Last year the University of the Cumberlands (UC) Volleyball team sponsored a young girl, Aileen, from Tumaini Miles of Smiles Orphanage in Kenya. Now, in the summer of '10, several members of the Patriot team will have the opportunity to visit Aileen and provide their services at the orphanage and the community.

The special group from Cumberlands that will be traveling to Kenya are Amanda Hensley (Powell, TN), Courtney Fout (Miamisburg, OH), Tommie Thompson (Pioneer, TN) and Head Patriot Volleyball Coach Kara Clemenz. The group will travel to Acworth, GA for training camp on July 20-22 and on that last day of the camp they will begin their journey to Kenya arriving the evening of the 23rd.

The group will return back to the United States on August 3rd. During their stay at the Tumaini Miles of Smiles Orphanage they will conduct Vacation Bible School activities with the children including playing games, making crafts, and reading Bible stories. In addition to spending time with the children, they will also participate in manual labor and construction involving adding classrooms to the school, making bricks, moving rocks and anything else that is asked of them. In their free time they will also be doing some outreach work in the community.

The UC volleyball team is currently trying to fundraise to help support their mission by selling t-shirts and on April 24th, the group will be conducting a car wash at the Williamsburg Convention Center. In addition, the team is also willing to work odd jobs to help support their cause. 

With still over $3,000 to raise to cover expenses, any donations would be helpful and would be split between the members of the group. "The opportunity to make the trip to help serve the children of Kenya is open to everyone," said Kara Clemenz. "Those who volunteered to go this far have felt called to do so and are deciding for themselves how to spread His word."

This amazing opportunity of spreading the love of God to others and helping with building a community is a unique experience that the ones blessed to experience will not soon forget. The group is following in God's word as is read in James 1:27, "Religion that our God Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep one's self from being polluted by the world."

To follow the Patriots mission in Kenya visit www.ucumberlands.edu/athleticsor to help assist in the mission to Kenya call 606-539-4155 or email kara.clemenz@ucumberlands.edu.