“As the world continues to highlight tension and conflict among two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and Mongolia, God’s heart is bringing these untameable nations to reconciliation. God wants to unite these nations and use them to finalize God’s great commission.
We believe in Restored Asia, Renewed Asia, & Reconciled Asia for this very purpose.”
Northeast Asia DTS | YWAM Kona
This is the heart of the Northeast Asia DTS (Discipleship Training School.) It’s part of a missionary school with bases all around the world called YWAM (Youth With a Mission), and this particular DTS is located in the YWAM Kona base in Hawaii.
I’m writing to tell you about my next great adventure, and my sincere invitation for you to come alongside me! I’ve recently been accepted into the Northeast Asia DTS. That’s right, I’m going to YWAM Kona, on January 2nd, 2020!
I’m jumping into a group of awesome people who are pursuing restoration for the very same nations God’s placed on my heart for over 4 years. Now I get to be part of a team who all have that same affinity! I can’t even begin to describe how speechless I am from it.
So here’s a little more about the DTS:
The Northeast Asia DTS is a multicultural, English/Korean bilingual school with 80% of its students being primarily from Korea. I will be living in a close-knit community of Korean Christians in Kona, Hawaii (about 8-10 girls in a big dorm room!) The close connections I know I’ll make with them is part of some grand scheme God’s probably been plotting before I could ever say annyeonghaseyo (hello!)
So there’s three phases all YWAM DTS’s have: The Lecture Phase, the Outreach Phase, and the Debrief Phase. This is what it’ll look like for me:
The Lecture Phase is 3 months long from January 2nd to March 25th, where we’ll be learning about cross-cultural ministry, hearing God’s voice, intercession, and so on, which will prepare us for the next phase.
The Outreach Phase is a 2-month long mission trip, from March 25th to May 20th or so, in one or several countries yet to be announced when class begins (which could be anywhere in Northeast Asia, including my prayerful wishes to be in Japan again!!) Once we’re finished, we’ll begin the last phase.
The Debrief Phase is about 1 week long, and typically it would take place back in Kona. But since most of the students are from Korea, we’ll be in Seoul for the debrief week! (You can bet all your loonies and toonies that I’ll be staying in Korea for much longer if I can help it.) Anyway, in this phase, we’ll be taught how to go back into our normal, day-to-day grinds after all that we’ve experienced in YWAM. Estimated graduation is May 27th!
Now that you know all about the DTS, I’ll share with you how this all happened and why I’m suddenly going.
In most of my life stories, there is a sort of grand epicness that’s to be told simply because it’s the lens in which I see the world. Such is my tale of going to YWAM. You see, I had been restless ever since I moved to Canada, and though I’ll never regret the memories and growth I’ve experienced here so far, I’ve felt it’s been a stepping stool to whatever is coming next.
Back in August, I discovered that the root of some painful issues I was experiencing was from my identity. Where did I belong, and where was I supposed to actually be? Canada, Korea, Texas, Japan–where? So I confronted the issue, sought help, and learned from some great people how to sort it out: If I loved Korea so much…get connected. Everything else will just fall into place.
Thus I went on a quest to find any sort of way I could get involved with Korea, from simply working there, being a student at a university, or getting involved with churches or ministry. I knocked on all sorts of doors, but was received with silence or rejection. It was incredibly discouraging, but I knew that eventually, a door would have to open.
“Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.”
Matthew 7:7 TPT
Then one night with a dear friend of mine, we entertained the idea of going to YWAM together. For the first time, it felt like that one thought made the most sense and something finally clicked. We started looking for a door of opportunity together–and I was no longer alone.
When we reached out to YWAM bases in Korea, we were again met with silence. In other bases, we didn’t feel that their DTS programs were the right fit. Then, at last, we found one that was curated specifically to our hearts for Korea, Japan, and all of Northeast Asia: YWAM Kona!
I was afraid at first. If we really did do this, I’d have two months to fundraise thousands of dollars, and what about the application process and what if one of us gets rejected? So I prayed. Lots. The more I did, the more it just made sense. It was absurd but also perfect, and that’s the power of prayer. So when I applied and was interviewed, I was told within the first few minutes of sharing my heart, “This is the perfect time for you to come and join what we’re doing,” and that was it. I was all in.
So I got accepted two days later, along with my friend about a week after that, and now we’re raising support to go join a team to reach Northeast Asia!
Now I’m asking for your support, and I eagerly invite you to join me on the next great adventure to YWAM Kona. Firstly and most importantly, I ask for your prayers while I go on the grandest adventure to share as of yet. Could you please pray that God will show me how to be His hands and feet (and mouth!) for Northeast Asia, especially for our big mission trip?
Secondly, with a great mission trip comes great fundraising. I mean super great, if I dare say so, and I need your support! I will be working hard to cover costs, too, but I can’t do it alone–not at all! I sincerely ask you to join me on this adventure, if for you it may mean praying or investing in it. I want you to know that in funding my tuition for the lecture and outreach phases, it will not only impact my life, but a team that’s operating in God’s big picture for Northeast Asia. Any support I receive goes beyond me, to several more hands and feet to reach nations that hardly know who Jesus is. Not many others have the opportunity to reach them, but my opportunity has arrived. I’ll need your help. Let me tell them for you. Send me to go! I’m ready!!
For transparency, here’s the breakdown of the fees:
- Lecture Cost: $4,095 USD ($5,440 CAD)
- **Due December 23rd, 2019
- Outreach: $4,000 USD ($6,640 CAD)
- Due mid-February, 2020
- Total: $8,095 USD ($10,740 CAD)
The lecture phase is due December 23rd (updated 12/04/19), so I’ll need all the support, prayer, and encouragement I can get! If you wish to support my mission to Northeast Asia, you can make a direct donation linked below:
There will be even further opportunities to hop onboard my adventure, in different fundraising ways. Also, to stay in-the-know about my YWAM experience, simply subscribe to the Adventures of Allison at the bottom of this post, and the stories will come to you!
Until the next post, I pray for God to reveal His heart to the world for Northeast Asia louder than ever before, and that we will see the re-unification of North and South Korea in our lifetime.
Signed,
Allison the Adventurer
