In early May, the Lipscomb volleyball team embarked on an 11-day mission trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Head coach Brandon Rosenthal said that the trip was an exciting time for the group.
“There was a tremendous amount of excitement,” Rosenthal said. “It was the first mission trip for a lot of the players and for six of them it was their first time out of the country.”
Rosenthal’s main goal for the trip was the get to know each of his players better, and the girls wanted the same thing from each other.
“We are already a team,” Rosenthal said. “This is a close team, but I urged them to break down the walls and develop an even deeper relationship as a team.”
Work at the church, a stop at the legendary Christ the Redeemer statue and a hike up the Sugarloaf Mountians all played huge roles into making this such an unforgettable trip for all who went. However, the deeper connections formed and lives changed throughout their time in Brazil made this a truly invigorating expedition.
“I really had no expectations going into it,” teammate Lauren Ford said. “I wanted to grow in my relationships with the team more than anything.”
Playing only one game while over there, the girls had ample time to grow both mentally and spiritually.
“Experiencing another culture with my teammates while getting to serve the Lord was the best part of being gone,” teammate Jordan Huston said.
“It was cool how we were able to get closer as a team while we were helping others,” teammate Jewell Dobson added.
As the week grew, the girls relationship with each other grew as well as their relationship with Christ.
However, the highlight of the trip were three baptisms. Team members Molly Spitznagle, Kayce Green and Brittnay Estes were all baptized in Brazil. To make for an even better memory, they were baptized underneath a waterfall in Rio de Janerio.
“It was awesome to confirm my faith in such a secluded place,” Spitznagle said. “Under a waterfall, very secluded and with all my closet friends.”