Women’s Soccer Team Goes to Jamaica

MARS HILL, N.C. - In a first for Mars Hill College, an entire athletic team will be taking a mission trip this summer.

From August 15 through 21, the Lady Lion's soccer team and coach Ken Miller will be taking a mission trip to work in a group of orphanages in Kingston, Jamaica. The 25 players who plan to take the trip will engage in humanitarian projects and teach the game of soccer to children who reside in Mustard Seed Ministries orphanages in Kingston. For those players who choose to do so, the relationships built through interacting with the children will also provide an opportunity to share their Christian faith.

The trip is planned through Global Soccer Ministries International, a non-profit ministry started by Paul Banta, a former NCAA Division 1 Soccer Coach and coaching educator. GSM has ongoing ministries in Guatemala and Jamaica.

According to Miller, soccer -- or "football" as it is called in many other countries -- is a "world game," that provides a perfect medium for getting to know the children and showing them affection.

"Soccer is a common interest that our players will have with these children. It allows an opportunity for us to break the ice, to get to know the children, and then maybe have an impact in their lives," he said.

In addition to teaching the boys and girls soccer on an informal basis, the team will have two to three exhibition games for the children to enjoy. Coach Miller has also been invited to hold a soccer clinic for coaches in the Kingston area.

Miller said he has contemplated a team mission trip for several years and felt that now the time was right. He said he hopes the players can touch the lives of children, but that they will also come away with a life-changing experience for themselves. "This trip will give our players an extraordinary cultural experience; it will give them the chance to show compassion and give back to others; and for those who choose, it will give our players a chance to share their Christian beliefs and values," Miller said.

For now, the team is busily raising the $1,500 per person cost of the trip. Anyone interested in donating funds toward trip costs may do so by contacting Ken Miller at 828/689-1171, or at kmiller@mhc.edu .

Mars Hill College is a private, liberal arts institution offering over 30 baccalaureate degrees and one graduate degree in elementary education. Founded in 1856 by Baptist families of the region, the campus is located just 20 minutes north of Asheville in the mountains of western North Carolina. www.mhc.edu 1-866-MHC-4-YOU.

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