The End

We are home.  After some goodbyes and hugs outside the Messiah locker rooms we've all gone our separate ways, back to our homes and our families.  And although we will all miss the scenic views, the Postobon and Colombiana, the plants that move when you touch them, digging ditches and weeding, the Spanish language, OB, the bus rides alongside hundreds of motorcycles, the CDUC brownies, morning worship and devos, and rice with ever meal (actually most guys probably won't miss the rice), I think what we'll miss most of all are the coaches and players we met and being a part of the CDUC's remarkable ministry. Marcos, Checho, Waymar, Alex, Todo, Christian, Brian, Samuel, Alvero, Hugo, Daniel, Torro, the list goes on... the friends and brothers in Christ we found in Medellin will not soon be forgotten. They're impact in Colombia will continue to grow and lives will continue to be transformed. We are extremely thankful for the opportunity to participate in God's work through the CDUC and they will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers as we strive to advance God's kingdom here on earth.

As it says on the backs of the CDUC jerseys, "Jesús es Señor" or Jesus is Lord
Dios te Bendiga,
Messiah Men's Soccer 2011

Hope you check in one more time to read a great story about an experience Jordan Sands had on the trip.

Well, we've landed in the USA. What an unbelievable trip. I think I speak for all the guys when I say this has been an amazing blessing and a wonderful experience. I encourage all of you, friends and family, to ask us about the trip and have us share stories. We'll be happy to share with you! Again, thanks for the support and the prayers.

Our Last Day

We started the day with one of CDUC's finest, Waymar. He took us into town to see the fat people statues and then to a place where there were some awesome waterfalls. 

We played in the tournament final against the team we lost to last week.  Unfortunately the result was somewhat similar to the previous game and we lost.  But it's alright because the goal of our trip was not to win,the tournament (although we did play well and we fought hard) but to love and to serve the people of Medellin and the CDUC.  Our team has been extremely blessed throughout this trip and I fully believe we made an impact.... but I also know that the people here have made a huge impact on our lives too, and for that we are all very thankful. 

Jesús es Señor,  

Sam

p.s. Marcos just showed us the newspaper from a couple of days ago.... and we made it in! Marcos, Coach, Jodi, Morgan (Coach and Jodi's daughter), Suessy, and Chuck have pictures in the paper along with a team shot of us with the team that beat us twice. It was cool to see the CDUC being recognized for the great things it's been doing this past week.

Thursday

Yesterday we got assigned a few new jobs around the CDUC. Some guys filled in around the water tank that we finished setting in the ground, others raked up grass clippings while Kyle Fulks used his John Deere skills to mow the field, and the rest of the guys swept the stadium seats. We played our semi-final game against the u21 CDUC team and won 2-1. We play in the final today at 3pm against the team we lost to last week. Today is our last day and i'm getting he feeling it's going to be tough for a lot of the guys to leave this awesome place when it feels like we just got here. thanks for checking in on the blog... Maybe one or two more posts before we are back in the states.

Tuesday the 24th

This morning we went to a maximum security prison.  It is pretty new and most of the men there were participants in organized crime.  We split into five groups and went to different parts of the compound... they have caged-in futsal courts inside and the guys watching just lined the sidelines... it was pretty awesome and slightly intimidating (like out of a movie or something). No flip-video cameras were allowed in there but here are some videos of the rest of the day.

 

On our way back from the prison, we were able to stop and check out the brownie factory that is used to help fund the CDUC ministry.

Later that day we were able to train with the CDUC teams. The first session was with the u15 guys and the second session was with the u21 guys. We showed them some of our drills and they showed us some of theirs. We were able to have devos with them before the training sessions and it was a good time interacting with one another using our common languages, God and soccer.

At the end of the day we had a wide variety of experiences and God showed us some more things to keep in our prayers for Medellin. Thanks to all of you who are checking in on us through the blog and praying for us. 

Love,
Dan and Sam

Monday the 23rd

This morning we joined the CDUC coaches for their Monday devos again. This time it was a lot more open and personal because of the time we spent with each other last week (we've made some great friends!). We had our last group game today and won 5-1... Against a talented opponent. Today was probably the hottest day of the trip. A bunch of guys got burnt and we've been working on rehydrating this evening. Earlier in the day some of the boys also helped with the work projects around the CDUC. Just glad that Marcos is utilizing the manpower while it's available.

