Beginning

This is the famous YWAM DTS Texas blog you have heard so much about :) I originally was going to begin it once Trent and I got to Texas. However, I think a lot of people in my life are confused about what YWAM is exactly, and I also thought it might be a good idea to share how I got here and why I believe God is calling me on this journey.

For those of you who know me really well, you know I have an adventurous spirit. For those of you who think you know me really well and are thinking this is wrong, then you probably met me after I became the mother of the most amazing little boy. Surprise, surprise -- having a kid limits your adventure options.

When it came time to go to college, Trent was close to being 18 months old. My senior year, I asked God a lot what He wanted me to do after high school. I asked so many times, because I wasn't getting the answer I wanted. The last place I wanted to go to college was St. Cloud State. I looked at schools everywhere. I signed up to take a marine biology class...which I dropped the next day being the class had been going a month before the school counselor signed me up. After a few more examples of me trying to make my own path, I finally just gave up. You win this round, God.

So I went to St. Cloud State with the plan of majoring in Psychology. Of course I threw some theater in as well :) There were a few times when I thought about double majoring with Psychology and theater. There were a few times when I was tempted to just go with theater. But every time I started flirting with these thoughts, God would find a way to make it clear to me that He wanted me to study psychology, He was going to use me and my insight into people. He also began to strengthen my insight into people during this time.

I don't want this to get too long with the many examples like the one above, but the point is that God has had this wonderfully annoying theme for my college career of "wait." I hate waiting. I hate not knowing. I was constantly trying to make my own plans, or make plans around what God was telling me. They never worked out. As I came to the end of college, I was offered a higher position with the Boys and Girls Club. At the time, I thought managing a KIDSTOP site was what I wanted to do after college, so I accepted the position. As summer drew near, I realized managing was not for me, but I had already been set up to work through the summer and God was telling me one more summer. He would present something new for the fall when the time came.

During the summer I participated in a Bible Study. One of the first nights, I met Kelsey, and she was talking about she felt it was time for something new. It was time for her to do something bigger with her life. I had the thought come to mind that maybe we would be doing something together. About half way through the study, Kelsey shared with us that she was praying about going to YWAM DTS down in Tyler, Texas. We all became very excited for her and as we were talking about her going another person in the study randomly said, "You know, they have child care there, Brittany!" I started laughing. There's no way I could take Trent and just go to Texas for something like this. Looking back on all the times God had told me to stay where I was, my only thought was that I could never do that. But every point I brought up of why that was impossible, the people in the study came up with a way it would work. When I headed home that night, I was still laughing at the idea. Over the next couple days, I could not stop thinking how amazing it would be to go to YWAM. I couldn't get the idea out of my head. So I started doing research. Kelsey and I talked about it, and it blew me away to hear words come out of her mouth that I had been thinking also. Things like going to Texas was an experience we were meant to have together. I started being encouraged by people in my church that had heard Kelsey and I were thinking of going to Texas. The support surprised me. I continued to do research and began to pray very hard about going with Trent and Kelsey to YWAM Texas.

As I prayed about going, I saw pros and cons to going and to staying. All it really came down to was that I wanted to do what God wanted me to do. I wanted to be where He wanted me to be. I didn't want to do my own will, I wanted to do His. So I started taking things by steps. Ok, God, I'll just apply and see what happens. I was accepted. Ok, God, if you pay for it, if you give me the money, then I'll know You want me to go. Money began coming in. Every time I prayed or read my Bible, I felt sure God was going to send me to Texas. He was finally no longer going to tell me "wait" and also was going to reward me with an amazing adventure that I could go on with Trent where we would grow closer to our Savior. I know God can use people anywhere. I know that He uses me everyday. But I also know God wants Trent and I to go to Texas.

As of tonight, I'll be leaving in a little over a week. Trent, Kelsey, and I have tickets to fly out early Sunday morning the 25th. We will be trained in Texas for a few months. We will get a break for Christmas. And then we will be sent out on a kind of missions trip early Jan and we will come back in Feb. If you are interested in looking up where we will be and what we will be doing in Texas here is an address:
www.ywamtyler.org/index.php/training/dts/regular-dts.html
Trent and I still need about $2,000. My American culture/pride makes it so hard for me to ask for that kind of money. But Biblical principles tell us that if God really wants Trent and I to go, people around us will join together to support us. If God is leading your heart to help us, checks can be mailed to
YWAM Tyler
P.O. Box 3000
Garden Valley, TX 75771
To make sure your check goes to Trent and I, do not write our names on the check. Instead, include a separate piece of paper with your check that says you would like this money to go to Brittany and Trenton Schwantz for YWAM Tyler DTS beginning Sep 25th. If you are unable to help us financially, prayer support would work miracles for us.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and thank you so much for considering supporting us. Once God gets us to Texas, I will continue to post to this blog so that you can see what your money is doing in our lives and in the lives of everyone we meet while on this adventure :) Thank you!