This past Thursday, the Southern Wesleyan Men's Basketball team shared their experiences from their mission trip to the Dominican Republic this past May.

SWU Men's Basketball Head Coach Charles Wimphrie welcomed everyone to chapel while referring to his players as his "heroes" for the outpouring of love and compassion they displayed to the people in the Dominican Republic. Wimphrie thanked the many people who supported their trip through donations, prayer, and words of encouragement.

Prior to the players coming to speak, a 10 minute slide show was shown which displayed pictures of the players and coaches interacting with children, playing baseball, conducting a basketball clinic, and giving testimonies after playing basketball. As the each slide was displayed, music played in the background which was moving as well. The songs were "Give Me Your Hands" by Brandon Heath, "Here am I" by Mercy Me, and "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)" by Chris Tomlin.

Brandon Jankowy followed the slide show with a prayer and then six players came to the podium to share about their experience in the Dominican Republic. Highlights of the players included:

·Quinton Cannon called the experience "amazing" and "once in a lifetime". He said it was privilege to spread the word of Jesus Christ who had never heard His name before.

Aaron Lane shared how he'll never know how much the lives of the people in the Dominican Republic were changed, but he knows that everyone that went on the mission trip had their lives changed by the people of the Dominican Republic. He also shared how he got to try sugar cane and that it tasted like a combination of "sugar and fiberglass".

Nick Lagroone was nervous about going on this trip because he had never flown on an airplane before and they'd be flying over a lot of water and he wasn't a very good swimmer. He talked about how much he loved playing basketball, but basketball was his lowest priority in the Dominican Republic. He shared about a little girl named Stephanie he met at an orphanage. She didn't have shoes and had a dress too big, but was always happy.

Tae Roebuck talked about the experience of going to an orphanage. When they arrived at the orphanage, the bus driver said "If you can't handle this, you better stay on the bus." Tae wanted to stay on the bus but the coaches said everyone was going in to the orphanage. Tae went in and went floor to floor visiting children and as he got up to the fourth floor, he just stopped in the middle of a hallway, put his head in his hands, and wept realizing he couldn't do anything to help them.

Nick Crowder talked about how the kids mobbed the players and coaches as they got off the bus in the villages they visited. He shared that he was upset because he couldn't plug his iPod in back at the complex where they were staying, but here were children who didn't have much in regards to possessions, but were so happy to have people there to visit them and play with them. Many of the kids wanted to ride on his shoulders because he is 6'8. Nick even admitted to playing with Barbie dolls at the orphanage.

Byron Wimphrie was the final player to share about the trip. His story involved one of the guys they played a basketball game against. Following the game, the Southern Wesleyan players were passing out old shooting shirts to the other team. A player came up to him, took a chain off his neck, and gave it to him. Since that day, Byron shared that he has not removed the chain from his neck.

Gene Fitzgerald, a representative from Score International which is a company out of Chattanooga, Tenn. that sponsored the trip closed out the chapel service by telling the audience what a privilege it was to travel with the Southern Wesleyan Men's Basketball on the trip to the Dominican Republic. Fitzgerald then encouraged others to consider going on a mission trip through Score International.