Leaving Switzerland and YWAM

Just over two years ago I came to Switzerland for what was meant to be a three month excursion. I ended up staying for quite a bit longer than that and am very happy with the decision. These two years have been incredible. It is crazy to me how many unique experiences I have had in such a short amount of time.

I have been part of Youth With A Mission in the city of Lausanne. It is a Christian training base that provides programs to equip young adults for missionary work, sending short term teams out to partner with permanent contacts around the world. Most of the time I've spent here was either being trained or training others and I have spent some time serving practically around the base as well. I have learned a lot and made many deeply meaningful relationships with so many people from different nations and backgrounds that I cannot imagine I would have met otherwise.

The time has come, however, to move on to other things. While it was my joy to train others, training has never been my long term goal or passion. I learned a lot through it that I believe will prepare me better for the passion that I am now taking very practical steps towards.

I will be starting life in a new State in the U.S., where I will be going to university and working towards a degree in Psychology. I hope to eventually become qualified enough to work with refugees and with women in safe houses, focusing on post-trauma therapy. I am really excited to start something so totally new but also a bit nervous as this has become my home here, despite its ever-changing nature.

I've grown a lot in my faith and maturity during YWAM and have learned how to adapt to many different types of situations. I have deeply appreciated the leaders I've had who chose to trust me and to invest in me, despite my shortcomings. I've honestly had the time of my life, finding myself on adventures that I would never have imagined before.

I love Switzerland so much. It is truly one of the most beautiful places on Earth and there is a special sort of peace and tranquility that it has to offer, particularly in the water of its lakes and the air of its mountains. The vastness of the dramatic views carries a deep silence save for the ever-ringing sound of cowbells, a sound that has become a favorite of mine.

The Swiss work hard to do everything with excellence and the city life has an admirable sense of order and beauty to it. There is a special attention to both functionality and to aesthetics and details. This balance reflects a lot of what I stand for and I have come to expect it even more from myself in the things that I do/present.

I must admit that while I am a creature who thrives on movement and change, I am a bit intimidated by so much unknown that lies ahead of me and I am afraid of some loneliness that I expect to feel for a while. YWAM Lausanne and even Switzerland as a whole has become a place of safety for me. I have people here so near to my heart it pains me to leave them. That is always the way of YWAM though. If it wasn't me leaving, eventually it would be them, as it has been for countless friends of mine already. I've had to learn to be open and appreciative of deep friendships, even if they are only to be for a short while. Just because something was temporary doesn't mean it is worth less than what goes on.

I am really excited to go back to school and to learn more. I am also looking forward to having an apartment--my own bedroom for the first time in four years. I've lived on fundraising here so it will be good to work for money that I can spend on myself. The freedom of having my own time and money to pick up dropped hobbies is so exciting for me. I would love to hike some long appellation trails, progress in painting, and learn to play more music.

I don't necessarily see myself working with YWAM in the future, but would never be completely closed to the idea if it was aligned with my more long term vision, which it is not at present. I think for most people it serves as a fantastic launching pad into something further, but generally is only a long-term solution for those passionate about training. I know that some bases are more active than others when it comes to sending and supporting long-term missions teams, this has simply been my experience and what I have observed. It is very difficult to, in any way, generalize YWAM as a whole. It is a worldwide organization and highly decentralized so there is very little that every single base could claim to have in common. I myself have been involved with YWAM at a few different bases over the past four years and while most of my experiences were generally quite positive, I have also had some extremely difficult and damaging times.

I would highly recommend some time in YWAM for any young person who is wanting to learn more and strengthen their own faith or for someone who wants some basic training for missions work abroad. I would advise, however, to do as much research as possible about the base you are planning to attend and to talk to someone who has been a part of YWAM at some point to help you choose where to go.

I thank God for this time here and I wouldn't take any of it back. It's been a beautiful time and I was able to give and receive a lot of love that I hope to carry with me into the next place.

#sw #spirit #travel #europe