Staffing a DTS & co-leading an outreach team to Fiji.

From January to June of last year I embarked on a new journey, as I began my MDS I staffed a Discipleship Training School (DTS). After a few weeks of preparing, we welcomed our students for the DTS January intake. It was a fun and exhilarating experience to learn as I went along; from picking up new skills to learning from mistakes made.

It was all so special to be apart of. It was like I stepped back in time and was on my DTS, all over again. Which had only finished December of the previous year, so you could say it was all pretty fresh. As a staff member I was able to take on more responsibility and ownership of what I contributed to the school and fellow staff members.

For those who don’t know, a DTS is broken up into two parts, the ‘lecture phase’ and the ‘outreach phase’. Whilst on lecture phase, which goes for 12 weeks, students (and staff) sit down on lectures which all touch on the basis of christian living and how to know God deeper throughout the classes. These classes are taught by many staff members and guest speakers, who all have a deep heart and call for what they teach.

I learnt so much more about God during these lectures, even though for some it was one I had sat through before; and yet I was still getting something new from them. One subject in particular that still impacts and challenges me is ‘Lordship’ week. There is a ministry time we have at the end of this week, where we come before ‘the cross’ (which is a physical wooden cross to represent going before the cross) and we each come before the cross to lay down our lives and our rights before God; this is to physically represent making Him Lord of all.

As we wrapped up our lecture phase, we prepared for the outreach phase. Which sounds like, what it is, outreach to the nations! As a DTS, we got split up into two outreach teams, one which went to India and other, (my team) went to Fiji. The outreach phase lasts for about 6 weeks, and during that time we had a great time, as we did various ministries, all throughout Fiji. We did practical ministries also known as ‘mercy ministry’.

As well as these, we did various evangelism ministries, where we went out and shared the gospel with people, prayed for them, and much more. A story from this time was when we went out in groups of three and shared food and water with the homeless on the street, whilst offering prayer to them. During this time, we met a man named ‘Charles’, and I remember how touched he was, he truly felt God’s love through us; this moment was so marking for not only myself but the other students with me.

That moment reminded me how simple it can be to spread the gospel, and what a privilege it is to be apart of God’s mission. As a outreach team, we also engaged in mutual encouragement, time to bound as a team and explore our environment. In our time in Fiji, we ventured to many places including Nadi, Latoka, Sigatoka, and Suva, the capital of Fiji.

All in all, my experience in staffing a DTS was very growing and very fun. I learnt a lot. I grew in my character, and I became closer and more dependant on God in ways I didn’t expect. With everything I learnt in this season I brought it with me into what God had next for me on my MDS journey.