Alan Babbitt: Welcome to the Hope College Athletics Orange and Blue Podcast. My name's Alan Babbitt. I'm Sports information Director here at Hope. One of the cool things I get to do is this podcast where we talk to student athletes, coaches, staff who are a big part of our mission and pursuit of academic success, competitive excellence, and also transformational experience.
On the final episode here for Season 3 of our Orange and Blue Podcast, I have a really good one. And I'm excited to talk with four student athletes who have gone on our SEED Trips. And our SEED Program, short for Sport Evangelism to Equip Disciples, has provided opportunities for international mission trips for our student athletes serving all over the world, particularly in Africa and Central America, and they get almost a two-week period of doing this with fellow student athletes and coaches, and I'm excited to learn about their experiences. Here I have Daniel Hesselbein, the men's soccer team, David Brace of men's lacrosse team, Libby Strotman of our track and field team, and Madeline Tessin of our swimming and dive team. Welcome all four of you to the Orange and Blue Podcast.

Daniel Hesselbein: Thank you very much.

David Brace: Thanks, Alan.

Madeline Tessin: Thank you.

Alan Babbitt: Well, we'll start with you, Daniel. First thing I wanted to just tell a little bit about yourself. Obviously men's soccer player, starting goalie as well. Tell us a little bit about your journey at Hope in addition to soccer, what you're studying here at Hope College.

Daniel Hesselbein: Yeah, thanks, Alan. I'm from the Chicago area. I'm from a suburb called Barrington, Illinois, and I ended up at Hope College because both my older sisters came here as well, and so I reached out to Coach Brandt at the time and just really loved Hope when I came to visit. So that's part of why I'm here. And ever since I've been here, it's been such a good fit for me, so really happy to be at Hope and love the soccer program. But aside from soccer, I'm a Education major. I'm going into teaching and hopefully coaching as well. So super excited about that and a lot of really cool opportunities through SEED, too, to professionally develop some teaching skills and coaching skills, too. So that was awesome.

Alan Babbitt: Thank you, Daniel, and then David.

David Brace: Thanks Alan for having us on. I'm from the Plymouth Kent area over by Ann Arbor, Michigan. Originally I found out through Hope through my lacrosse journey and as soon as I visited, I loved it and I loved every single experience so far. I'm a junior. I'm studying business with a minor in psychology and love everything about the SEED Trip. Love Hope Athletics. Thanks again.

Alan Babbitt: Thanks, David. Libby.

Libby Strotman: Yeah, thank you Alan. So my name's Libby Strotman. I'm from a northwest suburb of Chicago called Park Ridge. I originally came to Hope to play softball but switched over to track when I was here. I'm a senior studying Physical and Health Education, same as Daniel, and I throw on the track and field team here.

Alan Babbitt: Thanks, Libby. Madeline.

Madeline Tessin: Thank you, Alan. I am Madeline Tessin. I'm a senior here. I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina, so a little bit further than everyone else, but kind of similar. I started my college search and found Hope through family who live in Michigan and with swimming, just kind of couldn't find anything else like Hope. So everything kind of just fell into place here. I'm very thankful for the swim team and then the opportunity to be able to go on a SEED Trip. That has just been a really great opportunity, so thank you.

Alan Babbitt: Thank you. Daniel, what inspired you to want to embark on a SEED Trip?

Daniel Hesselbein: Originally, I was pretty nervous to apply for the SEED Trip, but my mom kept pressing. She kept emailing me and texting and calling me like, "You got to do this. It's such a good opportunity" and eventually I just gave in. Oh my gosh, I'm so thankful that she pushed me to go on this journey with a bunch of new friends that I gained on the trip, too. But yeah, I mean, I was just nervous to go out of the country, nervous to travel with a group of people who I didn't know, but mothers always know best, so-

Alan Babbitt: They do.

Daniel Hesselbein: It was a good experience.

Alan Babbitt:
Thank you. David.

David Brace: Originally a teammate who graduated last year, Jake, I believe he went to Zambia, and he told me my freshman or early sophomore year, and through that he inspired me. He talked it up and then going to the meetings that SEED provides us, I felt a little more comfort after hearing. I mean, I chose Uganda, so hearing how far that was, kind of similar to Dan, I was nervous, but the process was great. Hope Athletics does such a good job informing you and really preparing you for this amazing trip, and I'm so grateful that Jake was able to convince me to go because again, after everything that we've been through our team, the team bonding, it was just amazing.

Alan Babbitt: Libby.

