Even though it was great to have time to myself to think and reflect and settle into my home here in Wrexham, the past week at Holmsted Manor was a welcome time to meet other Ywam people, and to get a bigger picture of DTS. Holmsted Manor is a Ywam location in the country side about half an hour south of London. I was there from Sunday to Friday to gather with others from Western Europe (and Iceland!) who are working with discipleship training schools. Also, two (actually three) friends from the boat are currently working there, so it was fantastic to see them as well.
As a gathering, we spent a lot of time worshiping God and praying together. The times that we did that were such a blessing for me, not just because God spoke to me through those times, but because it was my first time worshiping in English with other believers since I had left home at the beginning of July. I realize now how much of a blessing it is just to sing in my mother tongue. It was something I never expected to miss.
Another part of the gathering was learning more about DTS. We spent time talking about communication, hospitality, and how to effectively lead a dts amongst other things. Some of what we talked about I've heard before, but it was good to hear everything again as I've been out of Ywam for so long. Probably the most helpful for me was talking about dts leadership, as it made a little less mysterious and scary. It still is going to be hard work to be staffing a dts again, but it was good to get grounded and realize just how many resources there are to help me prepare.
The last (and best part for me) of going to Holmsted was just meeting people and getting to know them a little. There were people from America, Great Britain, Holland, France, Belgium, Egypt, Bermuda, Germany, Canada and Brazil, and they were working in Scotland, Wales, England, France, Germany, Holland, France, Italy and Iceland. (I shared a room with a great group of people who work here in the UK at a place called the King's Lodge.) With that many people from so many different places, there's a lot to talk about! And who knows what plans and dreams may come out of the connections made over this past week?
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