Inward International Ministry
The experience of one Polish girls basketball team at FCA Camp is proof that FCA's international ministry can take place inside America's borders.
By Nick Dunn — July 10, 2009

For Monica, a teenage basketball player from Krakow, Poland, the first night of chapel at an FCA Camp in early June was too compelling to ignore.

All around her, girls were taking a more authentic approach to worship than she'd ever seen — throwing their hands up in praise, crying out to God, behaving as if they had an actual relationship with Him. It was a unique display.

The girls basketball team from Poland with Huddle Leaders (center) at FCA Camp at Berry College in Rome, Ga.

"This is so amazing!" Monica beamed after the service to Julia Watson, one of the camp directors.

"What is so amazing?" Watson responded.

"To see them like this. In Poland we don't have this. To see them and the way they worship is so awesome."

Then, leaning a little closer, Monica put her hand over her heart and continued: "I want to feel Him like they do."

That was all Watson needed to hear. "Well, you can feel Him like they do," she said. "Have you ever prayed and asked Jesus to come into your heart and be the Lord of your life? That's how you feel Him like they do."

Together, Watson helped the young Polish girl through a prayer of salvation, asking God to forgive her for her sins and committing her life to Him. Needless to say, it was a pretty exciting start to the girls basketball team camp at Berry College in Rome, Ga.

***

Before the thought of his girls basketball team traveling to America ever surfaced, Shea Massengale's vision was simple. He wanted to use sports ministry as part of his missionary work in Krakow.

When he was in high school and college in the Chattanooga, Tenn., area, Massengale had been involved with FCA, so he naturally thought to connect with them for help. He got in touch with Jay Fowler, the Chattanooga area director, and soon the two began brainstorming ways for FCA to assist him with his work.

In March, Fowler found out a church from Arkansas was sending a group to Krakow, so he contacted them to ask if they could take FCA Bibles, Bible studies and other materials. As their conversations continued and Fowler discovered that Massengale was bringing his girls basketball team on a trip to the U.S. in the summer, Fowler invited them to attend an FCA Camp during that time.

"It was real special for me to see these girls learn ... I believe that this will stay with them forever." — Shea Massengale

FCA even agreed to help raise funds and split part of the difference if needed. Massengale was thrilled with the idea, so on June 8, after a week full of sightseeing and attending another camp, he and his team arrived at Berry College a bit exhausted from all the travel.

"I was concerned that because of their tiredness and overall culture shock, there would be some grumbling about the full schedule of the FCA Camp," Massengale said. "But from the moment we walked in the doors, I witnessed God at work through His people. The girls were made to feel special throughout the entire camp."

Only once did the cultural differences between the Polish team and the 23 other teams cause some confusion. During one of their early games, the Polish girls got flustered — and a bit upset — by the loud, physical play of one of the American teams. In Poland, basketball is more finesse-oriented, and it's considered bad etiquette to, for example, yell at an opposing player inbounding the ball after a timeout. These girls had never seen anything like that, so they were pretty intimidated.

After the game, they questioned Watson about the American style of play. Watson addressed the issue with the American girls.

"I told them, 'Let's just pretend that I take you to an FCA Camp in Poland,'" she said. "'And when we get there, all the basketball rules are going to be different, all the messages and music are going to be in Polish, and you just have to like it, no matter what. Would you like that?'"

The response from the girls was an overwhelming, "No."

"'Well,'" Watson continued, "'that’s what they've been through this week. We want to show them the love of Christ, so I want you to go back over there and be good sports.'"

The following scene that unfolded was what Watson called "one of the most powerful moments of the camp." The American girls walked back to the court and apologized, and soon all was forgotten and the girls were laughing and having a good time.

Other than that minor miscommunication, the Polish girls experienced a solid week of fellowship, learning and life-changing events.

***

It's the last night of camp, and 14 Polish girls basketball players are up on the stage. All week they've been sitting in the front row, listening and watching as the other American girls performed songs and chants for the entire group. The first night, their hesitancy was evident.

Twenty-four total girls teams attended the FCA Camp.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" many of them seemed to say through their eyes.

But slowly, Watson and some of the other girls could see them starting to open up. By this last night, before they were to head off to Chicago and then back to Poland, the team agreed to go up on stage. And then the song began.

"The Devil thinks he got us," they shouted, "but the ladies say, NO!"

Watson couldn't help but be overcome with emotion.

"Just to hear them saying that out loud, I thought, 'Wow, how incredible that they've had this opportunity not just to come play basketball in America, but through FCA they've been able to see other girl athletes living for Christ and hear the Gospel in a powerful way,'" she said.

Since they learned the songs and the motions that go with them, Massengale said, the girls haven't stopped singing. While running through the streets in Chicago trying to catch a train, they sang. While riding the plane back to Poland, they sang. While telling their parents about the trip, they sang.

"Everywhere we go, we're singing the song," he said. "It was real special for me to see these girls learn ... I believe that this will stay with them forever."

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Photos courtesy of Shea Massengale.