Packards’ Progress Summer 2018

Stepping out in faith.

This time last year, Michael and I were stepping out in co-leading the Mountain Venture DTS at YWAM
Turner Valley - neither of us had ever even staffed a DTS before, let alone led one, and it was a hugely
influential and growing season for us. This year, we’re at it again - I (Helen) am co-leading the school with
another YWAM staff member, and Michael is staffing the school. This makes for a very busy summer,
once again right on the heels of co-leading the Titus Project at our campus. We returned from Asia in
April, and jumped into staff training for DTS in June. It’s a quick transition time, but we’re blessed with
an amazing school of world-changers, who are already a tightly knit community excited and eager to
pursue the Lord and all He has for them in this season. Our school is a very international one, with staff
and students representing five different continents!

Every school is different and there are unique challenges and opportunities with each group. One of this
year’s biggest challenges is finances. The majority of our students stepped out in faith by coming to DTS -
many of them do not have all of their finances for outreach, and some are still waiting on the Lord to
provide finances for lecture phase. Our staff are also stepping out in faith - though Michael and I are
involved in the lecture phase of the DTS, we
will not be leading the outreach. The
outreach leaders are in need of significant
finances for their time in SE Asia.

Michael and I will join the group for part of

the outreach - I will visit the staff and
students on location for the “pastoral visit” -
a time when a Leadership Team member
connects with the team to assess their health
as a group, and give the leaders a few days of
rest. During that time, Michael will teach
elsewhere in SE Asia. After the pastoral visit/
Michael’s teaching time, we will spend
approximately 10 days with the DTS, joining

Staff & students of MVDTS 2018!

Packards’ Progress Summer 2018

the team in ministry and doing what we can to support the outreach leaders. For this time, we’re also in
need of finances - approximately $1500 in addition to what the Lord has already provided. We’re also
hoping to attend a wedding in Michigan right before we leave for SE Asia in mid/late October, and are
waiting on the Lord to provide the finances for that journey.

Though it can be daunting to think of such great financial needs, and while it’s so contrary to the world’s
thinking to trust in the Lord for finances rather than trusting in our own ability, we can look back to all of
the times God has provided in the past, and say with confidence that we believe every member of this
team will go on outreach! In Week 3 of the DTS, we had the opportunity to teach a Bible Overview for
the DTS, and one of the parts I taught was about how the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land
because they feared their enemies’ presence in Canaan. It’s easy to think critically of the Israelites - they
had just been rescued from Egypt! They had seen the plagues God sent against the Egyptians with their
own eyes! They had walked through the Red Sea on dry ground! How could they refuse to believe God
would fight for them to possess the land He had been promising them for centuries? But so often we can
be like the Israelites, forgetting what God has done in the not-so-distant past, focusing on our fears rather
than His promises. Will you pray for us as we step forward in faith, and as our DTS steps forward in
believing that God has called each staff and student to go to the nations in this season, proclaiming His
love and truth to the world?

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Partner with us financially:

If you would like to give a one-

time tax-deductible gift to our
ministry, please send a cheque,
made payable to “Youth With A
Mission” to:

Youth With A Mission

PO Box 57100 RPO East Hastings
Vancouver BC V5K 5G6

If you’d like to come alongside

our outreach team financially,
consider sending an e-transfer to
accounts@ywamturnervalley.org,
designating support for the DTS
team’s outreach fees. You can
designate that this gift is for staff
or students, if you would like. This
is tax-deductible for Canadians.

Please let us know if you have any

questions! We can be reached at Top: our DTS on our first hike of the season. Bottom left:
packardsprogress@gmail.com. DTS girls’ hike (Helen’s co-leader, Jaclyn, is on the left,
the students are Annabella and Mallory). Bottom right:
Michael & Joey braving the icy waters!