My name is Lizzy Shirk, participant #104, co #111. I just graduated from Edwardsburg High School, and I will be attending Butler University to major in Psychology in the fall. I have been a part of LOG since the fall of my sophomore year, and it has had a significant impact on my life in so many different ways. Flashback to a couple months before my participant, I found myself in a season of life where I was not very close with God. I was at a place where I truly felt lost in who I was. My self-confidence was at an all time low, and I had convinced myself that I was not enough. I spent a lot of time focusing on all the ways I lacked. I was then invited to a LOG weekend, and I took a leap of faith and said yes. I had no idea what I was walking into. I was surprised to be welcomed by such a loving and accepting community. 1 John 4:7 reads “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” I feel like LOG embodies this agape Love for others. My experience with LOG immensely changed my perspective. It was life-changing for my self-confidence and my faith. I was focusing so much on all of the ways that I didn’t measure up, rather than realizing that God knows everything about me, but he still loves me exactly where I’m at. I saw that I had spent my time defining myself in ways that didn’t really matter. The only way to truly define myself is in Christ. I was able to lean more into that love I experienced from the team and God and less on my insecurities. As I continued to participate in LOG as a team member, spirit leader, and co, I was able to grow my leadership skills in a new way. This community blessed me with so many amazing opportunities, and believed in me and supported me in ways I never thought possible. I was able to find a different relationship with the people at LOG than I had ever experienced before, relationships rooted in God’s love. My favorite part about LOG is the way that so many different people are able to come together and form such close bonds. It amazes me the way people from so many different schools, with various backgrounds and talents and experiences, can grow so close in just one weekend. God’s love has amazing ways of tying people together through Him, and I am forever grateful that God chose to tie me to this community.