One of our goals this year is to build up a student leadership team and let the students take ownership in Club Beyond. We took 8 students on a leadership retreat to train them in different aspects of leadership. We joined students from 2 other bases and studied topics like: making God a priority, why and how we worship, how to not be a servant, why and how we do club, and being a man or woman of God. The students put the club-planning workshop into practice and actually put on 2 clubs. They were so good! The students came back eager to start club, and led the next club back home. Even during our first club of the year, they were asking how they could jump in and help. We hope and pray that these students will continue to lead their peers in and out of club.
This last week I saw some fruits from my work with the team and it came through Aaron. Aaron is a junior here at Bitburg and played on our team for the first time last year. He had never played football before but was very eager to learn the game and become the best player that he could. Last year he filled in as a receiver on varsity and played some tight end for me on the junior varsity team. After last year's season was over, Aaron decided he wanted to work hard and become the team's quarterback for the following season. (The quarterback graduated, so the position was open.)
Aaron worked non-stop all off-season to get ready for the next year. He spent countless hours in the gym, watching game film with our head coach and learning everything he could about what it means to be a quarterback. August came and it was time for Aaron to get his shot. He struggled at some things but was coming along as a quarterback. During our blue/white scrimmage game in early September, Aaron was running the ball and got hit by some of our starting linebackers. He got up obviously in pain and refused to quit. He only lasted a couple more plays before I forced him to take a break and sit on the bench. We later found out that Aaron had torn his left knee ACL. If you aren't sure of what this means, it pretty much guarantees the end of a season for the player and probable surgery to repair the damaged ligament.
Because of this setback Aaron has really been struggling with the question why? Why with all of the hard work that he had done in the off-season to get ready for this moment would it be taken away so quickly. During one of our away games, Aaron approached me obviously upset over something, and he said, "Coach, would you please pray with me?" I asked him what was going on and he shared how he didn't understand how God could allow this to happen to him and how he was confused on what God would want from him in all of this.
Though Aaron and I had hardly ever talked about our faith with one another, Aaron knew who to come to when he needed prayer and encouragement in a dark time. Every year, I learn more and more about being "Jesus with skin on" while on the football field. This is one of the greatest jobs in the world, to be a light in some people's dark times and an encouragement to those who need it.
A common phrase heard around the military is “The only thing that stays constant is change.” The last few months have brought quite a bit of change to the Glaser household and to Club Beyond Bitburg/Spangdahlem. I (John) have been finishing my undergraduate degree in History with the University of Maryland, who has branch campuses overseas. The work on the degree has paid off and I am one class shy of finishing. The last class began September 4th and will be completed at the beginning of December. Shannon and I are both very excited about this great accomplishment.
Finishing up my degree is only part of the changes that are happening in our lives and community. In August, Shannon finished her original commitment with Club Beyond, and she and I officially swapped roles. I am now the Associate Director for Club Beyond Bitburg/Spangdahlem. This has been long in coming for me and actually started nearly five and a half years ago when I began helping out as a volunteer with Club Beyond in Naples. I had already submitted my application to come on staff when we met. This transition is a natural transition for us. Shannon will still be just as active in ministry as a “volunteer”, leading small groups, driving the middle school van, and continuing to hang out with kids. (The main difference is that I am now responsible for all the paperwork!) She is looking forward to working with military kids in a new role.
The last change is coming soon. We found out that our current Community Director Kurt Anderson and his family have been offered a position to serve as the Community Director for Club Beyond in Incirlik, Turkey. After much prayer and consideration, they have accepted this position and will be moving on to begin their duties in Turkey in January. I will be taking on the role of Community Director here at Bitburg/ Spangdahlem. Going from volunteer to Associate Director to Community Director in five months was nothing that Shannon and I had expected for us during this time, but we are both very excited about what the future holds for us. Becoming Community Director extends our commitment to at least August 2009, and we are excited about our new timeline. Please pray for us as we both continue to grow in our trust and love for the Lord and for what He will do during this transition.