The DBU Women's Soccer team served in England during May 2017, as part of the Dallas Baptist University Global Sports Mission Initiative program.  Below is a daily recap detailing the Patriots' service in England.
 
DAYS ONE & TWO UPDATE
Today was a great day. It began with an official English breakfast, for some of the group, and then heading to King's Cross Station. At the station the group ate lunch and did some leisurely shopping. We then boarded a train and headed north to Northallerton where the Tee's Valley Youth for Christ met up with us. The group was introduced to Mike Taylor, the executive director, and then shuttled to Cote Ghyll Mill, our home for the next few days. The Mill is located inside the North York Moors National Park. The scenery is beautiful, and the group really seemed to enjoy all the venue has to offer.
 
After a brief introductory meeting with Mike and his team, Coach Lenard got the group together and we all collectively hiked to the nearby Cod Beck Reservoir. The view and landscape were amazing and the girls were able to do some training along the sides of the lake. Bailey was able to get some great group pictures as well.
 
Tomorrow we head into town to begin serving. We will split the group into two smaller groups and go to nearby parks where we will be playing field games for a few hours in the morning with some local kids. This will be a great opportunity for the girls to demonstrate the love of Christ to some great kids that have experienced generational faithlessness. Also, we were told that many of these families have been impoverished for several generations and being a part of a broken home is not uncommon. Afterwards, the team will have an opportunity to sightsee in Durham and then have practice time on a "proper pitch" at the church.
 
The team seems to be doing great and enjoying their time together, as well as England.
 
Please pray for opportunities tomorrow as we minister to kids, as well as safety for our girls as they begin consecutive days of service in conjunction with training and matches.
 
DAY THREE UPDATE
Another great day today in England; and another English breakfast as well!  We started the day by splitting into two groups and going to different village parks. Once there we set up games and snacks, and had a great time playing with the neighborhood kids. This was a wonderful opportunity for the team and the Tee's Valley Youth for Christ folks to build intentional relationships with the people. The goal is, of course, that these relationships will blossom into trusted friendships that will allow for deeper conversations about Christ later on. Both groups had opportunities to share testimony through soccer as well. 
 
Afterwards the girls had a chance to get in a good practice session on a local high school's soccer field. We then loaded up the vans and shuttled over to Durham. Durham is a very old village that was well known to the girls because of recent movies being filmed on location in the Durham Cathedral. The Cathedral was built between 1093-1133, and the group had a chance to walk throughout it.
 
Tomorrow we will attend church together and then have another practice. Afterwards we will go watch a professional women's soccer match between Sunderland and Chelsea. 

Please pray for the girls as they continue to acclimate to the time differences. Many have not been able to sleep well yet. Please also pray for safety as they practice and prepare to compete in the coming days. 
 
We are honored to be able to serve as a group here in England, and it is a blessing to us as well to have this opportunity. 
 
Dan Gibson - Dean of Students
 
DAY FOUR UPDATE
Day four was a day of rest, relaxation, and reflection. The morning began with church service at the Church at the Vine in Thornaby. The church just recently reopened after being closed for over five years. It, and the physical building/land were purchased for only 5 pounds. The "miracle", as they describe it, was possible because of the strong desire to not allow commercialization to come demolish it and build on top of. The girls seemed to have a good time visiting with the church members and other visitors, as well as viewing a service here in England. Attending church service in another country is always an eye opening opportunity where we are able to fully understand the blessings and liberties we enjoy as Americans.
 
After church we headed straight to a soccer match featuring the Sunderland ladies against the Chelsea ladies. It was a lopsided match with Chelsea winning 7-0. The event however, was a big hit for the girls and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience of attending an English soccer match in person. After the game we went to a park where the team was able to practice. 
 
Next we headed to Mike Taylor's house for a home cooked meal by his wife Kookie. We all had a wonderful time and enjoyed the opportunity to fellowship with one another as well as play some competitive games of Spikeball. On a personal note, Jonathan and I made for one dynamic dou and force to be reckoned with. It was back to the hostel afterwards.  
 
Please continue to pray for the healing of Leah's ankle, for abundent opportunities to witness and minister to the lost,  as well as the girls first match tomorrow evening at 7pm (1pm U.S.). 
 
Dan Gibson - Dean of Students
 
DAY FIVE UPDATE
This morning we spent our last breakfast at Cote Ghyll Mill in Osmotherley, and loaded the bus at 9:30a to head to Thornaby. We had a chance to connect and worship with individuals representing several ministries associated with Youth for Christ and their gap year program at All Saints' Church Preston-on-Tees. Our time together began with various YFC staff sharing celebration moments from the past week through the relationships that are being actively cultivated in and around the local communities where staff are serving. God is clearly at work here in England and the Tees Valley area. 
 
