“I think that this summer most grew me in my relationship with Jesus, with myself, and with others around me. First, I learned that Jesus is my friend, my counselor, and my king who pursues me with a passionate love completely separate from cultural Christianity or past painful experiences with the church. Second, I am proud to say that I grew individually in self-awareness, confidence, and contentment. I think I came from a very angry, hurt, and lost place that I had been suppressing for quite some time. Somehow, this summer helped to carve out that emptiness and fill it with truth through one-on-ones, through constant community, and through active love. Lastly, I think my outlook on this world changed. I am learning to see how to approach the world with a hand open to give and receive rather than a fist clenched tight with what might be lost. I am prioritizing the people and the purpose rather than the payoff. I am resting in who I am created to be so that I can see others for who they can be.”
- Anna Lee Curles, 2018