A Life Worth Following

Our experience in Somotillo was an incredible experience for us.  I have yet to mention how the opportunity to play there presented itself.  My big brother, Mike, is the Missions pastor at Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma.  Mike first came to Nicaragua 10 years ago right after hurricane Mitch.  God used Henderson Hills to really help the people of Somotillo put their lives back together.  During the last ten years, my brother has been able to develop a significant ministry not only in Somotillo but also in many of the small villages around that city.  When it became official that the Ambassadors were on their way to Nicaragua, Mike helped set up some incredible ministry opportunities for us and we are so grateful to him for all the opportunities that came our way. 

On Saturday, as the group traveled back from Somotillo, we drove directly to the baseball field for our final game in Nicaragua.  As we pulled up to the field, we could not have imagined the perfect ending to our summer that the Lord had planned for us.  It was not something that we could have scripted and it was better than we could have ever imagined. 

As we took the field, the regular crowd began to shuffle in.  One more time, around 3000 people gathered on that late Saturday afternoon for a baseball game against the Americans.  It was amazing to all of us how significant our baseball games became to the people in Nicaragua.  My brother explained it to us this way:  “We all know where we were when the World Trade Center tragedy took place because that was an event in our country that marked time.  Many people describe events by saying, “Oh, that happened two weeks after the World Trade Center tragedy or that happened one month before the World Trade Centers.”  For the Nicaraguans, when the Ambassadors came to their country to play baseball, it was a similar mark in time for them.  For the rest of the year, they will mark time based on the week we were there playing baseball.  This reality was evident to all of us because so many people flocked to watch us play and they crowded in as close as possible to that action.  Even though Jared accidentally hit a man the night before knocking him off his bike with a baseball, this did not stop the crowds from getting close to the action. 

We were playing another good team from the area but in spite of that, our guys hit the ball really well and played great defense.  We were handling things on the baseball field but what made this game a lot of fun was the action taking place on the sidelines.  There was a drunk man who was staggering around our dugout asking to get in the game for the Ambassadors.  When I declined his offer, he chose to go take a little nap right by the “On Deck” circle.  Several of our guys decided to sit by him and have their picture made.  We will post some of those at some point. 

Before I move on to the next part of this story, allow me to take you back six years ago, because this will help you fully understand the significance of our perfect ending.  It truly was an incredible gift from the Lord.

Six years prior to this summer on June 3, 2002, Justin, Josh and Elizabeth got in the car and began the short drive from their new summer job back to Yukon around 1:15.  Right before Justin got on the interstate that day, he grabbed the CD “Come Together” by Third Day.  Justin told Josh and Elizabeth that he wanted them to hear a really great new song on that CD, “When the rain comes.”  Just before they pulled on to I-44, that song began to play. 

I am very thankful that we knew that this song was playing the exact moment the tires broke from that semi-truck and struck Justin’s vehicle because the Lord used this to bring us all a lot of comfort after his death.  If you are not familiar with this song, it talks about rain coming into every person’s life.  However, when that rain comes, it will really be OK because no one loves you like Jesus loves you.  He holds you regardless of how much rain falls in our lives and He never leaves us no matter the circumstances.  The Lord did this for us.  He held us in the midst of this very difficult storm in our lives.

As the game was wrapping up, we were moving into the 7^th inning and Murph finally got the call to go pitch.  Everyone had their cameras ready because we were all excited for Murph to get in the game.  In the distance, we could see dark skies and ominous clouds getting closer and closer.  We had already had to stop the game for about five minutes when some rain started but it very quickly moved off.  These rain clouds looked different.  They looked like they had some punch to them. 

Finally, the 6^th inning was over and the second we were about to go out on the field, the rain came.  Huge drops of rain began to fall from the sky and all of the Nicaraguans started running for cover.  The dugouts very quickly filled up along with every other rolling taco stand, hot dog stand and drink vendor’s cart coverings.  However, the Ambassadors did something completely different that captivated all the Nicaraguans and brought laughter to all of their faces.  Our team stayed on the field and Murph went to the mound.  Since no one was batting, I grabbed a bat and faced off against Murph in the pouring rain.  He almost hit me once but then thankfully I got a hit off him.  (It was a lucky shot.) 

The rain had arrived and very quickly puddles started forming all over the field.  I am not exactly sure who started it but all of a sudden, Ambassadors started running the bases and sliding head first in the mud.  It is a baseball player’s dream to slide head first past second base in the pouring rain through a very slick mud puddle.  There is no greater feeling than racing your teammate from third to home seeing who can slide the furthest.  As the players frolicked in the mud, very soon myself along with every other coach joined right in.  Even Sydni Sullivan took off and slid into second base.  I think that this is the exact moment in time that one of our players, who shall remain nameless, decided that he wanted to marry her.  I would never do anything to embarrass Garrett Brown so I won’t mention him. 

