Wheaton baseball travels to Cuba for a Sports Ministry trip (Updated 1/10)

1/8/2026 2:10:00 AM

The Wheaton baseball team is participating in a sports ministry trip to Cuba from January 3-10. Senior pitcher Jack Lindsay will be providing updates throughout the trip so be sure to check back to this page throughout the week.

The team departs for Miami on the morning of January 3 and will then land in Havana later that afternoon. The team will spend the entire week in the greater Havana area. Activities throughout the week will include baseball clinics, four baseball games, church service and other ministry opportunities.

FIRST UPDATE --- SECOND UPDATE --- THIRD UPDATE --- FOURTH UPDATE --- FIFTH UPDATE --- SIXTH UPDATE

FIRST UPDATE - Saturday (Jan. 3)

The guys woke up bright and early at 3:45 a.m. to head on the plane to Miami, able to catch up on some much-needed sleep on the trip down. After a quick layover and a minor 30-minute delay, we landed in Havana. The next two hours were a blur, not knowing where the bus we got to would lead but also being able to appreciate the beautiful scenery before us. I'm sure I speak for the rest of the team in saying that going from 18 degrees to 79 is not half bad.

Our bus finally stopped just outside the outskirts of downtown Havana. As we began unpacking the bus, locals began filming and kids surrounded multiple guys asking for candy or "dinero". Fortunately for the rest of us, Caleb Henderson, a resident of Mexico, speaks great Spanish and was able to mediate for us today and throughout the week.

The day concluded with a dinner at a restaurant called Pirate Ship, which did in fact have a small pirate ship with seating inside of it. Here, the team was able to try some Cuban cuisine for the first time. I personally went with the Ropa Veija which is shredded beef with white rice and side of plantains. After we got back to the hotel Caleb Snyder delivered a devotional on having confidence in the story God has written for us and how He can use it throughout this week.

SECOND UPDATE - Sunday (Jan. 4)

The morning started off with some local cuisine at one of the buildings where we were staying. Fluffy scrambled eggs that tasted like home and a dish assorted with meatballs, ground beef and sausage, along with fruits and vegetables helped get us ready for our first full day in Havanna.

The type of church we went to was called a home church. According to our guide and DayStar representative, Trey, these have been a thing since the revolution in the 1950s. Any church that was not founded prior to the revolution is not recognized as an official church, so thousands of Cubans host church in their homes. As the home church grows, it splits off into another home church, allowing the Christian church to spread throughout Cuba.

Once the service began, we participated in lively worship and a foreword from their head pastor, before Trey gave us his sermon. We then ate a delicious lunch of chicken, rice and beans, before heading off to the market to buy groceries which we will give to families on Tuesday and on Friday. Here, the team also did some shopping of their own, with the local coffee grounds being a team favorite.

From there, we left to lead our first clinic of the week. As our bus pulled in, we were greeted by ten or twenty of the local youth looking for our "guante" (glove), asking our names, or giving out high-fives. The whole team brought energy off the jump, and it felt like the kids at the clinic really fed off of that. And while we sought to make better baseball players, the goal was showing them that you can have fun playing baseball while worshiping Christ.

Charlie Scholfield and I had the privilege of sharing our testimony once the clinic had concluded with the players. A unique experience for sure, and a scary one at that, but one that will be etched into my brain forever.

Finally, our day concluded at restaurant called Donde Juan where we were treated to a dinner of local seafood like swordfish and some also ordered lobster. The dinner ended with a debrief of our takeaways from the first full day of festivities and a devotional from Henderson about meeting the Cubans where they are at when sharing the good news of Jesus with them.

THIRD UPDATE - Monday (Jan. 5)

Today, we were treated to breakfast at the Hotel Nacional, the most famous hotel in all of Cuba. Famed members of our history, such as Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, and John F. Kennedy, stayed here before Cuba had closed its borders to the United States.

