LeTourneau Athletes Take Advantage of Spring Break

Thu, Mar 20 2008

Contact:  Shane Meling (903) 233-3767                                                                                
shanemeling@letu.edu
March 20 , 2008

LeTourneau Athletes Take Advantage of Spring Break
LONGVIEW, TEXAS – The LeTourneau University men’s soccer and softball teams eschewed the usual collegiate spring break activities this year and instead went on overseas mission trips.
The soccer team took a group of sixteen that included head coach Tom Wait to Tegucigalpa, Honduras in Central America.  The team went to help serve Word of Life Honduras that is headed up by David Bogran.  Bogran and his staff set up a total of 10 matches for the team to play that included full 11-on-11 games and 5-on-5 indoor games.
The goal of the trip was to spread the gospel and to give the full-time Word of Life staff the opportunities to meet with groups they would not normally have contact with.  The team played a number of indoor games at El Central High School in Tegucigalpa that is home to approximately 12,000 students.  The team also played matches against club, college, high school and even a military base team.  During halftime of each match, the team was able to share the gospel with the opposing team and spectators as the team members delivered personal testimonies with the help of translators.
The team was in Honduras from March 7-14, staying at the Word of Life camp that is located just outside of Tegucigalpa in the area of Zambrano.  In addition to playing matches, the team was able to attend a local church service and held a work day at the camp. 
The softball team went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic that was set up by SCORE International.  Head coach Brad Bowser led the group of 14 down to Juan Doloio, D.R. from March 9-16.
The team visited a number of villages throughout the week and spent a few hours playing an assortment of games with the local children.  The team was able to share the gospel during this time.  Another part of the trip that had a dramatic impact upon the team was when they visited two different orphanages.
The highlight of the trip came when the team was able to play four exhibition games against area club teams.  The team was able to share the gospel to the opposing teams and to the fans at the games.  The team was given the opportunity to play one game in the capital city of Santo Domingo.
In order to participate on the trips, each team member had to raise between $1,000-1,500.  Both groups came away with a strong appreciation for the different cultures they experienced throughout the week.
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