Trip Reflections from Coach Andrew Scott

As I look back at the opportunities that God gave us in Uruguay, my heart is filled with gratitude. God clearly answered our prayers and blessed us in ways we would’ve never imagined. I was absolutely thrilled with the opportunities God gave us to present the gospel—on the field, in the church, around the community, and at the camp.

The multiple soccer matches gave us an immediate platform to both clearly present the gospel and also to build bridges of contact for the churches and camp. I was also thrilled with the obvious unity that we had with the believers in Uruguay. The bond that we had in Christ was extremely strong and helped to eliminate the obvious communication barriers.

The guys on the trip did great: they were willing servants, tough competitors, and confident ministers of the gospel. God gave us a great time ministering together.

What a joy it was to also minister and fellowship with Danny and Sergio—these men were great examples to us. Our soccer team is especially indebted to the work of Coach Dennis Scott and the NIU Center for Global Opportunities for their diligent and complete preparation for the trip. We couldn’t have done it without them. It is good to be back home but our minds are continually drawn back to the ministry, fellowship, games, and friends in Uruguay.

God be praised for a life-changing sports ministry trip!

More Team Testimonies and Trip Summary

Now that we have returned home, we will be completing our blog with some testimonies from the team members and coaching staff. These articles should be posted soon. Thanks for following our blog during this trip and for praying for us. It was evident that you were praying for us. God blessed us and changed us in many ways.

It would be impossible to individually thank everyone that made this trip a reality. Only one word comes to mind and it seems so inadequate. It is a word that we saw on a billboard in Uruguay. The picture says it all.

Journey Home

We had no access to the internet to post our blog on Monday or Tuesday while we were in Salto. Also since we were traveling from early Wednesday morning (Aug. 18) and through most of the day on Thursday (Aug. 19) we weren’t able to post on those days either. The “Trip to Salto” post and the “Journey Home” post had to be uploaded after we returned.


The journey home began from Paysandu at 8:30 am for the 5 ½ hour van ride to the Montevideo airport. When we arrived at the airport we found out that our flight home would be diverted through Buenos Aires, Argentina. The flight from Montevideo to Buenos Aires was only about 30 minutes long and only about half of the seats on the plane were filled. We were hoping that the overnight flight from Buenos Aires to Miami would have as many empty seats as this so we could have more room to “stretch out” and sleep. However, when we boarded the plane again, after the nearly 2-hour wait in Buenos Aires, we found that the overnight flight would be pretty full, having picked up a number of passengers in Argentina. The guys didn’t really seem to mind since they had the opportunity to visit another South American country (brief though it was).

The overnight flight was uneventful and we arrived in Miami at 5:30 am. Once we had claimed our luggage and cleared customs, we found the gate for our connecting flight to Chicago. It was there that everyone “crashed”. We had a three hour lay-over in Miami and almost everyone used the entirety of it to sleep. Some of them barely woke up in time to board the next plane and then slept again for the full 2 ½ hour flight to Chicago.

After a brief lay-over in Chicago, we boarded a much smaller plane for the flight to Green Bay. We arrived in Green Bay at around 1:00 pm (31 hours since our wake-up call to begin our journey home). We still had to claim our luggage and wait for the Northland van to pick us up. Unfortunately, we found a few “souvenir casualties” in the luggage. Among them, a glass Coca-cola bottle that was broken and obviously, no longer had Coke in it. The surrounding clothing seemed to absorb it nicely, or not-so-nicely, depending on the way you look at it. Isaac Cummins (Ben’s brother) arrived around 1:30 and we loaded everything up for the trip back to campus.
We were all starving so we stopped at Five Guys restaurant. Everyone enjoyed a traditional American burger and fries. Then, we stopped at the Soccer World store to give the guys a final opportunity to pick up anything they might need for the pre-season training that begins on Monday (Aug. 23). We arrived back at Northland at 4:00 pm (34 hours since we left our “home” in Uruguay).


We praise the Lord for a safe trip and for a blessed sports ministry experience. We are trusting Him to bring forth fruit from our labors in Uruguay. Many, many, many people heard the gospel. The churches and missionary teams we worked with in Uruguay have much follow-up work to do with the new contacts that were made. On our last day there, while reviewing our study in Galatians, we were challenged by the verse in Galatians 6:9 which says, “And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Trip to Salto

After a very busy “Dia del Niño” on Sunday, Monday morning began like most of the days that we have been here. Breakfast at 8:30 am, followed by team devotions at 9:00 am. Our study through Galatians continues to be a blessing to each one of us.
At 9:30 we continued to work on the fort project that we are trying to complete before we have to return home. From the rain last Thursday, there was still some mud to dig out of the post holes before we could set the final 12 posts. Once all that work was done, we had lunch and then began to organize things for the overnight trip to Salto.

We left Paysandu around 3:30 pm for the hour-and-a-half drive to Salto. The church in Salto is being pastored by Northland graduate, Andy Thompson. We saw Andy, his wife Kolette, and their children last Sunday when they came to the camp for the baptismal service. Last Monday, however, they left for their furlough in the States. Therefore, they were not in Salto for our visit. Other Northland graduates and Uruguay missionaries, Sergio Duarte (in Fray Bentos) and Bobby Vallette (in Colonia) joined us on the trip to Salto. Jorge, from the camp, went with us also.


We arrived in Salto just in time to prepare for our game. The game was a small field game against a group that had been organized by some men in the church. Most of the players were unsaved co-workers of the church members. While the game wasn’t as “competitive” as some of our previous games (we won 8-0), the opportunity to share the gospel was the same. After the game, our opponents listened intently as Jason Lorch shared the gospel using the ball of many colors.

After the game, we showered at the public hot baths that are a tourist attraction around Salto. This area of Uruguay is known for the hot mineral spring waters. Many people from all around South America come to this area to enjoy the hot mineral baths. It is believed that the mineral waters have a healing and cleansing benefit to the body. After enjoying the mineral baths and showering, we ate supper at the home of one of the church families. It was a great meal and a wonderful time of fellowship with some of the members of the church in Salto.

Then we returned to the church for our overnight accommodations. We had brought all of our bedding and extra mattresses from the camp to sleep on at the church. Everyone claimed their floor space and got comfortable for a good night’s rest.


Tuesday at Salto

Tuesday was our “day off” before we begin our long trip home. We had nothing specific on the schedule and let the team sleep in. We left the church around 11:00 am to do some souvenir shopping. Everyone began their search for just the right items to take home as gifts and remembrances of our trip. After shopping, we had a great meal at a restaurant called, “El Rancho”. This restaurant features a smorgasbord of meat cooked over a wood fire. It was great!

We spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening at the mineral spring baths. With many of us fighting colds, we were hoping that these hot baths would “open the pores” and “sweat it out of us”. We also thought it might be a great way to heal some of the sore muscles and tired bodies from an exhausting couple of weeks. It was a very relaxing and refreshing way to end our trip.

We left Salto around 7:30 pm arriving back at camp by 9:00 pm, just in time for supper. After supper we divided into cleaning crews to clean the various areas and facilities of the camp that we had used. Our journey home begins at 8:30 tomorrow morning and we won’t have time to clean everything before we leave in the morning, so we needed to do as much of it as we could tonight. After the cleaning was done, many guys stayed up quite late packing their things. Others joined some of the missionaries for a late night/early morning game of Rook.

Dia del Niño

After a short night of rest and quick showers in the morning, we enjoyed breakfast at 8:30 am and then left for church at 9:00 am. Church didn’t begin until 10:00 am, but we needed to get there early and make sure that we had everything ready for our Dia del Niño children’s ministry. We practiced our puppet story, did a quick check on all of the object lesson/magic tricks, made sure we had all of the candy ready to distribute, and were ready to go when the children arrived.

While Coach Andrew Scott taught the adult Sunday School lesson (interpreted by Dan Vallette), Coach Dennis Scott organized the team for the children’s Sunday School. We had around 30 children. They ranged in age from 4 to 12 years old. After some opening songs and instructions from their regular teachers, we began our prepared program. After a few words of explanation from Coach Dennis Scott, Zach started with his changing bag. He changed three ribbons (blue, white, and yellow) into a Uruguayan flag. This created quite a stir and caught the children’s attention.