Libby Strotman:
Yeah, so mine's similar. I had three of my housemates the last two years, Haley, Kaylee and Kyra, they all went to Zambia last year. So to see the pictures from it, to hear about their whole experience was just something that didn't seem like I could ever pass up. And so just hearing how amazing their trip was and just the ways that they grew, not only as athletes, but also as people, and the amazing people that they got to meet along the way just really helped inspire me to go, too.

Alan Babbitt: Madeline.

Madeline Tessin:
Yeah, I would say pretty similar to the rest, just kind of hearing experiences from other people and past teammates that have been on different trips. Just the transformative experience that they had with working with different ministries and what they brought back to the team I thought was really important. And so I wanted to be a part of that and be able to share something else that I brought back from my SEED rrip to the team.

Alan Babbitt: Let's get into some of the specifics on the trip. Daniel, tell us about where you went, what group did you work with on this mission trip and how exactly were you serving?

Daniel Hesselbein: Yeah, so I was on the Costa Rica trip and we were partnered with an organization called Push the Rock. So what we were doing there for the first half of the trip was mostly sports camps and a lot of ministry within schools and prisons. And then the second half of the trip we went out into more tribal areas, less populated and a little bit more off the grid. And that's when we started partnering with Sawyer to bring water filters to provide clean water for people who didn't have a source of clean water. So that was really cool, too. And we did ministry through that as well, which was a lot of fun.

Alan Babbitt: Yeah, those water filters are amazing. We don't probably think about that Daniel much, and then you go and see it in action and it's pretty amazing stuff. David, you mentioned Uganda. Tell us about your Uganda trip. Who'd you partner with and what were some of the areas that you served?

David Brace: Yep, so we flew into Southern Uganda and we did work there with Sports Outreach, which brings in children from neighboring communities, teaches them ministry through sports. We were holding sports camps as well, and then we'd go to communities in the area and deliver the Sawyer water filters as well. We also, again, went to North Uganda and it was a little more rural and that was really when we gave away a lot of those water filters and it was wonderful. It was a great experience. So we were so thankful that Sawyer and Sports Outreach took us in with open arms and it was amazing.

Alan Babbitt: For you, Libby, what was your trip?

Libby Strotman:
So, in Zambia, we went to a community called Choma, and while we were there, we also served the people in Choma and then the two surrounding communities, also called Mapoma and then Cabanana. When we were there, we ran a three-day sports camp, so similar to the others. And we also had a day of service where we built a softball field, which was super cool, and then got to play on it with the other people in the community. And the group that we were partnered with was called POETIS, which has a lot of Hope history, which is really cool to work with.

David Brace: Madeline.

Madeline Tessin: Yeah, my trip was to the Dominican Republic and we worked with a ministry called GO Ministries and they worked specifically through sports and church planting. And while we were there, we specifically worked obviously with the sport aspect of it, so we traveled around a lot to different communities, whether that was working with kids or just sports teams. We did a basketball practice with one group and then we just played with kids in different sports. And then, I know Daniel mentioned the water filters, we did those in a village near Haiti, and so we went there and also just kind of did sports outreach through that and then also did the water filters there.

Alan Babbitt: For each of you, starting with Daniel, just a memory that jumps out to you that from one of your mission areas or just your time and where you visited, when you think about it, what stands out?

Daniel Hesselbein: Yeah, the first thing that always pops into my head when I'm looking back on my trip was going to the juvenile detention center in Costa Rica. We spent the afternoon there with about 10 to 12 college aged young men and they were so hospitable and kind to us despite their circumstance. We got to play futsal with them, which for those of you that don't know is indoor soccer. And that was... first of all, me being a soccer player, so much fun. They were really talented too, so it was a really good memory. But on top of that, just really good hearts and open to receiving the messages that we were bringing and very, very kind and hospitable, as I said, towards us, wanting to make sure that we were having a good trip and that we were safe in their country, that kind of thing, was really cool.

Alan Babbitt: David.

David Brace:
Yeah, so it's tough to divvy it down to one memory. So I think I have a few for you, but I think the first one being is we worked with a man named Robert Katende through Sports Outreach, which he actually plays a massive role in a Disney movie called Queen of Katwe, and he was wonderful. Again, going off Dan's point, he was extremely hospitable. He helped us all through the entire ministry process and navigating that extremely well. Another, I would say, was a donor donated a few lacrosse sticks to Sports Outreach, and we were playing a lot of soccer I would say, but to be able to teach them the sport that I played back at home was amazing and wonderful. And I think just the friendships that we made with the local people of Uganda and within our group, it was awesome to be able to get to know each other on a deeper level and then hold those friendships to today.

