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From Interest to Confidence: The Black Tide Youth Dream Baseball Team

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From Interest to Confidence: The Black Tide Youth Dream Baseball Team

“Try to change lives from the things that children love.” Established on December 9, 2023, the Black Tide Youth Dream Baseball Team is a new initiative by the Mustard Seed Mission's Hualien Children's Home in Taiwan. The team aims to help children in the home build self-confidence and find their purpose in life through the sport of baseball. After three months of preparation and training, the children have begun to learn responsibility and self-discipline, said Hung-En Chang, director of the Youth Home. He hopes that through the continuation of baseball, the value of companionship will be seen, and that the young dreamers will be able to shine in the future.
 


The Hualien Children's Home provides care for children aged 12 to 18 who have come from dysfunctional families, are unable to be supported by their families, or have lost their parents. They each have their own unique life story. Chang said that helping children build confidence has always been the responsibility and direction of the Children's Home. Since many of the children are on their school's baseball teams, it was decided after much discussion to establish the Black Tide Youth Dream Baseball Team.

In order to participate in practice, the children's behavior has also slowly changed. Project worker Mei-Chin Hsu said that Yu, a high school sophomore, is a witness to domestic violence. The way he used violence to solve problems affected his behavioural development. However, in order to play baseball, he began to suppress his anger and his temper became milder. Xiang, on the other hand, is a member of the school's baseball team and was chosen to be the captain because of his rich experience. He suddenly transformed into a leader, as if he had grown up overnight. When he recently distributed new gloves to the team members, he encouraged them in a firm voice to cherish their belongings and be grateful. He is gradually showing the charisma of a leader.

During the preparation process, the players couldn't wait to start practicing. Led by the Youth Home's life guidance teachers, the team traveled to the Shin-Cheng Elementary School baseball field, a 30-minute drive away, to borrow the school's small gloves and baseballs. Even though the training process was challenging, the children learned to be responsible and self-disciplined in order to have a sense of belonging and honor in the team. Over the past three months, they have become more and more confident.

On the day of the team's formation, The Mustard Seed Mission CEO Jeffrey Lee visited the home to present each child with a personalized jersey embroidered with their name and give them blessings and encouragement. The players also happily showed off their new uniforms, gloves, bats, and protective gear. Qí, who recently finished his placement, is currently learning with his father in the construction industry. He specially sent his blessings from Taipei to cheer on his younger brothers. Despite only being a part of the team for a short period, Qí cherished every moment he spent there.
 


The Mustard Seed Mission Youth Home fulfilled the teenagers' needs for personal growth and self-discovery, striving for individuals who left residential care to become self-sufficient, honest, and kind. 

💝Diversified Learning Project for Children 
Taiwan Donation Page https://msm.pse.is/4vy48c 
International Donation Page https://msm.pse.is/3ul4hb

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