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I know it’s been a long time since my last update… and a lot has happened since then. You may remember that after the completion of my Discipleship Training School (DTS) last summer I was hoping to join Marine Reach’s ship the Next Wave as staff. Although the timing for that was not right, I was able to serve Marine Reach through several months of long distance web and graphic design work while helping my family move from Ukraine and settle into our home in Pennsylvania. I have recently completely redesigned YWAM PA’s website and relaunch it with video and online applications and donations.

Since April I have been working a summer job at a Sherwin-Williams warehouse distribution center here in central Pennsylvania. I plan to use the money I made there to return to Northern Ireland where I was invited to help staff the Fall ‘08 DTS. My primary responsibility during the DTS will be serving and guiding the students while they seek to better know God and make Him known. The DTS is a 6 month experience that includes a 12 week lecture series followed by an 8-12 week foreign outreach. Some staff responsibilities during the lecture phase include helping lead small groups, leading the students in local ministry efforts, conducting weekly one-on-one discussions of the week’s teaching and how it affects and applies to the students’ life and performing work duties for the YWAM base. During the foreign outreach I will co-lead a team of students for 8-12 weeks as they apply what they learned in the lecture phase to real-world situations. A staff retreat and training begin August 26th. The DTS is September 2008 thru April 2009.

My staff fees, travel and living expenses will be approximately $8,000. I will have earned $3500 from my summer job which I will put towards these expenses. I still need another $4500. Please consider making a commitment to this upcoming DTS with me by contributing towards the funds I lack. It is my goal to have pledges for all of the remaining funds by the end of August.

Thank you for considering joining me in my commitment to this DTS. I am very much looking forward to this opportunity to serve.

For information about making tax-deductible donations online (credit/debit card) or via mail (check) visit: http://greg.colkerfamily.org/help. Please note that funds donated go into our family account, so please let me know if you’ve sent a donation specifically for my DTS staff expenses.

I’m not actually going to get to see the Great Wall, but I thought it looked “Asian”. Picture by S. Webel

I’m excited to share with you all that I’ll be going to Asia for my DTS outreach. I prayed a lot about where God wants me to go (Asia, Serbia or Ireland) and I feel clearly that he’s led me to the Asia outreach. Thank you, to all of you who were praying for my decision!

There are 7 other members on my outreach team: Mikael and Renee our leaders, Blake, Dani, Erica, Liz and Ruth. Most of us are Americans although there are a couple Europeans also. We’ll be in Asia for about two and a half months, spending most of our time in a very large city. It has a huge population and is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. There are a lot of Colleges or Universities in the city. Many of the students are learning, or trying to learn, English. Those students are the ones we’ll be seeking out at “English Corners” where they go to practice English with each other.

For the months leading up to the trip we have time set aside each week to get together as a team to pray and prepare for Asia. Already we have phrase-books that we’re beginning to study, visa applications and vaccines to get. We’re also studying Asian history so we can better understand the people and how they may feel about us. There’s lots to do! Meanwhile the “regular” lectures are rolling right along and they just keep getting better and better. God is doing so much in me. I’m so thankful that He’s provided for me to be here!

It snowed today.

I also uploaded more pictures to my Ireland DTS Photo Album.

This photo was taken on the beach in Newcastle, near the YMCA camp we went to.

Well, today marks the end of my first week here in Northern Ireland and what a week it has been! With so much activity and such a great amount of information to absorb that it feels like much longer.

The week started out with orientation, where we went over a lot of the “nuts and bolts” of life here on the base at YWAM Closkelt. From what our “work duties” (chores) will be to American/English words not to say. For example, “pants” means “underwear” here, so we need to say “trousers” instead. All of the guidelines are designed to make the community living as uplifting and beneficial as possible for all of us.

After orientation we piled into some buses with a few days worth of supplies and went to a YMCA camp in a neighboring town for some team-building activities including ropes courses and trust games. I think my favorite team activity was when we had to build a raft and race across a lake. It was freezing cold, but we had lots of fun. We were able to have some times of worship together and we even got to explore the town of Newcastle a little bit. (I splurged and got an artery-clogging popcorn chicken from KFC. It was delicious!)

Here I am outside KFC!

On Thursday we were presented with three outreach options which include Ireland (Northern and/or The Republic of), Serbia and Asia. After the lecture phase our DTS will split into three teams and each one will go to a different location for the outreach phase. Each location offers unique ministry opportunities and each team will be performing different tasks. There are things I could learn at each location and certain parts of each appeal more to me than others but in the end it’s up to God. Please pray for me as I seek God’s direction in deciding where to go.

Near the end of the week we returned to the YWAM Base and enjoyed two wonderful lectures: Hearing the Voice of God, and Irish History. One of the speakers, Mike Oman, said something really simple but I think in a nutshell it says what this DTS is about for me. Talking about Hearing the Voice of God, he said: “Sheep know their Master’s voice,” and “When we know our Master, we will know his will.” My goal for this DTS is not simply to know more of God but to know God better so I can follow his will for my life.

More photos from my first week at DTS.

I want to say “thank you” to all of you who prayed for me and my flight situation. I ended up on the very next available flight and arrived at the YWAM base safe and sound around 11pm.

I’ve not had much free time, and I don’t think that I’m going to have much but I will do my best to keep this blog up-to-date. I’ve posted some pictures from my first two days that you can check out. We’re about to leave for a couple days of team-bilding camp so I’ve got to run, but I wanted to thank all of you and let you know I’m here safely and loving it so far!

Photos from my first week at DTS.