Alan Babbitt: Libby.

Libby Strotman:
Again, same as David, it's really hard to pick just one memory, but through all the people that we met there with our camp, we had the same 70 kids come back each day. So we got to know the people that we were with very well. Each night we had different groups stay with us, so the first night, all the girls who went to camp came and stayed and spent the night, and then the next one was all the guys who came to camp, they spent the night, so that was really cool.
And then at the end of camp, all 12 of us Hope athletes who went on the trip got to pick one camper specifically that impacted our lives the most when we were there with them. And with that, we got to give them an old SEED shirt, that we had a bunch of extras that we brought with us. So I picked a girl named Isabelle, and when I picked her, she started crying just because it was really nice for her to be recognized for just being the great human being that she is. So just to see all the kids and how they impacted us, but then also to see how us picking them specifically impacted them was just super great.

Alan Babbitt: Thanks. Madeline.

Madeline Tessin:
Yeah, I would say a memory for me that jumps out is definitely when we traveled to a village, it was called [inaudible 00:14:09]. It was near the Haiti border like I mentioned before, but it was a very impoverished area. That's where we did the water filters, but it was just amazing to see how much trust the kids that we were playing with had in us. They immediately swarmed us when we got there, when we were playing with them, and they just ran to us with open arms. And I think it was just so cool to see how much trust they had and then also just to see how much joy and how much love they had for the Lord despite their circumstances. I think that's something that we can, that I took away specifically, was just despite their circumstances, they had joy in every moment and I just thought that was really cool.

Alan Babbitt: One of the unique things I found talking to those of you who've gone on this trip is the way sport, no matter the differences between us, can be kind of this commonality that you can relate to and start getting to know people. I guess start your reflections on that. Start with you Daniel, on just how sport can be a common language for people that have never met. I mean, we're all different. We all have different challenges and positives and all different things. Just what did you learn about sport and what kind of tool it can be in a constructive way?

Daniel Hesselbein:
Yeah. Being in Costa Rica, the men's sport there is soccer, so I had the opportunity to connect with the kids and everybody that we interacted with very easily because, in a sense we almost, despite our language barrier, we spoke a similar language when it came to soccer or football. So just the aspect of connection that sport can bring despite not being able to communicate with each other is so cool. One of the things that I really enjoyed was being able to put a smile on somebody's face by doing a cool trick or just the opportunity to be with those kids and to see them laughing and smiling. And that is just as much of a form of communication as speaking or talking and that was so cool.

Alan Babbitt: David.

David Brace:
Yeah, I think specifically at Sports Outreach in Uganda, sport did a great job of diminishing almost an awkward stage when you're first meeting someone. I think when the kids show up, you immediately jump into a game of two-touch and soccer and you start laughing, someone falls over, probably me. But then that creates, again, a trust for everyone. And I think by the end of your sport you're able to converse and that's when that huge ministry piece comes in. So it was awesome.

Alan Babbitt: Libby?

Libby Strotman:
Yeah, one thing that we mentioned a lot on our trip, because even though English is the main language in Zambia, a lot of the people in the community that we were with spoke Tonga, so we needed translators a lot. And one thing that we harped on a lot was that love has no language, that through not only sport, but also through worship and the ministry that we did, that we were still able to show love for each other and be able to communicate in different ways than just by speaking. So sport really definitely helped with just showing the love that we had for each other through all the different sports that we played.

Alan Babbitt: Madeline?

Madeline Tessin:
Yeah, similar to everyone that's spoken. Just being in Dominican Republic, Spanish is the main language there. And although we had a few of us that speak Spanish, so we're able to communicate maybe a little bit with the kids and the people that we interacted with, the others that didn't speak Spanish, it was just like you did like everyone has said. Sport just took down that barrier and really just playing with the kids was what they wanted and talking to them, of course, yeah, you couldn't maybe understand everything, but you could understand a smile, you can understand a laugh, and that's shared. And with sport, that is something that you can share without needing to talk. So... yeah.

Alan Babbitt:
And I know part of this trip, obviously any trip you need some leaders, and a variety of people have gone and helped and served on this trip. Just talk about who you had on your trip and how they helped maybe you individually and your group, Daniel.

