YWAM DTS - Another Break from the Ordinary!

 

"[God] saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity..." 

2 Timothy 1:9

Okay okay okay, I get it. I still have 2+ years worth of wild and amazing RV journey stories to relate, and I completely fell off the wagon on that one. I assure you I at least took pretty good notes about where we stayed, what we did, and who we met along the way. So there's hope that someday I'll have the chance to sit down and bring it all back to life in this little corner of the internet. When there's nothing else going on... and I have hours of free time all to myself... and our busy adventures have come to a pause... someday. 

For now, I want to share some exciting news about a new adventure our family is embarking on this fall - and we'd love for you to be part of it!!

A week from today, our family of six will be attending the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Family Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Chico, California. This is a unique program designed to help families grow together, develop leadership and life skills, learn about different cultures, and serve others through hands-on experiences both locally and internationally. 

The program runs from September through February and has two main phases. 

The first three months are the Lecture Phase, where our family will participate in classes, community activities, and practical experiences designed to help us grow personally and as a family. The kids will attend Foundation School while Justin and I will each receive 20 credit hours from the University of the Nations. We are covering the cost of this program ourselves. 

The final two months are the Outreach Phase, during which our family will join an international missions team to serve overseas. We don't yet know where we'll be going, but we're excited about the opportunity to experience another culture, contribute our time and skills, and hopefully make a positive difference wherever we're sent. The estimated cost for our family's international outreach is approximately $24,000, which covers travel, insurance, lodging, meals, ministry expenses, and other related costs in the country of ministry for our entire family. Our goal is to have those funds raised by Thanksgiving so that we can focus fully on preparing for the outreach experience. 

That's where we're asking our friends and family to consider coming alongside us. 

There are two ways you can support our family: 

First, and most importantly, through prayer and encouragement. 

We will post/send out a monthly digital newsletter throughout this experience to keep friends and family updated on what we're learning, where we're serving, and some of the experiences our family is having along the way. We'd love for you to be a part of the journey, not just the fundraising!

Please pray for unity, wisdom, health, and endurance during training and outreach. Pray that our family would grow closer to Christ throughout this season, that we would serve well with humble hearts and be impacted by those we encounter, and that all of our needs would be provided for, financially and otherwise!

Second, through your financial support. 

Every gift - large or small - helps make it possible for our family to participate in the Outreach Phase. There is absolutely no expectation or pressure to give, and we understand that not everyone is in a position to give financially. Your prayers, encouragement, and support of any kind are a tremendous blessing to us. 

If you would like to contribute to our outreach efforts, you can give in the following ways:

Via Venmo to the Buckhalter Family @DTS_MissionsFund

Online by going to donate.ywamchico.com and designating Family DTS and Buckhalter Family

By Check made out to Alyxandra Buckhalter; please include for YWAM DTS in the memo, and mail to: 

Alyxandra Buckhalter, DTS, September 2026

YWAM Chico

15850 Richardson Springs Road

Chico, CA 95973

We're incredibly excited - and admittedly a little nervous - to take this next leap of faith. It's not every day that a family of six gets the opportunity to learn together, serve others, and experience the world from a completely different perspective. We're looking forward to seeing where this adventure takes us and to sharing the journey with you along the way. 

Thank you for being part of our lives and for cheering our family on!

I have also included the link to our first Newsletter below, for your reading pleasure ;) 

Read our first Newsletter here: ByFaith Journal - Issue 01

*If the hyperlink doesn't work, just copy and paste the following in your browser:

https://canva.link/xm6hciujpgf360b