Our base is quite large and is running several schools at the same time. My DTS has 20 students and 6 staff members made up from 10 different nationalities. It's really awesome to be a part of such a diverse group. There is also a Learning English for Missions school happening which is made up entirely of Korean students, that school is quite large as well, I believe there about 15 students. Then there is a Bible Core class which has 4 students and a class I can't remember the name of which runs for 10 months made up entirely of Swiss German teenagers who kind of combine a DTS curriculum with learning english and learning basic job skills, there are a lot of students in that class, but I'm not sure how many. Anyway we all meet together as a base for an hour in the mornings have a time of teaching, sort of a sermon and worship together. It's really awesome. We sang songs in english and german so far, I'm not sure if we're going to give korean a try, but it wouldn't surprise me. Anyway the unity and love of the campus has really warmed my heart. It really is far more diverse than anything I have ever been a part of, but everyone is so kind and warm and seem to desire to spend time together.
After our morning meeting the separate schools meet in there own classrooms leaving our DTS to meet together without everyone else for the first time. It was really great to be with them. I really am overwhelmed with the way God is binding us together. I feel very real and powerful affection for everyone in my school. When anyone is speaking I want to listen intently to every word because I feel like God has given me His heart for these people. And it seems that He has done the same for everyone else as well. Last night we sat in a circle and talked about why we are here and what we hope to get out of our DTS - sounds simple enough. I was blown away by the total honesty and vulnerability of absolutely everyone. I really feel like it's a totally safe and sincere environment. No one is trying to impress, no one is fighting for social superiority, it's already a very unified community. God has really been able to give me strength and ability to connect with people I normally wouldn't know how to connect with. There is a girl in my room from Korea who arrived at 2 AM the first night. She barely speaks english and is very timid. I don't know how I won favor in her eyes but every time she speaks to the group she just looks at me, I listen intently and nod my head re-assuring her that she's doing a good job and she keeps going, when she's finished she smiles and looks down. When she shares I swell up with pride for her, she's so brave to come here and speak when she's so unsure of the language and culture. There is also a guy from Singapore. He and I had a good talk while our school went on a walk together to a huge forest behind the base. He's a zoo keeper in singapore and very involved with his family and church. He speaks english, mandarin, and malay and was so willing and honest to share with me about his heart and how he got here, I really respect him and loved talking to him, even about the simple differences between our cultures in daily life. It's so interesting and enriching.
My Staff is also wonderful. I really love them. The school leader is a woman from Australia named Michelle, then there is another girl from New Zealand, a girl and guy from America, and a girl from Canada. I stayed up talking with one of the students and the staff last night and they ended up praying for me to be able to sleep, I still didn't sleep well last night, but it was just really cool to be able to share with them what I was struggling with and have the immediate response be prayer. Oh, I forgot to mention my DTS is unique because the average age of the students is actually 22. The oldest guy is 26 (the one from singapore) and the youngest student is a girl from California who is 17. But there is a great mix of ages. A lot of 23, 25 year olds, drop outs, people who were successful in the business world but wanted more than money, a group of sincere, confused, broken people who really want Jesus. This community is not comprised of people I would hand pick to be my best friends and have the most fun with ever, but of real people whom I already trust and love. How exciting.
Anyway, please be praying for me to be able to fall asleep and get good solid rest. Also, I really need provision financially for the school. Please be praying that Satan would not get his hands inside our community, that he would not be able to divide us but that we would grow in unity and love. Please be praying for my discernment in hearing God's voice, and my faith to believe Him when He speaks to me. As for now, I should get going and start mingling. A group of Korean girls who are studying at the table next to me just offered me a Korean cookie to snack on. : ) It's delicious. I have won high favor with the Koreans for being the only white person to make it to the finals in a Korean game we played the first night. It's very similar to Ninja, just a tad more confusing with a few Korean words being changed here and there. Anyway, here comes my roommates, so I should be going. I'll write again soon.
