The Last Week on Project

Hey everyone!! I am officially back in Wisconsin as of 5 AM Saturday morning. There is so much that happened the last week of project, I can't wait to tell you all about it. I couldn't pull myself away from everyone at the house in the last week to sit at Starbucks to grab internet time, so now you will just get one, long post.

Our last weekend in Fort Collins was so good! Saturday was a free day, so I went to Denver with Sally to watch Ben, Taylor, Jason, Lauren, and Jenny play in a 3v3 soccer tournament. They did so well, and it was such a blast! The team finished the tournament in third!


That night, we also got to stay in Denver to watch Colorado's MLS team, the Rapids. I have never been to a pro soccer game, so it was a new experience and a lot of fun. The game was great, the Rapids won 4-0.

Sunday after church we all went back to the Poudre one more time. Over the last month or so of project, people began talking about being baptized before we left, so 14 people got baptized Sunday and I was one of them. Though I was baptized when I was younger, I made a new commitment to Christ on Sunday. This summer changed my life and my commitment to Him is so much greater than it has ever been. I realized this summer what it really means to surrender it all to Him and truly give Him my life. God put it on my heart to acknowledge my complete commitment to Him with baptism. It was AMAZING!!! God has used so many of the people who surrounded me this summer to change my life, and being surrounded by them on Sunday in one of the most beautiful places I've ever known, made His presence there completely evident.

On Monday, we started our last week with a talk from Amado about having a Heart for the Future. This is a talk that I was really excited for! As part of the leadership team, one of our jobs was to schedule the evenings during the week. When we sat down to do the schedule 3 weeks ago, we thought it would be sweet to have our last talk back at the place this summer really began, on top of Golgotha. It was great! Amado did an awesome job getting us ready to go home and use everything God equipped us with this summer and getting to worship and fellowship one last time on Golgotha was the perfect way to start our week of saying goodbye.

Tuesday we had our final banquet at the Tapestry House. It was beautiful!! I don't know how our banquet committee worked it out, but it was a great place to have one last party. After many many pictures and a dinner filled with skits, memories, and a great slide show of pretty much everything that happened this summer, we had one more dance party. So fun!

By Wednesday and Thursday, it started to hit us all the we were actually leaving Friday morning, so the mood at any given time in the house moved between reminiscing, looking forward to being home, and dreading the moment when we would leave 708 City Park for good. Most of us, including myself, tried to fit as many lunch/coffee/walking in the park dates into our last couple days as we could. Spending quality time the the people God put in our lives this summer definitely took precedence over silly things like packing or sleep.

The relationships I built this summer are unlike any I've ever known. This last week I thought more about how Colorado was exactly where I was supposed to be this summer. God taught me so much, refined me, and worked me more into the woman He created me to be, and He surrounded me with just the right people to walk alongside or just ahead of me the whole time. It hit me sometime in the middle of the week, that Fort Collins was also exactly where 44 other college athletes were supposed to be this summer. When I though about how God had perfect plans for all of us and unique ways He worked in each one of us the over last 8 weeks left me in amazement one more time. God worked so much in just 8 weeks and one house, I love it, that's all I really know to say!

I won't lie, leaving Friday morning was tough. I am so excited to be home and was excited to go home, but I wasn't excited to leave. Saying last good byes and giving hugs to everyone one last time, especially without knowing when we would be able to see everyone next, was hard. We all walked out the door with promises of following on facebook and skype and texting, but we all know that this summer can never be replicated. I love that and I hate it so much. This summer was probably the best of my life and will keep that status for a long time I think. I can't imagine me without this experience but I know I can't live on project forever, so as young Wilbur Robinson might suggest, I will keep moving forward, falling deeper in love with my King, doing what He calls me to do. I'll keep messing up and drowning in grace. I can't wait to see how He will use this summer for His glory.