It’s way too hot for an early October morning.

I’m sitting at a plastic table under a tent where people are worshiping Jesus, praying for one another, and collectively sweating off the dust we gathered during yesterday’s events of nonstop prayer and worship at the Washington, DC National Mall. My mind is still spinning from the previous day, moment following moment of the explosive Presence of God while surrounded by joyous crowds swarming around over 50 tents that have gathered from all over for one purpose—to worship. Not too different from a YWAM worship night, I think, laughing to myself. But this morning I’m with a group of fellow creative lovers of Jesus getting to do something a little different, something I’ve never done before. Sure, I’ve told strangers about God’s love before, but not like this.

My group’s contagious mood of messy, creative experimentation fills me with an energy I normally wouldn’t have at this muggy hour of the morning. On the table we have a wild assortment of bottles of half-empty acrylic paints and plastic cups full of paint-swirling water and soggy brushes. As a young woman I’ve never met before sits across from me at the table, I lean forward, smiling as I take her hands.

“Tell me your name!” I shout over the noise of the crowd singing and dancing in the tent and on the grass around us. She tells me, and then even though she’s already approached the table knowing why it’s here, I explain what I’m getting ready to do, “So I’m going to do some face-painting on you, but first I’m going to ask the Holy Spirit what He wants me to paint. And as I paint, I’m going to tell you what I hear Him saying about it. Are you ready?” She gives a small smile and nods, and after a quick prayer inviting God to speak, I reach over, grab a paintbrush, and dip it into the first color that catches my eye. I’ve found that I often hear His direction best during activities like this—I just pick a color and let it speak through the brush, allowing my mind to simply follow and translate what I see happening into words.

While I talk to her, I study her features and silently invite the Holy Spirit into my imagination. As soon as the bright blue paint touches her face, I get a picture in my mind’s eye of her as a girl—sitting at a school desk, or at a cafeteria table, or wandering a playground… surrounded by classmates and friends, but feeling alone. As I continue to paint, I see that same loneliness planting a seed in the little girl’s heart that suggests she should feel timid, afraid and unnoticed. I see her growing up into a woman with that seed still lodged in her heart. But I’ve learned to see these pictures through the lens of love—this loneliness and fear are not who she is. My heart feels drawn to her large, clear eyes and hesitant smile. It’s the hesitancy I see that causes my heart to feel a little tug—one of the ways I’ve found that I can notice when God’s directing me to a certain aspect of His thoughts about her. The next picture I see is the Lord standing in front of her, His great unabashed Jesus-smile bathing her in sunlight and causing her to radiate with a newfound understanding of who she is in His eyes. Rather than hear Him whisper, I feel Him say, “Wow—look at My daughter! She’s so confident.”

“I feel like Jesus says you’re really confident,” I say aloud as I create strokes of color around her eyes and along her cheekbones. And as I speak I suddenly feel a rush of warmth run through me, and as I refocus on her features I suddenly can almost “see” confidence radiating from her skin like a subtle glow. Whether it was there before I spoke the words or not, I noticed it now. Jesus’s presence starts to feel stronger, so I continue to paint. Pictures of His relationship with her flooding my mind, I speak out both the thoughts and feelings that I’m perceiving: “I feel like the Holy Spirit is giving you a taste of adventure and bringing it out in the personality He gave you”, “He sees you as someone who’s wild and brave”, “You have this God-given confidence and wildness about you that lets you follow the Father wherever He leads, and it’s always an adventure to you and Him”. After I finish, she quietly thanks me and stands up so that the next person in line can sit and get their skin painted with bright colors and (I’m hoping) God’s thoughts. I feel a twinge of frustration with myself that my words hadn’t seemed to affect her more.

After the last person in line leaves, we all put away our art supplies and disperse, then, I see the girl approach me out of the corner of my eye. As she walks closer I notice that there’s something different about her than just a few minutes ago. At first I thought it was just the colorful face paint, but it takes me a moment because the change is so subtle. She’s standing straighter, her eyes more intense yet comfortable, her smile sure and no longer hesitant.

