Mens’ soccer team serves in Brazil

Last summer the men’s soccer team went to Brazil for a 14-day mission trip. In order to gain support to go, the men sent letters to family and relatives. For junior Joao Cuoto, better known as J.C., raising support was harder for him because he is from  Brazil.

J.C. was glad to have raised the money and said while there the team was involved with mission work, training sessions and did some site-seeing. “Doing ministry in the slums on the dust field, talking and sharing to the kids out there (were good moments),” said J.C. “When one of our teammates Kyle Dantzer had to be saved in the ocean because he went too far and got stuck, that was a good time.” J.C. also liked that he was able to see his mom for a little bit and that she had the opportunity to see him play for the first time in 14 years. “For me it was a part of a growing process where God is showing me how to use my talents for His honor and glory, so it was another opportunity to keep realizing its not all about me but it is about God,” said J.C. The challenging part for J.C. was knowing that most kids in Brazil are in the same situation as the kids they worked with. “They think all they have is the game of soccer, and they can't focus on anything else,” said J.C. “And the fact that most of these kids were in a poor situation makes it even harder to think about.” After growing up in Brazil and serving alongside the men’s soccer team, J.C. said he would love to go back there someday to start a ministry.