Outreach Poland & Estonia

DTS finished the last week of June and all six students graduated. The last week we had a debrief week where we reflected on the last six months of the DTS, both lecture and outreach phase. It was amazing to see how much the students have grown through the period of the DTS, how much they have learnt and what their visions and dreams are for the future.

The whole six months have been great. The students really enjoyed the lecture phase of all the different teaching topics every week. Most of the students enjoyed the topics of Father Heart of God, Holy Spirit, Fear of the Lord and Identity in Christ the most out of the rest.

The outreach phase of going to Poland and Estonia was good for the team to put in action of what they learnt during the lecture phase.

We stayed in Krakow, Poland for six weeks. Poland is a catholic nation and there are so many churches everywhere. The city we were located in was a tourist spot and also had many international students living in the area, so many people understood English. The older generation however did not speak much English at all. The first week we were there we visited Auschwitz. The place seems so surreal and fragile. We took the opportunity to pray for forgiveness for anyone who visits the place.

As a team, we focused a lot on evangelism in Krakow in many different ways; park, street and serving ministry. We went to a town, one hour away from Krakow, called Roma village where there were many Gypsies. Most of the gypsies there are Christians. We went there to fellowship, encourage and spend time with them. We visited about three times while we were in Poland.

The last week we were in Poland we worked with one Catholic Church in an evangelism event. The event went for four days and we helped in different ways. One day we helped organise over 2000 flowers, by putting scriptures on them and handing them out to people on the streets. Another day we helped by making sandwiches. The last day there was a 24 hour Bible reading at a university campus and after that we performed two dramas and shared about them. We enjoyed being in Poland but were happy to go to Estonia after six weeks.

We were in Estonia for three weeks in total. We did a lot more different kind of ministries in Estonia compared to Poland. We helped renovate an apartment that YWAM is fixing; we sanded and painted the walls and much more. We did practical work at a house that is going to become a home for pregnant teenage girls. We also prayed and blessed the home for the ministry that will start there soon.

We went on prayer walks in the Old Town of Tallinn. The town is surrounded by great big walls and gates, we were learning about how the foundation of a city is important when praying for the nation.

We also went to a soup kitchen to feed the homeless food and encourage them. God opened my eyes to see what He sees as I served food to the homeless. It was a blessing to serve God in so many ways as we were in Estonia.

As I look back to the weeks of outreach I can see how God sent us to the countries that God is pioneering YWAM. There are many differences between Poland and Estonia, Poland is a religious country and Estonia is a country that many doubt and don’t believe in God.

While we were in both countries, we were sowing seeds and planting water on what God has already done there. I believe God has many things He wants to do in these countries.

-Liz Pesonen

SDTS Staff

Ending is beginning!

The end of the lecture phase is coming really near. Twelve weeks have gone by since the beginning of this DTS! It seemed a long time back then! Time flew though! Looking back I’m grateful, it has been really good! God is working in all of us! A privilege. Soon we’ll be leaving this comfort & cozy-ness behind for outreach, time for the practical! I expect an interesting mix between, faith, love, hope, challenges, hungry hearts & fun. Living life how God intended it to be. We expect to see Him working in and through us!

This week has been about Destiny! Our teacher this week, Kerstin, has been explaining a lot of things to us! About Dreams, Experiences, Soulprint, Identity in Christ, Gifts, Networking. Capitals make up DESIGN. Destiny by design! We’re all unique, engraved with beautiful personalities and things that make us us! Let’s not forget that the choices we make today make up our future!

Your thoughts become your words, your words will be your actions, your actions will be your habits, they will make up your character, and your character determines your destiny. So how do you control your thoughts? By your will….! Whenever a thought pops up you don’t want it there, it’s your choice to reject it. Your character determines whether you succeed or fail a good friend once said. And it’s true! Take time to work on your character, by reading His word. We study for LIFE CHANGE.

Do we bend the word of God to apply it to our lives? Or do we bend our lives to be according to the Word of God?