A time of worship, prayer, and teaching was led by various staff members present, with a continued emphasis on pushing more and more into Christ and pressing our faith into and through action. There is an undeniable common narrative intertwined throughout our interactions with our hosts and partners in service from YFC; a narrative highlighted by taking risks for God and asking him to break our hearts with the things that break His. It has challenged us all and sparked dialogue within and amongst our group as we serve and encourage them in every way possible. There is a great synergy and sense of community between our group and the YFC team facilitating with us that has been present from the moment we arrived here. 
 
Senior Patriot Catherine Sharp shares that "The ministries we are serving with here are dedicated to making Christ known and showing others His love as they develop relationships with people in their communities. We were humbled and encouraged to hear about their ministry in Northern England and how it has developed over the years!"
 
Tonight we had the opportunity to compete in our first match against Norton & Stockton Ancients Football Club. The Patriots put together a solid 2-0 victory and had the chance to visit with the opposing players for a good while following the match. Catherine reflects that "This was an unforgettable experience. After the game, we invited them to pray with us and then got to visit with them for awhile. It was really incredible to be able to use soccer (football, as our new friends say) to open the door for great conversation and new relationships. We really bonded with the other team and left feeling joyful & grateful for the experience."
 
I have attached a few photos from the match tonight. Tomorrow we will be serving in the local community around the Church on the Vine in Thornaby. Pray that God would provide numerous opportunities to advance the Kingdom throughout the day as a result of Gospel-centered conversations about our own relationships with Jesus. And do pray for the staff here with Youth for Christ as they faithfully pursue God's call on their lives here. 
 
It is undoubtedly their desire to "bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted...that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1-3).  
 

Dan Gibson - Dean of Students
 
DAY SIX UPDATE
This morning began with breakfast at our hotel in the Middlesbrough Center Square. After breakfast, our team returned to the Church at the Vine where Community Pastor Matty Street spent some time sharing how God provided the building we sat in to their church. Matty spoke on the faithfulness of God's provision and how he allowed the Church at the Vine to purchase the historical building for only five pounds after sharing their vision with the Art Bishop of York. After Matty spoke, our team divided into small groups and spent time praying for those affected by the bombing in Manchester last night. Each group prayed for the victims of the attack, the surrounding communities, and the entire country as they hurt from this evil act. Additionally, each group prayed that the Church at the Vine would be strengthened and provided opportunities to impact those they minster to within their community.
 
After time in prayer, our team began working various jobs on the church grounds. Groups picked up trash from the yard and street, visited with locals, pulled weeds, assisted with child care, and tended to a garden the church had built for the children of the community. Each assigned job allowed our group to serve both the church and the community. 
 
After serving at the Church at the Vine, we ate lunch and returned to the hotel for a time of much needed rest and recovery.
 
Following our brief rest, we departed for Thornaby Football Club where our Women's Soccer team would play their second game of the week. After ninety minutes of exciting play against the Middlesbrough Women, the Patriots claimed a victory with a score of 3-0. After the competition concluded, our team asked to pray with the team from Middlesbrough. After prayer, the Middlesbrough club invited our student-athletes and staff to join them in the clubhouse for pizza and fellowship. Our team happily accepted the invitation and had a wonderful time sharing stories, signing jerseys, and eating lots of pizza.
 
We are now back at the hotel preparing for more opportunities to serve the community again tomorrow.
 
Please continue to pray that our efforts here would positively impact the people we connect with, glorify Christ, and further His Kingdom.

Tim Towns - Assistant Director of Athletics for Operations

DAY SEVEN UPDATE
We had a busy day today in Middlesbrough! After breakfast at the hotel we divided into two groups to head into the community to serve. One group returned to the Church at the Vine to continue the clean-up and renovation projects there. We started by doing some litter picking (as they say here in M'Boro) in the community park. The group collected at least five large bags of trash after a friendly challenge to pick up the most trash in the park! The local city workers stopped us to say how grateful they were for the help since they normally have to do the whole of M'Boro on their own. We then returned to the church where we sanded the new stage boxes they have built and cleaned the common area.
 
The other group went to assist with a project to prepare some small cabins for women and children of domestic abuse to live in. They emptied out the cabins of the current contents and then decorated each cabin with furniture to prepare them for families to move into. They will be returning tomorrow to lay some flooring and baseboard and put on the final touches.
 
After lunch both groups went to different locations to run soccer clinics and interact with the school children there. Lindsay McManus was able to speak to the group afterwards and share her testimony with the kids. McKenna Namken assisted by sharing the ABC's of salvation at the end.
 
