When I was in eighth grade, I went to Brazil with our church. This was my first missions trip ever! We built a house for a missionary couple that was moving to a village in the Amazon. Here, I instantly fell in love with missions. I’ve always loved traveling, and being able to bless others and spread the Gospel in the process made it even better. That trip sparked my desire to go to the nations with the Gospel, but I had fears that always held me back. The thought of fundraising terrified me. What would it be like to live overseas for extended periods? Could I actually trust the Lord to that degree?
The summer after my freshman year, I came to YWAM Louisville with my youth group for a week long Mission Adventures program. While here, I learned that God is a personal God that wants to speak to me. The concept was weird to me at first, but throughout the week, I knew the Lord was telling me not to go to college like I was planning at the time.
A Call To Go Changes Everything
Towards the end of the week, during one of the teachings, someone pulled up a world map. As soon as I saw it, my eyes were glued to South Asia. I heard the Lord say, “That’s where I want you to go.” Everything changed after that. When I got home from the trip, I told my parents about my newfound desire to go. I wasn’t sure how it was going to happen, but I knew it had to. The most obvious choice, I decided, was to go back to YWAM Louisville for a Discipleship Training School (DTS) after high school. But still, I had fears about missions, especially when it came to money.
But still I had fears about missions, especially when it came to money.
During my junior year of high school, I took an extra class online so I could graduate a year early. I knew I was supposed to do a DTS and saw no reason to wait. After graduating, I only had to figure out how I was going to afford to come to DTS. I ended up selling donuts door to door with the help of my youth group and managed to raise almost all of my tuition that way. The Lord used that instance to show me He was going to provide for the things He called me to.
The Lord used that instance to show me He was going to provide for the things He called me to.
The Call Answered
When I arrived at YWAM Louisville for my DTS, I knew I was in the right place. I realized quickly that I wasn’t the only imperfect person here. I was accepted as I was but was always pushed and challenged to go deeper in my relationship with Jesus. A few weeks into DTS, I found out that I was going to South Asia for our six-week outreach phase. I remember getting off the plane and having a moment of joy with the Lord as I thought about the time He first called me there.
I didn’t know what to expect going into DTS. As far as I knew, I was just going to train for a mission trip, go on a mission trip, and return home from the mission trip. Then, live the rest of my life according to my plan, and not God’s. But, the Lord had so much more for me than I ever expected. Now I’m here at YWAM Louisville full time, doing what I grew up believing to be impossible.
Now I’m here at YWAM Louisville full time, doing what I grew up believing to be impossible.
– Hunter, September 2017 Discipleship Training School