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GoWests.com – Offical site of the WestSide Story!

Equip Underway in Montana! July 21, 2013

Filed under: DTS Equip,Updates — GoWests! @ 2:38 pm

Hello everyone.

IMG_6916As many of you know, we run a development school for leaders and staff called “DTS Equip”.  We have just finished our 3rd week, and it is going great!  Equip focuses on the individual leader: core identity, character, vision, and skills.

Team Processing; USA, Uganda, & Ukraine

Team Processing; USA, Uganda, Ukraine

The curriculum begins by focusing inward as identity is challenged, then equipped.  From there we moved into working with others in both discipleship and leadership.  Now we approach more interpersonal roles, and then on to cross-cultural skills as well as outreach and evangelism.  Some of the topics we have dealt with so far include: identity, vision, decision-making, leadership styles, discipling people with difficult backgrounds, spiritual authority, and more.

This school is always a highlight for us.  We have the opportunity to gather leaders and disciplers, get personal, and develop from the inside-out.  We have 20 participants from as far as Ukraine, Uganda, Taiwan, USA, and yes, even Canada! Understand something: many of the people we work with through this program have extensive experience in multiple nations and cultures, different levels of leadership and responsibility, successes and heartbreaks.  It is a privilege to work with them, and the school-standard is high.  Not only do we work with truly outstanding individuals, we also know we are impacting the hundreds (even thousands) of others that they will then return to teach and lead.

"Drawing" them out

Day 1: “Drawing” them out

IMG_7054

A good view of class. Arnold and Debbie, 38-yr missions veterans, reinforce the “who” and “why”.

Thank you for your continued prayer, interest and support.  We are truly doing it together.

With love and gratitude,

Jeremy and Molly.

 

Sitting in Kiev…? July 13, 2013

Filed under: DTS Equip — GoWests! @ 6:20 am

IMAG0643-1Sitting in an airport cafe in Kiev?Picture of me 4

The Montana Equip began two weeks ago and is going so well.  Meanwhile, the crew who did Equip last year in Montana have been preparing to pioneer the program in Eastern Europe.  So, here I am on my way to launch our newest Equip, the “Eastern European DTS Equip”, in Ternopil, Ukraine.  Unlike Cambodia, the Wests won’t be moving to Ukraine for two months; instead I am heading out here to kick it off with the very well-equipped leadership team already in place.

Watch this space next week for an update and a photo or two!  In the meantime, back to my Illy espresso…

 

Mission Accomplished October 29, 2012

Filed under: DTS Equip,Family,Photos,Updates — GoWests! @ 11:28 pm

We are home now and sitting near our fire trying to keep warm, as there was a carpet of white snow to welcome us home! Samuel put it well when he declared, “It’s weird Mom, yesterday we were soooo hot, and today we are soooo cold!”

Our time in Cambodia ended on such a high note! So much was accomplished in the lives of the Equip group (42 people serving throughout Southeast Asia). Our work there was incredibly rewarding- seeing fruit daily in lives of leaders and staff that we know are already multiplying into others. But it was terribly sad leaving our close friends and co-workers. Certainly our hardest departure, as God has knitted our hearts with so many in the region.

There are piles of things to be thankful for, and one is our prayer and financial support team. Thank you. We have made a big impact together! We were told by Cambodians, Vietnamese, and Thais, that the fruit of the last 2 months of training will be seen for years to come. We have done well.

One highlight came through our mode of transportation – the TukTuk. A young man called Borat was our TukTuk driver….and he became a Christian! After he had been driving our family around Battambang for several weeks, Jeremy stayed up late one night talking with him and then a couple days later, Jeremy and some friends met with him and he committed his life to Christ! People have been witnessing to him for a while already and Jeremy got to be involved in the harvest! Borat shared with his Buddhist Mom, and she is accepting his decision. This is so rare, and so we know she is coming to Jesus next!

Here we are with Borat, our brother in Christ!

Another highlight was the outreach we did in a nearby slum. People came to know Jesus and felt the love of God for the first time. One woman in her 70’s has decided to follow Jesus…because when some Equip participants prayed for her, she was healed of blindness!

Following are some photos from this slum which convey more than words!

Samuel making balloon animals for the kids in the slum.

