Why Discipleship Training School again?

Hey everyone! This message has been way over due but it's here! There has been a lot of people that knows and that I've talked to already and there were some people (my supporters) that I needed to talk to before I updated. So here is is!!

I'M DOING DTS AGAIN!

There are reasons for it and I know it's right where God has me. Earlier this year while I was on staff I was going through a super hard time. I was struggling with depression and from that there was a lot of things in my life that didn't belong. You know the school work sheets that have pictures and you "circle the items that don't belong"? Well, my worksheet was pretty much full of circles!! There were some things that were going on that I didn't tell my leaders, and, quite frankly, I was hiding them from a lot of people. There was this thing in my life where I didn't think those around me truly cared for what was going on. I was hurt before and held onto those hurts and they grew completely out of control! So as I was "coming clean of my junk" with the leadership team and letting them know all of my secrets they were very understanding and encouraging. We had a time of prayer and felt like I wasn't in a position of leadership at this time in my life. So instead of sending me away I was offered to do another DTS with them! Which just started while all of this was going on! So I took the offer seeing it as a time of resting and growing in my character and into the likeness of Christ. I know in my first DTS I didn't fight through some things that we're keeping me trapped because I was afraid of what people would think of me if they knew my "junk". So now I'm fighting hard! Getting so much freedom in my life!! It was the most hardest thing I've ever done. Coming completely clean, talking about things that I've never talked about before and letting other people know who I really am but it's so worth it. I feel like I can truly be who I am.

So. With the last five years that I've been in and out of ministry with YWAM I feel like I'm finally getting free of things that I've been holding onto! It's such God's grace with where I'm at right now. He's really looking after me. I feel completely changed. And it's the best thing to end my time here in Mazatlan with. I'll be heading home in March still, which is another reason that I know this is the right thing for me to do right now for the DTS ends in March. It's been such a great season to refresh, reflect and renew things in my heart right before I head home to start ministry there.

Now that I'm doing DTS I'll be going on an outreach to Mexico City next month!! The day after Christmas we will be leaving to raise awareness for Human Trafficking - stopthetraffik.org - in one of the biggest cities in the world. We will spend almost 5 weeks in Mexico City then be on the road a little for a few more weeks. Coming back to Mazatlan for our Carnaval outreach then to another town doing ministry (which hasn't been fully planned yet-I'll let you know when I know!). We just had a speaker in the DTS that has a huge passion for stopping Human Trafficking and the fire in his heart for it changed our lives.

This is one of the things I will be doing when I get back to Ohio. I'm actually working with a friend and we're putting together a video to take to Mexico City to share in the churches we will be working with, and where ever God leads us, and it will be translated in english so we can use it back in the states. I'm so excited about this! I feel like for the first time I have vision, passion and excitement for something in the future. In this case, coming home. I'm really looking forward to it.

And because I'm doing DTS I also have to pay student fees and pay for my outreach. Altogether my DTS will be about $4,600. $3,000 for lecture phase going on right now and $1,600 for the outreach (includes everywhere that we're traveling to). If you would like to help out in anyway please let me know! I need these fees paid asap! I have all of the ways that you can send one time gifts to my support account (tax-deductible through YWAM) in an earlier blog post but if you have trouble finding it or want to send to my mothers house (she handles all of my finances) please email me at jnhendershott@gmail.com.

Also if you have any others questions or comments or anything about what I shared in this update, weather it's Human Trafficking, specific things about what I was struggling with, DTS or just want to say hi you can email me at jnhendershott@gmail.com.

I would love to hear from you!

So my urgent goal: $4,600 dollars that can be invested into changing lives starting with mine.


May you be blessed during this Holiday Season. We just celebrated Thanksgiving last night as a family here in Mexico and it was such a feeling of family and fun.. Although, it is missing the cold weather that I'm used to.


Bless you!