My walk with Christ before my DTS was stagnant and there wasn’t a lot of spiritual growth going on in my life. The call to go to YWAM Maui and do a DTS was clear, and so was the purpose God has for my life! I have grown up in church my whole life and the Bible and its principles have been instilled in my life ever since I could remember, but I still had not given Jesus complete Lordship over my life. I really didn’t know what that meant or looked like.
Upon arriving in Maui, I received nothing but love, encouragement, and truth. As lectures began, we started learning about who God is and what his purpose behind things are. There have been many times that I have questioned God over the years concerning things that I went through, As I studied His attributes and began to understand His heart, so many of my questions were answered! God will never put you through anything you can’t handle with His strength, and every trial is an opportunity to be conformed to His image, if we trust Him!
Something that I’ve always dealt with is the need to control. I used this to cope with hard situations such as the tragic loss of my dad at the age of 6. This area of my life, needing to control my possessions, my schedule, and my relationships, was so difficult to surrender. We talked a lot about giving complete Lordship of our lives over to God and what that looks like. It is something that is necessary for every believer to effectively live out their faith, and something that I needed to do in order to realize God’s purpose for me. This is never an easy thing for anyone to do, but the true joy and freedom that is found in relinquishing control to God is amazing.
I remember at the end of lecture one week we were given an opportunity to let go of what was holding us back and fully surrender Lordship of our lives to him! Doing this is the main reason I have grown so much and am growing to this day! The environment and community that YWAM Maui is built upon, and continues to be, is a huge reason why I gave up that control and why I know where he wants me! The Discipleship, Godly Friendships, the Family Feel, there is amazing. There is nothing like it!
The effect YWAM has had on my life, almost a year after starting my DTS, is huge. For many years I have had Godly people speak into my life concerning God calling me to full-time ministry. The thought of this intimidated me, and I chose to pursue a different career path altogether. During my time at YWAM Maui the call to full time ministry became clear to me, and saying yes to God in this area has brought me great joy! One of the things God burdened my heart with while I was at YWAM was the need to take what I had learned in my time there and share it in my community at home. I have helped start a men’s Bible study that provides accountability and authentic community in a way that challenges us to grow deeper in our knowledge of God and His Word. I’ve also been able to do some one-on-one discipling, and that has stretched me to depend on God in ways I haven’t before. I know these things are just the beginning as I continue to pursue God’s call on my life and walk out the commands that he has given us! There is so much freedom and growth in letting go! Let go Let GOD!!!
-Nathanael
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I love you Nathanael and you make me the happiest aunt on earth!! Watching God work in your life is such a joy and answer to prayer!! All you are trickles down into the 3 younger girls in our family and your influence on them will continue to be great!! I love you!! 💖