Day 1 - Monrovia, Liberia

The DBU Women's Soccer Team, consisting of 24 players and six staff members, departed Dallas for Liberia, in Western Africa on Sunday morning for the 11th trip as a part of the DBU Athletic Department's Global Sports Mission Initiative.

The team left DFW at 6:30 AM on Sunday morning and flew to Newark, NJ, and after a seven hour layover, we boarded an overnight flight to Brussels. After a three hour layover in Brussels, the team had a nine-hour flight to Monrovia, which included a short stop in Banjul, Gambia.  Once we arrived at the airport, cleared customs and loaded the bus, we had about an hour drive to hotel.

After checking into our rooms, we had a great dinner at the hotel, which was much needed and retired to our rooms for even more much needed rest after traveling for the past 36 plus hours.

Everyone is doing great, just a little tired, please continue to pray for the girls, that the will have energy, good health and that we will be bold in sharing Jesus with the people and children we interact with for the next 10 days.

Tuesday morning the team will meet with several Liberian officials and dignitaries, which will include the US Ambassador, the YMCA Liberia Board, the Liberian Minister of Youth and Sports and then an afternoon soccer practice at the main stadium in Monrovia.

Thank you to each one of you for praying for this trip and helping make it a reality.  We are excited about what the Lord has planned this week for each one of us. 


Day 2 - Monrovia, Liberia


The Team spent Tuesday enjoying their first full day in Liberia.  After a breakfast at the hotel, the team boarded the bus for several stops around Monrovia to meet and greet numerous government officials and dignitaries.

The first stop was at the National Stadium of Liberia, where we were introduced to the Liberian Minister of Youth and Sport and were able to tour the stadium.

Next the team was taken to meet many delegates from the Liberian Association of Football (or Soccer as we know it), as well as the YMCA Liberia Board of Directions and a tour of the Monrovia YMCA.

After lunch at a restaurant in downtown, the team headed back to the National Stadium for a quick one-hour afternoon practice, before spending the evening playing soccer on the beach back at the hotel.

For dinner the team enjoyed barracuda (well most of us did) at the hotel and then spent the rest of the evening reflecting and sharing as a group on the first day in Liberia.

Everyone is doing great and staying healthy and seems to be rested.  Continue to keep the team in your prayers as we strive to make an impact on each person we come into contact with for the next 10 days.  Thank you for your support. 


Day 3 - Monrovia, Liberia


The Women's Soccer Team woke up on Wednesday morning hearing about theirselves being in the newspaper and on the evening news for being the first women's soccer team to ever visit the country.  The group spent the morning of their second full day in Liberia, by visiting the Liberian Baptist Seminary and conducting a short practice on the field at the seminary.  After lunch back at the hotel, the team loaded up and headed to a Paynesville, a small community just outside Monrovia.

The team attended a Wednesday evening youth church service at The Christian Evangelistic Pentecostal Church - Paynesville, and were able to sing and worship with the youth.  Kelsey Hall, Kristin Bjork, and Mia Romo, as well as Head Coach Michelle Lenard, all shared their testimony with the youth and the others in the congregation.

After the church service, the team conducted about a soccer clinic for all the youth and the children in the community, which ended up being well over 100 children.  Before heading back to the hotel, all the children were given metals for their participation and the team presented the church with several boxes of donated clothes and other products, given by the players.

"Coming on this mission trip I thought I was prepared enough for the things I was going to see and the people I was going to meet, but the very first day I realized that I was wrong. The people here have already showed me true kindness and their love for The Lord just overflows in everything they do," Freshmen Emilie MacDonald said.

Day 4 - Monrovia, Liberia

The DBU Women's Soccer Team traveled to Nyehn, a small village about two-hours outside of Monrovia, which was been adopted by the YMCA of Liberia. DBU presented the village with many donated items, including children's clothes, toys and other necessities.  The team also presented the chief of the village with a Bible from Dallas Baptist University and the group was presented Kola nuts as a gift from the village.

After an extensive tour of the village the team left the children with hands full of candy and traveled down the road to the YMCA Camp.  The camp uses sports to teach children from all over the country about Jesus Christ.  The team ended their day by playing an intense game of soccer-volleyball to entertain the children and staff at the camp.  

The group also had the chance to visit and tour the Presbyterian Tobee Mission School in route to the village. After returning to the hotel, the team was able to enjoy a little free time at the beach before dinner.

