DTS profile: Ian Lee
South Korea

Buddhist to believer

“I was born and raised in a Buddhist family. My parents were divorced when I was six and when my older brother was only 20, he committed suicide. I was 18 at the time and living with my father.” He thought the world was full of evil because of his broken upbringing. Ian started to use drugs, smoke, and got into trouble in school.

In 2005 he had a weird dream of running into a Christian church. Since then he attended church regularly on Sundays. In 2008 he was making big money at a construction company. “I became spiritually thirsty and decided to do a DTS. My Buddhist friends actually recommended the program to me.” He made the huge decision to quit his job despite the lack of jobs currently in Korea.

“DTS was weird for me at first because I didn’t know Jesus personally at the time. I came to know Him during outreach. My father was not supportive of me doing a DTS because he’s a Buddhist.” He continued to pray for his father on outreach. “When I called my dad in Samoa he told me he decided to go to church.” Ian experienced an awesome answer to prayer. He made the decision to forgive his dad and brother. “I stopped drinking, smoking, and using drugs. I have also noticed a radical change in my father’s lifestyle.”

DTS profile: Momo Sasaoka
Japan

Restored and Renewed

“The idea of God being love was like reading a sign on the road. I always knew that, but it was head knowledge to me and not in my heart.” Momo tried to be a good Christian, but was really dead inside. She was into alcohol, unhealthy relationships with boys, felt unloved, and wanted to commit suicide before coming to do her DTS. “I craved love from my parents and instead tried to find it in relationships with boyfriends.” Her parents encouraged her to take a DTS. “I wanted to get away from home and Hawaii sounded like a good place to go.”

“I was changed during my lecture phase. God showed me His love through the students, staff, my friends, and nature.” Momo says she came to a point in her DTS where she forgave her parents for not telling her they loved her. “I have been reconciled with my family. I have also received healing and restoration from God in my body and spirit from the past life I led. I am renewed.” She would like to come back to Hawaii to staff a Holoholo DTS in the future.

DTS profile: Evan Dear
Canada

“Transformed”

“I was struggling with alcoholism and depression before coming to do a DTS. The school shook me up. It reshaped my identity and showed me there is purpose in my life. Before DTS I felt lost and had no identity.” Evan went to church on Sundays, but it was more of a religious affair than developing a relationship with God. He was interested in the ABC school in Kona, but found out you have to complete a DTS first. He applied to the Extreme Places DTS.

He says that God picked him up and saved him from what he could not save himself from. “His love rocked me. Jesus and I are working and talking together now. This is also the longest time I’ve been sober. I found hope, freedom, life, and truth in Jesus.” God has broken his heart for a volatile and war-torn nation that he plans to return to. He will head home to finish his degree and then move to the Middle East to learn Arabic.

DTS profile: Michael Fahrni
Switzerland

Challenged and changed

“I was involved in my church back home and wanted to be in a good spiritual environment which is why I came here. I chose to do a Justice DTS.” He learned about values placed on worldview systems and money. “I have learned to trust God in all situations. He is among the broken, poor, prostitutes, those in jail, and those struggling with addictions.”

“The western church needs to do more and not just be Sunday Christians.” He learned about different cultures and what it means to lay down your rights. “I will go to Maui for a month and then join the army when I get back home.” He hopes to also reach out to friends when he gets home.

DTS profile: Chris and John McCloud
Washington, USA

Choosing the best life

“We didn’t want to live an ordinary life anymore,” says Chris. “We sold our house, quit our jobs, and decided to do a DTS.” They realized that they can no longer go back to their normal life before DTS. They learned to trust in God. “We thought we were going to Samoa for outreach, but God showed both of us individually that we would be going to China.”

John said that he learned there are many good things to be a part of, but he wants to focus on the best thing God has planned. Chris learned to be re-centered with God and His purpose for them. “I have also learned to just rock in the boat with God and hang with Him,” she says.

The couple has decided not to settle down for a while. They are open to other ministries within YWAM. John has applied to the School of Photography and Chris is looking for opportunities to also be involved on the campus and her love for art. “We want to go with God’s flow and timing for our lives.”

DTS profile: Peace Lee
South Korea

Miracles and tears

“I was a stubborn person before coming to do my DTS. It was not my choice to come here. I wanted to just work. I interviewed with a company after college and was not hired. That was devastating.” Since Peace also wanted to learn English he came to terms with the idea of coming to Kona. “I couldn’t understand the lectures because of the language barrier. “Thankfully, some of the Korean American students in my class translated the lectures into Korean for me.”

“During DTS I wanted to go home and I felt like I was just wasting time and money. My friends back home were preparing for job interviews, which is what I wanted to do.” Peace kept asking God to show him miracles so he could believe more, but he never received any. “I learned that God was working on my heart. I began to understand the definitions of soul, mind, flesh, and spirit. I also learned how to discern and resist attacks from the enemy.”

