Monday, August 5, 2013
AU Vball Mission Trip to Puerto Rico Final Reflections from the Girls Volume 1
Final Reflections – 2013 AU Volleyball PR Mission Trip
-It was an absolute joy to be able to spend the week
building relationships with the kids at camp and getting to share with them
about what God has done in our lives. We have been able to grow so much as a
team during this trip and I have loved getting to know all these amazing girls
better! And yay Spanish music an Puerto Rican food and YUMMY IGUANAS!
-Catherine
-God’s presence has been evidently seen and felt the entire
time we’ve been here. The fact that we were able to help all five days and
build those relationships with the girls (and a few boys) was crucial, and I
believe was the reason why God was able to use us as he has. I thank God for
all of these girls and the wonderful experience this was for me.
-Allison
- This trip has been nothing but a blessing. Not only did we
get to build our relationship amongst ourselves, but work together to serve for
God’s glory. Seeing each camper improve daily at the camps was such an awesome
experience, especially the much younger players. I loved every part of this
trip, even though sleep was at the bottom of the list. I can’t wait to see what
else God has in store for us as a team and how else we will represent Christ.
-Cat
-What an unforgettable and eye opening experience for my
first mission trip! Leading up to the trip I prayed that I would keep my heart
and mind open to God’s presence and I truly felt that as I developed
relationships with girls at the clinics and on this team. Each day was a new mini mission, but
had so much in store for us. I
feel so blessed to be able to have had the opportunity to share God with people
of PR and to grow as a member of this Asbury Volleyball family.
-Lauren Colston
-I feel so incredibly blessed to have spent my first mission’s
trip in Puerto Rico with this amazing volleyball team. Learning about the
difference between being a “fan” or a “follower” and hearing the stories of my
teammates and their journeys has inspired me and taught me a lot about what it
means to truly follow Christ with all of your heart. It was a blessing to share
not only our love of volleyball with the girls in the clinics but share our
faith and extend love and hope. They have impacted me in a way that I know I’ll
never forget.
-Shelby
-I am honored to be on this mission trip with my new
volleyball family. I have been
blessed in many different ways, but I have truly been blessed by the way that
the Mayes family has served us selflessly for this week. They have inspired me
to pursue being a true follower of Jesus and not to be ok with being a “luke
warm” fan of Jesus. I treasure all
of the friendships that I have formed this week with all the little children in
the clinics. I am so thankful for
this week and all that I have learned.
-Lexi
-Being on this missions trip has been incredibly eye opening
and has made me realize how blessed I am. I am so thankful to have girls on my
team who are on fire for the Lord and cannot wait to develop stronger
relationships with these young ladies over the rest of the season. Having the
opportunity to help out with the volleyball camps has been so much fun and it
was amazing to see how all of the girls looked up to us. One of the things that
I have learned on this 10 day trip is the difference between a fan, and someone
who is a true follower of Jesus Christ. It really made me think about what type
of relationship I have with the Lord.
-Kelsey
This mission trip helped me open my eyes to Christ’s call to
be a follower, not just an enthusiastic admirer. Even before the plane left,
while reading the book Not a Fan, I
realized that I need to change. On this trip, I have come to a better
understanding of who God wants me to be – through the devotionals, the stories,
the selfless leaders who serve, and the amazing people we had the opportunity
to reach out to in the simplest of ways.
This trip has brought me closer to my awesome God and amazing team. I am
thankful.
-Rachel
I wasn’t prepared at all for what I learned on this trip or
the experiences that I had. I was touched not only by God and my teammates but
also the little girls we taught. I have come to understand more and more that
growing up in a Christian home doesn’t mean life will be easy. I still have to
struggle with God to understand my faith and my purpose in this life. The last
night Chad, our missionary, put it perfectly… any of us will stand in the gap
for our teammates and I think that is the purpose God calls us to, to stand in
the gap and pull people to Christ.
-Jessie
This being my first mission trip I wasn’t completely sure
what to expect. I boarded a plane with a bunch of strangers but now I am coming
home with a bunch of new sisters! My health during this trip hindered my
ability to serve but it could not hinder my ability to absorb all of the
newfound inspiration to my forever growing faith in the Lord Jesus. The people of Puerto Rico are truly
blessed to have the Mayes family living among them. Their fire for the Lord is
unmistakable and their example for their children is undeniable. We were truly
blessed to have the opportunity to work alongside them.
