Wheaton, Ill. -- The Thunder men's basketball team will be traveling to Greece next week for a sports ministry trip in partnership with Beyond Sports. The team is set to depart campus on Monday, May 18 and will return to Wheaton on Wednesday, May 27. The men's basketball coaches and student-athletes will be joined in Greece by Dr. David Lauber, Dean of Humanities and Theological Studies at Wheaton College, and the group will spend one half of their trip in Athens and the other half in Thessaloniki.
While in Greece, the team plans to play three exhibition games against local professional club teams and will retrace part of the route that the Apostle Paul took through the country in the first century AD.
Various members of Wheaton's traveling party will provide occasional updates from the team's time overseas, and those updates will be posted here in this story next week.
FIRST UPDATE ---
SECOND UPDATE ---
THIRD UPDATE ---
FOURTH UPDATE ---
FIFTH UPDATE
First Update (May 18-20)
Our trip started out with an early morning practice in Wheaton before heading to O'Hare for a direct flight to Athens, Greece. We landed the next day (5/19) around noon, and spent the remainder of the day traveling to our hotel before finishing the night experiencing our first tastes of authentic Greek cuisine. After a long day of travel, everyone went to bed following dinner.
Wednesday morning began with breakfast and a fantastic devotional on identity and the new self from Colossians 3 by Renae Smith (Coach Schauer's sister). Then, before we began to trace the Apostle Paul's steps through Athens, Dr. Lauber prepped us for the day by reminding us who Paul was and how his gospel message of Jesus Christ coming to die and be raised would have stood out among all of the pagan gods and philosophical beliefs that were present in Athens around AD 50.
Next, we toured the Areopagus (Mars Hill) and the Acropolis—which is literally a "city on a hill"—and learned a ton about the different gods of ancient Athens, as well as the significance of the Areopagus (Mars Hill), which was the exact spot where Paul was questioned by the philosophers of Athens during his time in Greece. The highlight of this time was reading Acts 17–the passage that describes Paul's answer to the philosophers who wondered about his "new teaching"—at the foot of the Areopagus where Paul once stood. Hearing and seeing the vast number of gods and idols that were worshiped during Paul's time provided powerful context to understand the things he said. Dr. Lauber showed us how Paul's speech articulated the key differences between our God and the pagan gods, namely, that our God is the one true God who made all things and all people, and who "has given assurance to all by raising Jesus from the dead."
After some time in downtown Athens for lunch, the team boarded the bus and headed to play our first game against a local professional club team. After adjusting to Euro rules and getting the remaining jet lag out of our legs during the first quarter, the team concluded the first of three games this week with a win. Of note, Reid Olson was lights out from three, and was even asked for his autograph as the opposing team attempted to persuade him to join their team after the game. However, they must've only spoken Greek, because Reid came back on the bus and we headed to our hotel to get ready for the next day.
Second Update (May 21)
Our day started with an amazing breakfast from our hotel in Athens, followed by a great devotional from Kyle Neibch on being present and taking advantage of our time and the blessing of being here in Greece. After that Dr. Lauber gave us some biblical context and wisdom for the day, for us to think and reflect on before we started our trip and experience to Corinth, touching on Paul's journey to Corinth and the significance and meaning of it.
After our morning devotional, we had the opportunity to serve with a local Special Olympics group. We played soccer with the group and got to spend some time getting to know them. It was an awesome way to start the day's travels.
After that we headed over to Corinth and arrived excited for the day ahead. We arrived and immediately started touring the ancient spot of civilization where the Romans were, in past Corinth. We got to see many great artifacts and workings, notably the Temple of Apollo, Roman Forum, and the museum of the architecture and ways of early Corinth. The most influential part of our time though was when Dr. Lauber led us through parts of 1st and 2nd Corinthians, while standing where Paul once walked in the city of Corinth. Dr. Lauber described to us the significance of Paul's journey through Corinth, in which Paul emphasized unity of the church and believers as a whole, not boasting in ourselves but only in the Lord, and pointing others always to God instead of ourselves, in all that we do. This was so powerful because we were able to read and take in Paul's message from a new and more profound perspective, being in Corinth.
After we finished our tour we walked over as a group to a local lunch spot to have some Greek cuisine, which was amazing. We then boarded the bus and headed back to Athens for our second game of the week. In an all around team effort and a very exciting game, we came out with the win on a buzzer beater to give us our second win of the week! An amazing day topped off with a great team win! VIDEO OF GAME-WINNING SHOT
Third Update (May 22)
Our Friday morning began with a devotional from our team manager, Jeremiah Cho, about the blessings of living in Christian community. Afterwards. Dr. Lauber spoke to the group, giving us insights from 1st Thessalonians. He emphasized Paul's selflessness in his message as a servant of Christ who was proclaiming the good news of Christ.
