Basketball Coach

Being a part of the Upwards Basketball League for children was an opportunity for which I am truly thankful.  I was a coach for about eight 4^th graders where we met at a Salvation Army facility to play other teams.  Upwards Basketball League is a Christian program for children in the community where they are able to learn basketball skills as well as Christian principles.  To be part of the league costs a small fee, but the Salvation Army decided to pay for a lot of the costs so many children could join without having to pay.  All of the leaders are volunteers: the coaches, referees, and speakers. 

Being a coach allowed me to model character to the children.  Many of them came from broken homes with no one to model responsibility or integrity.  Coaching was a way to teach them discipline, patience, respect, and self-control.  A couple of the boys seemed to have anger and became so frustrated when the less-experienced players would miss a shot or forget a play we had worked on in practice.  It took a lot of time for the boys to understand that they needed the other players and that they had to work together. 

My picture of the team reflects a time where I was able to model leadership to a group of 4^th graders.  I have demonstrated my ability as a growing professional to instill character into the lives of students as they come to recognize they need others.  In the future, I will use this experience and what I’ve learned, to help other students learn respect and to work with others.  Paul writes in 1 Peter 3:8 to "live in harmony with one another; by sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."  This is my desire for my future classroom: students that work together in respect and love.

While attending Evangel University, I led devotions once a week on my floor.  The devotions ranged from studying a person in the Bible to reading devotions and having open discussion.  Just as I volunteered to lead the devotions, I also volunteered to redo the prayer room in the hall.  This was a special place where girls could “get alone with God,” read their Bibles, and pray.  My artifact is a picture of me standing in the finished prayer room, a project that took longer than I had expected.  Accomplishing the room was a wonderful feeling.  I know that since it has been completed, many girls have come to enjoy the space, as it is painted, furnished, and cleaner.  The atmosphere is not distracting and certainly offers a pleasant and peaceful place to reflect upon the Lord.  I desired a room where girls would want to meet to pray, and this desire led to service.   Redoing the room hardly felt like service because of the enjoyment I experienced as I remolded.  It was fun and I believe service should be conducted within that attitude.  Ephesians 6:7 states to "serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men."  This is the desire of my heart.  I want to live a life of service. 

One of the best memories I have of working with children is through children’s church worship.  For several years, I was able to lead worship to a group of 300+ children several Sunday’s each month.  The song list provided is a partial collection of songs from which I chose 4 or 5 to lead the children in singing.  There were motions to many of the songs, balloons that would be thrown around, and lots of smiles.  Many times, I had a couple of children come up on stage and sing with me.  They loved holding the microphone and hearing their voices in the monitor. 

Being a worship leader was a position that called me out of normal Sunday services and into leadership.  It was a position I felt called to, a position where I sought to reach the spiritual needs of children.  I realize that my needs are less than the needs of others and seek to put to death my selfish nature to uphold selflessness (Romans 7:14-25).  I never want to stop serving the spiritual needs of children.  Jesus defended the children when He said, “Let the little children come unto me and forbid them not for such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).  I seek to uphold His words, especially in the classroom, and lead children with a servant's heart.  

While attending a Latin American Studies Program, I was able to visit several countries in order to study the differing Spanish cultures.  Nicaragua was one country I visited, where I lived with a family for a week. Throughout my time in Nicaragua, my group and I helped a young church dig through a side of a mountain in order for a church to be built on level ground.  The work was arduous and tiring.  We dug through the strong heat of the sun as well as the downpour of rain.  With simple tools, we strove to fill wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of dirt and stone.  When the day came to a close, there was still much digging that needed to be done.  The young church was on a time limit and they did not have enough money to rent large digging equipment, so we decided to each give $25.  Our efforts made a huge difference.  The money went to renting necessary equipment, making the building of the church possible.  The people expressed overwhelmed feelings of thankfulness for all that we did.  I didn’t even feel my aching back and sweaty clothes as I heard of their thanks.  Service may require Christians "to get dirty" at times, but remembering the words of Jesus when He said that He came to serve, puts our hearts in a right attitude (Mark 10:45).  The love of Jesus was exchanged as our service paved way for a humble ministry that will bring about incredible opportunities for the Nicaragua community.