Uncommon Sports Group seeks to develop Christ-centered future leaders of the college and pro sport industry. A large part of how USG develops future leaders of sport is by funding its members to attend international mission trips that help develop them in their walks with Christ.
In June of 2024, USG traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, with a group of nine of its members and two staff for an eleven-day short-term trip. While in Kenya, USG served alongside local ministry partners in a variety of ways, as well as experiencing the local culture and scenery in Kenya. If you want to learn more about the trip to Kenya, you can read a detailed summary here.
Justin Wrenn was one of the attendees on this summer's trip to Kenya. Justin is a USG member and currently works as a Data Scientist with Overtime Elite Basketball. Justin formerly served as a student manager, graduate assistant, and video coordinator with Georgia Tech men's basketball. Below is a testimony from Justin reflecting on his experience in Kenya:
"Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26) For the past year this verse has been central to the conviction I’ve felt in my life, which is centered around one of Jesus’s most simple commands; “follow me”. I know that I have experienced spiritual growth within the last year although at times it feels very small. I have been on a journey of asking myself “if I believe what the Bible says is true, why do I live like a regular resident of this world instead of a devoted disciple of Jesus being transformed by the Holy Spirit?”
Looking for ways to be more obedient I knew one way would be to make myself uncomfortable and go on my first mission trip, so I applied for the USG Kenya trip. It was an amazing trip and very challenging, providing more questions than answers to ask myself now that I’m back home.
Serving the children at the Huduma school was such a beautiful experience as our team of virtually strangers got to come together and serve and share in something we all share a love for which is teaching Christlike behavior through sports, teamwork, and competition. The children we got to serve were so smart, kind, and joyful in the midst of a life where they return home and don’t have clean water, sanitation, or adequate food supplies. It leaves me asking, “Would I be this joyful in life if I wasn’t living a rich, comfortable, American dream life?”
We also spent an afternoon going out and doing evangelism with local members of Huduma Church in the nearby neighborhood of the school. This was very far out of my comfort zone and a stretch but the Holy Spirit provides what we need. The people of Kenya were so kind and welcoming to us. Most of the team agreed after we were done that it felt easier to go door-to-door in Kenya than it would in America. But this begs the question, why aren’t we going door to door in America to try to make sure our neighbors know the gospel? Similar to America, one of the pastors at Huduma reminded us during evangelism that many people know of God and Christ, but they do not know if they have true salvation. I saw that many people in Kenya were indifferent to the gospel, similar to America, which has led to me think more about if people who know the gospel still struggle to find salvation, how much more should we be desperately looking for ways to get the gospel to people who have never heard it at all?
This trip was also special because we got to worship with two local churches and meet people that I would never have met otherwise. Worshiping in another country was so rewarding as a reminder that our God “YHWH” is not an American God but the God of the whole world. These brothers and sisters in Kenya had so much joy in their worship that it was challenging to me and left me asking, “Why am I not more excited to have a relationship with the sovereign God of the universe?” I saw Psalm 51:12 in action from believers in Kenya which says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit” and am praying that this type of attitude would come to describe my life as well.
I am thankful for the opportunity to go on a trip like this, and the prayer for myself and the whole team is that these questions we were all faced with while in Kenya would drive us to take action back home and live our lives for God’s eternal kingdom more than the temporary earthly one."
Seeing the impact that the Lord brought about from this trip, both on Justin's life and on the individuals we served in Kenya, has been such an encouragement! We are grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the Lord in Kenya with this group of future Christ-centered leaders of the sport industry.
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