Sydney Leckie: Mexico Tour
This past May, I traveled to Puebla, Mexico for the second year in a row with Ambassadors. Both trips have impacted me in far more ways than I could have imagined. Ambassadors is an amazing organization that uses sport as a platform to share the amazing news of Jesus Christ. In Mexico, we were able to use our soccer talent to reach a wide variety of individuals. We played in several games and were able to build lasting relationships with different individuals from Mexico.
Growing up, my family went to church but only on big holiday’s like Easter and Christmas. My siblings and I attended Sunday School but as soccer became more of a commitment, we lost that connection to church every Sunday. And to be completely honest, I didn’t really understand the whole “religious” thing. However, I joined Ambassadors club and my whole image of Jesus changed. I am forever thankful for Caleb Fortune and the many coaches I encountered throughout my youth at Ambassadors. They changed my entire perspective and really helped me start and grow in my own faith. I have volunteered with Ambassadors Summer Camps and it truly is amazing encountering and working with individuals who love Jesus and use soccer as a platform to share the good news with others. On top of that, I am a member of the WPSL team in Cleveland and there is an optional bible study that many of us are a part of. Ambassadors is truly authentic in the sense of helping individuals explore and grow in their own faith.
Going on tour with Ambassadors has impacted me in far more ways than I could have imagined. It truly has impacted me in the sense to give everything to God and he is in control of everything. There were quite a few times on tour when things weren’t seeming to go as planned, however, God was working all around us and had everything in control. Which can be difficult for me at times because I am a big planner and like to be in control of everything. The tour also opened my eyes to a whole different world and gave me a whole new perspective to the world we live in. Even though a lot of our personal circumstances are totally different, we can all connect and become one when it comes to Jesus. Jesus definitely used this tour to soften my heart and challenge me to grow in my faith and take a step out of my comfort zone. I am forever thankful for these life changing tours.
One of my favorite memories was our trip to Popolocas and the activities we did there! That was one of the days where our original schedule got all turned around and we had to change our plan quickly. But God is good and he had a plan for us all along and it turned out to be an amazing day. We were able to run a little soccer clinic for the children in the village and help the local church feed the community. The individuals in the community don’t have a whole lot, yet they were some of the happiest people I have ever encountered and they forever hold a special place in my heart.
I saw God work in so many ways on the tour! One of my favorite God moments was when our bus driver joined us in church on Sunday and decided to commit his life to Christ! He didn’t have any previous knowledge about Ambassadors or what we believe in. Throughout the week, he learned more about us and made that commitment to Jesus! Everyone was praying for him and it was truly a special moment that made me so happy! On top of that, I saw God working and helping grow the Ambassadors office in Mexico. There are more boy’s teams within the club and the girls side is taking off. The office in Mexico has grown and developed immensely within these last few years and that’s all because of the glory of God. And lastly, it may seem small, but just God working in each and everyone’s hearts to feel vulnerable and comfortable with each other. Everyone shared their own personal testimony, some people being believers, some unknown, yet everyone was so accepting and loving. I truly believe that God brought each and every person on that tour for a far greater purpose and I am so thankful that I was a part of that.
