What do you want to do with your life? At Hartland College, young people don’t just learn how to share the gospel with others. They learn to consciously place their own lives under God’s guidance —starting with three simple yet profound questions: Who am I? Who do I want to become? And how do I become that person? By Norbert Restrepo Jr.

Reading time: 4 minutes

One of our Bible teachers, Pastor Armando Lopez, recently shared this experience with me:
“The other day, I ran into a young woman at the gym whom I’ve known for a while. I hadn’t seen her in a while and asked her how she was doing. She told me that although she’s currently working, she’s not sure if she wants to pursue this career long-term.
I told her about a course we offer at Hartland College and asked her three questions from it. Her reaction surprised me: ‘Wow, I’d love to take that course. That’s exactly what I need—this kind of help and guidance. Can I take it?’
She isn’t a student here—she isn’t even an Adventist. And yet these questions triggered in her exactly what they trigger in our students every summer: a chord is struck in her heart—a longing that people have, even if they haven’t yet been able to put it into words.”

That longing was exactly what this summer was all about.

Over the past few weeks, the Hartland College campus has been bustling with activity thanks to the annual Summer Outreach Training School: ten weeks, nearly 160 hours of instruction, and a group of young people fully immersed in the practical work of ministry—not just as a learning experience, but as a direct, personal experience. They delivered sermons, led small-group Bible studies at our youth camp, and learned in a very practical way how to guide people, using the Bible, on their journey toward making a decision for Jesus. They were taught by such well-known figures as Pastor Mark Finley and his wife Teenie, as well as Pastor Scott Griswold and his wife Julie, and others.
The feedback this summer was fantastic. First-year students, who were initially unsure of themselves, were given real opportunities to preach, pray with people, and take on responsibility—guided by pastors and teachers who have been serving in this ministry for decades. They helped the students see people through Jesus’ eyes, recognize divine opportunities, build meaningful relationships, and develop a deep longing to win people for Jesus.

The three questions Pastor Lopez asked the young woman come from the Life Purpose Project:
Who am I?
Who do I wanttobecome?
How do I become that person?

It makes sense to answer these questions in this order. After all, you can’t work toward a future version of yourself that you’ve never honestly imagined. And you can’t plan a path if you haven’t yet chosen a destination.

This summer, a college student answered the question “Who do I want to become?” and pictured her life ten years from now: She and her husband are leading worship on a mission trip. She weaves her own songs and personal testimony into the sermon, while young people listen, visibly moved. In the afternoon, she goes with the youth to a senior care facility to sing for the residents. In the evening, she leads a workshop on songwriting and witnesses the students catching fire for composing their own spiritual music. She wrote that the participants “leave the workshop inspired and enthusiastic. They want to be God’s instruments.”

That is exactly what this program accomplishes. It doesn’t simply encourage the students to dream. Rather, it equips them with the tools to define their dream so concretely that they can actually work toward it.

If you’ve never taken the time to answer these three questions for yourself, I’d like to invite you to do so. Not as a mere exercise, but as something worth taking seriously.

We are grateful to have witnessed how God has shaped our students this summer, and we wantedtogive you a little glimpse into it. Please pray that all our students will recognize God’s guidance for their lives and receive the strength to follow His leading.

In His service
Norbert Restrepo
President
Hartland College