“I wanted to tell you what happened while you were painting my face,” she says. “As you were getting ready to start painting after we prayed I was thinking to myself, ‘She’s probably going to see how fearful I am and then pray for the fear to go.’ Because I’ve actually always been just a really fearful person, I’ve never really felt that confident. And when instead you said, ‘God says you’re confident,’ I sort of shut myself down on the inside saying, ‘No God, I’m actually afraid.’ But the more you spoke, the more I started to realize that that’s actually the way God sees me. He doesn’t always see me the way I see myself. I am confident, I am brave, I am adventurous with Him. So instead of calling out my fear you called out the truth. You called out the truth.” Then she hugged me and left the tent.

As I stood stunned, I felt the Holy Spirit come in close beside me. I felt His rushing excitement and His words tumbling over into my thoughts like a waterfall, “See? See?? This is what prophecy is!”

Ray Hughes says, “The prophetic is not so much about telling people what to do, but it’s about awakening who they are.” And although I already knew it in my mind, my heart finally caught up with the meaning of that statement. Where the “prophetic” is becoming more and more of a catchword in the church today, it can be easy to complicate it into this vague future-telling gift that only the most spiritual of Christians attain. I used to think it was. But I’ve discovered the spiritual gift of prophecy is actually a gift we are all meant to have. To prophesy is to hear what God has to say, by feeling what He feels and thinking what He thinks about someone, and to relay that information in a way that His love and mercy can shine through our words into that person’s heart. That’s why Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy… The one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging, and comfort” (verses 1 and 3 NIV).

To maintain this spiritual gift and to steward your gift of prophecy, does not look like practicing telling people their future so much as it looks most like becoming absolutely obsessed with what the Trinity is really like. The more you understand the character of the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the better you’ll recognize His voice when He talks to you about someone. Yes, you will discover as your gift grows that it will sometimes come with a word God may have for someone’s future—but more often than not I’ve discovered that true prophecy simply reveals who He already wants to be for them. Everything else you speak out of this beautiful gift—strategies, the future, answers to unanswerable questions—is meant to be an extension of that core expression. Then a prophetic vision for their life will have a healthy starting place of seeing the way He already sees them.

To give this gift away is to allow God to speak His love notes through you to the world.

To call out the God-intended identity He’s placed as the innate gift of significance in every human being. Practice your gift of prophecy by asking Him what He thinks about everything in your inner and outer world—God is so relational in the way He wants to speak to you. Let His kindness and joy challenge your concepts of your everyday life, of events that have marked you, of His character, and of people, including yourself, until you are helplessly erupting with His personality. Every word you speak will begin to be more and more prophetic (“strengthening, encouraging, and comforting,” remember?) as it becomes a reflection of the nature of God inside you. Immerse yourself in Scripture. Become a lover of the Word and the Holy Spirit, and you will grow in hearing the Word being spoken all around you.

There is a revelation of Truth that comes from the heart of God that all of His followers have access to through the Holy Spirit. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts; they transcend simple facts or what we can easily observe from looking at the exterior of a person. It is not fooling ourselves into believing only whatever we can imagine—we need the Holy Spirit to show us this higher truth. It is looking past someone’s layers of shame or failure, beyond the dirt we know any fool could see at a glimpse, to the gold that God placed within them. No matter how deep down it has been buried and ignored, gold does not lose its value—it is still precious. Where we might see fear, the Father sees the confidence He wants to replace that fear with. Where we see deep loneliness, He sees a human heart that He can fill permanently with the friendship of His Spirit. Where we see regret and shame, Jesus sees what He paid for on the Cross and the purity He won back for every person. And the list goes on—as far and deep as the facets of His loving character and the bounds of His boundless mercy.

Your authority in using this gift lies in your capacity to let the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit fill you with their thoughts and compassion for humankind.

You are going to see people be transformed into the work of art the Savior saw from the very beginning. It might seem as small or invisible as a planted seed when given, or the Father’s love may bring them into wholeness at once. Either way, God’s love letter to humanity will never return to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11). Your responsibility is simple obedience by following His voice. You will see the fearful stand with confidence when they realize they are brave. You’ll see the bitter become soft again as the Lord gently teaches them about reconciliation. You will watch orphans find their hearts at home again by encountering the Father. You can experience the illogical, perfect joy of witnessing someone’s entire broken world be made whole in a moment that outside of the Holy Spirit’s work would take decades to heal. You will get to see love notes from God planted in every life you and He touch together—including yours.

