Day 7 - Volleyball Clinic in Puerto

Pictured is group 1, group 2, our team, and Coach Osacar

  

Matthew 5:14–16

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Anna said it best during our evening debrief: "We have Jesus. We already have the Light. Now we have to put it on a stand so everyone can see."

In the physical world, we don't hide light—we put it where it can illuminate everything around us. Spiritually, it's no different. In this dark world, we need the light of Christ to see and understand reality. What a privilege it is to carry that light into the world! As Christians, we should live in such a way that others see the light and love of Christ radiating through our words, attitudes, and actions.

Our team has done a wonderful job of shining that light on this trip. They have consistently displayed Christlike attitudes and servant hearts, giving their best in every opportunity for God's glory.

Jocsan shared his testimony during our morning devotions, which you can read HERE. I never get tired of hearing his story. It reminded me that while each of us has a unique testimony, many of our struggles are remarkably similar. The desire for the approval of others, pride, believing we know better than God, or simply being afraid to do what He has called us to do can all distract us from following Him. Yet repentance and faithful obedience always lead to greater joy and fulfillment than pursuing our own plans. I am so thankful Jocsan answered God's call. Watching what God is doing through his life and his family is truly beautiful.

Our schedule changed a little today, allowing for a slower morning, a trip to the local market for souvenir shopping and a chance to experience the culture, followed by lunch. Afterward, we returned to Casa Jubilee to prepare for the volleyball clinic. We needed to inflate ten volleyballs using two hand pumps. Unfortunately, I broke the needle on the very first ball, leaving us with only one pump! Timothy immediately took ownership of the task and made sure every volleyball was ready before we left.

This was the first year we've incorporated volleyball into one of our mission trips. For the past ten years, I've coached girls volleyball at Copley Middle School, and this past year Petar and I started the boys volleyball program at Copley High School. Ironically, that coaching journey actually began on a mission trip to Haiti (you can read about that HERE).

During that trip, I had one opportunity to work with a volleyball team. Afterwards, several of the players asked if I was a coach. I had always wanted to coach, but insecurities and a busy schedule kept me from pursuing it. Their encouragement gave me the confidence to come home and contact Copley's varsity coach, Antoine Pastor, to ask if I could help. He pointed me toward the middle school program, and the rest is history.

Will Bondlow was part of our very first Copley boys volleyball team and actually played a significant role in getting the program started. Along with Luke Labocki, he kept encouraging me to launch a boys team, and their persistence paid off. Will was our starting libero but also played outside hitter, so he demonstrated many of the skills during today's clinic. Hannah Pavkov, who also plays volleyball, was a tremendous help as well.

Coach Oscar has a vision of introducing volleyball to the children of Puerto Escondido, hoping one day it will become a common sport in the schools and local leagues. He works with younger boys and girls for an hour and a half, followed by an older girls group for another hour and a half. Since everyone is just beginning the sport, both groups are learning the same fundamentals. They were great kids, eager to learn and full of energy.

Me with Coach Oscar

 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Coach Oscar had family visiting this week and originally planned to cancel practice. Instead, he graciously turned the entire practice over to us. He stayed through the first session, introduced us to the players, and helped out before leaving after introducing the second group.

I'll admit I was a little nervous beforehand. I've coached hundreds of practices, clinics, and open gyms, but this was a brand-new group, another coach's program, and I wasn't sure what to expect. When I heard Oscar was going to introduce us and then leave, I actually felt relieved. Then he decided to stay for the first session, and suddenly I found myself hoping he approved of everything I had planned.

As usual, those anxious thoughts accomplished absolutely nothing.

 

Having Oscar there actually helped because he and Jocsan were able to use consistent volleyball terminology as we taught different skills. I won't bore you with all the drills, but the players showed a solid foundation from Coach Oscar's instruction and made noticeable improvements in just a short amount of time. Afterwards, Oscar smiled and told me, "This is your home now. You are always welcome back."

I worried for nothing.

The entire team helped with the clinic. Everyone jumped in to toss balls during drills, encourage players, and keep things running smoothly. But even more importantly, every team member helped share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

After the skills session, we gathered everyone together and I introduced Will. I explained that there was a reason we had come beyond simply teaching volleyball, and that Will wanted to share where he had found true hope.

By this point, Will had already built relationships with the players through demonstrations and helping during the drills. He shared about growing up in a divorced home, struggling with anger, and not knowing who to talk to about life's challenges until hearing a speaker at a youth retreat who helped him connect the dots between his struggles and his faith in Jesus. He spoke about the hope he has found in Christ and the joy of continuing to grow in that relationship.

After Will finished, I explained that the rest of our team was going to show them how they, too, could have that same hope.

I asked if they had ever heard of the Bible. Every student nodded. I told them that although the Bible is a large library of books, we were going to tell its entire story using just five colors on the bracelet Will was wearing—and then they would make one for themselves.

One by one, our team shared the Gospel through the colors.

Timothy began with the gold bead, explaining heaven and God's desire to have a relationship with us.

Ellie introduced the dark bead, showing how sin separates us from God.

Collin continued by explaining that our sins cannot be erased through good works. "The wages of sin is death," he shared, "but the gift of God is eternal life."

Anna explained the red bead, pointing to the blood of Christ and how Jesus died on the cross and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins.

Josiah shared the clear bead, reminding everyone that those who place their faith in Jesus are forgiven and washed clean.

Finally, Hannah explained the green bead, representing new life and spiritual growth. She concluded by asking, "Are any of you ready to place your faith in Jesus?"

At that point, Jocsan took over. He followed up on Hannah's invitation, and we watched as several students raised their hands. He led them in prayer, and many prayed along with him.

Afterward, everyone finished making their bracelets, received a booklet explaining the meaning of each color, and took home another bracelet that says, "Jesús te ama" ("Jesus loves you").

We repeated the entire presentation during the second session.

It was especially encouraging to see Coach Oscar listening closely to the Gospel presentation, talking with Will afterward, and asking for a bracelet of his own. Several parents were also present and participated in making bracelets while listening to the Gospel.

Three hours of volleyball coaching was exhausting—especially for Jocsan, who translated while coaching alongside me—but it was one of the most rewarding days of the trip. The greatest joy wasn't seeing better passing or serving. It was knowing that several young people responded to the Gospel and professed faith in Jesus Christ.

Please pray that the seeds of the Gospel planted today will take root and bear lasting fruit.

We stopped for a late dinner on the way home, had a brief debrief of the day, and most of the team headed to bed early after a full and rewarding day.