Junior Lindsay McManus had this to say about the day:
           "Speaking for the group who spent the afternoon at Unity City Academy with boys and girls ranging in age from 10 to 15, today was a day we won't soon forget. After playing football and conversing with the kids, although it was we who sought to impact their lives, it was they who changed ours. These kids were a complete joy to be around, and welcomed us into their lives with open arms."
 
The UCA kids were very open to the girls and were highly impressed. They asked for signed autographs on everything from their shirts to their arms! I believe the girls enjoyed the attention very much!
 
We wrapped the evening up by driving to Saltburn, England to have fish and chips on the beach and to enjoy some team time. It was absolutely breathtaking there and the girls enjoyed some time of relaxation and fun on the beach. We returned to the hotel and wrapped the day up with some cookies and tea and a debrief of the day.
 
P.S. As I was writing the update for the evening in the lobby two gentleman who have been staying in the hotel this week for work sat down to have a chat with me. They have been keeping up with our soccer matches and tonight wanted to ask me more about who we were and specifically asked me what I thought it meant to be a Christian. They were highly complimentary of our girls and how kind and friendly they have been this week to them. I was able to share with them that the reason the girls are so friendly and kind is because they are trying daily to live and love with the love of Jesus. We enjoyed a nice chat about faith and religion and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It extended the time it took me to write this update but was also a really cool opportunity for me to witness to some folks because of the groundwork our girls have laid with how they treat people.
 
 DBU Head Women's Soccer Coach - Michelle Lenard

DAY EIGHT UPDATE
Today was a beautiful day in the north of England for both groups to continue ongoing service projects from the day before. The temperature was in the high 70s and according to the locals, days like we had today only come around 2-3 days a year, so we all feel very lucky to have been able to work and serve in unseasonably warm weather with clear blue skies. Both groups were energized by the appearance of the sun and were very productive at each site.

After breakfast at the hotel, the groups were split as they were yesterday and headed out to continue their work. The first group reached further into the neighborhood surrounding Saint Luke's Church collecting trash on the streets, while the others stayed at the church preparing the exterior fence to be painted.

My group returned to the cabins being prepared for single parents and families affected by domestic abuse. Our tasks were a continuation from the day before so we were able to make progress very quickly and the group was very proud of what we were able to accomplish together. Four of the cabins are now ready for move in after the girls put the finishing touches on the interior by moving furniture in and hanging decorations. The remainder of the group made progress on twp others that needed hardwood flooring laid down and the walls painted before being ready to be furnished. The staff was very complimentary of the team and impressed by their efforts. They were extremely grateful for all the progress that was made over the 48 hour period.  Before loading the vans, the team was split into small groups to pray for each of the cabins and their future inhabitants. We prayed that the cabins be put to good use and that the families be blessed by the leadership of the mission while living there. We prayed that the gospel would arrive at their door step and their lives be changed by the news of Jesus Christ.

After completing their work in each location, both groups headed out to host a second night of the sports clinics that were started the evening before. My group hosted another 50 or so elementary age boys and girls for fun games and character building at Camp of Champions directed by Youth for Christ. Some kids came back again for the second night while others were new. The best way to describe the two hour camp would be "organized chaos". The kids brought a ton of energy and enthusiasm with them and the team pushed on to give them another great evening of fun interaction. I was so impressed by how the girls poured into the kids even after a morning full of manual labor. They had every reason to be tired and complain about the day's busy schedule, but I heard no complaints. Each of the girls seemed to be having just as much fun as the kids taking part in the camp.

We weren't done yet. After the sports clinics we arranged a friendly kick around with our new footballing friends from Norton Stockton Ladies FC. We met several NSFC players at a local park to play friendly games and continue to grow deeper roots from the seeds that had been planted on Monday after our game. The team has really enjoyed socializing with local players their same age and making comparisons to England and America, and laughing and joking about the apparent differences. My favorite part about witnessing their interactions is hearing the English players do their best American accent, and our team giving them their best English vernacular in return. Football, or soccer in the States, has been an amazing platform for the girls to reflect Christ and impact the lives of others in all areas. The girls gained a tremendous amount of respect after competing at a very high level, which has allowed them to reach even further and share their love for Christ on such a powerful platform. It has been a pleasure witnessing the team building these relationships so strong in such a short period of time. They have truly impacted lives in an everlasting way.

Once we returned to the hotel we enjoyed a meal native to northern England called Chicken Parme. After dinner the team shared stories from the day and prayed together before retiring to their rooms for a good nights sleep. 
 
Jess Jobe
Associate Head Coach