-Brooke
This has been one of the favorite mission trips that I have
ever been on! The people we met here were soooo excited and thankful that we
were here! Volleyball is such a big sport here in Puerto Rico, so we were able
to relate to the girls and their parents in a way that was easy and natural for
us. It was awesome to see what an example we can set for the girls as the
potential future that many of them want and need. Many of them looked up to us,
and it was such a special feeling! I would love to come back in two years (even
though I won’t be on the team technically! L)
-Kelly
Going on the Puerto Rico Mission Trip has been a great
experience. I really enjoyed
getting to know my teammates better and being able to use volleyball to reach the
girls of Moca and Augadillia has been an amazing opportunity. I was really
shocked to see the appreciation of the people of Puerto Rico and I’m so glad to
have been apart of the trip.
-Hillarie
Puerto Rico was my first mission trip, and after this
experience it will not be my last. I was very nervous before the trip, but now
that it’s over I realize that I had nothing to be scared of. I defiantly saw
God this trip through the kids and nightly group meetings and I am so thankful
for it because I can honestly say that my relationship has grew with Christ.
-Halee
Being able to come on this trip was truly a blessing. I am
so unbelievably thankful I was able to come with my team. I can honestly say I
have the best teammates. Being able to spend the past 10 days with these girls
hearing each others stories and sharing our love for God has been
indescribable. Working these clinics with the girls here has been amazing, they
were all so thankful for us simply teaching them how to play volleyball. I hope
I will be able to return and do more work here.
-Lauren Weyl
This is my first mission trip, and I’m happy to say that it
was such a huge success! I’m glad I got to spend the past 10 days with an
awesome group of girls. I’ve definitely learned a lot about not only the girls,
but about myself as well. After working the volleyball clinics, and learning
about the cities in Puerto Rico, I’ve come to realize how truly blessed I am to
have the life that I do. I am so grateful that I got to come on this mission
trip and create so many memories with some great people.
-Amanda Olivier
Coming on this trip was the most amazing experience. Being
my first mission trip, I really didn’t know what to expect. The people and
relationships I have met and made have and will continue to impact my life.
Seeing how people contently live there lives everyday with a substantially less
amount of amenities than us took me back. But the most rewarding moment was on
the first day of the second clinic. Towards the end of the session, Natalia and
I were talking and I asked if we could take a picture after. She grew a huge
grin saying she’d love too. Her excitement blew me away, making me realize how
much we take for granted. Needless to say this trip has sparked a lot of
reflection for me. Along with all of this I have come so much closer to all of
my lovely teammates. Within each day God jam-packed it with numerous examples
to show me just how blessed I am.
-Morgan Blake Newton
Saturday, August 3, 2013
AU Vball Mission Trip - Additional pics from the past week
Hillarie gets painted
Allison, Halee and Cat work with the little ones
Kellianne shares while Catherine interprets
Courtney shares on the last day of the clinic
Silver Girls U12 team we watched play. They were all at our clinic all week.
AU Volleyball Puerto Rico Mission Trip Day 8
Day 8
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take
up his cross daily and follow me.”
Luke 9:23
This verse has been a central part of our book study of Not
a Fan and has been a recurring theme of our activities here in Puerto Rico
serving the kids of Moca, Aquadilla and Mayaquez. Friday was another fulfilling
day as we finished up our week long volleyball clinic in Moca with a round
robin tournament. This time 62 kids showed up as well as 30 parents watching!
This was a challenge to run warm up drills and play a tournament with that many
players on two courts. However, all of it was worth it as we saw the faces of
the kids as they sat in the stands and listened to Courtney share her
testimony. We have had a chance to present the Gospel all five days we have
worked in Moca. We hope that the seeds have been planted in their lives. We
finished the session by presenting the girls with AU tshirts, wristbands and an
AU Vball postcard that our girls signed and added their favorite verse. The
first thing out of the little girls’ mouths as we were leaving was ‘are you
coming back next year?’ The beauty of facebook is that we can stay in the lives
of these kids……thank you Mark Zuckerberg!
Amazingly, the mayor of Moca even came over to the gym to
thank the girls for coming and giving to their community. We thank God that
doors have been opened for Chad and his gang here on this side of the island to
build relationships.
