Missionary work through basketball

Jason Williams, Saratoga Panthers Basketball Head Coach, always teaches his players the value of teamwork as part of his coaching philosophy.

On the basketball court, he is a tough disciplined coach who demands high expectations from his players on game day. Off the court, Willams is a devoted teacher, father, husband, and Christian. He is involved in many activities at Saratoga Christian Alliance Church. Recently, Williams and a group of Saratoga Middle High School students volunteered to do missionary work in Mexico over the spring break.

“We meet on Sunday Nights with our high school bible study group,” Williams said. “They expressed interest in going down to Mexico. We have gone down to Mexico several times as a family and our group wanted to do missionary work in Mexico. We put it together and started our trip to Mexico.”

As part of the SCA missionary, Williams hosted a basketball camp in Mexico. He said this camp teaches children the game and helps to develop their basketball skills.

“We put on a basketball camp in Mexico, we also did some construction projects and it was fun,” Williams said. “Our church got a hold of our contracts down in Mexico. We had to plan a budget and the church did some fundraising to get some money together because the trip was not cheap to travel down there. Members of the church helped us and the school district also got us some grants to finance our trip.”

Williams said he started this basketball camp because the children there love to play basketball. He said teaching the game helps them develop their skills and get a better knowledge of how the game is played.

“The younger kids in Mexico like basketball,” Williams said. ‘It was a three-day after-school program for those kids. They would come down to the park and learn the game and we would spend a couple hours with them to play basketball.”

The important part of the SAC mission in Mexico is spreading the message of the Gospel. Saratoga Middle High School students that are members of SAC missionary work took part in bible studies and prayer worship with children and families in Mexico.

Aspen Sewell said it was great to do missionary work. She loves the ideal of reaching out to families and children in Mexico who share her beliefs in Christianity. Sewell also helped with the basketball camp and volunteered to help families with their chicken farm.

“Our missionary team helped out building a chicken coop and put on a basketball camp,” Sewell said. “It was cool to serve the people in Mexico and more importantly it was great to meet so many people and make connections to other believers who live in other parts of the world.”

Williams’s daughter, Marilee, also took part in the SCA missionary work. Marlee said she had been to Mexico before and enjoyed helping families and sharing the message of Christianity.

“My family and myself have been down to Mexico before,” Marilee said. “It was great to be back because I was able to see some of my friends who live down and have not seen in a while. When you go on these trips you think that you’re going to change those people’s lives, but in reality when you go back there you are the one who has changed because of the experiences you have and to see how people live their life and it changes you.”

Marilee said this was the best adventure she has had compared to previous missions. She and the group of missionaries were invited to people’s homes and to worship. She called it the most beautiful thing she has witnessed.

Natalie Follum said she was one of the few missionaries who had never been to Mexico or left the country before. She said it was an amazing experience to visit another country.

“It was awesome to experience new things in a completely different country,” Follum said. “It was happy and joyful to meet people who share their love for Jesus and to be invited into people’s homes to do prayer and worship.”

Logan Robinson said it was an eye-opening vacation for him to visit Mexico. This was Robinson’s first ever trip to Mexico and it is something he will remember.

“It was the first time for me to visit Mexico,” Robison said. “I have never left the Wyoming community that much. It was interesting to explore another country and to see the faith of the people and to learn about their culture. I am getting ready to go to college and there are people my age who are already married and have full-time jobs. They are not focused on education or their further and there are kids younger than me who are working to support their families. “

SAC is planning another missionary trip to Mexico with a group of adults and a church team this August. SAC is now accepting donations or volunteers who are interested in doing missionary work.