In the spring of 2023, Boaz Camp, a junior men's basketball player at John Brown University, found himself in a conversation with JBU's women's soccer coach, Dr. Kathleen Paulsen. Turns out, one of Paulsen's players used to be a family friend of the Camps and had told Paulsen of Camp's interest in Christian missions.
"I was intrigued," Camp said. "I hadn't told anybody that, but I do have a heart for missions. She said that we should get a mission trip brewing, if that's something you're interested in. It was the Holy Spirit speaking through her to me."
That conversation culminated in a trip this past May to Kenya, where 16 JBU student-athletes used sports to share their faith with children and adults in the area around that African nation's capital, Nairobi. Joining the student-athletes from JBU's volleyball, men's basketball, men's soccer and women's track and field teams was the university's dean of residence life, Corey Carey, who had spent 10 years as a missionary in Kenya.
The trip, which included numerous mini-sports camps and opportunities to experience Kenya's amazing wildlife on a safari, proved to be life-changing, said Emma McLeod, a junior volleyball player for the Golden Eagles.
"As a Christian, I have a whole new perspective on how big our God is, and seeing the same God that works here in America is the same God who works across the world in Nairobi, Kenya," McLeod said. "Growing up in the faith, that was a huge shift for me. When I'm worshiping in chapel or having a chance to share the gospel, I know my God is so big. I know a little glimpse of that now. When it comes to playing volleyball, I see it as another way to spread the gospel. It's been a mind-shift."
Organizing the trip proved to be a bit of a challenge for Camp, who's from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He got the support of JBU Athletics Director Robyn Daugherty before reaching out to organizations with connections to the university. He knew JBU's volleyball team had gone on a mission trip to Ireland and that it had gone well. He also knew JBU has a study-abroad program in Ireland. Camp settled on working with Salt Factory Sports, an agency based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, that partners with churches and other organizations to run sports-based clubs and missions both locally and internationally.
"I felt like a trip that would be totally radical would be best," Camp said. "Something to open up the eyes of students, change perspectives."
After speaking to Chris Grant, the chief executive officer of Salt Factory Sports, Camp decided a trip to Kenya, where Salt Factory Sports has a base, would be the destination.
With the destination determined, Camp began recruiting JBU student-athletes for the trip. By January, he had 16 commitments. He'd hoped for 30 to take part but "through prayer, the Lord worked things out." The eventual group of 20 included three Salt Factory Sports workers.
Then came some intense fundraising, between Christmas and March. Among the fundraisers were singing Valentine's Day grams, sent from student to student. "We were interrupting classrooms and singing, which was an absolute hoot," Camp said.
The group left in early May for Kenya and spent 10 days there.
"We would pull up to a community soccer pitch, a massive red dirt field," McLeod recalled. "A team would be there and some kids from nearby villages would come, too. There were hundreds of kids with us every time. We would bring a bunch of sports equipment for sports like soccer, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee and bucket basketball, split the kids up and do a VBS-style rotation. They'd play one sport for a few minutes then rotate on to the next sport."
After playing, the student-athletes would have the kids sit in a huge group, and then would share their faith with them – often times through a translator.
"The trip was absolutely incredible," Camp said. "We got to play sports, which we all love, and pour out, through smiles and laughs, share the good news of Jesus Christ, bring hope to those who may not have had any and experience the culture and have our perspective changed. Our eyes were opened by God to see what life in other parts of the world looks like."
The group took one free afternoon to visit a giraffe park, where they were able to feed the animals, and spent another day taking a safari near Kenya's border with Tanzania. Camp said the group had a great view of famed Mount Kilimanjaro.
"It was beautiful," McLeod said. "We didn't get to see any lions, but we saw zebras, wildebeest, flamingos – and elephants, of course. They came right up to the front of our vehicle. It was a huge thing seeing them in their element."
She said the JBU group went on the trip "knowing it wasn't an unreached people group" in Kenya, where about 70 percent of the population claims a version of the Christian faith. "Our only goal was to plant seeds," she said. "We hoped to bring people to salvation, but our main goal was to just show people Jesus and show kindness and give them the chance to have fun for an afternoon."
Camp and McLeod said the poverty was striking.
"Corey and Chris told our team that this will change your perspective, seeing these people with absolutely nothing smile and laugh and have so much more joy than people who have material things and reasons that we'd think to have joy," Camp said. "It's living proof that joy is not from having material possessions and success on earth."
Both said they'd go on another mission trip if the opportunity presented itself.
"I'd love to," Camp said. "I don't know when and I don't know where. I want it to be on God's timing. We will see what exactly that looks like. I know that I am interested and a lot of those who went would do it again.
"In reality, we're getting back more than we're giving. The Lord teaches us more than what we end up giving. We saw a lot of transformation in the hearts of the kids we got to pour into. We saw a lot of young kids give their life to Christ just by our witness of showing up. All it took was being there and smiling and laughing. The people wanted the hope they saw in us. I would encourage anybody and everybody to take a leap of faith and be bold in action and do something like that."
Representing John Brown University on the mission trip were Boaz Camp, Corey Carey, Reagan Cartmill, Emma DeSanti, Julia Dinwiddie, Jason Flores, Collin Foltz, Tori Kelly, Ella McLeod, Esther Norwood, Ashley Phelan, Lexie Scheufler, Noah Taylor, Adam Tebbs, Nash Wessels and Jacob Zamarron.
About the Inside the Sooner Series
Originating in 2023, Inside the Sooner is a weekly spotlight series presented by SoonerAthletic.org, which highlights the unique contributions and accomplishments of each member institution of the Sooner Athletic Conference.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Don't miss a minute of the latest action surrounding JBU Athletics by following the Golden Eagles on Twitter (@JBUathletics), Instagram (@JBUathletics) and Facebook (/JBUathletics). Catch every Golden Eagle home game and select away games on the SAC Sports Network, available online or for download on your favorite streaming device.
