Add outreach to the schedule & lose a peer? I don't think so!

Hey again! I wanted to write on behalf of one of our DTS peers, and for our DTS in general. This past weekend, a group of us were able to go to one of the student's house in Fairfield which is about 45 mintues away from San Francisco. We went and watched movies, and most of the people stayed up talking and hanging out while me and a few others SLEPT! It was a great time away from the Tenderloin for a night, but the next morning brought a little bit of sadness, but also peace. This student that opened his home to us this weekend would have to stay home this week due to lack of finances to cover for the DTS. Out of the approximately $7,300, he has only been able to earn a little <$1,000. Though there is only one person out of all of us that has been able to pay the whole fee off thus far, that small amount isn't enough to keep him in DTS at this point. We found out that in order for him to stay with us, to come back after this Friday after he's had a week to meet with potential supporters, he'll need to have another $3,000 - gathered in one week!

Now, I know you may be thinking that is a LOT of money, and some may be doubting the money will come in. However, before the rest of us left his house Sunday morning, he gathered us together for a "DTS discussion." He told us that instead of specifically praying for the money to come, that we pray for God's will to happen in his life. If God wants him to finish DTS, then he'll bring that money in by the time it's needed, no problem! However, if that money does not come in, then there is an opportunity to go on a seperate "outreach" or "short term missions trip" this summer in Ukraine, seperate from YWAM, but completely paid for! So, in reality, this is kind of exciting! Because God has a plan for this special person, and it may be completely beyond anyone else's understanding. However, if my feeling is correct, I believe the money will come in no problem, and he'll be able to finish up this DTS with the rest of us! If you would like to support this man through this journey with your finances, please contact me and I will let you know how to do so!

So again, I ask my friends and family, for your support. We as a DTS need over $30,000 to go on outreach. I, in particular, need another $4,300 to finish the cost of lecture and pay for outreach. We are coming up with ideas on how we can, while here, earn some money! We will be planning an art show/auction here in the city (and hopefully post items online as well if you would like to purchase them). I am also selling my photography for donation, so I ask that however much you are able to pay is more than $8 each print to cover the cost of printing and shipping! If you would like a print, email me at savannarwb@hotmail.com, or let me know on Facebook! You can checkout http://www.flickr.com/photos/savannawatkinson/ . If God is speaking to you about giving your tything money to missions, please consider donating to our funds. If making a check, you can make it our to YWAM SF and put "DTS FALL 09" in the memo. If you would like the funds to go to me, the best way is to just make it out to me, Savanna Watkinson, and I can pay YWAM when I deposit the check. I'm sorry to inform you, however, while in DTS, the funds donated to us students in DTS are not tax-deductable.

And please, more than anything, continue to pray for us! For finances, but also for our safety, and that God's will continue to guide and direct our hearts and our footsteps. My personal prayer request is for heart change. I have been struggling in a few relationships, and the root of that is a battle against myself. So please be praying for God's grace to cover that and take it, and that I am able to love with the love that Jesus has for all of us. Please also be praying for my health - I have been battling with acid reflux and possibly something else, but I have symtpoms nearly everyday and I'm asking God for a complete recovery. And, I think most of all importance, I pray that we as a group can get over any apathy we have with ourselves, each other, and in the city. This is our outreach phase, and we need the pure motivation that comes from Christ alone to pursue this city and bring it to Jesus.

Thank you for all your prayers! And thank you for those who have been able to support me financially as well! I can see the fruit of it all through this journey I have been going through here at YWAM. I thank you with all of my heart, and pray that God is blessing you and showing you an abundance of grace in this season! I love and miss you all!

-Savanna Watkinson
357 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

(I haven't received any mail in the past 3 weeks - mail was an exciting time for me when at home and I got 5 pieces of junk every day - not getting anything can be so depressing! If you want to send a small parcel with a prayer request, a love letter, or a nice drawing, I will GLADLY accept it!)

A Thrilling Reality of DTS SF

Hey, all! Again, I'm sorry I haven't written for a while. Although I won't continue apologizing any longer, because, well, even though I want to keep you all updated and you want to know what's going on here in San Francisco, there is a lot that goes on here, and almost too much for me to sit down and type it all up. ;) In that case, I know you are all gracious and love me regardless if I write twice a week or twice a month! And for that, I thank you!

