Hope And Opportunity

We are en route to Kenya! This trip has been months in the making and I have so much excitement for the work we’re going to do with World Concern!

This trip is unlike any other trip I’ve ever taken! While most of my trips require swimsuits and sunscreen, I’ve left the swimsuits behind, kept the sunscreen and packed lightweight pants and long sleeves to follow the Kenyan attire:)
As a professional beach volleyball player who travels quite frequently,
your mindset while flying to a tournament is setting yourself up to perform the best for your team. My mindset, team, and goal are different for this trip. It’s a trip that is not about me, but about helping and serving others.

This trip is not about competing well at a volleyball tournament, but about using the power of sport that has given me so much in my life and using it to bring Hope and opportunity to the people of Kenya!
The more I think about sport, the more I realize sport has so much power beyond the field of competition, and we will see the power it has through the work we do on the grounds this week:)

As I sit on this 16+ flight to Dubai to begin the journey I am giddy, excited, and nervous! I have also realized that a 16+ hour flight never gets easier haha. The flight is long, but you learn to either watch tons of movies, read books or use it to think!
I’ve had a lot of time to think on this flight and I’ve dreamed of all the great moments, memories and lifelong connections World Concern and I will make with the Kenyan people! Connections that will last a lifetime.

 For the first leg of the trip, I will work alongside the Kenyan Olympic beach volleyball team members conducting volleyball clinics for underserved schools in Nairobi! If that isn’t awesome enough, with the help of “USA Volleyball” and “Volleyball USA”, we will be donating 100 volleyballs as well as nets to these respective schools!

Below is a picture of a net that is shared by two schools in Kenya and it is the common place where all volleyball matches are held! We do take a lot for granted and it’s pictures like these that make me realize how grateful I am to have grown up with ample resources and opportunities. And my heart longs to give that back to others.

I sit here and can only imagine how many lives will be changed through our work and this single donation! This is where the power of sport comes to mind again. It is crazy to know how a single ball can change so much. How a “ball” and an open field with teammates and friends in a village can instantly create this sense of belonging for a child. Sports connect people and it is at the service of humanity.

I pray that through clinics, connecting with the children, and providing them with many volleyballs to play the sport, that it leaves them with a sense of purpose, belonging, hope, and many opportunities to push their dreams into reality!

I’m so excited to get started!