The Columbia International University Women’s Soccer Team will partner with the
Chicago Eagles (a division of
Missionary Athletes International), to witness through the sport of soccer in the Dominican Republic. Through soccer matches with women’s teams, and clinics for young boys and girls, the C.I.U. women’s soccer team will have an opportunity to not only share the Gospel, but also to train and build relationships that could have a long lasting impact on women’s soccer in the Dominican Republic.
For the past three years, the Chicago Eagles have partnered with
Kid’s Alive International (KAI), in training young people to minister through the sport of soccer. Each summer, 3-4 young men have been a part of the Eagle’s summer training program for collegiate athletes and coaches. They have returned to the D.R., transformed by Christ, and living out the gospel in their daily lives. Three of these young men are now teaching at Anija, the Kid’s Alive school in Jarabacoa. In the summer of 2017, the Chicago Eagles will welcome their first female participant from the D.R.! With women’s soccer growing rapidly in the Dominican, it is an ideal time to begin training young girls and ladies to live out their faith as athletes and coaches!
While in the D.R. the women's soccer team will be regularly updating this page to give you a look at everything they are doing. Continue to follow to stay up-to-date on everything that is going on.
August 11:
As out time in the Dominican wound down and we began thinking of home, it started to become challenging to remain focused and in the present moment. Rick, our leader from the Chicago Eagles, encouraged us to stay motivated and continue to show God's love for the remainder of our time here and this became our prayer for the final few days.
During the last days of our trip, we ran two more soccer clinics with the girls in Jarabacoa. We focused on continuing to build relationships with the girls who came. Five of these girls invited us into their homes to meet their families, which was an honor and privilege for us. We talked on their porches, held their pets and shook hands with parents and siblings. As a thank you, we made a trip to the grocery store, or supermercado, and bought food items to bless them with.
On our final day, our team traveled to Santo Domingo to scrimmage the U20 national team. It was a very hot and humid day and both teams patience and endurance was tested. After winning 3-0 we shook hands, prayed together and we gave them each one our our practice jerseys.
Today was a day of goodbyes, of see you laters and adios to the friends made in the Dominican. Each of us were blessed and encouraged by having met the other and hopeful to meet again someday. Thank you all for your prayers, the Lord truly did an amazing work these past 10 days. Thank you for sharing it with us.
August 10:
On Sunday at church, we joined together with the local body of Christ and sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness." With both English and Spanish
unified as one voice to proclaim our God's great works and His love toward us. Since then, I have taken time each day to process
and talk with my teammates about how God has displayed his love and faithfulness to us on this trip.
After a game played earlier this week, we went to a Columbian resturant and listened to a woman named Maybella's testimony. She
shared her journey as an athelete and a Christian. Through God's work in her life she now coaches 5 volleyball teams ages 12-
23 while attending a university. For many of the girls on her team, volleyball is an escape and refuge from their difficult home
life. For one girl in particular, it saved her from getting abused by her father until her mother got home.
The girls we play soccer with here are also in these types of difficult situations.
As we run practice, scrimmage and play actual games with them, it creates a place of escape, of refuge and of friendship and love
for them to enter into.
After a futsol tournament we hosted at Anija, Winnifer, a girl who lives at the Arc and goes to school at Anija, was able to share her
testimony with her teammates, many of whom had never heard her story. Several teammates began asking questions about
her life. Leslie, our translator and local missionary shared with us that this is the first time several of these girls have been able to share their faith with the team.
Eventually, one of her friends gave her life to Christ that afternoon (praise God!).
The other day, we traveled to Santiago to play against a local university team. After a grueling match, with one of our players
getting ejected due to two yellows, we won 1-0. Both teams were entirely exhausted as we picked each other off the ground, shook
hands and mutually agreed that was a great game. Lianna Gates shared her testimony with the other team. As we circled up, the other
players unexpectedly asked to pray for us and we for them.
We are now halfway through our trip and many of us are exhausted emotionally and physically. However, it is in these times that we
continue to run our race with endurance and remember God's acts of faithfulness, daily, weekly and throughout our lives. The Lord
has been faithful to use us and sustain us this week in the Dominican and we are truly humbled and grateful.
A few (more) prayer requests:
-That we may continue to grow in our faith and our team may be unified and strengthened in the Lord's hand
-The hearts of the girls we are working with may continue to be softened
-Genuine Friendships and transparency for the team of girls that we have been working with
August 7:
The other day, one of my teammates and I were talking about what "home" meant. For her, home is a place where she knows someone
who lives there. It's amazed me how already the Dominican Republic feels a little like home. Not because of the culture, or the
house we're staying in, but because of the people. We may not speak the same language or enjoy
the same foods but we because of soccer and Christ, we are able to connect with the local people.
During our time here in the Dominican, some of what we are learning about is how to be a family as a soccer team.
We are learning how to serve, how to lead, and how to glorify God in all we do whether that is with members of the team or the
locals.
Our first day here, we ran a soccer clinic in the afternoon for two local girls' teams in Jarabacoa, most of whom did not speak English. However, that did not stop
us from enjoying a few soccer related games and then scrimmaging together. We were able to laugh at our mistakes, work together to
achieve goals and play as a unified team. With the help of a translator, Coach Farnsworth shared her testimony, the gospel and why
we were there with the girls who came.
The next day, we split up into two groups. One group went to Arc, an orphanage that is part of Kids Alive ministry,to move furniture and prepare a move-in ready apartment for two missionaries.
The rest of us when to paint a playground, a futsol stadium and move office furniture at Anija School. Anija is a Christian school whose mission is to give a place of refuge
for at-risk kids.
The maintenance director, Fernando, was extremely thankful for the help around the property. What would normally take weeks took us
only a few hours. Because most of the kids come from the streets, having a nice school, that they can call home is one way they know they are valued and loved. This enables the staff to
share the gospel with them.
That afternoon, we played out first soccer match against a local team, winning 3-0. Afterward, we spent time talking with the opposing
team about the game all of us loved and Alanna Battermann shared her love for Jesus with them.
Today, a local family took us to a waterfall to go swimming. However, our time was cut short as a thunderstorm rolled in and we
got caught hiking back in the pouring rain.
Each day our team continues to become more unified as a family as we spend time with the local church body and members of the soccer
community here in the Dominican Republic. Each day the Lord continues to speak to us, to teach us and to use us for His purpose.
A few ways to pray for us:
-That our team may continue to stay safe (we've had a few minor injuries!)
-To continue to build relationships with the girls at the soccer clinic as we run sessions and share testimonies
-That our individual hearts would be softened toward the Lord's guidance and direction
-Janai Tedder
August 4:
We have had a great few days!
Yesterday we hosted a clinic for a local girls team coached by a local missionary.
Today we worked at Anjia school painting and cleaning for the kids before they gey back to school in two weeks.
This evening we played our first game against the Jarabacoa Club team winning 3 nil. Goals scored by Kaylyn Hernandez and McKenzie Miller.
Coach Chucho is cooking us dinner tonight and we are looking forward to ice cream later with the other team.
Please continue to pray for safety and opportunities to share the gospel!
August 2:
We have arrived in Santiago safely! Looking forward to meet with Vic and Chucho, our missionaries we will partnering with this week!
