Our New Home!
The New Year came so fast and that meant time to pack! Monday, January 5, 2009 rolled along and the new DTS students started to spontaneously show up at the YWAM base to begin a 6 month long Discipleship Training School. All day the anxiety was increasing throughout the dorms waiting for the potential roommates to show up. Finally everyone made it at the base safe and sound. That night there was a beautiful welcoming banquet for the students and many idle conversations floated around the room. Later there was silly getting to know you games and finally it was time to sleep.
The re
st of the week we had lectures and sometimes we sang worship before class in the building next door. We had many speakers during class like DTS staff and the base director, Tim Svaboda. They taught us about lectio divina, intercessory prayer, repentance, transparency, and hearing God’s voice. The lessons we heard opened our eyes to what our Christian walk should be like and now more students have been willing to opening their hearts for God to transform them. Recently I have been thinking of these next 6 months as rehab for the soul.
This past week the twelve students and the four DTS staff have gotten to know each other really well. Each student had the opportunity to share their “life story” with the all the other DTS students along with all the leaders. We got to know one another over meals, exploring the city, playing pool, ping pong and chess together. A major part of our week was to get to know the city and the community, whether it was taking a tour, roaming, evangelizing or the hot chocolate ministry. Everyday the city becomes more like home to us. 
The Tenderloin District comes off scary and intimidating. On every street there are drug dealers, thugs, prostitutes, the homeless, and “massage salons.” These people are hurting and lost. Therefore, they turn to addictions to cover up what is really missing in their life and that’s Jesus Christ, as Jaylon Young says, “The Tenderloin needs tender lovin’!”
Our first week here came so fast and has passed. Finally, the students are adapting to their new home and loving the people of the Tenderloin District. It has been an unpredictable, but an entertaining week. Arrivederci!!
-Holly Geber!
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