Playing Games

We handed out plates of food to all who came to the gospel presentation. It was sweet bbq corn, sweet pineapple, and sweet coconut jelly. I loved it because they were hearing sweet news about a Savior who loves them!

Jeremy chatting with some Cambodian Soldiers across the alley from the gospel presentation

And now a couple family shots….

Eden turned 5

A Khmer friend climbed a coconut palm and gave one to Joel…who loved it.

…He also ate a roasted cricket =(((

God was absolutely faithful to our family and to the people he loves in Southeast Asia.

Thanks for being our friends and for being committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It truly is transforming people and nations!

Love ~ Jeremy & Molly, Samuel, Joel and Eden

 

Cambodia is Calling May 7, 2012

Filed under: DTS Equip,Family,Uncategorized — GoWests! @ 10:13 pm

Hello Friends!

Our Equip class 2010 (Vietnamese friends blocked for security purposes)

We are pleased to announce that it is almost time for our leadership school, DTS Equip, to run in Cambodia for the second time!  In this letter we want to share these plans with you, and ask for both spiritual and practical help to make it happen. If you remember, we pioneered the first one in 2010. The base director has told us that the Equip was the beginning of the fulfillment of Cambodia being a resource to the entire region.  This has been a huge encouragement to us!!

In 2010 we trained staff from Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the U.S., including every DTS staff from Vietnam.  Our fantastic leadership team was made up of Vietnamese, Khmer, Americans, and 2 Aussies.   It was a privilege to work with these outstanding people who have truly forsaken all for the sake of the Gospel.

Our goal is to release the program to local leaders, but we are not quite there yet.  So, late this August, we are heading back for 2 months to work with more amazing young leaders from the region of Asia!  It is our privilege to return and run DTS Equip-Cambodia, again.

 

Sharing the love of Jesus and good food in a nearby slum

As we prepare to go, our most important consideration is the family.  Our last trip out there was amazing but it certainly had its challenges.  We will be home-schooling again, which can be a stretch at times!  The food is another big adjustment for the kids, among a few other things. Please pray for a good adjustment to school hours, culture, climate, food – and especially for health and safety.  (Remember Samuel’s stitches in his head at the Cambodian Amputee Hospital…?)  Aside from the parental-worry 😉  the kids are all VERY excited.  They keep asking “When can we go? Can we go now?” We are truly blessed with children who love to travel, even into third world Asia!

Our practical needs are …daunting.  This trip is costing us $6000 in airfare alone, and that’s a fantastic deal!  Until this week, airfare was looking more like $10,000, so the fare reduction we saw this week is God’s provision already!  Visas will be about $200.  Then there’s the usual… accommodation, food, transportation, etc. bringing the total to about $7500.  The total seems frightening, but divided by say, 75 friends and supporters, it’s only $100 each!

 

The boys got dirty building a toilet for a blind family

If you know anyone who may like to get behind this ministry, please either forward this to them, or give us their contact info.  We are at a place where we need to see our support base expand, and it may be through a connection you have!  Perhaps a cell group or Bible study you attend that would like to get involved in missions?

Click HERE! to see a short video of the place we will be working (it’s their website – scroll down to see the video) Jeremy has been going to Cambodia since around 2000, and as a family, this will be our third trip.  (Don’t miss the clip, and see if you can spot Jeremy in there, too!)

Remember, stay up to date with this blog, click the Email Subscription button on the home page.

Thanks for reading, and for working with us.

Jeremy, Molly, Samuel, Joel & Eden.

PS.  Join us!  Come and visit… I guarantee it will blow you away.

 

Scratching the itch in Eastern Europe and Russia! April 23, 2012

Filed under: DTS Equip,Updates — GoWests! @ 9:58 pm

Hello All!

There is an itch, and we get to be a part of scratching it!!
After Jesus rose from the dead, he directed us to go into all the world and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations.

Our EQUIP program is a response to this Great Commission – scratching the itch so to speak – as there is a desperate need for leadership training in the area of discipleship in eastern Europe and Russia.

