As a sophomore for the Cougars, Snouffer, a midfielder form Delaware, Ohio, started all 24 matches for the team and finished with four goals and four assists. The former Delaware Christian High School standout helped MVNU advance all the way to the Final Four of the NAIA National Tournament, and he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Westmont (Calif.) College in the quarterfinals.

The following is a recap of Snouffer’s experience this summer in his own words:

“When I first signed up to spend my entire summer with the Chicago Eagles doing sports ministry, I had a lot of mixed emotions. I was excited for the opportunity to meet other guys and gals my age who shared a similar balance of passion for soccer and furthering God’s Kingdom, and I was excited about the opportunity to travel to Rio de Janero, Brazil. I was quite nervous, however, about learning how to openly evangelize, followed closely by the fear of getting burned out on soccer with only a week separating the end of summer soccer and the beginning of college ball. In the end, though, the Lord was incredibly faithful and did an amazing work in my heart and in the hearts of many other people this summer through the ministry of soccer.”

“Just four days after meeting the other 39 teammates, guys, girls, and coaches, we boarded a plane headed for Rio de Janero. Our team then split in half with my group going to Teresopolis, a city in the mountains surrounding Rio. It was here that we got connected with Projecta Crecer (Project Grow), which is a ministry that seeks to use soccer as a common ground from which the gospel can be shared. We went to schools and shared our testimonies with the students there and conveyed how Jesus paid for our sins through a game we called “Juggling for Jesus.” We also led daily soccer camps in different sports arenas and street courts. It is amazing how many kids will come running when they see a team in uniform with official soccer balls instead of rags tied together who are willing to share with them.”

“Probably the most impacting thing for me while in Brazil was the day we spent in Favela Morro de Tiro, which translates to Slum Hill of the Gun. This hill was packed with people living in some of the worst conditions I have ever witnessed firsthand. We had to climb all the way to the top of the hill, past the drug lords, gang members, and various other destructive lifestyles to finally get to the field. The field was completely dirt with some chalk lines and 6 tree branches that made up 2 goals. The day started off with about 20 kids wanting to play, but by the end of the day nearly 120 kids crowded the tiny dirt field playing soccer and experiencing the love of Christ. About 30 of those children accepted Christ at the end of the day when we took the time to share about the power and affect of Christ’s love with them.”

“We spent the rest of our summer in the Chicago area ministering in the Special Olympic, Hispanic neighborhood, wealthy suburb, and inner city camps. Every day, the gospel was shared, and week after week we saw campers give their lives to Christ. The power of the gospel continues to amaze me. The words of Christ are never wasted, no matter the setting, time, or method of delivery. God opened my eyes to the full potential of soccer, not just to use and play it for my own recreation and community with teammates, but to play with the sole purpose of pleasing God and pointing others towards his Kingdom. It has been an amazing summer.”

Snouffer and the rest of his MVNU teammates will report back to campus for preseason training next week. The Cougars will look to make another run towards the NAIA National Tournament when the season gets under way with three matches in California starting with a contest at The Master’s College on August 26.