OKLAHOMA CITY -- The approaching summer break can mean many things to students. For one group of Mid-America Christian University students, it means taking their sport skills and love of Christ international, on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico.
Members of the MACU softball team will be traveling to the Rio Bravo Children's Home located in the border town of Reynosa this July to help host a sports camp for the kids.
"I think it will be a great opportunity for our softball team as well as for me," MACU softball head coach Robert Wakefield said. "It will be an experience for the whole group to know more outside our own college life and see what it is like in another culture. I am sure it will be a spiritual experience we will never forget."
Rio Bravo, founded by Ray and Leah Hansen of the United States, is an orphanage, housing children abandoned at the US-Mexico border and those dropped off by their parents who can no longer care for them. The children's home also opens its door as a Christian school for the kids, as well as other children from the town.
Fourteen players from the MACU team, along with Coach Wakefield and Assistant Coach Les Hilbun will be helping to run the sports camp. The goal of the camp is to instill confidence, a solid work ethic, drive and a sense of teamwork into the Rio Bravo kids.
During the evenings, the team will get to spend time connecting with the kids by playing games, talking with them, and just sharing the love of Christ.
Amanda Stevenson, who plays first base for the Lady Evangels, traveled to Reynosa for the first time last June with Cherokee Hills Baptist Church of OKC.
"When I went last year, I was excited to be with the kids and was expecting to be a blessing to them, but honestly, they were more of a blessing to me. I also think that as a team we will grow closer with each other," she said.
The home relies greatly on volunteer efforts from churches and schools.
On this particular trip, the softball team will be working closely with the OKC-based company, TriCorps Security. TriCorps has long been a partner of Rio Bravo and is always looking for new ways to include more groups in their mission efforts. The company is sponsoring the MACU trip and CEO David Ross will be traveling with the team to serve as well.