We then headed off to our home church, Amor en Unidad, which serves as our home base throughout the week. We gathered some of the groceries we had bought the previous day and split out into groups of eight. My group was led by two locals who attended the church and a translator. This allowed us to be welcomed into the homes of the people we talked to and communicate the gospel as we went out into the streets. Each member of the Thunder took a bag of groceries and gave it to those we spoke to, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them and praying over them for whatever they needed prayer for. Many also welcomed Jesus into their hearts for the first time as we witnessed the Spirit move in the streets of Havana.

Beyond delivering the good news, players got a sense of what the Cuban culture truly was like. It is a nation in need of hope, a hope that can only be found in Jesus. Their reception to our message was striking. Back home, there is more resistance to the good news of Jesus, but in Havana, it is full of people looking for a life only the Lord can give. We talked about this during our debrief of the day, but it was truly honoring to have God use us to spread His message here in Cuba.

We also played our first game of 2026, winning 6-5 in five-and-a-half innings before the sun prevented us from playing further. Cole Daggett pitched three clean innings, and Nathan Hedlund closed it out. Alex Bagley hit a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the fourth, which secured a win.

After the game was called, we gathered around the mound to meet with the opposing team and share testimonies. Today, Caleb Henderson and Bagley shared their stories, each providing players a glimpse into their journey as Christians, with Henderson doing his entire testimony in Spanish. We were then treated to dinner, and JD Van Hook provided a devotional on how our time on Earth is valuable, but it the gift of heaven that we should hold onto dearly.

FOURTH UPDATE - Tuesday (Jan. 6)

A 10 A.M. game time created an early morning, which we would need to prepare for over the next two days. The guys had gotten their routines, and the fact that local kids would be inside of, next to, and even on top of our dugout is something we had grown accustomed to and loved most about playing here. Game two was a decisive 9-4 victory, which saw two home runs. One from Will Clegg, who hit an opposite-field shot which split the gap and never seemed to stop rolling, allowing for a stand-up inside-the-park home run. Ryan Cartwright got a hold of one as well, tucking it over the left field wall. Jamin Van Grouw made his collegiate debut, shoving in the final three innings, even striking out the side in his first inning. He mixed the cutter well and kept guys off balance throughout.

We were able to play against two hitters who competed in the Cuban professional league, and Van Grouw was able to face him, giving up a single. He talked with him after the game, and I asked him about that experience,
"The cool thing was, I was able to start a conversation with him in Spanish, where I told him, 'Hey, you're very good at hitting, you're very tough out. And then he responded back and I was able to catch a little bit, and he told us about our pitching and our team, and what he thought of us," and later saying, "And actually, I thought it was really cool how baseball was able to bring two people from very different cultures back together, just through baseball and our love for Jesus."

After the game, Niko Romios and James Scott shared their testimony with everyone, and we stuck around and talked with them for a bit. One of the players thought James looked like his doppelgänger, so they took a picture together (admittedly, the resemblance of height and facial hair was uncanny).

After lunch at Unidos en Amor, we headed back to the field to start our second clinic of the week. We had plenty of repeat customers and some new ones, as once again, the local Cubans really showed out for us. Despite playing a game a few hours prior, everyone stayed excited, and our pitching station ran a balance and strike-throwing competition. We stood in as umpires for the strike-throwing game, and Caleb Snyder activated his inner Savannah Bananas and hit the worm after one of his called strikes. Parker De Hoek and Caleb Kelly shared their testimony around the mound, and James traded his glove of three years with one of the players who gave James his.

Once we returned and cleaned up, the team split off to two restaurants, with one going to a seafood restaurant and the one I was in going to an Italian restaurant. I was not expecting to eat any Italian on our trip this week, but the chicken alfredo got rave reviews, which I fully agreed with. After our debrief, Nathan Hedlund shared his devotional about having confidence in our purpose here in Cuba.

Now reaching the halfway point on our journey, time was starting to move just a little too quickly. The team has really fallen in love with this city and its people, and we've started to really acclimate ourselves to our environment. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. We're looking forward to finishing our week out strong.

