I don’t think there was one dry eye in the Children’s church. Again, our morning started with a 6:00 am breakfast but by 8:30, our team forgot about their previous long day and jumped right into loving the children. The sweet kids at the church have parents involved in prostitution and drug trafficking. Their future would be a bleak repetition of poverty and tears if it weren´t for the prayers and love from Sharon, Pastor Douglas, Betty Wiseman and many other contributors. Instead, these kids have hope. They are learning everyday about our God who loves them and has a plan for them. They are being loved and hugged and encouraged to make better decisions than their parents.
Junior Madison Blevins – (fighting back tears) – “I cant even begin to describe this day already. I wrote in my journal `It´s 9:55 and I already feel like its the best day of my life.’ We entered into a village that was one of the poorest places I`ve ever been and I´ve never felt God like I did this morning. The little kids were greeting us outside, waving and wanting us there to love on them. As we walked away, I´ll never forget. We all embraced each other and were all crying. That`s a bond that will never be broken.”
Junior Kia Perry – “I think what really broke my heart was when we were leaving and they were all chasing after us and didn’t want us to leave. It was difficult to communicate with them and they didn´t even know our names. They just wanted us to love on them. You can tell they are hoping for something more.”
Senior Natalie Cohlmeyer – “This morning was such a moving experience. All of the children hugging us and just wanting to touch us. It brought tears to everyone’s eyes because they didn’t want to let go of us. It’s a life-changing experience and we will forever hold those children in our hearts.”
Betty Wiseman – “Today, God performed a miracle in my life. Fifteen years ago or so, I was here in Brazil with a basketball team and this beautiful woman in flip flops and shorts, Maria, had a baby nursing. I asked to hold the baby so she could hear when the students were sharing testimonies. I must have walked around with the baby for 3 hours. I took Maria to the side. We just had a connection. It was a divine appointment for me. Through a translator, Maria prayed to receive Christ with me and she was so happy. We became sisters that night.
“When I left, I was so afraid I would never see her again and I just loved her and we hugged. Several years later, I came back with another team. I had Maria on my mind and had a picture of her. I asked Sharon and Pastor Douglas if we could find Maria. It was like finding a needle in a haystack – in this hill, on a favella. Finally, I heard a little girl saying “Betchi, Betchi” and out walked Maria with a baby in her arms. I had prayed for that reunion! God gave me a gift that day and I thought, “I will never see her again.” So I did not recognize the fact I was in the same favella today. They all look the same, and we were getting ready to leave. Sharon says, “There’s a surprise outside.” There stood Maria, with a baby in her arms and the little boy who had grown up! I had no clue this was going to happen today. In my heart, I wanted to see Maria again but I thought it would be in heaven. That reunion is God’s gift to me today.”
After saying our goodbyes to the children, we headed to another school and spent time playing basketball, singing and dancing with the students. We ate lunch with them and then headed to the gym where we competed against a community club team of Brazil called Municipal. After two full days of speaking in schools and spreading our love, we were ready to get on the court and play some ball. The competition was held in a gymnasium that is being prepared for use in the 2016 Olympics hosted by Rio. This was also a great experience for our team to complete under some of the new NCAA rules that are compatible with the international rules of play. “It was a great game and both teams competed very hard. Playing time was spread evenly throughout our team so everyone got some good experience. This was a great opportunity for our young kids to get a taste of competition and playing with their new teammates,” said assistant coach Lindy La Rocque.
A highlight of the game was the halftime gospel message proclaimed by Betty Wiseman. The teams came together with all of the fans to sit together and hear God’s word. The Holy Spirit was definitely present and working through all of us.
Sally McCabe – “Today’s game was really fun but really hard with the referees because of the language barrier. Sometimes its just nice to ask a question like “when do we go on a free throw,” but you couldn’t ask that because they didn’t understand you. We just had to go with it! It was cool to play with people who have no idea what you’re saying but they know what you’re doing. I think it cool that basketball can bring two completely different cultures together.”
Paris Lawson – “The first game was really fun. The really funny part was hearing them talk on defense but we didn’t know what they were saying. It was fun because they never got angry and kept it friendly. They were really happy to talk to us after the game and I thought that was really cool.”
Sierra Jones – “It was challenging because the rims and nets are different. The floor was dusty so it was slippery and the ball isn’t like the one we are used to but I think it was cool how no one complained and we all had fun. The best part of today’s game was during halftime. Betty shared her testimony and allowed a crowd of people who wanted Jesus to be in their heart to accept Christ.”
Coach Cameron Newbauer – “I am very proud of our team`s effort and our first game here in Rio. It was a very emotional and powerful day for us off the court and to come together and play a great game as a collective group was exciting to watch. Everybody got to play a good amount and we had a number of players step up and do well. I am excited about our next opportunity here in Rio and the growth that our players have shown on and off the court.”
