To help you get a better picture of the Colorado LT experience, we asked several past LT participants to share their experiences. Erica Alexander, a junior at Mizzou majoring in human development and family studies, attended LT each of the past two summers.

Why did you decide to go to LT?
My biggest reason for going is because I want to grow spiritually, and I knew LT would the best place for this to happen.

What did God do in your life these past two summers at LT?
Through the past two summers, God has shown me more of who He wants me to be and how faithful He is. He has also shown me what it is like to trust Him more fully in every aspect of my life.

What was your biggest highlight from LT 2006 or 2007?
My biggest highlight was from LT 2007 and how close I was to God. I was closer to Him than I ever was before, and I felt I truly had the joy of the Lord despite how busy and stretched I was. I think this happened because I was able to have some awesome times alone with Him in the mountains.

How would you describe the LT experience?
What you put into it is what you get out of it. God definitely challenged me through the talks, project group and working at the YMCA, but what I did with the challenge was still up to me. I did not want to waste my time, so I had to put effort into seeking Him and listening to what He was speaking to me about. Also, the LT experience includes friends that will last a lifetime. I have a ton of friends from LT who I still talk with today!

Describe a project group.
A project group is about 10-15 college students who have the same day off work and do activities together like service projects for the Y, evangelism, water parks, solitude time with God and rafting down rivers. It’s led by other LT members. It’s a great way to get to know LT people in a smaller setting.

You’ve spent the past two summers working in food service. What was that experience like?
Working in food service is a lot of fun, especially in the staff-dining hall, where I worked. The people I worked with are what really made it fun, and I got to work with people from all around the world. I still have friends who I talk to from my time in food service and who I have even been able to visit in India.

What’s a funny story from your time in food service?
In food service, I had some Indian friends who I would do pranks on and mess with while they were cleaning dishes. One day two of them decided to pick me up by my hands and by my feet and try to put me through the dish washing machine. They did manage to put me on top of the machine, but they were nice enough not to put me through. I don’t know if I would have survived.

What was your favorite thing about the living arrangements?
My favorite thing about the living arrangements was that we were mixed with people our age from different schools, and since it was dorm style, there were always people around. What’s cool is you get a glimpse of what life is like for someone in another part of America or another part of the world. I began to understand the diversity in life.

If someone was unsure about attending LT, how would you encourage them?
I would ask them what they want their summer to be about? Do they want to just sit at home and work, or do they want God to really mess with them and get them out of their comfort zone? I’m not saying these things can’t happen at home, but for me, home is all about comfort and this sometimes hinders my desires to grow and, therefore, the ability to do so.

What kind of chances did you take to go explore/play in the scenery?
I only went on a couple of hikes because I don’t really enjoy hiking, but I did go on some walks with God and spent a lot of time with Him in large open spaces under trees. Those were my favorite times.

Get more info at the LT page.