Photo courtesy Jenna Shay
COURTNEY PRICE
Staff Writer
Whether it was whitewater rafting in the Nile, impromptu dance parties with Ugandan middle school girls on top of malls, or taking leaps of faith in eating the African food, there were many elements that made this summer unforgettable for seniors Mckenzie Hill and Jenna Shay and junior Emily Wynne.
The three members of the Pepperdine women’s soccer team had the opportunity to share their abilities and knowledge of the game with African children through a series of soccer camps in June.
The seed that blossomed into a Uganda trip came from the mind of Campus Recreation Administrative Assistant Casey Gillam. He proposed the idea of running these particular camps to the Pepperdine women’s soccer team, which sparked Shay’s interest.
“Jenna Shay was the first one to really want to pursue this idea, and she kind of roped me along,” Wynne said. “The two of us decided to go, and then, to our greatest pleasure and joy, Mckenzie decided to come too. And it was perfect.”
Hill, Wynne and Shay left for Uganda on June 5 and stayed for about three weeks. Their individual motivations for going are what made the trip unique and fulfilling for each.
“My mission in going over there was to put to work the service heart that I had, and to see if I would fit in Africa for long term, because I do want to go back,” Shay said.
Wynn and Shay each said they felt a calling to be halfway around the world.
“I felt like God was really calling me to do mission work because everything just seemed to sort of fall into place,” Wynne said. “My goal was to see why God wanted me there.”
Hill said her decision to make the long voyage came from her love of soccer.
“I wanted to just see how I could use soccer, which has been such a huge part of my life, as a tool to help others and how it was actually going to affect the kids in Uganda; like, what more is there to soccer,” Hill said.
With their personal mission statements, hearts for each other and the Ugandan children, and tremendous amounts of athletic skill, the trio was able to bring an amazing energy to Africa. The children did their part in reciprocating that energy.
“We’d leave the soccer field and the kids would chase the car for two miles,” Hill said while laughing with her teammates. “Then kids would jump on the back of the truck, and they were hanging on the truck. We would look in the mirrors, and they would still be running.”
Wynne, Shay and Hill taught hundreds of enthusiastic Ugandan school children about the fundamentals of the game, such as passing, dribbling, and shooting. For most of them, it was the first time playing with real cones and soccer balls.
“We completed each other,” Shay said while exchanging glances with Hill and Wynne. “Where any of us lacked the others picked up every day, and we all lacked at one point. We all had to really come together.”
It is clear to see the profound impact that these girls made, and the special dynamic that they contributed. Though they came with their own individual motives, they left with a heightened sense of their relationship that extends way beyond the soccer field.
“We definitely saw each others’ ups and downs, and we were able to pick each other up,” Hill said.
Wynne agreed, adding that “it was perfect balance.”
“Mac’s really cool under pressure, Jenna Shay is really organized and has it all under control, so I like to think that I brought some energy,” Wynne said. “But we all have that.”
While Shay, Wynne and Hill were the primary instructors for the Uganda camps, they could have possibly learned more than they taught. Complementing the soccer environment were the underlying exchanges of faith.
“I remember I said this to the group of kids that we talked to one of the days after camp,” Hill said. “Seriously, our skills and abilities, they’re not because of what we’ve done. It’s from God.”
Shay looked at the experience in a similar perspective, keeping in mind the notions going into a country such as Uganda.
“It’s hard to go into a country and have the mindset of ‘I’m going to change the world,’” she said. “If you think that way you’re going to be really disappointed. If you just have the mindset that you’re going to go glorify God, and you’re just going to serve people, then you’ll always be fulfilled and you can’t really fail.”
During the last day of the camp, the three were able to give away a majority of their soccer gear.
“After we gave each kid either a jersey, cleats, shin guards or socks, they brought us all in and they sang to us,” Shay said. “After that, each of us got to talk about God for just a few minutes. That was definitely the most powerful part, I thought.”
09-27-2007
