Breaking Barriers

“I became captivated by the smallest of children with eyes closed and hands raised in complete worship of God,” sophomore Yasmin Hamilton said. “I was overwhelmed to see the Japanese children and adults genuinely love the Lord and hunger to spend time with other believers in a community where it is not popular.”

Spreading the Gospel through the universal language of sports, the East Texas Baptist University Tiger Spirit Teams (Cheer and Pom), and Acrobatics and Tumbling traveled to Japan this fall as part of the Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME) program. Led by Director of Global Education and Great Commission Center Lisa Seeley, Vice President for Athletics Ryan Erwin, Head Coach of Cheer and Acrobatics and Tumbling Farrah Dunaway, and Pom Coach Kyla Arbuckle, the group of 23 athletes and staff partnered with the International Sports Federation (ISF) in evangelism and ministry surrounding Camp Buttobi and the people of Yokohama, Japan.

“In preparation for this trip, I had been praying that our athletes would be able to experience the Lord in a truly personal way, and that they would learn to serve others when it does not benefit them,” Coach Dunaway said. “One of the greatest gifts in serving as a coach for these athletes has been watching them experience God, serve others, and realize what the Father can do through them if they are willing.”

During the trip, the Tiger Spirit Teams spent time with the Joy Joy Children’s Ministry during a worship service at Hongodai Church. Student-athletes shared testimonies

as well as their cheer, dance, and acrobatic talents with attendees at the church.

Tiger students witnessed firsthand how the Christian faith can overcome cultural and linguistic barriers during a community outreach activity at a shopping mall in Yokohama where they connected to the local community through music, games, and dancing.

“Our goal was to get as many people involved as possible, including children and adults,” junior Anna Gaddis shared. “It brought joy to my heart seeing the many smiles on their faces, and it was fun to see Christ working.”

Before setting out to facilitate a kid’s camp for the last leg of the trip, the group made the one-hour train ride to Tokyo, where they spent the day sight-seeing and praying for the city as they make preparations for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

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“I was in awe of the beauty of this country, and our God created it all,” junior Emily Buffington said. “We walked around, enjoyed the views, and were able to sit and pray for the upcoming Olympic events and that the Gospel will be shared with the many upcoming visitors. It is so cool how an event can be planned and bring so many new people from around the world together.”

This trip to Japan marks ETBU’s 11th sports mission experience and the third trip with ISF—an organization that seeks to change the world through sports.

The group volunteered at Camp Buttobi, a kid’s camp four hours from Tokyo, where they spent the remainder of the trip teaching the campers dances, cheers, and stunts. Student-athletes also served in the kitchen and built relationships with the kids and adults at the camp.

“Seeing the eagerness of the children to learn from us was extremely heartwarming, and their joy was contagious,” sophomore Sarah Murray stated. “It was a special moment to step back and watch them dance and cheer with our team. There was no language barrier, and we were all the same. This was such a perfect picture of how I imagine God sees all of His children.”

These ETBU student-athletes utilized their unique skill sets to minister to each other, the ministry partners, and the people of Japan.

“One of the main things we talked about while in Japan is how we can incorporate sports into the Gospel, and why millions of people show up to support an event where they have no personal relationship with the athletes, like the Olympics. The answer is community,” junior Jacqueline Comparin shared. “Our mission here has been to spread the Word of God by doing what we love. Whether that be dancing, cheering, or tumbling, we are all doing it for the Lord. When people ask us what we are here for and how they can be a part of it, we explain that just like in athletics and sporting events, there is community in Jesus Christ.”

SARAH MURRAY SOPHOMORE ACCOUNTING MAJOR

The ETBU Football Team will be traveling to Scotland in July of 2020 as part of the Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME) program. The TAME program provides East Texas Baptist University student-athletes with the opportunity to use their God-given talents as a platform to connect with people and share the Gospel of Jesus.

WAYS TO GIVE: Visit www.ETBU.edu/give and select the “Football TAME Trip” as the designated fund for your donation. Send checks payable to ETBU Office of Advancement One Tiger Drive Marshall, TX 75670 *Designate checks for “Football TAME Trip” in the memo

Despite mounting tensions in other parts of the world, 34 ETBU Cross Country and Track athletes, coaches, and staff members, traveled for more than 30 hours to Athens, Greece to partner with International Sports Federation (ISF) and Streetlights, a community discipleship ministry that focuses on working with refugees from Europe and the Middle East.

