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Post written by Lily Brigham. Hi everyone, my name is Lily! I remember praying about my interview for THP and saying, “God if you want me here, then let me get accepted. If you do not, then I’ll know by the end of the week.” Surprise!! I was accepted, and my 3-month summer began.
Throughout the summer, God showed me how to love a diverse group of people. No intern was the same. No person I talked to on the street was the same. They all grew up in different families, with different traditions, different hobbies, different beliefs, different fears, different “normals”, but one thing I learned is that, no matter our differences, everyone struggles. I remember walking down Main Street in Hartford and God gave me this vision of the layers of people. Every person I saw, God broke down into layers of fears, experiences, and their past. That is when God showed me that people will not be honest with me until I am honest with them. I learned that vulnerability is scary, but so key to loving people. This summer, God taught me a lot about love and how to love others the way Jesus did. I was not here to condemn, change, or fix people. I was here to listen, to learn, and to understand. I was here to welcome, to care for, and to love.
This summer was full of growth. It was not easy, but it was so worth it, and it led to a lot of life-changing breakthroughs for me. I could not be more thankful for my sweet team, this crazy summer, and my incredible God.
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Next I will be introducing myself! My name is Christina Perreault, and as this summer’s communications intern, I have the chance to introduce you to all our interns through this blog series! This is my second year interning with The Hartford Project and my seventh year involved with the summer outreach weeks.  Christina advertising a free car wash during her first year of THP // 2012 I just graduated from The Master’s School this year and will be attending the University of Connecticut in the fall. I am excited to see what God has planned for my future.  Christina // 2017
I cannot wait to see what this summer entails! Written by Christina Perreault
My time as a Discipleship and Communication Intern for The Hartford Project was such a fulfilling experience that exceeded my expectations. I learned so much about myself and God through this internship, and I grew such a passion and heart for the city of Hartford! At the beginning, I thought it would be an exciting way to spend my summer, grow in my communication skills, and serve the Lord with others, but I had no idea it would have such an impact on me too. The Lord taught me and grew me in so many ways, and he often did this by using other people in my life during THP- whether that be other interns, leaders, or even people I got to pray for in Hartford. I got a glimpse of God’s heart for people this summer, and through that, I have grown so much.  Interns and Staff enjoying dinner and the Monday Night Jazz Series in Bushnell Park A lot of my responsibilities this summer put me in a place of leadership. As the Discipleship Intern, many of my tasks revolved around the morning and evening sessions. I got the opportunity to reach out to some amazing speakers and worship artists who would share with our students during the two weeks of THP. During the main sessions I had opportunities to give announcements, encourage kids to share testimonies, welcome and introduce our speakers, pray over the participants, and lead the students into times of response. Each morning, I also got to develop and lead devotions for team leaders from our various participating churches. Being put in those places of leadership was an incredible opportunity that stretched me further than I imagined. It was also so exciting to be able to share the goodness of God with others in a space filled with people so eager for His presence. Sterling, who oversees discipleship, gave me generous room to lead and grow. He encouraged me and helped me realize God is all about grace instead of perfection. That was a great example of empowering leadership to me- because he gave me space to grow in a place where he could have run everything himself.  THP Participants Praying Together During a Worship Service I was also greatly influenced by the interns and other people I worked with. Serving behind the scenes is no small task- it’s a lot of work. Especially during the two weeks of THP, there is so much going on- it seriously feels like it’s a whole summer crammed into four days! This builds a lot of unity because everybody really has to work together. I formed relationships with the people around me, and I loved the sense of community and unity that I felt, even with people I only spoke to a few times. That’s one thing I love so much about THP- the unity. This unity is what the kingdom of God is supposed to look like, and it’s beautiful to witness and be a part of.  Three Pastors (Marichal Monts, Andre Riendeau, and Frank Termine) share about Unity in the Church. I was able to talk to some amazing people during THP. Some of those people I connected with at block parties or worksites, and some of them were students and leaders participating in THP. Spending time with all different people- whether that be urban, suburban or just different denominations- opened my eyes to how much diversity is essential to the kingdom of God. I also really loved the city of Hartford and all of the diversity found there. I realized so much about loving others this summer in Hartford, because I got to experience the beauty of everyone being different. We aren’t all meant to be exactly the same, and that gives freedom to be completely real and form relationships with a lot of incredible people. I was continually inspired by the testimonies and stories of those around me, and I began to have a heart for all people- even those I barely knew. What started off as a simple volunteer internship this summer, ended up being so much more than that. I definitely grew in a lot of practical skills- such as learning different softwares, being comfortable speaking in front of many people each day, and doing different administrative tasks. However, one of my main goals during this internship was to not get so caught up in the tasks I had to do that I missed what God was doing and saying, and I think I was able to achieve that goal most days. I left this summer internship very inspired and filled up with encouragement, and ready to continue to pour out His love to those around me. Post written by Jenna Adendorff.
Into The Waters THP June 2017 One church, one body, Diverse yet together in love, Denominational barriers broken, By Father, Son, and Spirit above. testing the waters In the Trinity there is unity, Oneness in purpose and plan, Jesus prayed that we would be one, As He and the Father began. stepping into the waters Many churches from all around, Together in prayer, hearts are knit, Red and yellow, black and white, To Jesus, our hearts we commit. wading in the waters We are one in the bond of love, Can’t tell the difference among all, As the power of God is released, We embrace God’s unity call. ready to jump Together we are growing closer, As one body, hand in hand, Hope for the world from God’s view, For the glory of Jesus we stand. jumping into the waters Together, working for Jesus, Impacting the region for good, Spreading the good news all around, Loving one another as we should. swimming in the waters Completely submerged in the river, His love flooding us deep within, Touching the city of Hartford, Seeing His glory and watching love win. © 2017 ELICIA ROY written for THP - The Hartford Project on 6/27/17 Poem written by Elicia Roy, Week One Leader, Westfield Evangelical Free Church
Today I will be introducing Christina Perreault, who will be interning in Communications this summer at The Hartford Project. Christina will be going into her senior year at The Master’s School, and has been attending The Hartford Project for four years! With that came many impactful experiences and memories:
As Christina begins her internship and spends more time with the Lord, she looks forward to how He will use her to change the hearts of those around her:
This summer, she is excited to meet new people and build strong relationships. The Communications Internship will be perfect for her.
Fun Fact // Christina only sees in 2D! Favorite Verse // Matthew 6:33-34 // “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Post written by Jenna Adendorff.
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