Dios te Bendiga
Sam and Logan

Some Pictures

Thought you may like to see some pictures of us with the kids. It's been amazing how much joy we have experienced on the soccer fields here.

A taste of our Ministry

Here is a short clip of the way we've been able to share our testimonies here.  I'd say just about every guy on the team has had an opportunity to share how God has worked in their life.  We've shared with the kids before and after training sessions, with our opponents, and with the churches we went to on Sunday.  It's been really cool to see and hear how God is working in our lives and in the lives of the coaches and players here in Colombia... God is at work everywhere!

Looking Back

A quick thought looking back at this past week. 

We talked some tonight (Sunday) about all we've done and all we've experienced this past week and I realized that what we are doing here really just a small part of a much bigger picture.  Todd Suessmuth (Suessy) has been talking Marcos in the evenings and told us about how pleased Marcos has been with all our work.  Marcos is really thrilled with the way the kids and the community have responded to our presence in Medellin.  Marcos is really looking to expand the influence of the CDUC in Medellin and legitimize it as a quality soccer organization....but it's as much for the soccer as it is for the avenue to share the Gospel and God's love to the people here.  People see our team working with the kids and interacting within the community and they ask questions and get interested... and it points back to the CDUC. This is a good thing because we are leaving in a few day, but the CDUC will still be here... and I think it'll be here for a long, long time!
    So what I realized was that are impact here may not clear cut.... we aren't really looking to have this, that, and the other done by May 27th. But what we are doing is helping the CDUC expand its influence. We are helping it dig deeper into the hearts of the people here in Colombia.  We are helping set a foundation so that the CDUC can grow bigger and stronger.  We have heard some amazing stories about young men whose lives have been radically changed through the CDUC and I believe there are more of those stories to come.  As the CDUC develops more opportunities and avenues to influence the people of Medellin through soccer, more joy and love will flow through these busy streets.   There is a lot of life here in Colombia and a lot more life to be given, that is, new, eternal life found through Jesus Christ.  I truly believe the CDUC has an amazing thing going here and it's not going to end or fade once we leave. It's really awesome to know that we are a part of something so great like the CDUC. It's been amazing to have an active role in God's work through the CDUC in Medellin.
    Pray that we can continue to have an impact here and that the CDUC can benefit in a positive and eternal way through our short time of work and help.  Pray that the seeds Messiah Men's Soccer is helping plant will grow and grow to help the CDUC spread the love and grace of God. Pray that through the work of the CDUC (and Messiah Men's Soccer) lives can continue to be pointed toward Jesus Christ and that people will continue to see God's glory throughout Medellin.

Thanks for the prayers and the support.
Sam

Acevedo

As briefly mentioned earlier in the blog, on Tuesday night we were able to go to Acevedo (The Dump) for the first time and play with and coach the kids there on the dirt field. They were pretty excited to play with us and it was awesome to watch them get so much enjoyment playing soccer on a bumpy dirt field.

The first day we went to Acevedo we went through some drills and played some games with the kids. It was split into two sessions, the first session was younger kids and the second was older kids.

The second day we went (Thursday) we just played because that's what the kids love to do. They aren't very use to doing organized drills. The younger kids played 3v3 against themselves while we cheered them on and coached. For the older kids session, we split the field into three fields and had a bunch of us on each field playing against the kids. We experienced some losses which was tough but it was a ton of fun. The night ended with a free kick challenge: Messiah vs. Colombians. No guys from either side could score and the challenge was won by a girl who ripped a shot top-shelf for the win. It has been pretty amazing to see how soccer can be used as a tool to impact the lives of these kids. Through the testimonies we've heard and the sights that we've seen it is just awesome. Acevedo is a complete dirt field in the middle of a somewhat shady neighborhood and its a place that kids can come and hear about God's love and be shown God's love all because of a sport they love. It almost seems like this bumpy beat up field is a light in the dark and we're blessed to help the CDUC bring that light.