Micah continued with the three ropes of different sizes, eventually making them all the same size, illustrating how God sees all of us the same in our sinful condition. While we sometimes look on the outside, God sees the heart. This was followed by Grant’s object lesson that “good things” can come out of the “fiery trials” of life. Then, Josh Netz did his rope trick, illustrating that, only through Jesus Christ can we have a restored relationship with a holy God. Zach then came back with his changing bag to show how Jesus’ blood can cleanse our sin and make us white as snow. Finally, Paul Reece told the story of the widow whose oil never ran out since she trusted God to provide by obeying the instructions from the man of God. Paul’s magical pot kept pouring out water time after time, to the amazement of the children, and even to some of the teachers. Caleb Salsman and Andy Gibbons both interpreted so the children could understand. Caleb also taught the Bible verse for the day, Galatians 6:14.

After a few more songs, it was time for the puppet skit. Paul Johns (voice of Pablo) and Jason Lorch (voice of Maria) did a great job reading their parts in Spanish. Pablo sounded like he had a little bit of a cold, but Maria’s voice was strong, yet “girlish”, thanks to Jason. Ben Cummins did the actions for the Pablo puppet while Timothy Legg helped bring Maria to life. The story was about “boletos” (tickets) and how it is not possible to buy a ticket to heaven. Maria helped Pablo understand that his train ticket, his taxi ticket, and even his plane ticket could not provide a way to heaven. Only through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross do we have a “ticket” to heaven.



After the puppet skit, the children all had “panchos” (hotdogs) to eat before we gave them the candy that we brought. All in all, it was a very successful children’s ministry. Pastor Reuben, Guillermo (a deacon) and the Sunday School teachers appreciated our ministry to the children and the Bible applications that were made.

We returned to camp for lunch and, while some took a nap after lunch, Micah, Zach, Andy, and Grant went with Pastor Reuben, Guillermo and others to a small village(about one hour from Paysandu), where there is the possibility of a new church being planted. There is a small group of believers there and they have an afternoon service for them. The children there also enjoyed the gospel magic tricks, Bible lessons and candy. We were not able to take the puppets there because of the limited space.

In the evening service back in Paysandu, the team sang two songs and quoted their theme verses in Spanish (Galatians 2:20 and 6:14). Andy Gibbons and Josh Netz shared their testimonies. Coach Dennis Scott preached. After the service the team shared some gifts with the “jovenes” and they gathered together in a circle of prayer with arms around each other, as this is likely the last time that we will see some of them. The bond that has been formed between them has been very strong for the relatively short amount of time that we have been here. Tomorrow we head out to Salto and will be there for parts of Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday we have to clean-up, pack-up and head back to the capital, Montevideo, to begin our trip home. We arrive back in Green Bay on Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm.



Team Testimony from Grant Chai:
Today was kid’s day in Uruguay. I can relate to that because we have a version of kids day in Hawaii. I was able to present a object lessons to the kids. My object lesson deals with trials and hard times in our lives. One can either obey God or disobey God. It’s as easy as that. After I presented my object lesson a kid in the front row jumped out of his seat. At least I was able to relate to one of the kids.

After the object lessons the kids had a snack of hot dogs. I watched and observed a little kid down three hot dogs in a matter of ten minutes. Glad that there are other people out there who enjoys eating as much as I do.

After church today I had the opportunity to go to a new church plant in another small town east of Paysandú. Micah, Andy and Zach came along as well and were going to share their object lessons with the kids. I did not know what to expect but I was excited for the opportunity to serve. Danny dropped us off and we took a van to the town with some other members of the church. The van that we took had a back row with two bench seats in the middle facing each other. I was given the seat with my back to the driver’s seat. I was going to have a whole different trip from everyone else. I found myself on a few occasions making eye contact with the other people facing me and then looking out the window or somewhere else to try not to make the situation awkward.

The van ride was about an hour. We pulled into this small town and the kids were waiting for us. The venue for this gathering was a small patio type building that was incomplete. I have to give props to our TB (Translator Boy), Andy, who translated our object lessons from English to Spanish. After the rest of our group presented their object lessons I was given the opportunity to share a personal testimony with the group. I shared I Corinthians 10:31. I was not sure what I was going to say but I asked the Lord to give me the words to say. After the service, an older gentleman started talking to me. The first words to come out of my mouth were to find Andy to translate for me. The older gentleman told me that he went through the same thing that I went through and that he was encouraged to hear my testimony. All I could say was that all the glory goes back to God. He gave me the words to say and it is because of His grace and mercy that I was able to share that testimony with the church.

I am very grateful to have had this opportunity to come on this trip. God is good. Even though I can’t speak or understand Spanish, it is refreshing knowing that I can worship with other Christians from a different country. Even though I know that I will probably never see any of the people again, I know that I will see them again in Heaven. Thank you for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for our team and for the ministry opportunities down here in Uruguay.

Grant Chai

Niños Soccer Clinic and Jovenes Fellowship

The bright yellow thing in the sky appeared again this morning. It was great to see it and feel the warmth from it after a couple of cold, rainy, overcast days. After breakfast and devotions we started to work on setting the final 12 posts for the fort. However, there was still too much water and mud in the post holes that had been previously dug, so we had to delay that project again. We ended up gathering more firewood and searched around in areas of the camp that had not yet been explored.

We did not have a soccer game scheduled for today so the guys were able to get some extra rest. Some of them have been fighting with colds that have been developing for the past few days. The wet weather and cooler temperatures have resulted in some sore throats and runny noses. We have been encouraging them to drink lots of water and get some extra rest. Becca Vallette was able to provide some cough and cold medicine for us. Hopefully, the team will be back to full strength on Monday for our last soccer game in Salto.

Shortly after lunch, we went into town to hold a children’s soccer clinic. There were between 10-15 boys and girls who showed up and everyone had a great time. Coach Andrew did an outstanding job teaching the young Uruguayans about not having an “elephant touch” on the soccer ball. The soccer team members helped to give individual attention to each child and provided “targets” for the children to shoot at. The children all seemed to enjoy the “Sharks and Minnows” game. Ben Cummins shared about the “ball of many colors” with the children at the end of the session. We presented two of the colorful soccer balls to Guillermo, one of the deacons in the church. As the children play with them, we hope they will be reminded of the message they represent.



After the clinic, we spent time with the “jovenes” (youth group at the church). Saturday is their weekly fellowship time and it began this week with some of them, accompanying us into the downtown area of Paysandu. There was a lot of activity downtown and many people were buying gifts for tomorrow’s Dia Del Niño (Children’s Day). Four or five of our team members went with a couple of the jovenes in each group, just in case we needed some interpreters.

Everyone returned to the church by 8:00 pm for the youth meeting. We sang songs, shared testimonies of thankfulness, sang more songs, enjoyed a picture-search game (prizes for the winners), more testimonies and songs, and then had a Bible study. Grant Chai gave his testimony of salvation and Zach Haese led the Bible study. Caleb Salsman interpreted for both of them. Caleb also shared his personal testimony with the jovenes. He obviously didn’t need an interpreter.

After the Bible Study, we were treated to a traditional Uruguayan dish with beans and rice. The fellowship then moved out to the back yard of the church for a friendly soccer match, Americans vs. Uruguayans. Everyone had a lot of fun cheering for the goals that were scored. It didn’t matter which team scored, everyone cheered just the same. We stayed at the church until 11:30 pm. By the time we got back to camp and organized a few things for Dia del Niño, it was well after midnight. We have an early morning wake-up call and a busy day tomorrow for this special day.



Team Testimony from Micah Herron:
Today was “Work Day 2010”. Which really means nothing being as how most of gallivanted all morning. Because of the late night on Friday night, Danny and Coach graciously moved breakfast to 9:30. As every morning goes we all mosey on over to the cafeteria congregate around the wood stove and try and thaw out our frozen fingers and toes. Breakfast quickly follows after that, and by that time we are all chomping at the bits to eat. We had French Toast, one of my personal favorites. I think I just about ate a whole loaf of bread… Needless to say, meals are “muy importante’” to me.

