LA MIRADA --- The Biola Women's Basketball team is headed to Japan for a 10-day mission trip, using the game of basketball as a platform to serve others and share their love of Christ.

The Eagles will depart for Japan on August 16 and return August 25, spending time in Tokyo before traveling to the Kyoto and Osaka areas. Throughout the trip, Biola will participate in ministry and community outreach, host basketball clinics, compete against three Japanese teams and experience the culture of Japan.

For Head Coach Mike Simonson, the opportunity is one he has envisioned for nearly a decade.

"This opportunity is something I have been dreaming about for about 10 years," said Simonson.

At the center of that vision is an opportunity for the Eagles to serve people from another part of the world and find common ground through their shared humanity and the game of basketball.

"The purpose of this trip is to bring Christ's love to a group of people who are very different than us," said Simonson. "Our hope is to honor, serve and give in all areas that Christians should. We will be generous and sacrificing while we are there. My hope is that, at the minimum, our women will find common ground with Japanese citizens and will point to the Good News of Jesus Christ."

Biola's time in Tokyo will provide several opportunities to put that mission into action. The Eagles are scheduled to spend time with Hope Alive Church, participate in community outreach, serve through a homeless ministry and host ministry basketball clinics.

Basketball will also provide a unique avenue for connection throughout the trip.

The Eagles are scheduled to compete three times, beginning with a matchup against the U18 Japanese National Team in Tokyo. Biola will later face Mukogawa Women's University and Ritsumeikan University during the second half of the trip.

"The basketball games will be really fun," said Simonson. "We will get to see how we match up against talented opponents who are very different than us, and we will get to practice competition in a foreign environment, which will stretch us."

The ministry will not stop when the final buzzer sounds. Following the Eagles' games against Mukogawa Women's University and Ritsumeikan University, the teams plan to share a meal and fellowship together, with a Biola student-athlete sharing her testimony.

While in the Kyoto and Osaka areas, the Eagles will also connect with missionaries and attend a service at Mustard Seed Church.

Beyond basketball and ministry, the trip will give the team an opportunity to experience Japanese culture together. The itinerary includes time to explore Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka before the Eagles return home. For Simonson, those experiences are another part of what he hopes will make a lasting impact on his student-athletes.

"The biggest hope I have is that they get to see God's creation in a group of people that on the outside look very different, but inside our human nature is very similar because God has made us both in His image," said Simonson.

The Eagles will also gather for team devotionals throughout the trip, providing intentional time to reflect on what they are experiencing together.

The opportunity was made possible in part through donors who supported Biola Women's Basketball during Giving Day this past fall.

"This trip was made possible by some very special people who gave to our Giving Day this past fall," said Simonson. "Without their generosity, this would not be possible. I am so thankful for these generous people who saw the vision and gave to our student-athletes' experience. This is a trip we will cherish for a lifetime and will deepen our faith in Christ."