HAVE A GREAT WEEK! Pray for our outreach! Thanks for reading!

-Bendert

Yay!

This week on Dts we are learning about the Bible! We have the privilege of having a teacher from Latvia coming to us to teach this week. Her name is Kristine Ecis. She told us studying the Bible is one of the disciplines of Christian faith, just like praying, fasting, bible reading. It’ s really good if you read your bible every day…But do you fast everyday? No, and in that same way. Don’t feel bad when the next time you study is a month away! When we want answers in things we don’t understand it’s great to practice this skill of studying and to find those answers.

When you study…don’t study for the sake of studying, she told us. Why do we study? She asked. Her answer is: We study to change life. If it doesn’t change our lives studying the Bible than there is something wrong with our study…If we just study to get knowledge, it doesn’t really help us. Only knowledge, without change puffs up! Yes, we need the knowledge, but we also need the change of character to live it out the knowledge.

It was really interesting the first day to hear about little facts as…the bible has 66 books. 39 in the Old testament. How to remember that? Old = 3 letters. Testament = 9 letters. 39 together! The New Testament has 27 books. New = 3 letters. Testament = 9 letters. 3 x 9 = 27! Good tip huh? Today we dressed up and put ourselves in their ‘clothes’ by imagining living in the time of Jesus. We played a drama being Pharisees, Sadducees, city elders arguing over Jesus raising Lazarus up from the dead. . It was a really interesting way of learning their point of view. The things they stood for.

We will be learning by heart the order of the books in the NT, we will study the book of Kings briefly and an in depth study on Philemon. All this promises a great week knowing the bible more! Cause after all… This is the book that has the power to change our way of thinking, it has had a tremendous impact on the world and how we live today, it still touches and changes many people’s life today, it is the book revealing to us our history and reminding us of our future. And is by far the most proven book in the history of man. It’s living and active. It’s Gods written Word☺ Love!

-Bendert

Only a few more weeks!

We are getting closer and closer to our outreach, and the closer we get the more excited we are(at least I am). Last week our teacher was Ron Archer, from California United Sates. His topic was Sin, Repentace and Restitution, but as he began to teach he felt the Holy Spirit leading him otherwise. He felt we should sit on the couches and talk. He led us through some team building, so we could be more prepared for outreach. We spent our whole week doing the teaching on the couches, and it gave us an environment to be open and share and also listen to his teachings. We all really liked Ron and had a good week.

Last Thursday we led a youth night here at the base where we had about 12 kids and we got to hang out, play games, worship and share a little to them. It was a lot of fun and beneficial for everyone.

Leading worship in Siilinjärvi pentecostal church

This week our teacher is Samson Kurshid. He is originally from Pakistan but now lives in Indiana. His topic is hearing God's voice. He has given us some great advice on spending quality time with God, and decifering between God's voice and other voices. He had told us the steps and what is needed to help us hear the voice of God. Each morning he leads a devotional, where we spend some quiet time listening to God and worshiping him. Last night He trated us to some Butter Chicken Curry, a recipe from Pakistan. It was a great week of teaching.

We had a visitor this week: Susa Jurvansuu she came to traslate and hang out for the week. She joined us in our second game of angels and mortals. A fun time where we get to bless our friends. This weekend we have our second free weekend. Some of students get to go home for the weekend, and spend some time with their family's.

-Kevin

Were Home!

After a long/good two weeks, we came home to Koivumäki. After we left Perhenemi we went to Vihti another snowboarding event, “Free to Ride.” This was held by the Gospel Boarders. It gave us a chance to talk to some people, show our drama and see God work through others. That night we went to Leea’s home church in Hattula.

We spent last week there, as well as Hämeenlinna. Sunday we introduced ourselves and showed our drama to the Church. Monday was a free day and we spent it at Leea’s grandpa’s on the snowmobile. Tuesday we went to a Lutheran Bible School and told them about what we were doing and some of the things God has shown us while we have been here. That night we held a prayer meeting at the church and had some time to pray for countries and their leaders.

