DelMarVa FCA

Today's post comes from Amanda Houser (far left). Amanda is a senior at Shippensburg University. We were blessed to have Amanda in our Summer Leadership Development Group last year. Amazing to see the growth in a college athlete in a 10 week time frame. Amanda and her team competed in two consecutive final fours. Here is the inside scoop from Amanda to what Jesus did on her team this year.

"Randy here are a few paragraphs I wrote up for you! I hope everything is goign well! Miss you brother!

Never did I expect for a team to completely surrender itself to God in such a way that the Shippensburg field hockey did this year. The Shippensburg field hockey team was known to be the craziest partying team on the university. When all the athletes became aware that we were having a dry season they were blown away by the surprise. God became present at Shippensburg University, on and off the field.

For three months 26 girls, 13 freshmen and 13 upperclassmen, signed a contract for the NCAA, Shippensburg University, and one strictly for the team stating they would not drink alcohol or take in any substance to abuse their body, aka their temple. Never have I imagined that 25 of my teammates and myself were actually going to be committed to our signatures. Something greater than a contract or the authority of the NCAA had taken a hold of each player's heart, and that supernatural power was God. This was just the beginning of the power of God.

The season began as a success, we became 11-0 half way through our season, the only undefeated team in Division II field hockey. The first lost came to Bloomsburg University, the number one team in the nation. Not only were we ranked the number two team in the nation, glory be to God, but a 10 minute devotional was held in the locker room before each home game.

I believe this was the first time in history that a "Bible Study" was held before a game. This was not for the praise of our parents or our coach, but to become focused on God, and realize that we were at a spiritual war. The spiritual power that was becoming noticable was unreal, outsiders were uable to fathom.

Not only were we becoming a success on the field, but relationships were being created through something greater than a night of case races or flip cup. God created a team willing to serve Him, not this world. The temptations are high at a liberal school from drinking alcohol to abusing their temples in any way.

As the regular season came to an end, the playoffs were arising. We lost our conference championship game, but won our regional game, which advanced our team into the NCAA Final Four Tournament. Never have we prayed as a WHOLE team before a game, but this vision became true. There were microphones, webcams, and television cameras everywhere focused on the Shippensburg Field Hockey Team. Before our first game at the Final Four, Jamie Doughty and myself asked if anyone wanted to pray, and the entire team walked over, arms around each other and we prayed; we prayed as if no one was watching, but the whole nation was.

This has nothing to do with Shippensburg Field Hockey, the university, our coach, Jamie Doughty (middle of picture above) or myself, but it had everything to do with God. The success on the field was not what we were concerned on, but how God had triggered something deep within each player, whether they knew God or not, they became aware of Him and knew He was present.

We lost that Final Four game, but God won, He always does."