Day 4 - Campo Real and Soccer Day!

Well, we have been staying busy since our feet hit Guatemalan soil. So busy, that as leaders we have worried about whether our guys are having the chance to let it soak in and take inventory things God may be showing them or in ways He is challenging them while we are here. Well, God showed up today in a big way!

We started our day by going to Campo Real, a private school that is bilingual and based on building leadership in a quality academic environment. Jaime's children attend Campo and he stuck with us all day taking his own videos of our guys interacting with kids that he knows closely. We were given about an hour and half at Campo to run our own basketball clinics and general P.E. classes. Our guys did a fantastic job of interacting with the kids and teaching them basketball drills and various competitions. The guys paired up into small groups and had 4 groups of kids that they interacted with and taught throughout the morning. Every group had a blast getting to play with the school kids and see them have fun by learning and competing.

Throughout the morning, there were times to share with the kids in various ways. Wic, Sam and Richard all shared with the Campo students about how working hard in school can have lasting effects on your life and that reliance on God is essential in good times and bad. Richard shared during halftime of a quick exhibition game we played against some of the Campo students, near the end of the day. He told his story of the past year and how God really built in him a desire to rely on God in times of need and how God has proven faithful now in times of good and bad.




After leaving Campo, we made a quick lunch stop before heading into the mountains to do some community work with a local church. Our guys spent the afternoon playing soccer, painting a bleacher area and having fun with the local children in the small mountain city. The games were fun and the work had a noticeable impact on the area but the most rewarding time of the day was at the end of the afternoon when we presented the kids with new soccer gear. Will Keeler and William Townsend answered a call from God and met a need by gathering and providing this community new soccer cleats, shin guards, and socks for over 50 children. Seeing the looks on the kids faces was reminiscent of the best of Christmas mornings and can only be described as awe-inspiring in every way. Will and William did an amazing work in this community and allowed us to serve and provide a community in a way unlike anything we have done before here in Guatemala. Though it was a material based service, God really moved in our guys as they saw the wonder and amazement of these little kids as they received these basic soccer elements.




As is the usual on these trips, a powerful moment of ministry is met with a challenging moment on the basketball court. We drove about an hour from the mountain village to play a teen basketball club team. The team was much smaller than our usual starting lineup but they played extremely hard. After they jumped out to a small lead early in the game, our guys settled down and begin to play some of their best basketball. After a 20+ point win was secured by our guys, Ryan was able to share his testimony with the team and encourage them to consider Christ as their personal savior and a relationship with Him.



By this time in the evening, food and sleep were quickly becoming the priority for most of our group. We made our way back to Telma's and were greeted by a hot meal and a time of relaxation and reflection. After a brief team meeting to discuss the day's events and the coming schedule, the guys retreated to their rooms for showers and sleep. Tomorrow will bring a trip to Quetzaltenango, in the mountains and some work with a local church followed by a game against a local high school all-star team. On Friday, we will make our way back down to Lake Atitlan and spend the day working and visiting with the children's home that we visited last year, the Eagle's Nest.

Pray that we keep seeing God daily in our efforts and feel His presence even in the midst of a busy schedule. Also, pray that God will make our guys sensitive to opportunities to share about Him when interacting with locals. The guys who have been sharing their testimonies and stories have done a great job and God has blessed us with so many gifts and mercies throughout our trip. Time is flying by and we are having a great time.

Adios