Insights from Students on Staying Faithful in College

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, hi everybody, welcome to NSR.
This is probably not the voicethat you were expecting.
I'm JB, I'm the main editor ofNSR and I've been on NSR a few
other times.
But sorry, this isn't Brody,it's just me.
But I have a super excitingepisode for you guys today.

(00:20):
I have just been interviewingquite a few of our former staff
or staff just people that theSnowbird family loves and
respects who are also in collegeor were in college just to talk
about what it looks like tostay faithful throughout college
and what it looks like to getin scripture and find a church

(00:43):
home and everything like that,and so we just kind of wanted to
do something a little differentto target college students.
But hopefully you guys enjoythis episode.
I know it's a little different,I know it's not normally the
voice that you're used tolistening to, but I really hope
you guys just enjoy getting toknow some of the people that I

(01:05):
interviewed and are justencouraged and spurred on by
their faithfulness to the Lordand their obedience.
But yeah, I hope you guys enjoy.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Welcome to no Sanity Required from the Ministry of
Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters.
A podcast about the Bible,culture and stories from around
the globe.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Before we get into it , I just wanted to share just a
little bit about my collegeexperience and just things that
I kind of struggled with or wentthrough and how the Lord has
brought me out of that.
So I graduated high school in2020.
And so my first semester ofcollege was COVID, and so I kind

(01:52):
of spent that first semesterjust super isolated and really
struggled just because I had nocommunity, partly because of
COVID and partly because Iwasn't seeking it.
I have a family member who whenthey went to college, they
walked away and deconstructed,and so I remember being like

(02:14):
terrified that that was going tohappen to me.
And so I wanted to go to aChristian college and I wanted
to like do all these things tomake sure I didn't deconstruct
or walk away.
And I wanted to like do allthese things to make sure I
didn't deconstruct or walk away.
And so I went to a Christiancollege and obviously not
everyone at a Christian collegeis a believer or walking with

(02:35):
the Lord, and so that was a bitof a rude awakening.
I think I was kind of relyingon the fact that I was going to
a Christian college for myrelationship with the Lord,
christian college for myrelationship with the Lord and
it didn't really hit me until,like I was kind of spiraling
quickly because I was just soisolated and alone and was
rarely reading my Bible andwasn't seeking out good

(02:55):
community and that's when it hitme of like okay, you're saying
you don't want to walk away fromthe Lord, you don't want to
stray, you don't want to drift,but you're doing nothing to
combat that, you're just lettingit happen.
And so I think one thing that Ijust like learned from college
is okay.
If you're scared of walkingaway, if you're scared of
drifting, whatever you're scaredof the college culture

(03:18):
impacting you, whatever it islike, just don't let that happen
.
Like combat that with scripture, combat that with good
community, combat that with timewith the Lord.
Like read, pray, like go intoevery day with like a fight
mentality, like with a battlementality.
And college is it's such aweird time of life but it's also

(03:40):
so cool and so I don't know,but it's also so cool and so I
don't know.
It's like just a group of people, your age and you all kind of
just have like free will andfreedom to do whatever you want.
So use that freedom wisely andlike use that free will and that
freedom to put in place likereally good habits, to set

(04:02):
yourself up for the rest of yourlife to have a good
relationship with the Lord.
I also think it's just superimportant.
Like when I was in college, Ikind of had a big like I guess
the word would be like consumermentality of like I consumed a
lot, like I went to a bunch ofcollege groups and I went to
church a lot and just kind oflike it was like, oh, that's so

(04:24):
good, let me like soak it all up, but then like didn't really
put my efforts toward likeserving or like really opened my
eyes to like I have a callingfrom the Lord and I need to put
my efforts towards that, and soI just want to encourage
everyone any college studentslistening- we have a purpose and
a calling from the Lord andthat calling is to defend and

(04:47):
declare the gospel.
And I just think, like thatreally kept me encouraged and
motivated and like, like, evenjust the fact of like I have a
purpose from the Lord and I havelike I was talking about
earlier free will to like,wholeheartedly chase the Lord
and wholeheartedly, like goafter that purpose.
But anyways, that's enough of myrant.

(05:10):
I really hope you guys enjoythis episode.
We're talking to quite a fewgirls and guys from the SOW
family that we just love andrespect and I really hope that
this is helpful for you guys andI hope that, even if you're not
in college, you just areencouraged by these young

(05:31):
believers that are fighting fortheir relationship with the Lord
and fighting to seek community.
And then also, I just ask thatyou'll just be in prayer over
our college retreat and justprayer over college-age students
.
And I'm really encouraged bylistening back on this audio and
just hearing all these people'stestimonies of the Lord's

(05:53):
faithfulness and the Lord'spower and I'm just excited.
I'm excited for this generation, I'm excited for college
students to just hear this andhopefully be encouraged.
But yeah, enough about merambling, but I really hope you
enjoy this.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
My name's Marlee Watkins, I go to Mississippi
State University and I am in myfourth year of architecture
school.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Oh, no way, I didn't know that my dad's an architect.

Speaker 3 (06:16):
Really yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:17):
That is so cool.
Did you move away from home?
Like, how far is MississippiState from home?
Okay, it's only two hours, butI moved to school when I was 16.
Marley, how did I not know this?
I know that's crazy.
Okay, so let's talk about that.
Yeah, 16 years old moving awayto a secular sec school how was
that?

Speaker 3 (06:37):
It definitely was an adjustment because I grew up in
a Christian household where wewere in church every time the
doors were open, and so goingfrom a place where I was
required to be in church everySunday to having full freedom to
not even like pick up my Bibleevery day, um was such a drastic
change in my life.
But I also wasn't a believeruntil the spring semester of my

(06:57):
freshman year and so going intothat with kind of just my
parents' religion, likefollowing me through college,
was definitely an adjustment.
It was.
It was kind of just my parents'religion, like following me
through college was definitelyan adjustment.
It was kind of rough.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, that's crazy.
I feel like I also had asimilar experience like having
to make your faith your owngoing off to college, instead of
just relying on your parents.
For sure, it's crazy.
What resources or tools havehelped you in your faith being
at college?
Yeah, so there's this thing atmy school called the BSU.
I think it's the BCM.
What resources or tools havehelped you in your faith?

Speaker 3 (07:24):
being at college.
Yeah, so there's this thing atmy school called the BSU I think
it's the BCM like up here, Iloved all the events that they
used to put on.
Like they do crawfish brawlsevery semester and I love
crawfish, and so that alwaysbrought me in, and just plugging
in there and finding a place toserve really like helped a lot

(07:44):
because, like you can go tochurch and you can attend, but
when you're really servingsomewhere, you're like more
invested and it gives you apurpose to do there and I think
that's really beneficial, justbecause, like we're called to
serve and none of us want to sitstill when we're like working
and it just gives you somethingto like do with your hands and
like do for other people.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, I think that was very helpful.
Okay, I want to talk to you alittle bit about like college
culture.
Um, super big party culture andChristianity is definitely not
the popular thing to do.
Um, so how have you seen likecollege culture affect you and
your walk with the Lord?
Um, and like just kind of talkabout that, I guess.

Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yeah, of course, again, freshman year, my
roommate was a good friend thatI had in high school and so
moving to college with her Ithought it was going to be great
, Like she would keep meaccountable, I would keep her
accountable, and that was justnot the case.
She ended up getting aboyfriend who was really into
like party culture in collegeand I got to watch like in real

(08:44):
time see her slowly drift awayfrom like totally different
sides of the same spectrum.
So like she was always investedat church every Sunday, serving
like wherever she could toevery opportunity she got.
She was drinking on theweekends.
Every time she had free timeshe wanted to go and like hang
out with people at like frathouses and I don't think there's
anything wrong with likesororities or fraternities, but,

(09:06):
um, just the environment thatshe was in was not healthy for
her relationship with the Lord,and so I think that kept me away
from it, because I saw herstruggle through that and then
like go through boyfriends andgo through these other things
that come up in college thatreally just like break you down
mentally, even though likethey're fun in minute.
Like she would have so much funon the weekend but then on

(09:26):
Monday morning she would be soheartbroken, like crying in my
arms just saying how, like, oh,she's so upset about these
situations that happened thatshe didn't have a lot of control
over, because, you know, whenyou're drinking you don't have a
lot of memory and you don'thave a lot of those like
accountability there, and it'sjust so normal, it is, it's

(09:47):
completely normalized.
And being in a school where likethat is so normalized, like
I've had professors ask me likeoh, you're stressed, you should
go smoke a cigarette outside andthen come back and like having
a professor tell you that isinsane and it's so normalized
that like nobody takes a secondthought about it and I think
that's just a large issue in ourculture in general.
It's like, hey, you're young,go live your life, go have fun.
But like all it is is likebreaking down these people

(10:10):
mentally and so then whenthey're like trying to become an
adult, they don't know how tofunction on their own without
relying on these copingmechanisms, which are unhealthy.

