The ETBU Volleyball team spent Thursday morning touring several historic sites in Nis, Serbia. To start the day, the group visited Skull Tower, which was constructed by the Turkish troops when they invaded Serbia in 1809, and originally consisted of 952 Serbian skulls. As of today there are about 58 skulls left as a part of the tower.

After Skull Tower the team visited Cegar Hill, the location of the first battle in the Serbian Rebellion, which was located just outside Nis. Following the battlefield, the group was given the opportunity to visit a World War II concentration camp, which was an eye opening experience for everyone. To be able to see first-hand where thousands of people were held in such inhumane conditions and many perished, was quite a somber experience for the entire team.

The group also spent a little time at the Nis Archeological Museum before heading to Belgrade, where they would spend their last full day in Serbia.

On Friday, the team spent their last day in Serbia touring the fortress in downtown Belgrade along the Danube River. The group finished the day with a devotional and time of reflection, where each player was able to share their experiences from the week and how the Lord worked through them and their appreciation to their hosts for the week. The team will head back to Texas on Saturday morning at 7:00 AM.

“Having the chance to travel to Serbia has been an incredible blessing. We were able to use our common interest and passion for volleyball to build relationships that lead to conversations about the Gospel. Being apart of planting a seed and connecting these girls to a local family has been a life changing experience by seeing the Gospel transcend two very different cultures,” Senior Abby Weaver from Dallas, Texas said.

“Looking back at this week, I am very grateful for the opportunity to come to Serbia. It has been encouraging to see my teammates bond together while training and being with the Serbian girls. We have gotten to see God move in new ways and I am excited to take back what we have learned on this trip back to the states,” Junior Elyse Shaw from Spring, Texas said.

“Our host family has taught me several things through their ministry and how to love others like Jesus does. They put their full trust in God with their jobs, finances, children and more, setting an incredible example of faith for us. They took us in like we were family and gave us the opportunity to do what we love, play volleyball, and take those relationships off the court, and then have conversations with the girls about the Gospel. Seeing how they live by faith and love others so well is something that will forever stay with me and challenge me in my personal relationship with God,” Weaver added.

“This week has been incredible to say the least. Working with the Stampedo Volleyball club and coaches for a week, allowed us to make great connections with the girls and really see the Lord working. We came to Eastern Europe to make a difference in the lives of others and in turn I have been so moved by the growth that we have seen in our own individual spiritual walks. The time we have spent in Eastern Europe may be limited but the impact and relationships will continue for a lifetime. I am so thankful for all the help that we have had from our host contacts as well as Ivan and Jelena of Club Stampedo. We are so excited to take all that we have learned in Eastern Europe back with us to Texas and continue to make a difference in the lives of others,” Head Volleyball Coach Keely Peterson said.

Thank you for your continued support, both financially and prayerfully, for the ETBU Volleyball team on their trip to Serbia. To be able to personally witness these young women use their God-given talents and abilities to minister to complete strangers, was truly a blessing. I am proud of each one of our volleyball student-athletes and how they gave up their spring break and did not use the cultural or language differences to hinder their ability to share Christ with others this past week.

Ryan Erwin Vice President for Athletics East Texas Baptist University