USG Community Impact: Kenya Mission Trip Testimonial (Part 2)
- Uncommon Sports Group
- 21 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Uncommon Sports Group seeks to connect, encourage, and equip Christians working throughout the college and professional sport industry. A large part of how USG seeks to accomplish this mission is by funding its members to attend international mission trips that help equip them to live missional lives through their careers in sports.
On June 19, USG traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, with a group of fourteen of its members and four staff for a two-week short-term trip. While in Kenya, USG served alongside local ministry partners in a variety of ways, as well as experiencing the local culture and scenery in Kenya. If you want to learn more about the trip to Kenya, you can read a detailed summary here.
Anthony Wedel was one of the attendees on this summer's trip to Kenya. Anthony is a part of the USG community and has completed our Academy program, has attended an Impact Weekend, is involved in our Community Bible Studies, and recently was a winner of our scholarship. Currently, Anthony serves as a Ticket Office Associate with Liberty University Athletics. Below is a testimony from Anthony about his experience in Kenya and the impact the experience had on him.
"Two years ago, if anyone would have told me I’d travel out of the country for the first time in my life, let alone on a mission trip, I would’ve called them crazy. Missions felt like something other people did, but not something I was capable of. But a few weeks before I even applied for the trip, I found myself praying a scary prayer: that the Lord would bring discomfort into my life to break the complacency I had slipped into. Not long after, the Lord challenged me directly, “Go on a mission trip.” I remember feeling unsure, unprepared, and honestly, afraid. Yet months later, there I was, boarding a plane to Nairobi, Kenya, completely unaware of how deeply God would use that step of obedience.
During my time in Kenya, God began reshaping parts of my faith that I didn’t even realize needed changing. I felt Him challenge the way I studied Scripture, pushing me to approach His Word with more depth and intentionality. He also stirred something new in my prayer life which was a desire to pray for others more consistently and compassionately. Before leaving, I had specifically prayed for two things: strength to share my testimony and unique, meaningful connections with the team. God answered both prayers abundantly. Not only did I share my testimony with the entire group, but I also formed deep, genuine relationships with every single person on the trip. In just two weeks, strangers became lifelong friends, and I experienced community in a way that I could have never imagined.
Coming home, I expected the usual “mission trip high,” but what I felt was much deeper. I experienced a spiritual hunger unlike anything I’d ever known. I found myself craving the presence of the Lord, wanting to worship, pray, and study with a sincerity and fire that felt completely new to me and my life. The trip had opened my eyes to what intentional, authentic community could look like, and it ignited a desire in me to love people more deeply and intentionally.
One of the biggest things that stayed with me was the joy and love I witnessed in the people of Kenya. Their generosity, compassion, and unwavering devotion to the Lord left a permanent mark on my heart. Their joy wasn’t tied to circumstance; it was rooted in Christ. I came home praying that my life would reflect that same love and joy, and it has been my prayer every day for the past five months.
Since returning, the Lord has continued to challenge me to remain in that place of holy discomfort, the same discomfort I prayed for before I ever boarded the plane. He’s been stretching me, inviting me into new opportunities, and reminding me that growth rarely comes from staying comfortable. This trip didn’t just change my faith for a moment; it shifted the direction of my walk with God.
My trip to Kenya may have lasted only two weeks, but the impact has shaped every day since. I’m grateful for what the Lord started in me there, and I have been committed to continuing this journey of obedience, community, and deeper love to wherever he leads me next whether that be in my career or my personal life. "- Anthony Wedel, Ticket Office Associate with Liberty Athletics
Seeing the impact that the Lord brought about from this trip, both in Anthony's life and in the individuals we served in Kenya, has been such an encouragement! We are grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the Lord in Kenya with this group of Christ-centered leaders of the sport industry.
Comments