Granizal (Wednesday)

Getting to Granizal!

Training the Ninos....

Again we had opportunities for guys to share their testimonies.

A lot of the guys are wishing we printed out more player cards. The kids love them and we've all learned the word "lees" or "read" to tell them to read our testimonies of the back of the cards.

Sunday and some Videos for you!

Spent Sunday out and about in Medellin. The team split upinto three groups and went to three different churches of some of the CDUC coaches. Guys at each church got up and shared their testimony to the congregations, which was really cool. I was at Marcos' (CDUC Director)

church and Luke shared his testimony. It was really cool to hear what he had to say and see how the people responded to him. Two of the services were completely in Spanish, but most of us were able to piece together a basic understanding of the sermon. Major props to Kento, who translated an entire hour-long sermon at the church he went to. Kent and Brian have been amazing servants on this trip with their ability and willingness to translate for us.

Each group had lunch at their church and then we met at the metro station and went on a little city adventure. We rode an urban gondola up on of the mountains surrounding the city. We got some really great views and it was a fun trip up and back down with the team. We were going to go to a town square where there are huge rock sculptures of big/fat people and animals (if it sounds weird... that's because it is!), but it rained too much. Some guys went back to have a siesta at the CDUC stadium and others went to a big shopping center and got some food and souvenirs. So by the end of the day we had quite a transportation experience... taxis, buses, trains, metrocarts (urban gondolas), and Logan even rode on the back of one of the coach's motorcycles to church (there are more motorcycles here than I've ever seen before in my life!).

A Night with Alex

So yesterday, after we went to the big rock, we went to Alex's house for dinner, to hear his testimony, and then we had a "friendly" pickup against one of the team he coaches. Alex is one of the main coaches at the CDUC and is currently in school to become an athletic trainer for the club. Here is a bit of his story, the best I can remember it:

Alex's father was and still is a very powerful man in some of the bad ways in Colombia. Alex is one of five sons from his mother and father, but his father had a total of 26 children. The main purpose of having so many sons was to have a close group of people around him that he could trust. Alex began cleaning and taking care of his father's guns and other weapons from a very young age. His father even made him a special belt that Alex could hold all of his guns in order to get past security guards, as they wouldn't frisk an 8 year old. A couple years later, at the age of 14 or 15 I think, Alex began to be a part of his father's following full time. He would do whatever we needed to be done, whether it was killing, kidnapping, etc. Alex became his father's "best man," and was feared by many throughout Medellin and this area. Alex said he was addicted to guns. At the same time, he was also addicted to soccer. He played on many different high level teams, and it was a key part of his life. One day, a friend asked him to come to a practice for a "different" team. this was a Christian sports union club team, and Alex thought no way. His friend continued to bug him for two years, and Alex finally went, just to please his friend. the practice started with the coach sharing a ten minute testimony, which Alex was confused by, as he was there to play soccer. But those ten minutes turned out to be a key point in his life. The coach read and talked about John 3:16, replacing "the world" with Alex's name. "For God so loved Alex..." hit a soft spot, as no one had ever said to him that they loved him. He became more and more curious, and kept going back to practice. Eventually, he accepted Jesus as his Savior, but continued to hold on to his guns and some other problems. One day, his father told him to go and kill someone, and Alex suggested simply talking to them and seeing if they can work things out without the killing, but his father became furious, asking him who had been telling him these things and eventually kicked him out of the house. Shortly thereafter, his father's group was out to kill Alex, so Alex surrounded himself with a group of guys to protect him too. After some time, Alex realized that he was still relying on himself and his guns, so he recommitted himself to the Lord and trusted in his protection. There are a couple other small stories that go along with this, but this is getting really long. Eventually his father was relocated out of Medellin, and Alex and his family were safe. He soon became a leader at CDUC and asked to be a coach, so Alex became a mentor and coach for kids in the very neighborhoods where he was once feared. The story goes on, but Alex continues to coach and mentor to several teams, sharing the gospel with them, just as it was shared to him. He has also reconciled with his father, whom he goes to see twice a year, and shares with his father's men, who are allowed to leave and go back with Alex if they choose. His father is still involved in many bad things, so keep him in your prayers that the Lord will draw him closer to Him.

