Why YWAM

Hey! I'm Hannah, I'm 18 years old, and am currently doing a YWAM DTS (Youth With A Mission, Discipleship Training School). I'm going to use this first blog as a short testimony as to why I am here.

As any other year 12 student, I was struggling with achieving decent grades, while trying to decide what my next big step in life would be. I had wanted to be a teacher since doing work experience in year 10, but when decision/application time came I began to have my doubts. During a particularly hard day at school a close friend gave me this verse:

Romans 8:26 "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."

This verse has been a great encouragement to me in times where I have been so caught up in my own head that I have had no idea what to pray. Deciding on a first step out of high school was one of those times. I attended a Verge camp at my local YWAM, despite struggling in this time of decision making, I felt at peace, and at home. After only four days living with the YWAMers I felt like one of them, and I could tell God telling me I had to go to YWAM.

I spent some time researching, and I felt the urge to look up Adelaide, and I discovered the Abide DTS (spoiler- this is the DTS I'm currently doing!) This DTS focuses on your intimate relationship with God, it aims to teach how to abide, and continue to abide in Him, so that everything you do grows from your walk with God.

John 15:4-5 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

Prior to applying for the YWAM DTS I had started my University application, and I had applied for a scholarship, which I was offered. I walked into the Uni and turned down the scholarship, and as I walked away the ladies in the office kept stopping me with their comments, but once I walked out those doors I felt a wave of peace rain over me. I was supposed to write a 1,000 word essay on why I would make a good teacher as part of my Uni application, but I never wrote it, I didn't realize it at the time, but it was the day that the essay was due that I experienced more of God's peace, confirming my decision.

So, I fund raised, and through many generous donations of time, items, and money, I am only $300 short, and I flew to Adelaide, where I have just finished my first day of lectures... But that's for another blog.

A few of my closest friends and I (Left) at my high school graduation, November 23rd 2017.