The final day Recap of the Women's Soccer TAME trip in Costa Rica is provided by Sophomore
Kennedy Voldan.
Our day started at 3:00 AM this morning with only about two hours of sleep and some of us with no sleep. All of us packed our bags and loaded the bus headed for the airport. We arrived around 4:30 at the airport where we waited in a long line to check our bags. After about 45 minutes of bag checking, the whole team rushed over to our gate to be able to catch our flight. Thankfully, we all made it to the gate on time to board and our plane took off a little early. This was such a blessing for us, because for all of our trip we have been facing delays, especially at the airport. We landed around 10:00 AM at the DFW Airport, where many girls were greeted by their families! Some girls decided to go home with their loved ones while others loaded the bus and headed back to Marshall. The girls that were on the bus headed back to ETBU, got a choice of either Freddy's or Panda Express as their first meal back in Texas, and we were all pretty excited!
I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve God's kingdom, and to be able to spread His word. I really enjoyed this whole week with my teammates, but my favorite part was being able to go and work at Teen Challenge. This organization is so impactful and so inspiring. Max, who was in charge of the Teen Challenge camp that was located in Costa Rica, had such an overwhelming amount of love for the Lord. When we were all out in the Jungle with the mud, heat, and bugs, I felt such a great energy from the Lord that drove me to work hard that day. Everyone had very high spirits while we out there, and being able to do hard manual labor that we don't do on a daily basis was very humbling. I am forever changed by this experience, God's love for me and for others is enormous, and I am honored to have been able to serve his Kingdom.
Head Women's Soccer Coach
Kristin Cox added the following reflection from the week long trip.
This week has been a great experience overall. The team grew as a team and as individuals. We worked through the fun times together and the challenging tasks. From the first airplane delay to the bus getting stuck in the mud, to the bus stalling in the middle of the road, it was all a part of the experience. We had an incredible staff at YWAM Puerto Viejo and with the other organizations we partnered with while there. We had a blast playing soccer and running clinics and understanding more what it means to use our sport to glorify Him. Having worship and Bible devotions every morning together was also a highlight of the trip and some girls who are usually slow to lead activities like that, eagerly volunteered as they felt God calling, which was awesome to see. We did a lot of manual labor including painting, yard work, building a room, moving cinderblocks, building a greenhouse, making chocolate, digging and transporting soil, and cutting bamboo. We also walked a lot every day to get to and from most of these tasks.
One highlight of the trip for me was the girls chanting "3:23" during the longest days and hardest tasks. I initiated the "3:23" saying during a conditioning practice this season and I told them it would be our motto for hard tasks. 3:23" comes from Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man". I think it is important to have a continual reminder that EVERYTHING that we do, we do it for the Lord, or the Lord through us, and that is where our strength comes from.
I also enjoyed hearing a group of girls worshiping God every evening we were there, no matter how tired we were they always found time to fellowship with each other and praise God. I am looking forward to seeing how the lessons learned during this trip and the experience gained transforms the lives of our ETBU students-athletes. Thank you to everyone who made this opportunity possible!