Speaker 1 (10:17):
Yeah, so true, yeah, um.
So like you kind of talkedabout some of your professors
and just like in that secularworld at college, so do you have
any more like specific examplesor challenges that you've
encountered, while likemaintaining your faith in
college?

Speaker 3 (10:36):
Um so actually before I came to Snowbird last year, I
had a professor tell me I waswasting my time um to not be
studying and having fun as acollege student.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
And so I was like by working at Snowbird.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
Coming here, he quite literally looked at me and said
that's a waste of time.
He said, if you want to have abreak, go out and have fun with
your friends, go drinking, gopartying, live your life.
You're wasting your young yearsCause once you're my age you
won't be able to do that anymoreanymore.
And told me by taking like thissummer to just focus on the
Lord and focus on students andlike grow my relationships.
He was like that is insane tome and I think you're wasting

(11:13):
your time that's so discouragingcoming from it definitely was.

Speaker 1 (11:17):
yeah, that's crazy, um, okay, so um, can you walk me
through?
Like what does it look like tohave just time with the Lord
daily, to daily study your Biblewith your schedule?
Like just a realistic,practical, day-to-day Like what
do you do?
What does that look like?

Speaker 3 (11:38):
I'm going to be so honest.
It's very hard and like I stillstruggle to like find time.
Um, because I have class fromone to five every day, but in
the mornings I have work fromlike eight to ten so.
I have like a two-hour gap andthen I'm always exhausted by the
end of the day.
But something that's becomereally beneficial is to not beat
myself up when I forget to inthe morning.
So sometimes I'll wake up lateand I can barely make it and I'm

(12:00):
like, okay, that's it, end ofthe day.
I just won't do it at all.

Speaker 1 (12:03):
Yeah, Like almost restart, right, but instead of
just like opening up and be likeno, no, I need this yeah.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
I just dwell on it and then I'm like I've lost my
opportunity, yeah, and then it'sjust so, not true, like you
have to give yourself a littlebit of grace.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
You have a break, and so then I'll later that night
I'll take time aside from mynighttime routine, which
typically I have more time withum and a lot of times that's for
me in my car yeah but sittingin my car, like I, can fully
focus and spend time with theLord without being distracted
yeah, I think also for me when II was in college, I really had

(12:45):
to like sit myself down and belike this is a battle, like and
you're not going to win withouthaving time with the Lord and
reading scripture, and like thatneeds to be my foundation and I
can't do it on my own strength,like I'm going to fall, I'm
going to fail, like the devil isgoing to combat me and I need
to combat him with, you know,scripture and stuff like that.

(13:06):
So just kind of having like abattle mentality for sure.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
I would even say, like my prayer, life has gotten
so much stronger through likehaving a hard school schedule
because, like sometimes, likereading your Bible is so
daunting after reading 50 pages,like you know right, yeah, for
sure.
And so being able to just likesit, and sometimes I will
literally just cry and be likelord, help me.
Like I know I can't do this onmy own, but reminding myself

(13:30):
like this isn't for me, yeah,like I'm very much a type, a
type of person like I want tomake straight A's, I want to do
perfect, I want everything on aplan, and that's not how life is
.
And so just relying on the lord, being like you are faithful to
like provide me with whatever Ineed every single day, as long
as I rely on you and I have tomake sure to put my relationship
with the Lord over school Causeit's really easy for me to be

(13:52):
like, oh, this project is dueright now, my Bible study is not
due, I don't need to read myBible, I have to finish this
project.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
But in reality, like without Christ, like the
schooling is useless, yeah, andso yeah, I also think something
for me is like kind of goingback to like the why of it all.
Okay, Like even schoolwork.
It's like how can I do thisschoolwork to glorify the Lord?
Like how can I like and I justfeel like that's so kind of hard

(14:20):
to make your motivation andlike your purpose of like, okay,
everything I'm doing is toglorify the Lord, and how can I
make much of him, even in thisproject or this assignment, this
discussion, post stuff likethat?

Speaker 3 (14:33):
But something that's so unique in college is we get
to meet so many different peopleand just being in classes with
people, people are going tonotice you.
When you don't like, have thatsame mindset.
It's like negativity Right andlike dwelling over these
assignments and being sonegative about everything.
Like people notice and peopleask.
I've had several people in myprogram come up to me and go you

(14:54):
should come with us thisweekend.
And after I said no a couple oftimes, they're like okay, how
are you Okay?
Like you, do you ever rest?
Do you ever do anything?
And what they don't understandis like the me doing my quiet
time and like being in scriptureand being in prayer.
Is my rest.
Like every single day even whenI'm not sleeping every night,
like I am resting, because I amlike filling myself up with like

(15:15):
scripture and just being inprayer.
Even it just helps so much inthat like is restful for me and
so.
But the lost world does notunderstand that at all.
It's like grind, grind, grinduntil you can yeah.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
That made me think of two things.
My brother-in-law it was likeduring the election and you know
how everyone goes crazy duringlike politics and everything
like that, but he made a reallygood point.
He was like people in the world, like people who are lost, like
this they're trying to makethis world their heaven, because
that's all they have.
So they're going to workthemselves to death and you know

(15:53):
, they're trying to make thisperson president, because this
is their world, Like this istheir heaven.
This is as close to heaven thatthey're going to get.

Speaker 6 (16:00):
Right.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
But it's like for us we just have so much more
eternal hope, like eternitywaiting for me you know and like
so much more hope and whichjust, I guess, leads believers
hopefully to just live with somuch more joy and, you know,
relief in some areas.
And then my second thing wasyou talk a lot about your church

(16:24):
.
Will you tell me just like whatyou looked for in finding a
church home and like how yousettled, where you are at church
and college and stuff like that?

Speaker 3 (16:34):
Yeah, of course At first it was really difficult.
I would say I spent at leastsix months just hopping around
churches trying to see where Icould get plugged in, but for me
it was really hard to like findsomewhere that I fit in.
It felt like I was growing andbeing like discipled and so, and
also finding somewhere that'sreally like theologically sound.
And so I hopped around for alittle bit.

(16:56):
And then, when I got to thechurch I go to now, which is
called Crosspoint my pastor onthe first week he teaches the
college Sunday school on Sundaymornings and he like welcomed me
and then was like hey, likehave you ever been here before?
Like do you go to churchanywhere else?
And I was like I've beenhopping around, not sure.
And he was like oh, awesome,well, if you need somewhere to

(17:19):
plug in, like here's two olderladies in our church numbers who
would love to reach out to youand would love to have a meeting
with you sometime this week.
And so just having older peoplein the community that were
willing to pour into my life andjust learn from because, like
I'm only 20 years old, like I Idon't know all the answers
there's gonna be situationswhere I need someone older than
me, who's more mature than me,just for answers, even like not

(17:42):
like super spiritual things,just like life.
And so being able to find thatin a church and find people who
were willing to pour into youwas awesome, and then also a
place where I felt like I couldserve.
I think you feel so much moreconnected to a place when you're
able to serve there and you'reable to put your hands to it and
be faithful in that way,because we're called to serve,

(18:02):
and so being able to serve at achurch that I'm going to is like
the best opportunity for abeliever, I think, and
especially a young believer whoisn't sure how to like how to do
church.
Just start serving whatever youcan do.
If that means like taking mealsto the homeless, which is
something we do, and then onSundays sometimes we have meals,
we'll just laying out platesand cups and helping clean up

(18:25):
after doing stuff like that willmake you so many relationships
just by meeting people you'reworking with, and also it just
makes you feel like you're notjust like a consumer of the
culture You're actually involvedin, like Christian community.
You're not just consuming ityourself.
And so that was something Ilooked for, because there are a
lot of like really theologicallysound churches in Starkville

(18:47):
that I absolutely adore, but Ihad a hard time being able to
serve there.
I had a hard time being able toserve there.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
Yeah, so when you were church hopping, is that
something that you did alone, ordid you go with a friend?
Like, what did that look like?

Speaker 3 (19:01):
And so I did that by myself and so every week that
was really scary, like walkinginto a church For sure you don't
know any soul in there.
But thankfully, likeMississippi is very like
hometowny and so everybody'slike sweetheart, how are you?
Let me get you some coffee.
So everywhere that I went wasreally welcoming and really
sweet, but it was definitelylike nerve wracking because it

(19:22):
made me almost not want to go,Because you'd wake up on Sunday
morning and you were unsure,like even like where the front
door is, where I'm supposed togo.

Speaker 1 (19:30):
It's extremely daunting.

Speaker 3 (19:31):
It is daunting and it gets tiring after a while.
It's extremely daunting.
It is daunting and it getstiring after a while, and I can
see why people in college wouldtry church hopping.
Never fit in somewhere and thenjust stop going to church.
It makes complete sense.
But thankfully for me, I wasable to find somewhere that I
felt like I fit in.
But it did take time and effortand it was daunting at times.

