Nicole’s DTS and Sean’s Kokua Crew

Hi,

Our names are Sean and Nicole and our lives have been changed by Jesus! Each of us has spent the last year having our worlds flipped upside down and turned inside out! You see, neither of us planned to be where we are now, doing what we are doing now. Both of us had our own plans for our lives and were well on our way to accomplishing them. I (Sean) was working as a Mechanical Engineer in Boston, living life on my own terms and thriving in an environment where I pursued personal improvement and fitness above anything else. Nini was in medical school studying to be a doctor and continually astonishing her peers and her professors in her sheer ability to succeed in every area she applied herself. Both of us were deeply depressed and devoid of hope, even though we had everything the world said we needed to be happy. The reality is, both of us were missing the same thing, Jesus at the center of our lives.

From our respective countries and locations, God drew us both to Youth With A Mission Los Angeles (YWAM LA). I came from Boston and Nicole came from Brazil, and He led us both to pursue Him full time and far outside our comfort zones. With almost $0 in my bank account, God led me apply to Discipleship Training School (DTS) at YWAM LA, which costs $8,000. Through the generosity of many many brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord proved himself faithful to the name Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Will Provide! My DTS was fully funded and I had an incredible experience both in Los Angeles and in North Africa, which has truly changed my life! Now Nicole is feeling called to YWAM Kona, Hawaii to do her DTS! She is specifically called to the Extreme DTS, which means that the Outreach phase will be to a closed nation. A closed nation is a nation that is closed to Christian missionaries.

The first part of DTS is the lecture phase, which is eleven weeks long. During this phase, students’ time is spent on the campus at YWAM Kona living in community, worshiping, praying, serving, and studying God’s character. Each week, they soak in teachings from outstanding speakers regarding their unique calling and God’s limitless attributes. DTS offers different focuses that will allow students to develop their specific dreams alongside like-minded individuals. In their focus students will cultivate skills and vision through weekly break-out sessions and one full week of teaching dedicated to the focus they choose.

The second part of DTS is the outreach phase, which is two months long. During this phase, students take a two-month journey being God’s hands and feet to the nations. All outreaches have three components; evangelism, practical ministry, and partnership with local churches and ministries. Students will embark on an adventure working with the followers of Jesus who make God’s name known to every lost soul as each DTS track will be sent to different locations around the globe.

An amazing gift that God has given both of us is actually one another! Neither of us set out to find a romantic relationship, but God drew us together during my DTS and we began formally courting when I graduated. Now, I'm overjoyed to say that we are engaged! As we have been praying about how God is calling us to follow Him individually and as a couple, we have both felt that these journeys are one and the same. Essentially, where she goes, I go and where I go, she goes. As she feels called to Hawaii for her 5-month training school I am pursuing a volunteer role at the same location!

Nicole has received the first part of her provision, in $1,000 towards her lecture phase, but she still needs $1,558 to pay for the first half of her school. The second half of the school, Outreach, costs $4,000. The school begins April 10th! We have already booked our flight tickets and have communicated with the school leaders that we are going in faith that God is leading us and He will be faithful to complete that which He is calling us to. The cost of the Kokua Crew volunteer program is $500 per month and the program lasts for three months, leading to a final cost of $1,500 for my living expenses. We are in need of $7,058 in total for this next season!

We are super excited to go where the Lord is leading us in this next season! There’s a lot to figure out and we are excited to see how the Lord will guide us through each step! We would love for brothers and sisters in Christ to partner with us and help to support the work God is doing in Hawaii and in the extreme outreach location that hasn’t been revealed yet!

God blessings to all you guys!

With love,

Sean and Nicole