By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

After spending six years developing relationships and helping build ministries in Africa, sports chaplain Wes Yeary and the Baylor Sports Ministry team is broadening the boundaries with a mission trip in May to Maceio and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"With Baylor forming a partnership with Northrise University there in Zambia, and other teams going there now, we felt like it was a good time respond to the calls of our Brazilian partners that have been asking us to come," Yeary said. "And with this being the year before the Olympics, we thought the timing would be great."

Through the International Sports Coalition, over 2,000 churches in Brazil have been trained in sports ministry to use the 2014 World Cup and the 2006 Olympics to use sports as a way to reach out to the unchurched and share the gospel with the "favelas and poorer areas" of Brazil, Yeary said.

"It's interesting, and I don't know the full history, but for many years sports and faith didn't intermingle," Yeary said. "There was almost a separation. Sports were almost looked at as something that would pull you away from God.

"But a few years back, when Brazil won the (2002) World Cup, there were Christians on that team that were very outspoken. They even took off their shirts after the match, and they had shirts (underneath) that said, `I love Jesus.' And it created a lot of attention. They shared their faith boldly and were very outspoken why they played like they played. So, there had been a real acceptance through sports there that now the churches are trying to use that to reach out to the lost and impact their communities in different ways."

On a trip to Brazil a year ago, Year and Baylor Associate Athletic Director Tom Hill went to six cities in eight days and visited with local pastors involved in sports ministry.

"And every one of those cities had a dynamic ministry of some type that I would love to partner with and serve under," Yeary said. "But for lack of time, we focused on (Maceio and Rio de Janeiro) to start with, and I just believe that it could be a relationship that we really build on for years to come."

Yeary is leading a 44-person ministry team May 17-30 that will help with sports ministries in Maceio and Rio de Janeiro. The group includes 32 first-timers and 11 off the two-time Big 12 championship football team, along with five from the spirit squads and student-athletes from women's basketball, soccer, equestrian, track and field, volleyball and Acrobatics & Tumbling.

"It's a great representation from our athletic department, from athletes and coaches to managers and trainers," Yeary said. "We've got (12) returners that are going to be a huge help, but what's exciting is we've got such a huge numbers of first-timers going this year."

Because of its beaches and resort areas, Maceio is the No. 2 tourism spot in Brazil behind Rio, "but the Alagoas state is last in development and opportunity for their own people," Yeary said. Just away from the beaches are favelas, or slums, filled with dilapidated shacks.

At one of the churches Yeary and Hill visited last year, the floors of the church inside and out are striped for "courts of some type."

"And they use that to reach the kids," Yeary said. "They bring the kids in through sport and use it as an opportunity then to share the gospel. The pastor there, Brother Johnson, also has a vision to help the smaller towns outside of that, so we're going to break up in teams while we're there and go help those churches in doing sports clinics."

Maceio is also one of the first Brazilian teams to start an American football team, which will give a unique opportunity for Baylor players like Collin Brence, Spencer Drango, Aiavion Edwards, Jamal Palmer and Lynx Hawthorne a chance to "get to teach skills from their sport and use that as an opportunity for them to share as well. So, I'm really excited about that," Yeary said.

The second week, the sports ministry team will work with an inner-city church in Rio de Janeiro. And then the last day, the students will get to "see the beauty of the city with the Christ the Redeemer (statue of Jesus) and Sugarloaf (Mountain)."

"I'm excited for this partnership and God's sovereignty in all of this," Year said. "We have such dear partners in Africa. And unfortunately, because of the violence in Kenya, Baylor had to withdraw from there for a while. Then, when many of the Kenya trips canceled last year, we went on to Zambia because of the relationship we had started the year before with Northrise.

"We just felt like the timing was really right for this and that God had opened up every door. Our partners there have been so persistent in staying with us over the years, even though we weren't able to come. We felt like this would be a great time to start relationships there and begin to build some things like we have in Africa, and maybe broaden or stretch the Baylor boundaries."

With a pressing financial deadline and urgent need to raise a percentage of the $140,000 needed to send the team, Yeary is appealing to our loyal Bear Foundation donors to make a $100 online gift at https://www.baylor.edu/give/index.php?id=49837&a=3&f=08542A4 by Feb. 25.

"One of the most humbling experiences for the me these past few years is to go to our graduation gatherings and functions and hearing students stand up and share that the highlight of their time here at Baylor was going on a mission trip and them talking about the impact it had on their life," Yeary said. "I just think we have to keep this going for our students and for those that we're getting to share with and impact around the world. I hope our supporters recognize the eternal impact that it's having on so many lives."

As you consider giving to and praying for the Baylor Sports Ministry team, here is a list of the 44 student-athletes, students, coaches, managers and trainers making the trip to Brazil:

Football (11): Travon Blanchard, Collin Brence, Jeffrey Bryson, Spencer Drango, Aiavion Edwards, Lynx Hawthorne, Blake Mahon, Jamal Palmer, Gus Penning, Xavier Phillips and Andrew Walsh.

Women's Basketball (7): Nina Davis, Chardonae Fuqua, Darolyn Pierce (mgr), Alexis Prince, Kaylin Shillinglaw (mgr), Kristy Wallace, Imani Wright

Soccer (3): Lindsay Burns, Emory Cason, Sarah Moghadas

Track and Field (2): Celine Antwi, Erin Hegarty

Volleyball (1): Nicole Bardaji

Acrobatics & Tumbling (1): Alexa Crumpton

Equestrian (2): Victoria Griffith, Rachel Van Allen

Club Soccer (4): Lauren Azan, Lauren Bagwell, Shelby Cozette, Johanna Lee

Spirit (5): John Hodges, Madison Horner, Jenna Joos, Sheridan Stokes, Regan Volke

Trainers (3): Erin Barbour, Nancy Bearden, Taylor Russo

Leaders (5): Norris Blount, Cameron Friend (Truett), Kim Scott, Shana Walsh (grad student), Wes Yeary