2024 DTS - second Update
- janastettler9
- Mar 2, 2024
- 8 min read
Hello everyone!
We are super excited to share with you a summary of our ministry since we started to lead the Discipleship and Training School (DTS) beginning of this year.
Over the past two months, God has been working in amazing ways in the DTS and we have been filled with joy and gratitude as we have been able to see students lives starting to be transformed.
Leading the school together as a couple is a beautiful opportunity not only to grow as leaders, but also to get to know each other as a couple more and more and to learn to love and care for each other during this intense season.
However, the last 2 months were not always easy. As some of you might have heard we have lost close friends due to accidents. It has definitely been a difficult and painful time for us.
But in the midst of this unexpected and rather shocking news, we can testify how God is still faithful and good. As John 12:24 talks about new fruits growing when a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, we can see how God is producing beautiful fruits in the midst of the pain of losing precious friends.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. John 12,24
1. DTS
As we shared in the last newsletter, this year's DTS has the theme Transformation to Transform Nation. In just two short months, God has already begun to change each student's life in amazing ways.
It is always so wonderful to see how God is working in the students' hearts and how the students start to open their hearts towards God. During the first week of school, all staff and students shared their testimonies to get to know each other. Most of our students are in their late teens or twenties.
From the outside it first looked like that the students were all doing very well but as they started to share their stories, we realised more and more how much brokenness and pain is in the hearts of each one of us.
But many of them already went through a lot of dramatic circumstances during their lives, especially during their childhood and teenage years. When we heard these shocking and heartbreaking stories, we didn't know how to comfort them, so we just cried next to them. But God has taught us that in this broken world, His heart desires to restore us and that we are created in his image. He desires to heal us, and to give us a life of joy and freedom.
Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13)Throughout the last 7 weeks of different teachings we saw heavy burdens like lies, unbelief, shame or guiltiness has being falling off as students started to bring it all to the cross.
Healing started to take place and we are starting to see breakthroughs happen not just in the inside of the students but also from the outside! Graves turned into beautiful Garden, shame turned into glory and mourning into dancing!
In these short two months, God has already revealed numerous changes in the lives of students. As the lyrics say, “Too Good to not believe,” we had the amazing privilege of witnessing the true work of the living God right in front of us.
We've seen cancer disappear We've seen broken bodies healed We've seen real life resurrection We've seen mental health restored We've seen families reunited We've seen prodigals return We've seen troubled souls delivered We've seen addicts finally freed Don't you tell me He can't do it Yes I know that He can do it.
Too Good to Not Believe - Brandon Lake
2. Minna and bus accident in Tanzania
In the midst of God's amazing work, we heard some very heartbreaking news. Minna, a close friend of us, and one of the staff members of YWAM Lausanne, had to go to Jesus at the young age of 25 due to an unknown accident in North Africa.
It was such shocking news, and it took Jana a long time to get over her grief, especially since she was such a close friend. She was Jana's DTS staff and outreach leader. Minna was a friend who truly loved God and had a great passion for evangelism. With her calling to the Middle East, she prayed for a long time and prepared for her ministry, and her ministry bore much fruit, leading countless souls back to the Lord.
Minna and myself having fun at the Pyramids in North Africa! When we heard the news of the accident during a community service, we cried and prayed together, but unfortunately Minna had to leave to be with Jesus. We were grateful to know that Minna would now be enjoying her freedom and peace by Jesus' side, but the grieving of the loss of our friend was not been so easy. In the midst of this sorrow, God asked us a question through the words of John 11:
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)Do you believe this?
We thought a lot about this question over and over again. And we want to answer on a daily basis, “Lord, we believe that you are the resurrection and the life.”
We cannot tell you how thankful we are for life as a Christian, where we can live with the hope of resurrection and life. We want to praise the goodness and faithfulness of God in all the areas of our lives.
Bellow you can find the testimony of Minna recorded in a short video. May her life be an encouragement for all of us. Let's life our lives to the fullest for the kingdom of God.
