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50 Years Celebration Bible Core Course April DTS Report Back Sprungbrett 2010-2011 SEM July 2010

dts outreach - travel the world, share the love of Jesus

outreach-4 The outreach phase is the time to apply the things you've learned in class, and share Jesus with people in a country you’ve probably never been to before. This is a time that will challenge you, but in the end, you will be stronger and closer to God.

Outreach teams, which will be formed during the lecture weeks, prepare for their trip through things like learning dramas and dances to perform in the streets or for kids; having fun and bonding as a team; learning how to share their testimonies; and everyone’s personal favorite - getting immunizations. You will have lots of time to bond as a team before you land in the field, which will help you be more effective on outreach. That’s why so much time is spent during the lecture phase in outreach teams, doing everything they can to be ready to love and serve the people they plan to minister to as well as each other.

outreach-6 Each outreach is different, depending on where you go. Your ministry will adapt to meet the needs of the local situations, but there will always be a focus on evangelism during your dts outreach. It’s the ‘Making God Known’ part of the school. The ministries your team does will almost always be different from what teams have done in the past. Your team leaders will do all they can to plan for your activities and ministry. But you will always have times when a pastor calls on your team to lead the church service 5min before it starts. Outreach, if nothing else, will always keep you on your toes, and you will find flexibility and a sense of humor are prerequisites during your outreach. No matter where in the world you end up, you’ll never be the same when you’re done.

outreach-3 Past outreach locations (for the 2009 school dts's)
Tanzania, Burundi, China, Philippines, Sudan, Uganda, Costa Rica, South Africa, Ukraine, Colombia, Turkey, Greece, Togo, and Mexico.

This is a great time to learn how to share your faith in a variety of ways as you make God known in the nations through evangelism and community development.

Below are two stories of what outreach was like for Fleur and Melanie.

Outreach Report North Africa

For my outreach I was on a team that went to North Africa for 3 months, and it was truly an amazing adventure. I was on a team of 17 people from 8 different nations. While we were there we worked with orphans, handicapped infants, and young boys whom we were able to do some bible studies with. We met and encouraged local churches and prayed with local believers, sometimes not even speaking the same language but praying to our heavenly father who speaks all languages. We shared the love of God with refugees who had been displaced from their homes. Our team experienced everything from busy markets and streets, to the tranquil peacefulness of living out in the desert for a week.

One of the things that I loved being involved in was sharing the truth of God with people. I saw during my time how God really grew me in my gifting to speak publicly and share his truth. God also really opened my eyes to so much during my time in these different nations. He challenged my faith in very practical ways. I learned more and more to see the different cultures and peoples with His eyes instead of mine. I saw the depths of poverty, I saw smiles and tears, but most of all I saw people in need of the truth of Jesus Christ in their lives, their communities, their cities, and their nations. My outreach experience was amazing, and it was a time that God used to shape who I am today so much.

-Fleur, France

Outreach Report Togo, West Africa

For my outreach, I went to Togo in West Africa for 8 weeks. It was an awesome adventure of God’s faithfulness. My team had 11 people from 6 different nations, and we traveled through the heart of Togo. Our very first ministry was to an unreached people group in the northern parts of the country where we taught the women about hygiene, a teaching they had never before received. But throughout the country, we had the amazing privilege to teach about God in schools, participate with local churches in evangelism, visit hospitals to pray for the sick and injured, and in at our last location, we were able to set up a computer training center where we taught Togolese men and women how to use Word and Excel effectively, an uncommon skill in Togo. Our team experienced the barrenness of the north, the lush beauty of the south, and the calm serenity of the coast. Throughout the entire outreach, God was teaching me about his faithfulness to us as a team but also to me as an individual.

When I arrived in Togo, my bag was lost by the airline, and I faced going through outreach without any of my own things. But in that moment, when tears seemed like a good idea, I knew God was asking me, “Do you trust me to take care of your needs?” I knew I had a decision to make. Would I give into the fact that I couldn’t see how this would work out, or did I trust my incredible Father to take care of me, allowing him to supply for my needs? So, I sat back and told him I trusted him. That same day, all the girls on my team gave me clothes, toiletries, shoes, everything I needed, and within six days, God gave my bag back to me – the day before Christmas. How amazing is our God? More than I knew before.

-Christie, USA