This week at Kamp Mrcajevci, we got to be a part of something you typically wouldn’t expect. We got to help out and coach a Football team(s).
There were 31 players ranging from the age of 9 all the way up to 18. The first day of practice, Srdan Cosic (Sir John) president of the organization, asked me to coach the 9-12 year olds!
At first I was a little intimidated because only two of the kids spoke English. Umm so wait a second, you want me to run a two hour practice twice a day for two days without being able to communicate with 11 adrenaline pumping kids?
Sports ministry has been one of the many things I have looked forward to being able to do this year and here was my chance!
I was praying to God as I was walking over to the kids to meet them, that this would go smoothly. Boy oh boy let me tell ya. It was smoother than John Travolta’s hair in the movie Grease!
I realized very quickly that all the kids were eager to get out on the field and have fun. All I had to do was place the ball after every down and keep track of the score.
That night after the two practices, the kids would run up to me and call me coach or trainer. The 48 hours I got to spend with these little kids, made it the hardest goodbye of the trip so far. Seeing the passion and love these players had for the game was inspiring and helped me to realize their dedication to not only football but the country of Serbia.
I started thinking about my own life and how I needed to prioritize my time on this race. Pouring out to the people that are placed right in front of me.
Being able to tell these players why we are on this journey, brought so much joy to my heart because it really didn’t make sense to them! They questioned why we left the states where we can make good money and have big houses?
I said simply… I love serving others! It is a journey I was called to by God!
This week has been a long and tiring week but I have created relationships that will last a lifetime; it was all because I trusted that a language barrier could not get in the way of the Lords love!
