My Final Thoughts on Summer Project

I decided to write one more short blog just summing up some of my feelings about summer project. It's funny because if you had asked me last summer at this time what I thought I would be doing the following summer I would have probably said living at home working at subway again. I remember the first time I heard about summer project from my bible study leaders at the U. I remember my first response when they told me I should think about it. I said no, it costs way too much and I dont want to give up a whole summer. I also remember thinking in my head that project sounded like something for those "super Christians" and there was no way I was one of those people. Fast forward about a month and at cru one thursday was when I heard about project again. They had all the students who had gone on project the previous summer stand up and they played a video and then a few of them spoke. I'll never forget the feeling I got that night. I turned to the person who was next to me and said I think I'm suppose to go on project. From that moment on the feeling never went away and I knew that God was calling me there. I remember having lots of conflicting feelings about giving up my first summer back home and not wanting to go somewhere that I didnt know a single person. Through it all though God was faithful, he helped bring in the funds I needed to go and also provided me with a job before I even got down there. He was obviously in control of the whole situation and looking back now I know there was never any reason for me to doubt or fear. This past summer God taught me so many things and I was stretched in more ways then I ever thought possible. I learned how to share my faith and walk up to total strangers and talk to them about Jesus. He gave me the ability to put aside my fears that I would be rejected by reminding me that my identity is not based off of what they think of me. He gave me the energy and patience to work at a job where there were people yelling at me on the phone all the time about things which werent my fault. He gave me and angie the strength and desire to face one of our biggest fears and share our faith and what we believed with one of our coworkers and our boss. Crazy how that was even able to happen especially since after that day we had multiple conversations about the bible with other coworkers. He also gave me the energy to go home after work everyday and get back about 4:30 and have about an hour before I had to be going somewhere else. One of the best things about project though was the people. God provided this awesome community for us in which everyone was totally honest and open with each other about struggles they were going through. We were their to support each other and build each other, and ultimately point each other back to God. That tight Chirstian fellowship provided support and strength for us to continue to work in our stressful jobs and reach out to those nonbelievers around us. Looking back on this summer I feel like I saw God work in so many different ways i'm still amazed at all that happened. Looking forward though I can't wait to see what he's going to do on all of our campus's this fall. I know we are all from different schools for a reason and as hard as it is to be apart from these people who have become so close to me I know it's all for a reason. I will never forget project and all that God taught me but I'm excited to see what's in store for the next part of my life!