The first 2 weeks of our discipleship training school, DTS, have been very busy, but an exciting transition of learning and excitement. One of our students from Lima had some unresolved family issues at home and felt she was unable to continue with the school because she was needed at home. After praying with her and respecting her decision where she felt called to go, our school is continuing with 4 students: 3 American and 1 Peruvian. Because our school is small and intimate, it’s exciting to watch how we have become a close-knit family already. We are already seeing the benefits of having a bilingual school because our Peruvian student is picking up so much English and the Americans are all having to use Spanish. David is mentoring one of the guys and I am mentoring both girls, and we are both leading the guys/girls small groups.  All of our students are already growing in their faith in the first 2 weeks and it’s amazing to see! They are hungry to know God in a deeper way and we are seeing them all step out of their comfort zones and try new experiences.  For example, last week when our base director taught “Hearing the Voice of God”, we led the students on a “treasure hunt” (prayer outreach) in the city. They may have started out nervous, but they were able to pray for one man, encourage and talk to some women who were selling trinkets (one of which was our friend Vilma, who we have prayed with before on a treasure hunt. She is probably used to strangers asking her if she wants prayer by now!).

This week, David and I have the honor of tag-team teaching on “Worship, Intercession and Fasting”. We are passionate about all of these topics and we plan on incorporating some lessons about dream interpretation (God communicating with us at night) and some inner-healing prayer. God is leading us to give the students new ways to worship him (ex. through worship art) and new experiences through prayer (ex. prayer-walking around our neighborhood, or prayer-walking over a huge map of Peru–to intercede for the country and other YWAM bases). Some students came to our school barely feeling comfortable to pray their prayers out-loud. Two-weeks later, we are seeing students volunteering to pray over us (as their teachers this week) and their peers.  They are interceding for nations and people that they have never met.  Other students have never been given the opportunity to be creative (exploring art, drawing or music).   Now, they eagerly pick up watercolors and a paintbrush when we have worship music without intimidation. A spark has ignited underneath them that there is more to learn and see of God’s character and they are craving more. Give them MORE Lord!

Jen teaching on “laying a foundation of prayer”