Global Impact ’25: Faith in Practice

Week 2 is hard to put into words.

I get filled up from intentional conversations and this week has been full of them. I have seen how God has used elements of my own story to help an intern realize something about what is happening in theirs. I have heard God affirm my call to international ministry through things they have said to me. I have realized how much I love doing what I do all over again.

This week was full of local service. We split into our north and south teams with the south team heading to our baseball partners in Hungary, and the north team staying here in Wales.

In Wales, we helped execute a football tournament and goalball game with local clubs and teams, we attended a wheelchair rugby practice (and the interns got to try!), and we got to help with youth at the church Owen attends.

The Hungary team helped to build a new batting cage and taught the local school children about baseball and even got them to play! They really got to invest in our partners Terry and Josh and Candace, whom I took over the RDIA position from.

I had a conversation in the van on the way to our next destination in Sweden about how even though the two weeks were very different for the interns, they both did things that would have taken the partners months to accomplish on their own. Ministry is a team sport and it’s fun to watch the interns realize that in their own way.

When we talk about Europe the conversation about Americans is so different than other places in the world. It’s not about us being the imperialists as much as it is about people being genuinely curious about where we live and what we do. We get to have meaningful conversations that become ways to share about the life that is found in Jesus — including with the youth who are eating up having these interns here to talk to.

We were sent last week to Budapest, Hungary where we served all week in baseball ministry with Josh & Candace Gleason! The week was extremely busy, but an unbelievable blessing as we formed close relationships with not only the family, but also the baseball players.

We built a batting cage using only shovels, hoes, pickaxes, cement mixers, some boards, you know, old school digging in the dirt! But this project and the other maintenance of the diamond will continue to bless athletes that will be using these as part of the baseball club. 

Two of the days we hosted “America Day” where a baseball player from the club brought his whole class from Hungary to the diamond to learn from us how to play baseball and about American culture. This was an opportunity not only to share America’s favorite past time but also to tell them about faith. Being with these classes allowed us to share the Love of Christ and testify to the truth through our words and actions. And teach them some American classics like line dancing to “Cotton Eyed Joe”. 😂

We also had a chance to lead and coach practices and huddles within the baseball club. I loved working with the younger athletes and teaching them how to throw, field, bat and bring the energy and excitement for the the game and for Jesus. It was a blessing to see their smiles and learn from them how to say words in Hungarian. “Etch, Katoo, Harem” (1, 2, 3)

After practice at their Huddle, I was able to share my testimony about how I came to know Jesus and my need for my identity in Him.
This ministry is making a huge impact for the kingdom and is drawing athletes closer to the Lord with every pitch!

Paul Quint – Miami of Ohio

Owen even mentioned that he didn’t even realize the impact that they would have with his group of youth. He said it was the most they had opened up all year and it had everything to do with the age & intentionality of the interns.

Ministry is found in the margins and the space between doing things or just the space created in the car has been full of times for us to pour into these students. The ways that God has opened their hearts to how he wants to use them has been amazing to see. I’m excited for how their ministry game plans will reflect what God is calling them to do when they go home.

On to Sweden and being a part of the Sport for Life team! More to come.