Athletes in Action News and Commentary

First Game in Antigua

Monday, June 29th

Tonight was our first game in Antigua. There was quite a crowd in the gym, which was slightly intimidating at first, but they turned out to be great. We won the first two sets and then during our break between games 2 and 3, Tiffany shared her testimony and Kristin shared the gospel with the other team and crowd, they did an amazing job. We then proceeded to game three, which was very close, earlier in the match we made a few series of errors then we made a great comeback and ended up winning the game 27-25. After  the match we ate dinner that the other team provided and mingled in the gym with the players, coaches, and fans. They were very amiable, and I look forward to building relationships with them!
-Taylor

AIA vs. Antigua National Team
25-19 W
25-19 W
27-25 W

Officially in Antigua

On Monday, we had an audience with the Prime Minister the Honorable Spencer Baldwin of Antigua. Since the islands of Antigua and Barbuda utilize British protocol, there were certain standards of dress and etiquette to follow. We arrived at 12:30 for a 1:00 appointment and discovered that three of our team members would not be allowed to enter the building because their shoulders were uncovered. The remainder of the team waited for 2 hours for the Prime Minister to finish a television interview. We had a very pleasant meeting where we shared about AIA and our desire to partner with the government, churches and sports organizations on the islands. He was very supportive and suggested that we also meet with the Minister of Sport and the Director of Sport.

On Tuesday, we met Winston Williams, the Minister of Sport. All shoulders were covered at this meeting. Mr. Williams was very engaging and supportive of our efforts.  He gave each team member an official cricket ball as well as a beautiful hard cover book about Antigua and Barbuda.  At the end of the meeting, he gave us a short cricket lesson and explained that some cricket games can last five days – with no winner!

Terry B., Team Director

First Day of Clinics in Antigua

Monday – June 29, 2009
First Day of Clinic

Smitty here again! I just wanted to share with you all a little bit about our Monday morning here in Antigua which was our first day of camp/clinic. We came to the YMCA in St. John thinking that we would be teaching and coaching volleyball to some secondary (high) school students, but when we got there it was a bit of a surprise! Through some miscommunication (or what I know was in God’s plan) we ended up with 20 or so elementary and high school PE teachers who knew little to nothing about volleyball and wanted to be able to teach it in their classes or coach an organized team in the future. WOW! What an opportunity! I was actually even more excited to direct this whole thing because most of the Caribbean islands are so unfamiliar with volleyball that hardly anyone knows how to play! In a way, you could think of the people in Antigua knowing as much about volleyball as the typical American knows about Cricket (one of their nationally well-known sports). What was even better was knowing that whatever was taught in the clinics during the week from Monday-Thursday 9am-12pm would set the standard for hundreds or thousands of children coming through the island’s school systems. Again, what an opportunity! These teachers & coaches could very well be the people who show young people the game of volleyball and get them excited and passionate about it and may even one day make their national team! How neat is that? The first session had to be cut short from 9-10am because we had to meet with the Prime Minister later in the morning, so we went over passing, setting and serving in a rather short amount of time, but everyone was eager to learn & I can’t wait to see the future impact these coaches have on the game of volleyball in their country! I feel very honored and blessed to be a part of this project.

~Smitty~

Sunday in Antigua

Sunday, June 28th

Much like Sunday in St. Lucia, this Sunday we started the morning off by splinting into groups and goign to four different churches. We then met back up, ate lunch and headed to the beach for some beach volleyball and ministering to the Antigua national teams. Here are the blogs from today.

 

