The odds of hanging around Campus Outreach events and students involved in CO and not hearing “Project” dropped every so often are slim to none.
Every summer, students from St. Thomas, Bethel, Northwestern and the U of M pack their bags and drive down to South Carolina for two months.
TWO MONTHS?!
Yes. Two months.
Two months for building life-long relationships. Two months to work a full time job, most likely stationed at a local Walmart. Two months to learn how to share your faith. Two months to learn more of what it means to live life as a Christian. Two months to spend every day learning more about Jesus Christ.
Every year, two months is all it takes to change the lives of students who come to Project.
"My summers in South Carolina have been the best summers of my life,” replied Jeremy when I asked him what God has done in his life through STP. Jeremy Tan is a junior at Bethel University, and he is returning to Project for a third summer, this time as a team leader. “I was really hesitant to attend my first summer because I didn't want to commit to a whole summer away from family and friends but I haven't regretted it at all. God has changed my life and has given me a new perspective on what it means to live as a follower of Christ."
Maybe you’re not the least bit hesitant about leaving for two months. Katie Beth Strand, a U of M junior who is going back to Project this summer as a team leader, can relate.
“Ever since hearing of Summer Training Project freshman year I knew that that was how I wanted to spend my summer. Growing up I never fell victim to being homesick and always looked forward to my next adventure. That changed about a month into my first project where everything started to feel overwhelming; seeing more sin and living with people I barely knew before. Though this feeling was something I had never before experienced, I am so glad I had the opportunity to spend the summer growing in my walk with the Lord. That summer showed me more of who I am in Jesus and knowing that I get to learn more about that brought me back to Project last year and is bringing me back there again.”
So whichever camp you fall into – pumped for the summer with no reservations or completely hesitant about spending two months at Project – God is going to use the time you spend with community in South Carolina. I have never heard of anyone spending the summer at Project and returning home completely unchanged. So sign up! You have nothing to lose.
These are two months you won’t regret.