I decided I should give you guys a look at what our lecture phase looked like (this is our last week - then on to outreach in the city!) We would start off our weeks with worship! The staff and DTS gets together for an hour long session of praising God corporately, but with our individual ways through song. Then we move on to what we call Bible Meditation [I call BM (haha)for short] for an hour, and one of our leaders usually chooses the scripture that God puts on their heart for us to. This simply means for us that we get a few verses or so that we get to meditate on. We ask God to show us what He wants to say to us, and ask that He keeps our hearts open for all of His truth. Then we read through the scripture at least a few times, and asking what is it simply saying, and what may it be saying between the lines (if so). This past week's BM, for example, was James 1:2-18. There is so much wisdom, truth, and valuable lessons that God offers in those words! After BM, we have two hours of lecture, each day of the week the main topic is the same, but weekly the topics change! We have a different speaker come in every week to expand our understanding of who God is and who He has made us to be! Then after lunch, we go on to another two hours lecture, and have the night off. For the past few weeks, a lot of that time has been taken by practicing and preparing for our outreach phase. Sometimes we rest, communicate with people back home, spend time together with individuals as a group, or go have intimate time with our Creator!
Tuesday mornings offer time of worship as a DTS, and most often then not on Tuesday mornings, God shows up in a powerful way! I can't explain why, maybe I'm more awake, but this time is so wonderful in feeling God move in my soul. I love it! We also get an hour to do a prayer walk, where we go out into the streets of the Tenderloin in pairs to pray for the people and the area, and more specifically that God will lift the darkness out of this place and bring it back to His glory. Then we move on to lecture, and have the afternoon off (great time to do laundry!). In the evening after dinner, we have an hour or two of intercession, depending on how the Lord leads us, where we get to pray on behalf of nations, people groups, or individuals. It's an amazing opportunity to be obedient to God and see the lives of people change due to the prayers that we pray.
Wednesday mornings start off with personal devotions, then we have class! After lunch, we split up into our ministry groups. There are three different ones: woman's ministry where they reach out to prostitutes in the area, and hold a fellowship time with women in the Tenderloin and also do research for the sex trafficking dilemma; University Campus ministry where the group spends time with foreign students at a local college by playing interactive games and such; Life Group which leads the Bible study help in our storefront with the homeless people in the area; and the Haight Ministry, where we get to hang out with the hippies and reach the people in that area in creative and unique ways!
Thursday mornings, we have intercession with all the other YWAM staff, where again we learn about various crises around the globe and pray on the behalf of the people involved. Then another two hours of lecture. After lunch, we hold a food pantry for the residents of the Tenderloin - a majority of the people that come through are from the senior center a few buildings down, and they begin to line up at 6am, even though we don't start it until 1pm! They are devoted! It's a great way to get to bless the people in the area, and over time they get to know our faces through consistent devotion.
Finally Fridays come around, in the morning we get into groups for group discussions. We converse about what's happened throughout the week, brainstorm ideas for ministry, or spend the time uplifting each other! Then we spend an hour in intercession! Then go into the final two hours of lecture with our speaker - most weeks they end in an extended amount of face to face conversation, with a line of people wanting to get in a little question here and there. After lunch, we break up into our small groups and get to reflect together about the week, and really get to spend quality time together with 3 other students of the same gender plus our small group leader (one of the DTS staff members). Curfew on Fridays are extended one extra hour that we often use to bond by playing games and/or watching a funny movie and inputting our own commentary.
Saturdays vary depending on the week. At the end of the month, we get to use the day to reflect on all that God has done in and through us. This past reflection day I went to the beach and was able to rest in the beauty that God made in that place. It was amazing! Other Saturdays consist of volunteering at a place that needs our help, such as the food bank or painting a church, to throwing a BBQ for the senior center down the street. On Sundays everyone goes to church in the AM, and gets to rest throughout the day, but making sure our journals are completed before class the next day!

However, now I feel as though it is not necessary for you to know what happened during lecture phase - cause it's over! Outreach is starting, and we are thrilled as a DTS to be able to venture on another journey together while in the city. We're excited to see how and where God is going to use us - my desire is that we will get stretched and be able to see God for all His love and glory.