L to R: Erynn Barkett, Marie Galloway, Karl Uotinen, Kayla Rohr and Tom turner with 105 new soccer balls destined for Rio Bravo, Mexico!

Botetourt County is fortunate to have an international mission located within its boundaries in the International Christian Centers for the Deaf. Next week at MCCS, the ICCD school for the deaf in Rio Bravo, Mexico, they will hold a camp for deaf children.  Erynn Barkett, Anne Chappell Barkett, Marie Galloway, Kayla Rohr, Tom and Debbie Turner will be leaving to make the camp extra special this year. Many area churches also support the mission and send mission teams to Rio Bravo to the MCCS.

“With the help of kind donors,” as Turner said about the Christian mission, “105 soccer balls and other equipment are headed to the MCCS school for the deaf in Rio Bravo that is located in NE Mexico.” Traveling by vehicle to Rio Bravo, he will also be joined by mission workers  from Tennessee, Virginia, New York, Georgia and Texas. “Establishing the church school is the key model that ICCD is using to reach 70 million deaf around the world,” said Turner. The summer camp reinforces the mission of outreach to the deaf.

Brad Easter of Dicks Sporting Goods gave the  mission team a great price on the mostly Umbro soccer balls. “A  huge 6 foot soccer ball and a play ground parachute will also be part of the  equipment,” said Galloway an intern with Barkett-Allen and an LBHS graduate  who is attending Bridgewater College. Barkett exuberantly proclaimed, “We will have a great time.”

Children will sign in Mexican, American and home signing languages at the camp and Turner believes there will be children who come that will learn their first language at the week long camp. No matter, soccer is a sports language even the inexperienced seem to embrace. He expects 80-100 deaf children to come to the camp.

The following companies donated to the trip: Barkett Allen, Amsterdam Enterprises, RPE, Alejandros, The Landscape Store, Leonardos, Pomegranate, Downhome Pharmacy, ICCD, Rancho Viejo, and  Southern States.

To learn more or make a contribution contact ICCD or call them at 966-3345.