Lady Bear Hoops in State Farm Tip-Off Classic - BAYLOR OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Tomorrow is the State Farm Tip Off Classic. The Baylor Lady Bears will take on the Tennessee Lady Vols in Knoxville, TN. The tip off classic is usually two games; however, this year it is only one. It is the first regular season game for both top ten ranked teams. You can catch the game on ESPN2 at 4:02 pm CST. Sic'em Bears! Grrr! I BELIEVE!

It is a rare night when I don't have something BAYLOR to be present for...but the truth be known, we had a football game this afternoon and now I am hanging out at the cabin waiting for my houseguests to arrive - watching both battles of crimson and maroon - some Big 12 football (OU v TAMU) and some SEC football (MISS ST v Alabama). I do love college sports - especially since I work with college students. What they can accomplish on the field or court in addition to studying and going to class truly amazes me.

Here are a few pictures of me and some of the BU athletes that went to Kenya together this past summer. Lindsay Palmer and Melissa Jones play for the Lady Bear basketball team. They are in Knoxville, TN right now getting ready to open the season with the Lady Vols. God has something special going on in the Lady Bear locker room. I can't wait to see what all He has in store for this season and this team.



LJ Johnson and Lotto Smith play for the Lady Bear soccer team. They just finished their season in the Big 12 tournament. They made the tournament and had a good season all around. I will confess that I went to more soccer games this season than I have in my whole life combined. It truly makes a difference when you actually know the players.


MJ Jones, Lindsay Palmer and Bryan Swindoll (BU football) are here in a shot of "the back of the bus" which I cannot divulge what may or may not have happened back there, suffice it to say, these student-athletes know how to give their heart away and leave it all on the court or field, or in this case country. The other picture is of Wes Yeary, the sports chaplain for Baylor. He is our fearless leader. I could say alot of things about Wes, but for now I will simply put it just like the Bible - Wes loves others well. He sure does.

5 states, 4 months, 3 countries, 2 players, 1 God

Well, I have felt guilty for not blogging, guilty for not finishing the Kenya section, and guilty for not keeping in better touch...but today I am free...I am free to blog about the dozens of things I have done in the past (almost) 5 months I have not been blogging.



Let's start with a girls' trip to London in late June. My niece, McKenna, was turning 12 so I took her on her first overseas trip to the UK. My mom had never been "across the pond" so she came along. Ironically enough, when we bought tickets it was one child, one senior, and one adult. It has been a while since I considered myself the adult but that is just how it fell out...strickly on age. Ha!

We saw all the main sights in London from the Tower to the Eye to the Palace to the Hard Rock Cafe. We saw the Lion King and used the Tube for most of our travel. We also took a train to Scotland and saw the castle and bought some "Scott Plaid" to commemorate our ancestry. Scotland was beautiful. When we got back, we met some friends in London and surprised mom. Below is a picture of me with Amanda McGrath - a student who was on the Kenya trip that was in London when we were.

First week in October, Elizabeth and Walker Williams came to town to reconnect with old friends, see some BU football and we had an impromptu 2nd birthday party for Walker Paul Williams. If you scroll back two years, he was born here in Waco and lived the first 3 months of life right here in the Ponderosa. He has grown so much. He is so much fun!

In October, I went to Colorado for the Big 12 & Friends Conference and also met up with some old friends. Sherri Bearden Hutcheon from high school lives just south of Denver and Hope Rountree West, a friend from Kanakuk, lives in Highlands Ranch. It was so good to catch up with each of them and see how the Lord has worked in their lives. God is good. From Colorado, I flew straight to Springfield, MO to spend the weekend with a dear friend from Branson that I used to work at Kanakuk with ever summer. Trish Helsel is like me in that she used to coach and within one month of each other, we each switched out of coaching and teaching to what we are doing now. Our lives are parallel except that we don't live close and she is married with 3 kids - I'm not old enough for either of those! :)

The very next week, I flew to Michigan to see a former student / now friend whose husband is doing his residency in Michigan. We had a great time...the leaves were brilliant colors and we went to the "Big House" to see the Wolverines pulverize DSU...oooooohhhhhwwwwweeeee!! We also watch three of Madea's movies and just laughed hard. The weekend ended with some yummy gelato...the likes of which I had not tasted since a trip to Rome, Italy about 8 years ago.



