"Go Now!"
The Lord had directed us to do a Discipleship Training School at YWAM Tyler in July 2016. We were sure it was to be the Crossroads DTS. We had met with Jeff Howie, the school leader and liked him very much. We were sure we belonged with the older, more mature students – we are in retirement after all. Jeff was short students for the school. He called us and asked us to pray. And we did! The school largely hinged on one international couple who were having visa issues. We prayed for them.A couple weeks before the school started we learned that the numbers were just not there and we had to make a choice: wait for the next Crossroads scheduled for the following January or join the “Classic” DTS (designed for young people).
We were pretty nervous about being in a class of young people. Would we be able to relate to them? We had connected with Jeff and were looking forward to him being our school leader. What to do?
Friends told us Texas is HOT in the summer, it would be smart to wait for January. But in my quiet time, the Lord spoke very clearly to me, “Time is short. You don’t have 6 months to sit on the sidelines. Go now.”
We decided to go, but we were still praying that the international couple could get their visa and Crossroads would happen. We continued praying for that even after classes had started.
God knew exactly what we needed, which was that particular amazing group of young people. We were often told that we were good for them, but this I know to be true: they were good for us. They were a fountain of youth to us; there was healing and restoration that happened through our relationships with them. We bonded as a class, and there was sweet unity among us. We loved on them, and they loved on us.
However, it was also a challenge keeping up, for the Classic DTS is designed to keep young people busy and focused. And our school leader, Kim Kaufman (who we came to love and respect very much) runs a tight ship. God poured out so much grace on us, and we made it through. We then did our SOE (School of Evangelism) with most of the same group plus some additional pretty awesome young people. We continue to treasure the relationships and connections we made in those classes.
While I don’t recommend the Classic DTS to everyone our age, if God calls you into one, it will be the best thing that ever happened to you!
YWAM Tyler is a great place for people of all ages to come and grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord and with others. One of our greatest strengths on this campus is that we're multi-generational. Four times a year we offer Discipleship Training Schools. Don't wait, sign up now for the next one beginning in April!