On Monday, May 10, all 19 returning student-athletes from the Westmont Women’s Soccer team will begin a two-week mission trip to Uganda along with seven others. The Warriors are seeking to make a difference in the lives of Ugandans through service, through soccer and through sharing the love of Christ. The team will be working with Sports Outreach Institute (SOI) in their Ugandan ministries and will be led by SOI’s Rodney Suddith.
“We want to share the love of Christ,” said Westmont Head Coach Kristi Kiely who will be travelling with the team along with her husband Jeremiah. “We will walk alongside those who are already working with Sports Outreach and love those we come in contact with any way we can. For some it will mean working with physically handicapped. For others it will mean holding babes. For others it will mean sharing their faith. For some it will mean working emotionally with some of the women who have had their share of struggles. Whatever gifts we have, I would hope those would be most utilized.”
The trip is similar to one made four years ago by the women’s soccer team when they visited Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. This trip, however, will focus on two cities.
“We will go to Kampala and be there for six days. Then we will travel from Kampala to Gulu where we will be for the remainder of the time,” said Jenna Nelson who has played a major role in both the fundraising efforts and the trip organization. “As of right now, we will be playing two or three soccer matches. We could be playing anyone from the Ugandan National Team to a club team. We really have no idea. We will be doing outreach like putting on soccer clinics, going into slums and working with HIV women.
“In Gulu, Sports Outreach has a farm and we will be working on the farm,” said Nelson. “They have a pig ministry were they raise pigs on a 30-acre farm and give them to families. Those families can then breed the pigs.”
The women’s soccer team has been working hard to raise the travel expenses of $4,000 per person. In addition from support from parents and families, the team has worked tirelessly on several fund raising activities. Often, team members could be seen outside of Von’s Shopping Center selling tie-dyed tee-shirts, caramel apples, headbands, bracelets, sunglasses, cookies and tickets to basketball games.
Jane Wyche, who helped lead the first women’s soccer trip to Africa, organized a silent auction to help in the fund raising efforts.
“I have been humbled by the generosity of people, especially those in the Westmont community,” said Kiely. “It brings both joy and tears to your eyes. Alumni have been very connected through both their financial resources and through their presence and words of advice in preparing for the trip.”
“We have had a lot of generous donors from alumni and the Westmont community,” added Nelson. “God provides. Somehow we made the money to go. It is incredible.”
“There was definitely a point not too long ago when it looked like only 10-12 would be going,” said Kiely. “But now, all 19 of our returners are going.”
Those interested can follow the team’s travel by going to the Westmont Athletics web site at http://www.westmont.edu/athletics or the team’s Africa blog at http://westmontafrica2010.blogspot.com/.
“There has been a lot of connection with the women’s soccer community. It has been neat to see recruits come on board. We had a recruit who sent in a bunch of backpacks and tank tops. She wanted to be a part of it even though she is not here yet. Recruits are constantly sending me emails saying that they are praying for our trip.
“Within our own team, it has been great to see the ways people have stepped up into leadership roles. I talk daily with Jenna who has become so much a part of taking care of this and that. It has been great to see the team reach out to each other in ways they haven’t been connected before.”
While in Kampala, the team is planning to visit the Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Center, work with children, and participate in various projects in the slums. In Gulu, plans have been made for visiting villages and working with SOI’s family strengthening programs.
When the Warriors take off on Monday, they will be bringing with them a number of items to be left in Uganda.
“Sports Outreach wants to encourage weddings and marriage in Uganda because polygamy is very big,” said Nelson. “So, Sports Outreach is planning a big wedding ceremony after we leave. They sent us a bunch of men’s suits to take over. We are also taking uniforms and soccer balls. We will make bracelets to take and we will be leaving most of the clothes we take.”
At the end of the trip, the Warriors will visit the Paraa Safari Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park, located in northwest Uganda overlooking the Nile River. The team will enjoy a safari before returning to the United States.
Accompanying the Warriors is Westmont Assistant Coach Dan Ribbens who is the only one of the party who went on the trip in 2006. Also making the trip are Cliff and Diane Lundberg and Jane Williams.
