GRANTHAM, Pa. - AROMA (A Revolution of Missional Athletes), sent out two teams on international trips this past month. A mixed trip of student athletes and staff went to Zambia and the men's volleyball team traveled to Costa Rica.

See below for recaps and personal testimonies from the trips.

Mixed Trip to Zambia
This past month, AROMA Sport's Ministry sent out a mixed trip of 10 students and staff on a global church visit to Zambia. The team spent the 12 days serving alongside its long-term Zambian partner, Macha Sport + Learning Center. This was AROMA's 7th mixed team trip to Zambia since 2016 and we are so blessed to continue this partnership.

"While in Zambia, we had the amazing opportunity to serve alongside MSLP in Macha, Zambia. MSLP works a lot like a community recreation center, offering sport and educational opportunities for youth in the Macha community. MSLP's believes in discipleship as its first priority, and they use sport and educational programs as a tool for encouraging children and young adults in faith while also creating healthy environments where people want to spend their time. A large portion of our trip was dedicated to building relationships with the MSLP staff, a lot of whom are young adults, like our team. I was greatly impacted by the sense of unity among our two organizations. Every team member from both organizations hit the ground running in developing friendships and bonds with each other. We spent our days learning about one another, serving in the ongoing work of MSLP, and worshiping as believers together.  Our team was able to assist the MSLP staff with a few of their existing sports ministry programs using specifically soccer, basketball, and disc golf. We were also able to introduce the sport of lacrosse to our new Zambian friends, which our three Messiah Women's Lacrosse players took the pleasure in leading. In addition to running sports clinics, our team was able to distribute over 100 Sawyer water filters to a local community in need of clean water. Again, the sense of unity among the two organizations specifically blessed me. I was reminded of Philippians 2:2-4  "...then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." We were so blessed by the humility, authenticity, joy, and Christlikeness of the Zambian people. The Lord brought forth encouragement between brothers and sisters in Christ from the other sides of the world. All praise and glory to Him!" - Ryan Speer, AROMA Sports Ministry Coordinator

During our trip to Zambia, I found incredible encouragement and joy in the experiences we shared as a team. There were many times during the trip where I was struck by the powerful nature of God's love. One of these times was at the local church service we attended on the first Sunday of our trip. We were all complete strangers to the members of the church, and yet they welcomed us with open arms, telling us we were "most welcome" and laughing with us as we attempted to sing and dance along with our new friends. This memory, along with many others, revealed to me how much God's love, along with us using sports as a vehicle, can create a powerful environment for ministry and for growth. - Johnny McBride, Men's Basketball
 
When I reflect on my experience in Zambia, one aspect stands out to me – community. The community in Zambia is unlike any other I know, but it is one you must experience in person, dive fully into, and learn from the people who are most familiar with it; you will never want to leave it once you become one with it. The people of Zambia were filled with joy and sacrificial love for one another and our group, constantly putting others' needs above their own. My eyes were also opened to the universal nature that sport plays in the world as we built relationships through sport amidst the language barrier. By serving with Macha Sport and Learning Project (MSLP), I experienced the community of sport like never before. Children gathered each day to immerse themselves in the gift of sport which led to the opportunity for us to share the Gospel. Seeing the community that has been formed through the work that the Lord has done with MSLP was impactful, knowing that we gathered because of the goodness of God to praise Him through the abilities that He has given us. - Sarah Lapp, Women's Soccer   Men's Volleyball Trip to Costa Rica
"Our trip to Costa Rica was incredible. We were able to serve alongside Nattie and Benja, who work full time for Push the Rock in Costa Rica. We ran volleyball clinics at various schools and clubs, played a basketball game in a prison against a team of prisoners coached by a volunteer with Push the Rock, played three matches against different Costa Rican teams, and explored the beauty of the country at the beach and zip-lining in the rain forest. Our team grew closer to each other and to God through this trip. It was impactful for so many reasons.

My favorite thing about the trip was the people we met. From the PTR staff to the prisoners to the kids at the clinics, I was blown away by the hospitality and kindness of the Costa Rican people. Great connections were made despite a language barrier! It was clear that a smile, a laugh, and sports are all universal languages!

One of my favorite memories from the trip was getting to worship alongside fellow believers from Costa Rica. Although the worship songs were all in Spanish, praising God in a different culture was a great reminder of the diversity of God's beautiful kingdom! ¡Hosanna en las alturas!
From the people we met to the mountains in the background of every picture, I was constantly reminded of the beauty of God's creation. It was an amazing experience getting to share this experience with our team, and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity." – Justin Beachy, Head Men's Volleyball Coach

"One of the most impactful moments from our trip to Costa Rica was when we traveled to a prison and played a game of pick-up basketball with the inmates. At first, it was unsettling thinking about going to a prison and interacting with inmates. When we walked into the court area we were welcomed by the extremely welcoming inmates. While playing with them, they were nice and very respectful, and overall, the basketball game was a blast. After the game, we had a chance to share testimonies with the inmates and what stuck out to me the most was how attentive they all were and really wanted to know more about our personal lives and our personal lives. One of the inmates came up to me after and we talked for a little while and after he asked me to pray for him. That caught me off guard, but it was amazing seeing what God can do to a person in the short amount of time that we were there. I had this view of the inmates before going that they would all be these bad people, however, I was pleasantly wrong, and they were the nicest and God-hungry people we met while down in Costa Rica. That was one of the most impactful moments from the trip that will stick with me for a long time." – Brandon Sharp

"The highlight of my time spent in Costa Rica was having the opportunity to play basketball and eat with prisoners. It was special to step outside of my comfort zone and interact with people that I would never have thought I would. Seeing the joy on the prisoners faces when we walked in was truly amazing. While our performance on the court may not have been the best, we were able to share experiences with each other through the gift of sport. As we shared testimonies after the game, it was clear that the prisoners were hanging on to every word spoken, and it was taken to heart. Being able to share food and conversation with the prisoners alongside my brothers is a memory that I will never forget." - Jonathan Nixon