After a quick flight to Thessaloniki and lunch, we toured the White Tower, a remnant of Ottoman rule in Greece. From there, we went to the Vlatadon monastery, where Paul is traditionally believed to have preached to the Thessalonians. The monastery was filled with incredible artwork and iconography. Outside the monastery, Pastor Dawn Lauber spoke about 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 and the deep joy we get to experience in Christ, even in the midst of sorrows and trials. We ended with a visit to the church of St. Demetrius, an Orthodox Church in Thessolaniki. We saw more iconography and learned about the history of the church.
Fourth Update (May 23)
Our first full day in Thessaloniki began with a tasty Greek breakfast. After we finished eating the whole team set out to travel by bus to Veria. Veria was as an important stop on Paul's journey through Greece.
On the bus ride, Dr. Lauber spoke to us more about the Greek Orthodox Church. We learned about the importance of Icons and the veneration of religious figures. Dr. Lauber's information was valuable, because these practices are very different than what most of the team is used to.
We traveled within the city of Veria and made our way up to a monument dedicated to Paul. At the historical site we heard from our tour guide, George, as well as a fantastic teaching from Pastor Lauber. She spoke about Paul's determined faith and his love of community. A memorable part of the teaching talked about how Paul wasn't a particularly attractive person. He was famously short and suffered from different sicknesses, yet when he preached it was reported he looked angelic.
At the conclusion of the teaching, the group set out once more, this time followed by some good-natured local dogs. We stopped and saw an old Jewish Synagogue, now only used for special occasions.
As we were heading to the next site, our group was stopped by a gentleman who noticed our guide discussing local architecture. This man offered to welcome us into his home for a brief look. It turns out he lives in the oldest home in Berea that was reported to have been built in 1350. The man told us that records found within the oldest church in town prove the date.
Upon leaving the kind gentleman we arrived at a church built 900 years ago. At this site we learned about the Narthex, an area set apart inside the church reserved for those who are non-members or unbaptized. As we marveled at the beautiful Frescos lining the walls and ceilings, our tour guide George told us about the image's intentional simplicity. He said that the artists prioritize the feeling and soul of the religious figure they are depicting, rather than detailed realism.
The second Greek church we visited was constructed more recently in the 1960s so the artwork was newer and more vibrant. Despite the modern feel, the space felt reverent and sacred.
Once we left the church the team split into smaller groups for lunch. We all explored the streets of Veria, which were much smaller when compared to the larger city of Thessaloniki.
After lunch we loaded up for our game. The team, energized by Carson's second half work in the paint, pulled through and secured the victory. The game was capped off by a Kyle Neibch deep three which had the whole Wheaton bench on their feet.
At the conclusion of the game we got on the bus once more. This time we traveled to a different gym to lead a group of young Greek basketball players in a clinic. The clinic consisted of drills and terminology that we use in our Wheaton practices. The kids were very enthusiastic and everyone had a great experience. Coach Panner made sure that the gym had energy the entire time, urging the players to shout names, clap, and cheer their teammates on.
After the clinic ended the team was tired from the full day. We bussed back to the hotel and enjoyed a delicious meal. We retired from dinner fatigued from our day but excited for what waits for us tomorrow in Philippi.
Fifth Update (May 24)
Our Sunday morning started with a great team breakfast before boarding the bus and heading to Philippi. The two-hour ride gave us beautiful views of Greece and the surrounding islands before arriving at one of the most significant places from Paul's ministry. Once we arrived, we gathered together for an outdoor church service led by Pastor Dawn Lauber. We worshiped together before reading Philippians 4:4-9 as a group. Pastor Dawn Lauber then shared a powerful message centered on three themes from the passage: joy, gratitude, and the saints who have gone before us and brothers and sisters who are with us now. There was something incredibly powerful about reading Philippians while standing in Philippi, reflecting on the faithfulness of God and the sacrifice of Christ in the very place where these truths were first proclaimed.
After the service, we walked through the archaeological ruins of ancient Philippi, stopping at the stadium, an early church site, and the place believed to be Paul's imprisonment. While standing there, Dr. Lauber taught from Acts 16 and emphasized the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context of Scripture. We read Acts 16:25 together and reflected on the story of Paul and Silas praising God in prison before the Lord miraculously freed them. Hearing that story while standing in the very place where it is believed to have happened was unforgettable and gave us a deeper understanding of God's faithfulness and Paul's boldness in proclaiming the truth of Christ.
We then walked through the Forum and along the same roads Paul once traveled before visiting the Church of Paul, which carried such beauty and historical significance. To end the day, we traveled to the place where Lydia, the first European convert to Christianity, was baptized by Paul. Sitting together by the river while reading Acts 16 and hearing about Lydia's role in the spread of the Gospel was an incredible reminder of how God used ordinary people to expand His Church throughout the world. We finished the day in Kavala for lunch before heading back to prepare for dinner together.