Speaker 1 (19:50):
Yes, very, very intimidating.
Especially, you kind of ofmentioned you grew up going to
church.
You know, every single time thedoors were open, similarly me
too.
So it's like I knew everyone atthe church that I grew up going
to and so that wasn't scary atall because I knew everyone,
versus going to a college townwhere I knew no one and was

(20:11):
walking into a church completelyalone, definitely kind of like,
flips the script and is kind oflike, oh, this is really scary.
It is, you know, but definitelyworth it, definitely worth it.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
For sure?

Speaker 1 (20:24):
Um, okay, last question Um, what encouragement
would you give to otherbelievers, um, who are starting
college or maybe in college, whoare struggling in their faith?

Speaker 3 (20:37):
I would just say be persistent, like draw close to
the Lord and just keep going,because it's going to be so easy
to get to college and getwrapped up in all of the college
things.
But you're going to have, like,whether it's two years you're
at college or four years you'reat college, you're going to have
other times to like hang outwith people and like really
invest with your relationshipwith the Lord and just focus on
that, because if you get thatright, you're going to find such

(20:59):
more meaningful relationshipsin college just because you're
focusing on your relationshipwith the Lord.
There were times where I feltlike I was being like left out
of situations because like, oh,this Sunday I'm going to go to
church instead of going to getcoffee with some friends, and
like you feel left out.
But in reality, like it's goingto be so much more important
for you to build relationshipswith the people that can pour

(21:19):
into you as well, and justfinding relationships that find
community wherever you can andkeep searching until you find
that.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
Okay, sweet.
Well, thanks for chatting withme.
Of course I enjoyed it.
Marley, I didn't reallyintroduce her, but she worked
this past summer was a pool girlworked at the pool.

Speaker 3 (21:44):
I love being a pool girl.
And yeah, are you?
You're from Mississippi.
Right, I am from Mississippi.
Did you come as a?

Speaker 1 (21:46):
camper?
I did not.
Oh wow.
So how'd you hear of Snowbird?

Speaker 3 (21:48):
My brother-in-law brought his students here.
No way, yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
I did not know that.
That's awesome.

Speaker 9 (21:54):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
Well, thanks for chatting, of course.
Okay, everyone, I'm here withStein Stein.
Introduce yourself.
Tell us a little bit aboutyourself and how you found
Snowbird.

Speaker 10 (22:04):
Okay, so I'm Stein Harkins.
I've been working at Snowbirdsince the beginning of last
summer, and the way I foundSnowbird was a guy that used to
work here.
His name's Henry Williams Shoutout Henry.
Shout out Henry and Courtney.
They're my second parents.
I was just looking for a way toserve the Lord over the summer
because I was supposed to go ona mission trip overseas.
It didn't work out, and so Iwas talking to Henry and he was

(22:27):
like, hey, just apply forSnowbird, it's a little late.
I think I applied at the end ofDecember of last year for
summer and I was like, okay,I'll give it a shot.
Gave it a shot.
Got in um, came here for thesummer, loved it and decided to
stay for the whole year.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
Nice, we're glad you stayed, son.

Speaker 8 (22:45):
Me too.

Speaker 1 (22:46):
Will you give us a little background on, like your
college experience or like whatcollege you went to, stuff like
that.

Speaker 10 (22:51):
Yeah, Um, I went to the university of West Georgia
in Carrollton, which is it'sjust a little Southwest of
Atlanta.
Um, I went there for a yearbefore coming to snowbird.

Speaker 1 (23:02):
Okay, would you say, like going into college.
What did your relationship withthe Lord look like?

Speaker 10 (23:06):
I think at that point it was the strongest it
had been at, especially cause,like, towards my senior, the end
of my senior year of highschool, I finally like decided
to come back to the Lord andlike actually follow him and so
like that whole summer beforegoing to college I had been like
really pursuing the Lord.
So like, coming in that firstweek of college I was like super

(23:28):
close to the Lord, like it wasdefinitely like the closest I'd
been to the Lord at that pointin my life, starting college off
, which I think was great.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, yeah.
Did you ever have any pushbackfrom professors, or could you
tell if professors were tryingto push college students away
from Scripture or away from whatScripture says?

Speaker 10 (23:49):
So it was a music appreciation class, so we had to
listen to music and, um, like,write about the music we
listened to.
And sometimes he would give usmusic that was like this is what
we had to listen to, and thenother times it was you can pick
whatever song you want, as longas it fits into the genre.
And so whenever I was allowedto pick music, I'd pick

(24:09):
Christian music.
And whenever I would do that,he would get really mad and he
gave me zeros on all theassignments where I wrote about
no way, yeah, or anytime I wroteabout Christian music, I got
zeros on those assignmentsbecause I can't remember his
exact wording.
But he basically said thatChristian music wasn't real
music.
You're kidding, I'm not like itwas so wild I ended up failing

(24:31):
the class because of that.

Speaker 6 (24:32):
No.

Speaker 10 (24:33):
Because, like a majority of assignments were
like you got to pick your ownmusic.
So I emailed him.
I was like hey, just wonderingwhy I got zeros on these
assignments Like I've submittedthem.
And then he emailed me back andhe's like the music you chose
isn't real music.
I don't enjoy the uh, I thinkthe like meaning behind the
music.
Yeah.
So, I was like that's when itlike really hit me.
I was like oh, wow, like I wishyou could have told me this

(24:54):
sooner, cause I mean, I failedthe class, but at the same time
I don't regret it.

Speaker 1 (24:59):
Yeah, so that's so crazy.
Also very eyeopening to be likeokay, people are genuinely like
against me and against the Lord, like actively they want me to
fail, Like literally.

Speaker 10 (25:11):
I never had that before.
I'd heard about it and I waslike I know, Christians are
persecuted.
And that's when I was like, ohwow, like this actually like
happens.
Like there are students who gothrough worse than me.

Speaker 9 (25:20):
There are students going through the same as me.

Speaker 10 (25:22):
And I can definitely see how someone who's like
wanting to do well in likeschool would be willing to like
compromise and take a step backwhich is really sad, but I think
it's just the truth definitely,definitely.

Speaker 1 (25:38):
Will you tell us a little bit about what it looked
like for you to just like dailystudy the bible, like how did
you stay in scripture?

Speaker 10 (25:46):
um, if you have any like practical, like tips or
anything like that, yeah, so atfirst when I was in college,
like over summer, I've beenreading my bible a lot, and even
before that.
I never read my scripture daily.
I'd read it once a week orwhatever.
But going into college I wasreally trying to hone in on
reading it every day, and so Iwas starting off by reading at

(26:08):
night, which isn't a bad thing.
But for me my friends would belike, oh hey, let's go hang out,
let's go watch this movie,whatever.
So I had never like really hadlike a set schedule and, like
you know, there'd be days whereI'd skip it just because I was
busy like you know, hanging out,yeah, and so like throughout
that, I started talking to oneof the guys at BCM and I was
like I'm trying to do this but Ijust can't like I keep, like

(26:30):
you know, missing days.
And he was like what time doyou read your Bible?
And I was like I read it atnight.

Speaker 9 (26:35):
And he's like well, maybe for you it'd be better to
read it in the morning.

Speaker 10 (26:38):
And that's when I started reading it in the
morning and this was likeprobably halfway through my
second semester of college.
So like that definitely helpeda lot and like I mean I was
waking up earlier before that,I'd wake up at like 11 in the
afternoon.
You know, half my day is goneyeah but then I started waking
up eight because my first classwas at 12 and so I'd wake up at

(27:01):
eight.
I'd have all that time to readmy bible, do homework, whatever
and then I had the nights openso it definitely worked a lot
better for me having that settime in the morning for sure um,
and it just helped me, like,stay faithful, and so it helped
me get most of my life backtogether yeah like stop being as
lazy as it was it's very lazy.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
But yeah, you know, I always like joke crazy that
when I'm consistently reading mybible, like I'm just more
productive, I'm like all thesethings.
And then, okay, when I start tolike taper off and not read as
consistently, all of a suddenI'm anxious and I'm not as
productive.
I'm like crazy how those thingscorrelate.

Speaker 10 (27:34):
Yeah, it's so wild to see that.

Speaker 1 (27:37):
Yeah yeah, my dad used to tell me in high school,
all those things like hangingout with friends and like going
to intramurals, whatever, allthose things are good.
Don't give up the great justfor the good.
There's nothing innately wrongwith, like you know, hanging out
with friends or watching amovie, but movie.
But it's like, are you givingup the great as in, like, your
time with the lord, yourrelationship with the lord?
I feel like college definitelytaught me what needs to be

(27:58):
prioritized.
If not, I literally, like Isaid I'm anxious and not
productive.
I'm like low-key spiralingversus like if I just stay on
top of my time with the lord andlike, just you know, my
relationship with him so muchbetter?

