The Patriots will begin their busy mission schedule in Glasgow and Ayr on Monday, July 28, where they will serve in several diverse capacities in support to the Commonwealth Games.  Senior Johnny Antle shared this, "There is a ton of anticipation moving forward from today.  It's been amazing to see the people that God has brought from all over to unite together under the banner of Christ and to proclaim His gospel to the lost.  I can't wait to see the way this week will pan out, and hope and pray above all else that we would be faithful in our obedience and speech, and that God would be glorified above all else." 

Days Two & Three Blog:
Day two in Glasgow, Scotland, began with an early rise at the Bible Centre and a full breakfast, prepared by a few members of the Bible Centre staff, accompanied by other mission groups from different areas of the United States.  Shortly following the breakfast, members of the Patriot Golf Team and other DBU staff members joined together for a time of devotion, reflection, and prayer in preparation for the full week of ministry and opportunity ahead in areas throughout Scotland.   

The group then boarded a bus to travel to Perthshire, Scotland, and home of the 2014 Ryder Cup Championship, Gleneagles Golf Club, where they would spend a full day of fellowship and sport on the championship golf course.  In fact, Gleneagles had already begun with championship preparation with grand stands and other championship facilities as the Ryder Cup takes place in mid-September.  "Gleneagles was surely a great experience for the team and one that they will never forget but I can tell that the entire team is ready to serve and has prepared their hearts for what the Lord has in store in Scotland.  There seems to be tremendous opportunities here to share the Gospel and to serve the people and we are all looking forward to it," shared Director of Athletics Connor Smith.

After a long day of golf and fellowship, the group was transported to the church that would serve as their home base for the week, Newton Wallacetown Church in Ayr, Scotland, where they would meet their host families for the night.  Each member of the group arrived at their host homes around 11:00 p.m. Sunday night where they would get settled in and prepared for their first day of ministry and service on Monday, July 28. "I am ready and excited to see what the Lord has in store for the group this week.  We have all prayed and prepared for this week and I know that He will do great things through each of us," shared Student Assistant Dustin Weldon.    

Monday morning and day three of the trip started early with a team/staff meeting at 9:00 a.m. at Newton Wallacetown Church to review the daily activities with the kids who regularly attended what the church calls their "Holiday Club."  The Holiday Club is a daily program that Wallacetown Church supports that brings kids in from single-parent or underprivileged homes in Ayr, Scotland.  A large majority of the kids do not have fathers and have experienced many challenges in their lives due to their family situation, so Holiday Club is a way for them to have fun while learning about Jesus. 

The Golf Team had the great opportunity to assist the Church for Holiday Club on Monday morning and early afternoon with routine activities, Bible stories, and other various games for the 32 kids that participated.  The afternoon in Ayr, Scotland, called for a great lunch prepared by the Wallacetown Church staff members followed by various sport actives with kids at a local park nearby.  "What a great time it was today with the kids – it seemed as if they had a lot of fun.  What a great opportunity to serve these people and love these kids," shared Patriot Golf Team member Jeffrey Juillerat.   

 Monday evening proved to be an unbelievable time as the Patriot Golf Team and staff members from Newton Wallacetown Church traveled to the nearby beach for games and activities for the local youth.  The group had the great opportunity to love on the kids and, at times, share bits and pieces of their testimonies when the opportunities presented themselves.  "What a great day we had just spending time with kids from the city, starting this morning with the 32 younger kids in the church to late this evening on the beach playing baseball with 15 teenagers. It's been an incredible start to what will be a great week in Ayr - I am excited to see how the Lord will continue to use us for the remainder of our time by serving and loving," shared Head Coach Kenny Trapp. 

 The Patriot Golf Team will be back in action tomorrow for day two of their ministry in Ayr, Scotland.  Please keep the group in your thoughts and prayers as they seek to serve the people of Scotland and share the message of Jesus Christ.  

Day Four Blog:
The Patriot Golf Team and members of the Dallas Baptist University staff experienced another powerful and productive day in Ayr, Scotland as they served on day two of their mission work at Newton Wallacetown Church.  The church welcomed 32 children on Monday for day one of service and increased their attendance this morning with 46 children in attendance with the Holiday Club program.
 
Members of the Golf Team assisted with the routine schedule for the Holiday Club and children and had the opportunity, once again, to love the children and share stories about Jesus.  The Holiday Club program includes team devotions and prayer, memory verse exercises, Bible stories, Christian songs, craft time, puppet shows, quizzes, messy games, and more. Senior Johnny Antle had the opportunity to preach a message on sin and forgiveness to the kids and shared a few verses from the book of Matthew.  Shortly after, other members of the Patriot Golf Team performed a skit with puppets with the theme of the skit as forgiveness.  The kids loved the puppet performance and seemed to be quite receptive to the concept of forgiveness and what the Bible teaches us about forgiveness.   
 
