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Honduras Water Project new

General Autumn Whitney, Sports Information Intern

Five Student-Athletes To Participate In Honduras Water Project

Four soccer players and a volleyball player are a part of a 20-plus team of students going to Honduras.

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Over spring break 20+ students, of which five are Biola student-athletes, will go to Honduras to minister and help the residents gain easy access to clean water.

As Biola's longest-running ministry, the Honduras Water Project has been in effect for over 25 years and the mission has remained the same – to bring both "spiritual and living water" to the people in rural areas of Honduras.

This year, Christian Formation and Ministries is once again sending the team to El Portrero, where roughly 150 people have no access to drinkable water. This is the first time in the history of the Honduras Water Project in which the ministry is going to a site previously visited. Because the team travels during the rainy season, the weather was too poor last year and the project was left unfinished.

"Either they try and complete it or they leave it to where it's not too much more for the villagers to handle," said senior goalkeeper Marina Rodriguez. "Our intentions are to finish the project that was started last year."

Currently, the residents of the small town must buy water from the store, but have no money to do so. Through digging wells and irrigation lines, the students will help move fresh water from its source down to the village ridge.

In addition to assisting in the retrieval of fresh water, there will be separate ministries for men, women and children. The men's ministry will involve playing soccer with locals.

"Soccer's their thing," said junior midfielder Joey O'Keefe. "That's all they do – it's their community."

The students involved in men's ministry hope to earn the respect of the locals by playing soccer with them, and then they will share the gospel once a relationship has been established.

"It's much easier to share the gospel with them when they respect you and you guys already have a foundation," O'Keefe said.

Within the small village, only about one-third of the people go to church. Most of the attendees are women and children because the men spend all day working and playing soccer. The students on the team will hold a church service at night, during which one of the team members will preach to the community.

In the children's ministry, team members will conduct Vacation Bible School and use different crafts to connect with the local kids. Each of the activities focuses on the theme of identity and symbolizes how God relates to the children.

Senior midfielder Stephen Campos says that the goal with the children's ministry is "being around them and showing how God loves us and how we can show them that He loves them."

Despite being excited to play soccer as a part of the men's ministry, Campos volunteered to work with the children's ministry and be a translator instead.

"In that moment God made me put my desires and my wants to the side," Campos said. "No one had volunteered up until that point to be a translator."

Campos says that he views his ability to speak Spanish as a gift from God to be able to connect with the villagers in ways that people who do not speak Spanish cannot do.

Although the difference in language is a barrier for some, Rodriguez, O'Keefe and Campos are excited to have the opportunity to connect with the locals through a common love of soccer. Those three are joined on the trip by fellow men's soccer player, Daniel Martinez, and a volleyball player, Crissy Cunningham.

The water project team asks for prayer and words of encouragement as they prepare to leave for Honduras on Apr. 2.

If you feel led to contribute to the team financially, you can visit https://connect.biola.edu/give/cfm and choose Honduras Water Project.
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Players Mentioned

Crissy Cunningham

#17 Crissy Cunningham

RS
5' 10"
Junior
Marina Rodriguez

#1 Marina Rodriguez

GK
5' 6"
Junior
Stephen Campos

#7 Stephen Campos

MF
5' 11"
Senior
Daniel Martinez

#17 Daniel Martinez

Fwd
5' 10"
Sophomore
Joey O

#10 Joey O'Keefe

MF
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Crissy Cunningham

#17 Crissy Cunningham

5' 10"
Junior
RS
Marina Rodriguez

#1 Marina Rodriguez

5' 6"
Junior
GK
Stephen Campos

#7 Stephen Campos

5' 11"
Senior
MF
Daniel Martinez

#17 Daniel Martinez

5' 10"
Sophomore
Fwd
Joey O

#10 Joey O'Keefe

6' 0"
Junior
MF
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