Alex is currently married and has three children. We ate and hung out at his house and then went to a nearby turf field and played a friendly against one of his teams, who all happen to be a part of a gang in that area. It was somewhat scary, but an awesome experience none the less. All around where we played, the mountains and views are amazing, and it was truly a great night.

An overdue update

Day3 (Wednesday)... We did more work around CDUC. We worked on the same three projects and made a lot of progress. We watched the u21 CDUC play their game. They are in the other bracket so we could see them in the finals. We have a few friends on the team and it was fun to cheer them on. In the evening we went to another CDUC session in Granizal... Perhaps the Sweetest field location ever. A turf field in the middle of a city neighborhood, on a mountain overlooking the city of Medellin.

Day 4 (Thursday)... We worked around CDUC in the morning and then had our second game. We lost 4-1 to the u21 Medellin all-star team. 4-1 is perhaps an uncharacteristic result, but they were very talented and we got a good lesson on humility and working hard regardless of our circumstances. We returned to Acevedo that night. We were divided into three Messiah teams and played small sided games on three field all night... Once again experiencing some humbling defeats. We had a fun time and the kids seemed to really enjoy us being there.

We've been eating a lot of rice and drinking a lot of soda, but we can't complain, the food is great and the hospitality is spectacular.

Day 5 (Friday)... We traveled put of the city to Guatape where there is a massive rock on top of a mountain surrounded by lakes. Easily one of the most beautiful views i've ever experienced... That is, once you climb the 635 steps built between a crack in the rock that goes to the very top. It was truly an amazing sight at the top.

Pictures from Day 2

Day 2

Yesterday was a great day.... busy, but great none the less.  We started with a time of worship and team devos, then Marcos assigned three jobs for us to work on around the stadium: One group weeded the field- a daunting task of digging out crab grass from Bermuda grass, another group dug a hole for a water tank- I think it ended up being deep enough to hide Josiah and Jeschke up to their heads, and the third group worked on digging a drainage trench for the CDUC's future turf field (located behind the stadium)- they dug around some electrical pipes that would have shocked the English out of them if their shovels broke the pipes. We are continuing these three jobs today (Wednesday- Day 3).  Yesterday we also played our first game of the tournament. We won 5-0 and I think 5 different guys scored.  Before the game Trevor Lee talked a bit about our team and why we are in Colombia and Mark Jeschke shared his testimony with our opponents. They seemed to respond well to what Trev and Mark had to say.  After the game we watched the second match with our opponents and had a good time. We passed out some of our player cards (they are like baseball cards but with our Spanish testimonies on the back instead of stats) and joked around with them.
     Later on we went to a neighborhood where one of the CDUC's teams practice. It was an all dirt field called "the Dump" because it used to be a place where people through garbage... and dead bodies.  We trained about 8 teams ranging from u7 to u15- 4 from 6:00pm to 7:30 and 4 from 7:30 to 9pm.  Some of our guys got to share their testimonies with the kids after both training sessions. Like I said, it was a great day... very busy, but really awesome. 
     On a side note, everyone here loves Danny Thompson because they are convinced he looks like Gerard Pique, is Pique's brother, or is, in fact, Pique.  He has had a lot of kids and teenagers and girls ask to take a picture with him and wherever we go as soon as people see him they say, "Pique?!"  Just thought I'd share that.
       Today we will be going to different neighborhood to train their CDUC teams.  Looking forward to another good time and having an impact on some kids.  The food here has been great and the CDUC's hospitality has been amazing.  We are all in good health and good spirits. Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

FYI...our itinerary

Sorry it´s a bit messy and it doesn´t really fit on the page all that well, but Aaron thought everyone would like to be informed about what we´ll be up to. Enjoy.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR THE MESSIAH COLLEGE TEAM   May 15-27, 2011