"Over the last few days, I have began to see how big God is, and how amazing and creative the way God designs everything. Everyday we travel, I just watch the people of Liberia and observe the joy that they have! Kids run and jump at just a simple gesture as a hand wave. This country and the people of Liberia are beautiful. Most of the time, because of language dialects, it is difficult to understand what people are saying but it is very cool to see how soccer and a smile is a language here! Even if we can't communicate with our words, we can flash a smile or grab a soccer ball an instantly a bond is form," Senior Lindsay Cox said.

"The village was inspiring. The people of Liberia are full of joy and completely hospitable. Seeing the kids' faces as we spent time with them today, running around and singing and dancing, reminded me not only why I wanted to be an educator, but also how wonderful God is and how He has a plan for each and every child to do great things for Him," Senior Andrea Hutchins said.

Day 5 - Monrovia, Liberia

The DBU Women's Soccer Team traveled to Rick's Institute, a K-12 Christian school just outside of Monrovia, on Friday morning.  The Rick's Institute was founded in 1887 and is known as the most prestigious boarding school in all of Africa. 

The team was welcomed by the entire student body in their assembly hall and was introduced as a women's soccer team, which was a huge hit amongst the students, both male and female.  In Liberia, the boys play soccer, while the girls only play kickball.  Lindsey Eccles was called on stage in front of over 500 kids and juggled the soccer ball and did many tricks for several minutes, bringing the entire student body to their feet.  It was cool for everyone to experience and the team instantly had the attention and credibility of the students.

We were welcomed by Dr. Kris, Keske, an American woman serving as principal at Rick's, as well as Dr. Olu Q. Menjay, the Chief Administrative Officer.  Dr. Menjay also serves as the President of the Liberian Baptist Missionary and Education Convention and has many friends in the administration at DBU. 

After introductions, the team was given a quick overview, history, and the rules of the sport of kickball by the Head Kickball Coach at Ricks.  The DBU team was split up into two teams and took on the two Rick's kickball teams, who will play for the kickball championship in Africa later this summer.  After coming up with a game plan and strategy for a "competitive" kickball game and mentally preparing for the heat and sun, everyone was surprised by the sudden rain, which really made the game interesting.  After playing for a total of about two hours in pretty much a constant downpour, on a rain soaked and extremely muddy field, both DBU teams defeated the Ricks teams.

The DBU Team loaded the bus and headed back to the hotel after the games, but not before many pictures and tears amongst the DBU players and staff. 

Saturday will consist of a free day for the rest, which will consist of some rest, time at the beach, and of course lots of beach soccer at the hotel. 

"Today was the first day I really felt like God used me in order to reach out to these girls and show them that they can achieve anything that the set their minds to. They looked up to all of us and were asking us to teach them to play because they now know that women can be athletes too," Sophomore Kerry Edwards.

"Being at Rick's today really showed the whole team how much this school is doing for these kids.  I noticed that the kids were very ambitious with their future dreams, as some kids wanted to be doctors, nurses, lawyers, and even a scientist. At their age I wanted to sew with my Grandma so it is mind-blowing to see how ambitious and realistic of dreams these kids have and how much their rely on their faith in Jesus," Freshman Ashley Cox.

Day 6 - Monrovia, Liberia

The DBU Women's Soccer Team spent their free day on Saturday relaxing, playing volleyball and soccer on the beach, while also enjoying the sun and waves at the hotel. 

On Sunday the team attended church at the Christian Evangelistic Pentecostal Church in Congo Town, which is just located outside of Monrovia.  The entire group was introduced and Coach Lenard and Freshman Briana Rene shared with the congregation and the team was able to worship and experience a traditional Liberian church service. 

After church and lunch back at the hotel the team headed to Antoinette Tubman Stadium for the much anticipated soccer match between the DBU Women's Soccer team and the Liberian Football Association (LFA) All-Stars. The DBU Team has been featured on several news stations and newspapers throughout the week and Coach Lenard was interviewed on the local radio station on Saturday morning to help promote the game 

It began raining right before the opening kick-off and the rain continued, progressively getting worse for the entire first half.  Playing in a torrential downpour, where the ball would float at times and the entire artificial turf field was covered with at least an inch of standing water, the game was ultimately called because the field was unplayable. 

