Ski and Snowboard

School Leader

Lauren - Pennsylvania, USA, 27

Although I am trained in the mad skills of Nutrition, Equitation (horses) and Landscaping there are many other things that I am passionate about! Snowboarding and seeing lives changed for God’s glory rank up there in the top two. I did my DTS in Denver in ’07, where I got to shred the gnar at 5 mountains, with the X-games as one of my outreaches, and then I headed off to Mexico where I got a real heart for the lost. A whole year later I headed out to NZ to be a first time staff for the SDTS (with much fear and trembling) and man did my world get rocked! God showed up so much, and showed me not only His love for me, but his love for all the students and staff as well. After lecture phase, leading an outreach to Jakarta just topped it all off! God called me back for a second year in ’09 where I learned heaps about patience, as I had my ankle broken/surgery/screws and this stopped me from going on outreach. It was such a bummer but I wouldn’t trade the experiences I gained for anything!

So this brings us to 2010! God is going to rock our socks off this year as we head out to the mountains and show people the love of Christ! What better way to serve the Lord than in your own culture, in beautiful New Zealand, with people that have the same passion! I am so stoked for what this year will bring. YEAH!

School Leader

Angelina - Wellington, NZ, 29

Angelina was a school teacher before going to Oxford for the Snowboarders DTS in 2005. After that she spent a year in Southern Africa followed by another few months in the Americas. Upon returning home she worked a winter with SfC and then headed back to the South Island for the ’09 SDTS.

Angelina loves adventuring, fresh fruit juice, hardcore, long boarding, photography, rugby, playing guitars and mandolins, singing, snowboarding, studying, surfing, teaching, tofu and wakeboarding.

Attempting to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly, Angelina lives to see people having life to the full in him whom she lives, moves, and has her being. She is stoked to embark on her next adventure of SDTS ‘10.

Staff

Gretchen - Ohio,USA, 22

I did my Snowboarder’s DTS in Denver, CO in ’07 and went on to do a Phase 2 leadership school at YWAM Denver later that year. 2008 was my first year staffing for the Snowboarder’s DTS here at Oxford as well as leading an outreach to Jakarta, Indonesia. God did so many amazing things through that school that I had to come back for more! I came back to Staff SDTS ‘10 and co-lead an outreach to Africa.

I love snowboarding (obviously), chocolate, my fatty cat Butter, Taco Bell (which is unfortunately not available in NZ), public embarrassment, missions, and seeing young people rise up to serve God. Besides the Taco Bell part, staffing here at YWAM Oxford is a rad mixture of all of these loves.

Seriously though, I love seeing lives changed and young crazy kids going out and doing awesome things for God. I want my life to be one of dropping everything else for God and showing others the overwhelming JOY that comes with following Him with all of your heart. My goal is for people to see Jesus in me through the life I lead, rather than the words I speak. HOLLER.

Staff

Mark - Holland, 30

Hi guys! Although I call Holland home I’m pretty international, love being abroad and lived in the UK, Austria and now in New Zealand. I try to understand a bit of how great God is by looking at the fascinating mighty mountains. I grew up in a loving family and realised I needed God in my life and made the choice to follow Jesus.
After studying business management and marketing I worked in corporate management for a couple of years, but made the radical decision to step back from the money aimed world, getting annoyed by the emptiness of it. Together with my dad I started a company in communications. Next to the various projects we did I had time for travelling a lot and my passion: snowboarding. I had time to ride smiling all winter working as a snowboard instructor in Austria for a couple of years.
In 2008 I stepped back from my fun packed life and snowboarding to do the Backpackers DTS here in Oxford to focus on Gods vision for my life, living a life of worship and getting more experience in ministry. Life with God is always an adventure when he is in charge and regularly he shows me amazing things. Jesus is the reason I’m alive and kicking. Following DTS I kept on backpacking around the world and after going home from being abroad for almost a year, God called me to go back to New Zealand, so after just two months in Holland and 20 flights in a year, I’m stoked to be back in New Zealand.
Next to Jesus and people I’m passionate about snowboarding, rockclimbing and challenging things like multi-day hikes and basic camping in the outdoors. I love good coffee, ice-cream, chocolate, salads and cheese; smiling, surfing, paragliding, diving, slacklining, juggling or reading. I could be described as optimistic, energetic, extraverted and approachable.
I’m looking forward to pursue purposeful living and serving to see God working in students’ lives during the upcoming Snowboarders DTS, to see them grow in living a life of worship and getting closer to Him. Let’s go outside and play in the outdoors, bouldering, hiking, climbing, jumping off high objects, walking on hands, slacklining, juggling, camping and sharing Jesus’ love to people we meet through all of this.

Staff

Matt - British Columbia, CAN, 24

Born and raised in Cranbrook by Bruce and Marg, he was blessed by getting to grow up in a Christian home, and became a Christian almost too early to remember. It’s been quite a journey from then until now though, but that’s another story for another time. Matt has three epic brothers; one older and two younger. Matt was raised to ski from an early age by his father, but at the age of 12 got himself caught up in a new exciting sport called snowboarding.

