Hi, I am Jonathan from Sweden. When I planned to do a DTS, I didn’t have many expectations, and I just thought this would be a place that could help me with food and give me the legal papers to get into a country that I really like. I was burned out, or close to it, and I was thinking, “Where would be the best place for me to be? Where is a place where people would force me to be with God?” So, I thought about YWAM Albania. And why not, since it is my favorite country, after all.
When I arrived at the YWAM Durres center, I was happily surprised, recognizing the Spirit of God immediately, both in the people and in the teaching. One slogan I have heard growing up was, “Family on a mission.” I heard about this idea, but I hadn’t experienced it like this before. When I arrived, I recognized that they were living the way that I had been taught. This helped me to immediately trust all of the staff here, and I was very willing to learn. I was burnt out and wasn’t able to receive at the beginning, but thank you for living the way you teach.
I really have seen them living a life where you get to know each other and God. Now I am not as closed anymore; I see life with hope. Since I was 15, I have been crying out for having someone to disciple me and not just play Christians on Sundays. You really do that here, you don’t play Christians, but you live a Christian life. One of my favorite things for me was that as soon as I arrived, you just included me in your family here. Many people have a perfect facade, but you weren’t like that, and it was fine. We were all moving forward together in vulnerability and transparency. One main thing I learned from this DTS is that regardless of how impossible things might look, and regardless of how broken your dreams seem, our God is truly almighty and remarkable. He is a loving God that restores, he died to give us a future and a hope, even here on earth.
-YWAM Durres