Minna' testimony
But than, a few weeks later, we received another shocking news. A YWAM master's program team in Arusha, Tanzania, was returning from a visit to a Maasai village. Than a truck with broken brakes crashed into the buses, killing many missionaries. Because of this accident, a total of 11 missionaries left to be with Jesus.
One of them was a friend we worked with in Lausanne a few years ago, and two were leaders and friends of SeongEun worked with in Tanzania in the summer of 2022.
Guy and Joelle, who officiated our wedding, were also part of this Masters program in Arusha, Tanzania. Joelle was one of those who survived the accident, but suffered serious injuries, including 9 broken ribs and most of her lungs. She is currently back in Switzerland recovering.
This is an extremely difficult situation for us as a YWAM family. Many of the leaders who passed away were leaders of YWAM bases in Africa, where ministries were incredibly prosperous, and leaders who pioneered many ministries at the forefront of missions.
Additionally, these were leaders who demonstrated amazing leadership in the field of education, and they were missionaries who expanded the kingdom of God in amazing ways even in countries where it was impossible for missionaries to enter. Losing all of these leaders in a single accident was and is a huge loss for as as a YWAM's family.
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Why???
We couldn't stop asking the question. It was not easy to to stay focused after so many shocking news. But we decided to have our eyes fixed on Jesus in the midst of this circumstances. We reminding our selves every single day on the truth of who Jesus is and that he is good and faithful all the time.
We love to ask you to keep praying for this circumstances, for peace and comfort for everyone being involved.
Local and international leaders from YWAM are gathering to support the team on the ground, who are now faced with many details of repatriation, medical evacuation, family support, funeral arrangements, and many other logistics. If you personally would like to give something towards this circumstances then you can donate through this link.
Thank you!
3. Outreach
We are so excited to annound that we will soon go on outreach. Our School will send out 2 teams! One to Mexico and one to North Africa. We will be gone from the 28.3 - 30.5.24
A lot of wisdom was needed on how to proceed the locations for the outreach in this difficult situation. However, while praying and seeking the Lord, God gave us the heart to send a team to North Africa and Mexico and not be be shaken or afraid of what is going on around the world. Through the story of the 12 spies, he guided us not to fix our eyes on the realistic situations and difficulties, but to take steps of faith by trusting in God's guidance and faithfulness.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain
(1 Cor 15:58) This is the team that is going to North Africa! :)
We are so excited to see how God will use this team in amazing ways! We will participate in different ministries connected with muslims and christians. Our goal is to bring the love of God to this Nation.
It takes a lot of wisdom and spiritual sensitivity to lead the students during an outreach with also the differnt accident happened. We don't want to be overwhelmed by fear, but we want to stay humble and abide in God so that he can be the guide and leader for this team.
Please keep praying for us
We believe and trust that God will pour out countless fruits during this time. Although North Arica is not a country where it is easy to bear visible fruits, we believe that God will continue to plant the seeds of the gospel, water them, and lead them to grow through our large and small acts of service and ministry. We look forward to sharing many testimonies with you in the upcoming update!
In particular, we are raising 1,000 CHF for our personal outreach finances as we will be keep paying for our monthly housing rent fees. If you would like to contribute towards our Mission then please reach out or donate through the donation link. Thank you so much for all your support and prayers.
Thank you
Thank you again to everyone who has been praying and supporting us :) We can't tell you how much it encourages us in the midst of our work to know that someone is listening, caring, and praying for us!
Some specific prayer requests:
1. During the remaining lecture period:
Please pray that the students are not starting to be satisfied with the transformation they already saw in their own lives but that they will have a hunger and passion to not just get to know God for themsleves but also that they want to make him know throughout their lives.
2. For guidance and wisdom in the preparation and leading of the outreach.
3. For strength and health.
4. Pray that our marriage life will be even more strengthened in the midst o leading the school.
5. Please pray for the bus accident in Tanzania and everyone being involved with it.
How to support us:
Thank you so much.
Much love
Jana & SeongEun Kwon
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