YWAM SF
October-November 2008
FINDING THE POINT OF DEEPEST SHAME...
Quite possibly the most intense week so far here at DTS, The Divine Plumb Line is an intense time of digging up
all those things you’re ashamed of, and bring them before the King. Lives were changed, no doubt about it.
This week is for sure by far the most
intense week of all. The Divine Plumb Line was
the most in depth time of realness in the body of
Christ that I’ve experienced thus far. Monday,
setting the scene, Jerry Praetzel started us off
with an introduction to what everything was
going to be and every which such thing.
Tuesday, was the day we were all dreading:
forgiving those in the past that had hurt us.
There was an over-all reluctance to go moving
throughout the room. Only a very few people
went until Jerry realized that the group just
wasn’t going to budge, and switched to
teaching; something was obviously wrong in the
group. That night, we had a time on
intercession we would never forget. The group
came together to pray over the upcoming issues
on San Francisco’s ballot, but about half way
Jerry Praetzel:
This week the
students went deep
deep down with the
Divine Plumb Line.
Last
Saturday’s prayer
walk was an intense
time. All across San
Francisco, over 14
miles.
through, like a switch flipped, it turned into a
time of asking forgiveness between one another.
Though we hadn’t seen it at the time, there was
a sense of false unity in our group that left us
very surface level with our dealings with each
other. People had formed groups and had
ignored each other and we were all simply fed
up with it. Though tears and confessions, we all
grew much closer to each other by the end of
the night. The school would have been much
different if not for this breaking of hearts.
The events of the day before more than
prepared us all for the days to come.
Wednesday, though we were all eager to share,
Meet Jon Owen!! (The writer)
was a day of teaching. Our hearts were really Jon Owen, that guy, is renowned
prepared and after many stories of Jerry’s for his skills in stuff. The
eccentric one of the bunch, Jon
situations with others, truly giving us an Owen spends his days eating
appreciation for all he does, we were more than skills and doing many crafts...
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 Meet Roman Smith!
Roman Smith, hailing from
Granite Bay, California
(1 hour from Sacramento
as is said), is an
enthusiastic and lively
addition to our bunch.
Always out there livin’
the now, Roman is the
group’s self-placed male
Canadian and Lumberjack.

MT. DAVIDSON
“Humility is the willingness to be know for who I really am.” -Jerry Praetzel
ready for the day to come. Thursday was the day we’d all been waiting a tree and, though we may cut off all the fruit from that tree so it doesn’t
for: it was time to forgive those who had hurt us and ask forgiveness for do anything bad for a while, if we don’t get to the roots, dig them up to
the things we were ashamed to tell anyone that we had done. After the their deepest point, and toss them aside, we will still bare bad fruit only a
events hat had happened on Tuesday, the perfect environment for total season away. Likewise, brokenness is the continuing precondition for
confession had been provided. One by one, each student went up the the wholeness; if we aren’t real with ourselves that, in our fallen human state,
stool to bare their hearts. Many weeping as they went, we all got out all we are a broken people, we will be in denial and will never be truly whole.
the things that we had been loaded up with for so long. Without a doubt in my mind, I am sure that this week will not be
Damage from people in our past, sins we were ashamed of, easily forgotten by all who participated. Jerry’s heart went
thoughts we’d had that no one thought they’d ever be out to us to forgive and be forgiven, and God guided us to
able to repent of, all went out of our hearts, through our put ourselves at His feet; things for sure won’t be the
mouths and up to the Lord to sit at His feet and same.
dissipate, never to be ours again if we let it be so. “Brokenness is the Friday night, we started the weekend early
That day we were free. If we truly got rid of all of our with our ‘Christioween’ celebration! We all got face-
deepest moments of shame, we were struck with
continuing precondition painted and crazy haired, and bobbed for apple and
such a feeling of freedom. All those things we’d never for wholeness.” pairs, dug our faces into cream pie for worms, and ate
think we’d be able to confess lest we be stoned to doughnuts hanging on strings, oh boy! Afterwards, we
death were open and naked on the ground before a danced the night away without a care in the world.
class that had become family, all these bad things only Saturday, all the students split up into
making us love one another even more for our dynamic lives teams and helped out with the I Am Love 360 festival going
and transparency. The time of confession even continued after on in downtown San Fran. Though the weather was a bit on the
lunch, skipping the food pantry for one week so we could get it all out. damp side, it was a great time to serve and give time.
The whole day was filled with the deepest level of realness with each Sunday, we rested hard core. It was good to be able to bask in the
other, and nothing could have been better. freeness we had between us and around us and in us. This week will go
Friday, I’m sure we all woke up feeling refreshed. It was our last day down in history and that’s for sure. It will be remembered as the week
with Jerry, filled with stories of his ministry, and a little more about the when we got real with each other, sincerely, and nothing could possibly be
Divine Plumb Line. Throughout the week, we had learned valuable better.
lessons from Jerry. For instance, we saw the sins we commit habitually as

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