One of the highlights of my day is being able to study God’s word with my brothers. I am learning to cherish these times because as a senior they will be few and far between in a setting like this. We have been studying through Galatians. This morning’s passage was on walking in the spirit. I have heard this all my life. My parents have ingrained this into my head, thankfully, but many times I find this difficult to live out practically. I think this is a struggle we all go through as believers. Paul goes on to explain how our flesh is warring against our spirit. I find myself getting discouraged because of this sometimes, but then right as that low point comes, hope comes jumping into the picture. But the spirit is warring back at my flesh. Praise God we have already won the victory over sin. And one day this war is going to be over, and I cannot wait for that day to come.

So after Bible study Danny had us do some odd jobs around the camp. One of them was to haul the firewood from the woods to the edge so it could be picked up quicker. As many of us were doing this we happened upon a tree that was about dead and decided to help the death process and break it down. Now if you can imagine 7 or 8 college guys standing around a dead tree with no chainsaws or tools to cut it down, something stupid was probably thought up. Well we decided to have someone climb the tree, work their way out to the edge of a branch, hang all their weight on it to see if it would break. And much to our delight, they broke. One right after the other. The funniest part of all this was that every time someone hung on the branch they usually proceeded to fall on their back while the rest of the guys gave manly grunts and hoots and hollers. That was our “work” for the day. Don’t tell Danny…

Later in the day, we had an opportunity to do a soccer clinic for some kids at the church. We ran drills, played games and were able to share the gospel at the end. The rest of the day we had to go shopping around town with some of the youth guys. These guys grew on each one of us. The more time we spent with them, will make it all the more difficult to say goodbye. That evening we all rendezvous back at the church for a youth night where we were able to fellowship and challenge the youth here through God’s word. On trips like this, you begin to appreciate these times more than the times you get to just cruise. The kids here live a simple, content life. They do their duties and are thankful for what they have. They have been a conviction to me. I have been thankful to be removed from all the media, wifi (most of the time), and my cell phone. When you step back from the busyness of life, you are reminded of what is important in life- Jesus Christ, the Word, and People. Yeah, sure these kids have their struggles, but what an honor and privilege it was to challenge the youth with a verse that has made an imprint on my life- Micah 6:8. God asks us to be right, be loving, and to be humble.

I am enjoying my time here and am eternally gratefully for an opportunity to be entrusted with the gospel of Jesus Christ- the message of the Cross. God has given us a platform because of a few abilities he has blessed us with. But all through Galatians Paul continually points back to what is most important which is the Cross of Jesus Christ. Thank you to all who gave towards this trip and those who are praying. Please continue to do so as we strive together to reach more souls for the Kingdom.

Honor,

Micah
Galatians 6:14

Keep the fire burning

More firewood! Gathering firewood to keep the fire burning in the wood stove is a constant chore, especially on these cooler days. This daily task has given us a very visual reminder of the need to feed the flames of our spiritual lives as well. We have needed wood for the fire to keep warm, to cook food, and to heat water for showers and a baptismal service.

Friday morning continued to be overcast, windy, and cool, but at least the rain had stopped. After our late night volleyball activities at the YMCA last night, we decided to let the team sleep in a little bit since the outdoor work projects were still “put on hold”. We gathered for breakfast at 9:30 am and then had team devotions at 10:00 am. Our study together through the book of Galatians has been a highlight of each day for all of us.

Our soccer ministry opportunity for today was with some unsaved contacts and co-workers of men from the church in Paysandu. We rented a small, outdoor, lighted field with artificial turf. We scheduled the facility for two hours and played against two different teams in 7 v. 7 competition (one hour each). The first team was a group of unsaved men that Dan Vallette has had contact with through soccer leagues. It was a very close match with both teams scoring often. In the end, Northland pulled out a 12-11 victory with Caleb Salsman scoring the winning goal. After the game, the team shared the gospel by using the “ball of many colors” and again, the gospel was well received. The seed is continually being sown and watered. We are certainly praying that God would “give the increase” in His time. Dan Vallette has assured us that these opportunities to build relationships and share the gospel are very helpful in the ministry here.

The second match was with a couple of men from the church who brought some of their unsaved co-workers. We got behind early 3-0 and 4-1, but finally made a comeback to tie the game at 4-4. I’m not sure if anyone remembers what the final score ended up being, but we think Northland won (even though it doesn’t really matter). What matters most is that these unsaved co-workers heard the gospel and were invited to respond to it. This was an encouragement to the men in the church who had invited them. Two of the unsaved men actually remembered the last visit that our men’s soccer team made to Uruguay, twelve years ago. One of them, who had played with the Estudiantil club team, remembered playing against Coach Andrew Scott, who was a member of the 1998 team that came here. It is very interesting how God brought this man out again this year to hear the gospel. It turns out that he is one of the co-workers of the man from the church. Pray that he will respond to the gospel as follow-up contacts are made.

During the middle of these matches, four of us went over to the YMCA as a follow-up to the contact that we made there last night. The YMCA director invited us back to share the story of the “ball of many colors” with the children who are there in the afternoon. Paul Johns shared the story while Andy Gibbons interpreted for him. The children at the YMCA were also invited to the youth soccer clinic we are doing tomorrow at the church. Dan Vallette also told them about the camp ministry. Many gospel tracts were given out to the children, teens, and some of the parents and YMCA staff members that were there. We were invited to play volleyball there again tonight at 10:30 pm.

After the soccer was over, we had supper in town. We ate traditional Uruguayan sandwiches called “Chivitos”. They are basically a sandwich with “everything on it” (tomatoes, peppers, eggs, cheese, olives, lettuce, peas, corn, and lots of other tasty stuff). We each had our choice of meat. Some chose a traditional hamburger patty, others had ham or chicken. It was definitely a treat! I don’t think that Red Robin has a hamburger on their menu that is quite as tasty and I'm certain that McDonald's and Burger King don't.

After supper, the team did a little shopping while walking over to the YMCA for the evening volleyball ministry opportunity. A number of the guys from the church youth group joined us. We are really looking forward to the children’s soccer clinic tomorrow afternoon and the youth group fellowship tomorrow night.

Photos

I finally was able to upload a photo. Here are a few more.

Unexpected Opportunities

The forecast for Thursday was calling for rain, and boy did it rain! It started early Thursday morning (around 2:00 am) and continued steadily until daylight. The metal roof on our lodge magnified the sound of the rain. This gave us a sense that the volume of the rain was extremely heavy also. This was confirmed when we looked out the front door of our lodge and the soccer field looked like a lake. The storm included quite a bit of thunder and lightning as well. The rain never let up the entire day. It was certainly a day for indoor activities.

Because of the rain, breakfast was delayed and the work projects for the day had to be postponed. Since we could not do anything outside, we organized a ping-pong tournament. Everyone enjoyed participating. While Josh Netz won the tournament, the best ping-pong player was actually missionary, Dan Vallette. When he returned from a trip to town, Dan defeated Josh in an individual match and then teamed up with Paul Reece to win the doubles tournament.

The other indoor activity we decided to do was give the guys an opportunity to do some shopping. We went into town early so they could exchange some money and shop for gifts and souvenirs. Some of the youth group from the church met us downtown and helped interpret for us while shopping.

The rain obviously forced the cancellation of our soccer match against Centenario. However, God had other special plans for us. We moved our activity indoors and changed sports. We went to a YMCA gymnasium and had a volleyball match against a local men’s team. With Micah Herron, Grant Chai, and Paul Johns from the Northland men’s volleyball team and Dan Vallette (who plays volleyball regularly), we thought we might be able to “hold our own”. However, the men’s team from the YMCA was very experienced and skilled. We had a couple of close games with them, but never did beat them in 5 or 6 tries.

When we took a break from playing volleyball, our opponents listened closely as Micah Herron presented the gospel using the “ball of many colors”. Even though it was a soccer ball that he used (instead of a volleyball), the gospel message was very clear. We presented the “ball of many colors” to the YMCA director and she asked us to return tomorrow to share this story with the children who will be there for an activity. We are looking forward to this opportunity and are planning to invite many of these children to our soccer clinic on Saturday. Many great new contacts continue to be made for the church and camp ministry to follow up on. The director of the YMCA and some men from their volleyball team are a couple of examples.

