Managers on a Mission tells us all the time they are in the business of developing the future leaders of sport.
And that they are.
Yet, there’s more, as anyone who scratches the surface quickly finds.
When MOAM collects athletic apparel and such from universities and professional sports teams, they turn them around and sell them to fund trips to Africa to befriend and share blessings with orphans there (among other endeavors).
(See our MOAM story from last year.)
This year, MOAM expands their reach back home.
First Domestic Trip
“We just completed our first domestic trip,” says founder Drew Boe. “We had no idea what to expect and it was one week only but we were blown away in how well it all went!”
A team traveled San Diego, blessing those they could and learning more about the sports business. From the outside, the one day the team visited the home of the Lakers, UCLA women’s basketball, the NFL Chargers, and the Galaxy, and finished the day with USC Assistant Equipment Manager Katie Wimp, would easily be seen as the highlight.
However, it was the day at the laundromat that will be remembered as the highlight.
The Laundomat?
Yes, the laundromat.
“We went to a laundromat and blessed people there by paying for their laundry,” Drew says. “It was simple and no strings attached. If okay, we connected with people, heard their stories, and prayed for them.”
“I am excited about how the students are excited about doing the same kind of blessing in the cities where they work,” he says.
To learn more about MOAM's trips, visit here.
We spoke with Cameron Reed, an Auburn Student Equipment Manager who went on the San Diego trip.
Meet Cam Reed
Well, not really spoke with him. After we exchanged “hellos” Cameron launched into an excited and energetic recount of the trip that chugged along for more than 20 minutes with few breathes and no lessening of enthusiasm.
“It was amazing and it transformed me as a person and I am a better individual because of it,” he expounds after several paragraphs of detailed descriptions of nearly every moment of the week.
His passion for MOAM’s work and his involvement in it causes him to start stories, then interrupt them with the beginnings of another story before jutting off to continue or complete another.
“We had the opportunity to do a lot of service projects,” he says. “Free laundry for a day, and the beach outreach and we connected with people there and invited them to a cookout and we served hamburgers and hot dogs and chips and it was amazing.”
“Oh, hiking. We got a chance to hike and I’m a bigger guy and it reminded me that when you make it to the top it’s beautiful. It reminded me about life.
“We did some youth outreach and it was awesome and we connected with a lot of kids and I just got a text message from one of those kids there, literally two days ago, and these relationships last and I got a chance to talk about my journey and I was able to talk with people about Christ and that is what it is all about.”
I had to take a breath just listening to him.
“We served,” Cameron continued. “We served—that’s why we exist. I enjoyed it. I didn’t know what to expect. It was my first missions trip. I was totally, my mind was totally blown. I met a five-year-old boy who had no parents and was staying in a homeless shelter and it was a wake up call to me.
“’Hey! Cam! Stop complaining about the little things and be thankful for what you have!’”
Whew.
Talked about God
Good stuff.
“I was able to reach out to others and talk with them about God,” Cam told us.
This is what Drew wants to hear.
“The trip. It was nearly unbelievable, really,” Drew says.
Meet Bri Adcock
The downshift required to adjust to talking with fellow team member Bri Adcock is nearly jarring.
But Bri’s sincerity and genuineness are no less potent.
“I was a team leader in Nigeria last summer,” she says by way of introduction. “I got to lead the first ever domestic group and it was a great experience!”
Bri, an Administrative Assistant at the University of Akron for the Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, and Tennis teams, said the nightly team Bible study time together was the highlight of the trip for her.
MOAM – A Caring Network
“Ever since MOAM reached out to me and introduced me to this new network of professionals in the sports industry, I’ve been made part of this large family,” Bri says. “The people I’ve meet – they are there for you constantly and praying for you or even helping you make connections and find a job if you need it.
“It’s amazing!”
“It’s great to know that there are other people with the same faith and in the same industry,” she says.
Cam: The Trip Changed Me
Cam says the San Diego trip has had long lasting effect.
“Now I wake up in the morning and spend time with God and in His Word – the Bible,” he says. “I was a guy who liked to stay in bed as long as I could. But not any more. I am totally transformed.”
Cam began work at Auburn this summer after a couple years at Wallace State community college where he served as manager for the baseball team, and several years working in the funeral home industry.
“I had planned to go to mortuary school, but that plan changed.” He was invited to work for the governor’s office and he accepted. After the first of two months there, an offer from the Tennessee Titans enticed him to ask for early release.
“The Governor’s office let me go a month early and I am blessed,” Cam said. “I found out my calling is not to work in government.”
He did a stint with the Titans as sort of an internship. He starts his work with the Auburn next month.
“I am blessed.”
Right Now
This month, Drew leads a MOAM team of 17 to and through Israel, coaching kids in various sports, learning more about that culture, and touring.
“We will be doing some sports camps. We’ll have 50 kids the first week and 250 the second!” he says.
At the same time, a teams serves in Uganda ministering to refugees.
“We just had a couple teams return from Uganda and another team go. We are working with refugee camps and it’s been incredible,” Drew says. “Three of our students made the decision to get baptized over there earlier this summer.”
A Typical Report
| Day 9 | Church in Gulu |
|
Today our team made our way to the
community we’ll be serving in the rest of our time in Uganda for Sunday
worship. While a portion of our team shared testimonies and the message
with the adults, the majority of us took on children’s church. We acted
out Bible stories as well as taught them some new songs. It was a great
way to get to know the kids we’ll be working with the next two days! We finished up the church service with a dance we learned from one of our Ugandan friends we've gotten to know since arriving. One of the most memorable parts of this trip has been learning about African culture and how they immerse themselves in worship. So, this was a great way to wrap up our last day of Sunday worship! After lunch, our undefeated soccer team took on some of the students from the school. While our competition was much younger, their energy got the best of us. We ended up losing this time 3-0. We got a surprise team-building experience coming back to our bus after the soccer match. A night of heavy rains caused our bus to sink into the muddy school grounds. After an hour of digging and finding ways to create some traction, we tracked down a rope and finally won the game of tug-of-war! |
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What’s Next?
Next, MOAM will run another domestic trip.
“We are eager to replicate and build on what we did in San Diego,” Drew says. “It is a great opportunity for students who may not be able to do our traditional two or three week trip and go overseas.”