For over a decade, Sports Leadership students at Grace International School have taken trips to minister to refugee children at the Thai-Myanmar border. The Sports Leadership students are provided opportunities for them to discover and practice their God-given talents and abilities through teaching and leading. In November 2019, the students went to an orphanage near the Thai-Myanmar border where over 400 children participated in a sports camp.
God was at work through the running and cheering. He was at work in the stillness of the night as high schoolers and children huddled together to exchange life stories. These children have gone through things that no one should have—many seeing their parents murdered before their eyes and running away from home as their villages burn behind them.
Senior Chloe Maynard said that the most memorable things about the trip for her were the relationships that she made. “On the last night we were all worshipping together. I was holding a little girl’s hand and looked down to see her belting out the lyrics to the same God I was belting out the lyrics to. It was an amazing opportunity to share God’s love and see how God has worked in these sweet girls’ lives and the trip overall encouraged me in my faith.”
The GIS students returned with strengthened faith and hearts full of love. Senior Jane Ellen Mann, says, “God taught me that I had been depending on earthly desires, and not finding my happiness in serving and loving others. We went to the orphanage to serve and love them, but in the end, I realized that they served and loved me more than I deserved.”
Through classes such as Sports Leadership, Grace International School builds up student leaders through discipleship and gives them the opportunity to put their faith into action. Students like Chloe and Jane Ellen are able to foster a deeper relationship with God and others, something that will stay with and allow them to continue impacting lives for years to come.
