Summer Projects: Radical Summers to Radical Lives

Finals are in full swing, graduation is less than a week away, and summer is waiting patiently right around the corner. Therefore, thousands of students across the United States (and from Cru international Cru movements) are preparing to head off all across the world on Cru summer projects. Summer projects are responsible for changing the lives of hundreds of students every year and they have played such an integral part of my spiritual growth as a staffer. However, I feel like so many people do not fully get to see the effects that summer projects have on the lives of college students. Summer projects are life changers; not month-after-trip-spiritual-high life changers, but eternal, future-altering, radical life changers.

If you have ever found yourself asking "Why should I support a student going on summer project?" "Do summer projects really have an effect on World missions?", "Is this going to be worth my money?", or even "What in the world is this summer project she speaks of?!" then this post is for you.

I could literally write pages and pages on this blog of students who have had their lives radically changed through a summer project. However, I am just going to use my personal experience from one single summer project to display how dramatically the Lord will work in a students life while on summer project.

If you have followed my blog for a while, you will recall when Mitch and I staffed a summer project to Durban, South Africa in July-August 2012. We had 15 students, 10 girls and 5 guys, from all over the southeast. Compared to most summer projects this was a small team. Most of the students were upcoming Juniors and Seniors and have graduated sometime in the past year.

Here is the team (staffers included)

So where are they now?

Paula was one of our few up-coming seniors on the trip that summer. After spending the summer in South Africa, she felt a huge calling to pursue overseas missions. After many months of prayer and consideration, Paula trusted the Lord's calling and applied for an international STINT (1-2 year international mission) in East Asia- a country she had never even visited! She was able to visit for a week in March 2013 and she returned in August 2013 to minister to college students who have literally never heard of Jesus. Today, Paula is currently living and serving in East Asia. 

                                                                                                              

Paige was another up-coming senior on our Durban team who also had a huge heart for overseas missions. After finishing her last year of school in May 2013, Paige came on staff with Amigos for Christ, a non-profit organization that uses social and community development to further the kingdom of God in Nicaragua (http://amigosforchrist.org/ ). She is currently serving and living in Chinandega, Nicaragua. 

Courtney was an upcoming Junior from the Durban trip. After completing her Junior year, She decided again to dive back into international missions and travelled to India on another Cru summer project. 2 years later, with 2 summer projects under her belt, Courtney continues to live out her passion for missions by joining the World Race (http://www.theworldrace.org/ ). Beginning in September, Courtney will travel to 11 countries in 11 months to serve "the least of these." (To follow Courtney on her journey of sharing Christ with the World visit her blog http://courtneyhuffman.theworldrace.org/) 

Kris was also and upcoming Junior from the Durban trip who served alongside of Courtney in India the following summer. After finishing school and serving on 2 international Cru summer projects, Kris has decided to pursue her calling to bring the gospel to college students in the US (who are in need of a savior just as much!) After graduation, Kris began an internship with Cru and will be serving at Georiga Southern University this coming fall. 

Maddy was another upcoming Junior on our Durban team and has played a large role in her Cru movement at the University of Georgia. After her summer in Durban, Maddy has spent a lot of her time serving alongside of the Cru staff team and bringing the gospel to college students in Athens, Georgia. She has also travelled to Haiti on a missions trip. Following graduation, Maddy will also begin an internship with Cru and will be serving at UGA this fall. 

Jacob L. was a Junior at UCF when he joined our Durban summer project team. After our summer in Africa, he continued to be involved with Cru at UCF and during his senior year, decided to continue following his heart for international students and applied and was accepted to be a part of one of the 2014 Stint teams to East Asia. He will move to East Asia in August to live/study alongside of college students there and share the love of Christ with them. 

Nick was also one of our Junior UCF guys on the Durban team. He was and has since remained very involved with the Cru movement at Central Florida and has decided to follow his passion for sharing the gospel with college students. After graduating from UCF in May, Nick will join Cru as a full-time staffer. 

7 out of our 15 students are committing to full-time missions. 7 OUT OF 15 people! That's half of our team (my mathematician husband would point out that it is not exactly half) And that does not include the ones** that have entered the job force and are in ministry sharing the gospel with their coworkers, bosses, patients, students, and clients (which is JUST as challenging, needed and no-less righteous.) 

So are summer projects worth it? Are summer projects eternally life-changing? Does your money, prayers and encouragement towards a student's summer project mean anything?

You tell me. Because it seems to me that is can mean everything. 

If you are able, financially support a student going on a summer project. If you are not able financially, refer them to people that are and PRAY fervently for their mission. 

And if you are a student. GO. 

GO because the time is now. GO because the need is great. GO because there are people everywhere who do not know Jesus. And most importantly, GO with an open heart and open hands because God absolutely will use it to radically change your life. 

**These are just the students that I know of their after graduation plans. As I hear from others from the trip about what they are doing after graduation I will be updating this blog to include them!