Speaker 10 (28:11):
no, it definitely is , yeah, and I started, like you
know, doing better in classesbecause I was actually studying
and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
So I was like oh, maybe maybe there's actually
something behind this, yeah, soyeah, I also just think in
general, I just see so much moreof like the big picture when I
like take a step back and I'mlike doing everything
wholeheartedly for the Lord.
It's like, okay, I can turn inthis discussion post and give it
my all if it's going to honorand glorify the Lord, even
though that's like that soundsso silly of like turning in a
discussion post for the Lord,but truly it like just keeps you

(28:39):
motivated.

Speaker 6 (28:39):
It gives you purpose and stuff, okay, um.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
One last question.
Um, what encouragement wouldyou give to other believers that
might be on a college campusand they're struggling?
Um, so, just like, whatencouragement would you give
them to stay faithful?

Speaker 10 (28:54):
faithful.
Um, I definitely say that it'sworth it to stay faithful and
not compromise on your beliefsyeah because, even though I
failed those that class, becauseof what, like, I believed in it
, like looking back on it, likeI'm proud that I like stood up
for my faith like I wasn't likecompromising yeah, looking back
on it like in the moment.
Like you know, it sucked, likeI had to tell my mom, I was like

(29:15):
hey.

Speaker 7 (29:16):
I failed this class um yeah.

Speaker 10 (29:18):
I don't regret it at all, especially now, and like
just seeing like how much of alight you can be in someone's
life that isn't a Christian.
Because I my roommate he wasnot Christian at all, he was
actually very against.
Christianity um, but I had methis mom a couple of times and
she was like he's kind of likewandered away from the faith and
so please like try to be a lieto him.

(29:40):
I got a text from him actuallylike not long ago it was right
around Christmas and he was likehey, just kind of said like
that he missed me and that hehad been thinking a lot about
what I said.
And I heard from my BCM friendsthat he had shown up to one BCM
, which I think that was a hugestep for him, because he said,
like just the way like I lived,like he was like something

(30:01):
changed in you like when youstarted like being more
productive.

Speaker 8 (30:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (30:04):
And he's like I really fell off this last
semester of just like not doingmy schoolwork and so you know
I'm like that was cool to see,like someone who was kind of
like falling off of it and likethey came back and kind of asked
me he's like, what was that allabout?
And I told him I was like, look,it's just me spending time with
God daily, like God helped medo that and like I don't think

(30:24):
his.
I don't think he's came to thedecision yet, but I think that
at least the seed was plantedjust by like staying faithful,
and so I definitely encouragelike you have no idea how much
your faith can impact someone,just by the way you like live.
So, that's definitely like oneof the biggest things for me,
because, like he was like superagainst God, like he even said

(30:47):
he's like, yeah, I believe inGod, but I think I'm more
powerful than God, like I'm incontrol of my own life.
And so, like when I heard that,like that's one of the first
things he said to me, he waslike he knew everything, like he
knew all the basics but he justlike I don't know.
He just rejected God at somepoint, which, like, is really
sad to see, but I do think thatthe Lord is working on him.

Speaker 1 (31:10):
So yeah, well, thanks for joining in Stein.

Speaker 10 (31:16):
Really good.
So, yeah, well, thanks forjoining in stein.
Really good stuff.
Um, got anything else to add.
Just, you know, if you are in avery secular university, try to
be as much of a light as youcan.
Yeah, because it's very dark,especially, I think, at that age
we're at such a vulnerablepoint yeah so people need as
much of a light as they can toyeah, show them the way.

Speaker 1 (31:31):
So we've heard this a million times working at
snowbird, but they this sayinglike you don't drift towards
holiness, like, especially atcollege.
Even me, I went to a christiancollege and nobody is just like,
oh, la, la, la, I'm driftingtowards holiness.
Like you have to fight everysingle day and like fight for
your time with the lord andfight to like know what's true,

(31:52):
um, and so I think that's alsolike something huge.
All right, well, thanks time.
Yeah, I'm here with Cadence.
Cadence was last summer, yourfirst summer.
It was Okay.
Okay so you're at Liberty.
Are you a sophomore?
Yes, okay, sophomore, okay.
So I kind of want to talk aboutLiberty's culture.

(32:12):
Like I know that it's aChristian college.
I also went to a Christiancollege and kind of went into it
kind of relying on the factlike, oh, it's a Christian
college, my faith will growreally strong because I'm going
to a Christian school, and thenobviously not everyone that goes
to a Christian college arebelievers or, you know, fruitful
believers.

(32:33):
So I would love to hear, kind oflike, your experience with that
.
Have you had a similarexperience?
Is it different?
What does that look like foryou?

Speaker 4 (32:40):
It's been really interesting, I'd say my first
year, because I went to a publichigh school.
I had seen, like I don't know,just not no community in the
Lord at all, and so then, goinglike throwing into so much
community at Liberty, I was likewhoa, this is a lot like
definitely like okay, there areso many people who are

(33:02):
Christians and pointing metowards the Lord.
But there were definitely likea handful of people that you
know kind of chose not to orlike were there because their
parents, like had them there.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
Or they're for sports Right Right.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
So there are definitely like crowds at
Liberty that are, like you know,not pursuing the Lord, and I
think that's just like going tobe with any Christian college,
any college in general.
In general, yeah, and sodefinitely like there are people
there that aren't for the rightreasons, but I think, um, for
the most part, Liberty has beenvery like like I'm not swimming

(33:34):
upstream, like I'm swimmingdownstream with everyone and
they're all like pursuing theLord and like the upstream
battle would be to not pursuethe Lord and kind of have to
like say no to community and sayno to those things and um, so
that's been really cool.

Speaker 1 (33:48):
What was your relationship with Christ?
Like going into college, likewould you say it's grown since
being in college, like will youtalk about that a little bit?

Speaker 4 (33:56):
Yeah, so before college I would say that I was
very like conveniently Christian, if that makes any sense, sense
.
Like I went to church because myparents went to church.
I um volunteered at churchbecause, like it gave me
volunteer hours and I neededthat for student government.
You know, like I was just likeconveniently Christian, like I
never really had a personalrelationship with the Lord and I

(34:18):
think the minute that like Istepped onto Liberty's campus,
like it was just so interesting,like I could feel these people
who like knew the Lord and weretalking to me about so much that
was happening in their life,like what the Lord was showing
them, and I was like wait, likemy faith is not like that, like
I just go to church, you know.
And so then, whenever, like Ireally got into college, um, you

(34:40):
know there's a lot that you'refiguring out about yourself and
like deciding like whether youwant to go to church and whether
, like your religion like isjust a religion or like is this
my relationship with the Lord.
And so I kind of learned about,like what an actual
relationship with the Lord lookslike, and a big thing for me
was the community aspect of itand the people on my hall who

(35:02):
were all like, pointing metowards that.
So I would say my like, myrelationship with Christ has
grown so much from Liberty andI'm really thankful that, like
the Lord, put people in my lifeto show me to go to.
Liberty, if that makes sense.
Um, but yeah, it's been amazing.
So, and I think that's likedefinitely not a normal college

(35:24):
experience so, but I'm verygrateful for it regardless.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
Okay, last question what's one piece of advice that
you would give to anotherbeliever who's starting college
or in college, maybe strugglingwith community or their faith in
college?

Speaker 4 (35:44):
I'd give them advice to wait it out and keep seeking
community.
And if you can't see, like, ifyou're not finding community,
kind of make the community in away, like on campus there's
clubs.
And if there isn't a club thatlike a Bible study club,
something like you can get into,I would say kind of search for

(36:05):
that and maybe like promote itand talk about it and see if you
can start one, because I thinkcommunity is so necessary for us
to grow our faith that like, ifwe're alone it's just going to
kind of like I don't know wearus out and we won't be able to
like well, we're not meant towalk this life alone Like we're
meant to walk with otherbelievers in this um.
And so I would just encourageyou to like seek out making your

(36:30):
community and if it's notthrough like a local church,
then I know there's probablypeople at your campus that are
feeling the same way, you know,and like that want to join in
that community.
Even if it's two or three otherpeople you like that's still
people that you guys can supportand uplift and encourage one
another.
And I know that Alejandra shestarted one over on her campus

(36:52):
in Florida and so I thought thatwas really cool.
She told me about that over thesummer, cause I was kind of
asking her about her collegeexperience being at, like you
know, state school in Florida,and she told me that she started
one and I was like that isamazing.
So like, if you have theopportunity, like that might
just be the Lord, like you know,putting you in a place where

(37:15):
you can definitely start that.

Speaker 6 (37:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (37:17):
Alejandra is one of our summer staff girls.
She's lovely, but that's socool to hear.
I also think I know for me whenI was in college, like at least
, I never thought like, oh, Ican start something, but it's
like, why not?
Like the?
I have the Holy spirit in me,like we desire, like you were
saying, to be in community, andthat's so cool, it's like it's
like you can literally startthat.

