A Summer at Lake Tahoe
Joe P. reports on his internship with Lake Tahoe, what they're doing, and his decision to go for it.
Joe P., left, dives for a football on Baldwin Beach in South Lake Tahoe, Cali. Photo courtesy of Marshall Mahoney
“It’s beautiful,” a man said to his blind wife as the mountainous pine trees opened up around my airport shuttle like a gateway into Lake Tahoe. “The sun is shining off of the water like silver.”
After about 3 months of preparation, I finally saw the Lake where I will be spending my summer.
In March I was faced with the decision of interning with Campus Crusade for Christ in South Lake Tahoe, Cali. The job would entail putting together Bible studies, helping students learn to grow in relationship with God, tell others about Jesus, and most importantly, grow personally in relationship with God.
When the opportunity first came up I was blinded by the obstacles of pushing back my education, missing out on a summer with my friends and, of course, raising financial support.
I applied for the internship nonetheless and God spent the next couple months putting those obstacles in perspective.
When I found out I could get journalism credit at my school, the University of Montana, by writing for CCCI.org, I decided that my obstacles weren’t big enough.
April and May were spent raising $1,650 in support from my hometown, Billings, Mont. I trusted God and prayed for the means to make the trip happen. The last check came in 1 week before I was due in Tahoe.
Campus Crusade for Christ sends about 120 people Lake Tahoe every summer as part of its summer project program.
About 80 students and 40 staff members from the northwestern U.S. pulled in to Tallac Village in the first week of June.
The flight from Missoula, Mont. took me through 5 states and the first glimpse of the sun was the reflection off of the lake just before entering California.
High mountains, Mount Tallac peaks at just below 10,000 ft., and a huge lake, 71 miles around, resemble Montana’s beautiful wilderness. The traffic tells a different story.
South Lake Tahoe is a major vacation spot and tourist attraction located about 60 miles south of Reno, Nev.
Campus Crusade shows up at about the same time as the summer rush.
The project is organized to develop the staff members and the students on parallel paths. The staff learns principles well enough to pass them on to the students. Then teach the students to learn the principles well enough to pass them on again.
Practiced Principles
- Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew
- The role of the Holy Spirit in Christian life
- How to talk about Jesus in your life
- How to engage with God through prayer and quiet time
- Spiritual multiplication (or passing on discipleship skills)
- International ministry
Campus Crusade owns the land that Tallac Village’s 30 cabins, kitchen and office are built on.
All of the students and some of the staff members live on camp -- up to 5 in a room -- and most meetings are held there.
All students on project are required to get a job around town. The jobs are both an opportunity to earn money while in Tahoe and an opportunity to get comfortable talking about God at work.
Over 100 people entered the same pine tree gateway in the same way. Something beautiful was waiting on the other side of those trees -- different from person to person but beautiful nonetheless. They will experience God through internal struggle and external beauty.
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