LANSING CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL GOES TO GUATEMALA STORY
- By John and Amy Banta - GSM Guatemala

On April 2, 2010, a team of 23 people from Lansing Christian High School partner with Simple Mission and GSM Guatemala set out on a nine day journey to Guatemala City, Guatemala. When they arrived, it marked the third time a Simple Missions team has blessed our missionary friends John & Amy Banta who are in charge of Global Soccer Ministries International in Guatemala City. When I say “blessed” I really do mean blessed. Just a few days before take off LCHS receive soccer gear from the GSM main off in South Carolina with gear donated by ‘Cleats For A Cause GSM Project with partnering Erskine College in SC. The students and team members carried with them donated items including.......60 soccer balls; 14 pairs of goalie gloves; 84 pairs of shin guards; 129 pairs of socks; 206 pairs of soccer cleats (all sizes); 207 pairs of shorts and 319 soccer jerseys.

GSM Guatemala will use the gear for their outreach soccer camps (over 1000 kids accepted Christ in 2008-9 camps), their youth community soccer academy’s, soccer education adult coaching courses and tournaments as a bridge to sharing the gospel with people of all ages. Honestly, I don’t even know how that much stuff can be packed into the extra luggage space of 23 passengers. The donating group for the equipment collected was Cleats for a Cause! These items traveled from South Carolina to Michigan to Guatemala.... all to be used for God's glory! And it all started at a little park in Costa Rica.

GOD TOUCHED THE LCHS TEAM LIVES BIG TIME

“It was one of the best mission experiences I've had." - Tim Brenner - Father/Chaperon

“It definitely changed my life forever!” - Hallie Hoogendyk, Lansing Christian High School student team member.

“This trip to Guatemala has taken Lansing Christian by storm!” Bob Wielinga, leader of the team after returning to the US.

GSM GUATEMALA PINITO SOCCER FIELD PROJECT

A great group from Lansing Christian High School spent their spring break working hard with GSM Guatemala and some residents of a little community called Pinito here in Guatemala City. The community has recently become another site of a soccer academy for GSM Guatemala, where boys and girls ages 8-15 come and train, improving their soccer skills, and participating in a series of Bible stories and devotions aimed at growing their hearts.

Pinito, as a community, is composed of families that scratch out a living from the discards of the neighboring meat processing plant. The intestines of already butchered cows are cleaned and hung to dry in order to be resold as sausage casings ......the lower legs and heads of cattle are gleaned and cut away at with the remnants of meat being salvaged and resold. Though the dogs of the community seem to fare well, the families do not as they struggle to manage their lives from the discarded cattle remains that they receive daily. Located in the community, is a small, narrow soccer field that the team from Lansing Christian transformed in an unbelievably short amount of time.

Protective fencing was welded together and raised at both ends of the field was secured into a block wall that was constructed and painted. Add in a lot more painting and, to top it off, a train of dump trucks that just kept coming to dump a select grade sand/clay mixture that was shoveled, wheel barrowed, and raked to create the new playing surface. Many from the community pitched in to help including kids of all sizes, many of them being academy players who realized the significance of the upgrade to their field that was taking place.

GSM Guatemala and Lansing Christian finished the project by inviting the community to come and watch the Pinito soccer academy host the Canalitos GSM Soccer Academy, another of GSM locations. They played four games that were followed by hotdogs, watermelon, and face painting fun - as well as a short devotional from Pastor Teddy Torres, one of the pastors from our sponsoring church for this particular academy. Aching backs and sunburned necks aside, a great project was completed. We believe it has the capacity to impact lives for years, as we continue to run programs here. Our relationship with Pinito continues to grow, providing more opportunities to share God’s love. Pray for changed hearts within both the academy players and their families. Thanks again, Lansing Christian.....job well done!

For more information about GSM International Team, School or Church trip to Guatemala contact GSM International @ 843-235-3762 or email us at pbanta@sc.rr.com