Recently Megan-Kate and I took a trip; my first out of the U.S., which I never thought—or even necessarily hoped—would happen. I always pictured myself staying happily settled in my hometown, but God had different plans.

As I’ve matured both in life and in my faith in God, I’ve seen the value of traveling. As a professional baseball player I travel to different cities throughout the States constantly and in my travels I’ve seen a variety of people from very different walks of life. Experiencing this in the States is one thing, but experiencing it in another country is a whole other ballgame.

Last November Megan-Kate and I decided to go on a missions trip to Africa with Unlimited Potential Inc, a ministry devoted to serving baseball players and spreading the Gospel to the world through the game we love most. I’ve often used Bible study tools and resources from UPI, but more recently I have felt a call to go and serve with them.

Arriving in Cape Town with Mickey Weston (former MLB player and staff member of UPI), Mickey’s wife Lisa, and Simon Gühring (the captain of the German national team), we met up with local churches to help serve their community. During the day, we joined the church ministries to help with projects such as gardening, construction, and soap-making; in the evenings we traveled to nearby sports clubs, where we coached the baseball camps. After we played with the kids and adults involved in the clinic, we also had the opportunity to share the Gospel.

The camps were similar to baseball clinics held in the States. The boys were just as eager to learn the game; when they played, I could see in their faces just how passionate they were about baseball. I had never been a part of a baseball camp that was Christ-centered before—it was incredible. Neither had I ever shared my faith in this sort of setting before, but surprisingly I was never nervous. As Mickey shared the Gospel, I prayed that God would give me and Simon the words He would have us speak, and He always did. I really had to rely on God in these moments as I proclaimed my faith publicly.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” —Ephesians 6:19

The main message I wanted to get across was just how much God means to me, what He’s done in my life, and how He’s changed me throughout the years as I’ve walked with Him. Being able to vocalize my relationship with God in this way strengthened my own faith, and the more I shared my testimony, the easier it became for me. My testimony is different from Simon’s, which is different from Mickey’s—every person’s story is unique. Maybe my story resonated with someone in a way that Simon’s or Mickey’s didn’t; maybe their story is just what one boy needed to hear that day. If I was able to impact just one person, I did my job.

What’s amazing to me about traveling around our country and the world is seeing just how differently people live. But the most incredible thing is realizing that Christians all over the world, no matter where they are and what lifestyle they have, all have the same focus: Christ. With Christ as the center of each person’s life, we are all the same—we have the same joy, the same community, and the same goal to spread the Gospel.

This missions trip made me realize how much more deliberate I need to be, whether that’s spending time in the Word to gain knowledge of God, being more open to share my faith, or being more prayerful. I don’t know how much time I have, I don’t know how much time other people have. Tomorrow is not promised. Time is a precious resource that God has given to us and I want to spend it all to bring God glory. I want to share His message of hope, His purpose for community, and His love with as many people as I can.

There are countless distractions constantly vying for our attention, but that one opportunity that you take to share your faith with that stranger or friend might be the only time that they hear the Gospel. This is extremely important—their lives are at stake. When I see Christ face-to-face, I want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” —Matthew 25:21

—JJ Hoover

JJ Hoover is a regular contributor of The Increase, providing monthly articles and opinions.

Check out JJ’s full profile on The Increase Baseball: http://theincreasebaseball.com/author/jj-hoover/    

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