Sunday 15	Monday 16	Tuesday 17	Wed. 18	Thurs. 19	Friday 20	Saturday 21
PM. Arrival and get settled.	7am  Breakfast 8am  Worship with soccer staff 8:45  Devotional—in charge of Messiah 9:15am  Introductions—getting to know each other 10am  Snack 10:30-12  Teaching and sharing time Messiah 12noon   Lunch 2pm  Out on the field with coaches—Messiah leads practice 3:30pm  Pick-up games (divide up into 4 teams) 6:30pm  Supper and relax	7am  Breakfast 8-11:30am   Work on site. 12pm  Lunch 1:30pm  First game —Group B (Messiah vs Boca Jun) 3:30pm  Second game of tournament—Group B 5:00pm Light supper 6—9pm  Soccer practice at Acevedo 9:30pm  Snack before bed	7am  Breakfast 8-11:30am   Work on site. 12pm  Lunch 1:30pm  First game of tournament—Group A 3:30pm  Second game of tournament—Group A (CDUC vs Piscimol) 5:00pm Light supper 6—9pm  Soccer practice at Granizal 9:30pm  Snack before bed	7am  Breakfast 8-11:30am   Work on site. 12pm  Lunch 1:30pm  Third game—Group B (Messiah vs Selecc Juv) 3:30pm  Fourth game—Group B 5:00pm Light supper 6—9pm  Soccer practice at Acevedo 9:30pm  Snack before bed	7am  Breakfast 8-11:30am   Work on site. 12pm  Lunch 1:30pm  Third game—Group A 3:30pm  Fourth game—Group A (CDUC vs Barrio San Ferrn) 6:00pm Light supper in Granizal 7pm  Soccer game at Granizal 9:30pm  Snack before bed	7am Breakfast 8am—12 Attend soccer games of our league 12noon  Catch the Metro and lunch somewhere in town 1-4pm  Tour downtown Medellín—shop, etc. 6pm  Supper on the way back to stadium or order pizza
Sunday 22	Monday 23	Tuesday 24	Wed. 25	Thurs 26	Friday 27
8:30am Breakfast 10:30am  Attend church (divide up in 4 groups) 12  Lunch at churches 3pm  Leave for pro-soccer game  Nacional vs. Itagui 6pm  Supper out someplace	7:30am  Breakfast 9:30am  Fifth game—Group B 11:30am Fifth game—Group A 1:30pm  Sixth game—Group B (Messiah vs Alexis Garcia) 3:30pm Sixth game—Group A (CDUC vs La Academia) 6pm Supper with Board members	7am  Breakfast 9am  Visit San Cristobal Prison and play “micro-fútbol” with inmates 12 Lunch at stadium 2-5pm Lead soccer practice with our all-star teams (U-15; U-20) 6pm  Supper 9:30pm  Snack before sleep	7am  Breakfast 8-11:30am   Work on site. 12 lunch Semifinals: 1:30   1 A vs 2 B 3:30   2 A vs 1 B 6 pm Supper 9:30pm  Snack before sleep	8am  Breakfast 9-11am  Last minute work on site… 12  Lunch 3pm  Championship game 6pm  Supper and get things ready for return to States	AM:  Leave for airport and States.

Possible work projects:         

1)  Dig trench and pour concrete drain for synthetic grass soccer field; 

2)  build small “social hut” for camping area, and pour slab for camping area bathrooms; 

3)  dig trench and plant 400 plants that will become a  special hedge along the edge of our property.

Some video of the first day...

Our First Day

We are here safe and sound! We landed last night, met up with Marcos (Director of CDUC) and his family, then drove a bus through the winding mountains of Medellin and arrived at the CDUC stadium.  Our team is staying in a bunk room on the second floor of the stadium... this was just finished before we got here and we are the first to use it (I think they got it done quickly just for us!). We woke up today and jumped right in. We had a time of devotions and worship with the CDUC staff and coaches and then spent some time getting to know the coaches and staff here.  The language barrier was a new experience for many of us. It was a very evident obstacle for some and not so much for others (Kent and Brian, haha).  We then got a quick snack (nothing like soda at 10:30 in the morning) and then met again for a coaching clinic lead by Coach McCarty for the CDUC coaches.  We grabbed some delicious lunch from the CDUC´s cafeteria and we are about to start a practice session for the coaches here, where Coach McCarty will run through some Messiah drills with Messiah players and show the CDUC coaches some new and different drills and things.  Then we´ll play some small sided soccer with the coaches and hang out some more.  I believe we are going to visit the brownie factory later on today, which is part of the CDUC´s mission work here(we had some brownies last night and they were amazing).  It´s been an amazing day so far and it´s only just begun. Right off the bat I was struck with the realization that God´s love transcends all languages and cultures.  It was awesome to see English and Spanish Bibles opened up while listening to English and Spanish words proclaim the love and glory of God. 
Brushing up on my Spanish,
Sam