(37:39):
That's what we're called to doand you know we have the
strength of the Lord within usand that's awesome.
That's so good to hear.
I know I said last question,but one more question what does
it look like for you to studythe Bible, get in God's word on
a daily basis, like justpractically?
Because I know for me at myChristian college we were

(38:00):
required to take a bunch ofreligion classes, which was
really interesting, but alsosometimes I could be like okay,
check, I read the Bible, the Old.
Testament book that I'm supposedto read took the test, so I'm
done.
So what does that look like foryou?

Speaker 4 (38:14):
I say I have to really plan what I'm going to,
because my days can be so busy,especially like being a
community group leader on myhall, like there's a lot of
things that we have to dooutside of, just like, like, in
that role we have to do a lot ofthings.
And so reminding myself that,like, even if I am attending
these things for community groupleaders, like that's not like

(38:34):
replacing my time with the Lord,um, so a big thing, is like
planning time to be intentionalwith the Lord and sit down like
if, if that's like okay, I don'thave to wake up 30 minutes
early, I just have to likeremind myself that that's for me
and that's a rest.
Like in itself is time with theLord, like alone and we're
called like rest in his presence.

(38:55):
And if we're not doing that,like I can't pour back into my
community if I'm not beingfilled up like alone personally.
So just having to remind myselfthat, like, even if I am
reading the Bible at you know,old Testament survey or whatever
that it's not me sitting likeat the Lord's feet.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Awesome Good stuff.
Cadence, I enjoyed talking withyou Um any anything else.
Any other thoughts?

Speaker 4 (39:21):
No, I think that's it .

Speaker 1 (39:22):
Thanks, JV.
Will you be at the collegeretreat?

Speaker 4 (39:25):
I actually won't.
No, kaden, I have to go back,but my brother will.

Speaker 9 (39:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (39:31):
Kaden's his brother Shout out.

Speaker 1 (39:34):
Jared.
What's your other name?
Wenzel, wenzel, wenzel, jared,wenzel, I'll be looking for him.
Okay, sweet, that's all I got.
Sweet, I'm here with anothermember of the SWO fam.
Let's go.
This is Jack.
Jack, tell us a little bitabout yourself and how you came

(39:55):
to SWO, what you've been doingat SWO, things like that.

Speaker 8 (39:58):
Yeah, so I'm Jack, I'm 17, senior in high school
and I first came to Snowbird insummer 24 as an element student
and then after that summer I'vejust been coming to all the
retreats and stuff.

Speaker 1 (40:13):
Wait, did you come as a camper?

Speaker 8 (40:14):
Yes, I came as a camper three times and my last
counselor, solomon, really keptup with me throughout the year
and that's really what changedmy heart, heart to like desire
youth ministry because the wayhe helped me.

Speaker 1 (40:26):
Oh, shout out, Solomon.
Yeah, solomon's the GOAT.
Yeah.
So Jack was on our element teamthis past summer.
That was fun.
That was also my first yearleading element Crazy.
And Jack, are you going to beon summer staff this summer?

Speaker 8 (40:38):
Yes, I am.

Speaker 1 (40:45):
Oh yeah, okay, y'all be looking out for Jack this
summer.
Okay, I brought Jack on todaybecause a little different
Jack's technically not incollege.
He does like dual enrollment,right, something like that.
Okay, yeah, um, is it throughLiberty?

Speaker 8 (40:52):
Yeah, okay, it's Liberty online Academy, okay.

Speaker 1 (40:55):
But I thought it would be helpful just to hear
from him, because I know senioryear can be stressful, kind of
like feeling the pressure oflike what to do after high
school, what college to go to,yada, yada, yada.
And then also I just wanted tobring Jack on here and talk
about just what it looks likefor him, how he stayed faithful

(41:15):
in high school and things likethat.
So, Jack, let me start off withthis, but will you walk us
through what it looks like likeyour day to day, just time with
the Lord.

Speaker 8 (41:28):
Yeah, so when I'm back home I can feel some
difficulty, but it's always likein the mornings I have to do it
because, if I don't, it's likeI'm not going to do it yeah.
So I know, when I wake up, Ieat my breakfast and I shower,
and then it's like in the wordright before school.

Speaker 1 (41:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (41:42):
And so if I don't do it that morning, I have like the
thing like where.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
I have to do it before I start my schoolwork.

Speaker 8 (41:48):
So I, before I started school, I have to read.

Speaker 1 (41:49):
So are you?
Do you go to school ever, or doyou only do online?

Speaker 8 (41:54):
So I did public school till my sophomore year
and then this year and you usedto live near Washington DC,
right?

Speaker 1 (41:59):
Yes, so will you tell me a little bit about that,
like how was that going to highschool in a crazy city, stuff
like that?

Speaker 8 (42:08):
Yeah.
So outside DC we had a lot ofMuslims.
So I felt a lot of like thatpressure on me often.
So I had like one day where Iwalked into school and I forgot
to read my Bible that morning.
So, like before I startedschool, I read my Bible in class
and this kid comes walking byand he was like you know, it's
all fake.
And I was like what it's likewe're talking and like he just
starts like going at it withlike this is real, this is truth

(42:30):
.
And I'm like no, it's not dang.
And so we're like we'reliterally it's.
I'm a sophomore in high schooljust fighting with this one
muslim kid and we're just goingback and forth and the whole
class is just circling around uswow.
I delivered, so like I got tothis point, it was so awkward.
I was like I just delivered thegospel.
I was like this is, this is.
Jesus, this is who he is to meand like, I'm always here if you
want to talk about and he waslike I will never talk to you
wow and then so like I rememberleaving that class and just

(42:51):
being like what happened yeahand that like wrecked me for the
rest of the day like I was soconfused.

Speaker 1 (42:56):
Yeah, that's back to class with him, yeah, so I feel
like that's for at least for me,such a stark difference,
because I grew up in the south,where everyone, I guess, claimed
to be a Christian.
But that is crazy.
Did you guys live in Alexandria?

Speaker 8 (43:13):
No, we lived in Loudoun County.

Speaker 1 (43:14):
OK, but my school was 4000.

Speaker 8 (43:16):
Our FCA was four people.

Speaker 1 (43:18):
Oh, wow, yeah Dang, that is crazy.

Speaker 8 (43:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
Really cool to hear that, though.
Wow Dang, that is crazy.
Really cool to hear that,though.
Okay, what are some tools orresources that have helped you
stay faithful throughout highschool?

Speaker 8 (43:31):
Yeah, so the main tool I use is like a good friend
.
Back home I literally in highschool I had one solid friend
and not a few like I called them, like my nickel friends, like
they were there but like theydidn't really care.

Speaker 6 (43:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (43:44):
So I had one good friend in high school and we
would spend time together in theword, and we'd always check up
on each other.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (43:49):
So I think for high school it's so hard to stand out
.

Speaker 1 (43:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (43:51):
I remember I went to school and I'll be like be
different.
So people ask questions and Iwas like okay.
And I was like dude, we got tolock in right now.

Speaker 1 (44:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (44:08):
And he was my biggest help.

Speaker 1 (44:09):
Yeah, dang, that's really cool.
Um, and then what is one pieceof advice that you would give to
another believer that might bein high school, that may be
struggling or, you know, maybefeels isolated, isolated?

Speaker 8 (44:23):
I'd say always remember like what you're doing
is right.
I think it's so often I likeeasily.
I forgot that like you aredoing what's right yeah.
I'd honestly go back to likefind that faithful friend and if
you can't find the faithfulfriend.
I guarantee you there's a churchin your area with a pastor or a
youth pastor, someone thatdesires to that.
So for high school, like I me,in high school, I had the one

(44:44):
friend.
That was it all through highschool and I played sports, I
was a part of clubs and I hadone friend, but it was just like
learning that it's Christ hasto be more important and I felt
lonely so often but it wasfinding that one friend that was
willing to help me and my youthpastor wanted to help me.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
That really kept me out.
I also would say, like, if youcan't find one faithful friend
like be, a faithful friend andthen create more faithful
friends.
You know what I mean.
Like I don't know, just being agood friend in general and then
also just staying faithful Um,yeah, that's cool.
Um, how have you seen God workin your life through your, like,

(45:20):
high school years, and is thereany specific moments that you
can share where, like you know,your faith grew stronger?

Speaker 8 (45:27):
Yeah, so I said I was a part of sports, I was a part
of the wrestling team and we hada pretty solid amount of guys.
We had like 30, 40 guys in theroom.
And there was this one time,this younger Indian kid came up
to me and he was like a bigHindu, all this stuff, and I
remember he's like I'm having aterrible day.
Jack, can you pray for me?

Speaker 1 (45:43):
and the moment I was like yeah, why do you ask me?
Though?

