Day 7-8...Recapping the Last of Camp

The past two days have been so busy, it was hard to find time to write. As I sit in the hotel room on the last night of the trip, it is exciting to look back and see where God has been at work.

Thursday was the best day of camp for both the Middletown and Newburgh site. The soccer stations were well-run and the players had developed relationships with the kids. I loved getting to sit back and watch the girls love on the kids in their group. One of the coolest parts of the day was sitting under the tent for lunch and listening to Meredith Ury answer questions for a boy about God, Jesus, Heaven, and Hell.

Today I ate lunch with a couple of the boys whose team I’ve been leading at the camp. It started out with some silly conversations, but then one kid, Ronaldo, started asking me some serious questions about Jesus. To be honest, they were some pretty hard questions to answer. For example, “Who rules the world?” “Why does Satan have power?” “Why will God destroy the earth?” “Who lives in Hell?” and many more. Maybe for you those are easy to answer, but when you’re trying to spark someone’s interest in Jesus and want them to know Him and love Him, I don’t just want to give them Sunday School answers. Mostly I was just excited that Ronald cared, and because he is an incredible player the other kids respect him and wanted to listen in too. We talked about his love for soccer and how he wanted to play on an international team when he turns 13 and then for the MSL, and I asked him if soccer was the most important thing to him. He of course answered “yes”, but then I got to look him straight in the eyes and said “Ronald if you combine your love for soccer with your love for Jesus you will be unstoppable, and He will bless you and honor you for putting Him before fame and soccer” and he listened so intently and looked off in a deep gaze contemplating everything I had just said. We talked a little bit longer, and then he ran off to play. I’m hoping that the Lord will use anything I said to continue to speak into Ronald’s life, because his potential is unmatchable. I love opportunities that come out of unexpected times and unexpected conversations. Thank you Jesus for being so faithful!

Meredith Ury, Senior Captain

Thursday evening we all headed to a Newburgh safe center to hang out for the night. We were in a very rough part of town as two of the top 5 murder streets in the nation were in this area. The evening was spent eating pizza, playing basketball, playing cards, and having intentional conversations.This experience created lots of great opportunities for conversations in the van on the way to get ice cream.

 

Friday was a challenging day of camp due to being tired and the kids had being really comfortable with us, but it was a good last day. Good byes were hard, but we were excited about the opportunity the Lord had given us to serve and speak truth into players lives. We also got the opportunity to be a part of 12th Rock's first Baptism...Ronald, the same kid Meredith was talking to the day before.  To God be the glory! I hope to have pictures and a video on the blog tomorrow.

Closing of camp at Newburgh

 

 Closing out the week with all the local volunteers

There is so much to share about this week! First and foremost – what a blessing it is to be able to travel here to New York to serve as a soccer team. Not many college athletes have the opportunity to experience a mission trip. How awesome it is to worship the Lord together in unity.

A lot of the kids at the soccer clinic have never heard of Jesus Christ. To be able to share Christ’s love with them has been a heart felt experience. At the camp, we have a Bible craft and Bible story mixed in with soccer stations. We also sing and dance to worship songs at the beginning and end of camp.

Overall, the mission trip experience has encouraged me to grow in my relationship with God so I can share my faith with others. I have also grown closer to our team through the Bible studies at night. The freshman are awesome and have come into our family quickly. At the end of each day we gather together and reflect on the day. Then Coach gives us an opportunity to share what God is doing in our lives.We can be vulnerable with each other and support one another through personal struggles. There is never a dull moment with our team. Laughter and joy is so evident among us.

-Breanna Smith, Senior

Day 6... A look at the Middletown Camp

The second day of camp is complete and I could not be more proud of the girls and the impact they are making this week. I asked a few of the players at the Middletown location to share their thoughts on the week. Here are their responses...

            This week has been filled with joy and so much love for the kids that we have been able to interact with. To be able to share Jesus with them has been an incredible experience. In just a short week, they have impacted my life in so many ways from laughter, conversations, to just seeing their faces light up.  It’s definitely the little things in life that make the difference. These kids have so much potential and to be a part of their lives for a short while has been so rewarding. Hopefully Jesus’ light will just continue to shine through them, even after we leave.