Hello 
    Thank you for taking time to read our blog! Mary has asked that I write about this past Sunday and my experience at the Nazarene church in St. Antigua. I would like to tell you that worshiping in another country with believers of a different culture is awesome! I love the native tongue and the sweet praises that are given up for the Lord!
    Maggie, Gerard, and I were greeted warmly at our hotel as we jumped into a minivan filled with two smiling faces. I always feel a bit anxious when I get into a new minivan on the islands because the driving skills are different each time! To my surprise, the trip to church was not as heart wrenching as the other rides I have experienced thus far! Praise the Lord.
    As we got out of the van we walked up to a nice building filled with open windows that would provide a bit of sweat relief throughout the service! In the front row were children reciting Bible verses to an energetic woman at the pulpit. She was challenging their memory skills and they were doing great! Within about 10 minutes the drill was over and she explained to us that the 9:30 service was about to begin. I needed that explanation because Gerard had failed to tell us that we were early and had come in the middle of Sunday school. HaHa!
    I had such an awesome experience at the church I visited in St. Lucia that I was hoping for an equal experience at this church. The Lord has been teaching me so much on this trip that it would take more than this one blog to explain. One thing I can speak of is that the Lord has been teaching me about sweet surrender. As many of you might know, things do not always go as planned on mission trips. Therefore, you find yourself waiting patiently and praying for direction. You also find yourself leaning on Him for strength and provision daily.
    The service started with beautiful music! I knew a couple of the songs and was able to sing along freely. The songs I did not know were captivating because I simply sat and listened. Next, the woman that had been challenging the children got up to speak. She happened to be the pastor’s wife. The pastor was out of town at a conference and she was filling in for him. She spoke great things about God. She referenced Scripture frequently and challenged the congregation to worship God wholeheartedly. I found myself praising God for his grace and kindness. He is bigger than anything I know and pursues me better than anyone I know. He is truly a perfect father with a perfect plan.

    After the service we stayed for awhile and spoke with the people there. One family in particular touched my heart. They had two children by the names of: Nathan and Nathania. Nathan is 7 years old and Tania is 5. Maggie and I sat and played with them and took pictures with them and enjoyed their fun. It is amazing how a child can help you focus on the small things in life!

Anyways, thank you for reading and allowing me to share a piece of my story with you. This trip has been a blessing in so many ways and it is not over! I hope you have been encouraged and filled with joy while reading our blogs. You mean so much to each of us.
Chasing Him,
Danielle 

 

Hello everyone-
My name is Shari and I am the discipler on our trip. We are having an amazing time and I think everyone would say that God has been blessing us abundantly! We have been sharing our “4 H’s” in our team time (our heroes, highlights, heritage, and hardship) and it has been a wonderful way to hear a little bit from each person’s heart. Our time is flying by but I feel like we are just getting started. Maybe we shouldn’t sleep the rest of the trip so we have more time to talk!
We arrived in Antigua late on Saturday night so we really didn’t have a chance to see this beautiful island until we were on our way to church on Sunday morning. Our church was very welcoming and we enjoyed singing songs from home but with a Caribbean beat! Mary and Tiffany did a great job sharing our purpose on the island and we invited everyone to come watch us play.
I have no doubt that God is using us in ways we can’t even imagine and that makes me all the more grateful for those at home who supported us and are praying faithfully for us. We couldn’t be here without you! Thank you!
Lots and lots of love to my family!! I miss you so much!

 

 

 

HEY!!

Terri, Kyra and I had the privilege to go and be a part Pentacostal Assemblies of God on Sunday Morning at !0:15am. We were blessed to be picked up by members of the church. Walking into the church the congregation was shouting Hallelujah! Amen! Praise you Jesus! There was so much joy and rejoicing Jesus’s name. I felt at home. The congregation welcomed us with arms wide open and were eager to hear about Athletes in Action. We spoke in front of the congregation and spoke about AIA and who we as athletes were and our involvement in AIA. We spoke about our hearts for Antigua and that we are here to serve the country of Antigua through Volleyball. We explained that sports is an International language and as a team we are here in Antigua to use sports to share and spread the Love of Jesus Christ.

 

After the service so many people were interested in partnering with us in our time here on the island. Praise God!

Joyfully,

Sara R.

 

Hello all! Kristin here, and I just wanted to let you in on the experience that I got to share with Taylor and Smitty at Christian Union Church in St. John’s, Antigua.  The church was beautiful from the moment we walked in. They had so much space and the three of us kept saying how great it was that all the members of the church seemed like a big family. Everyone that we talked to made us feel so warm and welcomed. We started with over an hour of praises and worship. It was fantastic to see t

he passion and dedication these people have not only to the Lord but to worshiping Him! The pastor was unable to speak for a long time but the length of his sermon did not mean it lacked punch. He spoke on how we all need to be servants on this earth

and how we need to serve with a willing heart. We were able to experience a baby dedication, announcements of birthdays and anniversaries, and a beautiful and deep prayer asking for God’s intervention in the sickness of one of their young members battling a disease. Taylor and I were able to address the congregation just to tell them a little more about Athletes in Action and what we’re looking to do and accomplish with our time here. We had a great time in that church BUT the greatest part was after the service. Some women were selling what they called ‘ice pops’ for one dollar. HEAVEN IN A BAG!  The three of us each had a coconut-flavored treat that tasted a lot like homemade ice cream. They would just make it in a plastic baggie, freeze it, and then you would bite a hole in the corner of the bag to drink/eat it. Delicious!

