And so it begins...

Hello all! This is Chris Van Sickle, reporting in. First things first, let’s get everyone up to speed on what exactly I’m doing with my life, starting with the big picture.

I am currently doing a Discipleship Training School (DTS) through Youth With A Mission (YWAM) at their base in Denver, CO. A DTS has two parts: lecture phase and outreach. In lecture phase, we learn about and prepare for missions at our base, and in outreach, we actually go and practice missions out in the world. Keeping up so far? Excellent! My DTS began on June 24^th and will end on November 8^th, which means it lasts roughly five months. Lecture phase takes up the first two months (8 weeks), while outreach occupies the remaining three (12 weeks).

It’s worth noting that my particular DTS is called “Around the World.” Given our outreach plans, I think the name makes good sense. Here’s our itinerary for outreach, starting on August 19th:

Costa Rica (2 ½  weeks)

England (1 week)

South Africa (2 ½ weeks)

Thailand (2 ½ weeks)

The Philippines (2 ½ weeks)

Following our time in the Philippines, we will fly back to Denver for one week of debriefing, decompression, and graduation from the DTS program.

I know, right?! IT’S GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE.

So, now I think we’ve covered most of the big picture things (Correct me if I’m wrong through the comments section; questions are always welcome!). Now, let’s go into the small picture briefly.

Every day I’m here is truly a blessing, and already I can tell you that I’ve grown in some remarkable ways. A typical day consists of some mix of teaching, worship, practical application sessions, and tons of fellowship. I have an incredible group of people striving for God’s heart right along side me, and I can tell you for a certainty that I am developing some life long friendships. I’ll be going more in-depth on my living situation and my fellow students, including my outreach team, in later posts.

Let me now give you a taste of some of the incredible things God has been doing with me in these past few weeks.

            -For the first time in my life, I can hear and understand the voice of God.

-My ideas about how God thinks about me have been completely transformed.

-I have become a more effective intercessor, opening myself in completely new ways to the Spirit’s promptings and speaking into situations with impossible precision.

-Jesus is making my teaching gift more evident by the day, perhaps guiding me closer to some clear idea of what He would have me do in life.

I assure you, this is barely scratching the surface. God is moving in incredible ways in my life, and in YWAM, and in this world. I count myself unbelievably privileged to be in such a good position to witness this.

So that’s that. My first real post! More will be coming. Thanks for coming along with me on this journey!

There is one more thing I need to mention before I go. YWAM, unfortunately, is not free. Any program one does through them costs a substantial sum of money, and mine is no exception. I am utterly convinced (and even more so every day) that the cost of my DTS experience is well worth the incredible gains I am already experiencing in my life. However, even with incredible generosity of support on the part of my family and friends, I am still $3,000 short of the total cost of my DTS program. The deadline for this $3000 is next Friday, July 19^th. Now, my natural reaction instinct in this situation would be to try and fix this myself. God, however, is assuring me that He is a faithful God, and He will somehow provide. Honestly, I have no idea where I will get this money. None whatsoever. I am choosing to trust God. If you would please pray for my finances, I cannot describe how much I would appreciate it. Something tells me that prayer and intercession are the only way this money will come through, so I need your help to do just that! Please, please pray! Also, if you are feeling led to give whatever amount, I would be indescribably grateful. If you would like to send financial support, please make checks payable to YWAM Denver and send to the following address:

Chris Van Sickle

c/o Youth With A Mission Denver

12750 W 63rd Ave

Arvada, CO 80004

You can also pay online:

Go to www.ywamdenver.org.

Click Donate.

On that page, go to School Payments.

Enter the following details:

Name: Chris Van Sickle School: ATW DTS and Date: Summer 2013

Friends and family, thank you again for your prayers and support as I continue on this adventure.

Until next time,

Chris