Hello!! This is Mallory (Junior/Women’s Basketball) and Sam (Junior/Men’s Basketball). Today was our first day of sports camp! We were so overjoyed and elated to finally be able to work with the children we have been so eagerly waiting to meet. In the morning, John, one of Poetice’s leaders, shared a message with us that resonated for our group of athletes. He compared the difference in levels of commitment between our sports and our faith. This challenged us to reflect on how often we overcommit to earthly things, and under commit to growing in our faith. By the time we were done with our devotions, the children were already starting to arrive.
As the children trickled in, we had some free time to play with the kids, joining in on games of dodgeball, volleyball and soccer. Once all the children had arrived, we took them to the worship room where we introduced our plans and our goals for the week. Following some introductions, Emma Schaefer bravely shared her story with everyone at camp. Her story was very relatable and empowering and started the camp off on a good note. After her speech, our leaders Coach V and Coach Kopas shared with the group from 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27. This passage discussed the body of Christ, and that like the different parts of the human body, we all make up the kingdom of God despite our differences. It’s a great passage for teams, especially as this year the camp has 4 different local soccer teams participating, and the teams are competitors in the same league
After the sermon, the children were split up into four different groups, and each group rotated through different stations such as core and stretching, strength and conditioning, speed and agility and education (today’s topic was nutrition). It was awesome to both teach them and work alongside them, while seeing their smiles. It was obvious that they were learning and trying new things, and they did it with enthusiasm and open minds. Following the stations, all the campers and students broke for lunch.
In the afternoon, the children were split into four groups again, and they engaged in basketball, kickball, ultimate frisbee and volleyball. This portion of the day seemed to be the favorite among the kids, and us students. Learning new sports and playing them helped create a connection between the campers and us. Despite the language barrier and some of the sports being new and different to the kids, the day was filled with so much fun and God’s presence was evident.
After our time playing sports, we met back in the worship room to close the day, and ½ of our group did Sawyer water filters while the other ½ continued playing with the kids a while after the camp. Poetice staff explained to us how these filters from previous SEED trips are already making a difference in the surrounding communities and what an unbelievable gift these are to these families. It was remarkable to be able to provide more help. The kids were amazed during the demonstration to see the water come through the filter completely clean, and it was a chance to share the gospel message of Jesus with them. We guided the children in making their own bucket water filters, which they were able to take home to their families.
When all the kids left for home, we had some free time to spend as a team, followed by dinner and some time of worship. Singing some familiar songs and some new songs alongside each other and the Poetice staff was moving and there could not have been a better end to our day. We wrapped this awesome day up with debrief and a time to connect about what God is doing in us this week. We are excited to get back at it tomorrow!
Mallory & Sam
A: It got mugged.
Q: Why don’t crabs give to charity?