What’s the recipe for real love?

Some say it’s love at first sight: “I saw her walking across the room, and in that instant I knew she was the one.” Others say love is a choice we make: “I love you today, at your best, and I’ll choose to love you tomorrow, even when you’re at your worst… when you’re not handsome anymore, when you disappoint me, when you make me sad. I’ll choose to love you even then.”

1 John 4:16 says this:  “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” God’s love for us—love in its purest, realest form—is self-sacrifice. It’s Jesus choosing death to give us life. What would motivate anyone to choose this? His choice to love us “surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). Real love is really hard to understand. And it’s incredibly hard to accept or give what you don’t understand. It’s going to take power beyond what we possess and faith greater than what we can muster on our own.

Paul prayed for the Ephesian church to be empowered to know this “unknowable” love.

It’s a prayer with power for us today, found in God’s Word, and totally aligned with God’s perfect will— His desire for us to know Him and love Him. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Paul prays that we would know God’s love in all of its dimensions.

How wide – God’s love is expansive, reaching to all. Whether you’re sitting in a slum or on a king’s throne, God is reaching out to you in love to draw you near. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die,” Paul writes. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).

How long – God’s love goes the distance. No matter how far away from God you feel, His love has more endurance than your emotions, outrunning them to reach you. The prophet Isaiah shares the cry of God’s heart for us: “You will be called Sought After” (Isaiah 62:12). And Jesus confirms this truth with the parable of the Prodigal Son, a story reflecting God’s love for us despite all distance: “But while he [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke. 15:20). Even when you feel you’ve wandered far from God or His plans for you, no distance of time or space is too great to keep Him from pursuing you.

How high – God’s love uplifts. He reaches down to those who feel low—the poor in spirit, the ones struggling to love themselves let alone accept God’s love. He reaches down and He lifts us up. (See Ephesians 2:4-6.) David sings a song of praise celebrating this transformative love: “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2).

How deep – His love reaches into our depths, the deepest parts of our hearts (even those parts we try to hide), and our deepest needs for Him. “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me,” David says. (See Psalm 139:1-6,17- 18.) The One who created us knows us and loves us intimately. He reached down deep in love—sending His Son, Jesus, to dwell among us that we would know Him. And He’s continually reaching down, through His Spirit dwelling in us today, empowering us to know Him and experience His love fully.

Paul prayed with a confident conviction.

This recipe for real love is fail-proof: “Neither height nor depth [that is, no dimension of the world we live in], nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). It’s a perfect recipe for real love, fully dimensional to reach into every part of our hearts craving love, all-encompassing to embrace us wherever we are.

For many people, the New Year brings a sense of hope. It’s a time to start fresh, to change and grow, to see last year’s dreams fulfilled, and past prayers answered.

For others, it’s a struggle to hold onto hope when you’re coming off a year (or many years) of pain, disappointment, and brokenness. Still suffering chronic illness or pain though longing for healing. Still in school or a ho-hum job though longing for adventure. Still single though longing for marriage. Still X, Y, or Z though longing for the exact opposite.

When we’ve yet to see things we’ve been hoping for actually come to pass, it’s tempting to give in to despair. But despair will paralyze us from living out God’s purposes for us. Proverbs 13:12 says:

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”

God’s Word validates what many of us have come to know by experience: The disappointment of unmet hopes sucks so much that it sucks the life right out of us. Yet, read on, for the proverb closes with this:

“…but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Fulfilled hopes give life. And as a tree of life, that means our fulfilled hopes are rooted and established, growing strong, and bearing fruit in and through our lives. It’s a great truth to rest on, especially when living in hopelessness seems worse than death.

So what do you do when you’ve been hoping and praying for things for months… for years… and your hopes still feel unfulfilled? Do you keep hoping God will save that lost family member or friend? Do you keep praying He will bring that significant other into your life? Do you keep waiting on Him to open doors—too long firmly shut—to places of influence, to nations, to jobs and positions necessary to fulfill your calling?

