DTS from a Student's Perspective

The following is a submission from a student in our current Discipleship Training School! Hear her process below.

"Hey, I’m a current student in the Summer DTS at YWAM Salem!

When I was looking into coming to Oregon, I wasn't really sure what the process would be. I thought we would have a more tight schedule and not a lot of free time. I also thought that there wouldn’t be a lot of community. 

I'm on week 3 right now, and a lot of the ideas I had about DTS before I came turned out to be completely wrong! The community here is very strong, and also very welcoming. They include all of us DTS students in so many things and make it feel like a big family. 

We have lectures every week, but there is also so much more behind that. We have a new speaker come in each week and talk about their topic. The first week we had the topic, Recognizing God’s Voice, then the Father Heart of God, and now we’re on the Story of the Bible. Each week has been so informative, and also very personal. It is not a purely academic, scripted lecture. The teachers speak from their hearts and share what God has set out for them to teach. 

In the second week of the Campus Phase, the Father Heart of God topic really spoke to me. It has been my favorite week so far, it really opened my eyes to the love that God holds for me, and everyone else. The speaker was also amazing, he touched on so many aspects and really helped me understand a lot. He was very personable and made great connections with each student. 

The main thing that stood out to me was his teaching about fathers, he touched a lot on earthly fathers and our Heavenly Father.

Personally, I grew up without my father, and I never saw my relationship with God as a father figure. Ben's teaching taught me that God is my Father whether I have my earthly father or not. He also touched a lot on God's view of us as individuals. In his eyes, he will love us no matter what. I have always struggled with understanding that. He really helped me grasp that viewpoint on God's love for his creation. 

There are so many things that make this campus wonderful, I have really loved being here. I have 8 other classmates doing the DTS, and I love the people that I'm in community with. They have been so fun to be around.

I have also learned a lot from each and every one of them. They are amazing people and passionate about their walk with God. We do a lot of different things together, we do family nights every Thursday night, we have class every weekday together, and we live together. Sometimes it can be hard to spend all that time with the same people every day, but at the end of the day, you are here for God. Your friends and family are a bonus, so a lot of prayer and communication help so much. 

DTS has been an amazing blessing, it has given me so much insight and great experiences already. There is also so much more in store for the next 9 weeks, that I am so excited about. This is the best decision that I could have made for taking the next step in my life. I am getting to work on myself and grow in my strengths and weaknesses. Through DTS, I get to grow in my walk with God while also making great memories with other godly people!"

If you're interested in joining a Discipleship Training School here in Salem, Oregon - we would love to talk to you more!

Get connected with our team by inquiring through our website or apply for a school today!