COCHRANE, ALBERTA
Many siblings tend to compete with each other in a variety of ways, and the Bachynski brothers are no exception – except their rivalry comes super-sized.
Take their height, for instance. Jordan, at 7-foot-2, is a couple of inches taller than his younger brother, Dallin. These two college-level basketball players confirm this statistic regularly, although standing back-to-back had to wait until Jordan returned from serving in the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission and will be on hold once more while Dallin serves in the Slovenia/Croatia Mission.
Jordan, barely home from his mission before leaving again, this time to play as a freshman with the Arizona State University Sun Devils, paused just long enough in May to speak in his home ward, the Cochrane Ward, Calgary Alberta West Stake. That same Sunday, Dallin spoke because he's also leaving, not for a college basketball court, but for a mission.
These amazing brothers are giants, but giants in a way no temporal yardstick can measure. The real measurement of their stature is their commitment to the Lord.
The brothers readily put Him first in their lives and know He continues to guide and direct them.
The successful high school basketball players have been pursued by major American schools eager to have the tall, talented brothers on their teams. Jordan signed with Arizona State University without ever having been on their Tempe, Ariz., campus.
ASU head coach Herb Sendek had seen Jordan play only on video, but that was enough. An offer was made and Jordan signed a letter of intent, but only after spending hours fasting and praying to find out what the Lord would have him do.
Family members know about fasting and have learned to rely on the strength and closeness to the Lord it brings.
This past school year, Dallin played ball with the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds in Cedar City and, when times got rough, he knew to go to the Lord in prayer and fasting.
"I know the blessing of fasting with a purpose," he said. And then, as his mother, Yolanda, blinking back a couple of tears, asked, "Why did you go to the Lord?" he replied softly, "Because that's what we do."
Was it easy to give up basketball to serve a mission?
Jordan responded with a grin, "I never knew how much I loved basketball until I couldn't play it." For the first part of his mission, he was able to play a bit of ball each week on preparation day, but for the last several months he didn't even manage that.
"But I served a mission because I knew the lives of a few select people would change because I was able to share my testimony with them and teach them," he said.
Dallin agreed, "I will use my heart, soul and testimony to bring someone to Christ."
Visiting with these two young adults, meeting the direct, honest gaze of Jordan's remarkable blue eyes and Dallin's warm, friendly brown ones, it's easy to recognize the sincerity in their words and their love for their fellow man.
As the brothers sat with their family, their mother smiled at their closeness with their sister, Jessica, who is 17 years old and six feet tall. As Jessica caught her brothers' eyes and shared a grin and a high five with them, their father John spoke up: "Playing basketball is a spiritual process. They play basketball to get to know the Lord."
Dallin confirmed, "I learned I want to serve a mission; not that I have to."
Jordan said, "Playing ball taught me many things. On my mission, I learned that I have zero control and that I had to rely on faith."
He knows he can rely on a promise made by his mission president that by serving the Lord first, his basketball skills would come back exponentially.
As it has been said, you can't teach 7-foot-2, but when asked by various hopeful coaches why they didn't have more children, John at 6-foot-5 and Yolanda, 6-foot-2, laugh.
Sister Bachynski said smiling, "The coaches wanted us to supply them with a team." Then, a bit teary-eyed, she added, "We are a team."
And indeed they are; and they're on the right side.
