A DTS in Pictures

 So much happens during the 3-month lecture phase of a DTS that it is totally impossible to capture it all without carrying around a camera and taking pictures constantly. I didn't really have time to do that, but I have here a few of the highlights of the lecture phase that just ended. Unfortunately, this gives a pretty lopsided picture of what happens on DTS, because the big events and trips are what I usually take pictures of as opposed to the day-to-day life on DTS - worship, prayer/intercession, lectures, work duties, meals, and fun... Still, this should give an idea of a few of the cool things we got to experience this DTS. You can click on any of the photos to make it bigger.

I arrived back in New Zealand and as usual was amazed at the beauty of the place:

At the end of the first week of the school, we drove all the students up to Auckland to board Marine Reach's new ship, the Pacific Hope. 

The ship then sailed to Tauranga, where we had a big welcome ceremony, complete with the traditional Maori powhiri.

We took a fun trip to the Karangahake Gorge, where we hiked around and explored old gold mine and railway tunnels.

We had our own Maori Welcome Ceremony (powhiri) in Gideon's Valley (right on the base's property).

Also in the valley, we had six people get baptized!

Each week we had "stream" classes. This is my "Go" stream - the other streams are Medical, Devoted, Pacific Challenge, and Worship.

One Saturday morning, all of the guys made a nice breakfast to honor the ladies!

Of course, we continued to have lectures every morning! This was Teresa Archer teaching on worship - it was an awesome, Scripture-packed week!

On another weekend we took a trip up to the Coramandel Peninsula to visit Cathedral Cove (made famous in the second Narnia movie).

We had a really fun (and messy) fundraiser for our outreach trip to Vanuatu!

Here is the entire school (click to see it bigger)!

During another week of lectures, Joylynn Landshut came from South Africa to teach us Destiny by Design. We learned about the particular way that God has made us and how that helps us know what we are called to do. We looked at our dreams, personality, experiences, and the identity that God gives us.

Part of the identity that God has spoken over me!

Along the way, we had themed meals - one for almost every nationality or region represented in the school! Kiwi, American, Canadian, Swiss and German, Italian, Fijian, Asian, and more!

American night! It's amazing how American you can make two kiwis and a Dane look if you dress them in plaid and jeans :) 

African night!

The Go and Pacific Challenge streams took an epic trip to Tongariro National Park to climb on snowy volcanoes. It was really intense, but we felt so accomplished when we made it to the highest point on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

It has obviously been an action packed three months of lectures! But the best part is what you can't see in the photos - lives changed, hearts healed and filled with joy, love for God increased to overflowing, confidence gained, and God's glory revealed! It has been such a good time, and God has been SO faithful. I'll be posting again about what God has done for me personally - it's a lot, and it's really exciting!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Tomorrow my team flies to Vanuatu (a small island nation in the South Pacific - near Fiji) to spend 6 weeks of our outreach, and we are really excited!

-DJS