el salvador (women's soccer) spring break 2023 - kelli beiler's story

april 4, 2023

what a crazy week (cue humberto’s voice). for real though. what a week. one that felt like a year while at the same time only feeling like a day. it is quite literally impossible to recap all that we saw, heard, and experienced but i will do my best to give you a glimpse into it. the lord was so faithful to meet us each individually, provide us with exactly what we needed in every moment, and used us all in so many different ways.

romans 12: 4-8 was clearly on display which says, “for just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function so in christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. if your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching then teach; if is to encourage then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” truly, every person on this trip used their unique giftings and it was the most beautiful picture of the kingdom.

let me invite you into some of the giftings i observed (but obviously not all inclusive). sydney has the gift of sitting, listening, and connecting with people. she truly made the most of her inability to play soccer this week and connected with people that would have not been heard or seen otherwise. logan has the gift of a bright, beautiful smile that brought joy to every place she walked into. summer used her gift of photography to capture moments with her camera that will tell stories that words alone cannot express. mela has the gift of hugs that noticeably brought comfort and peace to everyone she interacted with. i witnessed children run to her simply to be embraced without any exchange of words. paige so evidently has the gift of encouragement and she did just that. i witnessed her encourage through both words and actions that instilled confidence in those around her. kiara used her ability to speak spanish to translate and help all of us communicate more clearly and effectively with every person we came in contact with. bailey brought energy at all times of the day and kept everyone laughing. shelby had eyes for the unseen and always drew attention to the things and moments that we would not have otherwise noticed. sara has a heart to seek out those who are overlooked to have intentional and life-giving conversations. at any moment you could look around and see sara away from the crowds having a deep one-on-one conversation or racing against someone that no one knew… not even the staff. kate used her gift of organizing, preparing, and scheduling to allow for this trip to happen and keep it running smoothly. also, she made use of her gift of teaching that was highlighted during english class. megan used her gift of question asking to stimulate conversations and processing that brought about deeper reflection and intimacy with the lord and others. nate used his ability of articulation to communicate clearly the wisdom that the lord has blessed him with. and ob definitely used his gift of dad jokes in every moment he could. ha. but actually, he diligently led us in environments that were unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable.

before the trip we were challenged to be all in, paint everything with love, and finish on empty and i can confidently say that everyone did just that. it was unique. it was beautiful. it led to a deeper knowledge and love for the lord and his people. it brought heaven to earth. but don’t be fooled into thinking it was out of our own strength. at the end of each day, we were exhausted physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally and it was only out of the daily refreshment of the holy spirit that we were sustained. all that we experienced and learned this week we are committed to bring back to the states with us—this new way of living does not stay in el salvador just like living on mission does not only take place in another country. we are believing that the lord used this trip to equip us even more for where he is calling each of us individually. lord, all the honor and glory is yours. thank you for your kindness. for your faithfulness. for the gifts and abilities that you give us. for calling us your children and allowing us to meet and partner with more of our brothers and sisters. thank you for sustaining us. for knowing our every need and providing for us. continue to have your way. our lives are yours. you are so much better than we could ever ask for, think of, dream or imagine. as humberto said so boldly, we will stop being selfish and commit to just talking about you wherever we go and to whomever we are around. we love you, lord.

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not a trip
category: student life
tags: lipscomb, lipscomb missions, missions, student athlete, student missions, athletics

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