The game is scheduled to be replayed on Tuesday, May 28, at 4:00 PM.  On Monday, the group plans to spend time in downtown Monrovia and conduct soccer clinics to the children of several local villages. 

"Today proved that the women's team in Liberia could give a team good competition and although there were not a lot of women there to see that, there were men that were able to witness that. I think that's one of the most important things because although the conditions were frustrating for us, it proves to some of the men in the country that women are capable of playing soccer at a high level. God is doing so many incredible things on this trip and I can't wait to see what else He shows us," Freshman Annie Wells said.

"Being on this trip has made me realize so many things that we take for granted back home. I just love how the people here are perfectly fine with how they are living. Seeing all the people at the game today was just a great feeling. It makes me think that we are actually making a difference in this country with women and sports. I loved seeing the all stars and how excited they were to play us and how the pouring down rain didn't stop the fans from coming out to see us play," Junior Dani Presely said.  

Day 7 - Monrovia, Liberia   

The DBU Patriot Women's Soccer Team spent Monday morning in downtown Monrovia, exploring the market and shopping, but not before stopping by and hanging out at YMCA Offices until the rain showers passed. 

After sending a couple of hours in the market and experiencing shopping and everyday city, the team returned to the hotel for a late lunch.  In the evening, the group returned to the small village that we visited on Wednesday night and did a soccer clinic with over 200 kids.  The team spent the evening sharing what they were thankful for after experiencing the past week in Liberia.

Tuesday will be a very busy day for the group, starting with a question and answer panel at the YMCA before the soccer match versus the Liberian Football Association (LFA) All-Stars at 4:00.  After the game, the group will be treated a traditional Liberian banquet with the YMCA in Monrovia. 

"To watch these young women pour out their heart today, come out of their comfort zone, and teach these little children just a little about their faith and soccer was truly inspiring.  With over 300 kids, all pretty much under the age of 12 in a very confined space, it was definitely organized chaos, but to experience these girls, giving up part of their summer to travel around the world to serve and love on complete strangers, made me proud of each and every one of these student-athletes," Director of Athletics Ryan Erwin said.   

"This has been such an amazing experience. Every girl on our team has stepped out of their comfort zones to shine God's love on these people.  After working at the village it made me blessed to have the opportunity to play as a child and have an education. As we walked down the street to gather the kids to play who do not know how to play and seeing their joy and them running towards us just because we were giving them the opportunity to play. It was awesome to see all the girls stay calm when giving instructions to the kids who do not have a great attention span when being taught. Today was definitely a learning experience and very humbling. You can definitely see our team growing closer to each other and to God," Junior Ashley Corbitt said.

Day 8 - Monrovia, Liberia 

The DBU Patriot Women's Soccer Team spent Monday morning in downtown Monrovia, exploring the market and shopping, but not before stopping by and hanging out at YMCA Offices until the rain showers passed. 

After sending a couple of hours in the market and experiencing shopping and everyday city, the team returned to the hotel for a late lunch.  In the evening, the group returned to the small village that we visited on Wednesday night and did a soccer clinic with over 200 kids.  The team spent the evening sharing what they were thankful for after experiencing the past week in Liberia.

Tuesday will be a very busy day for the group, starting with a question and answer panel at the YMCA before the soccer match versus the Liberian Football Association (LFA) All-Stars at 4:00.  After the game, the group will be treated a traditional Liberian banquet with the YMCA in Monrovia. 

"To watch these young women pour out their heart today, come out of their comfort zone, and teach these little children just a little about their faith and soccer was truly inspiring.  With over 300 kids, all pretty much under the age of 12 in a very confined space, it was definitely organized chaos, but to experience these girls, giving up part of their summer to travel around the world to serve and love on complete strangers, made me proud of each and every one of these student-athletes," Director of Athletics Ryan Erwin said.   

"This has been such an amazing experience. Every girl on our team has stepped out of their comfort zones to shine God's love on these people.  After working at the village it made me blessed to have the opportunity to play as a child and have an education. As we walked down the street to gather the kids to play who do not know how to play and seeing their joy and them running towards us just because we were giving them the opportunity to play. It was awesome to see all the girls stay calm when giving instructions to the kids who do not have a great attention span when being taught. Today was definitely a learning experience and very humbling. You can definitely see our team growing closer to each other and to God," Junior Ashley Corbitt said.