Continue to pray for fruit from the numerous opportunities we have had to clearly present the gospel. We have given away hundreds of Bridge tracts and dozens of t-shirts with the gospel. In almost every case, without exception, the gifts have been very well received and appreciated. It is amazing how a sporting activity can break down a barrier, open a door, build a relationship, and give an opportunity to share the gospel. Had we simply met some of these people out on the street and tried to talk to them, they, most likely, would not have given us the audience that they did once we connected with them through a sports ministry. Praise the Lord for these unexpected opportunities!

Team Testimony from Josh Netz:
I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be able to come on this trip. It seems like yesterday that it was last summer and Coach Scott was inviting me to come. My time down here has been unlike anything I have ever experienced. I didn’t know what exactly to expect coming down to Uruguay as far as the weather, food, sleeping accommodations, or the level of play for soccer. Almost all have exceeded my expectations. The meals that Mrs. Vallette and Jorge have prepared have been outstanding! I haven’t eaten this good for a week straight in a looong time. They rival my mother’s home cooked meals. The soccer games and volleyball games have been awesome! The Uruguayans have beaten us in every game that we’ve played. But the best part about the games is afterwards, when we give away the shirts and someone shares about the “ball of many colors”. Every guy is very respectful and pays attention and hopefully someone will have some questions now that the seed is planted.

What has become one the best part of my days down here, besides the great food and the games, is every morning after breakfast our whole team sits around the fire and one of the Coach Scott’s talk about Galatians. Our study through Galatians has been awesome. The Jews were teaching another Gospel and Paul tried to refocus them on the real Gospel and if they stay focused on the Cross, then loving thy neighbor will become easier. I am excited the rest of the week and for those hot springs on Tuesday. Please pray that we’ll continue to keep Christ first in everything that we do especially in the next games and that more opportunities will show up to share the Gospel or a tract.

Thankfully,
Josh Netz

"Day Off" ?

Today, was a “day off” when it came to our soccer game schedule, but was not a “day off” when it came to work that needed to be done around the camp. Because of the late game with Estudiantil last night, an even later supper (10:00 pm), and some soreness and injuries, we let the guys sleep in later and did not have breakfast until 9:30 am. We have also found that eating meals late at night can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. However, the Uruguayans do it regularly. It seems to be a part of their routine. Many restaurants do not even open until 8:00 pm and are usually busy until well after midnight, even as late as 2:00 am.

After breakfast we had team devotions in Galatians 5. These team times are very special as we gather around the wood stove and share what God’s Word says and what He is teaching us through the experiences we are having together in Uruguay. These are also special times of praying for each other.

After team devotions we began work. There are always plenty of things to be done around the camp. Today we began work on sidewalk that is being poured around the new camp office building. We also gathered more firewood. It seems that we are using more than our “fair share” to keep warm. Wood is needed for the wood stoves that heat the buildings, as well as for cooking some meals, and for heating the water for showers in the bathhouse. There seems to be an abundance of it around the campground, but it is a never-ending project to gather it during this time of year.

After lunch the guys rested for a while and then gathered to work on our special object lessons/magic tricks that we will be using for the Children’s Day Bible story lessons. Our practice audience was the four Vallette children. We found out quickly that they were a “tough audience”, especially Bryan. He tried to figure out every trick and point out how it worked. It was a good “trial run” for the guys before they face the Children’s Day audience on Sunday.

At about 5:00 pm we picked up some “sack suppers” to hold us over until the “big meal of the day” tonight at 10:00 pm and then went over to the Vallette home to watch the Uruguayan national soccer team play a friendly match against Angola. We were only able to watch the first half (0-0) before we left for town. We wanted to get into town early so the guys could meet with some of the church youth group and do a little souvenir shopping before prayer meeting. We found out later that Uruguay eventually won the game 2-0.

At prayer meeting, Jason Lorch shared his testimony in Spanish and Paul Reece preached. The prayer time included mixed groups of English speakers and Spanish speakers all praying to their same Heavenly Father in their own language. The bond that has been formed between the two separate groups was instant and will, no doubt be long-lasting. After a time of fellowship at the church, we returned to camp around 10:00 pm for the evening meal. After that, there was a little time for playing ping-pong before going to bed. We woke up early the next morning (2:00 am) to the sound of heavy rain falling on the metal roof of our lodge.

Team Testimony from Jason Lorch:
Earlier this week I was talking with a few other guys about how long it seemed we had been here, but with less than a week before we head back to Northland, I feel like time has flown. For those of you who have been keeping up with our blog, I’m sure you’ve read about the forgotten bag at the airport. Although I take responsibility for it (seeing that my name was clearly printed on it), I just want to say that there’s a good explanation. I won’t bore you with all the details, though, because you’d probably just write it off as a lame excuse anyway.

The time we have spent here has been great. As I write, I hear the steady pounding of rain drops on the roof, which explains why I also hear the not-so-steady bouncing of a ping pong ball. It’s been raining all day, and because everything is soaked, there’s no work to be done. To pass the time we are holding a ping pong tournament, and right now I’m not very happy because Josh Netz just beat me in a close game! As nice as it is to take a break from working around the camp, I have enjoyed being a blessing to the Vallettes. Our team has been able to mix and pour cement, shovel dirt, and gather lots of fire wood. In addition to working in the mornings and playing soccer games in the evenings, our team has also spent some time with the teens from the church (a few of them even play on our team). They’ve been a big blessing to me.

Every morning after breakfast we get together and take some time to talk about the book of Galatians. It’s been awesome. This morning we discussed verses 13-15 of chapter 5. In verse 14, Paul simplifies the whole law into one phrase: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” To be honest, most of the time I love myself a lot more than I love others. My selfishness and pride get in the way of Christ’s love that I should be showing to others. This is the main reason we are even in Uruguay – to show Christ’s love. It doesn’t matter how many soccer games we win or how much cement we can mix. It’s all about showing Christ’s love. That should be my focus, not just in Uruguay, but wherever I am. God is so good in providing everything I needed to come on this trip. He has blessed, and I hope and pray that we can continue to show Christ’s love to others while we are here.

Jason

Estudiantil means “Soccer School”

In our second full-field game this week, we played against a club team called “Estudiantil”. This game was played at night under the lights. Our team was much improved from the first game, but the competition level was also higher. We got behind 1-0 in fifth minute, but responded only a minute later when one of our players was taken down in the penalty box. Micah Herron’s penalty kick tied the game at 1-1. The score remained tied until just a few minutes before halftime, when Estudiantil took advantage of a turnover and scored an easy goal for a 2-1 halftime lead.

In the second half, we had a couple of great scoring chances that could have tied the game, but the Estudiantil goalie made good saves or the shots went just wide of the goal. Midway through the second half Estudiantil scored to widen the gap to 3-1. We still had a few scoring chances after that, but just couldn’t get the ball in the net. A late goal by Estudiantil made the final score 4-1.

Coach Andrew Scott commented about Estudiantil. “They had a quality pace of play, excellent touch, and took full advantage of our mistakes. It was a very profitable game for us. We saw a lot of improvement from yesterday’s match”.

After the game Coach Andrew Scott thanked our opponent for “taking us to soccer school”. Paul Reece shared the gospel by using the “pelota de muchos colores” and each Estudiantil team member and coach received a t-shirt and Bridge gospel tract. They presented us with a small banner with their club team logo on it. The captain of their team thanked us for choosing their team to play against. They really seemed to enjoy the competition and were very attentive and respectful during the gospel presentation. More great contacts were made for the church and camp ministry to follow up on.

Earlier in the day, work projects included, setting the final few posts for the fort. Some of the guys left their mark on the project by writing their initials in the cement at the base of a couple of the posts. Work was also begun on pouring a sidewalk and “backfilling” an area along a brick wall next to our lodge. One of our “daily” work projects is washing dishes. We each take turns doing the dishes by hand after every meal. By the end of this trip, every team member should be quite proficient at this skill. Moms, keep that in mind the next time your son is home. : )

Today (August 11), the guys should have an opportunity to communicate back home through e-mail. We are going into town a little early tonight so they can go to the Cyber Café. After that, Jason Lorch will be sharing his testimony and Paul Reece will be teaching the teens/adult Bible Study at prayer meeting. Today, we are also planning on practicing our special music and our children’s ministry lessons (gospel magic and puppets) for next Sunday, Dia del Niño (Children’s Day).

