Volleyball Player Emily Collings Shares Faith Through Mission Trip to Kenya
On the volleyball court, Emily Collings is a veritable assist machine. Last season, the Jacksonville, Florida product ranked second on the Braves team with 3.90 assists per set. And this fall, she has rattled off a team-leading 130 assists thus far.
Yet her greatest achievement might very well be her missionary work last summer in Kenya, an East African nation. Her choice to serve there should not be a surprise. After all, in the “favorites” section in her online media guide bio, Emily listed “Jesus” as her idol.
During two weeks in May, the star setter joined Sports Camp International to lead sports camps and visit three orphanages funded by the Integrity Foundation. Joining Collings in the group were volleyball and beach volleyball players from LSU (3), Alabama, Florida International and Arizona State.
“I didn’t know any of them, but we got close really fast.”
Two of the orphanages housed youngsters aged five to 18 and the third home was filled with children nine years old and younger. The towns visited were Kaptagat, located in Southwestern Kenya and famous for world-champion runners; Maai Mahiu, 53 kilometers from the nation’s capital, Nairobi; and Mogogosiek, a Western village known for tea production.
They spent two to three days at each orphanage, providing a day-and-a-half of sports camps as well as morning devotionals and nighttime worship and singing.
“Seeing the kids playing the games and just getting to know them was so much fun. Many told me that they had never participated in an organized sports camp. They were really excited to have us there and it was really cool to worship with them. They would share verses (from the bible) with us, and we shared some with them."
It also served as a cultural exchange of sorts for Emily.
“They asked me a lot of questions. Maybe the funniest were the kids that asked if I had ever watched MrBeast (a YouTube sensation). They also asked us what food we ate and what music we listened to. We asked them the same questions.”
Collings and the other missionaries stayed in guest homes at each orphanage, packing up and moving every three days. While Swahili is the national language, most staffers and children at the homes also spoke English.
“The food at each place was amazing,” Emily gushed. “It was the same food the kids would eat. It was grown at or near their property. Some of the foods we have never seen in America.”
They included ugali (a thick cornmeal porridge made with maize flour and water), chapati (soft unleavened flatbread), and samosas (meat or vegetable fillings wrapped in pastry).
Collings, a senior elementary education major and Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll recipient, also will never forget the final day of her mission. She is scheduled to graduate in May 2027.
“Our guide Peter, who drove us to all the homes, let us hop on a safari tour with him. It was called Long Claw Expeditions, and we saw lions, hippos, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and other wild animals!”
Echoing other Conference Carolinas student-athletes in this story, Emily said her mission has left a lasting impression.
“It was a cool reminder of how grand God’s work is. The world is so much bigger than you. Also, I’ll never forget the kids and staff. They embodied the selflessness of Christ. They just put everything they had into it. It was just inspiring to see. We sang, we danced and we had so much fun. It was super joyful.”