Final Update
After four hot days of sports ministry
the team had many praises to share about on the day
of celebration. Our clinics were never rained out
even though a tropical storm passed by and the forecast
was 100% chance of rain every day, our tire blow out
was not serious, we were welcomed everywhere we went,
many relationships were built, several adults got
plugged into to a cell group, we saw many, many smiles
and heard lots of laughter. More importantly the Good
News was shared with over 500 people. What
a mighty God we serve.
Please continue to be in prayer with
us for those who heard the Gospel, the Mexico missionaries
and the local cell group. You can also be in prayer
for the Mayan village we worked in as they need someone
who has a calling to begin discipleship in the village.
Thank you for all your prayers during
the trip. You had an impact.
Until all the nets are full,
Kelly for the team
Update 5
Four Cones on the Road from Chanchen
Today we returned to Chanchen to host our last sports
camps. It was a very beautiful sunny day but hot.
On the way we stopped off to view the crocodiles in
the lake in Coba which where sunning beside the precarious
stick dock, as we walked out on the dock I wondered
to myself, how many big Americans can this dock hold.
Just then the one Mexican made a brisk exit which
may have answered my questions.
We started the day off in Chanchen with sports with
the little ones after words Chuck gave his testimony.
In the afternoon we returned to do sports camps, and
this time some of the high school age kids were at
the park. At first they did not want to participate
especially not in basketball but as soon as Kaylee
decided to play we had some volunteers. We found that
we gringos are much more comfortable playing basketball,
which did not last long. Pretty soon the Mayan boys
decided that we should play something more to their
liking. So we moved to the soccer field for a demoralizing
game in which our goalies felt like they where playing
one way dodge ball instead of soccer. After the game
Blake learned that butt slaps are not culturally accepted
as he gave high fives followed by brisk slap on the
rear, which earned him some nervous laughs. We finished
our last day of ministry by finishing the story of
the soccer ball and giving out 11 soccer balls, 4
to kids, 5 to the school, and 2 to some of the teachers.
On our way back we blew the tread off of one of our
tires in the van. Kelly steered us to a safe stop
on the side of the road and the team got to work.
Blake, Chuck, Dusty, and Jerry lined up in the road
to warn traffic to give us safe berth. With their
orange shirts they looked like four orange cones.
By God's grace we have been very blessed this trip,
we have had safe travels thus far, including our mini
adventure with the blown tire. We have also been blessed
with favorable weather this week; the weather man
called for 100% chance of rain, however we did not
get rained out once. Tomorrow is our fun day and then
Saturday we will be returning home.
Tomorrow will be a day of celebration as we praise
the Lord for all His did through this team.
Micah for the team
Update 4
Today was a beautiful day although it was very hot.
We were back in Playa today where we were working
with a neighborhood cell group. The morning session
there were around 50 kids and in the evening there
were around 150 kids there. All three sports were
hopping with kids. The kids were so happy the whole
time that we were there. Even the 5 year olds schooled
us in soccer. All the kids had so much talent in soccer
that we probably didn't even teach them anything.
It is odd that their eye hand coordination is very
bad, but their feet skills are wonderful. The children
were very sad to see us leave. They gave us many hugs
and kisses. One young girl really didn't want Cole
to go. Please continue to pray for the cell group
as they work to build on these new relationships.
We are leaving in the morning to go out to the Mayan
village again. There are around 2,000 people living
in the area and only 2% believed to be Christians.
We are praying for another large turn out.
Austin and Peyton for the team
Update 3
Today was a beautiful day spent in Playa Del Carmen.
We left the motel at 11:00 and were fascinated with
the amazing rainbow that God had literally circled
around the sun. We drove only 30 minutes away to the
park where we set up for the sports clinic. The children
got out of school right as we finished setting up.
Kelly and Pastor Doug met with the Principal of the
school and presented him with five brand new soccer
balls. Then the Principal came and got Austin and
Jordan from our group to go stand in front of the
school and get the kids to follow them to the park.
Although we had set up for all three sports again,
the soccer drew the biggest crowd so we eventually
all joined in. We had about four groups of soccer
games going on. Time flew by as we played continuously.
The kids and all of us were having so much fun. Kelly
gathered all of the kids around and shared the gospel
with them. He used this giant soccer ball with many
different colors. Rojo (red), dorado (gold), oscuro
(black), blanco (white), and verde (green), were all
of the colors and all stood for different parts of
the Gospel story. The kids enjoyed it so much. After
Kelly shared the story we gave away a soccer ball.
We told them we would be back later on today. We returned
to the motel, ate, and rested before returning to
the park and all the many children that had returned
to play with us along with at least three times more.
This time there were 150 children playing soccer games,
basketball games, and volleyball games all over the
park. There were people young and old. Around 50 adults
were sitting around enjoying the event as well. Some
of the little girls ended up not only playing the
games we were teaching but they taught some of us
games too. Jordan couldn't understand what they were
telling her but ended up learning a fun game and having
a great time too. For Scarlet, gathering the children
for the speaking felt like she was, in a sense, gathering
the sheep for her shepherd. We gathered them once
again and Kelly shared the gospel using that ball
that the children couldn't keep their eyes off of.
Nelson, the leader of the local cell group, helped
Kelly tell the story of the soccer ball. We gave away
three more balls and, and with our promises of returning
tomorrow, we said our goodbyes and were off, back
to the motel for an 8:30 supper.
Kaylee, Jordan and Scarlet for the team
Update 2
Getting Muddy with the Maya
Today started with excitement, were finally here
in Paamul a town a little over an hour south of Cancun
Mexico, and today we started our first sports camp.
The plan for the day was to drive for over two hours
to a Mayan village south west of Paamul called Chan-Chen
and to run basketball, Volleyball, and Football (Soccer)
camps with the children, the only problem is it was
raining, and had been raining for quite a few days.
Yesterday Kelly and Jenni spoke to us about the potential
for rain and asked us to pray and to have faith that
God would provide favorable weather for us to share
his message to the people in Chan-Chen.
We arrived at Chan-Chen with it sprinkling, which
actually made for a great cool day though very muddy.
We played with about 72 kids for an hour and then
gathered them together to hear Blake give his testimony
and to explain the gospel, we then asked them to go
home and bring their friends for another session at
two o'clock. We then went to Ashton and Marlina's
house to eat lunch. Ashton and Marlina are two college
age girls who have given up a month of their summer
to live with the Mayan's and teach them English and
to build relationships that could help spread the
gospel to that village. After lunch we went back to
the park in time to catch the high school age kids
just as they where getting out of class. Many of the
older boys where too cool to do drills with the little
kids but when the Gringos (White Guys) challenged
them to a game of soccer they decided that the chance
to humiliate the gringos was just too good to pass
up. Five of our guys tried their best and after an
hour had earned the chance to speak to them about
the real reason we had come all the way to Chan Chen
to play soccer in the rain, Kelly presented the gospel
to them by using the multi-colored soccer ball. (The
soccer ball has many different colored patches that
each stand for a different part of the gospel story.)
After that Cole gave his testimony to the entire group,
we let them know that we would be coming back Thursday
and that they should be thinking about what they had
heard.
We ended the day by driving back to Paamul and resting
up and preparing to do it again tomorrow in Playa
Del Carmen
Micah for the team
Update 1
The team has arrived!!! All flights
went smoothly and no bags were lost. After an hour
drive the team arrived in Paamul, Mexico. The team
settled in, pumped up lot's of balls and then had
a time of orientation. Dinner was a great time of
fellowship then the team was ready to hit the sack.
