Dear Friends and Family,
This spring marks the end of my freshman year of college. It has been a truly incredible experience, mostly because of all the Christian relationships I've developed from engaging in the Navigators ministries on campus. I started the year in denial about wanting to join the program but it has been the highlight of my year. I've been able to attend a two Navigators conferences in Colorado, enjoy an awesome spring break trip, join a bible study, and participate in many other life changing activities through the Navigators.
The more time I spent around the Navs, the more I heard about a program affectionately called “STP”, short for Summer Training Program. At first I thought there was no way for me to go, yet I hung onto the brochure to remind me to pray about it, and pray I did! My friends and bible study members prayed with me and for me. They told me more stories of their experiences and friendships that sprouted from STP the previous years, I began to long for those experiences. I prayed about it more and more for the next weeks and months, asked wise counsel of trustworthy friends, and discussed the possibility with friends and family back in Minnesota. The day after the deadline to apply, I woke up knowing that God was telling me I should do this, and after waiting weeks to see if I would get off the waiting list and praying for my dad to be as confident as I was in the decision, everything fell into place, I was going to STP!
As a participant in STP, I will spend 10 weeks at YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, CO. I will work full time at the YMCA, along with everyone else in the program. Through the Navigators I will live with my team members who are also my small group bible study. I will have the opportunity to attend many seminars on Christian views on various aspect of life, such as taking care of money or how to lead a bible study. Every week I will memorize two verses from the Navigators program the Topical Memory System and learn how to and practice evangelizing in a nearby town. Most of all, I look forward to spending a summer in a community wholly focused on Christ, meeting other people with this goal, and furthering my love for and commitment to Christ. I praise God every day for this opportunity and for the encouragement of my friends and family.
In preparation for the program, I am asking God to surround me with a team of people with a desire to support me financially and through prayer. My goal is to raise $1000 to pay the cost of the training program. Would you prayerfully consider being a part of my support team for this summer? I want to thank you for reading my letter, thinking of me, and considering the opportunity to support me. I look forward to hearing from you.
Blessings,
Sarah Swenson
You can support me online at: donations.navigators.org/specialpages/donormaster/staffdonation?id=s23826577|23826577