How do we move beyond deferred hopes and disappointment to living hopeful, abundant lives?

Throughout the Scriptures, God instructs us to put our hope in Him:

“Hope in the Lord and keep his way, He will exalt you to inherit the land” (Psalm 37:34 NIV)

Hoping in the Lord results in inheritance. We are empowered to live hopeful about everything else when our ultimate hope is in the Lord. Practically, that could look like choosing to believe He is good and trustworthy even when doubt knocks at the doors of our hearts. It looks like choosing to believe He will fulfill our hopes in the absolute best way—His way. Practically, it could also look like waiting.

“I watch in hope for the Lord. I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7 NIV)

In Hebrew, “wait” is yachal, often translated “hope.” God wants us to wait hopefully so much that He allows the very word for waiting to imply hoping throughout the process! Hard news to hear when you feel like you’ve been waiting forever for hopes to be fulfilled… But hoping in the Lord ensures His arrival on the scene. He sees us. He hears us. He knows us. He will answer us. Hoping in the Lord invites us to experience His peace as we trust He’s in control.

A good indication of where our hopes are placed is whether we experience God’s peace in our waiting. If we’re anxious about the thing we’re hoping for, likely we’ve placed our hope in whatever that thing is. We become fearful of that thing not coming to pass, and rightly so, because our faith has been placed in something ultimately powerless to fulfill us.

But Psalms encourages us:

“Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption” (Ps. 130:7).

We can dare to hope—even to boldly hope for the best—when we hope in the Lord. We’re no longer relying on ourselves or others to fulfill our longings, but on God’s goodness demonstrated through His perfect plan. Part of that goodness we know and experience now, enjoying unreserved access to God’s unfailing love and full redemption through Jesus. When you’re fighting despair and feeling hopeless, ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of the reasons you have to keep hoping.

“Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5).

The Holy Spirit is our guarantee and reminder that our God fulfills His promises (see Eph. 1:14, 2 Cor 1:22). That’s not to say God is going to give us what we expect, or even what we want. But as our good Father, He is going to give us what is for our best. He calls us to put our hope in Him, and also calls us to trust Him in the way He will fulfill those hopes.

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 1:20).

For children of God, hope in the Lord is hope that is never deferred. It’s hope that sustains. It’s hope that gives life. It’s hope that’s fulfilled.

If you’re reading a blog post about packing for a YWAM outreach, it probably means you are seriously considering doing a Discipleship Training School, or you’re already doing a DTS and preparing for outreach. If so, congratulations! You’ve set foot on a road that leads to an incredible journey of transformation and life-changing experiences!

If you’re reading this more out of curiosity or because you just love to travel, you’re in the right place, too. We want you to be well-prepared for the adventures that lie ahead just as much as you do. For all of us, one of our biggest questions as we look toward great adventures is usually, “What should I pack?”

A Discipleship Training School is actually comprised of two phases: a lecture phase and an outreach phase. The lecture phase is all about diving deeper into knowing God and yourself; the outreach phase will be your opportunity to draw from the spiritual growth, knowledge, and self-discovery you’ve achieved, and travel to the lost and unreached in another country (or multiple countries, in many cases) to make Him known.

A Quick Packing Tip

No matter why you’re traveling (but especially for outreaches) plan on being as mobile as possible: the less you bring, the more freedom you will have as you unpack, re-pack, and carry your necessities throughout the trip.

To pack successfully for your DTS, it is imperative to find out what the culture and climate will be like for your lecture phases AND your outreach phase—then you’ll want to bring belongings that you will need for both, rather than one bag for lecture and another for outreach, especially if you’re going to a base where you won’t be able to leave behind extra items during your outreach. Packing light might feel kind of scary, but we promise it will work out better in the long-run. We generally need a lot less than we think we do.

