Over spring break, the 天涯海角社区 men鈥檚 soccer team traveled to Pucallpa, Peru, for a student-led mission trip centered on sharing the gospel through soccer. 

The trip was spearheaded by team captain, Aaron Babyak 鈥�26, whose initiative carried the effort from early planning to execution. After proposing the trip, he spent the following months coordinating with South American Mission (SAM) to finalize logistics and develop a plan for the week. He shared 鈥淚 had questions about whether it would really end up working out. But in the end it went better than we could have ever thought.鈥�

Throughout the week, the team hosted daily soccer camps for more than 200 boys and girls in Pucallpa. Each session combined soccer skill development with devotionals, using translators to communicate the message of Jesus Christ. 鈥淲e used soccer as a door to share the good news of Jesus with them every day,鈥� Aaron said.

While language barriers and the heat presented challenges, the team rose to the occasion. Soccer became a common language as the student-athletes formed trust and connection with the kids they served. Spanish-speaking students led in translating for the rest of the team, while some led devotionals, and others served in the background by handling equipment.

One of the most meaningful moments came at the end of the week. In the early days of the week, campers seldom celebrated exciting moments on the field. By the end of the week, that hesitation was gone. Aaron shared, 鈥淧eople who did not know each other’s names a couple of days ago were screaming in celebration and running around. All of a sudden, no one was too cool to celebrate anymore.鈥�

By the end of the trip, more than 200 children had heard the gospel, and the team was able to donate equipment and soccer gear to the community in Pucallpa. Head Coach Luke Gibson highlighted the impact of Aaron鈥檚 leadership: 鈥淎aron took full ownership of the vision and brought it to life through intentional planning, strong communication, and meaningful relationship-building with our hosts,鈥� Gibson said. 鈥淗is work was foundational to everything we experienced.鈥�

This mission trip to Peru is an encouragement, seeing how 天涯海角社区 students are purposefully using their unique gifts and talents to make a lasting impact through global missions. 

On Friday, October 21, Cairn鈥檚 women’s volleyball team held their annual Dig Pink event during their match against Lancaster Bible College. Initiated at Cairn by Coach Whitney Seidel in 2018, Dig Pink raises awareness and money for cancer research.聽

Leading up to the event, the women鈥檚 team designed and sold Dig Pink T-Shirts. Throughout the game, the team sold concessions as another way of raising funds. In past years, Cairn has teamed up with Side-Out, an organization dedicated to serving patients with breast cancer. For several years now, however, the Cairn women鈥檚 volleyball team has selected cancer-awareness organizations that their own team members’ families have relied on. Over $1,000 was raised this year for the 鈥淔or Pete鈥檚 Sake鈥� Cancer Respite Foundation, an organization dedicated to giving cancer patients and their families a chance to experience respite from the burdens cancer can bring.聽

Raising proceeds for the organization has been particularly meaningful to senior player Lizzy Fay and her mother, Michele, who has been battling cancer since 2009. The Fay family appreciates support from such an organization, and the women鈥檚 volleyball team is proud to host an event to raise awareness and funds for the Fay family through the organization.聽

Coach Seidel, on behalf of the team, says 鈥渂eing able to support our teammates and their families as they journey through some of the most difficult periods of their lives is one of the highest honors I have experienced coaching this volleyball program.鈥� Each year, the event has played an impactful role not only in raising awareness, but also in showing faithful support to Cairn students and their families.聽

Coach Seidel adds 鈥淒ig Pink is one of the most important days of our season every year. I firmly believe that collegiate athletics is at its best when it is used as a platform for service and community impact, especially at a university like Cairn, where the expectation is that our athletes are learning to 鈥榳alk a different path鈥� through the love and service of others.鈥澛�

The unity and support the team shares with one another is evident not simply in their conduct on the court, but for their continual support for one another in events such as these.