DTS
Our students from the Music & Worship Discipleship Training School that began in late July of this year have grown so much in their faith and in who they are as men and women of God during their time here. One of the more intense weeks of the school was about 2 months ago during "Lordship" week. Our speaker for that week was Mark Parker--a kiwi (New Zealander) who is an intense, no-nonsense, passionate speaker who basically spent the whole week telling our students to get over themselves! Just kidding!..sort of.. No, but it was an incredibly impactful week for the students and for us as staff as Mark really challenged us to submit ALL of ourselves to the Lordship of Christ Jesus. The Lord was on the move like crazy that week and I definitely can see that it was a turning point for the better as a whole in the DTS. Since that week, the rest of lecture phase feels like it literally flew by. At this point all of our students have successfully completed the "Lecture Phase" of their schooling. Then comes outreach...
Pass It On Tour
The Pass It On Tour was the one week outreach in Tenterfield, New South Whales, Australia - which was coincidentally (God totally ordained it!) was the birthplace of their Federation. Our entire DTS and staff joined with YWAM Brisbane's GO TEAM to do a week long outreach doing anything and everything ministry related to bless and support the town.
What is the Pass It On Tour as a whole? This group of crazy young missionaries literally ran 17,000km from town to town to actively take the message of the Father Heart of God, the Value of Families & Biblical foundations across Queensland & on through the western world. Taking service, relationship & ministry to a new level. Ywam Toowoomba had the privilege of joining the GO TEAM for their final week of the tour. We had the opportunity to work with local churches, business owners, schools & residents to reach the citizens of the town - & through that to tangibly disciple an entire community and ultimately the nation. We did service projects, speaking engagements, youth ministry every night, worship nights, and one-on-one prayer and mentoring. It was an powerful week for the students and for the citizens of Tenterfield and I thank God for the priviledge of being apart of it!
After the week of outreach in Tenterfield, we sent our students split into 3 teams to Thailand for 6 weeks to continue putting into practice everything the Lord had taught them. They are still in Thailand right now and will be for another 2 weeks before they return from outreach to graduate the DTS.
Easterfest Acoustic RoadshowThis month the Lord gave me the opportunity to hit the road! For two weeks, me, my co-staff Madeleine Dobbie, and Joy Argow, Event Manager of Easterfest, went on the Easterfest Acoustic Music Tour up the coast of Queensland as far north as Townsville, stopping at 13 or 14 (I can't even remember how many lol) towns along the way and playing music gigs and promoting Easterfest. Easterfest is the largest Christian music festival in Australia and happens every year during all of Easter weekend.
Our music tour was essentially to bring a piece of Easterfest every town we visited by doing gigs in churches, cafes, etc.
Here are a few pics from the tour, also check out the Easterfest 2013 Highlights video to get a better idea for what it is! It's pretty sweet.
City Women Internship
I am also doing ministry with City Women which is an umbrella for about 21 different women and girls ministries here in Toowoomba. I'm involved in during these 4 weeks while the DTS is gone are...
SHINE - An 8 week course for teenage girls that originated from Hillsong. The purpose is to teach girls that they are valuable and someone of worth!
The GAP - A Christian based live-in transitional program for young women aged 16-19 years. It's goal is to support, equip, and enable young women in a safe, living community.
Bella Sistahs & Bella Chicks - Bella Sistahs being biweekly and Bella Chicks, monthly, offers mentorship and discipleship for girls keen to develop their own personal values and beliefs – to truly live out what they believe.
Needless to say, I've been kept busy during my time here at YWAM Toowoomba and I love the work the Lord allows me to do here! As multi-faceted and intense at times as it seems, the Lord continues to give me His peace which transcends all understanding through it all. As one of my students always says, I am blessed and highly favored! I am also so grateful for all of the support from my family and friends back home. I wouldn't be able to continue with the Lord's work here in Toowoomba without your prayers and generosity and I am extremely grateful and humbled. So thank you to everyone for all that you do, for allowing the Lord to use His body to be apart of His work! I love and miss you all dearly and pray God blesses you abundantly from the riches of His store-houses up in Heaven!
With all my love,
Chelsea Ritter