If you’re doing a DTS, your YWAM base should send you a packing list customized for their particular location, and your outreach leader will be able to give advice for what they have found is best to bring specifically where you will be doing outreach. This will help you know whether or not you’ll need those extra 3 pair of jeans, or if just 2 will be fine because you’ll mostly want to rock shorts and skirts in the heat. However, if you haven’t gotten your list yet, you’re still deciding which DTS to apply to, or you are researching multiple sources to decide what is universally best to pack, we’ve created this list of 15 essentials that will contribute to making your experience the best it can possibly be!

1) HIKING BACKPACK

Some Disciple Training Schools will actually require you to bring everything in a backpack. But either way, it’s usually helpful to ditch the heavy suitcase and go with a long-distance hiking backpack (at least 40 liters but no more than 90). The best backpack to carry your belongings would be:

-Designed to hold as much in as little space as possible

-Made of lightweight yet durable material

-Easy to handle

-Comfortable to wear as you move around airports, metro stations, and routes with long periods of walking.

The best way to pack a hiking backpack is to put your heaviest items in the center of the pack so that it fits comfortably against your spine, with your sleeping bag underneath, lighter items closer to the surface of your pack, and frequently accessed items on top. Packing cubes are a great way to keep all of your things organized and easy to access so that your backpack doesn’t turn into one jumbled mess of clothes.

As for fit, your hip straps should be adjusted so that they hug the top of your hip bones without pinching, and your shoulder straps’ anchor points should be touching the top of your shoulder blades without stressing your back, neck, or shoulders. (If you have trouble fitting a backpack properly, some outdoor-supply stores like REI will offer help for this if you bring your backpack to them.) This will keep you from becoming quickly worn out or even chronically injured while traveling. Pair it with a smaller, equally comfortable and durable bag as a day pack and carry-on. Although top-brand backpacks may be out of your price range as a DTS student, you might be surprised by the wide range of options there are online and in-store (such as Amazon and Wal-Mart) for quality packs that won’t break the bank or your back. Another great option is to borrow one from a friend or family member.

2) SLEEPING BAG

On an outreach, you may find yourself sleeping on the ground or in a bed that you don’t necessarily trust to be free of germs, so a sleeping bag will be far better than a blanket and sheets. But in general, they are going to be much more compact and easier to travel with. Your sleeping bag is as important as your backpack in terms of quality determining success–if you bring one that is wrong for the climate or ill-fitting for you (e.g. if you’re taller than most sleeping bag lengths accommodate), it can rob you of much-needed rest after a long day of changing the world. Most sleeping bags won’t cause this problem–just avoid the kinds that are meant for extreme outdoor conditions.

Just like backpacks, you might not be able to afford the best sleeping bag out there, but you can still invest in one th
at costs less without sacrificing the quality you’ll need. See if you can borrow one from a family member or friend to save money. The ideal sleeping bag for world travel would be:

Waterproof material

Compact and lightweight when rolled up. Look for “ultralight” sleeping bags designed for backpacking. The smaller it compacts (without compromising warmth or fit) the better.

Comfortable in multiple climates so it can be used and reused wherever and whenever you go (these are usually called “3-4 season” bags and range from 20-60 degrees Fahrenheit).

3) MINI PADLOCKS

In a busy airport terminal or crowded bus, these little guys will quickly become your best friends. Small padlocks are inexpensive and easy to find at convenience and hardware stores or online, and they not only provide protection against potential pickpockets during your travels, they also keep your bags from accidentally coming unzipped and spilling your belongings while being handled during airplane flights (this advice comes from personal experience).

Although locks with keys are great, combination padlocks will be a better choice so that you won’t be locked out of your bag should you lose a key. It’s also a good idea to write down your combination in your notebook or type it in your phone, just in case you forget!  

4) FIRST AID KIT

During any traveling experience, minor things come up–cuts, colds, headaches, and fevers–so it’s important to be prepared. On a DTS outreach, your leader will most likely have a first aid kit for the entire team, but it’s not a bad idea to have a small kit of your own for situations where you may not be able to get to your team’s kit. Before leaving, go through your kit and make sure you have basic supplies such as adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze, medical tape, tweezers, small scissors, antibacterial cream, fever-reducing medication, and pain relief medication. You can either purchase a small first aid kit in stores that offer travel supplies or buy individual first aid items to make your own.

