YWAM has locations all over the world (literally!). You can do your training anywhere, including the USA. I could have chosen to attend a school for three months somewhere in the US, and then do two months of outreach in Africa. But I didn't feel led to do that, and I also think it would detract from experiencing living in Africa.
The core value of YWAM is "To know God and make Him known." In other words, to help Christians develop their personal relationship with God, and learn to know Him and His Word, and then to help them show God's love to others through outreach.
What is Discipleship Training School? What will I actually be doing in Uganda?
HopeLand's page says, "The goal of a Discipleship Training School (DTS) is to encourage committed Christians into a deeper personal relationship with the Lord, thus equipping them to serve Him in whatever capacity he calls them to." "The training students receive and the relationships that they build here promote inner healing and challenge students to model a Christ-like lifestyle and attitude. Students receive training for ministry, but they also receive healing, restoration, and perspective in their personal lives."
The DTS is broken into two phases, a lecture phase and an outreach phase. The lecture phase is about three months long, and covers a different topic each week. We meet as a class, take lessons, and have group discussions. The topics are various aspects of Christianity, such as the nature of God, missions and evangelism, sin and repentance, hearing from God, gifts of the Holy Spirit, prayer, praise and worship, etc. The outreach phase is about two months long, where you go away from your school to put your training to work - you go out and help others, in an "intense cross-cultural experience." Every school has different places that they go. As far as I can tell, this particular school has outreach to the local villages as well as to neighboring countries, such as Kenya and Tanzania. The outreach phase is described as very difficult, and you are often staying with host families. For outreach to the poorest African villages, this can easily mean we will be staying with families who live in huts with no electricity or running water. Sleeping on the ground with them. Eating what they would eat. Bathing (hopefully) as they do. Currently I do not know where our outreach is to be for the coming school term, so it could be different. But others that I have read about have had tough outreaches. Anyway, aside from living with a host family, you are offering yourself in any way helpful. Maybe you'll be volunteering at an orphanage, playing with children or changing diapers or helping clean, cook, and wash laundry. You could help at a church, teaching bible school to children or leading bible studies for adults. Just about anyone from America, regardless of teaching experience, can teach basic English at a kindergarten or primary school. Or maybe they need you to assist at some sort of support center, talking and praying with HIV patients or mothers who have lost children. Whatever your talents may be, there is something you can do for others in such a place.
During the lecture phase, Monday through Friday are class days, and weekends are free. I read a blog of a girl who did her DTS several years ago, and this was her daily weekday schedule:
6AM wake up for personal prayer time
7:30 AM breakfast
8AM classes
1PM Lunch
2:30PM Small groups
3:30-5:30 Chores
6:30 Dinner
The DTS is located on a "base," which is kind of like a small campus. It has dorm rooms, a dining room, places for classes, a primary school, and other buildings, as well as beautiful landscaping. As far as Africa goes, it seems very upscale!
It is located in the city of Jinja. From what I've read so far, Jinja is a little town, but has amentities, such as a marketplace or grocery store and other shops, and several hospitals. It is near Lake Victoria and the Nile River.
I'm excited to be there...it looks beautiful. I love the outdoors, and warm weather, so hopefully that will make it easier for me to adjust!
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