Auburn Men's Basketball coach Bruce Pearl says he doesn't follow the typical advice to avoid religion and politics at work. He's excited about the opportunity to experience this once-in-a-lifetime trip to what many consider to be the center of both religion and politics, along with his players.
"Just so grateful to Auburn and the NCAA for two reasons: one, Auburn's going to allow us to take my kids to Israel and experience something that could be a once in a lifetime thing for them," Pearl said. "You talk about a commitment to student-athletes and getting this exposure historically, religiously and then from a basketball standpoint."
They've already had a full week in Israel. They played their first of three games, winning by a whopping 117 to 56. And they've also experienced much of what the Holy Land has to offer, as they've documented on social media.
Dylan Cardwell, a junior at Auburn, said about the trip so far,
"For me spiritually this is the closest I've ever been to God, physically, spiritually, emotionally. I just thank him every day that I can step foot in his Holy Land and the land that he created."
Today, several members of the team were baptized in the Jordan River.
In addition to being baptized in the Jordan, players also had the opportunity to sing "Silent Night" in Bethelem, and visit the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Museum. They have plans to visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the sea of Galilee as part of their tour.
What a great opportunity for these young men. All I can say to that is War Eagle!
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