I first discovered Cru through some friends at Indiana University of Pennsylvania during my freshman fall semester, and through that, I decided to go to the regional winter conference. That’s where I was first introduced to summer projects and where I rededicated my life to Christ. When I went back to school, the opportunity of a summer project continuously popped up. I finally opted to take a leap of faith and go to Detroit.
I made some close friends at college who came from the inner city, and I had always enjoyed visiting the city as well as working with kids, so going to Detroit seemed like an appropriate challenge. In retrospect, I cannot explain just how much impact the project had on me. The relationships with everyone from the staff and fellow students to kids I met while at ministry sites were so emotional and led me closer to God. I learned so much through our experiences that it’s hard to put into words.
If there’s one thing I could say about Detroit and how it relates to God’s calling, it would be that no matter how bad some person, place, or thing appears, hope can always be found through God and what He has to offer.
Coming into Detroit, I heard nothing but devastating stories about the city and how it had become one of the worst in the country. I certainly experienced some of the troubles of the city, but far more overwhelming was the feeling of promise–an emotionally charged hope for revival thanks to the work of God and the amazing things He taught me through relationships with others. I initially was hesitant to go on any summer project and the support raising can obviously be scary, but I couldn’t be more genuine by saying that God literally paved the way for my experiences, and I can honestly say that Him doing so resulted in one of the best adventures of my life.
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