Updates will probably not be this frequent while we are in Colombia, but I thought I'd take advantage of my phone while it still works. The team is in Miami, next stop, Colombia! I think we get a meal on this next flight, which is cool for me because I've never flown internationally and never had a meal on a plane. - Sam

Posting from my phone... In Reagan Airport, made it through security, and hanging out by our gate. On our way to Miami, then on to Medellin!
Love, Sam

Time To GO!

In about 9 hours Messiah Men's Soccer team will embark on our 2011 Trip to Colombia. Guys are really excited, but I'm pretty sure guys will fall asleep pretty quickly considering that for the last 5 hours we've been vigorously cleaning our dorm rooms and packing our bags for the trip with RA's and RD's breathing down our necks.  It's hard to believe that it's finally happening, we're going, there's no turning back, the time is now! This time tomorrow we will be in Medellin, Colombia.  Next time I write on the blog it will be from the CDUC's computer.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
God Bless

Trip Preparation

Here is a short pre-trip preparation recap from the last few days:

Tuesday: Exams ended….finally!

Wednesday: Practice in the evening, team time and dinner

Thursday: Morning practice, afternoon practice, ran clinics for local soccer clubs, team dinner

We’d like to thank Carlisle Area Youth Soccer and Dillsburg Area Soccer Club for allowing us to run soccer clinics with their teams.  This gave our team an opportunity to practice working with young soccer players in a way similar to what we will be doing in Colombia. Messiah players ran 1.5 hour long sessions with girls and boys teams from u-9 to u-12 and they were set up in a way that mimicked they types of sessions we will run in Colombia.  Teams also donated gear and money to support our trip. Thank you players, coaches, and parents for being a part of our Colombia experience!

I cannot say it enough times to those who have supported us, Thank you! From the bottom of our hearts, we are truly appreciative of all the support given to us by friends, family, neighbors, churches, and teams.  God Bless.

Gear Collection

Aaron Faro, Nick Thompson, Jordan Sands, Danny Thompson, and myself spent 2 hours today sorting out all the soccer gear that was sent to us for Colombia.  It was remarkable how much gear was donated and we want to thank all the generous schools, groups, and individuals who gave gear:

DASC: Dillsburg Area Soccer Club

Brent Shoemaker

The people of Beaver County Christian School

Martin Meenan and Garnet Valley High School Boy's Soccer

Brandywine Youth Club of Delaware County 

Paul Tanimae, John Jenks, and AKKA Soccer

Paul Rittenhouse and Western Albemarle High School

And all other individuals who donated personal gear

THANK YOU!!!

We stuffed 23 soccer bags full of gear!!! Soccer balls, bags, shirts, shorts, shin guards, goalie gloves, jerseys, and a ton of cleats.... it was awesome to see all the bags of gear pile up. These gifts will be a true blessing to all the kids we work with and minister to down in Colombia.

Almost there!

Hello Everyone,
I need to apologize for a lack of action on the blog the past week or so.  It's been a long two weeks of studying and school work for all the guys here as school has come to a close... and it's finally over.  Now we are only five days away from our trip! It feels like just yesterday we started this blog and sent out our support letters for the trip. We've been filling out our final paperwork, collecting our passports, packing bags, and collecting some final supplies. This is really it! Over the next few days we'll be making our final preparations before the trip. Your prayers this week will be a true blessing to us as we get ready. Our plan and our hope is that this blog will continue while we're down in Colombia as a way to keep family, friends, and supporters updated on we are doing... So keep checking it out!  Thanks for the support and the prayers.