This January, several members of the current men's soccer team at CU will head down to the Dominican Republic to work and serve among the people of this beautiful nation. They will be involved in helping to meet the educational, physical, and spiritual needs of a growing community in the DR. They will specifically be spending their time doing physical labor in the expansion of a growing Christian school, playing soccer matches and holding soccer clinics for area students, loving children, and sharing the story of how God has changed their lives with the people they meet. They are excited to serve, to use their athletic gifts as ministry tools, and to build relationships with the people of the Dominican Republic. The team will also include coaches and alumni from the CU soccer program. They are excited to see the impact this trip will have on their lives and would covet your prayers for their trip. Team members will be providing trip updates at this website:

www.chiphuber.blogspot.com

The members of the men's soccer returned from the Dominican. Chip Huber, Dean of Student Engagement, accompanied the team on the trip and chronicled our time there on his blog. The entire trip can be found at http://chiphuber.blogspot.com/. Thank you to all the families and friends that made the donations and making this trip possible.

Day 2. "It was probably the hardest labor I have had to do and yet it was the most enjoyable. It's funny because I thought the day would never come where I would actually have fun working! After lunch we went on a walk through one of the villages. What I saw was unexplainable. These people literally have nothing but the clothes on their back and yet every single person seemed to be very joyful in a way that you do not see in America. When walking through, I saw a little girl off in the distance staring at me but seemed to be too shy to approach. I walked up to her and handed her a lady bug beanie baby, and the expression of this little girl gave me shivers down my spine. To us a beanie baby means nothing and most of us wouldn't even want it, but to this girl it was like she just got a brand new car. The truth is at that moment I don't know who was happier, that little girl or me. The feeling of giving and helping the needy is an amazing feeling that I think has changed my life. The Dominicans know what really matters in life. They are so content with what they have. They value and love one another like nothing I have ever seen. I came on this trip because I have a heart for the needy, and the least I can do is sacrifice a week of my life to help change the Dominicans lives, but really it's the Dominicans who are changing mine. Sophomore Zac Tolsma

Day 3: "Today we got to play in a 4 team soccer tournament in Santo Domingo at the University of Unhfu. Our first match was against Rolando Bauger, a club team consisting of mainly 17 and 18 year olds and we demonstrated grace by getting beat 4-0. Our second match was against the other team in the losers bracket, the University of Oym. They scored a quick goal in the first half which is the way the game ended. We had the opportunity to interact with the team members from the DR, by praying with them and Ian Grotenhuis shared a bit of why we're here. He explained that we are here to not only play soccer but our passion for the game is trumped by the compassion for God's people that has brought us here…Senior Dave DeBoer

Day 4: We had a new crew of kids for our soccer clinic in the afternoon and then played a final soccer match against a local Haitian team...the CU team scored several goals and enjoyed a win in the DR...it was exciting to see how soccer allowed a new group of people that often struggle in the community for relationship and acceptance as people from another country...they will now be connected to the local church and Christian community we have worked with...the power of our sport that the world loves to serve as a vehicle for sharing the Gospel has impressed us all once again, and we've loved using dribble moves, through ball passes, and shots on goal to build relationships and point others to the most important relationship in our lives...Chip Huber-Dean of Student Engagement at Cornerstone University