Since that trip, we have had Baylor Homecoming and this past week - the beginning of basketball season....yeah baby. How I love the Lady Bears. This year is especially meaningful because I went to Kenya with Melissa Jones "MJ" and Lindsay Palmer along with several BU soccer players. This is going to be a fun season because I have seen not only their athleticism but also their hearts. More on that. So now you are caught up I hope the pics do justice to the glimpses I saw of God in nature as well as familiar faces.



God is Good - All the Time! All the Time - God is Good!

Kenya Day 4 & 10

"My dear boy, Walker,
I have thought of you today and thanked God for your young life, your loving mother, your strong father and the Christian legacy of your grandparents.

I am in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya to be exact. This morning we got up at 4:30 and left at 5:00 to go feed street children before the day unfolds. They are not supposed to be on the street in the daylight or they will be arrested. When we arrived we met about 30 young men, most of whom do not know their own birthday. They sleep on the street and gather bottles or papers to turn in for money. They take the money and buy glue to sniff so that they can get high to mask the hunger pangs. We shared some scriptures and prayed with them and gave them some milk and bread.

When I looked to the left, there were three moms each with a baby in her lap. The are all living on the street. There was Zan who had Baby Stacy (10 mo), Rachael had Baby James (14 mo) and Ann who had Baby Steven (18 mo). They fed their babies with the milk and bread and I prayed for each of them some of the same prayers I used to pray for you when you lived at the Ponderosa. It choked me up. It was hard to see these young kids who sleep in their mother's arm on the street in the cold.

My dear Walker, as you get up each day, hug your mother and kiss her and tell her how you love her. Hang onto you dad's leg or arm and feel his strength and thank him for working hard to provide for you every day.

And today, as your grandparents come to visit, love on them in your own way and tell them thank you for their love, encouragement and support. Zan was kicked out of her parents' home when she was 17 because she was pregnant with Stacy. Her parents have never seen the baby and are mad that she wasted all those school fees. So, hug your grandma and grandpa today for loving your mom so much.

Your mother has been schooled with two university degrees and she chooses to stay at home with you. That should tell you that you are loved. You are so important to all of us. Your life has beed designed by God and you are made in His image, just like little Stacy, James and Steven except that you have the advantage of love and hope. Hold on tight to Jesus for He has ordered your steps. He has called you to a special role. You are a lover of people. You have a heart of compassion. You will make a difference in this world.

I doubt if you will ever meet or play with Stacy or James or Steven this side of heaven; but just know that you will make a mark on this world for the name of Jesus.

I love you Walker Paul Williams. I love your parents and am grateful for the way they love and care for you. Give them all the love they can handle TODAY.
Your loving Aunt Kim"

Kenya Day 3

Crazy BU Sports Ministry Team

Today, we held a coach's clinic for soccer coaches who give their time to coach kids from Nairobi's Kibera Slums. This is the largest slum in Africa. It is very similar to those shown in Slum Dog Millionaire. Small tin shacks with shared walls, no running water or sewage, no heat or air or protection from rainy days. It is estimated that there are over 1.5 million people living in Kibera Slum.



We spend 2-3 hours sharing, inspiring stories and encourageng one another. Wes gave one of the most inspiring testimonies I have ever heard about the ministry of a coach. He spoke of his own journey that started at an FCA coaches seminar - Billy Graham spoke. That was the first time that he connected coaching with ministry. And now, here he is, all these years later as Baylor's Sports Chaplain. God is Good - All the Time.


The one thing I was most struck with from the coaches themselves is that they see this as their responsibility to "give back" and to help those kids find value and meaning and hope through the game of soccer.


This afternoon, we met 40 kids from Kibera Slums at a soccer field. We set up 4 stations and rotaten them around: shooting on goal, dribbling, heading and trapping, and passing.


As we were working on this, a Maasai herdsman brought his cattle onto the edges of the soccer field to graze...I figured it was just his day to "mow."



After the drills for about an hour, we set up four fields and scrimmaged with the kids. It began to rain which made most of the fields muddy, but no one cared. These kids have good skills.


But more oftern than not they use soccer as an escape from reality. My hope is that this day - the clinic and the skill/drill demonstration would give our friend, Walter Macchio, some great exposure and credibility. Here is his right hand in the Kenya Sports Outreach, Wamitha.