We don’t have a soccer game today and it is a good thing. We need to recover from some very demanding, physical games that we have played the past two days. The teams we are playing against are very skilled and extremely quick. It puts a lot of pressure on our defense, but Jason Lorch, Ben Cummins and William (a young man from the church youth group) have played well in the back. Also, we had a few minor injuries (ankle sprains) to Caleb Salsman and Andy Gibbons. Hopefully, the day off will help heal some of the aches and pains.

Team Testimony from Paul Reece:
Pictures and words seem inadequate as means to describe the experiences and blessings God has bestowed upon this team as whole, as well as me personally. Sharing the gospel has taken on somewhat of a new form in my everyday practice here in Uruguay. Though we have been given a few opportunities to share the gospel verbally, God has shown me through this trip what it means to share Christ with my life; to serve. In spite of the language barrier, I believe the team both on and off the field has truly lived out the gospel and will continue in this manner. The gospel has become not only something we give when a Uruguayan happens to speak English or an interpreter is standing by, but also something we live out for the sake of His Kingdom. As we strive to live as our Savior, we bring encouragement to those who know him and conviction to those we pray will soon receive Him.

My role on this trip has been a little different due to my ankle injury. I will admit my discouragement and in moments frustration towards God for my inability to be out on the field. But God has blessed me greatly and given me opportunities that otherwise would have been missed if my wish to play had been granted. He has given me the ability to take pictures, and from day one I have taken many. Saturday, during our first game, He allowed me to share gospel tracts with 4 young boys riding horses alongside the field. God not only allowed me to converse with the boys about the gospel tracts, but also blessed me with the opportunity to ride a horse in Uruguay. For some this is not a big deal, but for me it was a valued gift.

As the team worked outside Tuesday, God allowed me to assist in the design of a camp brochure, which we will hand out at games and other related functions. Tuesday night God gave me the opportunity to share His gospel with the opposing team using the “Ball of Many Colors” (The Wordless Book – but a soccer ball). God answered my prayer and communicated His truth clearly and effectively. I will be speaking tonight during the prayer meeting service and would appreciate your prayers. God is good, and shall accomplish His will through my weakness.

Thank you for your prayers. I can truly say that if I had to leave tomorrow, the trip would not be in vain. The Lord is working in my life, and what a blessing to know that His work is not done. Keep praying for us; that we might continue to be an encouragement to the missionaries and for the gospel to reach many more hearts before our time here comes to an end.

I love you Mom, Dad, Family – I miss you all… love you Nikole – see you soon.

Humbly,

Paul

Pictures

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to post any pictures with the blog articles. I have tried to upload some photos twice, but have run into problems each time. I'm not sure that the Internet Cafe that we are using is capable of handling the the volume of data required to upload the pictures. We may have to wait until we return to the States in order to do this, but we will keep trying as we have opportunity.

Unexpected Excitement

After a good breakfast (baked oatmeal, cold cereal, fresh fruit, and the ever-present, ducle de leche and bread), we sat down around the wood stove to keep warm and have team devotions (Galatians 3). At about 9:30 am, our work project for the morning was setting the posts for what will eventually be a play fort for the campers. Some guys mixed cement while others broke rocks into small pieces or cut boards. The weather was perfect for working outside. The camp staff was very pleased with the progress we made on the project the first day.

When lunch was ready, we ate outside since the weather was so nice. As lunch was ending, Zach Haese, and Micah Herron noticed that there was some smoke in an area of the camp behind our lodge. A quick investigation revealed that some of the ashes from our wood stove had been “thrown out” by Grant Chai and Ben Cummins. The ashes smoldered into a small brush fire and could have become a very serious wildfire had the guys not noticed it when they did. The flames had reached about 2-3 feet high and were spreading quickly in the dry brush. Fortunately, none of the surrounding trees caught on fire. Had that happened we could have been in for a very long afternoon of firefighting. Everyone worked quickly to put out the fire. Some carried water from the swimming pool in buckets that had, earlier in the morning, been filled with cement. Others took shovels and stamped out smoldering grass and brush. God really protected us and the camp facilities from serious damage.

Our first full-field soccer match was in the late afternoon against a club team called Bella Vista. They were very good. They were extremely quick, very skilled and had much more depth than we had. They got out in front of us 2-0, but a goal by Caleb Salsman cut the lead to 2-1 at halftime. Andy Gibbons crossed the ball in front of the net and Micah Herron headed it on to Caleb for the finish. After halftime, Bella Vista’s depth of showed as they built a 5-1 lead. Late in the game, missionary Dan Vallette scored a goal for us making the final margin 5-2.

The two teams gathered after the match and Coach Andrew Scott presented the gospel using the “pelota de muchos colores” (ball of many colors). It is a soccer ball that has all of the colors of the wordless book and is a great tool to use in presenting the gospel. The Uruguayan team listened attentively. Afterward, they each received a t-shirt with the gospel printed on the back and a Bridge tract from our team. All of the spectators also received a Bridge tract. Dozens heard the gospel and many good contacts were made for the church and the camp ministry.

One highlight was a contact that was made by the team and then followed up on by Pastor Reuben from the Iglesia Biblicos Centros. Pastor Reuben is planning on personally following up on this young man. He was able to get his contact information and is planning on keeping in touch with him. He seemed very interested in coming out to church. Pray that he will come next Sunday while the team is still here.

Many of the young men that we are playing soccer against could possibly come out to a week of camp next summer. Camp Director, Dan Vallette and Paul Reece worked on an invitational brochure about summer camp that will be handed out at each of our games. Dan believes that contacts that are made through this soccer trip could result in a number of the young people coming out to camp for a week. We are attempting to connect them with some of the youth group at the church who are attending our games each day.

Team Testimony from Ben Cummins:
Today is August 10 and God has given us another beautiful morning. The weather continues to be slightly colder than I expected. Yesterday, after breakfast and devotions we headed out to begin building a play fort for the camp’s playground facilities. Mixing concrete with a small mixer we placed most of the posts for the foundation of the fort.

The most exciting and shameful part of my day was when Zach Haese noticed a small fire beginning out behind our dorm building right after lunch. Grant Chai and I had a sudden shock of panic as we realized we had poured the ashes from yesterday’s fire out back that morning and several of the embers were still glowing. Our team quickly became expert firemen and the fire was put out without further incident. Things could have gone much worse and I was happy that Grant and I were not on the news that night for burning a camp down.

We played our first full-field game last night against a U-18 team and, despite our best efforts, we met with defeat. We hung with them and the game was exciting from beginning to end. Afterwards Coach Andrew Scott went through a presentation of the “Pelota de Muchos Colores” (wordless book presentation except on a soccer ball) while Caleb Salsmen translated for him. We also presented the players and coaches with a quality soccer ball and t-shirts with the gospel on the back commemorating our trip. The players and coaches listened to the gospel presentation with good attention and were grateful for the scrimmage and the gifts.

I am enjoying using soccer as an outreach. In the past, I have played soccer only for myself and this trip has been amazing to see what God can do with our talents if we allow them to be focused on His glory and not on ourselves. Being surrounded by Christians peers has been the most enjoyable part of my time. We play together, we live together, we hang out together, we work together, and we eat together every day. I hope the trip will continue to be profitable spiritually and physically for the team and the missionary family.

Benjamin Cummins

Domingo Bendiciónes

Sunday Blessings! What a wonderful experience it was to worship this Sunday with two different local churches. The common bond we have in Christ with believers from a different land, a different culture, and a different language was truly a blessing. We were able to celebrate both of the church ordinances (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) with the believers here.

In the morning, most of our team went to Sunday School at Iglesia Centros Biblicos (Central Bible Church) in Paysandu. We joined with the youth and adults in a Sunday School class. Zach Haese shared his testimony. The lesson was taught by Coach Dennis Scott and interpreted by Caleb Salsman. Two members of our team (Andy Gibbons and Timothy Legg) were asked to stay at the camp to help prepare for an early afternoon baptismal service for the church from Salto (1 ½ hours north of Paysandu). The church in Salto does not have a baptismal tank so they use the “kiddie pool” at the camp. Andy and Tim helped Jorge (the camp custodian, maintenance man, and cook) build a large fire to heat the water that would be used to warm the baptismal water.