Currently we are midway through the EQUIP “Multiplier” –  a leadership school focused on equipping trainers.  We are extremely pleased to share with you about the team of people we have in this program.  Leaders from many parts of Ukraine and Russia have come to Lakeside for 6 weeks of training.  The really exciting part is that this crew will be multiplying the Equip program in Ukraine – to be a resource for Eastern Europe and Russia!  We are so impressed by the caliber of people and their long term commitment in their region.  They are planning to run the first DTS Equip in Ternopil, Ukraine in 2013.

We think this calls for celebration!!

A big THANK YOU to those who pray for us and support us financially.  You are a huge part of our team, and this is your fruit too!!

Join us in praying for effective leadership development and disciples to be multiplied through these saints in Eastern Europe and Russia!

 

God is on the move.. March 20, 2012

Filed under: DTS,DTS Equip,Updates — GoWests! @ 8:07 pm

Greetings Friends!

It has been a busy and fruitful beginning to 2012!  We are so privileged to serve the King of all Kings and to be part of the gospel reaching the ends of the earth!

Recently, the Montana DTS had amazing outreaches to Thailand, India, and Malaysia.

Malaysia highlight – Our team of young people found themselves staying in a red light district area.  So they began reaching out to the sexually broken and drug addicts.  The team made a couple key discoveries as they entered this challenging atmosphere.  1.  Don’t dress nice, dress like a traveler (sorta hippy) and they will be more open!  2.  Invite them out for a meal – food is a way to their hearts!  These discoveries led to times of prayer and sharing the very good news of Jesus!  The team was able to share these keys (dress like a hippy and feed them) with some local Malay Christians who have since carried on evangelism and discipelship in that area!

India – Our DTS team prayed for the sick and they were healed!  These signs and wonders led to commitments to follow Christ!  Check out an amazing youtube clip this team made while in India at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufamfjvyoVM   You don’t want to miss it!

Thailand -The harvest is ripe!  This team experienced God’s favor, bringing hundreds of people to concerts they were giving and being able to share about Jesus from the stage as well as one on one to countless young Thais!  One of the leaders, a friend, said it was particularly difficult to bring the team home.  She just wanted to stay!  Being a part of turning someone’s eternal destiny heavenward is a pretty rewarding job =)

We love being a part of equipping these DTS staff for leadership, and the impact they have in the nations.  We have been able to teach/train here in MT with the DTS and Dance school, as well as Cimarron and Colorado Springs in Colorado with the DTS and School of Biblical Studies staff.  We also participated in the International DTS Centre meetings in England, which boosted our faith and reminded us of the importance of our work.

Next week we begin “The Multiplier”. This is a version of our 6-week leadership school, DTS Equip, created for advanced trainers and leaders so that they can be equipped to plant the program in their regions. A small group of trainers is coming specifically to  take it to… Ukraine & the Caribbean!  We are so thankful that God is raising up trainers to strengthen discipleship in the nations! This year alone we are running 3 DTS Equip leadership programs: the Multiplier, DTS Equip in Montana in June, and then again in Cambodia in September.  (PS. Plans are emerging for even more leadership development in other nations in 2013, but more about that later!)

 

DTS Equip – Developing Leaders Who Develop Others September 10, 2011

Filed under: DTS Equip — GoWests! @ 5:48 pm

Hello everyone.

We have recently completed another DTS Equip here in Lakeside Montana, USA.
Another great group of individuals, and more proof that God is wanting to raise up serious staff and discipling-leaders. The DTS Equip is a leadership development seminar (6 weeks, full-time) designed to train leaders and staff. Most who attend are involved at some level with YWAM’s foundational school, the Discipleship Training School, or “DTS”.
This year we had 20 participants. While one of the younger (in general) groups I have led (average age of about 23) this could also be among the most engaging and intentional group I have worked with. As a leadership we were very impressed with the seriousness of our young leaders. Their honesty, ability to engage, willingness to apply some tough personal lessons, and broad vision for discipleship and leadership for the future was a huge encouragement and pleasure to work with.
One notable feature of this year’s Equip, was the presence of several individuals who were not planning on leading DTSs. This is very exciting, as we have always had people come to us for leadership and discipleship training outside of DTS, but this year approximately 1/3 of our group fit this description. In fact we had a School Of Worship staff of 4 attend to grow in discipleship, leadership, and team work. Another was a young lady teaching in the Canadian education system who saw young teenagers as her specific mission field and wanted more tools to disciple and lead effectively from that sphere. Overall I consider this DTS Equip was a very effective and successful school. I hope that in the years to come we can say it has also been “significant”.
Next year we are planning on running three DTS Equip schools. In April we will run a DTS Equip “Invitational”. This is specifically for more seasoned leaders/trainers who wish to take this program and multiply it within their own global region. Summer will see our regular DTS Equip (for all levels of leadership and experience). September will see our second DTS Equip in Battambang Cambodia.
Thanks for keeping up with us. This program is one of our major ministry focuses and events of the year. It is so rewarding to see and hear of the fruit that these schools are producing globally. I am writing this from Cambodia, and I can tell you that this is happening, and that many are eager for more advanced personal leadership development.  The Kingdom of God advances!
For the DTS Equip Crew,
JW
 

