Off and Away!

A sweet awe hangs in the air as guitar strains sing softly, our voices now silent, letting the moment linger. Tonight, this green team of 31 new DTS students is practicing their newest lesson- intercession for the area and people in Ensenada's zona rosa (redlight district). In just a couple minutes, half of them will be following their prayers to the zona rosa, armed with soup, smiles, and a loving touch. For many, looking drug addiction, homelessness, prostitution, and drunkeness in the eye will be a new, uncomfortable experience. I hope it breaks their hearts. Just I'm leaving the room, one student is getting a group together to pray for the ones who are going out. This is what DTS is about. Perspective. Relationship. Learning the necessity of us and Him. Warfare.

In the last six days, I've had the opportunity to get to sit down with many of these students. Hear their stories. Eat lunch with them. Randomly dye our hair together. Mess up their names. Say "I'm not sure" to their questions about Ensenada and Wal-Mart and where the closest ATM is. They are a great bunch of people. And I do mean a bunch! With 31 students, nine staff, five kids, and one adorable, chubby cheeked 7 month old,  this will be the biggest DTS I've been a part of (not that I'm intimidated or anything ; ). Our passionate, untameable, gentle God's got plans and appointments with them- I can feel it. And I can't wait to hear about it.

As I've been settling into a new base, group of people, and rhythm of life with the students, I've had a chance to talk with Tym and Sarvia (who lead the DTSes here). I'll be cleaning, restocking, and setting up the speaker's room each week, helping out with some admin stuff when they need it, and being the "book girl" (making sure small group leaders have and hand out the next book to the students). I get to meet twice a week with a small group of 6 girls, helping them process DTS and lecture and what God's doing. I'll also be  following up individually with each of the girls, seeing how they're doing. Days will be full with lectures, staff meetings, exercise, local outreach, grading book reports, reading journals, and host of other "unexpecteds". The staff will also be going through some extra training in leadership, complete with our own classes, journals, assignments, and reports. It'll be a bit crazy, but I know that I'm in the right place for now. So as I take a couple minutes to let the day wind down, drink a cup of tea, and wait for the students to get back from the zona rosa, I'm also buckling up and leaning into this next adventure!