United with Dan on a Mission

Rounding up Lectures

The Discipleship Training School was in the middle of the lecture phase for the students, when my attention shifted to long term outreach which was about 5 weeks away. Outreach is the main reason why I am with YWAM and the reason I involve myself with Discipleship Training Schools. In 1 Corinthians 4:20 we read: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” [NIV]. This is what gets me excited. It is during outreach that spiritual warfare, visions, healing, words of knowledge and experiences of God and His Kingdom are the most prevalent and tangible. It is in outreach that the greatest stories and testimonies are forged. It is in outreach that I see students blossom and shimmer in their potential, and in doing so reflect the wonders of God. It is in outreach that lives are encountered and changed forever, and it is in this setting of outreach that a team like no other is forged, one that is clothed in love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. [Col 3:14] Then like a sports team in perfect union, everyone knows exactly what everyone else is thinking and doing, and together are able to produce miraculous plays and results. All for the glory and honour of the coach [God], and the nation [His Kingdom] they are playing for. 

Yet 5 weeks prior to departing for outreach, all I knew about it was that God had said London. The departure date was quickly approaching, so my team and I set about planning 10 weeks of outreach. I personally was really excited for the opportunity, because my co-staff were both staffing their first ever school. Therefore it was all in my hands. I was at the helm of the ship, preparing to leave port with God as the wind in our sails, and with a new ragtag crew bound for an adventure into the unknown. Together we plotted our course with three main destinations in mind: Willesden, Wimbledon and Kent. I was faced with a number of challenges not previously encountered, lots of dreaded paperwork. This mostly consisted of travel plans, budget plans, meal plans, sorting out team roles, risk assessments, GDPR stuff like safe guardian courses and certificates to be legally allowed to work with ‘people at risk’ or children. The most challenging aspect of this was communication to many different parties simultaneously: base leaders, DTS coordinator, costaff, other base staff, school of ministry and development leader, the outreach locations, several different hosts and finally the students, all whilst needing to remain 100% present and active during the 12h, and some days 15h, lecture days. Communication was hard. I usually did my best to over communicate rather than under communicate, i.e, rather repeat things than risk not mentioning them, or explain whole ideas and concepts rather than reducing them to simple point form statements. After all this, my capacity to maintain effective communication with friends and family was practically nonexistent. 

As the time to our departure drew nearer we started to focus more on team building activities, largely centred on getting to know each other. We created profiles containing all sorts of information from personalities, to love languages, favourite snacks, how to notice and support each other when under strain and much more. We also spent time praying for words and pictures towards a vision and a goal for outreach. After about 6 sessions of this, feedback, and then praying again, we ended up with our God given vision statement: United in Love we will bring breakthrough. 

On the 10th of December, our team of 8, fully loaded, departed on a 12-13 hour bus trip from Glasgow to Willesden (North West London) for our first leg of the outreach. 

Account of Willesden 

Our arrival at Willesden saw us left standing outside the building for a few minutes, because the knockout match between France and England for the world cup was almost finished, and no one wanted to blink an eye. As far as outreaches go, the accommodation at Willesden was pretty good and I was happy to meet many friends that I had made during the WISE (Whales, Ireland, Scotland, England) gathering back in May. 

Sunday the 11th – many people had been praying to experience a white christmas in the UK, which apparently never happens in London. There is a greater chance of it snowing at the Seamill base than in London. Yet the night of the 11th saw snow grace the streets and everyone in the residential area was out having fun in the street. Many from the base were South Americans for whom this was their first snow experience. It was a great time for community and connecting with the neighbours. 

In Willesden we engaged in street evangelism, providing hot drinks, public worship, Bible distribution as Christmas presents, carolling, performing different skits, English language schools, church work, prophetic art, supernatural ministry and more. Here are a few testimonies and stories. 

First involved us going door-to-door, wishing people a Merry Christmas and inviting people to a Christmas celebration at the New River Baptist Church in Islington. During this time I met a woman from Scotland who invited us into her home for a chat and tea. Her house was full of every kind of religious symbol or ornament from many different religions. We had a great discussion about what we do and how we are motivated by love. She was so sweet and caring and had a great heart for the youth. When the Christmas event came around, she was there, and had a great time. About 5 weeks later we reconnected with the church and found out that this woman was now involved in teaching their Bible classes. 

Another day we were singing carols and handing out biscuits and Christmas cards near Tower Bridge. During this time I had a small encounter with a group of students who came by again at a later point. Then one of the students from the group stopped to inform and thank me because none of his friends were Christian but our carolling gave him an opportunity to share the Christmas story and Jesus with his friends. They then went to sit down nearby where he explained the significance of the lyrics to his friends. 