Daniel Hesselbein:
Yeah. We had the privilege of having the Chaplain of Athletics, Matt Margaron as one of our three leaders, and alongside him were an athletic trainer, Eric Byl and his wife. But they were just incredible. It was such a cool opportunity to be able to spend time with Matt, Eric, and Emily and get to know them more. I had the privilege of having Eric as my trainer for soccer freshman year, and although I knew him then, I know him much better now. And I think that that wouldn't have happened without the SEED Trip. And I'm so happy that he and I are closer now and that I know him beyond just a surface level, as well as the other leaders, Matt Margaron and Emily. It is just really cool to get to know some trusted adults and some really cool mentors better through the trip.

Alan Babbitt: Awesome. David.

David Brace:
Yeah, so we had Shomari Tate who works in Ministries, and then Tina DeKam. And I think they did such a good job, is they complimented each other so well. They gave us guidance when needed, but more importantly they opened up a space for us to tap into more deeper questions within our group time, which again, I think was able to give us so much personal growth and really help each other out, when faced with those tough questions.

Alan Babbitt: Libby.

Libby Strotman:
Yeah, my three leaders were Coach V., Lance Pellow, who works in Admissions, and then Linda [inaudible 00:20:21] who is in campus ministries. And Linda and Coach V both had already been to Zambia. Coach V on a few years ago and then Linda went last year. So to have both of them was super great just because it was a place that they were familiar with. But they also, all three of them, just were great leaders. Lance I knew from recruiting actually, before I came to Hope, he was my recruiter for my area. So to get to that full circle moment with him for knowing him these last four years and then to get to go and do this type of ministry over in a completely different country was super cool. And the three of them just showed us how to love on other people and be vulnerable in places that might be uncomfortable, but to still share and also to be everyone's hype man and to just be there for others always.

Alan Babbitt: Madeline.

Madeline Tessin:
Yeah, I was blessed to have Tim Schoonveld, the Athletic Director as my leader, along with his wife Lisa, and then we had one of the assistant men's basketball coaches, Ryan Klingler. So all of them were awesome. They led us super well. Something that I learned from them and just took away, was this idea of authenticity. That was a huge theme on our trip. They just always welcomed the idea and I guess our theme was like Be You, or Be Awesome, and just remembering that who you are and who God made you to be is exactly who you're supposed to be and your purpose. And I think that each of us on our team as a whole really brought that just because everyone brings something different to the table and without each person we can't have a team. And I just thought that that was really cool. And Schoony, specifically, was one that was just by the end was like, Be You because there's no one that can do it better than you. And that was just really inspiring.

Alan Babbitt:
And I know another unique part of the SEED Program is the opportunity to go on this trip with members of different teams across. And it can be challenging during the school year, different seasons you might see in classes, but it's a limited, you don't maybe as get to know some of the other fellow student athletes. Just talk about that and getting some time with some people that you probably didn't know really well going on that trip. Daniel.

Daniel Hesselbein:
Yeah, it was such a cool opportunity to be able to meet new people. Going into the trip, I only knew two other people that were in my group. So by the end of the trip I had made about nine new friends that I had never met before and that's so cool and definitely take it for granted sometimes the opportunities that we have here at Hope and the ability to meet people and just create deep lasting relationships in the span of nine days, it's really, really cool. Part of our trip that was really cool, too, was everybody on the trip was a part of a different athletics team aside from two softball girls. So we had a very wide diverse variety of sports. So now I've had a bunch of my group mates come support me on the soccer field and I plan on going to support them in their respective sports in their seasons too. And I'm looking forward to that.

Alan Babbitt: David.

David Brace:
Yeah, I think a common thing amongst SEED is just how everyone gets so close so quickly, whether it's travel time, and that definitely held true with our group. It was a trek over to Uganda, but immediately we clicked so well. And then hearing just different perspectives of different backgrounds. I know in our group, specifically, we had a few people that had graduated, so to see that timeframe play out and again get a different dynamic was awesome. We still have, again, the group chats today. I know we're trying to get another dinner planned, so the cohesiveness was amazing, so. Yeah.
Alan Babbitt: Libby.

Libby Strotman:
Yeah, for my group, same with David. The trek to get there was super long and it felt like my group clicked immediately. I mean it was over 24 hours of travel just to get to Choma in Zambia, so we were playing so many different games in the airports and stuff during our layovers, but to get to know people on different sports teams and to be able to form those connections in a whole different place, a whole different environment, was absolutely amazing. And I can't wait to go to all their different events. They're now some of my best friends. There were two girls in specific that I hadn't known before really that well, and now I would consider them two of my best friends. So just to get to bond with all the different people on that trip through just the love of sports was amazing.

Alan Babbitt: Madeline.

