From Touchdowns to Transformation
Marietta Football Team’s Life-Changing Trip to Ecuador
While high school football teams spend a chunk of their summer days on workouts and learning plays for the fall, a group of leaders from Marietta High School traveled to Quito, Ecuador in early July to impact the lives of students, other athletes, and ultimately their own through a sports-focused mission trip with Missionary Ventures International.
The 21 teens, alongside nine coaches and chaperones, spent four days filled with service projects, games, ministry opportunities, cultural experiences, and even a flag-football scrimmage with an Ecuadorian team. It was an unforgettable and life-changing experience, according to Marietta Head Football Coach Cameron Duke.
Tuesday night’s memorable experience was the flag-football game that went to six overtimes, ultimately being won by Marietta. They competed against an Ecuadorian team made of young adults and adults, one of only three tackle football teams in the country.
After the game, both teams came together in a moment of shared celebration followed by a Gospel presentation, led by one of the Marietta Coaches, Brent Shoemaker. Through an active and visual description of the Gospel message, that was translated in Spanish, members of both football teams had the opportunity to pray to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. More than seven Ecuadorian athletes raised their hands, and local pastors are following up to continue discipling them as they learn more along their faith journey.
“I can't brag enough on MVI and the organization of everything. It was incredible, and I thought the week was special. God for sure moved the entire time, and our community is on fire with what took place. Tuesday night could go down as one of the coolest experiences I've ever been a part of.”
But it wasn’t just a football game that brought two diverse groups together. Throughout the trip, Marietta players had the opportunity to learn and experience Ecuadorian culture through service projects, mentoring and relationship building, and a lot of fun alongside young students at Discovery Academy. The team worked on construction and coaching at the school and its Annex, painting walls of the future middle school, and building roof and wall footers for the future library, along with time spent coaching and games with the children.
“MVI has a long, storied history of sending teams to missionaries to help with various projects and needs in the field,” said MVI President Brad Staton. “What made this one unique was that it was a high-school sports team, led by their Christ-following coach, Cam Duke. Coach Duke understands the importance of building leadership and discipleship among his upperclassmen and used this trip as a tool to grow them up in both areas. Going back to their school, Coach Duke hopes to see this growth spill over onto the rest of the team, setting the stage for team growth in a way that wouldn’t have been available before this trip. MVI is all about discipleship, and discipleship is exactly what this is.”
MVI Missionaries Chris & Kristen Sylva and Isa Sylva in Ecuador worked alongside the MVI office in Orlando to plan this trip, which they hope will become a model for other athletic teams. Beyond serving at Discovery Academy and connecting with the Ecuadorian football team, trip members were shown unique, cultural, and historic moments each day. The team walked on the equator, learned Ecuadorian history, ziplined through the mountains, took the TelefériQo cable car up to the top of the 13,000-foot peak that overlooks the capital city, and visited Quito churches.
The team even got to taste the local cuisine, guinea pig. They also rode horses and got up close to some alpacas. From the city landmarks and lights to the lush landscape of Ecuador’s mountains and volcanoes, the Marietta team saw their own lives transformed beyond their Georgia roots.
Thanks to the planning and partnership of MVI missionaries on the ground in Quito, these moments were just a glimpse at the life change that happens not only on a mission team trip, but through the dedicated and daily work of MVI missionaries abroad.
“Because winning is not scoring touchdowns, winning is following Jesus, and your family following Jesus, and your kids following Jesus, and leaving that legacy behind,” Brent Shoemaker told the two football teams.
Team trips are just one way MVI works to partner with missionaries and national Christian leaders, leading to life change that transforms and connects communities. What step will you take to get involved and impact the nations for Christ?