Stay tuned...we will visit the school most of these Kibera kids go to on another day.

Kenya Day 2

Each night we debriefed together - just talking about the day and how we felt and what we thought. We also discussed our plan for the next day. Day 2 turned out to be on that we would want to not only remember but potentially repeat.

We left about 8:30 for a school called Hope International. This school has about 200 kids whose parents were all refugees from Burundi. They teach french as the first language and English as the second. Kenyan schools teach English as the first and Swahili as the second. Most of these kids don't know the trials and tragedies their parents lived through and eventually fled from. It was amazing that none of the dedicated teachers are paid (unless there is a large offering in the church that sponsors the school). I thought how different that was in the US...up north we have teacher's unions - striking for higher pay and down south we have the 'career ladder' which is an incremental stair step system of pay. I doubt many of those in the education profession would teach because the children need to learn, regardless of if they got paid.

We played with each grade for about 45 minutes to an hour. Their recreation area was a wide, muddy street. We taught soccer, football, and basketball skills and tried to throw some frisbees. The balls got muddy, the kids got muddy, we got muddy...but no one cared. It was about the kids enjoying some time outside and the teachers were grateful for the activity. Again, how different things are in the US...laws regulating mandatory PE and recess because we are so overweight and because the teachers deserve a conference period and a break.

This afternoon we met up with some members of the Kenyan National Soccer Team. Some were single moms, most had jobs across town. Our kids played these women on a handball court and beat them 8-7! How fun it was to see our BU soccer girls (and BB girls) get their game on. But the most meaningful part came after the game...when they all sat down together in groups of 2 or 3 and talked about life...then our kids prayed for/with them and gave them a little gift of money just to say thanks.

Below you can see Melissa Jones (Lady Bear Hoopster) playing goalkeeper like she plays basketball...always giving 110% and saving goal - even with sacrifice of her body!

While this was finishing up outside, MJ and LP were inside teaching Strathmore College some hoops skills. They led in some drills and then scrimmaged.

Our two held their own even with the Strathmore men. They prayed and shared. I had a chance to talk with the coach about her faith and how she shares it with the players. She said her primary focus was to give the girls and education and a fair shot at life while providing a Christian foundation for life.

Kenya Day 1

Ok...here goes the journal for Kenya. Remember you can get a play by play as we were there from the Kenya Sports Ministry Blog that the students wrote...this will be my own thoughts on several days.

Wes Yeary had a contact through the International Sports Coalition named Walter Machio. He has started this ministry and is walking day-by-day in faith that the Lord will provide what he needs. Here is a picture of Walter and me after one of our clinics.

Walter has contacts in schools, churches, and orphanages around Nairobi. We started our first day with a stop at the Maximum Miracle Children's Home in Katawa Sitdura. We met about half of the 64 orphans that live there. They each stood up to introduce themselves followed by "I love Jesus Christ" or "I know Jesus as my Savior & Lord." They were not ashamed to let Jesus Christ define who they are...unlike those of us who merely tell what we do.

He also has begun the Afrikan Junior League. It costs $100 for three months of soccer training for young boys (ages 4-12) - sort of like the American version of "select soccer." They strive to transform youth through whole life coaching...equipping them with positive living values building character and confidence. All coaches are unpaid volunteers that feel they have a duty to "give back" to the younger generation. They have begun a revolution to change the question
FROM "How smart are you?"
TO "How are YOU smart?"

We played for the better part of two hours leading clinics and classes at the Search Comprehensive School and then after school hours with the Afrikan Junior League boys.
Thanks to many generous donors in America we were able to give some balls to the school and some cleats to the boys (some of whom had played barefoot!).

My QT verses for this first day were:

Ps. 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in Truth.

Ps. 134:5
Thou hast enclosed me behind and before and laid thy hand upon me.

Almighty God, you certainly have your hand on Walter. Protect and provide as he gives and teaches and leads these young boys off the streets and into lives rich with possibility.

Joy Down in my Heart

This is JOY down in my heart deep deep down in my heart
She's from Kibera Slums which is deep deep down in my heart
Jesus keeps her there so nothing can destroy her
He protects her there and shows HIS JOY through her
This is JOY down in my heart deep deep down in my heart


I have so much on my heart to share about my experiences in Kenya with the BU Sports Ministry Team...and there is no doubt that I am still on Africa time...
so for now I will give you two teasers...

