On Monday, April 28, the Brigham Young University women’s soccer team arrived in New Zealand — not to compete, but to serve and build relationships with the people of New Zealand for two weeks in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.
BYU forward Addie Gardner said this trip was “an opportunity to represent BYU and strengthen its ties abroad, while deepening our understanding of service, cultural awareness and Christlike love in action.”
The athletes kicked off their trip by visiting the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Center in Auckland, where they practiced dribbling, passing and other ball-handling skills with refugee youth.
Team captain Ellie Walbruch said visiting the refugee center was one of the most humbling parts of the trip.
“We came in thinking we were there to serve, but honestly, we left feeling like we were the ones who had been filled,” she said.
When it came time for the BYU team to leave, the youth sang the traditional New Zealand song “Tutira mai nga iwi.” In return, the athletes tearfully sang “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.”
Gardner said the experience created a sense of unity and joy. “It was a powerful reminder of how small acts of kindness and connection can make a lasting impact.”
Walbruch noted that every interaction throughout the trip felt genuine.
“It didn’t matter that we were strangers or that we came from completely different backgrounds,” she said. “There was this mutual respect, kindness and spirit that connected us instantly.”
Throughout the trip, the team had chances to speak at devotionals for local youth and young adults. Gardner said sharing the gospel was one of her favorite parts of the trip.
“It reminded me of my mission and reignited a deep sense of purpose,” she said. “I felt the Spirit so strongly, and I came away with a renewed understanding of how universal the love of God is.”
During devotionals, players shared personal stories about trusting God and the joy that comes from putting Christ at the center of one’s life.
BYU midfielder Halle Dixon shared what she learned about God from suffering major injuries during her soccer career.
“The most powerful lesson that I’ve learned throughout all that I’ve been through is that when you put God first, everything falls into place,” Dixon said. “I have seen firsthand that God answers our prayers, even if they may not be as fast as we’d like. His timing is always perfect.”
Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, a General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the Church’s Pacific Area presidency, opened the team’s final devotional in Wellington — which was attended by roughly 250 members and friends of the Church — with a message about focusing on Jesus Christ.
“If you desire lasting peace and happiness, even joy that goes beyond temporary happiness, Jesus Christ truly is the source,” he said.
The team also had the opportunity to meet with U.S. consul general Melissa Sweeney in her home. Sweeney spoke with them about the importance of building intercultural relationships and what it’s like to be a woman in leadership.
For Walbruch, everything about the trip came back to “becoming.”
“It’s about leaving different than you came,” she said. “And for all of us, that’s exactly what happened.”
