DTS Weeks 5-8 and Outreach Update!

Hello all!

First of all, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to update! DTS is crazy busy, but recently God has been showing me how important it is to record what I’m learning and who I am now so that I can look back on this and see all the ways He’s answered my prayers and helped me to grow!

SO Since I last posted about my DTS lectures it’s been about 4 weeks.

Since then we had lectures on:

1) Joanna Kim, PLUMBLINE- Forgiveness and letting go/embracing our self-image in God rather than in man

2) Tommy Manay, EVANGELISM- Spreading the Gospel on the mission field and in our everyday lives

3) Moses Kim, GOD’S CHARACTER- The distinct characteristics of God and how we can interact with Him

4) Jeung SeungHoon, LORDSHIP- What it looks like to truly make Jesus Lord of your life

It’s been quite an emotional roller coaster, to be honest. Lots of growth and fun, lots of difficulties. But I’m extremely thankful for every moment of DTS so far!

During Plumbline week I was able to realize where my perfectionism comes from, and how dumb it is. On this earth I can never be perfect and I will never be satisfied with who I am. I will never be enough for myself no matter what I achieve or who I become. And part of that is because for most of my life I have listened to what the world has said about who I am, but now I want to only listen to what God has to say about me. After all, everything else is utterly hevel (חבל) and chasing after wind. In God I have been able to (slowly but surely) let go of my perfectionism. Trusting God's voice and finding my identity in Him, rather than temporary things is so beautiful and freeing! Every day as I put my trust more and more in Him I feel the weight of the world lifted off of my shoulders, and I feel my darkness and sadness turning to light and joy in the Lord!

Evangelism week was really fun, and helped me build my confidence in sharing God's word! We developed a way to share our testimonies in order to encourage and minister to people, and we became more firm in our understanding and ability to share the gospel! We really focused on what it looks like to be a missionary in our everyday lives as well, through building relationships with people and being completely open about your faith! This week made me very excited for outreach too!!

The next week we learned about God's character from Moses, one of the founders of this YWAM base! At first, to be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by the topic. I grew up in a Christian home so I had heard a lot about God's characteristics before, so I expected to be quite bored by spending a whole week on God's personalities, but I was actually rather enthralled! What I was missing when I had learned about God's character before was a real, personal heart connection with Him. But now that I can feel God's presence, truly love Him, and be in relationship with Him I was blown away by who God is! One of the biggest revelations I had that week was about God's omni-presence. God loves us His creation so much that He wants to be, and is with us all the time, everywhere! There is no person or place that is forgotten by the Lord, and all are beloved by Him. That place you go when you're scared, or that park you like to walk by to get a breath of fresh air, He's there. He loves it more than you can imagine. God made the whole world, and He wants us to enjoy the beauty and strangeness of it all!

Lordship was a good week for me, especially since I had just finished reading "Making Jesus Lord" by Loren Cunningham! I realized that God gave us every good thing we have (life, family, money, etc.) and so our lives and possessions aren't truly ours. So I want to give my life back to God, and use it for whatever He wants for me! (More on this topic is in my book review)

Also… We’re going to Mongolia and then touring around South Korea for outreach!!

When we come back to Korea, starting in Seoul we will head on down the Western side of the country, and go to Jeju island before coming back to our Gadeok base for briefing and graduation!

I’m super excited to go on outreach but I’m also just hoping that I’ll be able to be an asset to the team and that God will show me what He has for me to do every day of this mission, whether that be comforting someone, or sharing my testimony with someone, or simply just praying for someone I met on the street. I want God to lead my every step and I want his love and peace to flow out of me.

Prayer Points:

• That I would be able to spend my time in DTS well. (Having my priorities in line with what God has for me, and not focusing on my future or anything else, but fully submitting myself to God each day.)

• That I would be able to hear God speak to me, and obey his calling with confidence and authority.

• That my Korean language skills would improve exponentially so that I may be able to better communicate and evangelize during outreach in Korea.

• That God would prepare my heart and our whole team as we prepare to go on outreach so that we can work together well as the body of Christ.

*Korean Lesson: 하나님 도와주세요 (ha-na-neem dow-wa-ju-say-yo) God, help me!*

Thank you all so much for supporting me as I pursue God with my full heart!

The Lord bless you and keep you!

~Hope Starr, 성소망