Wednesday we visited an elderly home in Hämeenlinna, and got to tell them about how Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. That night we went to a youth night in Tampere. We got to lead them in worship, perform more dramas and share a few of our thoughts. It was a great time to connect with the people there, and invite them to our youth night on Thursday. A few of us finished Wednesday night by going to see this Christian/Finnish/Rapper, Ruudolf.

Thursday morning we went to Hämeenlinna, and did some street evangelism. After that we delivered some free bread and went to visit an elderly lady. That night we had a youth night. There were more people than most of us expected, and it was a great night that ended in one girl giving her life to Christ.

The week was fun and was full of learning and building in each other. We look forward this week to hearing from our speaker Ron Archer from California.

-Kevin

Glimpse of SDTS

Hello all Exited SDTS-blog readers!
The time is flying, it´s already three weeks since the last blog-update. After our relationship-week we had teaching about spiritual warfare and intercession. So now we know much more about how efficient the armor of God is, and when it comes to intercession, I think all students got encouraged that prayer really works!! This week finished off with a Fun Night. All came clothed as something starting with an “S”; Spiderman, Supermodel, Spurgu, Siamesetwin, Star, Sock… just to mention a few. We had a really fun night and it was a good way of ending the week.
Next day we spent at the slopes in Siilinjärvi. It was time for the annual event, “Avalanche”. Avalanche is a happening organized by Christians from different congregations. Before we packed our snowboards, instruments, drama-equipments, and drove to Kasurila, we had an amazing worship-time. Wow!
At Kasurila we all got to do something, … the drama, play or sing worship-songs. I mostly spend my time playing with the kids outside. So fun! It was good to see that Christians can co-operate though we are from different churches.
This week we have been in Perheniemi. It´s very beautiful here, I can promise. A big old mansion, and an other house where we sleep. The view is almost breathtaking. First part of the week we got teaching about financial matters and Biblical worldview by Dirk Jan Couprie, and on Thursday and Friday we got teaching about love and relationships by Perhenimi´s principal Petri Välimäki.
Next week we will have an even more special week… but I won't reveal anything yet. Read it on next blog-update, right? ;)
-Martina

Miracles

To start off this post Mary woke up this week, looked outside and saw an angel. She said that she thought it meant this week would be one of spiritual encounters, and it was.

Our topic was the Holy Spirit and Evangelsim, and ironically we experienced both during the teaching. The teacher was Jari Koivu. A Finnish man, who runs a ywam base in Canada. He taught us about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and many other things.

Tuesday he had given us stories of going out to the streets and healing people. That night we had two visitors (Christopher and Christian) who taught us how to heal in the name of Jesus. They led us in a prayer meeting, and we saw our arms and legs grow, as well as Mary get fully healed of her peanut allergy. It was miraculous. We could feel the Holy Spirit in that room with us.

Thursday we had our open meeting. During worship, the presence of God filled the room and we were all jumping, clapping and singing "Yes, Lord!" It was the most powerful worship session here yet. After Jari spoke, we were led in another prayer and healing session.

Jari finished off his speaking with evangelism. That night we chose to go to a place in Siilinjärvi that is open for youth to hang out on Friday nights. We had fun and got to share with the kids why we were there. At first they seemed uninterested, but maybe that was because they spoke Finnish(I can't yet), but when it came time to leave, we told them we were going to the free Church and eight of them came to join us. There we got to show them our dramas, connect with them on facebook and bless and pray for them when they left. They seemed way more interested toward the end of the night. We prayed that the God would show himself to them.
It was a very successful end to a very powerful week.

This week we look forward to hearing from Pekka Puurunen about relationship. Starting off the week on Valentines, or Friendship, Day.

In Daddy's hands

It's our third Monday here in Koivumaki, and we have already started learning about how to connect with God. We learned about his attributes, then how to fear him. Now we are learning how to recognize him as our daddy (isi).
Last week Mirjam covered a lot on the Fear of the Lord, and gave us a great understanding of how large he is and how we tend to shrink him in our mind. She talked Thursday night, to the students and guests, about the prodigals son, and how both of the sons felt as if they were servants to their father. We often feel as if we are God's servant, when in truth we are his sons and daughters.

