We spent this summer serving the Lord in Branson, MO on
Ozark Lake Summer Project. This is a classic staple for our region for Campus
Crusade. We have been on this project once before two years ago and absolutely
loved it. As staff it’s a great time to connect with other staff from our
region, and also to get extensive time investing in the lives of college
students.
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| Vince and Autumn with the SFA students on OLSP |
There was however once major difference for us this time
around. Over the past 2 years there have been only 2 men Project Directors and
in the past decade there has been 1 woman who has been the Assistant Project
Director. These people are staff that we look up to and tend to put on the Cru
pedestal. This year signaled a change. There was a new PD whom we think highly
of, and there is a new APD whom I (Vince) am married to. Autumn had a large
task that she undertook this past 6 months and might I say, I think she nailed
it. She did a great job balancing being on campus and planning summer project. She
did an even better job this summer leading, teaching, and sheparding the staff
and students of this project.
We love this project because it gives us a chance to train
students how to have a ministry in a
simulated real life scenario. This summer we had 32 students from different
schools such as LSU, Texas Tech, UT, OSU, SFA, UTA, Tx St. They all lived with
the staff in the Honeysuckle Inn in Branson. We got each student a local job at
places like Mcdonalds, Silver Dollar City, Branson Belle Showboat, and the
YMCA. Their jobs weren’t just a place to work, but it was their ministry place.
Our job as staff was to train and equip these students on how to share their faith,
share their testimony, how to invest in the lives of people so that they would
reach their fellow employee’s, and eventually their campus, and then the rest
of their life.
It was amazing to see the Lord empower our students with the
Holy Spirit as they shared their faith boldly not only with their co-workers,
but the people of branson. The students stepped up into leadership positions as
the staff left in early July, to lead the “Project” in various area’s of
ministry. Some lead their small groups, men’s/womens times, outreach, and
weekly meeting. The Lord used them in mighty ways, and we believe that not only
were lives of people in Branson changed, but the lives of our students were as
well.