We couldn’t linger long in the gym after the clinic because
we were immediately off to the Cradle of Peace Orphanage nearby. This Christian
orphanage is run by a Spanish missionary, Magdelena, who works with local
agencies to provide a safe haven for kids from the streets who have been
abandoned. There are babies up to 8 year olds who are either in the process of
adoption or being provided for until their family situation becomes healthier.
It was an inspiring place to be and the girls loved playing with and loving on
the kids. The girls were also able to lay hands on Magdelena and pray for her
ministry and the futures of the children.
Our final stop of the day was to attend the youth meeting at
the church we attended last Sunday in Mayaquez. Amazingly, most of the message
dovetailed nicely with the themes laid out Not a Fan. Continue to pray
for us as we share each evening our stories around the circle. The bond in
Christ continues to grow…………an exciting season is ahead!
Coach Rader
Friday, August 2, 2013
Day 6/7 AU Vball Mission Trip post
Day 6/7
What a stretch of 24 hours we have
had! Last night, after attending a U12 volleyball match in Boca involving a
large group of our campers we came back for our second round of sharing our
life stories. It was another emotional night as the players opened up to each
other. It was beautiful to see how the girls rallied around each other as their
stories poured out. The closeness that this team has established already is
incredible to see. The freshmen are already a part of the inner circle and are
surrounded by 24 sisters as they face their first days of college.
Today we started with another
volleyball clinic in Boca and welcomed in 54 campers. The courts are becoming
smaller and smaller each day we run the clinic! The girls have all stepped up
to the plate and done strong work organizing and working with the kids. Kelly,
Mackenzie, Cari, Jessie and Allison have done a great job leading the 5 stations we have established each day.
Kellianne shared today using the verse Joshua 1:9 to frame her message to the
kids. The afternoon was our first chance to do manual labor to help the
missionaries here in PR. The group was split in two with one group painting a
classroom and cleaning up the grounds at a local Christian alternative school.
The second group helped paint a part of a
missionary home and move some concrete and tiles. Needless to say we
were a tired group as we returned to the gym for the evening match (tough match
that we won) at 7 pm against a team that included several of the outstanding
older players that had attended one day of camp. These repeat encounters with
these players are starting to bear fruit as the girls are connecting the kids
in a deeper way. God is good and we know that each seed planted will bear
fruit. Tomorrow is another big day as we finish the clinic with a mini
tournament followed by a trip to the local orphanage to visit the kids. The
girls are excited. We covet your prayers as we look forward to our final days
in PR.
Coach Rader
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
AU Vball in Puerto Rico Day 4/5
Day 4/5
Hey Folks,
The last day and a half have been full and exciting. Each
day has started with a 7:30 breakfast and seen us on the go until we come in at
between 9 and 10 pm. Monday and Tuesday we gave a clinic to kids from the Moca
area from 9-12 noon. The first day there were around 13 kids, the second and
third day 50+, ! The girls have shown great leadership and adaptability in
helping to run the clinic, give their testimonies, chat with the girls and
interact with the players. Many of the players in the clinics and others that
we are playing in matches have excellent English skills so it has been great to
be able to relate directly to them. They are hungry for direction and great
role models and our girls have been able to give them some of both. Each day we
also have had a second clinic in the late afternoon with girls from a
volleyball club in the city of Mayaquez. The skill level has been very high but
the opportunity to share a passion for volleyball and Christ has been
rewarding. The last few days Courtney, Sarah and I have had a chance to share
what God has been doing in our lives. The outpouring of love in both directions
after these talks has been exciting to see. Yesterday I shared Phillipians 4:13
with them in my talk and was able to hand out wrist bands that had AU
Volleyball and that verse printed on them. An additional opportunity came our
way when a local news crew came by the gym to video the girls helping the girls
and to interview Catherine and me about what we were doing in Puerto Rico. It
was a great opportunity to again share the Gospel with a wider audience, an
unexpected gift. Finally, we were able to share a pizza dinner with our
opponents last night on the gym floor and get a chance to talk with them.
Relationships were being built with every moment we spent together. On another
note we have played some tough opponents since we have been here, with some
success (2-1 so far) and have enjoyed integrating the freshmen in to the
lineup.
More to come soon.
Coach Rader
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