A final few thoughts from my time in Costa Rica. One day, after our work time, we all jumped in the ocean. The waves were hug! The riptide, though, was pulling us further and further down the beachfront and out to sea. I reflected to the team and on the Valor Discovery blog and I want to share that reflection with you here: Not many of you know me. I was born in Denver, but grew up in Arizona. My grandparents lived in Laguna Nigel, CA for several years and I have many fond memories of the beach and the ocean. I learned early how to body surf and boogie board and I love playing in the ocean. Now, I

So, one of the more interesting parts of Costa Rica and our time there was seeing the many different animals in the wild. Not usual for someone from Colorado! Sleeping bats in the morning hut where we did devotions. Monkeys dropping mangos on to cars in the hotel parking lot to break them open for a mid-morning snack. Gila monsters crossing the road. Gecko lizards in the luggage and more! One of my favorite moments was seeing a stick bug who had found one of our green walls to have a similar color to a tree. Such a small and fragile feeling creature. An amazing wonder and complement to God's created world. I literally thought a small twig or branch

Driving through some of the towns and villages in Costa Rica, it was amazing to see some things which stood out. Namely, the cancha fields. Here in the midst of tin roof buildings on the side of a road would be a beautiful turf field with lights and netting. "Cancha" in Spanish means court. The small-sided field would host a 5 v. 5 match. Games were fast-paced. The ball, more like a futsal ball, had less bounce and a softer feel. (I know because one hit my face!) After several hours at the work site, our Valor Discovery Team made up of members of the boys and girls soccer team at Valor Christian High School would play small-sided games against

Today is Spy Wednesday, a curious name for this special day in the middle of Holy Week. Rev Brad reflects on the background of Spy Wednesday and how it can be a realization of hope — even for those of us who feel as though we have no hope. Inquiries and feedback can be sent to podcast@soccerchaplainsunited.org. From the Touchline is a short-feature (10 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney and occasional guests touching on various issues around faith, family, and football. Check out the Soccer Chaplains United App and go to the Media section. Under podcasts you will see a new podcast for 3/28/2018 entitled "Spy Wednesday - There is Hope." If you don't have the app yet, you can

The third stop over on my recent 10-day business trip was in Costa Rica. The Valor Boys and Girls Soccer Teams had a Discovery Trip. Discovery is a program through Valor Christian High School that gives students experiences serving others around the world. This particular trip combined members from the boys and girl's teams. The students and leaders worked during the day to build two homes. After a short break in the afternoon, the students would then dress and get ready to play small-sided soccer games against local Ticos (Costa Ricans) or to host soccer camps and clinics for children in the different towns and villages. As the chaplain for the boys soccer team, one of my roles on the