My UCDTS was the first time that I left the comfort of my family and home. I arrived in Montreal the 29th of September, 2007 as a total stranger to the city, and to urban life in general. I was not even 19 years old. Fortunately, I was welcomed by some very warm and friendly people.

Psychologically, my experience with YWAM was a big challenge. My goals were to overcome my timidity, to grow in self-trust, to discover my personal interests and how they related to the future before me, and, above all, to make God the top priority in life, learning to trust him more fully. Within the Urban Cultures Discipleship Training School, I was forced to face my fears. As students, we were asked to get involved in the city as we followed God's directives through our internships, our volunteering responsibilities, and our classes where we met such passionate, engaged people. Through eight intense months, I learned to live in community, which was not at all an easy task considering the different languages, cultures, personalities, and interests among us. One of my best memories of my experience was the week we spent with Jeff Pratt, a man with a passionate love for God. I think it was during that week where I really saw God for who He is. As He took me by the hand, I truly felt His presence. I discovered as well that I had done some growing up: the seed planted in the soil had become a beautiful flower.
 

I now know with conviction that every human being on earth carries the image of God, and yet we all need only a little spark of light to show us that real faith is the ability to admit that we are weak and fleeting beings, and that without God we are in a dry place, absorbing water without ever being satisfied. It's for this reason that each one of us that believe in this supreme love has the responsibility of going into all the cities of the world and shedding this light with all of our strength (not just by what we say, but also by what we do).