1. It is amazing how many doors one soccer ball can open

2. This is the first time I have been on a mission trip that I truly felt like we left something behind that will grow bigger and deeper for the cause of Christ...not just a one night stand or one hit wonder...this was the real deal and we have made friends not only for life but for all eternity.

STAY TUNED!
More to come.

Hujambo! Kenya or Bust!

Hujambo means Hello
in Swahili which is spoken in Kenya.



I leave tomorrow on a 2-week mission adventure to Nairobi, Kenya with 15 others on the Sports Ministry Team from Baylor University. Our team consists of 2 BU football players, 2 BU women's basketball players, 5 BU soccer players, 2 student trainers, 2 club soccer players, 1 strength & conditioning coach, Baylor's Sports Chaplain (Wes Yeary), and me. WES and I went to Baylor at the same time. He returned last year to become the first full-time sports chaplain. Click here for the Baylor Magazine article. I didn't join the team until about a month ago but am so excited to be a part of what God has going on in Africa. I went to Kenya in 2005 with a Leadership Team. We will be staying at the Gracia Guest House in Nairobi. Baylor groups have staned here every year we have brought teams to Kenya. I took a sports and education team to Rwanda last year. If you want to keep up, Brian Swindoll, one of the football players has created a blog for our team. I am not sure who will post but at least it will give you an idea of what we are doing. (hint: if it is underlined, I have linked to more information :) for you to explore)

Here's our itinerary:

May 17-18 travel from Waco to Dallas, fly to London and onto Nairobi on British Air
May 19 work with walter Machio at Kenyatta U and Daystar U, hold soccer clinics at Kahawa Sukari Children's Home



May 20 work with Walter Machio at Coka Cola Stadium to hold basketball and soccer clinics for SOS children's Village-BuruBuru, soccer players will scrimmage Keyan National Women's Soccer Team
May 21 work with Walter Machio and International Bible Society to hold sports clinics outside Kibera Slums



May 22 work with Pastor Boniface to feed street children and paint Boy's Home of Omega Kids
May 23 work with Tone la Maji to hold all day multi-sports clinic



May 24 worship at City Harvest Church and picnic with believers, go to Maasaih Market
May 25 go to Orphanage Kikuyu, Amri Best Care/St. Kizito home-based Care Aids Orphan Suport Program (Pastors Joel Amutabi and Jonathan Wonjohi)



May 26 work with Pastor Boniface to feed women and children who live on the street, visit Amani-Auji and Elephant Orphanage
May 27 return to Orphanage Kikuyu, Amri Best Care/St. Kizito home-based care for Aids orphans



May 28 Go to Safari House - go on safari then begin the debrief process (what? so what? now what?)
May 29 Continue Debrief - help students craft their stories as they return to their teams and families - return from Safari House ro Gracia Guest House
May 30-31 fly from Nairobi to London and back to Dallas on British Air

So, there you have it...plenty to pray for the next two weeks. In addition to that, pray for safety and health for our team. Also pray for unity and growth as we "see the needs of the world" and ask ourselves "what can I do about it?" It was only three years ago that a BU volleyball player, Jenne Blackburn, from Southern California visited Kenya and asked herself this same question. Since then, she has started the Omega Kids House...we really can make a difference.

Ps. 139:5,10
Thou has enclosed me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me. Thy hand will lead me and thy right hand will lay hold of me.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right hand, Christ at my left.
(St. Patrick)

Spring into Track

Spring time is known for two things in Texas, that is when the Bluebonnets come out and the prime time for track season. I have officiated track since I graduated from Baylor. Baylor Track is known as "Quarter-Mile U" because of our legendary track coach, Clyde Hart, and some of his star athletes who later enjoyed Olymipc fame. Michael Johnson. Jeremy Warriner. Reggie Witherspoon. I enjoy the individual effort it takes and it is a joy to see the human body in its prime. The PR - or personal record - will trump the place within the race. For the past four seasons, I have been one of the starters. For those who don't frequent the track...that is the one who starts the race - by shooting a gun. Here is a picture of me with Joe Moore, a long-time friend, at the 3A district track meet.

The picture below is in front of my cabin...such a great sight to wake up to or wind down with!

