Sunday, June 29, 2014
You have the week off. Have a great 4th of July and enjoy the games. The following week, 7/7-7/12, we will be retesting. More on that later-Coach Bell
Here are some Zambia reflections from Mark Rougas and Nick Manzer
"I had the opportunity to travel to Zambia with an awesome group and serve with Jubilee Ministries. It was an amazing experience unlike anything I've ever done before. While we spent much of our time serving in the communities and villages, I found that the easiest way to connect with the Zambians for me was through soccer.
It was a blessing to be able to play and learn from the Zambian teams we faced. I talked to many of the friends I made on the pitch and it was very impactful for me to see the amount of joy they have for the game. It's truly a universal language. Some of the children we met in the villages had nothing more than a bundle of garbage bags strung together but they showed more joy playing the game then I am used to. They also had a lively passion for The Lord that was remarkable. It was truly encouraging and taught me a lot about what it means to be gracious and appreciative of what I have as well as what it looks like to live passionately for Christ.
After competing in two NIGHT OF NETS soccer matches during my time at Cornerstone it was very impactful to see the needs of a bed net first hand while I was in Zambia. One bed net really does make a huge difference to a family. The money raised for these bed nets was all thru Chip's hard work and a soccer game. It's awesome to see the difference that we can make as a soccer program by joining the cause and raising awareness on our campus and telling our friends and family! I will definitely never forget the faces of the families who were thankful for a bed net. It is motivation to keep the cause alive and continue to supply bed nets to those in need." Mark Rougas
"It has been right around a month since the team returned home from Zambia and each week has brought new thoughts and understandings of what the time in Africa did in my life. Sports have been a huge part of my life and when I think about it, the idea of going to Zambia was brought about through the men’s soccer team at Cornerstone University. It is amazing how God works and places opportunities to bring glory to Him in my life.
First of all, it is important for me to realize that everybody will not get to experience something like traveling half way across the world to Zambia, Africa. It was a blessing to be able to serve in a place where lasting relationships have been built and kept throughout the past ten years. Going into this trip, I kept thinking of what I can do for people there and how going to Zambia can impact me. These thoughts aren’t necessarily bad, but early on in the trip I realized that it was going to be very different from those selfish thoughts. One of the things that stuck with me is how welcoming the people of Zambia were. We were greeted at the airport by some members of the Jubilee Center and the entire trip revolved around their willingness to take us around Ndola and the surrounding villages in Zambia. It was an interesting feeling- I felt really comfortable, although I was thousands of miles away from my home. I think that can be attributed to group that I traveled with and the Jubilee Center staff.
Each day was filled with hearing the stories of and interacting with Zambian children and adults. The first thing you notice is the disparity between what the Zambian people have compared to what Americans have. It is so easy to focus on this issue, but it would ruin the trip for me. This is one aspect of culture, but there are so many uplifting people and encouraging things going on in Zambia. I have to continually remind myself that it is the same church in America as it is over in Zambia. There are great things being done for God’s kingdom in Zambia.
One of the stories that stuck with me and really resonates with the soccer team and Night of Nets is when we visited a man in Chifubu. The entire group piled into this small concrete house with Pastor Chris and another man from the village. This man who was lying under a green bed net was in the later stages of AIDS, going through malaria, and had tuberculosis. Pastor Chris was explaining the man’s story and responding to questions from our group. The little room couldn’t hold us all, so I made my way outside and stood by the door listening to the story and answers from behind the door. The one sentence that I will always remember is one that Pastor Chris answered with- that the bet net is THE most important thing in combatting malaria. Hearing this made my experience with Night of Nets all worth it. It is hard to comprehend the importance of what Chip Huber and Coach Bell are so passionate about with Night of Nets without having seen what malaria does firsthand- and I understand that because I was in that position before- but communicating my experience in Zambia is one thing that I hope to bring back to Cornerstone and other communities back home. I cannot imagine what this year’s Night of Nets game is going to be like for me and I look forward to helping my teammates understand the cause a little bit better.
Reading through a couple books that were placed in my hands has been a great thing for me to gather me thoughts throughout the first half of the summer. All In, by Mark Batterson, and Wrecked, by Jeff Goins, have allowed me to consider what Zambia has done for me and the books seem to speak to me right where I am at. Zambia has allowed me to see the power of prayer and I hope to continually seek God through prayer as I approach school, athletics, and other dreams that I have. Prayer is such a powerful thing and the Zambians further displayed that to me. Also, I saw so much vulnerability and courage from the other group members and Zambian people that I met. I think it is important for me to approach the rest of my summer and last year of my undergrad with this type of mindset and continue to do so throughout my life. In addition to being vulnerable and having courage, one of the big topics that impacted me throughout the trip was this idea of holy discomfort. Struggling with complacency is an easy thing to do at Cornerstone and when there is discomfort, some sort of action hopefully follows. With the coming year, I think this idea can fill how I tackle my faith, schoolwork, and athletics.
As I continue to think about my experiences in Zambia, I ask you to keep me in your prayers. The possibilities are endless, but one thing that has been on my heart is to help spread the Night of Nets brand and event to my home community. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to travel to Zambia and see how God is working in that community. Continue to pray for the Zambian people, our group, and others who we communicate with". Nick Manzer