I can’t wait to tell all of those I know that are reading this more about the AMAZING trip. Keep praying and commenting  Lots of Love,

In Christ,
Kristin

 

 

After a great lunch at the “Big Banana” we hit the beach!!! SO excited for the sand volleyball and fellowship on the beach, we got right to it. While the Antigua National team was working on a BBQ dinner for later Sara and I hopped out on the court with two male national team players. About 7 games later my partner and I respectfully left the court so I could eat before we had to go. Praise God – playing volleyball on a gorgeous beach until sunset is truly a gift and blessing from the Lord! It was exciting to run the court (Glory to God!), but I could tell that the volleyball was going to have a very different dynamic than that at St. Lucia. The new relationships started forming as we left for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Aside from the general activities of the day, God is doing so much more in and through us.  He truly showed us today that He knows what we need, that he takes care of us, and that Matthew 6 is so very true. Each day we are realizing that God is so sovereign, that the enemy is real, and yet our Father conquers all as we remain in Him. I personally am blown away at how He doesn’t follow any rules =). I came on the trip not expecting to be able to jump, unable to play sand in over two years, and nervous how my broken-down body would handle volleyball; but oh how God our Healer is good!  After playing all day, the only thing I could do was give Him praise, honor, glory, and thanks for surprising me once again. I love that God can do all regardless of our thoughts, beliefs, expectations, or perceptions. Each day I try to surrender my thoughts and misconceptions of my limits to Him. I know I speak for all of us when I say that I desire God to work through me, to surprise me, and to show up big in ways that don’t make sense – because He is so AMAZING, and doesn’t play by any rules.
I pray God be showing up big in your lives and exceeding any expectations every day. Thank you for your continual prayers!

His Servant, Kyra

A Flexible Adventure

With no schools to attend today we woke up early with expectation and excitement to sight see a little in Suffrite (the prettiest part of the Island as we were told). After picking up three players from the National Team to join our adventure, we got to see that the rumors were so true! We passed banana plantations, cocoa plantations/factories, famous distilleries, and absolutely beautiful scenery above all. (Check out the pictures! The Pitons are the two gorgeous mountains in the background)

    The drive ended at a secondary school where all the up-and-coming elite athletes were meeting to train. After seeing some guys jump rope, I got to respond to my divine appointment and teach these boys a trick I had learned way back when. =)  With a great St. Lucian lunch, some volleyball, net ball, basketball, conversations seasoned with salt, tree climbing, Shari’s creative souvenir “shop” with bean pods, and loads of fun waiting to present the AIA principles, we were unable to share. FLEXIBILITY was the name of this trip, and so we hopped in the car and were so blessed to visit both an active volcano with sulfur springs and a waterfall. I am always so amazed by God’s handiwork and care about the intricate details around us. He is so great, and keeps me in awe with His greatness illustrated in nature. Although not what we planned, the afternoon was a blessing; it was a nice way to end the St. Lucian visit.
    Oh but then the fun began! With little to no time we grabbed Burger King (fine St. Lucian cuisine) and headed to the airport. As the Appointed and Resident Luggage Director I was called to action: News to us, you could only have one carry-on/person item and one checked luggage.  Just to fill you in we had about 24 pieces of checked luggage and two carry-on’s each- ya, good times haha.  Fear not though, God is good!  It got worked out and after a short delay we were off to Antigua to see what God was going to do on the next island!....up up and away…we were off!  Not Superman, but Sports Ministry was about to hit Antigua!
Love you all for listening and praying (shout out to the family and the quartet thinking and praying for you- even though my phone call was not answered =) Love you!)      
Kyra