This morning we started staff training in anticipation of the DTS. We’re a staff of 7 - American, Italian, and Finnish. Today we shared our testimonies/backgrounds, and talked about the BLS Basic Leadership School. One week for training.

Next weekend I’ll be in England to celebrate YWAM’s 50th Anniversary (the Jubilee year!).

And then next week the students already begin to arrive! :)

Side projects of the week:

• baking an American apple pie to celebrate autumn with my teammates.
• a dear local friend from church donated money for me to buy a bike - yipee!!!!! So I got a basket today and paint to make the old fella look spiffy. Need to get some lights and reflectors though, to make it street safe.
• moving into the new house we’re renting for 3 months of lecture phase.

These months, as we’re preparing for the DTS to start, I’m living by an ever-revolving task list with as many tasks as the Chinese population (I’m not convinced it isn’t infinite). Items are checked off, but they are always being replaced by the next things to do, followed by lots more things to do.

I think that running a DTS must be like planning a wedding. A wedding every day for 180 days.

You’re getting earth ready to accommodate this event in both space and time. It needs a place to be, a time to begin and end, a schedule for the running of it, a fashion for it to run in, sub-events to organize, an environment to create, feelings to consider, high standards to cling to, and an orchestration of personnel that come, go, or stay that resembles the backstage of an opera. The program has like 12 independent variables that all need to come together smoothly, and I swear they are as eager to come together as babies and painted clowns.

Why am I loving this?

It’s a perfect challenge. And it’s going to be as rewarding as 180 weddings. :)