Day 9 - Surprise Visit

The DBU Women's Soccer Team were treated to a surprise visit on Tuesday morning, their final full day in Liberia, by George Weah.  Weah is considered the greatest soccer player ever from the continent of Africa and won many awards during his professional career, including FIFA World Player of the Year in 1995.  He played for numerous European teams, including AC Milan, but once he retired from soccer, he returned to his homeland and became very involved in politics and providing humanitarian aid to the people of Liberia. 
 
He has ran for President of Liberia, losing in a run-off, but many expect him to run again in 2018.  Weah currently serves as an Ambassador for Liberia and spent about 45 minutes on Tuesday morning with the DBU team, with his entire security personnel and entourage.  The team was introduced to him and he shared many of his soccer stories with the group, as well as took pictures and signed autographs. 
 
After lunch and on the way to the soccer match, the group stopped by the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) to donate soccer balls and other items to the organization, as well as spend time and meet the staff. 
 
Tuesday's make-up game of the rained-out game from Sunday provided perfect weather for the teams.  The game featured quite a bit of sunshine, heat, and humidity, as well as a very fast-paced physical game.  With over 1000 fans in attendance at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium, the DBU Patriots managed a 1-0 victory over the Liberian Football Association (LFA) All-Stars. Freshman Jolee Patterson scored the only game in the 35th minute, for her first collegiate goal. 
 
At halftime, Head Coach Michelle Lenard gave a demonstration to the crowd, using two players juggling a fully aired up soccer ball and a flat soccer ball, to show what live is like with Jesus in it (which was featured in Wednesday's Liberian newspaper.
 
After the victory and avoiding the fans rushing the field, the DBU team was able to spend time with the LFA All-Stars and exchange jerseys.  Making the way to the bus and departing the stadium was quite an adventure, but with the help of the YMCA officials, the team was able to escape the rowdy crowd. 
 
For dinner the team was taken to Myrtle Beach for cultural experience, where they were treated to an authentic Liberian dinner and were entertained with traditional African dancing and music.  
 
"I will remember today's game for the rest of my life because it will most likely be the coolest experience I will ever have while playing soccer.  Today was emotional for all of the girls, not only because of the game and the hope we provided for the women of Liberia, but also because it is our last day in Liberia.  I have had an amazing time serving and being used by God for the past week and I know that our entire team has forever been changed by this trip," Freshman Jolee Patterson said.
 
"Thank each one of you again for your support, both prayerfully and financially, to help make this trip a reality.  This trip would not be possible without the help of so many people and for that we are forever grateful.  I have been proud of the entire team and encouraged by watching these young women love on complete strangers, selflessly serve others, and continually proclaim Jesus in everything they have done.  All of us have so many stories and experiences we are excited to share about how God worked through us in Liberia.  We will leave Liberia around 8:00 AM (Dallas time) on Wednesday and arrive at DFW after 9:00 PM on Thursday night, so please continue to keep the team in your prayers, praying for safe travel and energy," Director of Athletics Ryan Erwin said. 

Day 10 - Monrovia, Liberia

The DBU Women's Soccer Team spent their final morning in Liberia by touring the Firestone Rubber Plantation before flying out on Wednesday afternoon. The Plantation, which at one time was over one million acres, is located outside of Monrovia and has established its own small community. 
 
With over 7000 employees, the plantation has its own schools, with over 16,000 kids, a hospital, golf course and market.  The Firestone Plantation produces rubber and latex for the Firestone tire company, as well as many other rubber products around the world. The team was treated to dour tour of the facilities and given a demonstration on how the rubber is extracted from the trees. 
 
After the tour, the team headed to the airport to begin their journey back to Dallas. After a two hour flight to Banjul, Gambia, then a six hour overnight flight to Brussels, the group landed back on American soil, in New Jersey around lunch on Thursday afternoon. The last leg of the flight to DFW will depart Newark just after six and then team will arrive in Texas after nine on Thursday night. 

"This was an amazing trip that I was able to enjoy with my teammates. I honestly have to say that a part of my heart will forever remain in Liberia," Freshmen Sarah Boren said. 

"Reflecting on our trip, we might not ever know how we affected the people of Liberia, but I definitely know I came back challenged and changed. I have a new outlook on my life and my many blessings," Junior Jessica Salas.