T-bo, Junior

This week has truly been an eye opener to how blessed we are for the simple things in life that many people take advantage of.  Being able to just love these kids and share the love of Jesus has been a life changing experience.  These kids have for sure made a lasting impact on my life, from their smiles, to the stories they share, to seeing their eyes light up due to receiving what would seem like such a simple gift.  Just being given the opportunity to be a part of these kids lives for a short week has been so special. 

Brooke Perkins, Freshman

            This week has already been so much fun and it isn’t even over yet.  It is such a great experience being around these beautiful kids every single day.  I am so blessed to have just been able to be apart of this camp and meet all of the awesome volunteers.  These kids have stolen my heart and I have really connected with quite a few of them.  I know when we have to leave my heart will just break knowing I might not see these kids again.  Going on this trip with this wonderful team that I have only gotten to know for a few days is amazing as well.  They encourage me to be a better player and woman for Christ.  I already love these girls so much and I can’t wait for the rest of the time we will spend together.  This week has opened my eyes to how grateful I should be for the life I have and the atmosphere I am surrounded by.  To show these kids how Jesus loves them is just a blessing and I am so grateful to be a part of this experience.

Anjela Alicia, Freshman

Day 5...One Team; Two Communities

What a wonderful day for these girls who served at the One Camp in Middletown, NY.  From soccer playing, to worship music and dancing, to bible study time, and just fun camp games, we had a blast. As we registered kids, they just kept coming.  We finished the day with around 80 children, with the expectation that we may have more tomorrow.  The day really was just filled with excitement and energy about getting to love others.  We are praying that as the week continues and our physical bodies are prone to get tired, that God will completely supply all that we need in order to fully serve Him.   We would so appreciate your prayers in that as well.  

As we loaded the vans for Newburgh, there was a lot of excitement in the air. As we arrived on location, the children started coming. The girls jumped right in and began conversations and games. It didn't take long until there was a large game of duck duck goose going on while last minute registrations took place. Once camp 'officially' started, there was much dancing, singing, soccer playing, arts and crafts, Bible stories, and fun. At the end of the day, close to 65 kids had joined us for camp. 

We finished the day with a great team dinner and Bible study.

What can I say about this trip, well for one it's changed my life in big ways and small ways, from going from big town, Rockford, IL, to a small town or spending all my time with a bunch of girls. It's incredible. Instead of just looking at a mission trip as simply a mission trip, we've become a family, something that we can grow in. The change is hard, but remembering who I've been and what I've gone through has helped.  God has been teaching me a lot about forgiveness, the ability to forgive myself, by showing me things other girls have been learning over the years. This week has been the hardest, from thinking I was leaving everything behind, to instead just starting a new life and looking at things and people differently, Home is where the heart is, and God has definitely shown me in many ways that my heart is here and that's where it needs to be, and most importantly where I'm supposed to be.

Amanda Jacobs, Freshman

Day 4: Prepping for Camp

This morning started with a great time of singing to the Lord and a devotion lead by sophomore Rachel Bertrand. After spending some time allowing the Lord to fill our cup for the day, we split into two groups and headed to Middletown and Newburgh, New York. As of this afternoon there are about 80 campers signed up for one site and 40 at the other.

The afternoon was spent at Greg' house, 12th Rock Co-founder. After catching our breath from the morning and grabbing some snacks, we gathered in the living room and shared one experience that had stuck out thus far into the trip. Each girl was very honest and open and there were even some tears shed. Kayla taught on the word 'Remembering' out of Genesis 6-9. She challenged each player to take time to remember what the Lord had done in each of their lives and within the program. It was truly a special time of coming together and growing deeper as a family.

This evening we played a scrimmage against a local women's recreation team. It was a great opportunity to use our platform of soccer to share the gospel and worship the Lord.

The night was wrapped up with pizza and fellowship. Please be praying for tomorrow as it will be the first day of camp.