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MHS Senior Finds Soccer Opens Doors in Mission Work

MHS Soccer Team Captain Josh Valentine, one of 52 students and adults from Trinity Covenant Church traveled to Tijuana, Mexico for a week of faith, sharing testimonies, and – soccer.

There's an old saying that when one door closes another opens.

That may certainly be the case with Josh Valentine. Last year he had been the soccer team captain at Manchester High School, but an injury left him unable to play the full season and, needless to say, he was disappointed.

While he was injured, Valentine rejoined the youth group program at Trinity Covenant Church, where his family attends services. According to Youth Pastor Phillip Beatty, Valentine's injury helped him to refocus on his relationship with God and what was really important in his life.

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A member congregation in the Evangelical Covenant Church, one of the denomination's objectives is to support and encourage world missions, and for the last eight years Trinity Covenant has sponsored a youth group mission to Tijuana Mexico facilitated by Youth Unlimited Gospel Outreach Ministries. This year 52 people from Trinity Covenant including 40 youth went on the week long mission.

The mission is a cross-cultural experience that partners with a local church, Iglesia Esperanza Viva (Church of the Living Hope), said Beatty. 

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"While there we do a vacation Bible school (summer day camp) for children of the neighborhood," said Beatty. They also offer a women's bible study and fellowship time, evening church services, construction projects, music and drama presentations, and perhaps most interesting to Valentine, a sports/soccer outreach program.

"I really got involved in this year and decided to go on the mission," said Valentine.  "It was an opportunity to combine two of the things I really value, playing soccer and serving God," he said.

Before leaving on the week-long trip at the end of July, Valentine said his father, who coaches soccer himself, thought it might be a great idea to collect soccer equipment and clothing as a way to raise awareness of the trip and the needs of the children they would be reaching out to.

Many of the youth who attend the youth group at Trinity are involved in athletics as well, and Josh's mother, Sandy Valentine, said the group connected with the Manchester Soccer Club to obtain donations of gently used soccer gear and clothing. Additionally, one of Oakwood Soccer Club's players who wasn't going on the trip but heard about it reached out to those families to bring in even more donations.

"The response was overwhelming," said Sandy Valentine. "It didn't matter what faith you were at all, people just wanted to share," she said.

"It was really a blessing to get to do this," said Josh Valentine. He said the area the group stayed in was impoverished, but despite the great differences in their settings, the locals were respectful and he never felt they were in any danger. "There is a hierarchy there. They respect elders and foreigners."

"I spent most of my time with the boys," said Josh Valentine. "In their culture, to become a man, a boy has to learn to survive on his own. Boys are let loose to wander on their own. They are very independent. Many of them come to the sports court – just a cement court where kids play – and That's where I spent a lot of my time."

One of the most important friendships Valentine made was with a boy named Ivan. After playing a lot of soccer with him, Valentine said he invited him to be a part of the program where youth from Trinity Covenant shared their testimonies.

"He really accepted what we had to say," said Valentine. "It was really a blessing. That was the essence of the trip for me."

Beatty said that many of Trinity Covenant's youth who have since gone on from the group are now pursuing careers or pathways "to help people in third world countries through medicine, economic development, and/or ministry work."

"To gain a global understanding, I believe one must actually visit another cultiure, eating their food, walking their streets, playing with their children, receiving their hospitality," said Beatty. "We go more to learn than to teach.... These young people (who go on the missions) are developing ledership skills that will benefit them and our society for years to come," he said.

This year Valentine will once again serve as team captain for the MHS soccer team and as for his experience, Beatty said being able to play soccer for five days straight in Mexico, being restored to health and having his focus on what's important was a gift from God. 

"I'm sure he will be an even better leader for the MHS soccer team this year," said Beatty.

"I'll definitely do this next year," said Valentine. "It was amazing."

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