More recently, Matt made the move up the valley to live amongst the arguably unsurpassable beauty of Fernie, BC. As a testament to God’s love, Matt got to be part of the Snowboarders For Christ internship during his first winter in Fernie, under Bruce and Michelle Nelson, and learned a little of how to spread the love of God to the surrounding ski and snowboard culture.
You can check out what SFC is all about at www.sfc-canada.com

Matt did his SDTS in 2008 right here in Oxford, NZ! He loved it. The experiences that he has gone through during DTS and afterwards have been used by God to shape and re-shape everything from his day-to-day life to his overall worldview. Needless to say, his life will never be the same, in a good way. Now, Matt is super stoked to get to grow into a deeper relationship with his God, and to have the amazing opportunity to pass on some of the things he learned to this next epic group of rippers!

Staff

Philipp - Switzerland, 21

Grüetzi! I’m from the beautiful country of cheese and chocolate: Switzerland. I did my Snowboard DTS last year here in Oxford, New Zealand. I really enjoy snowboarding, skating, rock climbing, adventure and following God. I’m 21 years old and here are 10 random questions about my life:
Coke or Pepsi? …Fanta
Favorite element? …Snow, it’s not an element, but…
Favorite food? …Chocolate
Starwars or Startrek? …Starwars
Favorite chip flavor? …Salt and vinegar
Are you easily distracted? …YES!!!
What was your first job? …Helping my mum in the kitchen
Would you rather sweat cottage cheese for a year or sneeze nacho cheese for life? …Sweat cottage cheese for a year!
Favorite animal? …Elephant
Shoe size? …US 10; EU 43
I’m really excited for what God’s going to teach me in the next season of my life and in this school. It’s gonna be amazing! I can’t wait to meet you and get to know you all.

Staff

Shaina - California, USA, 20

Hey hey! I am from beautiful, sunny, WARM California! I did my SDTS last year in Oxford, New Zealand and I had a RAD time and was completely changed by God! I live day by day listening to God for the next calling in my life, which leads me back to staff SDTS 2010! I love to skateboard, snowboard (duh), going on new adventures and pushing the limits (hehe). I am so stoked about this school and what God has planned for everybody involved! I want to see people get rocked for the Lord and feel so blessed to have the boarding community as a stepping stone to GET ‘ER DONE!

Staff

Loren - Alberta, CAN, 29

Loren calls Edmonton, Alberta home despite moving around a fair bit in his still young life.  He completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta in 2004.  Since then, he has diversified his CV with bouts of engineering, hotel guest services, carpentry, and camp work.  Adventure, exploring, and seeking new places and experiences are definitely passions of his.  Of all pursuits, skiing is his greatest passion, but riding motorbikes has become the latest and greatest. 

Loren had his worldview and perspective on God’s work in the world rocked by his Around the World in 80 Days DTS in 2009.  Loren developed a greater appreciation for what the ‘body of Christ’ means to us as a church body–finding that we all have unique giftings and talents that come together to further the Kingdom.

As a dreamer, Loren has had many dreams, but has endured some of them shattering.  Through these disappointments he has come to find that there is a single greatest dream–that being, to know Jesus Christ as your personal saviour and having a real relationship with him.  (It sounds cliché, so read it again because it’s true).  Loren’s hopes for staffing the SDTS ‘10 are to build upon what he learned in his DTS and to disciple the next crop of students.

Check out the following verse, cuz it’s so good:
“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ” Phil 3:8 (NIV)

Staff

Nancy - Saskatchewan, CAN, 21

Hey friends! I absolutely love movies, books, soda pop, salt and vinegar chips and my monstrous family.

I grew up on a farm with my mom and pops and my three amazing older brothers: Travis, Jesse and Eric. Between my brothers and the farm, I learned how to work hard and be tough After high school I jumped right into the work force and pretty much hated it. University didn’t appeal to me either because I didn’t know what I would want to study and didn’t want to waste the money trying to figure it out. Eventually, I finally heard God calling me towards MISSIONS!! I did the Backpackers DTS here in Oxford in ‘08, I stayed in NZ for my outreach and got to climb up and down the whole South Island, it was pretty much awesome. I loved experiencing a whole new culture; one that lived to play rather than worked to live. I went back home and it wasn’t long before God was calling me back to NZ but this time to staff the snowboarding DTS.

Staff

Colsie - Alaska, USA, 18

Hey-o. My name is Colsie B. and I originate from the bustling metropolis of Wasilla, Alaska. I love laughing, over-active imaginations, lying in luscious grass, falling asleep during movies, tea breaks, stargazing, verbally sparring, physically sparring, chasing sheep, and chasing Jesus.
I did my SDTS in 2009 in Oxford and went on outreach in China. Aaaaahmazing! God called me back to staff SDTS 10 and I couldn’t be happier to come back for secondsies. I enjoy nothing more than seeing kids falling to their knees in worship and discovering how incredible God thinks they are and how intricately they have been created. There is really nothing better than being loved to pieces by the Fella who knows every detail about you! I hope you are ready for this crazy adventure!