THAILAND – This past summer MB Mission took 70 people—11 current Tabor students and five Tabor alumni—to Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand, on a cross-cultural mission trip and a basketball tour.
Two basketball teams—both a men’s and a women’s—were part of Action Basketball 2015, a program supported by MB Mission that gives college basketball players the opportunity to travel overseas and compete. Their motto was “One Team – many different assignments and locations.”
“We often have spots where musicians can find their place in the church, we have places for teachers, but where do athletes go?” said Mark Thompson, Action Basketball’s Program coordinator. “Where do athletes go if they want to serve God with their abilities? This is one avenue where if you are a basketball player and you are passionate about your relationship with Christ, you can go on mission for three weeks.”
A third team, formed from Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro, focused on other ministries: teaching English, hosting a Vacation Bible School, painting a mural and playing with local children. Each participant had to be at least 17 years of age and raise $4,200 to travel.
“MB Mission highly encourages individuals going on mission to raise their support from the community of people that they have been blessed to be a part of,” said Joanna Chapa, a missionary at MB Mission. “Raising support includes financial, but also prayer and mentoring from their sending communities and churches.”
Plans for the Thailand trip began a year ago, when Thompson had encouraged Leah Remboldt, and husband Zac, both Tabor alumni, to be leaders on the 2015 trip.
“I loved that I was able to be a part of the whole process of praying and inviting and seeing it all come around full circle, instead of just joining in January,” Leah Remboldt said. “I would’ve missed all of the planning—the prayer. I did a lot of praying for people to go.”
Last fall, Remboldt worked in Tabor’s cafeteria for three months and began praying for men and women to go to Thailand.
“I prayed a lot during that time,” she said. “I prayed for a lot of the basketball players who ended up going.”
Remboldt’s dream was to travel with a group from Parkview MB Church in Hillsboro. Twelve people from Parkview began praying, fundraising and planning. The entire group needed to raise $47,000.
One young man had worried about not raising enough money, but he was reassured when told his airline ticket had been purchased. The Lord answered prayers and the Parkview group ended up raising more than $50,000.
“God provided all of what we needed,” Remboldt added. “All along I knew He was going to provide. I just didn’t know how. I just knew He would give our team stories of His provision.”
Several years ago, Tabor basketball player Tena Loewen, junior, felt called to go to Thailand.
“My brother, David, went to Thailand with MB Mission on their basketball team four years ago, and ever since then, I thought it would be cool to go,” Loewen said. “I was too young that year to participate, so I was thinking about going two years after that. However, God had a better plan, and through a series of events, I really felt called to stay home that summer.
“After I obeyed that call, God started to place the country of Thailand on my heart. It was popping up everywhere—in my textbooks, on random videos, in conversations with people,” she said. “Last spring and summer, as the leaders of MB Mission started dreaming about the Action Basketball team for the summer of 2015, I started praying. At the end of last summer, one of the leaders at MB Mission approached me about being a captain for the women’s basketball team. I had a great peace and excitement about it, so I said ‘Yes.’”
Loewen joined her brother, David—a 2014 Tabor graduate—as team captains. Loewen was joined by current teammates Sierra Sanchez, sophomore; Kaleigh Troxell, junior; Kayla Wilgers, senior; and Mallory Zuercher, senior. They traveled with men’s basketball players Lance Carter, junior and John Jedneak, senior. Katie Mount, a Tabor alumna, served as the women’s coach.
From June 24-29, the group spent time in Fresno preparing for the trip by team-building, praying, practicing and becoming familiar with the Thai culture.
On June 30, the group landed in Thailand and would spend the next 15 days experiencing a different culture. They competed against several Thai university teams, a pro team and a high-caliber team of select high school athletes. Their mission was to serve people through education, evangelism and community projects.
Several people visited Abundant Life Home, an orphanage run by missionary Karen Huebert-Sanchez, mother of Tabor basketball player Sierra Sanchez. For two years, Huebert-Sanchez has been praying for a group to come and teach English at a small elementary school in her neighborhood. Her prayers were answered when the Parkview team formed a relationship with people at the school, which allowed them to teach English and host a Vacation Bible School.
“A lot of the kids came to VBS in the evening,” Remboldt said. “There was one night where 40 kids said ‘Yes’ to Jesus.”
At first, Remboldt was tentative about sharing the gospel. 
“It was a little outside of my comfort zone,” she said. “I also felt like (Jesus) wanted me to ask them ‘Do you want to have a relationship with me?’ and I was like, ‘Alright, we’ll do that, whatever you want.’
“I shared the Good News with them,” she added. “We had a translator there, so (the children) were hearing it in Thai. I asked them, ‘So, does anyone want to have a relationship with Jesus?’ and 40 kids raised their hands.”
It was a seed planted. One of the children, who is living at Abundant Life Orphanage, is named Isaiah, 10. Remboldt said she believes he will spend eternity in heaven, despite the fact he may not entirely comprehend his decision to follow Jesus at his age.
“We just have to depend on the Holy Spirit to grow the seeds in their heart,” she said. “It may not be real for them for a while, but maybe when other teams come or when other Christians cross their paths, they will be able to understand more.”
Others accepted Christ at the basketball camps.
“Someone would also share their testimony at the camp and we would give away tracts, Bibles and shirts to anyone we played against,” Loewen said.
The life-altering impact this trip had on the lives of those in Thailand had the same effect on those who traveled more than 8,600 miles to meet them.
“This trip has really encouraged me to be bold in sharing my faith,” Loewen said. “I also learned a lot about trusting God and being patient in His timing. He knows exactly what He is doing, and all I have to do is obey on a daily basis.
“I am also really excited to be back at Tabor with a group of others who went on this trip,” she added. “I think God wants to do some big things on campus this year and I know God wants to use us as a part of it.”