Written by: Cami Rogers
It's hard to articulate the feeling and emotions of having the opportunity to go back to El Salvador. I went to El Salvador in March of 2019 as a student-athlete, which was my first semester at Lipscomb after transferring from Auburn. This was my first international mission trip, and I had no clue what I was getting myself into. When you think about going on a mission trip, you think that you are going to help people who are less fortunate than you. Little did I know I would learn more from little kids about what it means to live the fullness of life. I found myself in tears a lot of the time in awe of the kids and families we met. I experienced more joy in that week than I have ever had. You think you are going to go show people Jesus, which you are, but God had already been working so clearly in El Salvador. If anything, the people we met showed me what it looks to be fully satisfied in the Lord. Time in El Salvador changed my perspective on life, and how we are called to live as Believers. What I thought would be a memorable sophomore year trip turned into a desire for sports ministry and passion for international missions.
Five years later I have the opportunity to lead the women's soccer team back to El Salvador. I am so excited to watch the girls be the hands and feet of Jesus. This will be the team's 9th trip to El Salvador, which makes it even more sweet to continue building relationships with the communities and people we have met over the past eleven years. One of my favorite places we will be going to is a community of kids and families we love. We will spend a few hours playing soccer, mika (tag), laughing, and running around. When you leave this community, you are exhausted, sweaty, covered in dirt, but full of life. In 2019 our partner, Sports Outreach, just started building their facility that we had the opportunity to pray over. With it now being complete, I am excited to see what it looks like and hear the stories of how the Lord has used it to bless so many people.
Another thing that makes this trip so special is having the opportunity to serve with coaches and teammates. You get to watch how the Lord is showing Himself in a different way to every girl, and meeting them where they are at. You get to see teammates share their faith and be vulnerable. The bond you create with the group is truly special, and it makes coming back to Nashville and getting to continue to walk with each girl even more impactful.
It is truly a blessing to have the opportunity to go back to El Salvador to serve with the women's soccer team in El Salvador. My prayer for the group is Psalm 34:8 "taste and see that the Lord is good." As we prepare to go back to El Salvador we would love for you to partner with us through prayer for the group, Sports Outreach, the communities we will be serving in, and every person we have the opportunity to meet!
Please follow along, as the team will post daily updates at www.lipscombsports.com.
For more information about Lipscomb Athletics Spiritual Formation, Athletic Missions, or ways to get involved, please reach out to Chris Klotz at Cpklotz@lipscomb.edu.
