JULY DTS 2011 BEGINS!

What a start!

"The most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like." - AW Tozer

The first week's topic was hearing God's voice. God is already doing a work in the students' hearts. Janine (our school leader and lecturer for the week) raised the question "what do you really think about God?" She challenged the students to go beyond what they can recite, what they know in their head or what they have heard about God. What do they believe in their hearts? As she and one of the staff shared about difficult experiences they've had and how God has shown up for them, the Holy Spirit began to move, touching the hearts of the students, bringing up past hurts and hidden misconceptions about God. I could see Him softening their hearts and bringing comfort and healing. And it is merely the beginning! They are so open to God and it is beautiful to see their genuine, deep desire to know God for who He truly is.

Oh yes, it's going to be a good 6 months.

I also want to share the testimony of one of our students. He is from Mexico and he is a very new Christian. He gave his life to the Lord through one of the Megacities teams we sent to Mexico City last year. He met the girls from the team in the street. When he found out they were reading the Bible he was really mean to them (these are his own words). But they responded in love. So they became friends. One time he showed them how to get to the top of a nearby mountain because the team wanted to worship there. When they reached the top and started singing to God he was annoyed and left them there - in the dark, in a dangerous place. But they responded in grace. So he was more mean to them. They responded with even more love. And something in his heart began to change. Then he had a dream of a man in white with bright eyes, full of love. He felt in his heart the most powerful feeling of love, like he had never felt before, and gave his life to the Lord. Now, despite how difficult it is for Mexicans to study in Australia, he is in Perth learning the ways of God in our DTS! God is so faithful.