Speaker 8 (45:45):
yeah, I was like kind of everyone in the school.
He's like Hindu, all them areHindu like why do you ask them?
I remember we sat down like wewere praying or whatever in the
wrestling room and people likewalking by, like giggling or
doing whatever at us and afterhim and I was like after I was
like what is going on?
And he came up to me after andwas like I had to ask you
because I know you're justdifferent and I was like that
moment where I saw like peoplenoticed yeah, people notice it

(46:07):
so much because before it justbeen words to me but then he
like came up to me.

Speaker 1 (46:11):
He's like this is different that moment I was like
yeah.

Speaker 8 (46:13):
I have a role in my high school now and I gotta
start playing it.

Speaker 1 (46:16):
Yeah, um, okay, really quick tell us about
element.
A quick, quick Elementcommercial.

Speaker 8 (46:22):
Yes, quick promo.

Speaker 1 (46:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (46:24):
Element was my biggest growth of my life.
They taught me how tofaithfully study the Bible and
faithfully walk with him outsideof camp, and it showed me the
impact I have on students, eventhough they're the same age as
me.

Speaker 1 (46:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (46:35):
Cause I got the opportunity to work with
students a couple of times and Iremember working with students
the same age and they would, atthe end of the week, hear my age
and they're like, how do you doit?
And I'm like, because theLord's giving the desire for
y'all, and so my Element is just.
I think it's a great program ifyou want to get involved with
the camp at a younger age andjust get closer to the Lord
through brothers that guide youto the Lord, like my two best

(46:55):
friends are from Element that Imet seven months ago and we
still talk every day.

Speaker 1 (46:59):
Yeah, there's never another time that you're gonna
be with other what?
20 other boys who are also likein the same mindset as you,
pushing you, spurring you onsame thing with girls like 20
other girls that are doing thesame thing, but yeah, it's like
unheard of it was.
Yeah, it was epic epic, epic,what a good word to use I was
thinking of epic.
Yeah, element is epic.

Speaker 8 (47:20):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (47:21):
It needs to be elementy for epic at the end?

Speaker 8 (47:25):
Yeah, obviously.

Speaker 1 (47:28):
Well, jack is great and he's awesome and epic and
he's super faithful and lovetalking with him.
But I just wanted to kind ofget another perspective.
I remember when I was decidingon like what college to go to or
like what to do after highschool, I was like freaking out
a bit Because I didn't know whatto do and I remember my dad sat

(47:51):
me down.
It was like March and I stillhadn't like chosen where to go
and that's pretty late, and mydad was like JB, I don't like in
the nicest way possible.
I don't like in the nicest waypossible, I don't think the Lord
like cares where you go.
Like if he's not made it clear,if he hasn't like opened doors
and guided you somewhere, likehe, we have free will for a
reason.
And like if you stay faithfuland keep your head on straight,

(48:14):
like the Lord's going to use you, regardless of where you are,
like whether you stay home orwhether you go off to college,
or whether you go to snowbird orwhatever.
So I keep that in mind even now, as I'm like making decisions.
I'm like, yeah, as long as I'mfaithful.

Speaker 8 (48:26):
I think his will is confused sometimes, Like
everyone's.
Like what's his will?
How do we?
How's the answer?
I'm like he gives you passion.
Just go do it, Yep, and Iguarantee you'll figure it out
pretty quick yeah.
I think, we all right anythingelse, jack?

Speaker 1 (48:51):
no, that's all I got.
Okay, sweet well, thanks forcoming on of course, shout out
Ellie Rodenheiser.
I was gonna interview Ellie,but then she left Ellie, ellie
is Jack's older sister, I guess.
I'm a good second.
Yeah, whatever, okay.
Okay, dylan, what summers?
You worked summer 23, right,and that's it.
That's it.
And you just come back all thetime and serve winter swows and
fall retreats right, yes, welove dylan.

(49:11):
Um okay, so tell me whereyou're at at college, what's
your major, what year.

Speaker 6 (49:15):
You are all that good stuff so I'm at unc chapel hill
, our hills yes go hills.
I'm a senior um, so I'llgraduate in May and I'm in the
nursing school.

Speaker 1 (49:27):
Will you talk me through what it looks like to
like daily be in God's word withsuch a stressful school
schedule?

Speaker 6 (49:34):
Yeah, so this has been like a process for me to
figure out what like works best,or a way to be consistent,
because for a while, like it washard and not like intentionally
not reading, but just likethinking I'll do it in the
morning ending up like gettingready took too long and then by
the end of the day it was likelate in time to get to bed.
Yeah, for me it works best tolike plan ahead of time when I'm

(49:58):
gonna read.
So like I have a reminder on myphone that says at nine o'clock
at night, that says like whenBible, and then I like think at
that point for the next day,okay, what am I doing tomorrow?
And then think like, okay, thistime during the day would be
open for me to read, just so,cause the days like are so

(50:18):
different, like and I don't it'shard to think on a weekly basis
what it's going to look like.
So the night before is helpfulfor me to figure out what the
next day when will be best forme.

Speaker 1 (50:27):
Yeah, that's good.
Okay, tell me a little bitabout UNC.
It's a secular school.
Yeah, okay, in general, likewas it hard for you to find
community at first, so will youtalk a little bit about that?
Like how did you find goodcommunity um, things like that?

Speaker 6 (50:43):
yeah, so for me this is something I talk about a lot
when people ask like, what haveyou learned about God in your
time in college and, um, I think, whenever I was coming in I
wasn't.
I was like, okay, if I getinvolved in Christian community,
that's great.
But like I wasn't going to findit myself necessarily and I was
kind of just there my freshmanyear, like for the week, and

(51:03):
then I would go home on theweekend.
So I was like I'll at least beinvolved at church, at home um
but the Lord really pursued mein that way and, um, my roommate
, she like she wasn't random,but she was like I've never met
her before, yeah, um, so shelike knew someone that was a
couple years older than us in acampus ministry and texted her
and was like hey, do you want tocome to this like gathering of

(51:25):
college students?
And, um, it was like a messageand worship.
So we went to that and it wasjust like kind of like crazy
seeing this like giant room oflike 500 believers from like the
triangle, yeah, that are likepraising the lord, because we
both of us like didn't know thatexisted in college and

(51:45):
especially UNC.
We were like, okay, most peoplehere aren't going to be
believers and we're just goingto like do our best to be
involved in the church at likewhere we were from, so I think
that was really cool, likeseeing the Lord pursue me when I
, like wasn't necessarilylooking for him while I was at
school.

Speaker 1 (52:02):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Okay, so you have a church homeat college.
Will you walk me through kindof the process of finding that
church home?
Um, like what you look for in achurch.

Speaker 6 (52:13):
I think I kind of lucked out with my church
because the first one that Iwent to is one that I stuck with
Um.
But I think going there um Ifirst was like looking into like
what they they believe and iflike what they're saying, like
aligned with the word, justbecause that's what you want in
your church.
And also some other things thatI love about it are they have

(52:34):
like two services, so during oneI like attend the service and
then the other one I serve inkids and they have like
different areas where you canserve.
So I think serving has beenreally growing and something
good to do and like a way tobring the church as like a
family and like serving togetheryeah apart from like the people
that I spend time with that arein college for sure um and also

(52:56):
um.
it's been good at my church likethere's a lot of generations
there, so like at my church athome it was like a lot of older
people, so it's kind of hard tohave like a lot of community
when you're younger.
But this church, like being ina college town, I guess, like
it's going to be easy for me atleast but there's also like
older women that I spend timewith and people who are like

(53:20):
people of all ages, basicallythat I can hear from For sure.

Speaker 1 (53:23):
What's one piece of advice that you'd give to
another believer who is juststarting college, or maybe
struggling where they're at incollege or feeling isolated,
anything like that?

Speaker 6 (53:35):
I think the I've kind of talked about this already,
but just like getting involvedin community like as quick as
possible if you're just gettinginto college, like going to UNC,
I really didn't think therewould be any like campus
ministries that like made sense.
But there are, and from likepeople that I've talked to,

(53:56):
their schools also have them.
Like a lot of them are like RUFis common or CRU, or um in
different places, so, likewherever you are, I think in
college you should be able tofind something and um, that's
just been really influential,and then also being involved in,
like your local church has beenreally helpful helpful for me
to to like get out of like justcollege students in your

(54:17):
ministry and also um like spendtime with believers.

Speaker 1 (54:20):
That are have moved on from that part of their life.
Yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah, well, thanks.

Speaker 6 (54:25):
Yeah, thank you, jb.

Speaker 1 (54:27):
I enjoyed talking with you you too, Got anything
else?
I don't think so Okay.

Speaker 7 (54:32):
Hey, my name is Will.
I am 20 years old.
I found out about Snowbirdthrough the podcast.
I heard it in 2021.
I heard it in 2021.
And from that point on, Ilistened to it and was very
encouraged by my mom to apply atSnowbird last year, 2023.
And I did, and then, about amonth or two later, I heard from

(54:54):
Dawson Dickey that I had beenaccepted Nice.
And then from there.
I worked the summer and thenfelt called to do the internship
.
Yeah, and I got accepted atthat and I've been summer and
then felt called to do theinternship, yeah, and I got
accepted to that and I've beenhere since then.

