It is Thursday, and unfortunately I had to sit out and stay behind at the hotel due to being sick. But from what my teammates told me it looked like the Sports Ministry had another blessed day. They visited 3 schools today, Savannah Primary, John Cumber, and Grace Christian Academy. At Grace Christian my teammate Annie mentioned that in addition to sports the kids wanted to show us some cool things that they do. So with the teachers’ permission some of the kids sought out wild iguanas and brought them back to us to see. Others climbed up on to the roofs and climbed up coconut trees in their uniforms to bring us coconuts for its juice to drink.

But at Savannah and John Cumber legacy was being built. My teammate Randy told me that when he was at Savannah that there was kid named Shawn who was considered one of the “hi-risk” kids, meaning he was one of the ones that would always get in trouble. One of the things Randy did was pray for him then gave him accountability by designating him as the Sportsmanship Minister for his school. His roll was to become a school leader and to show his peers how to demonstrate good sportsmanship. Similarly, at John Cumber, the Sports Ministry team had the opportunity to witness the room extension and murals that were built by the Construction and Community Projects Ministry groups. He mentioned how beautiful everything looked and what an impact this will make for future students and teachers to come.

I feel both experiences at Savannah and John Cumber have a unique analogy. The idea is “building a legacy.” By giving Shawn accountability, his memory, his story to his peers and even those who he may designate to take his roll after him, will remind others of how a group of foreigners came to visit him and help change his negative to a positive. Likewise, at John Cumber, the establishment of the new partition and murals will not only be a reminder for the teachers and the students of the school, but it will provide them with long lasting stories and memories to share for decades. Although legacy was built not by design, planting the seed demonstrating God’s love for strangers showing them that they have the ability to maintain and share such love for their community and build “discipleship” is everlasting.

-Marlino, Sports