“In DTS God has been challenging me to tear up like Joseph did when he saw his brothers again in Egypt. I feel at peace now.” He wants to help his friends in similar situations in Korea find hope in Jesus.

DTS profile: Brittany Nyce
Pennsylvania, USA

Transition after high school

“After I graduated from high school I didn’t know what to do. My dad did a DTS after he graduated from college and suggested it to me. In DTS I discovered God and learned to see Him in new ways. I don’t have to perform for Him and can just be myself. His love is constant.”

She gained more confidence in herself and who He created her to be. She was able to apply what she learned in lectures. “Outreach stretched me. I learned to be a teacher after just being a student.” She learned how to live in community and to see God in daily things. She is heading back home and will go to college for middle school education.

DTS profile: Devorah Mizrachi
Middle East

God’s ‘heart surgery’

“I was confused about God before coming to do a DTS. I knew about God, but felt He was distant. I come from a religious culture, but being a Christian is not popular. I was living with one foot in the world and the other trying to follow God.” Devorah decided to do a DTS to be in a Christian environment. She wanted to grow and be accountable with other believers.

She experienced a radical change in her life. “It was like God performed heart surgery on me during DTS. It was like I was in a coma, but came out completely renewed and healed. I feel like a different person now.” She ended up finding her identity in Jesus, which was something difficult for her to find in her society. “Outreach was a time of testing and applying everything we learned in the lecture phase. I learned to get out of my comfort zone.” She may come back to staff a DTS next year.

DTS profile: Don Ko

Arizona, USA

Brokenness leads to purpose

Don lost his marriage, his job, and his house before coming to DTS. He says, “In the school I learned to hear God and know that I'm His son and that my identity is found in Him.” He now has a new direction for his life. “Last year my wife asked for a divorce (we have three adult children), I lost my job in the IT field, and my house was sold.” It was obviously a difficult time for him. He had heard about YWAM in 2003 and was interested in doing a DTS, but there was no time for it then. The hardships he was facing last year provided him the opportunity to finally do one.

“I was a Sunday Christian and not really involved in ministry. I now have a deeper and more intimate relationship with God.” God began to break his heart for a nation he had no interest in before. “I feel like God is calling me into business in that nation. I even received a confirming word about this.”

DTS profile: Jacques Corydon-Lund
Denmark

Found in God

“I learned so much from DTS. I know more of who I am in God and how big He is. I can hear His voice now.” More than that, he learned to not only hear God’s voice, but to obey. His brother did a DTS in Australia and he also heard about it from friends. “I always wanted to do a DTS to invest in my Christian life and know God better -- to gain new perspectives.”

“My view of the world is bigger and broader now. I’m looking forward to going home to apply everything I’ve learned.” He feels much closer to God now and has a deeper relationship with Him. “In my DTS I had an experience where my soul was crying out to God. It was a whole body experience.”

DTS profile: Joel Moss
Colorado, USA

“Real with God”

“I wanted to be challenged spiritually. In DTS, I learned to be real with God and throw out the idea of religion. I started community college, but then dropped out because I felt there was something more out there for me. My sister did YWAM so I looked into it.” He wanted to be challenged and didn’t feel he was doing so well spiritually. "I thought outreach would be smooth, but realized there were challenges to overcome.” He says he grew from the experience.

He plans to go back home to work. He may come back to work with YWAM, but is leaving his plans open for now.

DTS profile: Jeff Ball
Maine, USA

Trusting God in Uncertain Times

“My sister was with YWAM in New Zealand and encouraged me to do a DTS. I was working at the time and didn’t think it was the right timing.” In 2007 his sister Jessica had a dream that he would lose his job. Soon after that he was laid off. He knew that would inevitably happen as the economy was not doing well during that time. “I spent time praying and reading the Bible to seek direction from the Lord. I found out about a PhotogenX DTS in April 2008 and applied.

“DTS really gave me a different perspective of who God really is and what it means to truly be a Christian. I had grown up in a Christian family, but hadn’t really followed and sought God’s heart for myself. DTS really opened my eyes up to see that there are so many aspects of who He really is. I have been so challenged to be more servant-hearted and desire to seek His heart on all matters. He has blessed my life with so much joy and has given me my own heart’s desire to do marketing here for YWAM.” Jeff continues to work on marketing projects as a communications staff person on campus.

DTS profile: Helena Kvist
Sweden

Learning to value others

"In DTS God has taught me to see others the way He does. My relationship with Him now is much stronger. I don’t let my emotions and feelings get in the way of His truth and love in my life. I learned how to be close with and accepting of others.”

Helena first came to U of N Kona as a Mission Builder volunteer.  She went to New York on outreach with the Community Transformations DTS, and she says the experience "taught me to value others."

DTS profile: Iina Montonen
Finland

“Completely healed”

“DTS changed my life. God completely healed me of depression during the lecture phase of my school. During outreach in Rwanda I found myself able to trust in God more. I learned to step out and become a more bold and brave person.”