Speaker 1 (55:07):
So before working summer, you had never been on
campus.
Okay, so how did you hear aboutNSR?

Speaker 7 (55:14):
Dad told me, but his brother told him.

Speaker 1 (55:16):
Okay, my Uncle.

Speaker 7 (55:17):
John, and he's been listening to it for a long time,
and then, obviously, it went tomy dad, and then it came to me.

Speaker 1 (55:24):
Yeah, so that's awesome.
What a full circle moment.
And now you're on MSR.
It's awesome, that's so awesome.
So before you worked atSnowbird, were you just at home
doing online school?

Speaker 7 (55:34):
Correct, yes.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
So you have an interesting experience of being
in college but not being oncollege campus, so will you just
tell me a little bit about whatit looks like for you to read
your Bible, be intentional withyour time in the Lord being at
home while doing online classesand stuff like that.

Speaker 7 (55:51):
So for me it was very beneficial to get up early.
I always found it verybeneficial to before you started
any day.
Just getting up early, justgetting in the word, that's how
I always started my day and Ialways encourage others to do
the same, because for me justdoing it at night not very
beneficial, but because you'retired and everything but

(56:13):
starting your day off rightReading the Bible and then going
from there, for sure, for sure.

Speaker 1 (56:19):
What would be one piece of advice that you would
give to maybe another collegestudent who's like in the same,
I guess, position that you usedto be in, like working all
remotely or like doing allonline?
Um, do you have any advice forthem to like stay faithful, keep
their hand on the plow?

Speaker 7 (56:35):
Um, just make sure that you have good
accountability.
Just have good friends that areholding you accountable.
For.
Are you reading your Bible?

Speaker 6 (56:41):
or you make sure that you're you know praying and
you're remaining faithful onthat straight path with the Lord
.

Speaker 7 (56:49):
Also get plugged into a church.
Make sure that you're notstraying away from that, because
I've seen I've had a couple offriends that have strayed away
from that and they kind of wentthe other path and it's kind of
going off the deep end for them.
But it's like make sure youremain faithful, stay on that
path and keep following the Lord.

Speaker 1 (57:04):
Yeah, for sure, for sure.
I feel like that can be trickytoo with all online, because you
can be so like isolated, youknow, since you're not like
actually at a community or in acollege, stuff like that.
All right, sweet, I thinkthat's it.
Do you have anything else?
No, I'm excited for a collegeretreat.

(57:28):
Yeah, excited for this weekend.
I think when they will listento this, it will be we'll.
We would have just had thecollege retreat.
So, yeah, I'm really excitedtoo.
Sweet, thanks for hopping on.

Speaker 7 (57:32):
Thank you, I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (57:33):
This might be hard for us to do.
It's going to be a little bitmore difficult.
I'm here with Laylee, one of mydearest friends.
Sorry if we're goofing off.
You guys have probably heardBrody talk about Laylee.
This is one of Brody's childrenand Laylee is in her first year

(57:56):
of college.
Do you want to tell us whereyou go to college, what your
major is, everything like that Igo to North Georgia University.

Speaker 5 (58:04):
It's in Dahlonega and it's about hour 45 from here,
and I'm technically a junior,just from some credits in high
school that I did, so I'malready in my major classes,
which is psychology, but yeah,so I just finished my first
semester and it was great, yeah.

Speaker 1 (58:22):
I know it's only your first semester, but is there
any ways that you have seen Godgrow you through this first
semester of college?

Speaker 5 (58:31):
Honestly, the Lord has grown me and just like
enjoying my time and still timewith him, like just going about
my day and being content, likejust doing it with the Lord,
honestly, just going about myday and being content like just
didn't know what the Lordhonestly, and I feel like I have
grown just a closer, likewalking with the spirit in a way

(58:51):
, like I think that theimportance of that in my mind
has grown a lot.
Yeah, like, yeah, reallyprioritizing that daily because
it is 100% on me.

Speaker 1 (59:01):
Yeah, at this point, you know well you talk more
about that, Like what does yourday-to-day look like while
making that a priority?
What are some practical thingshow you study scripture and make
sure you have time with the.
Lord, what does that look like?

Speaker 5 (59:16):
I think one of the main things is like after
classes, just I've reallyprioritized like walks in prayer
, like pray praying whilewalking um and obviously, like
I've I'm a morning reader, likeI can't read throughout the day.
I have to do it in the morning,so it's been a little bit
difficult just having a roommate, because she's not an early

(59:40):
bird, I guess, and and ourschedules are completely
different.
So just not honestly findingexcuses, you know.
So, like I'll take my Bible outin the common area or whatever,
being intentional with thepeople, you know you're going to
see, because I get overwhelmedwhen it's like okay, minister,
on your campus, like do campusoutreach, like yes, but I

(01:00:01):
personally get overwhelmed whenI'm like okay, I can't talk to
every single person and passingevery day about the gospel.
Because one I'll probably getdrained because I'm not like the
most outgoing, you know, person, and so I don't know if that's
how I can best serve the Lord.
And so I think for me it's likepeople on my intramurals like

(01:00:23):
that has been a super, supergood opportunity with girls,
because you're just kind ofnaturally building those
relationships.
But I don't know if I reallyanswered that.
Yeah, no, that was good.

Speaker 1 (01:00:35):
I really liked.
First of all, laylee is one ofthe most disciplined people when
it comes to reading her Bible,but it's super encouraging to
hear you like I don't need tomake excuses, like, okay, my
roommate's not an early riser,okay, figure it out, go out to
the hallway.
That's not an excuse to just notget into God's word and
something you said in the summer.
You know, in the summer we'realways drained and exhausted,

(01:00:59):
and I remember you said okay,well, I know I'm going to be
tired anyways, and if I sleep inthese extra 20 minutes, I'm
still going to be tired and I'mnot going to have the word of
God, you know, in my brain, inmy heart.
So I might as well just get up.
I'm going to be tiredregardless.

Speaker 6 (01:01:14):
So like I just need to get up and read the Bible,
yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Okay, so let's talk about your church home.

Speaker 5 (01:01:30):
What did it look like for you to find a church home
in college?
What were you looking?
For in that church home stufflike that.
I just hold red oak.
I think too highly sometimes.

Speaker 6 (01:01:34):
I was like I really have to make sure.

Speaker 5 (01:01:34):
I'm not like you know .
Oh, like making it glamorous,yeah, because it's not, but it
is great, solid, wonderfulchurch and that.
And I've been going my wholelife.
I really struggle with likebeing nitpicky, yeah, when it
comes to churches and how theydo things, and so I've really
had to just check myself aboutthat a lot, and going into this
semester, I was kind of likehaving the mindset of, okay,

(01:01:56):
like realistically, I'm onlygoing to be here for two years
you know, and so it's only hour45 away from school.
So I was like I honestly coulddrive back for Red Oak and it
wouldn't be that draining like Iwould.
I don't really care justbecause I love it so much, but I
remember the first couple weeksof school, talking with um

(01:02:17):
Hannah.
Ray her and Cohen live um inDahlonega and they're awesome
and, um, she was, she was just Iwas kind of like expressing
that to her, but like I wasstill saying like I don't know
if that's okay and I don't thinkit is, yeah, and she just kind
of helped me like put it in mybrain clearly of like okay, well
, if you're doing anythinghalf-heartedly, like the lord is

(01:02:41):
not gonna bless it, and so,like, if you're just kind of
doing 50 at home, 50 here, like50 50, you know, with church and
or anything else, like as longas it's not 100, it's probably
not gonna thrive, you're notgonna flourish, and so, like
that was really what I needed tohear and really push me and

(01:03:02):
encourage me to start likereally investing in the branch
that's the church at school.
Yeah, and like getting pluggedinto a family group or whatever
else that might entail yeah forsure.
Yeah, I hate just like makingthings more simple than they are
, because it is a fight it issuch a fight to be faithful,

(01:03:23):
yeah, but it is really trulylike just do it.
Exactly.
Yeah, you know, and so I alsojust always kind of have had a I
think it's a it's obviouslyhealthy fear of like walking in
the will of the Lord.
But sometimes I think I doidolize, like thinking
everything I do is just the willof the Lord.

(01:03:43):
It's like, okay, lately it'sgoing to happen either way, so
you just want to be used throughit, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
So, yeah, okay, last question I have um, this has
been my favorite question to ask, but what's some encouragement
that you would give to otherbelievers who are like, maybe
just starting off in college ormaybe already in college and
struggling?
Yeah, just what's some goodadvice for them to stay faithful
?