Remember to leave any medication you purchase in its original package in case it needs to be checked at customs, and verify with your doctor or nurse that any medications you haven’t taken before will be safe for you. If you have a unique medical problem, you will also want to check with your doctor or nurse about any other items or medicine you should leave out or bring overseas. (Don’t forget that prayer can be even more powerful in healing the sick than your first aid kit! You’ll learn all about that during your DTS.)

Bonus tip: Vitamin supplements are also be a great idea! Of course, we all understand the importance of making sure we get sufficient daily meals, giving our bodies what they need. But in some locations, depending on what food you’ll be eating regularly, you may not be able to get your daily value for every important nutrient, like vitamins C and D. Again, make sure with your doctor or nurse as well as your airline and/or YWAM base that it will be appropriate for you to bring supplements. (No one wants trouble with TSA).

5) MINI SEWING KIT

Hopefully everything you will have brought is made of material that can withstand the wear and tear of your world-traveling, Gospel-spreading adventures, but it’s not uncommon for an article of clothing or even your pack to rip at some point and need repair. Because everything you’ll be bringing is going to be a necessary item, plan ahead for those 2-3 months where you won’t have extra clothing to replace an unexpected tear. A pocket-sized sewing kit can be a lifesaver when your favorite or most important items find themselves compromised. Add a small pack of safety pins to your kit for on-the-go fixes for any sudden wardrobe problems!

Don’t know how to sew? Fear not! Here’s a 5-minute video that will give you the basics for mending your clothes or backpack and impressing your travel buddies or fellow DTS students with this outreach survival skill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ynBWa5ej1Q

6) DUCT TAPE

The Name of Jesus will be the true wonder-working power behind any outreach journey you are preparing for, but it never hurts to have the additional miracle of duct tape as well. This practical adhesive will come in handy as often as your sewing and first aid kits, if not more so.

7) WATERPROOF POUCH

Usually marketed toward outdoor enthusiasts who engage in recreational activities on the water, one of these is just as useful to any YWAMer or traveler for protecting your water-sensitive belongings from the elements. Keep your money, passport, and small electronics safe and dry while you’re waiting for a city bus in the rain, trekking through a small river, doing evangelism on the beach, or engaging in recreational water activities.

The Great Commission, more than an average thirst for adventures, will often take you to environments that require an extra-close eye on your stuff, one of these pouches with a neck strap is also great for wearing under your jacket or shirt when it could otherwise be easily stolen.

8) WATER BOTTLE

The Lord wouldn’t call Himself your source of living water if water wasn’t necessary for your everyday well-being! No matter where or why you’re traveling, avoiding dehydration is a must. However, an outreach is especially going to look like long days spent in cities or villages sharing the love of Jesus, praying for the sick, encouraging the hurting, and helping local organizations and churches with mission work. Remember to take care of yourself as well as those you are ministering to during this intense and wonderfully wild period of ministry!

One of the best and most basic ways to keep yourself healthy and energized is drinking plenty of water, so invest in a sturdy, travel-friendly water bottle that you can easily attach to your day pack for hands-free walking and working.

9) ESSENTIAL OILS

We used some of these on a daily basis during one of our YWAM Redding outreaches to Greece—there’s a reason they are named “essential!” While there are countless essential oils out there for you to choose from, we recommend bringing along a tiny bottle of each of these. Make sure the bottle’s volume meets the ounce requirements of your airline and that no one on your team is allergic:

Lavender- Improves sleep, relieves headaches, inflammation, and sunburn, and alleviates stress with its soothing aroma. Sprinkle a few drops on your pillow before you go to sleep or apply onto irritated skin.

Tea-tree oil- You can buy tea-tree shampoo at the store to prevent lice, but a longer-lasting and cheaper alternative is to add about 10-12 drops of tea-tree oil to every 8 ounces of water in a spray bottle. Leave the spray bottle on the bathroom counter so your team can spray it on their hair every morning and night to keep your outreach lice-free. This is especially helpful if you are around children a lot during outreach. It also works as a hand sanitizer and soothes insect bites and sunburn.