For lunch we had an amazing selection of meat cooked over a large wood fire along with salads and other special dishes. We shared this meal with the church members from Salto and enjoyed fellowshipping with them. After the meal, final preparations were made for the baptismal service. Two young ladies were baptized by missionary Andrew Thompson, a Northland graduate. It was a blessing to have a small part in the preparation of this special day for these young believers. It was also very special to see the members of the church at Salto rejoicing in this step of obedience by them.

In Uruguay, the evening service is the “main” Sunday service of the day. This service would be comparable to our Sunday morning service. We enjoyed participating in the Lord’s Supper with the church in Paysandu. Paul Johns shared his testimony (in Spanish) and Coach Andrew Scott preached the evening message in preparation for communion. Caleb Salsman again did the interpreting. Coach Andrew preached a message from Ephesians 2 contrasting our condition before salvation with our position in Christ once we have been saved. We were dead before, but now we are alive. We were slaves before, but now we are sons of God. We were under the wrath of God before, but now we enjoying the blessings of God’s love, mercy, grace and kindness.

Our MVP of the day was Jason Lorch (Most Valuable Piano-player). Just a minute or two before the evening service began, he was asked, by the pastor’s wife, to play the piano for the congregational singing. It came as a surprise to Jason, but he did a great job accompanying for the singing. Evidently musical notes are the same in any language. : ) Jason also played an impromptu offertory.

After the Sunday evening service we walked to downtown Paysandu to go to an Internet café so the guys could e-mail and communicate to everyone back home. Unfortunately, all of the computers were full. There are only about 12 computers at each of the two cafés we checked out. We had stopped by earlier in the day (before Sunday School), but both of them were closed then. We are finding it difficult to get internet access for everyone, but hope that you are following this blog to keep up with information about our trip.

Team Testimony from Paul Johns:
Today is August 8th. So far, we have been in Uruguay for just over 2 days. As our relationship with the people of Uruguay grows, so does the desire for our English-only speakers to have the ability to speak Spanish; not only is that the case, but many of the Uruguayans are trying to learn English as well. This was our first Sunday here, so it was also the first opportunity we have had to be in the church here in Paysandu.

In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to fellowship with fellow believers from Salto as they had a baptism service here at the campgrounds. It was quite an adventure getting warm water for the baptism as hot water here is limited, especially when it is winter, and the temperature is only in the 40s. A few of our guys were manning the fire for hours as we heated water over an open fire.

In the evening, we went to church again. Here, the Sunday night service is the main service for the day. I had the opportunity to share my testimony with the church. After church we were walking around downtown Paysandu looking for a Cyber Café where we could check our emails and such, but all of them were full, so we settled for a nice little stroll around neighborhood in the cities.

God has taught me so much on this trip in such a little amount of time. When you go to a foreign country, one of your first thoughts is that every aspect of everything you do is 180 degrees of what you expect. Sure, there are differences that we have with the people here, but there are also many bonds that we share with the people here.

In church today we had the opportunity to witness a baptism service, and take part in a communion service, both of which were similar to what we have in the U.S. The lives we live in the U.S. and in Uruguay may be different in many ways, but all humans have many of the same needs, both physically, and more importantly spiritually. I am excited for the remainder of the trip, and I am excited to see how God will use this team to glorify Him through the game of soccer and through the relationships that we build with the people here.

Paul Johns

First Soccer Match

Our first soccer game was a “friendly match” on Saturday night with the “jovenes” (youth group) from Iglesia Centros Biblicos in Paysandu. It was a good warm-up match (8 v. 8) on a small field that helped us prepare for the competition we will face next week. Northland was winning by a score of 6-1 after the first half which lasted 30 minutes. Northland built up a lead of 10-2 in the second half and the game just kept going and going. The second half lasted well over an hour since the teams were enjoying it so much. I don’t think anyone ever really knew what the final score was or even cared. Both teams ended up scoring a lot of goals, especially after everyone got tired. There was little daylight left when the game finally ended.

After the game, we had a light snack that consisted of bread with dulce-de-leche, some fruit and hot chocolate. Dulce de leche is a caramel-flavored spread that is put on bread. It is a staple in the Uruguayan diet. The big meal of the day is usually later in the evening. That meal tonight was pizza, made from scratch and cooked in an outdoor brick oven. Diego, a man from the church in Paysandu, made all of the pizza for over 50 people.

We enjoyed the pizza after the fellowship time. The fellowship time included games (around-the-world ping-pong and carpet ball), singing, testimonies, and preaching. William, a young man from the youth group that we met three years ago when the girls’ soccer team was here, led the singing. William is a future leader in the ministry here, but would like to get some Bible college training. He is also a very good soccer player and will play with us next week in some of the games against the men’s club teams from Paysandu. Ben Cummins shared his testimony (in Spanish) and Micah Herron preached a message from the book of Micah. Andy Gibbons interpreted the message.

All in all, it was a great “first full day” in Uruguay. The team made friends quickly and the Uruguayans like to practice their English as much as we are eager to learn Spanish. It makes for fast-developing friendships and great Christian fellowship. These friendships will, no doubt, also be long-lasting and it will be difficult to say good-bye when it comes time to leave. Thankfully, we still have another 10 days before we return home.

Team Testimony from Zach Haese:
On our travel day, the flight and connections went very smoothly. When we were departing the plane, after we had arrived in Montevideo, I heard my name being called and I looked up. It was John Rehfeldt, a guy from my church in Rockford, IL, who is in Uruguay for a survey trip. We had flown on the same plane for nine hours and didn’t even know it.

After claiming our luggage, we took a 5 hour trip in this very old church van to the camp where we are staying. The trip was uneventful for me, because I slept most of the way. Today, however, was an eventful day. I woke up and helped the cook make some pancakes for breakfast. Then we had our team Bible study. We are studying through the book of Galatians. After that, we cleaned up the camp for awhile, and around 3:30, we started playing soccer with some of the guys from the church youth group. We played until 6:30.

After soccer, the rest of the youth group came over and we just had an awesome time hanging out and playing games with the teens. It was sort of funny when the girls came up to meet us they kissed us on the cheek, because that’s how they greet people here. The guys on the team have been joking around that today was the day I got my first kiss.

God has really been showing me that it’s easy to love others for awhile, but when that love for others comes from a love for God, I can and must love others all the time. I’m thoroughly thankful and blessed that I have had the opportunity to come on this trip and I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me.

Zach Haese

Safely Arrived

After over 30 continuous hours of traveling, we arrived safely at our destination in Paysandu, Uruguay. When we landed in Montevideo the weather was beautiful, but about 25 degrees cooler than when we left Northland’s campus. It is “winter” down here, but the temperature during the day reaches into the 60’s. At night, however, it dips into the upper 30’s and low 40’s. We are thankful for the wood stove in the center of the camp lodge where we are staying. However, the fire went out last night and we got a little cold this morning. From now on, we will be sure to keep the fire stoked, so we have a warm place to gather on the cool mornings. The guys do like the fact that there is a soccer field in our front yard.

Our home for the next couple of weeks is Campamento Union de Centros Biblicos. This is our “base of operations” where we will sleep and eat most of our meals. From here, we will travel out to various soccer matches and ministry opportunities. We will also be working on some camp facilities projects. One specific project is to build a “play fort” for the younger campers to use next camping season. We stopped at a park in Montevideo to see an example of the kind of fort that camp director, Dan Vallette, has in mind. Our project will be to “lay the foundation” of the fort by setting some posts and pouring some concrete.

This morning’s project was to clean the swimming pool area and prepare for a baptismal service tomorrow. A church from Salto (1 ½ hours north of Paysandu) is traveling down to the camp to baptize some of their members. They will be using the “kiddie pool”. The water has to be heated by a wood fire. They guys spent much of the morning cleaning the pool area, gathering firewood, and filling the pool and larger containers with water. Jason Lorch was in charge of keeping the fire going. He earned his boy scout merit badge for that, but lost a merit badge for luggage accountability. You’ll have to ask him about it, but we left one of our team equipment bags at the airport in Montevideo.

