The Trinity Western University women's soccer team is currently in Africa.

The team left April 30 for a 17day Athletes in Action (AIA)-oriented mission and training trip based in both South Africa and Swaziland.

The trip, which see the team return May 16, will be an opportunity to serve the local communities, the local churches and, most importantly for the Spartans, the local people.

The team will also be able to train with, interact with, and play against some of the best women's soccer players in South Africa.

"The purpose of this trip is to grow and demonstrate God's love in practical and tangible ways, whether that's using soccer or not," Spartans coach Graham Roxburgh said.

The team will open the trip with its first five days spent in the city of Pretoria, where it will train alongside South Africa's U17 national team while also serving in the community alongside AIA.

In Pretoria, the team is involved in community and church outreach opportunities in the city while also helping to run soccer clinics in the local townships.

"We want to interact and build relationships with the U17 team and use soccer as a way of connecting," Roxburgh said.

"But we don't want to just do soccer stuff. We want to help out anywhere that there is a work project. We want to be a fragrance of hope and joy to a community and we want to demonstrate love to others through how we serve."

Following its first five days in Pretoria, the Spartans will transition to the town of Bulembu in Swaziland, where they will spend five days working in schools, orphanages, and the community in general, while also running daily soccer clinics for what will likely be hundreds of children.

Visit www.bulembu.org/ to learn more about the town of Bulembu.

Following their five days in Bulembu, the Spartans will return to the Pretoria and Johannesburg area where players will continue to work with local churches and with AIA at the University of Johannesburg.

Throughout the trip, the team plans to play five matches against local universities as well as different levels of national sides, possibly including South Africa's Olympic squad, U20 team, and/or U17 team.

Visit www.impact.twu.ca/project/project.aspx?asset=895 for more information about the trip as well as an opportunity to donate towards the Spartans' efforts.

. More online at www.langleyadvance.com