January 23, 2026
The ETBU Cross Country and Track & Field teams departed Marshall early on January 1 for Belize as part of ETBU’s Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME), where they partnered with International Sports Federation (ISF) and THREE18 Ministries for outreach and service over the next week. This is the 25th trip for the ETBU Athletic Department TAME initiative and the second for the Tiger Cross Country and Track & Field program; the program traveled to Greece in 2019.
The team’s first full day in Belize began with intensive preparations for the week ahead. The team spent time creating skits, dances, and crafts to share with the Belize community. In the evening, the Tigers hosted a local 5K with the community of Belmopan. Over 200 Belizeans joined in on the 5K glow run, which gave ETBU Cross Country and Track & Field the opportunity to share laughter and stories with locals. There were food trucks, face painting, balloons, and music.
The following day, Sunday, the team served at a church in the Mayapan community where they led worship, gave testimonies, and held a Vacation Bible School for the local children. In the afternoon, they had the chance to visit the local Mayan ruins and immerse themselves in some of Belize’s history. That evening, they were a part of Jesus Night, a worship night for the local community. Jesus Night was a powerful night of lives changed for both Belizeans and the ETBU Cross Country and Track & Field team.
"Sunday was a meaningful and joy-filled day,” graduate student Ache Anderson said. “We attended the church service and spent time doing activities with the kids while some of our team shared their testimonies, which was both fun and rewarding. Visiting the Mayan ruins was beautiful and awe-inspiring. The day ended with Jesus Night, which was filled with music, joy, and sharing our faith together.”
On Monday, the team went to a local high school to experience a chapel service and pray with the students. Afterward, they were able to give back to the community through physical labor at another local school. The 40 athletes split into two groups; one group served by painting several of the building exteriors, and the others worked to remove rocks and clear a spot to be used by the school. The day ended with a worship night for local teens and college students at La Paz, a THREE18 Ministries camp for volunteers in Belize.
"Monday was a great experience to see a local high school and how they worship,” sophomore PJ Johnson said. “It was cool to do a skit for them and see their laughs and smiles. We ended the night with a community worship gathering, worshiping the Lord in English and in their native language.”
Tuesday was filled with connection to Belizeans of all ages. The team visited a local pre-school and engaged with the children through craft-making, playing games, and praying with and for the kids. In the afternoon, ETBU hosted a youth track camp where they ran relays, warmed up as a group, had one-on-one time, and raced with the kids. That night, the team had an open mic worship where they sang and shared testimonies with each other alongside people in the Belmopan community.
“We were able to connect through our sport and our God given talents,” freshman Sophie Gaddy said. “I personally was able to see how God works through people and how His voice can carry through the people we meet. We are not that different and have a lot of similar stories. That was cool to see as we shared different stories from our lives and cultures as we were all united through a common belief and love for God, which was inspiring.”
Wednesday, January 6, was the last full day of ministry for ETBU’s Cross Country and Track & Field team. They hosted another track camp with more students, attended another chapel, and had a worship night where more athletes shared their testimonies and got to pray with many of the local teenagers. ETBU Cross Country and Track & Field Head Coach Natalie Bach-Prather reflected on the opportunity to lead her team in service to the Belize communities, saying that she saw more change in her team than ever before.
“We have a lot of athletes at a lot of different levels in their spiritual walk,” Coach Bach-Prather said. “There were some athletes that really grew, and you could tell that this trip changed their life forever. Some of the more mature in their faith, opened up and pulled some of the other ones along. Some athletes had the vulnerability to say, ‘I don't really know where I'm at, but this trip is making me think about it.’ It was really heartwarming.”
Before the long travel days ahead, the team was able to explore more of Belize, including cave tubing to explore caves used by the Mayans, ziplining through the jungle, and swimming in the largest natural spring in Belize. The team returned on January 8, and Coach Bach-Prather said that she is eager to see how the trip will impact team dynamics.
“I am really excited because the biggest challenge now is going to get the 40 student-athletes we took to get that energy with the thirty-five we left behind,” Coach Bach-Prather said. “We have some ways that we're going to implement it, but the excitement of those that we took is so profound that I think it's just going to automatically run off onto the others. I'm looking forward to see what it's going to do, what impact it's going to have on our team.”
About ETBU TAME
ETBU's Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME) initiative seeks to integrate faith and sport by providing student-athletes with opportunities to serve, grow spiritually, and share the Gospel around the world. Since its inception, ETBU Athletics has led 25 TAME trips across multiple continents, reinforcing its commitment to developing Christian servant leaders through intercollegiate athletics.
About the International Sports Federation
ISF is a ministry that creates opportunities for people to share the Gospel through their gifts in sports and recreation. Its focus is on mobilizing college and university teams to meet global needs for sports mission volunteers.
About THREE18 Ministries
THREE18 Ministries desires to see communities flourish in their knowledge and growth with Christ through one-to-one discipleship and outreach. Belize is a vibrant, English-speaking nation in Central America where breathtaking beauty meets deep spiritual need—making it the perfect place for churches, athletes, and mission teams to serve, connect, and transform lives through the love of Jesus. Whether in a village, on a field, or at a school, Belize offers a powerful opportunity to live out the Gospel in action.