Price Uses Soccer to Inspire Children in Kenya

MARS HILL, N.C. - The game of soccer has inspired Mars Hill women's soccer midfielder Misha Price throughout her life. During the past summer, she used the game she loves to inspire and minister young children 8,000 miles away. "Several years ago, a mission trip in nearby Weaverville, N.C., brought me to Mars Hill," Price said. "We used the gym to clean up after a construction project, and I fell in love with the area and decided to come here to school." While attending Mars Hill College, Price found Biltmore Baptist Church in Asheville, and she decided to continue her missionary work with its congregation. After fundraising for the trip, Price traveled with approximately 20 missionaries from the church to aid workers in Kijabe, Kenya, in late May and early June. The group flew from Charlotte, N.C., to Nairobi, Kenya, with stops in between in Rome, Italy, and Cairo, Egypt. From Nairobi, the group drove two hours on a bus to its final destination. While in Kijabe, in addition to working on construction projects and at Little Lambs orphanage and Kure Hospital, which both specialize in children's needs, Price ran a soccer clinic for students from Rift Valley Academy, a Christian boarding school for young children, and the Kijabe Girls High School. She donated Mars Hill blue jerseys to Kijabe Girls High School and white jerseys to Rift Valley Academy. "It was amazing to see everyone's response to caring," Price exuded. Price, who has worked on other mission trips in Gulfport, Miss., for Hurricane Katrina relief and within the inner city of Raleigh-Durham, N.C., loved the time she spent in Kenya. "Donating jerseys is one thing, but a simple smile or conversation is something they enjoyed a lot more," Price said. "They made a lasting impression on me that is almost indescribable." As Price and the entire Mars Hill women's soccer team prepare for their season opening game at Limestone on Sunday, she constantly reflects back on the trip that brought so much joy to youth half a world away. "Seeing the kids so passionate about the sport that I'm passionate about had a profound impact on me," Price commented, adding, "I enjoy the game for the root reason of love. I enjoy interaction with other people, and seeing the game through their eyes was a fantastic experience I will never forget."