Angels return from baseball/mission trip

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Baseball team chooses mission field over shot at national title

By Jimmy Tomlin


SPECIAL | HPE

Trey Gibson, Angels' outfielder, gives Dominican child a ride on his back.











For the Carolina Angels youth baseball team, this will be a season - and especially a postseason - to remember.

The Angels, a 13-and-under select team based in the Triad, could've played for a national championship in Steamboat Springs, Colo., or taken a trip to watch the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

Instead, the Angels chose to cap off their summer season with a trip to the Dominican Republic for a week of baseball, benevolence and blessings.

Not only did the kids get to play ball against a few teams from the Dominican Republic and help conduct baseball clinics, they also visited an orphanage, helped feed one of the poverty-stricken nation's poorer villages, and gave out free candy, toys, clothing, baseball equipment and even Bibles in several small villages.

You've heard of "Angels in the Outfield"? These guys were Angels in the mission field.

"This trip was not about wins and losses," says Billy Wilson, a former High Point University baseball player who coaches the Angels and organized the trip. "This was character and life coaching, as opposed to just winning baseball games. We wanted to do something that was more long-lasting, if you will - something that would give the guys a real view on reality and life after baseball."

During the trip, which took place July 19-26, the players came face to face with poverty - many of them for the first time - and came away with a much deeper appreciation for the things they have so often taken for granted.

"The trip to the Dominican Republic was an eye-opener," says 14-year-old Duncan Sparks of Jamestown. "It let me see firsthand how little these people have and how much I have."

Duncan remembers one child, in particular, at the orphanage who asked if he could pray for the American visitors.

"He had every reason to be mad at the world for being in a wheelchair and being in an orphanage," Duncan says. "But that is just the thing - even though he had nothing, he had everything. God was providing him with everything that is really important. He was happy and at peace and knew he had something to share with us - praying that God would be with us."

Trey Dobson, 13, of Greensboro, calls the trip "a once-in-a-lifetime thing" that was far better than a baseball trip.

"Most teams would not even begin to think about going to the Dominican on a mission/baseball trip," Trey says. "Most would decide, "Oh, let's go to Florida and be the national champions.' True, who doesn't want to be the national champions? But this trip was better. It made me - and I'm sure many others - realize how much we have and how much we take for granted."

Wilson, of High Point, came up with the idea of the mission trip after he went to the Dominican Republic last November with a sports missions ministry called SCORE International.

"I just developed a real heart for the people there, and I knew I wanted to go back and take the guys so they could play against the Dominican teams and also go out and serve and give their time," explains Wilson, whose two sons - 13-year-old Weston and 12-year-old Spencer - play for the Angels.

To Wilson's amazement, the other players' families overwhelmingly supported the idea. Twelve players, four coaches and eight additional parents made the trip, which cost more than $30,000. Some of the players helped raise their own funds - Wilson's sons, for example, mowed yards to raise money - and his church, Community Bible Church, also contributed.

The team collected 30 boxes of new and used baseball equipment - uniforms, bats, balls, gloves, cleats, hats and so on - and shipped them to SCORE International, which in turn sent the boxes to the Dominican Republic ahead of the team. The Angels also provided food, clothing and other items for the Dominican people, and spent time playing with the children in the villages.

The Angels played four baseball games against Dominican teams and helped conduct a few clinics, too, but their mission work was clearly the highlight of the trip, according to Wilson.

"We would have devotions at night and let the kids share about their day and what it meant to them, and I can't begin to tell you how neat that was seeing these kids talk about their experiences," he says. "It made them really appreciate what they have here."

 

WOW!!! Awesome job Angels!! Maybe more of us can follow such a wonderful lead!!

 

I posted the same article yesterday...thought it was great!

Is that your son quoted?

My husband and son are in the DR now on a mission trip and leading baseball clinics. It is my sons second trip this summer and he loves it!
Last night my husband said that a bunch of Dominican kids and our group were all in the street playing a pickup baseball game and there were old people and little kids sitting around cheering. There was a full blown baseball game and even though the languages spoken were different...everybody knew the game and communication was never a problem.

Baseball...a universal language!

 

OP- I remember when you first posted this asking for contributions. I hope you were successful in this request. What a great projedt/mission. I know the kids that participated will never forget their experience.

 

Great experience for these young men. My son and I had the opportunity to go to the DR last Nov with the same trip Coach Wilson was on offered by SCORE INT and it made a huge impact on my life- I hope it does the same for this group of players and their families. God willing my son and I will be going back this November with SCORE.

Last year Marino Rivera, Eric Stultz, Andy Phillips and Ian Kennedy were among the major leaguers who went. A large contingent of minor leaguers, college players and a large number of coaches- from DI schools to little league -made the trip. Some of the baseball names were Keith Madison and Kevin Malone (former GM of the Dodgers) just to name a few.

Here is the link to SCORE INTERNATIONAL. http://www.scoreinternational.org/home/


I highly recommend this organization and this trip for anyone who wants to share thier love of the Lord in a baseball setting.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

What a great thing to do! I have been a part of a National Championship with the Angel organzation but I will have to admit that this is the greatest thing any Angel team has ever done.My hat is off to the players and the coaches for being outstanding people.We are proud of you from all the 14u Angels!!

 

Yes, Duncan is my son.

Braves, we did raise a bunch of money and donations. Over 1000 bats and hundreds of gloves. We got 23 full sets of catching equipment and tons of clothes and uniforms.

Thanks Throw90. The Angels have been a good organization for my boys.

Oh yea, I got permission to post this article.

 

Extremely Proud!

I just wanted to apologize for not telling these guys how wonderful a thing it is that they are giving back. It seems I got caught up in some personal sickness stuff and didnt want the Angels to think I didn't notice!

I am extremely proud of this bunch and all the Angels kids I have been allowed to be associated with over the last few years. These boys, coaches and parents are what it's all about. Great job ANGELS!! Good things will never go unnoticed!

 

Hey OAC--how about giving us an update on how you are doing?

 

For some time now I have thought about I could do in a mission field? My church has decided to go on a mission trip this spring to Halifax, Nova Scotia. While I want to attend, I cant, because, yes you guessed it, it is in the middle of high school season. I feel coaching baseball can be a ministry too.... Sufficed to say, I would be interested in a mission undertaking involving baseball. Would definitely love such an opportunity... If you guys here could pray that God opens the door for me that he wants opened, I would appreciate it greatly.