For former BYU football star Chad Lewis, now a tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles, a goodwill tour of Asia for the NFL was a natural. It marked the return to a place where he had served his mission a decade earlier.
While he was sent by the United States' professional football league to promote its interests in that area of the world, Brother Lewis found time to mingle with Church members and renew acquaintances from his service in the Taiwan Taichung Mission, according to information provided by the Church's Asia Area. He was a particularly good ambassador for the NFL and the Church in Taiwan because he was able to speak to the people in their native language.
During the 10-day trip in May, Brother Lewis and his wife, Michele, also visited Bangkok, Thailand, and Singapore. He held press conferences, granted radio and television interviews and made personal appearances at malls and schools. He also arranged time to speak at firesides in Taichung and Bangkok.
More than 200 people attended the fireside in Taichung, where he was remembered by some members of the Church.
In the Taiwan fireside, he responded to questions regarding balancing football with Church membership, the Asia Area report said. He expressed his commitment to continue to be the best possible representative of the Church in everything he does. "Football will only last a few years; the gospel is my life, my eternal life," he said. He added that he is grateful for the opportunities football has provided him to share his feelings about the gospel.
An all-conference tight end at BYU, he signed as a free agent with the Eagles in 1997 and has made two trips to the Pro Bowl.