Speaker 5 (01:04:10):
yeah, I think for me, like just perspective is so big
and you know, college ismajority of people like it's
your time, like it could be your, like peak in life, like you're
you know, but it's like I feellike a lot of people, it is
where they become independentand find their people and their

(01:04:32):
community and whatever.
But at the same time I thinkit's like're struggling with
that and like it is hard to befaithful, but like I think
sometimes taking a step back andlike, ok, lord, like this is
four years of my life and itreally isn't that long.
It might seem like a day to day, and so I think with any season

(01:04:54):
of life, like just waking upevery day and setting your eyes
on the Lord is gonna makeeverything else fall into place.
But I think the biggest thingobviously is community and even
if you suck at seeking peopleout, and you're a super big
introvert, like it's okay,because you're gonna have to do

(01:05:14):
it at some point in your life,so you might as well take this
chance as the Lord has presentedyou and you know, seek that out
.
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:05:21):
I think that's the biggest advice, which is pretty
basic just find community, yeahyeah, me and Dylan were kind of
talking before how college is soweird, because it's like, okay,
we're all adults and we allhave free will and yeah, and
like I can stay in my home if Iwant.
Yeah, yeah and I don't have togo to church if I don't want and
I don't have to do this.
But it's also like, it's also soencouraging that it's like you

(01:05:44):
have the freedom and the freewill to start making these like
habits and disciplines and allthese things that will, lord
willing, like, last the rest ofyour life.
Like that like encourages meand like gets me fired up.

Speaker 5 (01:05:58):
That's so true and like I feel like this time is
kind of the building foundationyou know for the rest of your
life and it's probably justgonna get busier and more and
you know, so it's like, like yousaid, like start now, and I
know like I think I graduatedlike two weeks ago from college,
but I haven't lived at collegein yeah like in a while yeah,

(01:06:20):
but it is like community willnever be like that again.

Speaker 1 (01:06:24):
You know what I mean, right?
Even if you're at a reallygreat church or working at
snowbird or like wherever youare, you're never going to be in
an area where there's a millionother people your age and
whether they're believers or not, like community will never be
like that, so I would justencourage everyone to just like
absorb it like, even if it'slike doing intramural sports or

(01:06:46):
like yes, even if it's notspiritual per se but just
getting plugged in and justenjoying that community because
it like you said life just getsbusier.

Speaker 5 (01:06:54):
I agree yeah, you're gonna have a nine-to-five job
yep, and I also think a bigthing for me that I try to be
intentional about which it canbe hard, but like I think a big
word of encouragement, like thatI just don't see like our age
people do that much is just likeseek people out who like work

(01:07:15):
in the cafeteria, like I loveMiss B working that front desk.
She serves every day, she'sliterally the best woman I ever
met not really, but I love mymama but she is like so funny
and like every day that's like alittle fun part of my day that
I look forward to yeah and likeI think, just little things like
that, where you can grow inthose small ways you know.

Speaker 1 (01:07:38):
Yeah, all right, well , got anything else Nope.

Speaker 5 (01:07:43):
All right, that's fun .
Thanks for doing that.
You're welcome, okay, lager.

Speaker 1 (01:07:50):
Lager.
Hey everyone, what's up?
I'm here with Andrew.

Speaker 9 (01:07:57):
Hello.
I'm a media intern at SnowbirdWilderness Outfitters.
I work on photo video editing,I help out JB with the teaching
podcast and, yeah, I do theinstitute vlogs.

Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
It's my main job and also help out with some creative
stuff as well, and then tell usa little bit about where you go
to college and what's thatlooked like the past couple of
years.

Speaker 9 (01:08:21):
Um.
So I took a break this yearfrom college, um, but I did go
to Liberty university for twoyears.

Speaker 1 (01:08:27):
Oh well, you talk about, um, just what it looks
like for you to like daily studythe word when you're at college
.
Um, so what does it look likejust practically for you to get
in scripture and spend time withthe Lord?

Speaker 9 (01:08:38):
Yeah.
So something I was taught, umis that you're going to make
time for the things that youlove, um.
So if you love going to the gym, you love playing video games,
you love playing sports, you'regoing to make time to do those
things because you love doingthem.
Um, so if you love the Lord andyou want to get in his word,
like you, got to make time to dothat.
So I think for me just.
I think for me just like if Ihave like an eight o'clock class
, I just got to wake up earlierand do it and just like, thug it

(01:09:00):
out.

Speaker 8 (01:09:01):
I don't know.

Speaker 9 (01:09:03):
Um but yeah, and then if I don't have like an eight
o'clock class, I can sleep in alittle bit later, but yeah, it's
just that, making time to do.

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
Yeah, I know, for I think it might've been at
Snowbird one year when I was acamper.
Little had like a talk on likegirls night about kind of like
what you were saying, likeyou're gonna do what you love
and like make priorities forwhat you love, and kind of just
putting it in the perspective oflike okay, if you're waking up
in the morning and doing likeyour whole routine and then like
with the minutes that you haveleft, then you're like, oh, let

(01:09:31):
me see if I can like read, readsome scripture.
That's obviously not onesustainable or just like the
best way to go about it.
So she was even like okay, ifyou're putting makeup on or like
mascara on, you're literallyputting that above your time
with the Lord.
And like think about how sillythat sounds, you know.

Speaker 9 (01:09:47):
I can relate to that.

Speaker 1 (01:09:48):
Putting mascara on.

Speaker 9 (01:09:49):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.

Speaker 1 (01:09:51):
Kind of going back tracking to.
You're a pastor's kid, right.

Speaker 9 (01:09:54):
Right.

Speaker 1 (01:09:55):
And you said you went to a Christian school.
So will you kind of talk aboutthat upbringing?
I know for me I was alwayssuper involved in church but I
never really made faith my ownuntil I was, like in college.
And so will you kind of justtalk us through that like always
being at church, going toChristian school, now going to
Christian college?
When do you think you made thatshift of like oh, I understand
this, I'm making this my own,I'm intentionally spending time

(01:10:17):
with the Lord because I'mrealizing how important this is,
if that makes any sense.

Speaker 9 (01:10:21):
Yeah, my parents did a really good job of raising me
as a pastor's kid, because Inever really identified myself
as a pastor's kid so I just wasChris and Jesse's kid, but my
dad happened to be a pastor, soI never felt like they really
held me to a higher standardgrowing up when it came to that
Um, but like when it comes totaking accountability of my

(01:10:41):
faith, I think for me um.
So I think my first year atcamp it really hit me and I was
like, okay, um, I need to beliving my life for the.
Lord Um.
So that's when I really startedtaking accountability of my
faith and, like learning formyself and just like.
Uh like, when it comes todoctrine and theology, like that
kind of stuff didn't reallycome to like college.

(01:11:02):
I was like okay, am I going tobelieve in predestination?
Am I going to be a five pointCalvinist?
That kind of thing.
Um so that was just like.
As I grew and matured andstarted asking those questions,
I was like okay, I got to get inthe word and figure this out
for myself.

Speaker 1 (01:11:14):
Yeah, that's cool.
What is a piece of advice or apiece of encouragement that you
would give to a believer thatmight just be like starting out
in college, or maybe someone who, like, feels isolated?

Speaker 9 (01:11:25):
I mean kind of like what we said, like you have to
seek it out, Um, you're not justgoing to stumble into good
Christian community, Um.
So I think for new collegestudents, like if you haven't
already asked yourself thosehard questions, and like taking
accountability of your faith,like really dive deep into the
word and see what you believeand don't just believe it
because, like your parents,believed it.

Speaker 6 (01:11:45):
Um or like your church says this like make sure
you believe

Speaker 9 (01:11:48):
it because you've read the word and you can
understand that.
But, then also like seek outChristian community, find a good
small church that you can getplugged into Um and then that it
, it, it just all comes afterthat.

Speaker 1 (01:12:00):
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Okay, anything else?
Anything else you want to sayor add?

Speaker 9 (01:12:07):
Come work at Snowbird .

Speaker 1 (01:12:08):
It's awesome, if you haven't tell your friends.
Yeah, I would say also for meand you mentioned it earlier
free plug for Snowbird.
Obviously, we'll we love thisplace because we work here, but
also I would say it had a hugeimpact on my walk with the lord
oh yeah in my college years anddefinitely set me on like a
great trajectory of just likethere's believers that are fun

(01:12:29):
and funny and hilarious andgreat, but are also like
wholeheartedly right pursuingthe lord and like just gave me
such good examples of like whatthat looks like.

Speaker 9 (01:12:37):
Yeah, and it gives you like an example of Christian
community even to like ifyou're in a church, or like if
you're seeking out biblicalrelationships, like this is a
good example of that, and so youcan look for that later on.
You're not going to find theexact same thing, because it's
different from everywhere else.
But now, you know what to lookfor.

Speaker 1 (01:12:52):
Yeah, yeah, for sure.

Speaker 9 (01:12:59):
Um, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:13:00):
Well, I think that's it Sweet.
Thanks for coming on, andrew.
You're welcome.
Thanks for listening to.
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Visit us at SW outfitterscom tosee all of our programming and
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