FIFTH UPDATE - Wednesday (Jan. 7)

Our second 10 A.M. start time was against a team full of older guys, including a 40-year-old catcher with unmatched amounts of energy behind the dish. He threw out two of our guys today trying to steal, and each time he celebrated like he stopped the go-ahead run from advancing. This would shatter the "unwritten rules" of baseball in America, but here in Cuba, it's all fair game. Players like him stood out amongst the rest because his passion for baseball was so evident; he was a joy to compete against.

We won this game 6-3, with the pitching staff shutting it down all seven innings. Austin Eilmees got the start, cruising through an efficient four frames, Jonah Moulton came in relief for his debut, and Caleb Henderson closed the game out. Ty Burr, who got work at catcher this game after starting in right field on Tuesday, delivered a 1/2 performance which included a double and a sacrifice fly.

We gathered around the mound as brothers and sisters (shoutout trainer Hannah) in Christ. This team was a Fellowship of Christian Athletes-led team that has been operating in Cuba since 1999. Many of these men had already known Jesus, but that did not make Austin or Billy Kessler's testimonies any less impactful. Austin delivered his entire testimony in Spanish as well. Our opponents loved hearing each of their stories of how they came to know Christ. The whole team had become comfortable interacting with players from another country, so much so that Coach Husted had to tell us to get off the field multiple times in order to be on time for lunch.

After lunch, we headed into downtown Havana and into the market to grab some souvenirs. Our guide, Trey, as well as our local guide Richard, told us that the first price is not the price you should ever pay. The shops had many of the same items, which helped when you could threaten to take your business elsewhere for whatever wares they may be selling. You've heard plenty from me this week, so I'll let Jack Gill describe his experience instead. "I would be walking down the aisle, and I have people all around me calling my name, touching me, trying to pull me into their store. Once you would enter their store, they would box you in and pester you."

It was a very jarring experience after coming from a place where you are supposed to spend whatever the price tag says and not thinking twice about it. When I asked Nathan Hedlund about what his favorite gift was, he said, "I would probably say the bracelet I got for my mom. Shoutout Trisha Hedlund."

After a unique Cuban market experience, we took a historical tour of downtown Havana. Here we saw the first church in Havana, some gorgeous plazas, the museum of chocolate, and the most famous bodega in all of Cuba, which hosts many famous Cuban musicians each year. Richard warned us of scam artists near the bodega who would offer their sharpie or pen to sign the posts or walls around the building. They offer it out for free but then demand you pay them afterwards until you do so. Mason Diel saved one of our own from falling into this terrible trap:

"Caleb Schauer was standing there, and this guy was trying to say, 'Hey, hey, hey, take this pen, it's free. And Caleb was looking like he was about to take it. I told him, 'No, no, no, no, it's not free. It's fake free."
After we toured Havana, we headed back to our hostel for our debrief, and I shared a devotional on Romans 8, the power of the Spirit that lives within us as Christ followers, and how that should give us confidence to talk about Jesus in the face of fear or doubt. The Lord is moving here in this city and on this team. I'm so proud of the work we have done and the work we have yet to do.

We also learned from Trey that the league we have been playing has assembled an All-Star team to play against us on Friday, and they're bringing three professional Cuban league players along with them. We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to play against top-level competition, so that will be an amazing game to cap off the week.

Beyond Mason saving us from falling into the dastardly scams in the streets of Cuba, the city itself is beautiful. Amazing architecture all around, statues, restaurants teeming with life, there is truly a different level of soul in Havana than you would find in your average American city. Despite its beauty, the people still suffer from immense poverty, and the desire for material things can overtake the desire for Jesus. I ask that you continue praying for us and pray for this country and its people.

SIXTH UPDATE - Thursday (Jan. 8)

Our third and final 10:00 AM game of the week was today, and we were able to secure our fourth win of the week. JD Van Hook flat-out shoved for three innings, showing them the velocity that they were not used to based on the quality of their swings. Billy Kessler came in relief, throwing two more shutout innings, and Jack Mazurowski made his debut, pitching two as well. The staff allowed one hit today, no hitting the other team through five, along with one earned run.