Iina says her Compassion DTS team played an important role in other areas of growth as well. She learned to be vulnerable with them as they bonded as a family, especially during challenging times. She plans to continue on at the Kona campus, doing the Introduction to Biblical Counseling School.

 

DTS profile: Joe Lee
California, USA

Set free from gang life

“DTS has been a character building time for me,” says Joe, who had struggled to leave behind his former life as a gang member in Los Angeles. He previously faced prison time for selling drugs and gun possession. God miraculously worked in that situation, and made it possible for him to come to Kona for the Compassion DTS.

During his lecture phase he confessed his prior racist views toward white people. “The Lord worked on my heart and showed me His true love as white members of the community stepped forward to pay for my school fees.” He says that on his outreach he learned how to speak truth and be bold in love. Joe plans to go on from Kona to Taiwan for the School of Biblical Studies.

 

DTS profile: Annie Wellumson
Minnesota, USA

Hanging out with God

Annie glows with joy as she shares her DTS experience. “Jesus is like a best friend to me now.” Before coming to Kona for DTS she was living what she thought was a normal Christian life. “During my DTS and outreach in South Africa I learned how to have a personal relationship with God. I love how I can now just hang out with God and be friends with Him.”

“Many of the fears I had of sharing my faith have been broken. I am also now spiritually aware of the things around me.”  

 

DTS profile: Ben Stoltzfus
Pennsylvania, USA

Finding his identity in Christ

It took a big step of faith for twenty-six year old Ben Stoltzfus, who was born and raised in Pennsylvania’s strict Amish community to leave home and discover his identity in Christ. He originally came to Kona as a Mission Builder in January 2008. “It was difficult getting on a plane for the first time in my life knowing I would be shunned by my family and the community. I felt like I was being torn in two.” But he made the costly decision to do what God was asking of him.

Ben says he experienced healing and a release of the burden he was carrying during his DTS lecture phase. “I also began to find my identity in Christ. During our outreach to Cambodia and Vietnam I experienced God’s love in a powerful way. I am also thankful for how God has been moving in the hearts of my family while I was gone. I am excited to get back home and show my family and community the love that has been shown to me through Christ.”

 

DTS profile: Stina Hagstrom
Sweden

Heart transformation

“Before DTS I was involved in church, but I did not feel as though I was actively living out my faith.” Through the influence of friends Stina came to Kona as a Mission Builder in the fall of 2007. She signed up for the Community Transformation DTS and came back to the campus. “Christianity was more of head knowledge to me than a transformation of my heart. I was dry and easily annoyed in the beginning of my DTS."

"I had a breakthrough when I learned who God really was to me personally and that He loved me first.” Stina is excited that her walk with Jesus is now a lifestyle rather than just being a part of a religious organization. “I have learned the power of grace and about how important an active prayer life can be.”

DTS profile: Rex Roberts
California, USA

To reach a nation

“I had a vision of going to Bangladesh at the age of sixteen. My youth pastor, Jeff Reid, told me about how a DTS could prepare me for that one day.” Jeff ended up becoming his Community Transformation DTS leader. “My experience with DTS and time in South Africa taught me about the Holy Spirit.” He learned about the exciting power of supernatural healing and signs and wonders. He feels as though he has matured in his faith and is now a true follower of Jesus instead of just being involved with the church youth group.

“The Bible is appetizing and tastes good to me now. It’s delicious and I want more. The power of the Word has transformed me." Rex next plans to staff a DTS in Kona to learn more and gain leadership experience. “I still hope to make it to Bangladesh one day.”

DTS profile: Aliya Tolegenova
Kazakhstan

Bridging the gap

“I became a Christian in 1996 when American missionaries came to my country. However, since I did not have consistent Godly support when they left, my relationship with God reached a dry season. I decided it was time to get back into something Christian.” Aliya originally came to Kona to participate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). “I decided not to go home yet and applied for DTS.” She learned how to depend on God as her provider and experienced that through many divine encounters with people.

“On outreach in New York City I was able to practice being an intercessor for others. I know this is God’s calling for me now. One woman said that my prayers for her became a bridge that got her over the Jordan River to the Promised Land.” Aliya is staying on the campus for the Introduction to Biblical Counseling School and also plans on applying for the Fire and Fragrance School.

DTS profile: Ki Tae Yun & Byung Jin Lee
South Korea

Serving God in retirement

This married couple decided to get more involved in missions work when they retired. “I learned about the father heart of God in the International Korean DTS,” says Mr. Yun. Before that I compared God to my own father. I thought that God was strict, harsh, and more interested in disciplining me rather than loving or supporting me.” Mrs. Lee said she noticed a disconnect between the younger and older students in her DTS. “In our outreach to Tanzania walls were broken between the two groups. We learned to trust each other and communicate better.”