Steele Baptist Church, St. Clair Association, commissioned Rachel Countryman June 27 to do missions work in Spain.
“The whole church prayed for me,” said Countryman. “It was really great.”
She had no doubt that God wanted her to use her witness and athletic abilities on the July 9–21 trip to Spain.
Countryman, the recipient of a softball scholarship to Jacksonville State University, used her athletic abilities to minister this summer in the name of Christ.
She was part of a seven-member International Sports Federation team who went to Oviedo, Spain, to conduct sports camps.
She has previously served on a missions trip to Mexico.
The JSU senior, who is majoring in math education, received two days of missions training in Atlanta, Ga.
Countryman, who serves on the leadership team of JSU’s Fellow-ship of Christian Athletes, has signed a contract to play softball with the Ladies Professional Fast-pitch Association.
She said the goal of the missions trip was to use instruction in playing baseball and softball to build relationships for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“I know God wants me to go,” Countryman said before leaving. “He confirmed it.”
She also said she is praying to know if missions is His will for her life.
Members of Sardis Baptist Church, Birmingham, went to Ghana, West Africa, in June to minister to the residents with needed medical supplies.
During the 12-day missions trip, a group of 50 helped provide medical care while witnessing to the residents.
Sardis Pastor Samuel Pettagrue said he wanted to treat the medical and spiritual needs of residents.
Church members established a clinic, which included dental, pediatric and optometric offices.
Church members worked eight to 10 hours a day to get the program started.
Cropwell Baptist Church, Pell City, member Jayme Nickens, joined 27 other youth from various churches as a World Changers missions team.
The Pell City High School 11th-grader ministered June 18 through July 4 in Malaysia.
She has been serving in Pinang, Malaysia, performing community service projects, conducting clubs for children and evangelism outreach.
The University of North Alabama Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) has been helping support Jason Scarborough, a member of Johnson Crossroads Baptist Church, Florence, while he serves as a volunteer missionary in Spain.
Scarborough has been serving in Denia, Spain, as part of a 23-member volunteer missions team whose members come from different parts of the world, including the United States, South America and Hungary.
He worked with teenagers and children at Camp Alpha and Omega. He told them of the “true hope” that only Jesus gives.
His ministries included practical tasks such as sweeping sidewalks, cleaning pools and coaching sports teams. He has also helped with numerous other tasks while ministering in Spain. Among them were cooking, welding, plumbing and administering first aid.
Inspired to serve by the missionaries of his youth, he recalls stories they brought from the world to the small churches in the Hackleburg and Union Hill communities where he grew up.
His entry into volunteer missions work was in 1999 when he signed up for a Christmas break missions trip through his BCM. Surviving a near-death car accident the same year caused him to savor life and sieze opportunities.
After several missions trips and his experiences in Spain he is prepared to understand the nuances of the Spanish language.
He was expected back July 10 and will become the Spanish language department director for Roxboro, N.C., middle schools.
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