4 yr olds & King Jesus

Ok...so yesterday is Easter Sunday. The Kingdom Kids Ministry was in dire need of help for the first service, so I agreed to be in room 112 with the 4 year olds. I arrived a little before 9:00 am prepared for and hour and a half of "small talk." We played, talked, had a snack (hhmmm cookies with sprinkles - but nothing to hold the sprinkles on the cookies! :) ) and then came the craft! If you know me, I know you are laughing.

We had a transparency sheet with the outline of a cross on it. Imagine 4 year olds and a bottle of glue (remember they have no frame of reference and they think the more the better)...lots of "globs" up and down the cross...and they were to tear (or cut neatly - ha!) off tissue paper (color of their choice) and glue it onto the cross to make a stained glass cross. So they did.

We were at a lull in the class after snack, after craft, with 20 mintues to go before pick-up time. So, I held up the cross and said "does anyone know what this is?" Small talk did not ensue. Like popcorn testimonies I heard "that's the cross that Jesus died on!" As I turned to acknowledge the first answer another yells, "yeah, and they nailed him with nails in his hands and there was blood." A little surprised and taken back, I took a breath to try to tie the two together, when another says, "and he had a crown on - but it was the wrong kind of crown." I said, "what do you mean?" The 4 year old boy said, "it had those things on it that are like stickers!" I said, "you mean thorns?" He said, "yes and they hurt - but it was still a crown." Now mind you that all of this popcorn conversation was in a group setting - after snack...they were fully engaged. I said, "well, who wears a crown?" To which the entire group yelled out, "KINGS" and I asked, "who is this king?" To which they yelled, "King Jesus!" Of course remembering pep rally days I said, "who is YOUR king?" Their response, "King Jesus!" What a precious uninhibited moment of praise from 4 year olds. As I made my way to the second service after the reinforcements arrived, I thought to myself, "will the adults in this service be as demonstrative as those 4 year olds yelling 'King Jesus'?"
HHhhmmm what is holding me back?

Bride & Bridegroom

Well, Saturday was a first. This is going to be as vulnerable as I have ever been on this blog.
I went to the wedding of Erika Walter and Chris Snapp.
It was at University Baptist Church...filled with white candles.

They started with the Steven Curtis Chapman/Geoff Moore song, "Listen to our Hearts" and Erika came down the aisle to "In Christ Alone." I have cried many times at weddings over what I do not have (a husband) but this was the first time that I cried at a wedding over what I do have - Christ as my Bridegroom. This wedding was so worshipful to me. Thank you Erika, Chris, Logan, Megan, Mason, Jeff, and Teri for letting me participate in this union for all eternity.

Lady Bears Big 12 Champs

The Lady Bears defeated Texas A&M, 72-63, to claim the Big 12 tournament title game today in Oklahoma City. Baylor beat the Aggies for the third time this season.



This is so exciting since we lost our leading scorer two weeks ago. The team has pulled together to make this a true TEAM sport. They will find out their fate in the NCAA tournament Monday night on the selection show.



Kudos to the BU "Man Bears" who had a great run through the men's tournament by beating Nebraska on Wednesday, top-ranked Kansas on Thursday, texas on Friday. They lost in the Big 12 Championship game to Mizzou. They will most likely go to the NIT and will also find out for sure tonight.

The good thing about the NIT is that we can bid to play at home for the first two games. The semi-finals and finals are played in NYC at Madison Square Garden.

Lace Williams

Man how time flies. Last basketball season, some of my good friends were living at the cabin with me and Walker Paul "Lacedarius" Williams was born. He came home to the cabin and "Aunt Kim" quickly learned that early morning prayer time was also snuggle time. This time helped me gain perspective about my day...really, nothing seemed significant compared to holding a little person...a life, in your hands...watching him breathe and sleep...then to see him recognize familiar faces or voices and try to smile...just gums...then he was old enough to transport to the Baylor basketball games...where he picked up his name "Lacedarius" or "Lace" for short. And now, a year later Mr. Cutness is walking, running, babbling, throwing food, petting the dog, loving tractors, making car and airplane noises...wow, what a difference a year makes. Lace, here's to you...a toddler becoming a boy...I pray that you would continue to grow in wisdom, stature, favor with God and favor with man (Luke 2:52).

I love you little man!