We had a great weekend. Including: ice skating, ice hockey, go karting on the ice and some time to relax and prepare ourself for week 3.

This week our guest is Topi Kivimaki. he started off the week giving us some great examples of how God loves us as his children, and we sometimes look at him like bigger than a father. We need to call him daddy as Jesus did in the new testament often.

We looked forward to the rest of the week with Topi and learning more about the Father Heart of God.

-Kevin

Walking in the garden

Hey everybody! Our teacher for this week is amazing! We are talking about the Fear of the Lord. Very interesting! To give you a small ‘ look ‘ into our DTS read this story! But don’t use binoculars for it! Find out why!

So one day Adam and God are walking through the garden of Eden. God taps Adam on the shoulder and says: Hey Adam, Listen up!’ ‘Uhh..yeah God?’ Adam says. ‘Adam, I have a gift for you!’ ‘Ahh sweet’ Adam says. ‘ I like gifts!’

‘This is a really special gift’, says God while He gives Adam a binocular. ‘Hmm…A binocular’ Adam thinks. God says: Now this is really important. Use this binocular only when you look at Me. And when you look at me, use them. These are the rules coming with this gift. You got to obey the rules or it will not show the true image. You got that?’

Off course Adams response is yes and God challenges Him to try it out! Adam slowly brings his binocular to his eyes and looks at God…’WOW… God, you are so BIG!’
‘ Yes. I am God says. You got that right’ ‘ But..uuuh..your incredible!’ Adam says. Yes, God says. ‘ But remember: ‘Never use them for anything else!’ Adam says ‘oke!’ And looks at God again, and just marvels. Than the two go their separate ways.

Adam walks through the garden and all of a sudden sees an ant! Such a tiny ant he wonders. Would the binocular also work with this one he thinks…already forgotten what is was God said! He looks at the ant, and the ant is suddenly BIG! He totally looses the perspective of an ant. He looks at Eve, and that totally changes his perspective on women! Or destroys his perspective, you could say! Everything that was supposed to be looked through His eyes is now seen through the binocular.

After a while He hears God coming again in the garden again! Adam walks happily towards God. God askes: ‘Hey Adam. Do you still have your binoculars?’ ‘ Yes Lord, still have them!’ ‘ Use them on Me again!’ God says. So Adam takes his binoculars, looks at God and sees God. But wait… God is not bigger at all! ‘What happened?’ Adam thinks! Before Adam knew it, he lost his perspective on God. God didn’t seem so big at all anymore!

And…does it make sense already? Just for those who would like some explanation! Ooh…And I was one of those! The binocular is the binocular of fear of the Lord. When we use it on something that is not God. It becomes something that it is totally not! Totally blown out of proportion. When we look at the world around us, I think we can we can state that we use it a lot for the wrong things. We look at terrorism, or at appearances. So now other people can suddenly become something we’re afraid of!

The thing is though that fear was never intended as something to be afraid. God created fear so we can look at him with awe. Realizing He is really BIG! With reverence, the highest form of respect. Fearing God is the key to knowing God. It is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10) And as we know all wisdom comes from God.

Thankfully Jesus came. He took our binocular, cleaned the glass and gave them back. You can only live a life with God if we have the binocular of Fear of God. So now it’s cleaned, we can use them again. So I guess now it’s up to us how we use them!

Well I loved this story! I hope you enjoyed it to! DTS is an awesome place to learn new things! We still have 10 weeks to go in the lecture phase after tomorrow! Lectures every day! Pretty awesome!

- Bendert

We ended the week with Kimmo giving us more stories from his past, and other examples for life. We talked about our identity in Christ, addiction, and even God making your wildest dreams come true. Overall we had a very successful and fun week, and were very thankful for Kimmo coming to teach us.

