thought of before! One-on-ones are some of my favourite times during the week.
Each week we cover a new topic and each topic brings metanoia. Metanoia is a Greek word often translated in the Bible as repent, and can be defined as a change in thinking. As staff I am not immune to the need to change my thinking. In fact I think I am more open to this process now then I was when I was a student myself.
Lately the changes in my thinking have had a lot to do with my independence and my lack of trust and confidence in others. When I moved out of my parents' home after finishing high school I began a process of getting to know who I was and what I was actually capable of. I often underestimated myself and was too scared to try new things. Through my time in university, my travels overseas, living in different locations, and working in a variety of jobs I have been stretched and have grown stronger. All this has been wonderful, but has allowed me to develop a very bad habit of trying to do things in my own strength instead of asking for help and working with others.
As I step out again on a new adventure in stretching myself it's a bit different this time. This one is far too big to handle on my own....I need to rely on the other staff, the students, my supporters, and most of all God to get through each day. Feelings of inadequacy, failure, doubt, weakness bombard me and push me down...but when I'm weak, God is strong. Paul writes about how God taught him this same lesson in his second letter to the church in Corinth:
Prayer Requests:
- rest and time to find that rest
- health (there are many students and staff with colds right now)
- wisdom as we begin to plan for our overseas outreaches
- continued growth and humility
- unity in love (Colossians 3:12-14)
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| Our DTS students and staff. |
Each week we cover a new topic and each topic brings metanoia. Metanoia is a Greek word often translated in the Bible as repent, and can be defined as a change in thinking. As staff I am not immune to the need to change my thinking. In fact I think I am more open to this process now then I was when I was a student myself. Lately the changes in my thinking have had a lot to do with my independence and my lack of trust and confidence in others. When I moved out of my parents' home after finishing high school I began a process of getting to know who I was and what I was actually capable of. I often underestimated myself and was too scared to try new things. Through my time in university, my travels overseas, living in different locations, and working in a variety of jobs I have been stretched and have grown stronger. All this has been wonderful, but has allowed me to develop a very bad habit of trying to do things in my own strength instead of asking for help and working with others.
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| Leaning on my roomate, one of our DTS staff. |
But he [God] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. ~2 Corinthians 12:9It is incredibly humbling to work with a DTS, but I know our school will be stronger as we put our trust in the Lord and support each other.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~Philippians 4:13
Prayer Requests:
- rest and time to find that rest
- health (there are many students and staff with colds right now)
- wisdom as we begin to plan for our overseas outreaches
- continued growth and humility
- unity in love (Colossians 3:12-14)
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