The camp staff has already been a blessing. Missionaries Dan and Becca Vallette and their four children, Keven (12), Bryan (10), Vanesa (8), and Camila (6) have given us a warm welcome. While Dan has helped us lay out the schedule for the trip, Becca is helping to prepare meals for us. She is assisted by Jorge, a Uruguayan young man who is an enthusiastic and growing Christian. Most of our team has already made great friendships with the Vallette children and with Jorge.

This afternoon, we will meet a good number of the youth group from Iglesia Centro Biblico (Central Bible Church) in Paysandu. They are coming out to the camp for a friendly soccer match and time of fellowship. Ben Cummins and Timothy Legg will be sharing their testimonies and Micah Herron will be preaching.

Paul Reece has become our MVP, even though he is injured. MVP in this case stands for Most Valuable Photographer. Most of the pictures that we hope to upload to the blog are taken by him except, of course, of the one I took of him taking pictures. It takes a long time to upload the photos and we are going to try again tomorrow, but for now, this post will have to suffice. We have to travel into town to an Internet Cafe to get access. We will update as often as we can, but access is not as convenient as we originally thought it might be. Thanks for praying for us.

Ready to Go

The team has done a great job working on their soccer skills over the past few days to prepare for what will surely be some very competitive soccer matches in Uruguay. The drills and scrimmages may not have been as demanding as their upcoming preseason training will be, but at least they are starting to “get their touch back” and trying to get back into some kind of “soccer shape”. While they have been spending hours on the field each day, they have also been spending a lot of time working on ministry projects and opportunities (testimonies, sermons, special music, Bible lessons, etc).

We have been working specifically on children’s ministry projects. One of the Sundays, while we are in Uruguay , is “Dia del Niño”, that is, “Kid’s Day”. This is a national holiday that is very big in South American countries. The missionaries have encouraged us to bring lots of candy for the children. We have also prepared a puppet skit and some object lesson “magic tricks” that teach some great spiritual truths. Some of the gospel magic tricks that we will be doing for the children include the following:

Zach Haese – changing bag that teaches how our sin (represented by a black silk handkerchief) is cleansed by Jesus’ blood (represented by a red silk handkerchief). When both are put into the changing bag they “disappear” and only a white handkerchief comes out of the bag (representing a clean heart and righteous standing before a holy God for those who have trusted Jesus Christ as personal Savior).

Grant Chai – a special container that teaches how good things can come out of the fiery trials of our lives if we just trust God through them and obey His word.

Micah Herron – a rope trick that teaches that, though we are all different on the outside, we are all equal in God’s sight because of our sin. No amount of good works can help you gain favor with a holy God. Our sin debt was paid for by Jesus Christ.

Paul Reece – a special container that “never runs out” of water. Paul shares the Bible story of a widow, who, during a severe famine with only enough oil remaining to make one last meal for herself and her son, trusts God to provide, as she makes a meal for the man of God, Elijah.

Josh Netz – a rope trick where he cuts the rope in half and then restores it to its full length. This object lesson teaches us that our sin separates us from a holy God, but through a relationship with Jesus Christ we can be restored to fellowship with Him.

Paul Johns, Jason Lorch, Ben Cummins, and Timothy Legg are involved with a puppet skit entitled “Boletos”. The word boletos in Spanish means “tickets”. Pablo thinks he can use a ticket to get to heaven, but Maria helps him to understand that no bus ticket, taxi ticket or even plane ticket could possibly help him get there. Only the work of Jesus Christ on the cross is sufficient to “pay his fare” to heaven.

Caleb Salsman has been very busy interpreting for the team as they practice their testimonies and share their “gospel magic”. Caleb grew up on the mission field in Chile, speaks Spanish fluently, and accompanies our special music with his guitar. Andy Gibbons also grew up on the mission field in South America (Argentina) and will also help us with translating and interpreting. He also plays the guitar for us.

The team is prepared to sing two songs in Spanish and one in English. When we sing our English song , The Power of the Cross, we will share the Spanish words with the audience. This song has a powerful message and fits nicely with our theme verses of Galatians 2:20 and Galatians 6:14.

After 3 full days of preparations, we left campus this morning, August 5, at around 9:00 am. We stopped at the Golden Corral restaurant in Green Bay for one last good meal before spending most of the next two days in airports, on airplanes, and busses.

After a quick flight (30 minutes) from Green Bay to Chicago, we had an almost 3 hour lay-over at O’Hare International airport before leaving for Miami. In Miami we waited about 1 hour before taking the overnight flight to Montivideo (the capital city of Uruguay), leaving at 11:15 pm.

After arriving in Uruguay at 9:00 am Friday morning, August 6, we will claim our luggage and load up for a 5-hour bus ride to Paysandu. The rest of Friday evening and all of Saturday morning will be to get some much needed rest from the trip and our three days of preparation. We had some late nights working on magic tricks and puppet skits.

Saturday afternoon we have a small field “friendly match” with the youth group from Central Bible Church in Paysandu. Check out our itinerary (listed in an earlier post below) for more details about our schedule while we are in Uruguay.

Return to this blog for daily updates from all of the players and from both Coach Scotts. Please remember to pray for us. We are excited about what God is going to do in us and through us. Pray that the gospel will be clearly presented and there will be some who respond to it. Also, pray for safety in traveling and for good health and strength while we adjust to the Uruguayan culture.

Contact Information

If you need to get in touch with us at some time throughout the trip please try the following phone numbers and e-mail addresses. We will be checking our e-mails regularly throughout the trip. However, to contact us by phone once we are in Uruguay, you will need to call Dan Vallette's phone number.

In the States:
Coach Dennis Scott
Office: 715-324-6900 ext. 2520
Cell: 920-227-8614
E-mail: dennis.scott@ni.edu

In Uruguay:
Missionary Dan Vallette - you may call this number from the States
Phone: 011-598-722-3901
E-mail: dvallette@gmsa.org

Once we are in Uruguay, if you need to get an urgent message to us, you can call Missionary Dan Vallette's phone number directly and he will be able to put you in contact with us quite quickly. If it is not urgent, you can e-mail either one or both of us and we should receive the message within a few hours of it being sent.

You may also contact the Gospel Mission of South America (GMSA) office in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and they should be able to get in contact with us rather quickly. Their contact information is:

GMSA
1401 SW 21st Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312-3180
Phone 954.587.2975
Website: www.gmsa.org
E-mail: gmsausa.gmsa.org

Trip Itinerary

Here is a schedule of our Uruguay Mission Trip including the first three days of training and preparation at Northland. These three days at Northland will be very important for us to prepare physically and spiritually for the work that God has given us to do. We are excited about this unique sports ministry opportunity. During the trip we will be studying the book of Galatians in our team devotions time. Our theme verses for this trip are Galatians 2:20 and Galatians 6:15

Gálatas 2:20 (Reina-Valera 1960)
Con Cristo estoy juntamente crucificado, y ya no vivo yo, mas vive Cristo en mí; y lo que ahora vivo en la carne, lo vivo en la fe del Hijo de Dios, el cual me amó y se entregó a sí mismo por mí.
Galatians 2:20 (King James Version)
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gálatas 6:14 (Reina-Valera 1960)
Pero lejos esté de mí gloriarme, sino en la cruz de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, por quien el mundo me es crucificado a mí, y yo al mundo.
Galatians 6:14 (King James Version)
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Itinerary
NIU Men’s Soccer Mission Trip
Uruguay – August 2010

Sunday – August 1, 2010
9:00 pm – Arrive at Northland campus no later than 9:00 pm
9:30 pm – Team meeting/devotions (location TBA)
11:30 pm – Curfew: In dorm rooms

Monday – August 2, 2010
9:00 am – Personal devotions – Galatians 1, 2
9:45 am – Brunch (Dining Hall)
11:00 am – Soccer practice
1:30 pm – Ministry practice
3:00 pm – Help new Northland Faculty members, Kyle and Emily Harding, move in to their new home at W11469 Wisconsin Ave., Dunbar, WI.
4:30 pm – Supper (Dining Hall)
6:30 pm – Soccer practice
9:30 pm – Team devotions/Ministry practice – Discuss Galatians 1, 2
11:00 pm – Curfew: In dorm rooms

