2010 Project

Back to childhood...

After a long day of work (and a very hot day for the athletes in training) lots of old students trooped into their rooms with work or sports clothes and emerged with pigtails, superman t-shirts tucked into their pants and at least 10 years younger (if not 15). The social? Recess! Everyone had to make a packed lunch – PB and jelly sandwiches and other snacks (Gushers!) and then they all headed to the parking lot of Garden City Baptist. After going to the nearby playground to eat their packed lunches there were games of kick-ball, four square and basketball or just skipping, drawing on the ground with chalk and finally, a game of “Ships on the ocean”. A very fun night finished at Project with Toy Story!

No ordinary people

Yesterday was a very welcomed day of rest (for the disciples!) and in the afternoon for Evangelism Training one of the points was quoted from CS Lewis, that people matter. There are no ordinary people, we will be immortal horrors or everlasting splendours and they must know about Jesus because what they believe about him will determine what they’ll become. Evangelism is not our job but our joy – we are to share it because the gospel should be resting deep in our hearts, so we should repent from our lack of desire to share the good news, rest in what Jesus has done and know we are accepted in him, so don’t have to be accepted by the people we are sharing with. After going on the beach for an hour or so to share the gospel, we debriefed and then had the evening off – time for group dates, games and time to chill.

Learning to juggle on a group date

Most people headed to work yesterday - really getting into the swing of things now. Athletes in Training met in the afternoon and there was a short devotional on why they play sports and that it should ultimately be done thannkfully as they rejoice in what God has done, not to prove themselves or find their identity there, but to lift their teammates up above themselves and care about them more. There was team time at 6.30pm, the team in charge of this week and next week got some planning done and the others played games and had fun. In the D-groups (discipleship groups) everyone had time to share about their lives, talk about Philippians and the talks we have been having as well as pray over Bhutan.

We can’t hear the gospel enough...

Thank the Lord that most people are now starting work (except a group of Wal-mart people that start on Thursday), Project is definitely quieter. The Athletes in Training had a sprint work-out, lifted and then had a time of praying and sharing what they were all going through. This week's team "Forever Young" (I wanna be...) are in charge of the events so everyone had pizza, ants on a hill and watermelon quickly and then everyone headed down to the pier for the group photo to be taken (that picture will appear here at some point). It took a while, but it was a beautiful sunny day and a great time. At 8pm we had the Theme Night meeting and after a game of the staff pretending to be someone else (and getting students to guess who they were) we had a talk on “The Cost of Freedom” where the gospel was explained again and many were overwhelmed by the fact that the cost of us getting to God has been paid for in Jesus’ blood. Christianity is about us resting and celebrating what God has done for us. The costs he asks us to give up for should be no cost at all, but something given up joyfully.

Mat 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field”

Day of rest...

At 8.30am everyone met in the chapel for Life Training – the talk was on money and generosity. The cost is that we are to kill the love of money but it is ultimately for our joy, so we are not enslaved by it but free to give it away because we are eternally rich in Christ. Everyone went off to their church (the students are split into 3 groups and go to Garden City Chapel, Garden City Baptist or Pine Drive Gospel Church). There was a time for rest – some slept, read, went out for a meal and others lay on the beach or were in the pool. At 7.30pm there was an optional time for Praise and Worship lead by the staff just behind the motel. At 8pm Pastor Okey came for theology time where students were able to ask him all sorts of questions about the Bible.

Time of Praise and Worship

Friday: The Bible... and some donuts

On Friday mornings no one is working, and there was a Bible Study Training session lead by Paul Poteat on “What is the Bible?” That day many people headed to either Dunkin Donuts before or after the meeting to celebrate national donut day (buy a drink, get a free donut) and then in the afternoon and evening a lot of people were working. Those that don’t start until next week spent time in the word, on the beach or at the Laundromat.