Tasty Fruit in Cambodia March 22, 2011

Filed under: DTS Equip,Photos — GoWests! @ 9:19 am

Ever wondered if something that you did, something time-consuming and costly (even if rewarding at the time) would produce fruit later on? While we knew that our time in Cambodia last year was both rewarding and successful, it was such a pleasant surprise to receive this post below, sent to Molly’s Facebook account recently.

It comes from Cambodia, from one of the leaders there that was in our training program, “DTS Equip”. If you have been following our blogs, you will remember the video from the slum ministry we did during that time (look in October archives). At that slum we ministered, fed people, had prayer times when people were healed, and just loved on the families there.

Many of you are our ministry partners through prayer and financial support. Many of you helped us get to Cambodia last year. You deserve this little bite of yummy fruit. Read on below…

(ps. I put a couple of pics below)

Subject: Hello from Cambodia
Dear Jeremy and Molly,
Hello! Hope you guys are doing great. So, I am wondering what you guys are doing right now? DTS has been going for one month already. It is so good. We have 21 students, including 3 international students. I just want to say thank you so much for your obedience to God to have Equip in Battambang, Cambodia last fall. It was really helpful. It helped me and other staff to be better leaders, we were very impacted. And, especially I want to tell you about the slum church that we started during Equip outreach time. Do you remember about that? It is still going really well, we meet every Sunday. We baptized 8 people a few weeks ago. I love my church and am so thankful that God blessed them to have church and to study the Bible. I just thought about you guys and wanted to let you know what is going on in DTS and to say thank you. May God bless you. Miss you guys.
Love from,
Channoeun

Channoeun

 

God moving in Cambodia – a short blurb February 4, 2011

Filed under: DTS,DTS Equip,Updates — GoWests! @ 4:41 pm

So, Cambodia DTS Equip came, progressed quickly, and now seems so far in my memory. Life travels too quickly.

I recently received this email from my Khmer co-leader, Dina, and his new bride Malis. Forgive the written “Cambo-English”, but because he is such a good verbal communicator, I know exactly what he is saying! (I have taken the liberty of adjusting some of the really bad grammatical and spelling errors!). It’s short, but powerful and refreshing. The work goes forward in Cambodia!

JW

Dina

Dear Friend.

How are you doing? Hope you doing good. Yesterday I just return back from the village with DTS team from Sweden. My leg muscle was hurt, the team pray for me, then I got heal after two hour when I translate for their teaching,  praise God.

The church in village kind of dry-out, people not excited about God, but during these 5 day, God has use the team to encourage the church and preach the gospel to the unbelievers. We see the church was encourage by that, and just bring them excitement back.

One story:

There is one family the wife was processing (possessed) by evil spirite , they using all their money and what they have try to get free from evil spirit by going to the witch doctor but it not help, they feel hopeless. When the team come team tell them God love, and want to heal her so they fast and prayer for her, Praise God now she free  and the whole family gave their live to the Lord,Amen

Thank you for being a part of this week with us in Cambodia and praying for us

In his love, Dina & Malis

Cambodia team ministry

More village ministry

 

New! Official DTS Equip Video November 12, 2010

Filed under: DTS Equip,Updates — GoWests! @ 11:16 am

Hello everyone.

Our media department in Montana just finished this video promo of DTS Equip. It gives a quick look at what it is, does, and who attends.  This was shot during this last DTS Equip in Montana, July-August 2010.

Take a look!
JW

http://www.vimeo.com/16749364

 

 
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