I wish every one of you could have been there to participate with us.  It was an absolute blast.  The Nicaraguans were saying, “Los Americanos son locos.”  And they just stood there watching us and laughing.  It was an amazing experience for us.  There could not have been a more memorable or more joyful ending to our summer experience. 

After the mudfest, we were way too dirty to ride the vans back so we decided to walk the mile and a half in the rain back to Oscar’s house where we were all staying.  As we walked by a little local restaurant, the entire crowd who had gathered to stay out of the rain, gave us a standing ovation.  The entire team walked back together waving at people, laughing and enjoying each other.  It was a great walk home. 

It wasn’t until we all got back, cleaned up (the best we could in the dark because the electricity had gone out) and began our share time that the true meaning of this ending to the summer came into focus. 

For our final share time, the entire team was seated around the front room in candlelight.  Coach Tunnell talked about the beginning of the summer when we handed out the Ambassador hats.  He told the guys that when they first put that hat on, the “A” on the hat did not have the meaning that it has now.  He asked them to describe what it meant to each one of them to play on this team.  One by one, these guys stood up and described what it meant to be an Ambassador.  It was a very moving experience and it was incredible to hear how the Lord had grown each one of these guys.  I was so thankful to the Lord for all that he accomplished in the lives of each individual player.  This team experienced so much more than baseball.  If you have the opportunity to run into one of our players, take the time to ask them what it meant to be an Ambassador.  Hearing this testimony will be a blessing to you.

I sat there taking every word into my heart doing my best to try to remember every word spoken.  I started thinking about our very first game.  The Ambassadors walked onto the field around 1:15 to stretch out for their 2:00p.m. game on June 3, 2008.  Six years to the moment of Justin’s death.  God had taken one of the darkest times in our lives, and even though there is still pain and sorrow at times, there remains a deep realization that there is more to life than living and dying.  Though this life is short for all of us, when this life is over, it is not the end.   We have been given some promises from the One who created us and those promises are real and personal.  I was amazed as I sat there and listened to these boys share about how Justin’s walk with the Lord had impacted their life.  I heard them describe how the Lord had given them the boldness to genuinely follow Christ.  

Then Sydni Sullivan spoke up and reminded me about the true significance of the way things ended this season.  She reminded me of the song that Justin put in his CD player moments before he met Jesus face to face and how the Lord used “When the rain comes” to minister to us so lovingly. 

It was an incredible gift on June 3^rd, when we realized that the Lord allowed us to walk on to the field six years to the minute of Justin’s face to face encounter with the Lord.  Then at the end of this first Ambassador season, finishing our last game in a wonderfully warm tropical rain storm witnessing the entire team living out a baseball player’s dream of playing in the mud on a baseball field, we received another wonderful gift from God. 

I sat there in that candlelight with tears of gratitude in my eyes for all the things the Lord had done.  For this experience, I am truly, truly grateful. 

As soon as we were finished with this share time, it was incredibly meaningful to watch each one of these boys walk up to Juliann Sullivan, give her a hug and tell her to her face what an honor it has been to play on this team.  They also shared with her how the legacy of her son will live on through their story.  The entire evening was a priceless experience with the Lord and with each other. 

On Sunday morning, the guys all got up and went to church at Rosa de Sharon where they lead the entire morning worship experience.  Sunday was a packed house and many people who had come to our games had come to the service.  At the very back of the crowd was one of the coaches who had helped with our baseball clinic.  He was always at the back of the crowd.  So far, he had not yet surrendered his life to Jesus. 

All week long, the Lord had been faithfully tugging at his heart and at the end of that Sunday worship service, he gave his life to Jesus Christ.  It was a very meaningful Sunday morning and another 15 people were saved.  Dios es muy muy bueno. 

After the service, they had some lunch and the guys went to the Pacific Ocean to have a little down time.  They had a great time playing in the big waves.  After the time in the ocean, they came back, packed up and at 3:00a.m. they started the huge trek back home. 

We had a plane delay in Managua which caused us to miss our connection in Houston.  However, in spite of the little wrinkle, everyone made it home and had the opportunity to sleep in their own beds.  We also got a little home cooking, which was another welcomed experience. 

The trip was incredible but Dorothy got it right when she said, “There is no place like home.”  We were all glad to finally be home.  However, it was a bittersweet time because in a few short months, God allowed us to become so close.  It is hard to believe that we have only known each other for two months.  Right now, our lives and hearts are so connected and there is a bond with this team that will last for a lifetime.  Each one of us are now a part of the Ambassador Fraternity and for the rest of our lives, we will look back on this perfect ending to a summer that none of us will ever forget. 

God has been so good to us and He has allowed us to participate with Him as He spread His word to people all over the world.  The Lord has allowed us to enter the front lines of ministry and it is our deepest prayer that for the rest of our lives, we will remain on the front lines. 

Thank you for your prayers and support this summer.  We are thankful for the many times that each one of you took us to the Lord in prayer.