Before LIFT, I was anxious at the thought of leading people because I didn’t feel like I was capable of it. Through the various experiences LIFT offered, I realized that I am capable and now I feel more knowledgable and comfortable in leadership positions.

Prior to LIFT, I was in a dark season, and I wasn’t following Jesus. I’d seen and heard of so many people really meeting Jesus through LIFT and I craved that experience.

During LIFT, I was challenged to examine my convictions, spiritual walk, and to lead people in adventures and devotions. I am much more driven to know the Lord and better equipped to fight off temptations. Now I know how to better align myself for growth. I’ve learned what makes a good leader, what is expected of a leader, and how I lead best.

I applied for LIFT on a whim not knowing much about the program, just knowing that God was calling me to chase after Him. This program is an incredible tool to do so! It’s not about what I did, or where I went, it’s what the Lord did when He met me. I  feel different, not because I came here, but because I left a place of comfort to seek Him.

Before I joined LIFT, I had just graduated college and finished my internship. I was living at home and went through a not-so-fun break-up. After joining, my spiritual eyes were opened more to how I was living in sin and how to love and deepen my relationship with God more, specifically the Holy Spirit. LIFT helped me learn how to treat and serve those around me as fellow image-bearers and children of God. It also allowed me space to combine my degree in Recreation Management with spiritual growth.

During my senior year of college, I was accepted into the LIFT program. While I wanted to live missionally for the Lord after graduation, I was burnt out through my involvement with campus ministry. Amid “doing things” for the Lord in college, I had lost sight of what it meant to be in relationship with Him and live out of His love for me. LIFT helped me develop as a servant leader in every aspect of my life. Through the program my relationship with the Lord deepened, ultimately transforming the way I view and relate to God, myself, and others.

Before I came into LIFT, I had graduated college and was working a career job in corporate IT that left me feeling empty and exhausted. I left the company searching for how to refresh and restore my relationship with God and found the LIFT program through God’s providence. The LIFT program taught me a lot about different spiritual disciplines - how to rest, read, meditate, memorize, and soak in God's Word. After LIFT, I've been able to step back into the professional work environment ready to serve and engage with my coworkers as a servant leader who’s present with the Lord.