Will Clegg Ryan Cartwright hit his second homer of the week, this time as an inside-the-park home run, but as it has been all week, the lineup put together quality at-bats, limiting strikeouts. After today's game, JD and Michael Chang shared their testimony, and we stayed after to talk for a bit as well. Their shortstop was a Cuban professional, and he spoke with JD about their two at-bats against each other.

JD talked about the back-and-forth of their at bat, saying, "I threw the curveball first pitch, and he check swung. And if you see that, first pitch, he's being aggressive like that. There was no way that I would go back to the fastball that early. So, I threw him another curveball, maybe a slider. By that point, I had a count where I felt like, because of this swing, I could throw a high fastball. It set up the curveball well, I threw it in the dirt, and he swung and missed at it."

He later said, "I needed to focus. And he, I think, respected my game and I respected his, so it made it fun."

After our game, we headed back for lunch to prepare for our third and final clinic. This was a bittersweet conclusion to the day, as a lot of the guys had made some connections with the players. Nate Burden, Mason Diel, and Harrison Bailey all traded hats, and we could hardly take two steps to leave before another player and their parents were asking for a photo.

Coach Husted mentioned in our debrief that this is likely the first time for many that someone they did not know took time out of their day to teach them baseball. That put it into a greater perspective of what we take for granted when stateside. Alex Bagley said that one kid he talked to dropped out of school at age 10 so he could work. Leisure is a luxury far too few can afford here; it's a privilege to have been able to give them that time. Hopefully, they saw Christ's love in us this week as much as we saw His joy in them.

We gathered around the mound for the final time as Santana Grady and Will Clegg (PICTURED LEFT) shared their testimony. After they had gone, Trey gave a mini sermon illustrating the gospel to the players. With heads bowed and eyes closed, we saw more give their life to Jesus. Another moment that made the whole trip worth it.

After our debrief, Alex shared a devotional on how God will use the lives we live back home to impact those around us, not just the week we set aside for missions trip. It was a great call to action. It's easy to get into familiar routines when returning to the comfort of home.

SEVENTH UPDATE - Friday (Jan. 9)

Our final day here in Cuba started off distributing the remaining groceries we had bought on Sunday. We went to a different church which had been around for 107 years. My group visited five homes where three gave their life to Jesus. One was especially powerful. The woman who's house we visited practiced Santa Ria, a voodoo worship religion, absent of Jesus. The woman we spoke with was introduced to the gospel and gave her life to Jesus after Trey and Richard explained the love of Jesus to her. One of my small group members, Aidan Toal, initialized the conversation and received a hand drawn picture of Jesus as a thank you.

The Cuba series concluded in a 9-4 victory giving us the sweep over a whole country. Nate Burden made the start pitching a crisp three innings and giving his few baserunners fits with his lefty pickoff move. Josh Ortiz threw two innings, three strikeouts and Caleb Henderson pitched the final innings before the sun once again, concluded our game in six. Something that made this game special was that the kids who we coached in the clinic, pitched against us in the latter half of the game. Seeing them execute pitches against us was something truly special.

As the sun went down on the day and the week, we finished our time where we started: at the Pirate Ship. The vibes were far different, everyone was more jovial and talkative, reflecting on the week that was. After our debrief, Mason delivered a strong message about what it means to be a great teammate. He encouraged us that, like this week, doing difficult things is how teams succeed in the long term.

We had a group prayer, packed up and headed off to bed for the final time. A lot of us stayed up later than we should have, enjoying the place we called home for the last seven days.

With confidence, I can say this team is closer than they ever would have been without this trip. Each dinner, no table was the same, and while sharing our testimonies was for the Cubans we coached and played, we learned a lot about each other. We saw a level of vulnerability we would likely not have seen otherwise in our teammates. There is something about shared experiences, both good and bad for a full week that just had a knack for bringing people together. And most importantly, it was centered around Jesus and his amazing love.

Beyond the trip, I once again want to thank family, friends, and others for their support before and during this trip. This was a life-changing experience for so many of us and it would not be possible without you all.

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