Student-athletes’ service makes a powerful impact on Kenya

I was forwarded an e-mail this week from Walter Machio, who served as Baylor’s partner in Kenya for the sports ministry team that spent two weeks there earlier this summer. In addition to his thanks for all that the Baylor students were able to do during their visit, he also passed along links to three local stories about their activities.

The first headline certainly caught my eye: “Baylor’s day in prison.” One day, the Baylor team split into two, with one group visiting the Nairobi Men’s Prison and another the Langata Women’s Prison. There, the students played sports, led camps and drills, and shared their faith with the inmates — some of them on death row. (Read the team’s blog entry about the day here.)

A second article, titled “Visiting Baylor team rebuilding lives through sports,” shared stories of the joy the Baylor team brought to some families who had recently lost everything in a fire. The students helped build a new home for one family, and the experience led Melissa Jones to remark on the lessons she learned. “Coming here to rebuild homes for the community is a great blessing, not only to the soccer boys but to us as a team, because we have realized that the things we don’t value a lot in life mean a great deal to others out there.”

And that doesn’t even begin to cover all that these Baylor students were able to do in Kenya. A third article detailed some more practical help they provided, and the team’s blog, kenyasports11.wordpress.com, includes even more stories of the practical and spiritual impact these students had on those they met on the other side of the world — as well as the lessons they have brought back to the U.S.

Sic ’em, Baylor students with servant hearts!