“TAME was created in order to give ETBU Tiger student-athletes the opportunity to use their God-given talents and abilities to share their faith with people across the globe as they strive to transform the world for Christ,” Vice President for Athletics Ryan Erwin said. “Our student-athletes were nothing short of amazing as they fought through exhaustion. They did an amazing job interacting with and showing love toward the local children in Greece.”

The teams hit the ground running with outreach to refugees of all ages during a community festival facilitated by Streetlights, where the student-athletes served by assisting with various activities such as face painting, dance competitions, and games.

“The kids loved getting to laugh and play,” senior Michael Sanders said. “It was amazing to see God work through our actions to spread the Gospel.”

ETBU student-athletes did not shy away from their opportunity to reach out to a population in need during their time in Greece. As a testament of Christ-like love and service, some Tigers attended an Iranian church service where they were able to serve lunch to over 75 Iranian refugees.

“As we arrived at the church, the leader greeted us and we prayed for God to open our hearts and eyes to the world we were about to see,” graduate student Beau Billings said. “While at the church we were able to meet a man and learn his story through Google Translate. It showed the true power of God and how appreciative the people we were serving are.”

Before a small group of Tigers took trains to reach a local refugee camp, a Streetlights leader shared a verse from Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” After being encouraged to reflect on their purpose in Greece, the student-athletes visited and ministered to residents of the camp, and were inspired by the stories of suffering and triumph.

“We introduced ourselves and sat down to visit with a family,” freshman Kennadie Ransberger said. “The woman shared her testimony with us. She was not a believer, but her story was extremely moving and brought tears to my eyes. She talked about her past that brought her to this camp and how difficult and heartbreaking it was. However, she also talked about how strong she is today and the person she has become because of it. It was such a humbling and eye opening experience for each one of us. Leaving the camp was so sad, they did not want us to go.”

Aside from ministering to the hearts of Greece, the group assisted with painting, cleaning, and needed repairs for a local kindergarten, elementary school, and the Streetlights building. A large portion of the service efforts involved teamwork, allowing the teams to grow closer together.

“I have really enjoyed getting to know my teammates through this experience,” freshman Hope Shipp said. “Not only have I gotten to know my teammates, but I’ve also met some really awesome new friends. I cannot wait to see the other amazing things God has planned for us in my time at ETBU.” In addition to ministry opportunities, Tigers had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to run a marathon or 5K race through the streets of Greece, finishing at the site of the original Olympic Stadium.

“This was no ordinary race,” junior Kylie Embry said. “We were running through the city streets of Athens with cars all around us. In the midst of the chaos around us, our team was a unit, working together, encouraging one another, and enjoying the experience.”

During a hike to the Acropolis and Parthenon, the teams experienced the history of the iconic landmarks before climbing Mars Hill, where Paul preached the sermon found in Acts 17 of the Bible. The group had a special time to reflect, sing worship songs, and

partake in communion with brothers and sisters in Christ, who were also traveling in Greece.

“Seeing firsthand what we have read about in the Bible and actually getting to be at that spot was mind blowing and very humbling,” senior Reed McDonald said. “When we were praying as a group, the sun came out for the first time all day and shined down on us and then when we were done, it tucked back behind the clouds. The whole trip was humbling from communion, to singing, and soaking in all the beauty.” Through playing with local children, reaching out to refugees, and serving as the hands and feet of Christ at the schools and Streetlights buildings, the studentathletes brought home an abundance of memories and a refreshed outlook on how their purpose as a team extends far beyond running the race or coming in first place.

“This trip has been an incredible experience resulting in bringing our team together, enlightening and changing our perspectives, creating a space for hearts to awaken, and fostering a deep gratefulness for the many blessings we take for granted,” ETBU Cross Country/Track and Field Head Coach Natalie Bach-Prather said. “It was so special to see many of our athletes have soul-awakening moments throughout the week, and it was very evident that God was working through our group to reach others. I am so grateful for this opportunity we had to grow as a team and witness life changing moments.”