Lipscomb women's tennis team serves local refugees
Lacey Klotz |
Spring break typically is a time of rest and relaxation for a student, but for Lipscomb Missions it is just the opposite. Instead, it is a time to send teams of students to countries all over the world to serve others. 
This year, Lipscomb sent 424 people on 22 teams to serve in 11 countries and six U.S. cities for the week.
One of the teams that served locally was the Lipscomb women’s tennis team who served with World Relief Nashville March 14-18.
World Relief works with refugees who have been forced to flee their homes due to ethnic, religious or political persecution and have resettled in Nashville.
During the week the team spent time with three refugee families from the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and assisted them in adjusting to American culture.
“It was such an amazing opportunity for our team to work with refugees at World Relief because each girl on the team has been in their shoes when it comes to adjusting to American culture and life in Nashville,” said Lorena Djuknic, a senior from Zagreb, Croatia.
Of the nine players on the women’s tennis team, each comes from a different country around the world.
From Croatia, England, Australia, Scotland, Germany, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Sweden and the United States, each student athlete brings a different cultural background to the team.
The women’s tennis team is led by head coach, Jamie Aid; Jon Flinn, performance specialist and strength and conditioning coach; and assistant coach, Dwight Dale; and for years they have recruited international players to play for Lipscomb University.
Aid said her tactic for recruiting internationally is all about relationship building, and finding girls that will be the best fit for the culture of the program.
The women’s tennis team is also currently in its competitive season, and Aid explained how spring break was the best time for the team to do its team mission trip.
“We believe it is important to find a balance in service and practice,” said Aid. “We wanted to show the girls that this is what our program values, and when the opportunity to work with refugees came up, we thought it would be a good fit for our girls because of lot of them have recently adjusted to American culture themselves.”
Aid worked with Chris Klotz, director of spiritual formation in athletics, to coordinate the project with World Relief. 
“We see athletic missions as an opportunity to grow these student athletes,” said Klotz. “When students are participating in the Kingdom of God by serving others, we feel like this is a place that God can really grow their hearts.
“It is so unique for an athletics department to provide opportunities to serve because for most of these student athletes, they have given their whole lives to their sports for individual gain, and have never had opportunities to use their talent and passion to serve others.”
The women’s tennis team began each day of spring break practicing tennis before heading to serve the refugees just off Nolensville Road in Nashville.
During the week the team spent time with the refugee families in their homes and community, played games at Coleman Park, educated the families on how the public transport system operates in Nashville and how to shop for groceries and finally spent a day at Lipscomb playing tennis with the refugee families.
Laura Kent, a junior from Kangaroo Valley, Australia, explained that the refugees were very open to American culture and the new opportunities in front of them saying, “They were willing to adapt to such a different culture and were very responsive to what we were saying and teaching them.”
Kathryn Evans, a sophomore from Knoxville, Tennessee, noted that although there was a language barrier at first, the love that was shared between the team and refugees through kind and simple gestures, helped them forget the barrier existed.
“Although I have grown up in a completely different part of the world and speak a different language, a smile and body language will always be a universal method of communication,” said Evans. “Even when verbal conversation is difficult, I find it amazing that we can understand one another with various gestures. These don’t change from one part of the world to another, which makes me feel that we are not as different from one another.” 
Hanna Victorsson, a junior from Stockholm, Sweden, said she learned a lot from the resiliency of the refugee families after hearing their stories and seeing their inner-strength displayed throughout the week.
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only option you have,” Victorsson. “It is amazing how the refugees are able to smile, laugh and be excited about life despite what they are going through.”
Katerina Kandyba, a freshman from Kharkov, Ukraine, echoed Victorisson’s remark saying, “These people helped me to understand that I have to appreciate everything that I have in my life: that my family is safe, that I can come back to my country whenever I want to, that I can get a good education and that I can play a sport that I love. The refugees have encouraged me to live in the present and enjoy every moment of my life.”
One of the team’s most cherished moments of the mission trip was bringing the refugee families into their community at Lipscomb to play tennis.
“Everyone was from a different culture and background, including our team, and yet we came together so easily through the connection of tennis,” said Danielle Kinnen, a senior from Edinburgh, Scotland. “Seeing them in an unfamiliar environment at Lipscomb, but appearing so care free and content was rewarding.”
“It was incredible to see how happy little things can make people,” added Melissa Kromer, a senior from Mahlberg, Germany. “You could see in their faces how much they enjoyed being able to hit some tennis balls and have some fun without worrying about anything else that might go on in their lives right now. We often take these little things for granted and do not realize how blessed we are.”
Alex Newby, a graduate assistant and member of the Lipscomb spiritual formation team, also joined Aid, Flinn and Dale in leading the mission trip.
“None of us deserve the blessings we have received, but if we have been fortunate enough to have been born into material blessings and situations, then it’s not for us to keep to 
ourselves,” said Newby. “This week has shown all of us just how simple it is to serve in our own city and that is something that we are called to make a way of life as Christians.”
The women’s tennis team had a unique opportunity to serve others who are navigating a similar adjustment that they each had before. However, each member of the women’s tennis team agreed that this experience with World Relief and spending quality with the refugees, helped teach them valuable life lessons.
“Working with the refugees really amplified my thoughts on how you must always be nice to people you meet,” Thabile Tshatedi, a freshman from Harare, Zimbabwe. “You never know how you can make someone’s day by just a smile.”
Hannah Gamage, a sophomore from Bournemouth, England, agreed with Tshatedi and said she counts herself lucky to have been part of this service experience.
“The experience was extremely humbling,” Gamage said. “It made me realize how much I’ve been given for very little effort and how lucky I am to be in such good health and in a country where I don’t have to worry about my safety when I go to bed. I am so glad to have met these incredible people and wish them all the best in the future. “
For more information on the women’s tennis team visit: www.lipscombsports.com/wtennis/.