Friday night we went to the Youth Café at the Free Church in Siilinjärvi. There were only four kids there, but we talked, played music and got to meet the leaders of the Youth Café.

The weekend was full of fun. Some of us went to the gym; we watched a movie, went to church, snowboarded down the ramp, had a game night, ate lots of candy :) and just hung out. We already feel like we have known each other for so long, it’s great.

We look forward this week to hearing about the Fear of God from our new guest Mirjam Lauridsen. She had a great opening today that really “exploded out brain.” It looks to be an awesome week.

-Kevin

First studying week in DTS

Soo…WHAT does it mean being a long distance from home, further for some than others, spending time with new people, to be challenged in faith in a DISCIPELSHIP TRAINING SCHOOL?

If you want to know…COME do one! This blog will be a great tool to let you know how DTS for us is like! So far, it has been a really good and already challenging week for us. Beside a really good Finnish diet, sauna and snowboarding for the first time we also spent time with Kimmo Sarajarvi, who is the teacher of the first week!

This weeks teaching is about God’s character and identity in Christ. His nature. His personality and functions. How does God function? We’ve learned He’s a friend, a father, a counselor, the Prince of Peace and lot’s more. In the end it blows my mind and end up with a bigger picture of God than before. And how about identity? What forms it? Culture, family, friends, what we think God thinks about us, or what other people think. Well what God really thinks about us is always POSITIVE. He’s proud of us! We’re His creation! And we’re double His! Made by Him and bought by Him.

Spending time with God every morning is a challenge but really interesting cause it can provide for the necessary fuel to go through life. Like Jesus says. I LIVE not of bread alone, but by every word of the Father! In my time with God today I read Luke chapter 24. Awesome piece of work there! The 2 guys going to Emmaus don’t get it. Jesus is dead, he was supposed to save Israel and now a couple of women claim they’ve seen Him alive?

As they walk Jesus walks besides them and starts explaining everything about Him. They don’t recognize Him. When they arrive at Emmaus they invite Him for dinner. He brakes the bread and asks a blessing from the Father, and than He is revealed before their very eyes and they see it’s Him!

I hope this DTS will be a little bit like that for us. To feel like we’re walking next to Jesus. Him explaining again to us the things that He really important in His eyes. Until we see Him again. With an unclouded mind. Ready to return back to Jerusalem and to tell from what we’ve heard, seen and learned.

-Bendert

Beginning of the Snowboarding DTS 2011

Top: Erik, Bendert, Liz, Martina, Lauri, Meri-Tuulia, Jesse and Leea.

Bottom: Kevin

Snowboarding DTS 2011 has begun! There are 6 students and 2 Staff. Meri-Tuulia, Jesse, Lauri and Martina are the students from Finland. While Bendert is from Holland, and Kevin from the US. Leea and Liz are our staff, with Erik being our leader. We began last Friday, the 14th, by looking at the overview of the school, and the many things in store. We also played a game of football/handball/random rules, in the meter of snow outside. It was a lot of work, but fun and gave us time to bond/get to know one another. Saturday we went over more of the basic DTS things, as well as played a few more games outside. Including one where we randomly stood on a balance log, and then had to crawl over each other in order to get in position according to height. We continued into the night with a few games of Assi, and playing some music together. We got to go into the sauna for the first time, which for us non-Finns was a great experience. Sunday morning we went to Church, where there was a guest German Speaker, who was translated to Finnish, and then English for a few of us. After Church we went back, and later that night had cake and celebrated Clarita's Birthday. We got to ask her a few questions about her childhood, as well as her asking us all various questions. We finished the night with a movie. Monday morning started off early with our first morning exercise at 7. We had our first whole-base prayer/worship session, and then started our first lectures. This weeks lectures are by Kimmo Sarajarvi, and they are about the Nature and Character of God. Today, he gave us examples of all of God's natures, and how he is Creator, Infinite, Eternal, Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Unchanging and Holy. We went into depth about what Holy is, and received many scriptures about each nature.