Champions for Jesus

It has arrived. This is the last full day that the basketball tour is in Mexico. The last two weeks have both flown and crawled by. God has been moving! It's been exciting to watch Him grip the hearts of those on our team and some of the Mexican athletes. He is not limited by the time crunch of a 2-week tour!

So, I have to catch you up to speed. This will be a re-cap the last two days of the tour.

Friday morning we had team time in the morning. Katie talked us through some points from the book "God Space." We talked about four ways to start safe spiritual conversations that allow the Holy Spirit to work: noticing, serving, listening, and wondering. So many people have built up walls when they find themselves in a conversation where the Christian is trying to "convert them." It's important to go into a conversation without an ulterior motive. They will be able to tell if you are authentically interested in them, or if you are only trying to convert them. God is the One who prepares the hearts for the Gospel message. This book walks you through different conversations and being able to see the Holy Spirit's leading in conversation and responses that will communicate love and cause interest.

The team played their third game in the tournament in the afternoon. We played the final university of the tournament, UMAD. We won by about 20. This secured our spot in the championship against UDLAP the next day.

Here are the four teams that competed in the tournament: AIA, UMAD, UDLAP, and Tec.

Praying before the game. 

In the evening, we had another movie night. There were about 20 girls who joined us for pizza and a movie. It's hard to believe that the week is almost over. We're starting to develop great friendships with some of these girls. I'm glad that Marnie and Erica will be here next year to continue investing in them.

 Getting ready for the movie night with some UDLAP girls.

As the title implied, we won the tournament. This is quite the testimony. The following in an insert from Katie's blog that explains the significance:

Initially AIA was planning on sending a team down here, made up of about 10 athletes, a coach, a discipler and team director.  What ended up actually making up our team was much, much different.

We had:

2 athletes

a discipler, Soccer player who dressed out for us

a team leader, Rower and Speed Skater who also dressed out for us

the Mexico team (Yost, Erica and me)

a 16 year-old Mexican basketball player

an ex-college Mexican basketball player and good friend of ours

So basically our team of 9 was made up of only 4 people who have ever played a collegiate basketball game in their lives.  And we went undefeated against three college teams that have been playing together for years and practicing together for nearly a year.  

 

Katie went on to say how this is not to brag on us, but on God. He brought together this odd assortment of a team, and led them to victory against three organized college teams. There was definitely a buzz around the tournament. When God's at work, people notice.

 

 Erica was out with a knee injury from the last game. She was a great sport and assisted the team from the bench.

 Our #4 had a fan club.

 Amy puts up a shot during the championship game.

 Our team with the trophy.

Something to lay at the feet of Jesus. This trophy was not won for our glory, but for His.

We invited the teams to a pizza party at Casa Verde after the game. The pizza was followed by a bonfire with lots of praise singing. Karli shared her testimony, and Marnie shared more about the focus of our tour.

 Playing games with the girls at the pizza party.

 This was the first time having s'mores for many of the girls.

 

 Singing the night away!