Transformation Within Christian Gap Year Programs Abroad

For many Discipleship Training School (DTS) students, returning home from their international Christian gap year program can be confusing. They've changed, but more often than not, their old lives and communities haven't. To continue growing and becoming an even more powerful disciple of Jesus Christ, some students choose to continue spending their gap year with YWAM San Diego.

At two of our beautiful YWAM bases just south of the U.S./Mexico border, we offer Secondary Courses to continue missions training for high school graduates, young adults, and DTS graduates who want an even deeper understanding of their role in God's story. Our secondary schools also offer the opportunity to earn college credit through the University of the Nations.

One such Christian gap year program is The Community Development School. Kessie Michell attended this school after her YWAM DTS. Kessie is now a YWAM San Diego/Baja staff member in the area of worship and hospitality. Read Kessie's story below and when you're ready, apply for one of our Christian gap year opportunities and experience the purpose God created you for today.

Transformation Starts with Me: A Student's Story

“What now?” is all I could think.

I had just finished my DTS and I had so much passion to see nations changed and communities transformed. I felt like a kid with a sugar high and had no idea where to put all this energy. After my DTS I had so many more questions about missions and mission trips than I have ever had in my life.

I had a passion for working in the local girls’ ministry, for working with youth and empowering them to follow their dreams. I wanted to start something but didn't know what, how, where, or when? The questions just kept overwhelming me. 

How do I get involved?

How do I find the right connections?

How long do I stay in a location?

How do I bring a lasting change?

What kind of change is really needed? 

The list could go on and on. At this time, someone told me about the Community Development School happening at YWAM San Diego/Baja. 

The school started in three weeks and I had exactly $0 in my account. I started to pray, “Okay God, if I’m meant to do this, you’re gonna come through... right?” I could feel the grin of God as He spoke over me, “I come through every time, don't I?”

And, like always, He did.

A Cross-Cultural Experience Inside Myself

When I arrived at the Community Development School (CDS) at YWAM San Diego/Baja, I came in with zero expectations other than the obvious - I was going to learn how to develop communities.

I had no idea the layers that come with that. Throughout the school, they shared this same quote over and over until it was the first thing I would think of when I woke up. The quote was, “Transformation starts with you.” 

You cannot begin to transform that community you are passionate about, let alone the people around you until you start with yourself. Everything you learn in the CDS applies to you and your personal growth.

How can you teach something that you don’t believe in, or explain something that you don't even understand for yourself?

Embracing God's Word In Ourselves & Our Everyday Lives

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

— LUKE 2:52

To the core, what we are passionate about as missionaries is to share God’s intentions and love to everyone we meet. During this school, I was able to clearly understand God’s intentions for me.  

No matter what I do, His plan for me never changes; His love for me never changes.

Entering a Season of Discomfort to Transform

The way I saw myself and my worldview began to shift. This was the start of what I’d like to call the cocoon season.

My DTS I felt like I was a caterpillar, feeding on hearing God, and who He is to me. The CDS became a season of deep transformation in the cocoon. Through growing pains and pushing past my comfortable way of thinking, I was now able to see who I am to God.

When I was able to understand this, I was finally able to see God’s intentions for every sphere of society.  I better understood the roles of family, church, and government. In this political climate, I wanted to make sure that I am standing on a firm foundation of Biblical truth and to understand God’s heart for government and what role it truly has in my life. 

Learning from business people, who took their businesses to help transform widows' lives, or slums in India that have been transformed through business ideas, made me so excited to use my gifts and passions! It was life-changing to hear about how God wants to use our creativity to bring transformation.

The inspiration for future ministries became endless.

 During the school, I found myself not being able to stop talking about how amazing the school was. Even now, I encourage anyone who wants to continue a ministry lifestyle to do the CDS.

The perspective of God’s intentions is crucial to understand when working in any type of community. Whether it’s a tribe in the Amazon jungle, an inner-city block in the US, a refugee camp in Europe, or a youth group in your hometown, transformation and development are possible.

To achieve the goal you have set out to transform lives, you must first transform yourself.

Our Christian Gap Year Programs

Most YWAM San Diego/Baja schools do not last a full year. Our DTS is only 5.5 months long, with 11 weeks on campus in the missions training-focused lecture phase and 8 weeks on an international mission trip where students will put their newfound missional mindset to the test and serve alongside local nonprofit organizations to bring God's word to untouched communities.

Our program aims to turn young adults into effective discipleship leaders. Whether their goal is to experience diverse cultures or they're interested in earning college credit, we have Christian gap year programs to fill their year off.

Since our secondary schools can only be taken by DTS graduates, you can spend your gap year going to DTS and then selecting the secondary course of your choice.

What is the Community Development School?

At YWAM San Diego/Baja, we believe in following Jesus's example in every aspect of life, embracing integral development for individuals and communities as outlined in Luke 2:52.

Our Community Development School challenges participants through our "development starts with me" model. This equips them to instigate lasting transformation worldwide. In this immersive school, participants explore Gospel-centered principles and put them into action in Northern Baja, Mexico, aiding a developing community.

Learn to discern a community's needs, enter and exit respectfully, disciple individuals, and empower them to reshape their surroundings. Craft a sustainable development plan for a chosen community, ready for immediate implementation toward transformation.

Situated at the crossroads of developed and developing worlds, our bilingual environment and experienced staff offer the perfect setting for the daily practical application of your newfound mission skills. Following the lecture phase, teams venture into the field to apply community development principles firsthand.

Through diverse lectures covering topics from cross-cultural ministry to project planning, supplemented by hands-on workshops impacting local communities, our Community Development School offers a holistic approach to equipping individuals for impactful service.

Apply now to embark on this transformative journey of learning and service.

Why is a Christian Gap Year Program Important?

A Christian gap year program can be a pivotal journey for individuals seeking to deepen their faith, broaden their perspectives, and engage profoundly with the world around them. It serves as a transformative period marked by spiritual growth.

A gap year within a genuine community of believers can offer a sanctuary to pause, reflect, and cultivate a deeper connection with God through focused study, prayer, and service. Beyond spiritual enrichment, the program should nurture personal development by exposing participants to diverse experiences that challenge them to step beyond their comfort zones, such as attending church in an international destination or engaging in different cultures.

Additionally, it serves as a crucial bridge between academic pursuits and future endeavors, enabling young adults, including college students pausing their education, to discern their passions, explore potential career paths, and acquire practical skills that will serve them in their future academic and professional pursuits.

Ultimately, a Christian gap year program empowers individuals to authentically live out their faith in an ever-evolving world. It gives them lifelong skills and the courage to become compassionate, purpose-driven leaders who positively impact their communities and disciple the nations.

Do a Christian Gap Year Program Today!

Are you ready to answer God's call? If you need more information about DTS, the Community Development School, or one of our gap year programs, get in touch with YWAM San Diego/Baja today. And when you're ready, apply for DTS or a secondary course online.

 

WORDS BY KESSIE MICHELL. 

KESSIE IS NOW STAFF WITH YWAM SAN DIEGO/BAJA IN THE AREA OF WORSHIP AND HOSPITALITY.