More Than A Game 7/21/2019 10:37:00 AM Jordan Alves

We are here for a reason; God moved in many lives with major schedule changes on Saturday

BELIZE — We are here for a reason. That was last night's theme during Alex Adams' devotion at the Ramada Princess.

Whether it's a schedule changing, our buses arriving late, torrential downpours outside cancelling our sport clinics, or even some having to make tough decisions to not make the trip therefore opening a door for another person, this week has been full of change. But Coach Adams said it last night, we are here for a reason.

The Scripture came from Provers 3:5-6 – "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

On Saturday, the mission team had a full day of clinics ahead of them but after we woke up and realized a major storm was rolling in on the banks of the Caribbean Sea, we knew our plans would change. So instead of leaving at 8:30 a.m. local time, the team sat downstairs at the Ramada Princess until word came from Brads Neal, our local leader for the week, that we were headed to a nursing home.

The rain had slowed to a light sprinkle as we walked a half mile down the street. When we arrived at the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly, it came a down pour once again. But that didn't stop us from hanging out for an hour with the elderly who may never see any visitors. The cool thing about this wasn't just our plans changing and getting to share the Word with another group of Belizean's, it was much much more!

That's where today's post is headed – we were there for a reason!

First, many of the Campbellsville folks know avid runner and athletics photographer Brett Pierce. Some older lady liked his shoes so much that Brett decided to give up his lime green and navy trainers. Coach Casey Bradstreet took notice and with a tear rolling down her face said, "I could see Jesus all over Brett while he gave up his shoes and that wasn't by accident."

Another example came from an avid athletics supporter and big-time soccer enthusiast, Kent Skaggs. Once arriving at the nursing home, Skaggs saw an older woman sitting by herself and she reminded him just like his grandmother. He had to go up to her, but director of athletics Jim Hardy beat him to it and sat down with her. Kent then had to find someone else and sat down by another older lady a few steps away. That's when the story really happened.

"I walk up to this other lady and she was a little skinny lady with silver hair. She had the same name as my mom," said Skaggs in our devotion time on Saturday night. "My mom is also a skinny lady with silver hair. It just blew me away. It's a very uncommon name too. We always called my mom Tensie - which was short from Hortense. But the really cool part was growing up my neighbor was a really close friend of my dad, basically a second mom to me, and his wife's maiden name was Tennyson. Guess what Miss Hortense full name was – Hortense Tennyson. It really blew me away."

Kent was there for a reason!!

The next and possibly the one that moved the room the most came from someone who just two weeks ago wasn't even scheduled to come on the trip. Madison Sheppard, an upcoming sophomore guard for Lady Tiger Basketball, was asked to fill a vacant spot and God has already moved in her life.

"I didn't know how my parents would take it when I brought this opportunity up, but they were all in," said Sheppard. "When I walked into the nursing home, I saw this little old man sitting by himself and he was asleep so I didn't bother him at the time. But a few minutes later I noticed no one had spoken with him yet so I went over and introduced myself but he never would look at me and kept looking away. I didn't understand why but I just kept holding his hand. I then asked if we could make a bracelet and the lady beside me said, 'ma'am he is blind.'

"The lady told me you can still try so I went and got the bracelet and I came back and made it with him. But the really cool part is that I want to be an eye doctor. I want to travel to different countries and do that. The Lord clarified that was His plan for my life. It's so cool that God never forgets that he puts a plan in your heart and he continues to reveal to me his plan. I am just super thankful to be on this trip."

Madison was there for a reason!!

Lastly, coming back full circle back to Coach Adams. In 2014 after his first full year as an assistant on the men's soccer team, Adams had the opportunity to take a career step into being a head coach at the University of the Cumberlands. He mentioned the Cumberlands had a really good AD, Randy Vernon, whose sons Mark and Brent are now coaching at CU and Mark is also on the trip with us. But Adams ended up turning the head coaching position down and remained as an assistant for a few more years at Campbellsville.

The reasoning was a verse - James 1:4 - "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." On August 1, 2014, Adams read this verse while contemplating the biggest decision of his coaching career. God was speaking to him with that verse and he knew he had some more work to do and mature as a coach before taking that next step in his career.

The crazy thing about this story, Jim Hardy has purchased staff shirts for the entire CU Athletics Department each year and that same exact verse is on our shirts this year.

Coach Adams is here for a reason!!

To our readers out there, just because you aren't on this trip with us doesn't mean Christ isn't working in your life the same way.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

Today, Sunday, the mission team is headed to church and then back to Kings Children Home. Instead of returning the Belize City and the Ramada Princess tonight, we are headed to San Ignacio on the western side of the country. We'll stay there for the night, have a clinic at a large stadium on Monday, and head back to the Ramada Princess on Monday night.

JORDAN ALVES' DAILY DIARY - CU TO BELIZE
Jordan Alves, sports information director, Zach Clements, athletics video coordinator, and Brett Pierce, athletics photographer, will post daily diaries and photo galleries from behind the scenes of the #CUtoBelize19 mission trip.

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