Five Seaworthy Boats

Today found most people working in the morning and afternoon, and at 2.30pm the Athletes in Training headed to Crab Tree Memorial Gym for the third time since they arrived and their focus was on their individual sports – more technical details and some lifting. At 6pm there was a project meal that came from Chick-Fil-A and the five teams ate together as they planned for the competition that night. The challenge of this weekly social? To build a boat that would be able to go back and forth across the pool bearing at least one person and in accordance with the given theme. The themes were: Navatica, The US Navy, Titanic, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys and A Romantic Night in Venice. Every boat was able to get to the other side (although there was some wet cardboard involved) and even the Titanic managed to sink and then transform into a lifeboat and reach the other side of the pool safely. All in all a fun social organized by staff! Making the ships seaworthy in creative ways

A breath of mid-week rest (06/02)

The disciples had the morning off and got into the word, hit the pool and/ or the beach or just slept in! The room leaders and team leaders went off for their own discipleship groups (everyone is a disciple and accountable to someone else) and everyone gathered at Garden City Baptist at 1.30pm for Evangelism Training. The gospel is what is to motivate us to go and share the good news! After that the different teams hit either the beach across from our motel or Surfside Beach and spoke to people! There we rejections, but there we also many that listened and responded in different ways. As a storm rolled in everyone got back, had a team debrief about the experience and then had root beer floats in the rain. The evening was a time of rest where some people went on group dates, others headed to the pier to look for sharks and others spent time in the word. At 10.30pm everyone gathered for Campus Time to pray for their campuses back at home.

Not even here one week... (06/01)

But for most of the disciples it seems like they have been here much longer. As there was team time in the evening, the teams being New Kids on the Block, Identity Crisis, Forever Young and Sandlot, the students were able to have fun and games (some teams were on the beach for this time) as well as get to know each other more and share hopes and fears for the summer. At 8pm there was the first D-group (discipleship group, the 3 disciples in a room and their room leader) where testimonies were shared – it was a quiet night on Project that night as everyone was in their rooms sharing God’s grace in their lives. People have been settling down into their jobs, others start officially next Monday but everyone is starting to get the feel of how Project will be running.

Having a meal at Project and getting to know each other

Leaders Arrived Safely

Our leaders arrived safely in Garden City yesterday.  They are spending the next few days getting ready for the rest of the project to get there.  They are setting up bunk beds, arranging rooms, making some Wal-mart runs, etc.  Tomorrow they will head down to the beach to share their faith with people. The disciples' caravan heads out early Wednesday morning.  Pray for safe travel for all of them as well.

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What to bring:

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What Not to bring!

  • Laptop computers – we strongly discourage students from bringing laptops
  • Portable DVD Players / Portable TV’s – we don’t want you sitting around project watching movies all day long
  • Game boys and game systems
  • More than one suitcase

What to bring!

Financial:

  • All your support checks, organized, and tracking sheet
  • Social Security card, drivers’ license or passport
  • Health insurance card
    • If you don’t currently have health insurance, talk to Nick ASAP
  • First two weeks’ rent (about $400)
  • Transportation charge ($250)
  • Check Book – if you are paying rent

Normal packing:

  • Small bag for overnight on the way down
  • Duffle bag suitcases – they really help in packing
  • Storage cubes for storing your clothes at project
  • Sun screen and beach gear
  • 2 towels, one beach, one bath
  • Bible/notebook/pen/few good books
  • Footballs, Frisbees, soccer balls, games!

Girl Specifics:

  • 2-3 “snappy casual outfits for “nicer” group dates and church (try to have at least 1-2 that is not denim
  • ~ 10 - mix & match summer items (not too short shorts, tanks, skirts, capris, pants, other shirts, sun dresses)
  • T-shirts
  • Bathing suit(s) and bathing suit cover-up
  • Flip flops
  • Something light to sleep in
  • Pillow
  • Try to take no more than 3-4 pairs of shoes (sandals, flops, tennis, etc)
  • Ask around if other girls are bringing hair dryers, straighteners, curling, etc – no need for everyone to bring one
  • Shampoo – unless you need something particular, its nice to go in together with you room when you get to SC and purchase large bottles of Shampoo, conditioner, etc – no need to transport all that
  • Pack in crates, that you can stack up for a book shelf – so your storage containers become storage while at project

Guy Specifics:

  • Lots of T-shirts
  • 2 jeans, khakis
  • A few polo’s for snappy casual events like group dates
  • A few nice button-downs
  • Nice shorts / workout shorts

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