Hello from South Carolina! Week five was a busy one with trainings, work, and 4th of July festivities. It was a patriotic evening celebrating Independence Day. We enjoyed a potluck, games, swimming, and of course, lots of fireworks. It was so fun to experience the 4th of July down South! We also had the pleasure of hosting some special guests this week! We were joined by 3 CCP (Cross-Cultural Project) participants on their way to New Zealand. CCP is another summer program that partners with local Campus Outreach groups. Their goal is to focus their time on college ministry. We were able to hear a bit about what they will be doing throughout their time in New Zealand and what made them decide to go. Now traveling, we ask that they be kept in your prayers!
Our week was kicked off with Theme Training after work on Monday night. Before digging into the deep stuff, we had a little friendly competition to warm us up. What better way to begin the night than with an epic rap battle! Four participants faced off against one another and showed us their freestyle skills. With one winner left standing, we moved on with the rest of the agenda and heard a testimony from one of the participants. So far, we have had four testimonies shared during theme nights. It is such an encouragement to hear how others have come to Christ and we are so proud of each one for sharing. It takes a lot of courage and vulnerability to share your testimony on stage, to a room full of people. Its amazing to see how much our friends are opening up and growing while here at project.
Zach Simmons then led the talk on sanctification and left us with clarity for our heads and hearts. Similar to justification, sanctification is a concept that can be difficult to grasp, especially when thinking about the difference between the two. Zach described sanctification as being set apart to be more like Christ. We are continually being sanctified because our old selves are still present. As we grow in our love for Christ, we want to be more and more like him, leading to turning away from the sin that was once in our lives. “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31. We are declared righteous through justification, and we are made righteous through sanctification.
Project is designed so that students have a chance to learn and use their leadership skills throughout the summer. Student leaders start training in December to prepare for their leadership role that takes effect in July as staff pass the baton. This team has really stepped up to lead with training and everyday operations of project.
This past week Patch, our student project director, led a talk for evangelism training. His talk was about barriers that may keep us from evangelizing. Patch did a great job acknowledging all the barriers we may experience, such as seeking the approval of others, lack of confidence in ourselves and desire to be in control. He then reminded us how the Bible speaks that we do not need approval from others because God is well pleased with us, and he has entrusted the gospel to us. We can use 1 Thessalonians 2:4, Luke 10:2, and Psalm 135:6 to hear the truth about each one of these barriers.
At word training this week Lincoln talked about how important it is to build your life on the word of God. He highlighted how everyone builds their life on something and as Christians we are called to make his word our foundation. Since we know that God’s word is truth why would we build our life on anything else? A verse that affirms this is Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Knowing this we can see that when we are centering our life around God’s word, we are centering to God’s design.
As we reflect more on this week and acknowledge that we are over halfway through with our time here, we are intentionally soaking in every sweet second of Project. While we deeply value the talks and workshop we attend weekly, we have come to appreciate the little moments in-between as they are where we grow closer together. The unplanned adventures have been some of the most memorable. We thank you for your continued support and prayers!
As always, stay tuned for more updates!
- Ethnee and Sabrina