"It's been a great opportunity to share God alongside my teammates here in Scotland.  It's amazing how God is working all over the world.  Today was the second day of the Holiday Club program that we have been serving with and it was very encouraging to see more kids today than yesterday – I am very excited for the days ahead and to see what God can do here in Scotland," shared sophomore Thompson Smith.
 
The afternoon called for more games at the local park with kids and teenagers from the surrounding neighborhoods in Ayr, Scotland.  American football, football (soccer), rounders (a form of baseball), and other sports were played with the youth from Ayr, creating several opportunities for the DBU group to serve and share the message of Jesus.  "It has been such a pleasure being able to serve with my teammates.  Through two days, we have created amazing relationships with kids in the area through camp and sports.  It is so awesome to see God working in the lives of people across the world. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the rest of our week," stated graduate student and DBU golfer Charles Gibson.  The Golf Team and members of Wallacetown Church have developed great relationships as well, which has allowed for great interactions and greater opportunities with the youth of Ayr.  "I know He is working in this community and I feel extremely grateful to be a part of it.  It's been a blessing to my life so far and I know we have much more to come," added Gibson. 
 
The evening for the group called for more games and activities at Wallacetown Church with nearly 20 different kids from the city in attendance.  Members of the DBU Golf Team had the opportunity to build new relationships with the kids and show them love and friendship that most have unfortunately never experienced.  A few of the Golf Team members had the opportunity to share the message of Christ with the youth and in turn, received positive feedback and questions from a few.  "It was great to spend time with the kids tonight at the church.  You can tell these kids are enjoying the time and it is great that they are beginning to ask questions," added Thompson Smith. 
 
The Patriots will begin day three of service in Ayr, Scotland, tomorrow, July 30, and will look forward to larger numbers of kids and teenagers at the church in the morning and at the parks in the afternoon. 

Days Five & Six Blog:
With only a few days left in their trip in Scotland, the Patriot Golf Team has experienced far more than imagined in their service to the town of Ayr.  In continuation with the Holiday Club program for the youth in the morning, sports with the teenagers in the parks, and ministry during the evenings, the Patriots are excited to finish strong on Friday in their final day of service.

Wednesday and Thursday for the Patriot Golf Team resulted in several additional people and youth from the city of Ayr, Scotland, attending each of the different scheduled Newton Wallacetown Church programs.  Junior Joshua Aguilar and junior Abbey Bradley had the opportunity to share a Bible story with the kids during the morning program where kids would ask and answer questions about the message. 

"This week has been something that I have been looking forward to since my recruiting visit at DBU.  It's been such a good opportunity for my teammates and I to go and show others just how big our God is," shared Bradley.  Some of the kids had the opportunity to share the Bible verses that they had learned each day to the entire group of nearly 80 people, including church staff, DBU students, and kids. "When I reflect on this week and think about where we are, it is crazy – we are half way around the world! I knew that I was coming over here to spread the word and invest in these kids, what I did not know was how much they would impact me," added Bradley. 

Wednesday afternoon called for several games in the park with the kids including football, soccer, rounders, and other various games.  The church and DBU group welcomed several new kids in the park and continued to build friendships. Wednesday night called for a sports trivia and a chicken curry dinner as many parents and individuals came for fellowship and fun. DBU students had the opportunity to serve people their meal and participate with different teams during the quiz. 

In addition, parents and individuals had the opportunity to hear a passage from the Bible for one of the few times in their lives.  "This time in Scotland has truly been special to me.  This being my first mission trip, it has fulfilled everything I imagined and more.  I have been able to build relationships with these kids and share the word of Christ to them at the same time.  I am so happy I was able to serve on this trip and am hopeful to have the opportunity to come back one day," shared junior Garrett Fey.  
 
Thursday in Ayr, Scotland, called for the youth program at the church in the morning with more activities, messy games, songs, Bible stories, arts and crafts, and more as the number of kids attending increased once again.  More members from the Patriot Golf Team and DBU staff had the opportunity to share Bible stories to the youth and perform skits reenacting the story of the theme from the message. "It has been great to see the kids and their involvement through the Bible stories and activities each morning.  The kids are beginning to speak about these messages and memorize the verses that are given to them – what an amazing experience," said Head Coach Kenny Trapp. 
 
The group had special visitors and leaders from the partnering organization on this trip, Greater Europe Missions, and had the opportunity to have lunch, fellowship, and share the great news about the mission work in Scotland.  "It was great to meet and hear from the leaders of Greater Europe Missions, we are thankful for their hard work and effort to make this trip special for our students," shared Director of Athletics Connor Smith. 
 
Thursday afternoon was a time for rest and recuperation as the group would prepare for Friday, August 1, the last and final day in Ayr, Scotland, and service with Newton Wallacetown Church.  The Patriots will take part in one last Holiday Club program and sports in the park and then the finale for the week will be a family BBQ at the church for all of the kids, their families, and others from the community.