Tuesday – August 3, 2010
7:00 am – Breakfast (Dining Hall)
8:00 am – Personal devotions – Galatians 3, 4
8:30 am – Soccer Practice
11:00 am – Lunch (Dining Hall)
12:00 noon – Ministry practice
1:30 pm – Soccer practice
4:30 – Supper (Dining Hall)
6:30 pm – Soccer practice
9:30 pm – Team devotions/Ministry practice – Discuss Galatians 3, 4
11:00 pm – Curfew: In dorm rooms

Wednesday – August 4, 2010
8:00 am – Personal Devotions – Galatians 5, 6
8:30 am – Soccer practice
10:45 am – Brunch (Dining Hall)
12:00 noon – Ministry practice
1:30 – Soccer practice
3:30 pm – Free time
4:45 pm – Supper (Rec Hall)
6:30 pm – Soccer practice
9:30 pm – Team devotions/Ministry practice – Discuss Galatians 5, 6
11:00 pm – Curfew: In dorm rooms

Thursday – August 5, 2010
7:00 am – Breakfast (Dining Hall)
7:30 am – Personal Devotions
9:00 am – Depart campus for Green Bay airport
11:00 am – Lunch in Green Bay
11:45 am – Check in at Green Bay airport (American Airlines)
1:45 pm – Flight # AA 4225 leaves for Chicago – arrives at 2:40 pm
5:55 pm – Flight # AA 2378 leaves for Miami – arrives at 9:55 pm (EDT)
11:55 pm – Flight # AA 989 leaves for Montevideo – arrives Aug. 6 at 9:10 am

** Travel attire will be announced prior to our departure. It will be warm in Green Bay, Chicago and Miami, but will probably be much cooler when we arrive in Uruguay. You will want to have a light jacket available to put on once we arrive there. Please keep shirts tucked in so we don’t look sloppy. Have gospel tracts available when people ask questions about our group

Friday – August 6, 2010
10:00 am – Bus ride to Paysandu
4:00 pm – Arrive in Paysandu – settle into room accommodations for the week
6:00 pm – Supper
7:00 pm – Orientation and instruction in Uruguayan culture.
7:30 pm – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 1 Review – Galatians Memory Verses – Galatians 2:20 and 6:14

Saturday – August 7, 2010
Morning – rest and recover from travel – Team meeting/devotions – Week #2, Days 1-3
3:30 pm – Small field soccer game with church youth group
Evening – youth group fellowship and activity at the camp – Testimonies and preaching

Sunday – August 8, 2010
Services and ministry at Central Bible Church in Paysandu – Singing, testimonies, preaching.
10:00 am – Sunday School
7:00 pm – Evening Service

Monday – August 9, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 2, Days 4-5
Work Project at the camp
Afternoon – Rest and fellowship
7:00 pm – Full field soccer match vs. Bell Vista

Tuesday – August 10, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 2, Days 6-7
Work Project at the camp
Afternoon – Rest and fellowship
7:00 pm - Full field soccer match vs. Estudiantil

Wednesday – August 11, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 3, Days 1-3
Work project at camp
Afternoon – Rest and fellowship
8:00 pm - Prayer meeting service at Central Bible Church

Thursday – August 12, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 3, Days 4-5
Work Project at the camp
Afternoon – Rest and fellowship
7:00 pm - Full field soccer match vs. Centenario

Friday – August 13, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 3, Days 6-7
Work Project at the camp
Afternoon – Rest and fellowship
7:00 pm – Soccer match TBA - not confirmed yet

Saturday – August 14, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 4, Days 1-3
Afternoon soccer clinic for children
Small field soccer games at church
8:00 pm – Evening youth meeting – singing, preaching, testimonies, etc.
Visit downtown Paysandu – souvenir shopping

Sunday – August 15, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 4, Days 4-5
This is “Kids Day” in Uruguay. It is a very special holiday.
10:00 am – Sunday School, children’s ministry, songs, gospel magic, etc.
7:00 pm – Evening Service – Singing, testimonies, preaching, etc.

Monday – August 16, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 4, Days 6-7
Travel to Salto. A city about 1½ hours north of Paysandu – overnight trip
7:00 pm – Full field soccer match vs. Salto
Stay overnight in Salto – hot springs

Tuesday – August 17, 2010
Morning – Team meeting/devotions – Week # 5, Days 1-3
Rest and Relax at hot springs – Souvenir shopping
Afternoon - Travel back to Paysandu

Wednesday – August 18, 2010
Team meeting/devotions – Week # 5, Days 4-7
Pack up and get ready to leave
Travel to Montevideo
5:30 pm – Flight # AA 900 – leaves for Miami – arrives August 19 at 4:50 am

Thursday – August 19, 2010
9:25 am – Flight # AA 1577 – leaves for Chicago – arrives at 11:35 am (CDT)
12:30 pm – Flight # AA 4181 – leaves for Green Bay – arrives at 1:20 pm
4:00 pm – Return to Northland’s campus

Friday – August 20, 2010
Rest and recover from the trip – Northland Soccer preseason begins on Monday, August 23
Meal times TBA

Other important information:

1. Bring a change of clothes in your carry-on bag in case your luggage is delayed or lost. Do not pack any questionable items in your carry-on (bottles of water, other drinks, liquids or gels that are more than 3 ounces, scissors, pocket knives, etc.)
2. At no time is an individual allowed to “wander off” alone for any reason. You must always be in groups of at least 2 or 3 team members while we are traveling and during our time in Uruguay.
3. For Sunday ministry opportunities, you must wear dress slacks, collared dress shirts with a tie (no sport jacket needed), and shoes (NOT sandals). These ministry opportunities include (singing, testimonies, children’s ministry, preaching, etc.). Remember that the weather is much cooler in Uruguay at this time of year and you may need a light jacket.
4. You will be allowed one 50 pound bag to check and one carry-on item (backpack, small suitcase, shoulder bag, small duffle, etc.). See # 1 for information about your carry-on. While each traveler on international flights is allowed two checked bags, your second bag might be a Northland equipment/supplies bag. We will give you more packing details when everyone is together. In addition to your carry-on item you may carry a computer case or brief case.
5. The currency in Uruguay is the Uruguayan Peso. The dollar value in terms of the peso varies from day to day. We will exchange money as a group once we arrive in Paysandu. You will not need to exchange money on your own. A recommended amount of personal spending money for souvenirs, etc. is approx. $150 to $250. All of your meals, lodging, and ground transportation are included in the monies that have already been raised for the trip. However, you may want to purchase something to eat on your own while we are traveling.
6. Please do NOT plan on doing personal laundry while we are in Uruguay. We will have limited access to laundry facilities for team uniforms, towels, etc. and for emergency needs, but for the most part, try to pack enough clean clothes that will last the entire time we are in Uruguay. Also, it is a good idea to have a change of clothes in your carry-on bag both on our flight there and on our return flight.
7. We will have limited access to the internet and phone while we are there. We will be updating our blog daily (www.northlandsoccer.blogspot.com) so your family and friends can keep up with what is going on with us. Please let them know about our blog. Do not plan on using your cell phone while we are in Uruguay. You can check with your service provider to see what your cost is to use it in South America, but it is usually prohibitive.
8. Orientation in the country: While we have given you information on customs, manners, and proper behavior in the Uruguayan culture, the missionary team will give us a brief orientation concerning these things once we arrive in Paysandu. Please be careful in how you represent Northland and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Other specific responsibilities and/or things to be prepared for:

1. You will be asked to write at least one blog post testimony of what God has been teaching you in your experience on the trip. Again, the web address of the blog is www.northlandsoccer.blogspot.com.
2. Be prepared to share your testimony of salvation with a specific verse that God used to bring you to Christ.
3. Be prepared to share your testimony of what God has done in your life since you have been saved. Maybe share a specific “life verse” that you have memorized.
4. Be flexible and willing to be inconvenienced. We are there to serve and to minister, not to be served or waited on as tourists might be.