Madeline Tessin:
Yeah, going into the trip, I did know a couple of people, but obviously not everyone. And I think it's a little bit nerve-wracking because of the way you're going in this mission trip, you're going to a different country and you don't know everyone, but even by day one, just like everyone has kind of said, "It's so cool to have this time, and the opportunity that Hope offers to be able to meet more people." Our day one was actually construction day, so we were doing a lot of hard heavy work out in the sun, but it was just so cool to see everyone jump in so quickly and work so well as a team. And then just coming back from that day, being able to open up and share our hearts and get really close and now being back on Hope's campus, it's really fun seeing everyone around campus and we're trying to get another dinner, get-together, planned again. And so yeah, it's just a really cool community that Hope has and I'm blessed to be a part of it.

Alan Babbitt:
And lastly, I'd imagine there's a lot of your fellow student athletes who you have on this trip that might be like Daniel, not sure if it's quite the right fit. What would be your advice to them as they ponder, and your encouragement for them as far as how the SEED Trip obviously is an opportunity to serve others as a mission trip, but also a transformational experience for yourself, your faith journey, everything that goes into who you are. What would you be your advice to them based on how it's transformed your life?Daniel.

Daniel Hesselbein:
Yeah. For me personally, God moved in a really, really cool way this summer on my trip introducing me to prison ministry, giving me opportunities to teach physical ed classes while incorporating my faith into it. It was a really, really cool experience. One of the things I always tell my friends is an experience with God, you're never going to regret it. It's always tough to make the decision to go, but once you're there, you're never going to regret those decisions that you make to further your relationship with God and with Christ. So that's my biggest piece of advice. And then also just listen to your mom if she tells you to go on a SEED Trip because my mom was right.

Alan Babbitt: David.

David Brace:
Yeah, I think it was transformational, because I think maybe in my faith I was rather stagnant and it was just that big leap which allowed me to explore my faith on a way deeper level than I could have imagined, especially within the Ugandan communities with how prideful they are of their faith. I tell my teammates to this day, I really want them to check it out. It's a wonderful experience where I haven't had a single regret through any part of the process. And I think, even for me, I was uncomfortable for a few months and maybe I got my passport only a few months before I went just because I was so wishy-washy. But I'm so happy I committed to going on a SEED Trip.

Alan Babbitt: Libby.

Libby Strotman:
I've told everyone after this trip that I think everyone should go on a SEED Trip. It moved all of us in so many different ways, both growing in faith, but also like Daniel, being able to for me personally, lead physical education stuff with wanting to be a PE teacher in the future. And it was just amazing and so transformational and to see how impactful the water filters were to the people in the community around us is something that you really can't get anywhere else. To see the dirty water go through the filter and come out clean and just to see how grateful the people are there with... I mean, they really don't have that much, but they're always laughing and smiling. And then to be able to bring something as small as the water filters that we had over to them that is actually life-changing, is just an opportunity that I don't think anyone should ever pass up.

Alan Babbitt: Madeline.

Madeline Tessin:
For anyone who has asked me about my SEED Trip, I am definitely encouraging them to go. I think it's something that originally I was really hesitant about and it was something that I felt was really out of my comfort zone. And honestly, even going into it, the day before, I was like, I really don't know what I'm going to be doing or if I'm meant to be here or what I'm meant to be doing. And honestly, I didn't feel adequate enough, but stepping out of my comfort zone was testing my faith was something that I will never take for granted and something that this trip has changed for me and something that I'm really thankful for. And even after that trip, opportunities have come up that I honestly never thought would, and times that because of the SEED Trip I've learned that stepping out of my comfort zone can be something that can just be shown to... you can see God move in so many ways.

Alan Babbitt:
Awesome. Well thank you Madeline. Thank you Libby. Thank you David. And thank you Daniel for sharing your experiences with our SEED Trips. You can learn more, go on the Hope Athletics website. I know plans are in work for the summer of 2024 and we look forward to talking again with a new group that goes off on those SEED Trips. And that's a wrap on Season 3 for the Orange and Blue Podcast. A busy, busy school year is ahead of us and we're excited to see what all four, these wonderful student athletes, and their teammates and their teams and their fellow classmates are able to accomplish, not only in competition but in the classroom. So look forward. Catch up on our episodes and we'll be back with Season 4 later this summer. Thank you everyone and have a great day.

Daniel Hesselbein:
Thanks, Alan.

David Brace:
Thank you, Alan.

Madeline Tessin:
Thank you, Alan.

Libby Strotman:
Thank you, Alan.