We decided to do a prep for, and then a burn, where we worshipped in a public park through the night on New Year’s. It turned out that our prep day was very cold and rainy, but we did it anyway. Finally, someone who had walked past us a few times, stopped to join in because he “really liked the atmosphere” we had created. After chatting with him, it turned out that he didn’t believe in God, but we prayed for him and blessed him anyway. During the New Year’s burn he turned up again. We found out that he had played football with some of the people from the YWAM base, and after sharing more about it, decided that he wanted to do a DTS as well. (Discipleship Training School) 

A vision and goal that our team had had from before outreach, was to change the spiritual atmosphere and claim ground for the Kingdom in an area. Just a bit further down the road from where the base usually engaged in ministry, was a largely more Islamic area, with clear signs of heavy drug use and prostitution. It was a place we had spent a fair amount of time prayer walking and interceding for during our time in Willesden. Finally, on our second to last day there we decided to set up our tea and coffee table and do ministry there. It turned out to be probably the most fruitful afternoon of ministry during the whole outreach. The atmosphere was light, people were ridiculously open to engage and talk about deep things, get prayed for, and all sorts. One specific guy was a run away from Ireland. He encountered God that day, he received healing in his back, confidence was restored when he had been suicidal before, his whole complexion lighted up after we prayed for deliverance. He said it felt like something dark and depressing had left him. I believe wholly that I got the privilege of seeing deliverance that day, and that demons had left him. Other members of the team kept communication with him for many weeks afterwards and he was doing well. 

During our stay we had to use the laundry mat on our free days.On one of these days the team decided to do Bible reading there while waiting for their clothes. During this time the manager of the store eventually came and asked what we were reading, because he found it super interesting and insightful. Turns out the guy was Muslim but was so impacted by it, that he asked if we had a Bible to spare because he would like to read it. One of the students then gave the man her own Bible. 

On our last day at Willesden we went to help with a prayer vigil in Peckham Rye. Different members of the church hosted several members of our team at different locations for the one evening we were there. The family that hosted me was incredible, and the real surprise came in that the father had been involved in the past with missions in China. Coincidence? Of all the people that could have hosted me, it was this guy… That was pretty incredible! During my time at the prayer vigil, God began to speak to me about the year ahead – about 2023. Amongst many things I felt Him ask, “Daniel, are you willing to accept your Joseph story?” Hesitantly I said that I am, while I’m not sure what it looks like, and I’m not confident that I won’t make mistakes along the way. “If You ask it of me, if You are with me, I trust You won’t give me something that’s too big for me to handle. So YES I am willing”.  

Our second location was originally supposed to be in Wimbledon, but about a week and a half before leaving Willesden we were informed that the Wimbledon community could no longer host us. So in a scramble to find an alternative God led us to Harlesden, only about 20 min away from Willesden. We switched bases on the 7th of January. 

Account of Harlesden

The new staffing year had begun so this base was full to the brim with many new and old people. This community placed a lot of emphasis on the value of family and strove to include everyone in the community in this way. They put in a lot of effort to incorporate us into their weekly schedule of games nights, family times and other really fun activities. Our ministries with this community were much more support based. We helped run several food banks, a coffee shop, providing warm clothing to the homeless, sports ministry for the guys, and the girls helped provide love, support and care for people who were stuck in and or trying to get out of the sex industry. While these ministries were surely very impactful, we were not really in a position to have the one-on-one spirit lead conversations. We were not really in a position to see much of the fruit that came from it either. Many of the students flourished in this serving aspect, where human interaction was minimal, but personally I really missed the relational aspect that we had with people in WIllesden. Probably one of the biggest highlights from this time for me included: arranging ministry / prophetic and soaking nights back in Islington for a week; my debut to professional football for sports ministry; and ministry by using the National Museum as evidence for Biblical truth, as historical findings align with scriptural accounts. From Rameseas of Egypt, or Nebuchanezzer of Babylon, to Durius of Perisa, to Alexander of the Greeks and Octavian of the Romans to all the records and artefacts that only add value to the validity of the Bible. 

Account of Kent

In Kent we were hosted by Vine Evangelical Church and worked with Trinity School in creating and running a prayer space in which +/-1150 students participated. It was an incredibly successful time with many stories of how God encountered the students. A very common report in feedback was that the prayer space was so peaceful and calming. What impacted me massively about Kent, was the relationship that the faculty at the school and the church had with God and each other. It was really beautiful and an amazing picture of what heaven on Earth could look like. I have never been aware of such a God loving community before. The respect, love, grace and value given to everyone was mind blowing. It’s something I’ve rarely seen outside a YWAM community. 

Reflection

This has been my most positive DTS experience yet, rivalling even my own DTS in 2018. I feel I have really grown in communication and leadership skills. This time, a lot of outreach depended on me to move and get things done, it was one that I as a leader was able to take ownership of. My goals were to create a space in which the trainees could come to love outreach and evangelism, where they could be exposed to new and different forms of it. All these were achieved and the Holy Spirit undoubtedly moved in their lives and the communities we were in. I would be fully confident in my ability now to arrange and work out an outreach program for churches or other communities, should the opportunity arise.

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