July 2011
Dear Friends,
Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees will go down in major league baseball history as one of the greatest closers of all time. It was a true thrill to sit in a room in the Dominican Republic last year, and hear how he got started playing baseball on the streets of Panama using an old milk carton as a glove. It was even more exciting listening to him as he shared how Christ has become the biggest influence in his life. Mariano is a true leader. Even as he walked into the room, he was followed by a number of young minor leaguers who look to him for guidance.
Another exciting moment was sitting next to a pool at our hotel and doing an interview with Andy Benes, former All-Star with the St. Louis Cardinals, as he shared his faith with me. Add to that informal moments with the Oakland A's Treyston Magnuson, and Chris Coghlan of the Florida Marlins, among others, and you can imagine that I was in baseball heaven. But the real thrill came as we stepped off a bus each day and we were greeted by hundreds of kids. Most of them were in ragged clothes, but they had baseball gloves on the end of their arms. They were ready to learn and hear the gospel from current and former major leaguers.
With one year under my belt, I am ready to once again go back and be part of SCORE International's baseball mission trip. The Dominican Republic is a hotbed for baseball. More players come to the major leagues from the DR than any country outside the US. It was estimated by our leaders that more than 7000 kids heard the gospel from our mission teams during the four days we were there. I really didn't know what to expect last year, but as a support person for the players, I can see that I have a valuable role in this ministry. It has also opened a number of doors for a ministry to the players once we return to the states. I have been in contact with a number of people I met on that trip who need encouragement in their everyday lives.
The trip this year will be from November 13-17 and I would like to request your help in making this trip happen. First, I would solicit your prayers. I truly believe that our prayers are heard, and I know that I can count you even though I am hundreds of miles away relating to the kids on the baseball fields. Second, you can help with a donation to the ministry that will go directly to the expenses for this trip. I need to raise about $3000 to cover all of the expenses, including some equipment that we take to hand out to the kids. Anything that you can do would be appreciated.
I wanted to let you know that we finished our year in the black. As we begin our 20th year on the year, I am humbled by the ways in which lives are touched by the ministry of Face to Face. Most of the time, I am not even aware of it. At an Indianapolis Indians baseball game the other night, I was talking to an usher who said, "I listen to a radio broadcast on Saturday mornings with this guy from Columbus, Indiana, who interviews athletes about their faith." I humbly told him, "That would be me." I wonder how many others are touched by the interviews that I don't even know. To add to the irony, I checked the roster of the game I was watching, and noticed that the shortstop was from LaRomana, Dominican Republic. That is the exact town where our ministry happened last year. I wondered if he might have been touched by one of the baseball missionaries in the past.
Thanks for all you do to make this exciting journey a reality. I will be sure to keep you updated.
In Christ,
Tom Rust
