Hello! My name is Kim Boswell. I am from a beautiful vineyard town called Paso Robles on the central coast of California in the States. Four years ago, God called me on what has been the greatest adventure of my life... thus far. I journeyed over the Pacific to my new home in Brisbane, Australia and started a pursuit for God and myself that has left me completely transformed for Him. I was a high school senior who didn't know what to do with my life. Classic. I contemplated studying photography, conservation biology, or following every photographer's dream of working for National Geographic. And who knows, maybe all of those things will still happen? But, I was in a rut. I was the awkward American kid whose parents aren't rich enough to afford school but who make just enough money to not get any scholarships. And so, I had heard of this weird thing called Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and decided I would give it a try for six months. I had always had a heart for missions- having gone to Mexico and Costa Rica in high school but I didn't realise that it could be a lifestyle within every part of society. I chose the first of YWAM's photography Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) that Google so thoughtfully provided and applied. A few months, one anonymous donation, a lot of paperwork and heaps of pizza delivery tips later, I arrived in the land of Oz. Being a relatively shy kid I wasn't sure exactly what had compelled me to drop everything and move to an entirely different continent, but in hindsight, I know that God was guiding every rash decision along the way. And so, I lived for sixth months in a suburb of Brisbane with a bunch of random international people who were just like me- wanting God and a direction- and we found both. During my DTS God showed me that He is real. He is tangible. He speaks. And he wants me. He blew my mind in the best possible way and I began to fall in love with Him along the way. I had the amazing privilege of going to Japan for two of the six months and right before we left, God asked me to stay in Australia and staff other DTS, which honestly, freaked me out. But I asked Him for a heart for it and He gave it to me while doing ministry in Japan. One week after graduating my DTS I began staff training and I have fallen even more in love with God since. I am now on staff here in Brisbane and I know that this is exactly where I am meant to be and I cannot wait to see where He will take me next.
God has taken me on the greatest adventure these past six years. I have been able to explore His heart in Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Peru. Right now, I am a part of a ministry here on base called "Go Teams." We are the strategic ministries portion of our base. Basically, that means that we set-up overseas and local outreach, prepare teams for outreach, go into local schools, and much more (read below for more information on Go Teams). My focus is primarily on the overseas side of ministry. I help with team-building, outreach prep teaching, leader development, compiling data from past outreaches and helping out wherever I can. I will also work with our three month Bible Core Course. This school dives into the depths of the history behind events in the Bible in order to better understand the context and how it truly relates to us today. And after that? I guess we'll find out together.
We believe that the passions, giftings, and training we each have aren't just for us, and aren't just for "someday." We believe that each person is called and equipped to actively transform the environment around them today. Our team was created with the aim of further equipping and mobilising our base and the local church to reach our community and impact the nations. We work with several state schools, churches, organisations and individuals to match our heart and abilities with real needs in the surrounding suburbs. This comes from our direct involvement, mobilising DTS teams and also by being a bridge between individuals and other churches and organisations in the area that can serve and support one another. Sports, music, the arts, youth mentoring, and homeless ministries are only the tip of the iceberg, and we won't stop until we've uncovered the whole thing and this community is a radical display of God's character and design. We believe that God called each of us to serve where we are while also being a part of his global plan. Even as we serve our community, we help organise, equip and release the 17-20 DTS outreach teams that are sent out from YWAM Brisbane each year. In addition, we run discipleship camps and organise strategic outreaches for logistical staff and community members. Short term missions is a powerful tool if utilised effectively, and long-term missions is more sustainable with tangible, relational and spiritual support. We endeavour to strengthen both of these, all while further equipping students to live a life of obedience and transformation wherever they are called. We have the heart, we have the training available and the door is open. Our aim is to step through, one person, one ministry, one moment at a time.