Volleyball Team to Brazil Found Victory in Losses

The men’s volleyball team set out to the Columbus airport without enough visas for everyone to board the plane to Brazil. They weren’t even sure they would be able to travel together as a team, but they went in faith believing that God wanted them to go and that He would work it out for them.

They were able to pick up their visas on the way to the airport, just in time for them to make their flight. “Everything just came together. From getting invited by the Brazilian Volleyball Federation to play, to getting everything set up and financed, to getting the visas, God seemed to line it up perfectly,” said Shari H., team staff member.

They stayed at the Junior National Training Center in Rio de Janeiro, a volleyball player’s paradise, where they played against the nation’s elite players. While there, they had the opportunity to talk about their personal faith and minister to these young players who were thirsty to understand what made the American players so different.

From there they travelled to the Brazilian Athlete Military Base outside of Rio, where they practiced with Olympic-caliber players. They also gave AIA resources to the Brazilian players and prayed with them.

In Sao Paulo the team was hosted by a church and invited to play in recreation centers around the city. When playing these teams they gave them Bibles and The Prize DVD which features two Christian Brazilian soccer players.

The way the AIA team played and interacted with one another also spoke volumes to their opponents. As Shari noted, “The Brazilian coaches even commented on how their players were adapting to the playing style of our team—encouraging and lifting up one another.”

The team faced struggles on the court, where they won very few games. “They faced some humbling losses, but they were able to glorify God through it all,” Shari says. “We had many successes in our interactions with players off the court, which made it all worth it.”

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