Peppermint- Great for days that you feel tired, the sme
ll of pure peppermint oil helps you focus and wake up unlike anything else. Sprinkle this oil on a pillow or towel and inhale to help clear congested airways and make your senses more alert. Add a few drops to drinking water or tea for an upset stomach. To reduce a fever, rub peppermint oil across the soles of your feet and the back of your neck.

10) SANDALS

For shower floors and bathrooms, hot weather, wearing around your hostel or house—flip flops or water-proof sandals are an easy-to-pack, easy-to-wear staple for preventing any foot hygiene problems you could otherwise pick up off the floor unknowingly along your travels.

11) ADAPTER

If you plan on bringing any electronics, a universal adapter will allow you to internationally charge your cell phone or laptop without worrying about having to use the wrong type of outlet for your electronics or doing confusing power conversions. If you’re going to a YWAM base in another country for you DTS, this will also be important for your lecture phase. There are great sources online to find out what type of adapter you will need for any location. Adapters are easy to find online or you can purchase one at a store that offers travel supplies!

12) PHRASEBOOK or LANGUAGE APP

When you find out what country you’re going to for outreach, you won’t be expected to fluently learn a new language, but being prepared to share the Gospel with another culture includes being ready to pick up common phrases and words that the people you meet will use! Seeking to communicate with locals in their own language will show that you want to honor their culture as you spread God’s love. And no matter why you’re traveling, it’s always a good idea to know how to say hi or ask what time it is or where the toilet is.

Find a travel-size phrasebook for the location’s dominant language and have fun practicing in the weeks beforehand with your friends or outreach teammates. There are also apps you can download that can help you start picking up the language quickly and easily. We recommend the free app Duolingo (https://www.duolingo.com/) paired with a phrasebook for locations where you won’t be able to use your phone.

13) JOURNAL

At YWAM Redding, we’ve discovered that journaling what the Lord speaks to you personally during DTS is even more necessary and sacred than writing down notes in your lectures—although notes are important too! Don’t give up this special daily time with Jesus when your outreach begins. Record the miracles you see happen when you pray for people, the testimonies that unfold, the growth you continue to see inside yourself and your team, and the general adventures that you will inevitably have!

In the months and years to come, you’ll find yourself moved every time you look back on the stories from this significant chapter in your life, and you will not want to forget any meaningful details or secrets that the Lord reveals just for you. Your journal will continue to be an essential long after this particular experience ends.

14) BIBLE

Your Bible is your most necessary and practical item to bring with you on any and every outreach! (Even if you aren’t traveling for an outreach, but are a believer, don’t forget that we are called to be salt and light! Sharing Jesus’ love for the lost is something that we are called to do, and given grace to do, at ALL times.)

While you share the Gospel with the world, let the Gospel itself fill you up with the words of God every morning that He gives you. Never forget to carry His ultimate love letter to you in your backpack of essentials and in your heart. If you have extra space in your pack, add a travel-size Bible or two to pass on to someone in need of God’s Word (if they can read the language the Bible is written in, or even better, if you can find one in their native language!).

15) AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ESSENTIAL OF ALL… A HEART FOR THE NATIONS!

No matter why or where you’re traveling, a heart that sees the way Jesus sees with readiness to serve His creations will allow you to interact with people out of genuine love and care even on days that you feel exhausted, frustrated, or anxious.

For you DTSers, your lecture phase will be about your own growth and spiritual transformation and that of your fellow students, but your outreach phase focuses on being a light and a servant to others, both strangers and friends alike. Be there for your teammates when they have a bad day, support your outreach leader with honor and cheerfulness, and serve the believers and non-believers around you with a heart of humility and hope. You will be living in community from day one of your DTS, and although you may sometimes find your mission-oriented YWAM community a challenge to adjust to, you are also in one of the most unique opportunities of your life for the Lord to show you what His church looks like outside the four walls of a Sunday meeting.

LOVE is the one thing you will need to bring, yet will also receive, the most. Don’t forget that the God who IS love is walking alongside you every step of the way. Grab His offered hand with excitement for this season of your life and be ready for a wild ride full of love, friendship, worship, adventure, and growth!

Happy packing!